It's the last day of May, so I rounded up a few of my favorite products from this month. I've been using these religiously, and I am definitely putting them in the "forever repurchase" category. 

This is my new favorite brow product. I think it's a great dupe for the Anastasia Brow Wiz. I got it at Ulta for $10. It comes with a wire brush on one end to comb out your brows and a teeny tiny pencil on the other end that fills out your brows in a natural way. Two thumbs up.

As soon as I get out of the shower or just wash my face in general, I put this on my face. It's my new ritual and it works. I follow up with...

 This! This toner makes my face feel so clean and oil free for a majority of the day. Using both of these products before moisturizing really helps it sink in. It is my no matter what daily and nightly ritual. 

I have heard a lot of YouTubers rave about this in the UK. I found it on Amazon for about $15. It feels so good when it goes on the skin. It smooths out my pores and really does last all day. I wore it as a base for my friend's wedding this weekend and my makeup lasted from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. (when I took it off). I was impressed. Plus it has 20 SPF!

I got this as part of my birthday gift from Sephora. It comes with a soy face mask and it works wonders as well. This mask smells like roses and if you love that smell like I do, then I recommend trying this out. The full size is a bit out of my price range, but if you can snag a sample, do it! It made my face feel tighter, but not in a dehydrated way because this really moisturized my skin. I will admit, the look is a tad off-putting at first glance, but once you smell it and see the effects, you don't care about how it looks. 

I saved the best for last. I have always wanted whitening strips, but put off buying them because I don't want to spend $30-$50 on them. A little known product (at least to me) are these Crest Noticeably White Whitestrips. They were only $15 at Walmart. Much better price! They come with 10 packs that have a top and bottom strip (so 20 strips). I was honestly amazed. The first time I used them I could tell a small difference. Then, when I kept using them 2 times a week, I was so happy with the results. It actually works and I am so excited. 

Like I said in my last post, winter is here. Here's a scrub that will help you fight the cold and make your lips silky smooth. 

   What you need: 1 Avocado

                             2 tsp. white sugar

                             1 tsp. brown sugar

  What you do: 

Cut the avocado in half.

Scoop out a big spoon full of the half without the nut, and place in a bowl.

Pour the sugars in the bowl and stir until it looks like...

This! I recommend using a fork to mash the avocado and then a spoon to stir all the ingredients together. Gently rub on your lips like you would lip gloss, then wipe it off with a damp wash cloth. When dry, put on your favorite chapstick and voilà!


You don't need to add any oil at all because the natural avocado oil in enough. It takes a little while to stir together but after a while the oils come out.
After using this on my lips, I honestly think you could use this on elbows, knees, and feet too!

It's finally cold! While I am so pumped about wearing sweaters and hats, I am not so thrilled about the dreadful things cold weather does to my skin. Here are a few things I use during winter to keep my skin, lips, and hair hydrated.
1. Gold Bond Rough and Bumpy Skin. This lotion moisturizes the roughest parts of my arms and legs. It also gets rid of those pesky red bumps if you use it consistently.
2. Carmex. Classic. I learned from my Nanny to rely on this stuff. And this one is strawberry!
3. Aveeno Smart Essentials Daily Nourishing Moisturizer. This moisturizer smells great and is 15 SPF. It's perfect for winter because it's rich and and that SPF is still a necessity even when it's cold and cloudy.
4. Organix Nourishing Coconut Milk Split Ends Mender. The smell of coconut is kind of confusing when it is thirty degrees outside, but you gotta do what you gotta do. It really does repair the ends of my hair and acts like a leave in conditioner.
5. The Body Shop Moringa Body Scrub. My elbows and knees always dry out on the winter. This scrub has a floral scent and gently scrubs to leave your skin super soft.

Stick around for a DIY Lip Scrub!

I decided to round up the products I used the most this year and was really impressed with. My skin is quite sensitive so it's hard to find makeup and cleansers that get along with it.
1. Laura Mercier Smooth Finish Flawless Fluide. Usually liquid foundation dries and cakes on my skin a few hours after I put it on. This goes on like skin and stays on. I was amazed.
2. Tarte Amazonian Clay Mineral Foundation. First of all, I got this last Christmas and I still have some left. It is perfect for lazy days when you want to wear makeup but you really don't feel like putting it on.
3. Bumble and Bumble Curl Conscious Calming Creme. I have curly hair that, as per usual, does whatever the heck it wants without consulting me. It's frizzy and that makes the curls blend together. This stuff defines the curls and even makes them look good in humidity.
4. First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Polish. This is a gentle exfoliant for your face. It brightened my skin and made it feel clean. And no irritation at all!
5. Burt's Bees Intense Hydration Cream Cleanser. I have dry skin and this cleanser did not dry out my skin at all. And it smells lovely.
6. Maybelline The Rocket Mascara. Drug store price and it makes my lashes long and voluminous.
7. First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream. Heals skin irritations like eczema and is a perfect moisturizer in winter months.
8. Pantene Dry Shampoo. It doesn't leave my hair caked up with product or white like a lot of dry shampoos. It smells great, too.
9. Maybelline Dark Circle Eraser. This concealer works miracles. I just dab a little under my eye and on small blemishes, and it makes them disappear. Magic.

This year, Christmas was unnaturally warm. I live for the time of year when it gets snowy and cold, so this was a little heartbreaking. But despite the seventy degree weather, I think it was one of the best Christmases I've had. My family spent loads of time together, I got to catch up with friends, and I got to celebrate with my sweet boyfriend.

Often at Christmas time I get stressed out with all the traffic and figuring out what present to get my loved ones. This year, I actually relaxed and let my heart be light. I didn't put all this emphasis on decorating or giving the perfect gifts. I spent time with family and made a lot of memories.

Now that it's the new year, I feel obligated to make resolutions. To me they are mostly just wishful thinking, but I love to make lists. One of my resolutions is to make posts more often. So, to try to keep this resolution I thought I would share a few things I got for Christmas.

1. My boyfriend got me these adorable measuring spoons. Sadly, I broke one from my other set (RIP 1/4 tsp.) so this was a perfect gift. 2. I've had my eye on this cookbook for a long time. His mom got this for me, and we made something from it as soon as the holidays were over.  The photography is gorgeous and the dish we made was amazing. 3. My mom knows me too well. I go on and on about Penguin Cloth-bound Classics, so she picked me up their edition of Far From the Madding Crowd. 4. She also got me this Rifle Paper Co. phone case. As soon as I put it on my phone I couldn't stop looking at it. You did good mom!

My friend Ivy always picks out the perfect presents. She is also the queen of wrapping.
1. The most heavenly smelling body wash and moisturizer I have ever smelled. I used the Rose Jam yesterday and I decided then and there I am going to have to get more. 2. Super fluffy socks from Free People. They even have those little stickies at the bottom. (which is good for us clumsy folks) 3. Cleopatra perfume from Tocca. I don't know how to describe just how amazing this smells. It smells so fancy and powdery and like everything wonderful. 4. Interstellar. 5. Tea! Peach loose leaf tea. Bless you Ivy.
Be sure to check out Ivy's blog! http://ivychristian.blogspot.com/