January Favorites

Hello, Valentines! I’ve done a lot of blog hopping and Youtube watching lately, and with the sheer amount of products I mentioned last month, I thought I would do a favorites post! Also, Zoella does the previous month’s favorites about mid-month, and who am I to argue with near perfection? lol

Last month, I talked a little about skin care, a lot about cruelty free, and even touched on some music. Today, I’m prepared to give you the rundown on some absolute standouts!

** I do want to mention here that the transition to cruelty free beauty has been both fast and slow. I’ve tried some products that have become staples, and I’ve tried some products that sent me sprinting back to my almost-full bottles of Dove and Cetaphil. I will definitely do a #crueltyfreebeauty winners and losers post in the very near future, as some of you seemed interested in making the switch too!

Skincare 

Okay, when I mentioned Proactiv+ the last time, I had only been using the kit for about a week and was experiencing the, “Gets worse before it gets better,” stage and feeling sort of discouraged. GUYS. I wish I had before pictures of my face so I could show you the difference. I have spent literally hundreds of dollars on dermatologist visits and prescription medications over the past year, only to find out that Proactiv+, my last ditch purchase, would be my skin’s saving grace. Also, it’s on the no animal testing list!

I actually purchased my entire kit at a kiosk in the mall, but now that I know I really love it, I purchased through Proactiv’s website, which for some reason, is much cheaper. (You can also purchase as a subscription and you will be auto-billed monthly for 90 day supplies that are shipped every three months!) I should stress here that I tried original Proactiv two years ago, and it did nothing but severely irritate my skin. Proactiv+ is specially formulated for adult skin, which needs more hydration than younger skin.

I only use the three step Proactiv+ system once at night (with an added step two, my free gift, the Re-Texturizing Toner, a must have for dry skin) because my skin is so sensitive and dry. In the morning, I use Cetaphil’s Gentle Skin Cleanser with my Clarisonic Mia2 for exfoliating. When I get out of the shower, I’ve been using a cruelty free product which I now LOVE,  Alba Acnedote Deep Clean Astringent, and follow that up with a giant dollop of Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer.

I’m really hoping to find a great cruelty free replacement for my Cetaphil staples :(. If you know this magic, please fill me in! Also, I love ALBA! Ah!

Next up, Beauty

I think I’d also previously mentioned that I got the Bare Minerals READY foundation, and used my extra gift card dollars to grab the blush as well. This stuff is amazing. My dermatologist recommended Bare Minerals for my skin, and while I like the coverage and the staying power, the powder gets into fine lines on my dry skin, and ages me. READY is totally different. It’s a pressed powder, and within fifteen minutes of application, it has the look and feel of a liquid foundation, and lasts even longer than the original formula. I think I’ll store my loose powders for summer, when my skin retains a bit more hydration.

I really wanted to throw in a few major cruelty free beauty successes here as well. I’ve been using NYX products for a long time, but when I saw them on the good list, I was even more motivated to go peruse my local drugstore. Lipstick is very in right now, but unfortunately it’s just not my everyday thing. However, I do really love the NYX Butter Gloss, especially in nude shades! I’ve been wearing a lot of Creme Brûlée and Madeleine.

Finally, the most practical beauty item of all, something I’ve loved since high school and was thrilled to see, “Palmer’s is against animal testing,” on the back of the tube: Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Swivel Stick. From chapped lips, to stretch marks, to, “I had the flu and now tissues have caused my nose to be a flaky red mess,”this stuff is pretty much a cure all. You just may want to label a few tubes for like… what part of your body you’re using them on. Ew. Also, they’re a total steal, at most drug stores for two dollars and some change. (They’re giant too, like last for years, and smell like hot chocolate.Yeah.)

Music

As last month’s trip down Everything in Transit road would have it, I’ve been throwing back my spotify to some Jack’s Mannequin, Cartel, and even a little All Time Low, for whatever reason. Buuuuut, despite my being kind of cool back in the day, I have fully given in to some shamelessly unguilty pop pleasures as of late.

The first step is admitting that you love #JustinBieber. The second step is spending every extra penny you have on tickets to see him in April. And the third step is openly loving Purpose. The Biebs grew up, called himself out on some teenage mistakes, bared it all in a sexy Calvin Klein ad campaign, and then made this friggen’ beautiful album. Haters gonna hate, and I do not care. I’ve got Bieber Fever.

Okay, I posted a link to “One Call Away,” a few blogs ago, but I don’t think that gives you the total feel for my obsession with #CharliePuth. Two months ago, we went to see the Pentatonix, and I was annoyed to have to sit through the opening acts, one of which was Charlie. I think I’d put a target on his back because while I do love Paul Walker like anyone who grew up in the late 90s should, I truly cannot stand the Fast and Furious movies because… I am a girl. (Like, I respect them. I just can’t watch them.) Then, out walks a ridiculously adorable boy with a stunning voice, and I’ve been daydreaming about our musical collaborations since, lol. Kyle preordered Nine Track Mind so I would for sure have it the day it released, and it has not left my CD player since I got my hands on it. There are few albums you can listen to the whole way through, and this is on my very short list. To me, he is literally like male Taylor Swift. He can do no wrong. This album is soulful, with a little bit of edge, and I think it speaks to my life experience to this point? Like, it’s adultly youthful? Is that a thing?

Anyway, now that I’ve rambled on pretending you might care about what I care about, I’m off to prep for this new job on Tuesday! And wishing I could teleport my Charlotte gal pals or my Boston gal pal to teach me how to dress like a girl.

xoxo Charlieluver (Brown, cat, Puth)

P.S. Have an excellent Valentine’s day!