Current Nail Color: Essie in Sable Collar

I finally got around to painting my nails this month as I haven't had painted nails since Christmas! I actually attempted to paint my nails sparkly for New Years but my top coat made my nails look 'foggy' and I was so mad I removed it all and have had plain nails since.

I decided to try out one of the colors that my mom got me for Christmas. I chose Essie's Sable Collar and I absolutely love the color! It's a plummy/smokey brown shade with a slight bronze shimmer to it. It isn't glittery at all but when you move your nails under the light you can see the shimmer effect. It's very subtle and very pretty. I used the same topcoat as before (stupid!) and so my nails turned out a little bit foggy again. I am in need of a new top coat for sure! Ugh!

Regardless of the topcoat, the color is really elegant and great for Winter. It's dark without being black for those who don't really like dark nail colors. I can definitely see myself wearing this color a lot during Fall/Winter time. I figured I'd try to get my warm wintery colors in before it's time for bright Spring shades!

My Every Day Makeup Bag

As much as I like to use and try out various products whenever I do my makeup, I still have my go-to makeup products that I use when I'm doing my every day makeup look. So, I thought I'd share my bag of every day makeup with you today! These are all products I love and would recommend as I use them all the time!

I got this cute pink, white and gold bag in the Dollar Spot at Target. It's supposed to be a pencil pouch but it's lined inside and holds my makeup perfectly.

1. Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation in Shell. This is my every day foundation. It applies to my skin really well, stays all day, and feels like I'm not wearing foundation at all. I love it!
2. Laura Mercier Foundation Primer. This is the small size that I got with a kit when I bought the Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer. I've been using this primer for a couple of years now and I really like it. It goes on smoothly and helps keep my foundation on all day. Since I've been using this primer I haven't had any trouble with 'patchy' foundation.
3. Benefit Dallas Box Blush. I use this product as a blush and sometimes as a face bronzer/highlighter. It's not a bronze color but it gives a really nice glow to the face. This stuff looks great during all seasons too!
4. Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in Transparent. This is the best drugstore powder I've used! I've been using it forever it seems and it barely looks like I've touched it. I use this powder to set my makeup every day.
5. Jane Bronzing Powder in Inspire. I started using this bronzer last year and I use it exclusively for my bronzer these days. It's a great color for my skin, not orange but not too dark brown either. I like to apply this under my cheek bones, across my forehead and along my jawline.
6. Physician's Formula Touch of Glow Nude Wear Concealer/Highlighter. I just started using this stuff this month but I LOVE it. It is amazing and sometimes I just apply a little of this under my eyes and I'm good to run errands for the day. It makes my face look brighter and my eyes look more awake.

1. E.L.F. Studio Eyebrow Kit in Medium. To fill in my brows, I just use some of the powder on an angled brush. I then follow the powder with the darker wax in the more sparse areas of my brows. This stuff is SO cheap and lasts forever!
2. Maybelline Great Lash Mascara in Clear. I use this clear mascara to set my eyebrows when I'm finished filling them in. I have crazy eyebrow hairs that tend to go all over if I don't tame them with this stuff!

1. Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette. I've only been using this for a month but man is it fabulous. I can put together so many eyeshadow looks using it and all of the colors are so gorgeous.
2. Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Liner in Nude. I use this nude liner to line my lower waterline to brighten my eyes. I never forget this step because it is important when making my eyes looks brighter!
3. Covergirl Perfect Point Plus Eyeliner in Black Onyx. Guys, I've been using this eyeliner since high school! Some days I'll do liquid liner but for every day makeup, it's always this eyeliner. It's self sharpening, smooth, and has a smudger on the other end. It applies so fast and easy it is almost (almost) impossible to mess up.
4. Maybelline Volum' Express Waterproof The Rocket Mascara in Very Black. This mascara is a great every day mascara. I really like the consistency of the formula and I find that it doesn't clump. It makes my lashes look really nice but without being over the top which is why it's an every day mascara for me.

Do you use any of these products? What do you have in your every day makeup bag?

Real Life: How to Handle a Friend Break-up

Today's post is going to be a little bit different. Since my blog is not specifically just a 'beauty' blog, I thought it would be fun to share some personal/lifestyle posts every once in a while.

At the ripe old age of 27, I have learned some things over the years. I've made many friends and even lost some friends. Losing friends can be devastating, especially if you were particularly close to that person and it didn't end on good terms. Sometimes people just grow apart, and that's okay! This post is directed more towards a friendship ending badly or a 'friend break up' as I like to call it.

In the year after high school, I went through a friend break up with my best friend. We had been best friend's for a few years and were super close. I practically lived at her house most of the time. Although this 'break up' was both of our faults, I was the one who ended it and I'm not proud about the way it was handled. I haven't spoken to her since but I thought it would be helpful to share some some tips on handling a friend break up. I wish I would have known some of these things back when it was happening to me but they say hindsight is 20/20 for a reason.

Here are my suggestions for handling a friend break up:
1. Do not wait until small problems become big problems: This is a big one. One of the main reasons I was starting to drift away from this friend was because of how judgmental and negative she was. I could not stand listening to someone say so many negative things about people all the time and it came to the point where I was starting to act the same way. Instead of saying something to her about it when it was happening, I ignored it until it came to the point where I couldn't handle it anymore and I just stopped talking to her without giving a reason. I just needed a break. Looking back, if I would have expressed these things to her before they became such a big deal it possibly could have saved our friendship or at least we could have had an actual argument about it.

2. Do not respond out of anger: This is another big one. Back when my friend break up was happening, Myspace was the big thing. This friend of mine sent me a horrible Myspace message not long after we stopped talking. The message was so hurtful that I remember crying and asking my Mom if the things she said about me were true. At this point, I should have let it go and just not responded but I was so hurt and so angry that I sent a message back. The message I sent was just as hurtful and this destroyed the possibility of us ever being friends again. So if your friend sends you a rude text, email, or message, take a step back and give yourself time to respond (if you even choose to). If you do respond, keep it factual and leave out the personal attacks. If I knew then what I know now, I never would have responded to the message.

3. Do not seek revenge: If the friendship is over (or you're taking a time-out), do not try to seek revenge for hurt feelings. This could include a multitude of things: posting mean pictures, writing rude things about them, spreading rumors, etc. After my friend break up, we agreed to bring borrowed stuff back to each other (I had a dress of hers, she had my CD collection and a necklace) at our school. When I arrived at my desk, I noticed that she had thrown my CD collection all over the top of it and my necklace lay broken on the pile of CDs. Obviously this upset me but I just walked her dress (hung up nicely in a garment bag!) over to her desk and laid it down. I was done putting so much energy into this fight. I think I was over the anger and mainly just hurt by her actions. It's NEVER okay to be the person who seeks revenge. It makes you look immature and you will never let go if you continue to fight. Sometimes you have to be the bigger person and just walk away.

4. Let yourself be sad: It's okay to be sad after a friend break up. Your feelings have been hurt and you just lost someone you used to spend a lot of time with. Spend some time in your sweatpants watching trashy tv and eating ice cream. Cry if you want to! This is all totally okay. Just don't let it last forever because you'll miss out on opportunities and other friends!

5. Find people you enjoy being around: Sometimes after a friend break up, your other friends will choose sides. This sucks but it's the way things seem to go. I was lucky to have had a solid group of friends before the 'break up' so I still had them afterwards as well. I spent a lot of time getting to know my current best friend (she's been my bestie for 10 years now!) and ended up sending time with people I may not have had time for when I was spending all my time with my previous best friend. If you don't have a solid group of friends, I would suggest joining a club or sport that you love to find people who enjoy the same things as you. Or host a get together and have everyone bring a friend of theirs that no one has met. This is a great way to find potential friends!

6. Apologize (or don't!): Sometimes after you have had time to think you will realize your fight was stupid or you just want your friend back. If you find that your break up really was unnecessary, reach out to them again! I have a friend who went through a friend break up and after a year or so they got back in touch and realized they were both sorry and wanted to continue the friendship. If you reach out and your friend is still upset, let it go. It doesn't make sense to continue to reach out to someone who doesn't want to make contact. In my situation I have never apologized or reached out to my friend. There are days when I think it would be nice to send her a message and apologize for the way things went down but I don't want to go back to the way things were. I believe the friendship I was in was bad for me and made me a worse person. Even if I apologized, I couldn't see me and this person hanging out again. If this is the case for you, then it's okay to move on and not look back. I believe that some people come into your life just to teach you something about yourself.

I really hope this post was helpful and if you are going through a friend break up right now, hang in there! If you have any tips to add to the post, please leave them in the comments.

Thanks for reading!

Beauty Fix: My Secret Weapon for Getting Rid of Blemishes

At some point or another in your life, you're going to get a blemish (or zit or pimple or whatever else you call them). No matter how old you are, it still sucks. I have a secret weapon that I use against these blemishes that works for me 99% of the time! (Disclaimer: I am not a doctor nor do I have acne, this is for the occasional blemish that pops up on my face and is all my own opinion).

I bought my first tube of Zapzyt when I was in high school. I was never someone who got bad acne, just the occasional blemish here and there. But these blemishes always made me feel awful. I think for me it was the fact that I had nice skin and then just one giant blemish somewhere on my face. If I had them all over it would be one thing but it drove me crazy to have just one or two and covering them up always made my skin look even worse. So I went on the hunt to find a spot treatment that worked quickly. To be honest, when I first saw Zapzyt I thought the name was so silly and it was so inexpensive that there was no way it could possibly work. After trying a few other products, I finally decided to give Zapzyt a try and I'm so glad I did! This is my go-to spot treatment and has been for years because it actually does what I need it to do.

Zapzyt calls this a treatment gel but I would consider it more of a cream texture. This treatment goes on white but dries clear on your skin. The active ingredient in it is 10% Benzoyl Peroxide which is apparently what my skin prefers to Salicylic Acid. While Salicylic Acid is great at keeping your skin from getting red and preventing inflammation, I prefer Benzoyl Peroxide as it actually kills the bacteria instead of just slowing the growth of it. I think this is why the Benzoyl Peroxide works so quickly at getting rid of my blemishes.

I use this product morning and night right after washing my face. Benzoyl Peroxide can be very drying so the best tip I can give you is to use a very small amount and only apply it to the blemish, making sure not to get it on the skin surrounding. Since Benzoyl Peroxide can also bleach fabrics, you may want to apply with a Q-tip to make sure you don't get any of this product on your hands, towels or clothes. In my experience, if I apply Zapzyt to my blemishes at night, they are practically gone by morning!

I usually purchase my Zapzyt at the drugstore and it's right around $5.00 which is amazing since the tube lasts forever! This is a product that I always have on hand because you never know when a pesky blemish is going to surface!

Have you ever tried Zapzyt? What do you use for your blemishes?

Benefit Silky Finish Lipstick in Jing-a-Ling

When I was in high school, my Mom encouraged me to get a job so I could make some extra money. At this time, I had just started driving and I didn't have any bills other than car insurance (Mom still paid for my phone- those were the days!). I got a job at the local Dairy Queen and instead of putting money away into a savings account like I should have, I spent more money! I realized that I was making enough money to buy more expensive makeup than was at the drugstore. This started my weekend trips to Sephora with my friends and this is when I fell in love with Benefit Cosmetics. I still have the first product I bought from Benefit even though they no longer make it. I'll have to share it someday because I think it is amazing and looks beautiful in my makeup collection.

Anyways, I am subscribed to Benefit's emails and recently they had a 50% off sale on some of their products. These are products that they are discontinuing so I quickly got online and checked out the list. Of course there were lots of lovely things but I didn't see anything I had to have until I got to the lipsticks. The Silky Finish Lipstick in Jing-a-Ling to be exact. I can't remember who recommended this color but I know I've heard multiple recommendations for it and since this was the last chance to buy it, I did!

I was surprised by the size of the box since all I ordered was the lipstick and some samples. The packaging is so cute and I love their tissue paper!

This is how the package looked when I opened it up.
The contents of my package: Silky Finish Lipstick in Jing-a-Ling, Fake Up sample in Medium, and a Hoola sample.

I absolutely love when brands let you choose samples with your order. I'm always looking to try new products and it's such a great way to decide if you like something before you place an order for the full product. There is nothing worse than having a full product of something you hate and will never use.

This is actually the first lipstick I've ever purchased from Benefit but I must say their lipstick packaging is adorable!

Top view of the lipstick package where the color name is displayed.
When you open up the lipstick box, you can actually pull out the front display of the lady and when you flip it over it has some 'words of wisdom' on the back. Again, such a nice touch! These are the things that make a brand stand out. Mine said "Never apply lipstick while driving on a gravel road".

Jing-a-Ling is a beautiful pink shade. It's like a 'your lips but better' color and honestly I can't think of anyone it wouldn't look good on. It's not too light and it's not too dark, it's a very safe shade to wear for everyday. I'm super excited to start wearing it! I've tried it on of course but didn't leave the house so it doesn't count! :)

Here is a swatch of the color. I would post a picture of it on me but I've been sick this past week and feeling less than stellar. I'm a little frightening looking right now as well (although I did shower today so hurray for me!) but I will post a picture of the color on me soon!

Thank you for reading and I hope you are having a wonderful weekend!

What's in my Purse?

To stray slightly from the makeup/beauty posts, here is something a tad more personal...what I carry in my purse on the daily. I love these posts because it's so fun to snoop and see what other people deem necessary to carry in their purse. Since I'm carrying a smaller purse than usual mine isn't as crammed with stuff but I'll be sure to share again when I switch to a larger purse.

This is the purse I'm currently carrying. It's a Deux Lux purse that I purchased a few years ago at Urban Outfitters for a trip to Las Vegas. It's actually my 'Summer' purse but I like how small it is so I've kept using it through Fall and Winter this year. I love that it's a cross body purse and I don't have to constantly hold on to it. I don't particularly love the way it closes because it is a pain to pull that strap up to snap it closed every time you use it but I put up with it since it's so cute. I'm also getting a bit sad about the wear that is starting to show on the strap on the front. :(

What's inside?

1. My 'Summer' wallet. It's small and turquoise and falling apart but it gets the job done! I bought it specifically to put in this purse since my regular wallet is gigantic. The brand is Cooperative and I got it at Urban Outfitters.
2. My current sunglasses. I got them at Nordstrom for about $12 a few years back and they are still in one piece! My mom actually got me some super nice sunglasses for Christmas but I'm terrified to use them since I'm used to having cheap sunglasses. I'll probably switch to my nice ones when it gets sunny out again.
3. Of course I keep my favorite lipstick of the season in my purse at all times!
4. Hand sanitizer. I don't use it as often as I should but my boyfriend is always asking for it so it's useful!
5. Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Smitten. Such a gorgeous color! Easier than lipstick but gives my lips some color when I need it.
6. Softlips. My lip balm of choice. Must have this at all times.
7. A hair tie.
8. Revlon Lip Butter in Red Velvet. Oh you know, just have to have multiple red lip options.
9. My iPhone. An obvious essential.
10. Chocolate. Duh. You carry chocolate in your purse too, right?

So, what do you carry in your purse? If you've done a post like this please leave a link below so I can check it out!

A Little Ulta Haul

I stopped by Ulta to pick up a few essential items: makeup remover and a nail file. Of course you can't stop at just the essentials when visiting Ulta. Plus, who's to say what is essential and what isn't?
I browsed around for a bit and noticed they were having a buy one get one 50% off on most of the drugstore brands in the store. SCORE! They also had their usual $3.50 off coupon that the ladies at the counter scan for me when they see my Ulta member card. This made me feel a little better about picking up a few items for fun.

Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover- I usually purchase the Neutrogena Makeup Remover Towelettes to remove my makeup but I decided to buy the liquid version for removing my mascara. I always wear waterproof mascara and I've tried so many different removers claiming that they take off waterproof mascara and they almost never work. Neutrogena is the only brand I've found that easily removes my waterproof mascara.

Sally Hansen Ahead of the Curve Sapphire Nail File- I misplaced all of my nail files and instead of buying a pack of regular files, I chose to buy this file with super fine grit. I almost never file my nails (so bad!) but it's something I need to start working on if my nails are ever going to be shaped nicely.

Essie Nail Poish in Lots of Lux- I spotted this nail color while Christmas shopping with my best friend and thought it was SO gorgeous. Since I was shopping for others, I didn't buy it but told myself I'd go back for it someday. Well, while walking up and down the aisles, I thought I'd check to see if they had it in stock. I found a shelf full of the newer Essie colors and after searching through the heaping pile, I was able to snag the last Lots of Lux they had! Whew! Talk about lucky!

Physician's Formula Touch of Glow Nude Wear Concealer/Highlighter- Ulta had an end display featuring the new Physician's Formula Nude Wear products and I couldn't help but snatch up this concealer/highlighter. Not only is it adorable with that little bow on it (love bows!) but I've been looking for a more brightening product to use for under my eyes. I'm excited to try this out and see how it works!

Real Techniques Stippling Brush- I picked up this stippling brush after reading reviews online that it makes your skin look flawless. I've used a brush and a sponge to apply my foundation and currently I'm liking the sponge a lot more. I'm curious to see how my foundation will look when I use this brush to apply it. I'm always looking for products that make my skin look flawless but also natural.

Maybelline Colorsensational The Buffs Lipstick in Nude Lust (920)- Last time I bought a nude lipstick, I made the mistake of getting a color that was way to light for me. I didn't want that to happen again so I made sure to research this collection before making a purchase. I actually ended up going for a color that I wasn't planning on but it turned out to be the perfect shade!

Rimmel London Lash Accelerator Serum- Who doesn't want longer, thicker lashes? I was searching online to find an inexpensive lash growth serum that really worked and after reading the reviews on Ulta.com for this serum, I was hoping they had it in stock. I was super excited to see it in store and grabbed it up. I'm going to test this out for a month or so and I'll share my results with you all!

Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in Audacious (245)- As I mentioned in my post about the Colorburst Matte and Lacquer Balms, I've been meaning to try a color other than a red. Since Revlon had the buy one get one sale going on, I decided to pick one up. I saw this bright orange pink shade and figured it would be an amazing color for Spring and Summer. It goes on super bright so I'll have to play around with it a bit.

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey (001)- After wearing my Kissable Balm Stain in Smitten on Saturday night, I remembered just how much I loved them. I wanted another but wasn't sure which color to go with next. Leighannsays on Youtube (love her!) has recommended the color Honey multiple times in her videos so I decided to give it a try!

I'll obviously be trying out the products I've listed above and I'll share my opinions on them after I've put them to use. I'm really excited about that lash accelerator and also that beautiful nail color!

Review: Rimmel London Lasting Finish Kate Moss Lipstick in 107

Rimmel London's Lasting Finish Kate Moss Collection lipstick in number 107 has been my most worn lip color for Fall and Winter this year. This color is well loved all over the internet and for good reason. The berry red color is perfect for the colder months and it's one of those colors that looks good on everyone!

The formula of this lipstick is super creamy and glides on so smooth! It doesn't feel drying and my lips seem to stay pretty hydrated while I'm wearing it which is a plus in my book. This lipstick is marketed as long lasting and I would agree as long as you aren't eating and drinking a lot while wearing it. I wore it for about an hour before I had something to drink and it came off on my glass a bit. The color and the creaminess of the lipstick make it totally worth it for me, though. When the color does fade, it fades to an almost pinky red that is still very pretty. Also, did I mention that this lipstick can be found for less than $6? Such a steal!

Basically, I am in love with this lipstick. It has a home in my purse so that I have it on me at all times. It's that fabulous!

Have you ever tried the Kate Moss lipsticks from Rimmel? What's your favorite color? I'm eyeing number 109 next!

A Beauty-full Christmas

Cheesy title, I know! But my Christmas really was full of beauty as I got quite a few beauty related products. I didn't want to do a full 'What I got for Christmas' post but I did want to share the beauty related items I was gifted as I was VERY excited about them. I will probably do some full reviews on some of these items at a later date but since I just got them I will have to play around with them a bit first.

My boyfriend really surprised me this year with his gifts! He told me that he bought my gifts based on things he's heard me talk about or mention throughout the year so I was definitely curious as to what they were going to be. He bought me the Urban Decay Naked 2 palette and I was practically speechless! I've always admired the Naked palettes but being on a budget I never allowed myself to actually purchase one. I couldn't believe that he had remembered that I wanted one and even picked the perfect one for me!

The most surprising gift from him though was my new Lancome Le Curler eyelash curler. My beloved Shu Uemura eyelash curler broke last year (Boo!) and I had to make do with a drugstore lash curler for the time being. My boyfriend told me he actually checked with Sephora and went to go pick up the last Shu Uemura left at the store and when he got there they didn't have one. The lady who was helping him suggested the Lancome Le Curler instead and he purchased that for me. I can't believe he remembered my eyelash curler sob story and thought to replace it. He's the best! I am ECSTATIC to have a nice, new eyelash curler. I'm telling you, the higher end ones really are worth it!

Another thoughtful gift from my boyfriend was a set of Tweezerman Nail clippers. I have an unhealthy obsession with my nails. I can't stand for them to be long and they can't be too short either. The nails have to match on both hands and if I feel a piece that doesn't feel right I have to clip it. Basically, I trim my nails every day without fail. So far, I am loving these clippers and it is so nice to have a brand new pair!

In my stocking (which my boyfriend fills every year), I found 2 packages of Softlips lip balm. I've used this lip balm since high school and it's the best. My favorite is Vanilla (although they had a special one for Halloween called Marshmallow Ghost that I wish I could find again as I lost mine!). These lip balms are super hydrating and so small they fit anywhere! I have one in my purse, one in my bathroom cabinet and one on my nightstand (ummm...obsessed!).

We went to my mom's for Christmas and my mom told me that she experienced Ulta for the first time this year when buying my gifts. I had no idea she'd never been there but she thought it was so neat! I told my mom I wanted a curling iron in the size 1 1/4 and she picked up this Hot Tools one for me. I usually use a 1 inch curling iron to make curls in my hair but I've been wanting a larger one to make softer waves so I'm super excited about it!

My mom also picked up 3 Essie nail colors for me along with a Seche Clear base coat that a lady at Ulta recommended. She gave me Shearling Darling which is a dark berry red, Sable Collar which is a plummy brown shimmery color, and Pure Pearlfection which is clear polish with iridescent shimmer.

This year I was surprised to get a Victoria's Secret body lotion and fragrance mist from my Grandma. I just can't picture her in Victoria's Secret shopping! :) She picked out the Sheer Love scent for me and the scent is described as fresh white cotton and luminous pink lily. It smells really light, fresh and slightly floral and I think it will be great for Spring!

I'm so excited to start the new year off with my new beauty products!

December Favorites

I cannot believe 2013 is over! December was a very busy month for me and I didn't think I had much to share for monthly favorites until I put together my list. I thought my November favorites covered my current beauty routine pretty well but it turns out I did have a few different favorite products for December.

Makeup:
Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation in Shell (#130)- In November, I used my Covergirl Outlast foundation a ton but as soon as December rolled around I found myself going back to my Nearly Naked Foundation. I absolutely love the Nearly Naked foundation because it feels like I'm not wearing foundation at all. It doesn't give as much coverage as the Covergirl Outlast foundation but in December my skin was actually looking quite nice so I was able to use less coverage.
Physician's Formula Classic Nude Eyeshadow Palette- I used this palette an awful lot this year but with all of the holiday events happening in December, I found myself using it almost every time I did my makeup. The farthest right shade has been my go-to highlight color for my brow bones and inner corners and I find that this palette gives me so many different neutral color mixing options.
Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze- I found myself using Bad to the Bronze as an all over lid color/eyeshadow base before applying the eyeshadows from the Classic Nude palette. It looks gorgeous on its own but it also looks great with powder shadow over the top of it. I also find that when using it as an eyeshadow base the powder shadow tends to 'stick' better and wear longer.
Essie Nail Polish in Beyond Cozy- I am IN LOVE with this color. It is so so gorgeous and I wore it the week leading up to Christmas. I found that the glitter dries super fast when applying (which is awesome!) and also is a lot harder to chip. The only downfall of this polish is how dang difficult it is to get off. It was a struggle but I thought it was worth it! :)
Revlon Nail Enamel in Rich- This color is one of my favorite nail color finds of the year and I wore it a ton during December. It is such a unique color that I had to buy it the second I saw it. I usually put on at least 2 coats of this shade and it ends up looking like a dark bluish/black base color with golden glitter throughout. This glitter however is so fine it is not difficult to remove and comes off just as easy as any other polish. An all around win in my book.

Skin Care:
Benefit Total Moisture Lotion- My usual face moisturizer is the Benefit Triple Performing Facial Emulsion but I ran out of it right before the start of December. Since my face has been pretty dry this winter, I decided to start using the other Benefit moisturizer I had, the Total Moisture Facial Cream. I found that the trick with this is to not slather on too much, a little bit goes a long way. It made my skin so moisturized and so soft! I will definitely need to go buy a new bottle of my usual Benefit moisturizer but I'm keeping this one on hand as well for my dry skin moments.

Hair Care:
Redken Extreme Shampoo and Conditioner- I've been using this Shampoo/Conditioner duo for a few months now but I really saw the difference in my hair this last month. My hair is usually super frizzy, dry and static-y in the wintertime but since I started using this shampoo and conditioner, I've found my hair to be much more manageable. I have very fine, thin hair so I was worried it would get weighed down but that hasn't been a problem at all!

Random:

Books:
I read like a crazy person in December and finished 2 books, After Her by Joyce Maynard and The One I Left Behind by Jennifer McMahon. Both of them had to do with serial killers and both of them were fantastic! I had to keep reading day and night because I wanted to know what happened so badly. I may do full reviews on these books sometime but just I wanted to mention them as favorites for the month in case you are looking for a new read!

Music:
Eric Church: Chief- I am obsessed! I grew up listening to country music so I usually am all about the 90's country BUT my brother has spent the last year or so suggesting different musicians and songs to me and I fell in love with Eric Church. My brother bought me his album 'Chief' for Christmas and I've been listening to it nonstop. My favorite songs on this album are 'Homeboy' and 'Springsteen'.

What were some of your favorite products for December?