December Favorites

The month of December has been a successful one in terms of beauty. I am not working so I have had time to experiment and try new products and rediscover some old gems in my collection.

Firstly this is the Hair and Body Oil from Landeva Organics ($25.99 for 125 ml). It contains Argan Oil, Camellia Seed Oil, jojoba seed oil, avocado oil, castor seed oil, Vitamin E, lavender, fractionated coconut oil, safflower seed oil and is one of the most luxurious body products that I have ever come across. Pricey but completely worth it in my opinion if you can afford it. I use this oil every day to moisturize my dry winter skin. The 125 ml will only last me about 6 weeks as I use it liberally but if you use it sparingly it can last longer. This is my holy grail body oil, which I will definitely use next winter.

Second is the No.28 Primer Serum from Hourglass ($65 for 1 oz), is one of the pricier makeup products that I have tried. However, for my winter face this is more than a primer. It's a real serum. So for a product that does double duty, I think it might be worth the splurge. I have been using the 5 ml deluxe sample from Sephora every day for the past 2 weeks and I have maybe used 1 ml worth of product, it's a thick gel that you need very little of. So 1 oz (30 ml) will last for months!! Might be an idea to ask for a sample at Sephora the next time you are in there or wait for a good GWP (gift with purchase) or a sale to purchase this. Also, just as a note, I use this without using a moisturiser underneath as I find this gives me enough hydration on it's own.

After all these splurge worthy products, the next product is thankfully an affordable drugstore find. It's the Garnier Fructis Hydra Recharge Moisture Whip Leave-in Conditioner ($4.99 for 5 oz). I essentially use this after I wash my hair when my hair is damp. I use 2 pumps of this and distribute it throughout my hair. I find that it makes my hair soft and protects it from heat.

If you read my blog regularly, you may have noticed a post about my favorite lightweight base for the holidays. I use the Bourjois Bronzing Primer ($11.31 for 18 ml) first and then use the YSL Matte and Radiant Pressed Powder ($47 for 10 g) on top. You can read all about my experience with both these products in my blog post here.

And we are back to hair care, these last few months I have discovered dry shampoo and have tried a couple of different brands but the best so far has been Batiste ($7.99 for 200 ml). Currently I am using the cool & crisp fresh scent, but I also love the original version. The way I use dry shampoos is that I use them from the days when my hair is feeling greasy but when I still have a couple of days before I can wash it. I shake the can well and then spray into my roots and then using my fingers distribute the white residue all over my head so that it disappears. I then brush and style my hair and suddenly I have so much more volume and find that my hair looks a lot better than it did before.