November Favorites ~ 2016

Tomorrow is December, which means we are officially in the holiday spirit and in the last stretch of the year. I can’t even believe it. Time really does fly by, but I think it does even more when we reach this time of year. Everything shows up before we know it and I’m losing track of days like you wouldn’t believe. Even when I was choosing my favorites of the month, all the products seemed to run together and I couldn’t figure out what was new and what was last month. It gets pretty crazy, but at the same time it’s all so exciting!
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You’ve probably heard of my first favorite, but I am just now jumping on this bandwagon and figuring out what all the hype is around Bragg’s Organic Apple Cider Vinegar. I’m not someone who believes in all the organic stuff and I usually just buy the store brand. That works perfectly fine in my aztec clay mask twice a week, but I wanted to start using apple cider vinegar as a facial toner too. Everyone said that the organic one with the “mother” ingredient made such a big difference, so I went for it. I’ve never used my usual apple cider vinegar as a toner, so I can’t compare it there. I have noticed that it helps clear my skin and will continue to test out different methods with it because it can dry me out if I’m not careful. I’m still unsure on whether or not I will repurchase this once I finish it, but I’m enjoying it right now.
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Speaking of keeping my skin clear, that’s something I’ve been struggling with. I don’t know what’s going on lately if these holidays are making me more stressed or what, but skin has not been happy with me. I wasn’t doing very well at sticking with my vitamins every day, so seeing my skin act up has made me start taking them again and motivating me to not miss a day. I’ve talked about these biotin gummies a few times before and within two days of adding them back into my diet, I’ve noticed a huge difference! They’re 1,000 mcg each and I take two daily.

Iron supplements don’t necessarily help with my acne flair ups, but my body just has a hard time holding on to iron. Most of the supplements I’ve seen are around 60 mg. I don’t like taking too much of vitamins, supplements, medicine, etc. for various reasons. But I finally found these at Walgreens that are only 28 mg each and I only take one daily. It’s something that kind of has to be built up in my body before I really start to notice a difference, but they do help.
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I’ve mentioned this Bath and Body Works Aromatherapy lotion in my September favorites and talked about how much I love the Eucalyptus Spearmint scent. I said in that post that I wasn’t sure how much stress it really relieves. But I was pretty sick one night and when I put this on my hands before bed, I’m not kidding you, I really did feel instantly better as far as my mood is concerned. It obviously won’t take away physical pain, but just smelling it lifted my emotions and I continued to sit in bed sniffing my hands like a weirdo. It was totally relaxing though, so I have no shame.

Finding a leave in hair conditioner has been the hardest struggle for me. I have found some I like in the past, but by the time I reach the end of the product I’m not as happy with it. So I’m always purchasing new creams, hoping to find the perfect one. Right now I’m using the Carol’s Daughter Hair Milk. I use it at night on wet hair before bed and I am liking it so far. I do have to be careful not to use too much though or it will be a little too heavy and greasy looking the next day.
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This Temptu shimmer bronzer was a total turn-around product for me. I was not very happy at all when I received it in my October Boxycharm. But as I do with all new makeup, I try to give it a fair run through to see how it really performs. I was so worried about the application of this and how much shimmer it might have on my oily skin. As long as I use my Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge to apply it after foundation and before powder, it blends in effortlessly and the shimmer is barely even noticeable. I really love the color of it and have been using it a lot more than I would have ever thought initially.
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I’ve been loving a few different things for my lashes recently. I posted my new DIY Eyelash Growth Serum a couple weeks ago and that has dramatically changed the health of my lashes. Not only are they more conditioned, but I’ve noticed my new lashes growing in thicker and longer as well. It’s only three ingredients and takes just a few seconds to apply before I go to bed. Definitely a staple in my routine now!

I was also finally able to break out a new mascara from my backup collection I have going on. I don’t know how some people can go through mascara so quickly, I use a ton of it and it still takes me forever to finish a tube. But I’ve heard really good things about the Benefit Roller Lash mascara and I have to say I am really impressed with it. I like the way it makes my lashes look and is even a good enough formula that I don’t have to layer it like I usually do. Check back on Friday for my full review I’ll be posting about it ;)
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I’m still loving this Hikari Cosmetics retractable eyeliner in the shade Raven. I mentioned it in last month’s favorites too and I just can’t get enough of it. I’m not usually one to wear black eyeliner very often, I always tend to reach for an eggplant or brown shade instead. But this formula is so smooth, which makes things go a lot faster when I’m trying to get ready. It stays on all day and it’s just perfect!
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Something else I seriously cannot put down is the StudioMakeup On-the-Go Warm Up eyeshadow palette. I’m probably getting so repetitive talking about this palette all the time, but it really is something I use on a daily basis. Whether I want something dramatic or natural, it has every shade I need to create a complete eye look. Although when I do force myself to not pick up this palette and use other shadows, I’ve been pairing Ofra’s Bliss single eyeshadow with many different products recently. It’s a beautiful shade for this time of year and the quality on it is amazing. It’s super pigmented, incredibly smooth, and is marketed as a highlighter also.
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Pink lips seem to have been the majority of what I wore the most this past month. Ranging from the bright, juicy shade of Revlon’s LA Exclusive to a few medium and deeper tones like the Manna Kadar gloss in All of Me and Noyah’s Malbec. I love the formula on all of these glosses and these three seemed to carry me through the month pretty well for whatever pink tone I was going for. I was never much of a pink lip lover until recently and I think this is me making up for lost time.
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I’ve really been enjoying every single one of these products lately, especially getting the biotin back in my system and realizing how much I’m falling for that eucalyptus spearmint scent every time I smell it. I’m so surprised with myself at how much I’ve used the Temptu bronzer and that’s exactly why I like to give every product a fair shot. If you have questions about any of the products I mentioned, feel free to leave them for me in the comments. Also, let me know what you’ve been loving the most this month. I’m always looking for new recommendations!

~Christina~

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