The hustle and bustle of the holiday season is fast approaching so I have a fun list for you all today!
Time is limited for a lot of people all year round but especially now. With Christmas parties, family dinners and last minute shopping, December can get pretty hectic! Here are five things that are helping me make the most of my favourite time of year by spending less time on my beauty routine and more time with my loved ones.
1. Kenra Platinum Blow-dry Spray
Whether you have hair like me (SUPER curly, coarse, frizzy and hard to manage) or just normal easy to style hair, no one loves spending a lot of time blow drying! I tried this stuff about a month ago after hearing that it can cut dry time in half and I was sceptical. Knowing my hair I figured, no way but I did want to still give it a try. Well folks I am here to tell you it actually works!! Not only does it cut down dry time but it has thermal protection so it keeps hair healthy while using all that heat. As if all that wasn't enough it smells amazing and makes my hair super soft and shiny! I don't wash my hair every day anyway, but I find when I use this I can go even longer without a wash - it's that good. Definitely a time saver for any time of year! Click here to check it out on Kenra's website! Through that link you can also find out where near you sells Kenra products.
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| Photo Cred: Amazon.com |
2. Sephora Formula X Base & Top Coat
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This base and top coat are my favourite and now that I've started using them I can't go back! I talked about the polish in my Spring Favourites post but I don't think I mentioned the base and top coat! The base coat is slightly sticky so it really helps bond to the polish to help with staying power. The top coat dries fast and is super shiny! I almost always get asked if I'm wearing gel polish when I use these and can get about a week of wear time. Again during the holidays I don't have time to be painting my nails every few days so these really help. Of course gel or shellac would also last long but I love being able to just use regular polish remover to do a quick colour change rather than soaking the gel polish off.
This base and top coat are my favourite and now that I've started using them I can't go back! I talked about the polish in my Spring Favourites post but I don't think I mentioned the base and top coat! The base coat is slightly sticky so it really helps bond to the polish to help with staying power. The top coat dries fast and is super shiny! I almost always get asked if I'm wearing gel polish when I use these and can get about a week of wear time. Again during the holidays I don't have time to be painting my nails every few days so these really help. Of course gel or shellac would also last long but I love being able to just use regular polish remover to do a quick colour change rather than soaking the gel polish off.
3. Bold Lipstick or Tinted Lip Balm
Ok, let's set the scene ... you are working all day and have to rush to a holiday party immediately after, leaving you no time at all to run home to freshen up. How can you amp up your make-up in one easy step? Add a bold lip! Bold lips look gorgeous with a simple eye so you can easily create a neutral work appropriate eye look and just before you get to the party, throw on some lipstick to glam it up! Here are a few of my favorites right now:
1. Nars Audacious Lipstick in "Fanny" - This raspberry shade is totally my go-to this holiday season! The price tag is high on the new Nars lipsticks but the quality is amazing so I say it's totally worth it.
2. Mac Lipstick in "Plumful" - This is a more subtle bold and easier to wear if you are scared of the really dark shades. Mac lipsticks are definitely a holy grail for me.
3. Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in "Dragon Girl" - I love this matte lip pencil for the staying power and beautiful bright red shade (fun fact - this is Taylor Swift's go to red for her signature look!)
4. Mac Lipstick in "New York Apple" - This is a great color for those who want to experiment with red lips but don't want to go so bright. This is described as a muted red with pink shimmer which makes it a little less scary!
5. Gerard Cosmetics Lip Gloss in "Jewel" - This is definitely for those who want to go bold! This is a gorgeous rich ruby shade with tons of shine. It's easier to maintain throughout an evening because of the little mirror and light on the tube!
If you have a couple extra seconds, throw some champagne shadow (Stila "Kitten" would be perfect) on the inner corners of your eyes to really pull the look together!
On the other hand, tinted lip balms are great for those busy shopping days where you are in and out of the cold trying to check everything off your list. You don't have much time to worry about lip stick or gloss but want to keep your lips hydrated and still look put together. I love tinted lip balms for this - you don't need a mirror you can just throw them on in seconds and hydrate your lips while giving them some life. Here are my current favorites that give a really pretty rosy flush:
2. It Cosmetics Vitality Lip Flush Stain in Je Ne Sais Quoi - This is a clear and moisturizing lip balm that reacts with each person differently to create the most perfect "your lips but better" rosy pink stain to your lips.
3. Maybelline Baby Lips in Cherry Me - This one is easy as you can find it anywhere that sells Maybelline - I love the soft red stain this one gives the lips and the cherry scent is great!
4. Stella & Dot Melanie Chandelier Earrings
Most of the chandelier or statement earrings from Stella & Dot transform from studs to chandeliers with little hooks on the back. I don't mind spending a little extra on a piece that can be worn different ways and that's why I love Stella & Dot so much! Check out these beauties, the "Melanie Chandeliers":
Ok, let's set the scene ... you are working all day and have to rush to a holiday party immediately after, leaving you no time at all to run home to freshen up. How can you amp up your make-up in one easy step? Add a bold lip! Bold lips look gorgeous with a simple eye so you can easily create a neutral work appropriate eye look and just before you get to the party, throw on some lipstick to glam it up! Here are a few of my favorites right now:
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| Top L to R: Nars Fanny, MAC New York Apple, Bottom L to R: Nars Dragon Girl, MAC Plumful & GC Jewel |
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| L to R: Nars Fanny, MAC Plumful, Nars Dragon Girl, MAC New York Apple & GC Jewel |
2. Mac Lipstick in "Plumful" - This is a more subtle bold and easier to wear if you are scared of the really dark shades. Mac lipsticks are definitely a holy grail for me.
3. Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in "Dragon Girl" - I love this matte lip pencil for the staying power and beautiful bright red shade (fun fact - this is Taylor Swift's go to red for her signature look!)
4. Mac Lipstick in "New York Apple" - This is a great color for those who want to experiment with red lips but don't want to go so bright. This is described as a muted red with pink shimmer which makes it a little less scary!
5. Gerard Cosmetics Lip Gloss in "Jewel" - This is definitely for those who want to go bold! This is a gorgeous rich ruby shade with tons of shine. It's easier to maintain throughout an evening because of the little mirror and light on the tube!
If you have a couple extra seconds, throw some champagne shadow (Stila "Kitten" would be perfect) on the inner corners of your eyes to really pull the look together!
On the other hand, tinted lip balms are great for those busy shopping days where you are in and out of the cold trying to check everything off your list. You don't have much time to worry about lip stick or gloss but want to keep your lips hydrated and still look put together. I love tinted lip balms for this - you don't need a mirror you can just throw them on in seconds and hydrate your lips while giving them some life. Here are my current favorites that give a really pretty rosy flush:
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| L to R: Fresh Sugar Rose, It Cosmetics Lip Flush & Maybelline Baby Lips |
1. Fresh Sugar Rose Tinted Lip Treatment - Super hydrating, smells gorgeous and has a really pretty rose tint!
2. It Cosmetics Vitality Lip Flush Stain in Je Ne Sais Quoi - This is a clear and moisturizing lip balm that reacts with each person differently to create the most perfect "your lips but better" rosy pink stain to your lips.
3. Maybelline Baby Lips in Cherry Me - This one is easy as you can find it anywhere that sells Maybelline - I love the soft red stain this one gives the lips and the cherry scent is great!
4. Stella & Dot Melanie Chandelier Earrings
Most of the chandelier or statement earrings from Stella & Dot transform from studs to chandeliers with little hooks on the back. I don't mind spending a little extra on a piece that can be worn different ways and that's why I love Stella & Dot so much! Check out these beauties, the "Melanie Chandeliers":
These gorgeous studs can be put on in the morning and worn all day for work ... then when you're on your way to that Christmas party, simply add on the extra pieces to the earrings to create instant glam!
It really doesn't get any more time saving than that! You can check out all the other earrings that do the same thing (or any of the other amazing versatile pieces) at the following link:
*psst ... the Peacock chandeliers (which also transform from studs to chandeliers) are on sale for Black Friday weekend!
5. Benefit Gimme Brow
My last time saving tip to share is a product I fell in love with a few months ago. Benefit's "Gimme Brow" is a tinted brow gel with a teeny-tiny brush that also attaches little fibers to the brows to give some volume. This stuff instantly fills in the eyebrows and gives them a fuller look. I usually use this in a combination with a brow pencil but on days that I'm in a rush this does the trick alone! The gel holds my brows in place all day too which is great so as I'm in and out of the cold and windy weather I don't have to worry about messy eyebrows! This comes in two shades, light/medium and medium/deep.
If you're still reading this incredibly long blog post - thank you!! I originally planned this post to be short and sweet but as most people know, once I start talking about beauty related products I can't easily stop!
Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season creating new memories with friends and family!
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| Benefit Gimme Brow in Light/Medium |
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Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season creating new memories with friends and family!
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