January 2016 Favorites

January went by SO. QUICKLY. This post is going up so late because I’m still in shock that it’s even February yet. Seriously, what happened?! This month was busy, what with welcoming the new year, going on a cross-country skiing vacation, starting my last semester of university, and rapidly descending into a muddle of schoolwork (although this semester is starting out much more slowly than most!)

Cosrx | Acne Pimple Master Patch

This whirlwind of a month came with its fair share of stress, although less than most months. Despite not being as stressed as I usually am during the school year, the stress I did experience gave me a ton of whiteheads. These patches helped, although they weren’t the magic bullet I’d been hoping they would be. They pulled a lot of the gunk out of my whiteheads (not pretty, I know :P), which helped me avoid the temptation to pop them. I am looking for a cheaper version of these, if anyone has recommendations!

derma e | Microdermabrasion Scrub

Speaking of skin problems, I’ve had these small bumps on my chin for months now. I think they might be milia, but whatever they are I don’t like them. Using this scrub on my chin every other day has helped them start to go away.

Embryolisse | Lait-Crème Concentré

This is my favorite winter moisturizer so far. I discovered it last winter through Birchbox and purchased a full-size version for use this year. I love using it during the daytime because it really protects my skin from the harsh outdoor elements like whipping wind and deep cold.

Petitfée | Black Pearl & Gold Hydrogel Eye Patches

I’ve been using these a lot because they have an expiration date of February. Although are these really only good for 2 months after opening? That seems so short! But it’s also nice, because if they had a longer usage time then I wouldn’t be using them nearly as often but trying to “save” them for special occasions (which really means just never using them at all). I can’t tell for sure if they’re impacting my mild dark circles, but I do enjoy using them!

LAQA & Co. | Cheeky Lip Pencils in Cray Cray (coral), Mixtape (red), and Humble Brag (pink)

These are the makeup products I’ve been using the most in January. I’ve been liking them as both cheek and lip products, which I feel is rare for a product that advertises itself as being good for both — usually it’s much better at one than the other. My favorite for cheeks has been the pink, which I also like using in combination with the coral. They’re just such easy cheek products! For lips, I like the red on its own and the pink layered with other lip products to achieve a plummy color.

 

What were some of the products you used the most in January? Feel free to comment with a link to a favorites post from your blog, and I’ll make sure to stop by!

Birchbox Black Friday Haul

I love Birchbox. I love receiving my box every month, I love window-shopping in their store, and I love occasionally buying myself something. This month was one of those “buying something” times.

Shipping was a little slow, but only by the high standards I’ve come to expect from Birchbox — it took 2 days to be shipped, and another 3 to arrive at my door. I was really surprised by how light the box was, especially considering its size, until I opened it….and realized how much bubble wrap had been used to package my products!

April 2015 Birchbox Review

April’s box theme was “Fresh for Spring”, which I loved the idea of. For once I actually did think that my samples reflected the theme — a pale pink lip color, peachy eyeshadows, a lotion to help get rid of leftover winter dryness, something that smells like blueberries (although maybe that’s more summery…), and a rejuvenating face mask.

June 2014 Birchbox Review

I was almost as satisfied with this box as I was my first. There were several products that I was very glad to be introduced to!

This month’s theme was “Away We Go”: I like the idea of this theme, but since everything in Birchbox is sample-sized anyway, I feel like it wasn’t as well applied as last month’s. In a travel-themed box I’d have expected some multi-tasking products, maybe something intended for use after a long flight/drive or even products with ties to a specific location, but my box at least didn’t contain anything of the sort.