February Favorites!

It's the return of the monthly favorites! I'm making a concerted effort to both try more products when possible and also to completely use up more products {and then share my empties on Instagram with my thoughts on them, though I may start doing that here}, so these are truly my tried and true, and I highly recommend each and every one of them! {Products sent for review will be marked c/o}.

Skin Care

I introduced Radical Skincare in the beginning of February, and while I've enjoyed the line as a whole, I have to admit that my favorite product has been the Hydrating Cleanser (c/o; $45). It is creamy, non-lathering, smells nice and really gets my face clean without making it feel stripped, but also doesn't make me feel like a grease ball {which is what some hydrating products tend to do with my skin}. I use it every night with my Clarisonic. I love that it is effective enough to use on its own, but if I want to really get in there, I can exfoliate afterwards without feeling like I'm torturing my face. Which brings us to the Michael Todd True Organics Jojoba Charcoal Facial Polish ($19, michaeltoddtrueorganics.com). I love a good scrub and this one truly fits the bill! I use this mask when I've been not so nice to my skin, whether that be neglecting my full skin care regimen for a few days, or accidentally falling asleep with makeup on, etc. It's just the thing to bring things right back to normal and take my skin to its happy place.

 And ever since I opened it up, I've used ZENSATION Collagen Rose Facial Toner (c/o; $35, dermstore.com) EVERY time I wash my face {at the sink, at least} day and night! It is THE toner that has shone the light on what the big deal is with toners. It smells SO GOOD {like roses, obviously, but not in that overpowering, old lady, cloying kind of way; it smells so pretty and natural}, leaves my skin feeling refreshed and soothed, and my goodness, the packaging! I get happy every time I look at the frosted glass bottle - it has a lovely heft to it when you pick it up and it just looks and feels chic and luxe and AWESOME. Another goody that makes me feel like I should be in another tax bracket, is Lancome's DreamTone Ultimate Dark Spot Corrector (c/o; $98, most major department stores). I received this as a member of SheSpeaks and I'm so glad, because there is no other way on earth I would be using a skin care product that costs nearly $100! But now that I have, I've been ruined, because I totally see why it costs that much and it is worth EVERY PENNY! Part of the challenge if using it was to share a "bare face selfie," and truly, after using it for a while now, I am totally confident in doing so...

Yep, that's me, not only sans makeup, but first thing in the morning!

I don't think any one product has made such a huge difference in my complexion. It smells good {do y'all see a theme here?} and makes my skin look so good, I literally don't have to wear makeup unless I absolutely want to. And even then, I keep it to a bare minimum, because my skin looks FANTASTIC! But if I want to put on a little something something, the DreamTone and this little ditty are my dynamic duo...

Osmotics Cosmeceuticals Age Prevention Sheer Facial Tint SPF 45 in Dark (c/o; $39 nordstrom.com) is the key to that "no makeup" makeup look that's all the rage {or maybe it's just all the rage with me}. It gives me just enough coverage to help me look like I tried to do something other than just wash my face and put on eye makeup AND it has SPF 45! Score!!!!

And obviously I can't neglect to clean my body...

Soap & Glory Clean, Girls Skin Softening Creamy Body Wash (c/o; $16, sephora.com) is out of this world! Love that it's in a pump {so convenient in the shower}, love the picture on the packaging, and I {say it with me everyone} love the way it smells! It's almost indescribable - it smells almost masculine, like that special shirt that used to belong to your beau, but now you have laid claim to it because it smells of him. Or something like that. Just, do yourself a favor and get to a Sephora and smell it. Then buy it and use it. Oh yeah, it lathers like a dream and really does make you feel soft. Plus the soap itself is pretty and pink and slightly pearlescent. It's winning in a bottle. Jergens Shea Beauty Oil (c/o; $9, target.com) is hands down the best body oil I have used in a long time {and y'all know how I feel about my oils}. Soaks into the skin like butter, leaves you feeling absolutely silky without a trace of grease, and has a light smell that works with {or not against} whatever fragrance you choose to layer on top of it. When I use this, I need no other moisturizer. It is the stuff!

Makeup

I've been a bit lazy on the makeup front lately, but I do have two standouts and I'm wearing them both in this picture {though truthfully, you can only see evidence of one so you'll just have to take my word for the other one}...

The lovely lady next to me designs a fantastic line of lingerie called Urban Intimates that great for us curvy girls. 

I've been reaching for Media lipstick from MAC Cosmetics ($16, maccosmetics.com) just about once a week, and especially when I'm going to be seen by people on purpose. It's described as an "intense reddish-purple" and has a satin finish. It's what I reach for win I want to go bold like a red, but don't really want to go red. My other favorite has been Laura Mercier Long Lash Mascara ($24, lauramercier.com). Every time I wear it my daughter asks me if I have on false eye lashes. Two coats of this wonder gives me volume and length like no other.

Miscellaneous

For some reason, I've not really been feeling coffee lately, but I still want a little something in the mornings to give me a bit of a pick me up. I don't do dairy, so hot chocolate is out, but this Numi Organic Chocolate Pur-Erh Tea (c/o; $8, numitea.com) has fit the bill just right! It has a great chocolate taste and caffeine, plus it's tea - so it's good for me right? Plus each cup has less than five calories. 

I've also been contemplating returning to YouTube, so I'm getting my grill in order by using Desert Essence Natural Tea Tree Oil Whitening Plus Toothpaste in Cool Mint, as well as the corresponding Mouth Wash (c/o; $7, desertessence.com), and so far so good! It's got a mighty kick to it taste wise {it's a real wake me up in the mornings} and I like that it is all natural. 

So there you have it, another month, more favorites. I think I may change this post up a bit the next time around, and do separate posts for the different categories, that way I can include even more stuff! What do you think? And what were your favorites this month? My inquiring mind wants to know! Leave a comment below and let me know what you think! Until next time...