Sephora & MAC haul

 

It was my birthday this month so I just had to stop by Sephora and get my philosophy vanilla birthday cake shampoo/showergel/bubble bath.

Also picked up:

Travel size of Philosophy's purity facial cleanser to try it out and see if I wanted to buy the full sized one and I do !

Murad cleanser that is aimed towards fighting and preventing acne, this stuff works amazingly and leaves your skin feeling clean and fresh.

Being a beauty insider at Sephora I redemed 100 points and picked up their sample of Laura mercier's foundation primer which is really good compared to other brands of primer.

When I was walking out of the store I got a free sample of Caudalie tinted moisturizer which I have yet to try out.

I really wanted to try out MAC's cleanse off oil to remove my makeup at night and I love it so much now that I went and picked it up! While I was there I also picked up my second paint pot ever in Bare Study which I have also been loving !

 

Also, I was at winners picking up some christmas gifts when I can across ORLY's Rage nail polish and decided to try it out. So far its great yet many layers are needed for a clean look and chipping occurs after a day but I really love the color.

Saying goodbye to dry skin !

For lips, this is always in my coat pocket. It is really refreshing with a minty taste and leaves your lips feeling amazing, this being my only Nivea product I own I just might go out and try out more of their products.

For skin, I recommend using an exfoliating scrub 2-3 times a week to remove dead skin cells that can make your skin even dryer in the cold months. I still love this olive body scrub from The Body Shop, I am just obsessed with the smell and the way it makes my skin feel.

 

My new favorite product for moisturizing my body is also from The Body Shop and its their new cute packaging that caught my eye at first. Any type of body butter, cream, souffle, will work wonders on your skin and prevent any dry uncomfortable areas.

 

For hands that are prone to getting very dry I love using Avon's Silicone Glove. This stuff works wonders. This prevents your hands from flaking and peeling , which can happen if you do your dishes a lot during the winter for those without dishwashers !

 

Your face being most delicate and exposed to the harsh winter weather needs the most care!  Always 1) Wash face everyday with a good cleanser (day & night)

2) Moisturize as needed

3) Be extra gentle around your eye area

4) Exfoliate every 3-4 days a week

5) Avoid touching your face with your hands

I use a variety of different moisturizers but most often I am using my Youth Code face cream and eye cream from Olay or my new Origins face cream. 

For exfoliating I am still using my St.Ives green tea facial scrub !

As for cleanser I am currently trying out purity by philosophy as well as an acne cleanser by Murad. 

Christmas gift guide for girls 2011 !

If you are buying for a girl that has everything I would either go for this set of nail polishes, which are small in size but has a great range of colors that any girl that likes nail polish will love.

This set includes the following colors : 

- Dear Diary 

- How Cute Is That? 

- Natural Environ-mint 

- It's Hippo To Be Square 

- Access 24/7 

- Ms. Can't Be Wrong 

- Don't Feed The Hand Models 

- Metro Chic 

- Already Famous 

- I'm With Brad 

- Sample Sale 

- Fiercely Fabulous 

- Break A Leg-Warmer 

- Bring On The Snowflakes 

- Mermaid To Order 

- I Don't Bite 

- Eve-y On The Eyes  

- Just A Little Dangerous 

If you are buying for a girl that loves make up then I would go with a kit from any make up brand such as MAC, NARS, Make-up forever, or the kits that Sephora assembles that features different brands within categories of make up.

 

The Dazzlespheres from MAC are really cute and great gifts that any make up lover will really enjoy. This set comes with two dazzleglasses and two creamsheens:

Boy Bait, Bare Necessity, Overin dulgence, and Get rich quick

For a girl that loves fragrences I would recommend Wonderstruck by Taylor Swift which most girls enjoy the music of yet if she is not a fan then maybe something like Coach's perfume Poppy.

 

For the girl who is all about technology I would recommend a Kindle , I like the Kindle fire because it is there only one out so far that is in full color and is also touch screen. I was never a fan of the Kindle with the keypad.

 

If she already has a kindle perhaps a Clarisonic , either the Mia which comes in a variety of colors or the classic which you can buy with two or three speeds. 

 Jewelry can be tricky but if you know her favorite brand then perhaps try something simple like earrings or a bracelet. Something like Tory Burch, Juicy Couture, anything that you know she loves as a brand !