2013 Favorites

These are a few of my favorite things... :)

Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Masque: I probably should have included this in my 2012 favorites, but here it is now! This stuff is awesome. Makes my hair shiny and manegable. Plus, it smells good :) It “nourishes” my hair and keeps it smooth and cooperative until the next use! It helps with tangles during sticky summer humidity and dryness during cold winter months. The price is kind of a turnoff, but it lasts a looooong time AND they sell a trial size of this (that’s what I started with). Just try it! Treat yo’self! [shout out to any Parks and Recreation fans!]

Nars Larger Than Life Long-Wear Eyeliner in Via Veneto and in Campo De'Fiori (ie: black and gold): I do love me some eyeliner. I like black on top and colors on the bottom. Usually gold, because it’s the perfect color and whatnot. I swatched the liner at Sephora and really loved the formula. I purchased the black one, but I also had my eye on the gold one. A few days later, I purchased that one too! I do have to mention, that these eyeliners run out a lot faster than other pencil liners I have used (ex. Urban Decay 24/7). 


I might still repurchase at least the gold one again, because it really was a good shade for my skin tone. Plus, I’m kind of an eyeliner junkie and I will totally manage to convince myself that it’s worth it. Heck, maybe I’ll even convince YOU that it’s worth it! It is...

Bumble and Bumble Color Minded UV Protective Styling Balm: I don’t actually have color treated hair, but I love the extra oomph of protection that this styling cream offers. It gives a little shine and a little control, which is all I need to birdnest my hair into a bun (my go to “style”). I also feel comfortable using heat tools after using this product (along with biosilk, of course. If you haven’t read my 2012 favorites, you really need to catch up), even though it doesn’t specifically claim to be a heat protectant. 

Chambray: Don’t know what to wear? WEAR ANYTHING. And then pop a chambray top over it and unbuttoned. It will make it perfect. I don’t love to have bare skin all over the place, even during the summer, since I still get cold indoors. I like to have a little extra cover up just in case. I love that chambray tops are basically the summer version of a cardigan. They are so easy to throw over tank tops or dresses, and the neutral denim looks adorable with everything! You can even wear it buttoned up! Some of my favorite ways to style it as a solo shirt were with mint green pants and a long necklace, or with brightly colored shorts. 

Combat boots:I first bought combat boots (the girly version)

at the end of last winter. Since there wasn’t much of the cold season left, I didn’t have much of a chance to wear them. Toward the beginning of Fall 2013, my go to tall brown boots which so perfectly went with everything, finally fell apart as a result of age, water damage, and my general abuse. I got some good wear out of them, but I was still out a pair of go-to-boots. Well, here’s the silver lining. Thanks to not having my can’t-go-wrong-with-these boots, I was forced to wear my other shoes (ie- combat boots) on days I probably wouldn’t have gravitated toward them. Let me tell you—I love it! The laces add an extra edge/texture to your outfit, and it never hurts to be prepared for combat.

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural: This powder is fabulous. I have been using it for a lot longer than just this year. I’ve probably been using this for 3-4 years. It’s just an easy, non-cakey, non-break-outy powder for your face. I would say it has no coverage, but it has a nice finish. Very “natural.” I don’t usually wear foundation, just a little concealer under my eyes if I have the time for it (MAC Studio Finish), and I just dust this all over my face (with the MAC 182 brush). I also must confess, I haven’t tried many face powders. Before this, I used to use one by Clinique. Then I tried this and I never let go. I use the color medium dark, if you are curious! 

Benefit Cosmetics They’re Real! Mascara: I don’t generally gravitate toward high end mascaras, since I’ve always had such good luck with drugstore options. This fairly new Benefit product, however, has really gotten people buzzing! A lot of beauty bloggers, etc. really started raving about it and I caved. I had to see what the hype was about! Sephora sells a mini size of this, so I decided to give it a go. WHOA! I will have to say, I certainly noticed a dramatic (in a good way) result! The Sephora 2013 birthday gift also included the same size mascara, which I haven’t opened yet, so I have yet to actually purchase a full size tube of this. It is quite pricey and I don’t know if I’ll be able to bring myself to repurchase it over the Maybelline ones (see next favorite) which are so good to me and my wallet! AND the Maybelline ones have waterproof formulas which I always prefer. Ignoring the value for money situation (which I have yet to evaluate), this is an excellent mascara and it deserved a mention.

Maybelline Colossal Mascara – I ended up buying this during a sudden inspiration to branch out mascara-wise. It’s just a great mascara. It makes my lashes look really thick and fabulous (not clumpy), and I think you should give it a chance! I have gotten compliments on my lashes with this mascara on :) I also want to mention that I really love the Maybelline Mega Plush mascara (it looks SUPER natural—not to be confused with supernatural), but it’s hard to call this a “favorites” list if I just choose everything.

Cranberry Woods Candle: I’ve always loved the idea of candles, but I never really actually ended up buying any (until recently, obviously). They’re kind of expensive, and I wasn’t really sure if I would get any use out of them. I was visiting a friend in Philly back in October, and we ended up going to the gigantic King of Prussia mall. They have a Yankee candle store, and I bought a very small candle called “Autumn Wreath.” Long story short, I loved it! Not too long after, Bath and Body Works had a sale where I ended up getting candles for about 60% off. I bought a few candles and ended up really liking some of the scents (shout out to “Sweater Weather.”) The one I really loved was “Cranberry Woods.” I’m going to go ahead and give you the description from the bottom of the candle since I don’t see how I would do a better job, so here’s what they have to say: "Fresh, tart cranberries, blackcurrant and warm cinnamon bark combine in a delightful fragrance inspired by the magic of the woods during harvest time." It’s kind of woodsy, but not so much that you forget you’re indoors. I loved it so much that later, when they had another sale, I ended up purchasing another! 

Cuisinart Smart Stick Hand Blender: Well as you may have noticed from some of my previous posts, I got really into smoothie making this year. My go-to-smoothie in the mornings has been bananas, spinach, and blueberries. I would prefer mixed berries, but Publix only sells jumbo bags of either blueberries or strawberries (first world problem of the day). I honestly never would have thought to choose a hand blender over a stand up blender, but this one is so convenient! Side note: I would also love a juicer.