I’ve been rather obsessed with Physician’s Formula this month. I’m not really sure why, other than it’s a cruelty-free drugstore brand that has new products available. Anyway, I tried their new Super CC+ Cream and was very pleasantly surprised! It has a pretty good medium buildable coverage, it blends nicely, it doesn’t have a shiny finish and it even seems to keep my oil at bay! It’s a really nice product, and it’s about the only “foundation” I’ve used in January.
For blush, I’ve been grabbing one that’s been in my drawer for quite a while, but I’ve never used it for some unknown reason. It is Down Boy from theBalm and I really love it! J I think I have all of theBalm’s original blushes (I bought them on HauteLook when they were half price). For some reason this one has just been ignored, but it’s a beautiful perfect slightly dusty pink. It makes the prettiest soft pink flush and it’s just natural, easy and it works with almost everything. It may just be my favorite blush from theBalm! J
Finally for makeup, I’ve been grabbing for the same Tinted Lip Balm SPF 15 in Rose from e.l.f. almost every day! J I guess it’s been a boring makeup month, but it made it easy to determine my favorites! J I really like the Rose shade of this lip balm because it actually shows up on my lips without being too dark. It just looks like my lips are a shade deeper than they really are. It’s also comfortable and not a half bad lip balm! J Again, it’s easy and pretty without needing to think about it. I think that’s been a theme this January.
Moving on to hair, I found the Super Concentrated Deep Conditioning Hair Masque Olive & Avocado from Earth Science that I am absolutely in love with! It makes my hair feel really soft, silky and more manageable without weighing it down. I don’t really need a detangler after using this (well, if I’m using my Tangle Teezer), which is huge for my hair! It also smells really good! I have used it in addition to a conditioner, as well as my sole conditioner, and it works beautifully both ways! I don’t know if my hair is actually in better condition from this Mask, but it certainly looks and feels better! J
For skincare, I’ve loved alternating a combination of the REN Glycol Lactic Radiance Renewal Mask and the Andalou Naturals Kombucha Enzyme Exfoliating Peel. They’re very similar masks, but I like alternating between the two. Aside from the wonderful soft and smooth texture these give my skin, I’ve had fewer breakouts, whiteheads and just nasty congestion in my skin! I cannot guarantee that this is solely because of the masks since my dermatologist is finally switching things too, but I feel like using one of these masks every few days has really improved my skin texture, reduced flakiness and greatly improved the frequency of breakouts! J I feel like I’m finally on the path to clearer skin!
Keeping with clearing up my skin, I’ve been using the Michael Todd True Organics Clear Bi-Light. This is an LED treatment device used for acne and anti-aging that has an interchangeable blue or red head which I’ve been using every night. I don’t have all the details in front of me, but basically the blue LED head is supposed to help kill bacteria, while the red LED head helps reduce inflammation and discoloration, and has anti-aging benefits. I’ve been using this for a number of months now, and I feel I can safely say that it has helped prevent and lessen the severity and frequency of breakouts. My skin is not perfect, but it’s definitely much improved after introducing the Clear Bi-Light from Michael Todd!
This month I also started using a new hand cream from 100% Pure. It’s their Honey Almond Hand Buttercream and I am addicted to it! J It smells delicious, but even better, it works without being even a hint greasy! It’s nice and thick, but it blends seamlessly into the skin and makes everything nice and hydrated without the sticky, slippery feel of many creams. It only comes in a 2oz tube, which is great for throwing in your purse, but I feel like I’m going to use it all too quickly…and at $8 it seems a bit pricey. Still, if it only lasts two months, the 100% Pure Hand Buttercream has been a real hand saver…especially this winter with the crazy weather we’ve had and I will gladly repurchase it when necessary! J
So there you have my favorites from the month of January. It was a good mix of new and old and I have found some new things that I really, really enjoy! As I write this, it’s snowing buckets yet again and I’m completely and totally over it! I’m glad to be just a touch closer to Spring with February…not that it’s much better in February, but it’s one month closer to sunshine and warmth. I hope you all are staying warm wherever you are, and I hope you’ve had wonderful luck finding new products this past month too!!! J If you have, let me know what you’ve discovered because, in case you can’t guess, I’m always looking for something new! J
