january favorites

I haven't done a monthly favorites post in what seems like ages, so i figured i'd try and start doing them again. Not making any promises though! ;)  These products are either newer ones that i've just discovered & have really liked or old favorites that i've rediscovered over the past month.

What have you been loving this month?

♥ Dove Heat Defense Therapy conditioner.  This is one of the products i've rediscovered.  I used to use this everyday but i realized that it was contributing to the product buildup in my hair.  I put off using it for a long time, but have come back to it.  It makes my hair smooth & helps protect my hair from the heat.  I generally use this on the days i blow-dry my hair (i usually shower at night & leave my hair to air dry).  This is the old packaging of this conditioner, but this stuff is still available!

♥ Favorite mascara combination.  I've been loving super thick, dark lashes this past month (well, every month really!) and these two products together help achieve the look.  Clinique's High Impact mascara is my favorite mascara i've ever tried, but in tandem the sample of Lancome's Definicils mascara, it's even better.  I probably won't buy the full size of the Lancome mascara as i'm not made of money haha, but i'll enjoy the little sample while it lasts :)

♥ Favorite eyeshadow combination.  I've been finding it hard to get out of bed & putting the effort into looking super done up this past month.  But to prevent looking like a total mess, finding a quick & easy makeup routine in the morning was an essential.  Benefit's Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow in RSVP (review here) was something i ordered from Sephora a little before Christmas and MAC's Satin Taupe eyeshadow is an old favorite of mine.  I put two layers of RSVP all over my lid & into my crease (as a base & lid color in one) and using a MAC 217 brush, i put Satin Taupe in the crease & build it up into the outer v.  Both quick & easy, but it looks nice and put together.

♥ MAC 129 & Sigma E65 Small Angle brushes.  One of the first things i ever purchased from MAC is the 129 Powder/Blush brush.  I love using it for blush, it applies & blends the color with ease.  Since it's getting quite old, it's getting a bit scratchy unfortunately but it's still nice.  I got a few Sigma brushes for Christmas and i have been absolutely loving them.  One of the eye brushes i got was the E65 Small Angle brush.  I love using this to apply eyeshadow on my lower lash line & i'm hoping this will work well for my recently purchased Clinique cream eyeliner.  We'll see how that goes!

♥ Yes to Cucumbers Facial Towelettes.  This was one of the products i purchased in my recent skincare haul & since then, i've been able to try them out for a while.  Many of you commented on that post saying you loved these and they didn't disappoint!  These are really gentle on my skin & get my makeup off really well.  The towelettes are actually pretty big & since i'm quite cheap i cut them in half and find that's enough to do the job!  I use these to remove my makeup when the day's done, before i cleanse my face.  If i'm feeling particularly lazy, i'll just quick wipe my face with these, apply a bit of moisturizer, and go to bed!  Love these.

Three to follow: Morven, Kerti, Kelly.

♥

July Faves :)

I originally wasn't planning on doing a July favorites post, mainly because i haven't really been wearing a lot of makeup & also because i haven't bought any new products in the entire month of July...crazy to think about, but yeah - i'm absolutely broke!  The times i have worn makeup in the month of July, i usually kept it simple or tried out new things - eg. different color eyeliners, different cheek colors, etc.

I have also been focusing more on taking care of skin this month, as the summer weather has really put a strain on it!  So my July favorites consist of one hair product, a few skin products, and just two makeup items!  I still hope you ladies enjoy this post :)

Dove Heat Defense Therapy Conditioner ♥

Whenever i blow-dry or straighten my hair (which admittedly, isn't too often in the summer!), i like to protect my hair from the heat as much as possible - starting in the shower.  I don't use this conditioner daily as it can cause buildup if used too frequently, but i be sure to use it whenever i know i'm going to use heat on my hair.  It makes my hair super soft & easy to work with!

Vaseline ♥

I think vaseline (or at least petroleum jelly) is a staple in any household, you can use it for so many things!  Every summer, my feet suffer from dryness & even cracking (sorry if you were eating!), so using the right products to help heal them is really important.  Before i go to bed, i slather this stuff on the bottoms of my feet, put on socks, dream for a bit, wake up, & viola!  My feet feel moisturized & the cracks in my feet have started to heal.  This stuff is a lifesaver.

L'Oreal Sublime Bronze Tinted Self-Tanning Lotion in "Deep Natural Tan" ♥

I already did a post kind of reviewing this product (link here), so i won't go too in depth - but i've really been loving this stuff lately.  I don't like exposing my skin to too much sun (i sound like a hermit!), as it is soo damaging, but i still like to have a tan.  This product is a solution to that dilemma!  I think i look so much healthier & even thinner with a tan, so i really love this product.

Lush "Honey, I Washed the Kids" Soap ♥

This soap is one of the more popular soaps at Lush and gets a lot of hype on YouTube & in the blogging community, and i would say it definitely lives up to the hype.  It smells delicious - i actually may need restraint from eating it! - it is also quite moisturizing, and creates a gorgeous lather!  Definitely a product to try out :)

Clinique High Impact Mascara in Black ♥

I did a review on this product a long, long time ago, and i still love it.  I would be my favorite mascara i've ever tried if it wasn't flaky, but i digress!  The effect this mascara has on my lashes is amazing!  It makes them look thick & lengthens them a bit, it looks stunning!  It's also quite dark black, which is always a plus in my book.

Clinique Blush in "Iced Lotus" ♥

I swear this product has been in all of my monthly favorites ever, but i honestly love this stuff!  It's the prettiest color blush i own. I stopped using this for a while, but i've rediscovered it & have fallen for it once more.  It's very pretty & gives a very lovely, fresh look to the cheeks :)

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What have you ladies been loving this month? :)

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♥