December Beauty Favorites {2013}

Hello, friends! Well, here we are... a week and a half into 2014 already. Time really gets away from you when you're not looking! Which totally explains why I'm late to the party with posting last month's favorites. If you're curious as to what my beauty essentials were in December, keep on reading!

EYES

Wet n' Wild Color Icon Single in Nutty/Noisette. 
If I could pick only one eyeshadow to use forever, it would be this one. This sophisticated, warm-toned taupe looks great all over the eyelid because of the way the light hits it: it looks like you spent fifteen minutes on an eye look with several different colors when you really just swiped on one color. However, I wouldn't recommend using this up toward the browbone if you do this unless you have darker skin.

Maybelline Color Tattoo Metal in Barely Branded.
This is another great all-over-the-lid color that I've been loving this month. I'm a little disappointed because I've found that this creases on me after several hours (despite claims that it would remain crease-proof for 24 hours), but your mileage may vary, of course. Besides, that doesn't stop me from wearing this anyway - you just need to be a little more attentive to it.

L-R: Wet n' Wild Nutty/Noisette swatch, Maybelline Barely Branded, Jordana FabuLiner in Brown

Jordana FabuLiner liquid eyeliner in Brown. 
I've officially dipped my toes into the world of everyday liquid liner this month. Black can look really harsh on my eyes, so brown was the obvious choice. The crisp line of liquid liner - even without wings at the ends - does so much to open up your eyes and give them a little more definition. This liner is very forgiving and is great for beginners: if you mess up your wings as much as I do, this would be a great option because it cleans up easily with a wet cotton swab.

Travel Palette.
 This was one of my favorite things this month because I made it! This empty makeup container had been sitting for so long on my bookshelf that something needed to be done about it. I took out the separator on the inside and covered the lid with washi tape. This is a great place for my single eyeshadows to live - and is exactly where Nutty/Noisette has been living with some other shadows.

LIPS/CHEEKS/NAILS

Jordana Twist & Shine moisturizing balm stain in Honey Love. 
This is a wonderful everyday color for me! It's sheer enough that you don't need to worry about finding a mirror to put it on, and it leaves a nice stain for several hours after the silky balm finish disappears. This shade is that ever elusive your-lips-but-better color for me, which is wonderful. It also smells like Jello or fruit punch, which is always a plus.

Handmade Creme Blush/Lip Tint. 
I was feeling particularly crafty this month, so I decided to roll up my sleeves and play. This beautiful rosy color looks really nice on the cheeks, and it was my favorite thing to rock on my cheeks this month. It looks nice enough on the lips, but I'm working on perfecting my recipe so it looks even better. Anyone up for a DIY post on this?

OPI Nail Lacquer in Jewel of India. 
Instead of the standard Christmas red this month, I picked out this beautiful jewel-toned polish. It looked gorgeous on my nails, though I should have used a base coat because it stained my nails a little bit. I can't justify buying a nice base or top coat because I just don't paint my nails that often.

SKINCARE

Pond's Cold Cream Cleanser. 

I bought this a couple of months ago when I ran out of eye makeup remover, but it didn't do the best on my waterproof mascara. I rediscovered it this month after sampling (and finishing) another cream cleanser through Birchbox. Massaging this into your face and steaming it off with a warm washcloth feels truly luxurious. It's also fascinating to know that women have been using this product for over a hundred years! 

Neutrogena Pore Refining Toner.
This great chemical exfoliant is something entirely new to my skincare routine this month. I came across this after running out of my favorite toner (Thayer's Alcohol-Free Rose Petal Witch Hazel toner, if you're curious). Though I find the alcohol in this formula to be drying at times, the overall effects of this product are worth it. This leaves skin looking clear, smooth, and even-toned! It's especially great at fading hyperpigmentation.

Crabtree & Evelyn Hand Therapy in Himalayan Blue.It's no secret that I love the entire line of Hand Therapy products from this brand (my favorite scent is Rosewater!), but I've only ever owned the travel-sized tubes of this hand creme. A tube of this size usually costs $20, but I found this one at Marshall's for $6! I didn't think I would like the scent, but it's a lovely mix of fresh waters and crisp florals. As you can see, I've gone through quite a bit of this tube so far.

Those are all of my favorites from this month!

What did you love in December? Let's chat.

As always, thanks for reading!

Until next time,

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