December 2014 Favorites

Hi everyone, and Happy 2015! I honestly have no idea where this last year went. Time seriously went by so fast. I know everyone says that, but I think because I'm now 26 and I've been married a little over a year, it seems like life is just flying by me! This is my first post of the new year, and it's my December favorites. I'm on the fence about doing a yearly favorites, only because I don't feel organized enough to put one together. I know, I should probably start making lists and writing things down more, so that may be a resolution this year! Anyway, lets get into my favorites from December!

My first favorite is the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara. I had been using the Lancome Grandiose mascara, which I did a review on here, but I wanted to open up another one to try. I should've tried this sooner! I absolutely love the volume this gives my lashes. Doesn't do much for length, but holy cow the volume! The only downside is if I don't set my under eye concealer well enough, this does smudge on me.

My next favorite is the Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm in the scent Black Tea & Blackberry. This lip balm is amazing! I got it in a kit a while ago, maybe last Christmas, but hadn't tried any of them til now. I love how hydrated this makes my lips feel, and it's not shiny at all, so it makes a good base for lipsticks and other lip products. 

Next up we have a Philosophy Hand Cream in the Spiced Gingerbread Cookie scent. First of all, I could eat this stuff, it smells that good! Second, it's actually alot more hydrating than I thought it would be. I got this in a set I think last year as well, and just now started using it. I mainly use it during the day because I have something thicker to use at night before bed. My hands stay hydrated with this, even after some hand washings and I get a whiff of the scent throughout the day, and I just love that. 

I've also been loving the Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder. This stuff is no joke for me. If I got no sleep the night before, I just use a bit of this under my eyes after concealer, and it looks like I got a ton of sleep. I find that incredible! I think this is pretty pricey, but you don't need alot at all, so it's going to last me quite a while. I also have been using this a little bit for highlighting my face in places and it doesn't look fake or cakey. 

My last favorite is the Tarte Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Finishing Powder. This is a sample size that came in a kit. If I used a BB cream or tinted moisturizer, I usually set it with this powder. This makes my pores look nearly invisible and makes my skin feel so darn soft! I also use this if I only want to wear mascara, but no concealer at all. I dust it over my eye area, put mascara on, and I actually look put together. This past month has been harsh with work and I barely wore makeup, so using things that were quick but made me look less like a zombie were key for me.

That's everything! I know it probably is a bit of a sad favorites, but like I said above, I cherished my sleep because of work and wanted to do minimal effort in terms of makeup. 

What were some of your favorites?