This Week's Makeup Bag, #1

Earlier this week, I was thinking about ways to get myself to use more of my collection. I thought about reviving my Weekly Rotation posts, with a twist! Since I'm so pressed for time in the mornings, having a bag of products handy will make it infinitely easier! And somehow, I've also managed to collect a large number of cute makeup bags during the course of the last few years, so I figured this would be the perfect opportunity to use and showcase them! :) So here's everything that I picked for this week, stuffed into my Sephora Izak makeup bag!

For the face, I've selected Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer. It was one of my top products of 2012, and I'm so glad I purchased the shade Alaska for winter. It is just a perfect amount of coverage, and yet also a no-makeup sort of finish. On top, I'll dab on a bit of Becca Bronzing Skin Perfector, a really great pale bronze shade that will give my cheeks some natural color and slight contour. I've fallen for Giorgio Armani Maestro Eraser for my undereyes, and I have a bit of a breakout right now that will be properly covered by Fresh Umbrian Clay Concealer. 

I've picked a lot of products for eyes, but I can't do eye makeup without my Diorshow Maximizer Lash Plumping Serum. I'm also enjoying FairyDrops Scandal Queen Mascara, which I had tried initially when it became available at Sephora (in 2011 maybe?) but wasn't sure how much I liked it. The fibers are kind of intense, and I'm not so good about washing it out so I always seem to have some left over, but this combination just makes my lashes remarkable.

I really want to try to do things with my brows, so I've thrown in Clinique Superfine Liner for Brows in Soft Brown. In the liner department, I'm loving the Jemma Kidd Define Stay Put Eyeliner in Mahogany that I just bought, and I can't wait to use Bobbi Brown Long Wear Eyeliner in Black Plum. Figured I'll do enough tightlining this week to wear both! :)

Benefit Eye Bright has also been a staple for me since I saw it in a Lisa Eldridge video about a year ago. It's really great to perk up the outer corners of my eyes, which turn down a bit, and I just realized a few days ago that it is ALMOST the exact same shade as the Stylo Yeux in Beryl from Chanel's Spring Collection. I tried it out as a liner, and even my boyfriend thought it was brightening. YAY! I'm also LOVING my Burberry Complete Eye Palette in Pink Taupe. Thank goodness I was finally able to open it and use it, as I tend to be afraid to use some of my high end products when they're new. (LOL!)

Last but not least, I'll prrobably throw on La Mer Lip Balm and whatever other moisturizing glosses I may have in my purse - I think right now that is Fresh Sugar Coral, Fresh Sugar Honey, Korres Cherry Lip Gloss in Pale Pink, and Clinique Superbalm in Grapefruit. I obviously don't need that many balms or glosses in my bag, but I seem to have just thrown them into my purse throughout the week. Anyway, I also wanted to remember to use this cute Clinique Chubby Stick in Mega Melon that I picked up a few days ago as a 100 point perk from Sephora!

Now I don't know if I'd throw this makeup bag in my purse and tote it around... I guess I don't really need to, since I wouldn't reapply even if I had to because I am lazy... Do you guys carry makeup around with you during the day? Anyway, check back at the end of the week, and I'll share how I did! Fingers crossed that I manage to put on at least a few of these products at least once!

What do you guys think of this week's makeup bag? Do you guys shop your stash for a weekly grouping of products to use? Would you guys like to see a "what's in my purse" sort of post later in the week? I'd love to hear your thoughts! :)

♥ Lush Ro's Argan Body Conditioner ♥

Filled with Lush's Rose Jam scent, Lush Ro's Argan Body Conditioner is a luxurious treat for winter skin. Seriously, I don't know how I've lived through any Chicago winters without this. At first, I wasn't sure that I'd want to slather on this light and creamy goodness and wash it off again. It smelled and felt too pretty to wash off, and I was thinking, how could this possibly moisturize if I just wash it off? But somehow, miraculously, it works. Until the temperatures got in the teens, my boyfriend and I were able to use this and skip the body moisturizer. Even with his eczema, and my extremely itchy legs. I'm seriously amazed!

I just love the sweet, delicate rose scent as well, and it lingers lightly all day. Actually, I'm even kind of obsessed with this scent mixed with my boyfriend's John Varvatos Artisan. (Maybe I should put that combo on myself! Haha!) Now I wish I got the Rose Jam perfume, but I was too busy on the day that Lush had the exclusive perfumes out and I missed it!

Here's the ingredients as well as instructions, in case you need them. (Click for larger photo) Have you tried Lush Ro's Argan? What are your favorite products for dry, winter skin? :)

This product was provided for review. 

December Beauty Purchases

I vowed to spend less in December, and I definitely did better than my massive spending spree in November... At the beginning of the month, I somehow received a 15% off code at Saks that also worked on cosmetics... So with a gift card handy, I bought myself Kiehl's Rosa Artica Eye Balm, the Armani Nude Lip Kit, and Armani Maestro Eraser in shade 4.

Throughout the month, I made a number of purchases at Sephora, and there were a few products from November and December's purchases that didn't make the cut. Most notably, Fresh Umbrian Clay Foundation (too light) and AmorePacific Tinted Moisturizer (too strongly scented.) I was both depressed and relieved, LOL!

I did manage to grab a great Origins 500 point perk from Sephora, along with the eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner from a promo code when I bought FairyDrops Scandal Queen Mascara. There was another decent promo code in here somewhere, but I can't remember what anymore!

I finally decided to buy Becca Mineral Bronzing Powder, which I had wanted for quite some time. I also grabbed a few Sephora Brand Lip Liners, and Stila Smudge Crayon in Black. While Christmas shopping, I was sorely tempted by Korres Goddess Beauty Color Collection, as I had always sort of wanted that cheek trio. At $29, it was a decent price, and I also picked up Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Liner in Espresso Ink that day. In my quest to replenish some different shades of liner, I grabbed the Sephora + Pantone Black Magic Eyeliner set, which was super pigmented and budgeproof when I swatched it in store. And I also grabbed Bobbi Brown Long Wear Eye Pencil in Black Plum because it is such a pretty shade!

Along the way, I grabbed a Rimmel x Kate Moss Lipstick that I found on sale on one of my many attempts to shop the CVS Beauty Clearance. (Why is Revlon not on sale?? Maybe it is now?) I also fell for the Space NK sale on the day after Christmas, and I cannot wait for my goodies to arrive. I grabbed By Terry Bronze Opulent, a couple By Terry Lipsticks, Jemma Kidd Light as Air Foundation, an eye liner, and lip liner, all on massive clearance.

I did also receive a few beauty items for Christmas that were on my list - Burt's Bee's Lemon Cuticle Butter, Maybelline Color Tattoo Inked in Pink, and a nice holiday set from Lush! But my Christmas gifts were pretty non-beauty oriented, and I'm still obsessing over some of the amazing things my boyfriend spoiled me with...

All in all, after gift cards, returns, and the like, I ended up spending only $82! Not bad, if I do say so myself... It could have been much worse, especially since the holidays always make me want to spend like crazy!

How do you think I did with my spending in December? How did you do with yours? Have you tried any of these goodies, or are they on your list of things to buy in 2013? ;)

Last Empties of 2012

I really stink at empties, but I am totally commiting to them in 2013. Really, I'll even count them! (This is all inspired by the lovely Liz over at Beauty Reductionista - I can never hope to have as many empties as her!)

Anyways, here's what I was able to finish up in the last few months of 2012.

Again, I managed to finish a decent amount of bath/body items. Fresh Sugar Lemon Shower Gel was a big favorite earlier in the year, and this bottle here was at least my second or third one. While I'm not committed to pricey shower gels, I am always tempted by really bright citrus scented options.

I also collected a number of half-finished products, and Origins Knot Free Shampoo was one I had purchased years ago (like... 4) and never finished. It is a nice shampoo with a subtle scent, but I'm enjoying the shampoos from Organix and Lush that I've been using the last few months and don't need to repurchase this one. (Although, this shampoo did help me in a time when knots were a big part of my hair existence lol)

For a while this year, my boyfriend and I also liked Softsoap Shower Gels. They're really great at making bubbles, actually, and come in a number of scents, and they're cheap! I think this one is called Juicy Pomegranate & Mango... or something! We will definitely purchase more of these in the future, but we definitely have lots of stuff to use up in the meantime!

I grabbed a jar of Bio Oil in the late summer in hopes of helping out some of my scars... In the end, it turned out to be one of my boyfriend's top picks for treating eczema and dry winter skin. I have another bottle that we'll definitely be using, and my boyfriend has already spotted a larger size (and mentioned it multiple times!) for us to purchase in the future.

While I greatly enjoy Ole Henriksen's skincare, it turned out that the Aloe Vera Deep Cleanserwasn't quite right for my skin type. I think this would be great for oily skin types, and I am currently using their On the Go Cleanser, which I love!

I've finished a number of Lush items the last few months too! Party Popper* and Snow Globe Soap* are not pictured, but were two of my favorite, citrusy scented items from the holiday collection. We also managed to finish a pot of Lush Whoosh Shower Jelly* and we have another one that is about 1/3 used up. Demon in the Dark Soap* is a fun minty/earthy scented one for the guy in your life. Hair Doctorwas an exciting hair mask with a short shelf life, and unfortunately I left it out of the fridge for a few weeks long after its expiration date. While I'm enjoying other hair products at the moment, I'd definitely consider purchasing this one again. I am also anxiously awaiting the return of Calacas Shower Jelly*, which I hope will make another appearance in upcoming Lush Halloween collections. 

I also had to toss a few mascaras that have been opened for too long. Actually, the Maybelline Great Lash Lots of Lashes has been open since October 2011, and I just feel bad throwing things away. (Don't worry, I hadn't used it since early spring!) Diorshow Maximizer and Maybelline Falsies Flared took me through a great summer and well into fall, and then I decided that 4 months was probably enough...(Does anyone else think the expiration of mascaras is ridiculous and sad? LOL) Oh well, at least I got another Diorshow Maximizer during one of the Sephora sales this winter!

While I feel good about this pile of empties that has taken me 2-3 months to get through, I know I still have a TON of products to use up. The shower is still FILLED with stuff, and I have so many deluxe samples of skincare and haircare...

In 2013, I will continue these posts in hopes of clearing clutter and reducing the collection. I'm also going to keep count of everything, except for sample packets. Now I just have to commit to one product in a category at a time...! Will you be counting your empties this year? :)