2013 Favorites

So, 2013 came and went...and with it started my foray into the world of taking a little extra time for me...and making sure I look and feel my best.  As a pale girl in the land of suntanned healthy people, and as one that is perennially frustrated that drugstore foundations are always too orange/pink/dark (think: the lightest shade in even large ranges like MAC is my color.  I'm an NC-20 when TAN people.  I should probably say "tan" since I don't think I ever technically qualify...) taking some time to put effort into how I look and feel has paid dividends. That included starting a new fitness routine (www.fitlabsd.com), and making time to do my hair and makeup each morning.  I used to generally feel as though I looked fine with just a little eye shadow and some mascara, so it was a struggle for me to wake up even earlier to put forth more effort.  But I found, as most people do, that the more effort I put into how I look, the happier I am and the more self esteem I tend to have.  I also work full time in a professional setting, so taking a few extra minutes has really made it easier to look put together and professional all day long.  As an added bonus: the more times I get ready for work, the quicker it becomes, so it's really only adding about 10 minutes at this point.  And looking back at pictures from my pre-caring-about-how-I-look phase, the proof is in the pudding!

That being said, here are my beauty favorites from 2013.  I tried and loved a lot of new things in 2013, but these are by far the ones that stood out to me as things I will keep using in perpetuity.  They are pretty "basic" things, things that can be used by tons of people, and ones that I absolutely fell in love with.

The Body Shop Vitamin E Body Butter -  This body butter is perfect!  It's the right texture, has a great creamy consistency, doesn't leave you feeling greasy, and is only mildly scented.  The fact that it doesn't interfere with any scent I put on afterwards and the fact that the scent is so mild my husband will use it is awesome.  It also turned some pretty dry knees and elbows into soft ones, which I totally appreciate, as I'm sure all beach-goers in the San Diego area also appreciate.

DiorShow Iconic Overcurl Mascara - This mascara is amazing.  I bought it on impulse at Sephora, however, I am so glad I did.  I don't need to curl my eyelashes and it makes them HUGE without clumping or leaving those nasty dry chunky bits.  This mascara is thick and voluminous enough that you don't need to line your eyes it the feeling doesn't hit you, even for an evening out.  My makeup feels complete when I use this stuff.

Anastasia Brow Wiz  - I had no idea about eyebrows at the beginning of 2013.  Honestly, I've always noticed the difference between a well-groomed eyebrow and a bush-man eyebrow, but I didn't realize the difference just slightly filling in and shaping the eyebrows made.  My face looks more structured, and I always look more polished when I do my brows.  I bought the Brow Wiz on the recommendation of Estee from www.essiebutton.com.  As a fellow pale lady, she had some spot on recommendations that totally worked for me!

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder -  I freakin love this stuff! I use the "translucent" color, and it is great at keeping shine at bay all day.  The bonus: it's from the drugstore and is super affordable!  This is the kind of thing I keep in my purse and have one to use at home.  Love love love it.  It does have a bit of an "old lady" smell, but that just kind of nostalgically reminds me of my grandma, so I'm cool with it.  And besides, once it's on your face, you don't smell it anyway.

Clinique Chubby Sticks for Lips in Heaping Hazelnut - This is the perfect nude lip for me.  It totally matches my lips but makes them just slightly more brown/nude and well moisturized.  I keep it in my bag to use whenever my lips need a touch up.  It's not overly glossy or overly matte, lasts for a while (unless you're eating or drinking) and the range comes in a bunch of fun colors.  I have not tried the Revlon "Just Bitten Kissable Stain" in a similar color, but I like that the Clinique ones have a vanilla-like scent, while the Revlon ones have a slightly off-putting minty scent, so I think I'll stick to this.

Anyways, those are my tried and true favorites for 2013.  In my next post, I'll go into some Disappointing Products from 2013...