December Favorites 2012

Even though we are only halfway through December, I thought it would be fun to share some of the products I can't put down for the most wonderful time (or, shall we say, 'month') of the year!

It's certainly no secret how I adore indie products, and I'm like a broken record swooning over seasonal indie collections. So it's no surprise that the majority of my favorites are from winter collections from indie e-tailors! So let's get the ball rolling, because I have a lot of stuff to say, haha!

Bath & Body Favorites

Winter can really take its toll on our skin, making it dry and lifeless. (Wait, why does that sound like a commercial? LOL, I promise it's not!) I have been loving Haus of Gloi's soft bubbling scrub to rejuvenate my dull, dry skin. I've been using one of the Halloween scents (Spider Silk), but I just ordered and received Hearth bubbling scrub from the Yule collection. I have been using Hearth in place of Spider Silk ever since because it's so close to Christmas, and I wanted to use a festive scent :D I absolutely adore HoG's bubbling scrubs- they are scrubby enough to combat dry skin patches, but they don't leave your skin feeling weird or greasy. It leaves my skin so soft, and of course, smelling nice! I love how the water from my shower really brings this product to life.

I also like to use HoG's whipped soap as a body wash and shaving cream. I'm currently using the Hearth scent, but I have a backup of Three Treasures for when I run out since I go through whipped soap like there's no freaking tomorrow.

Above: Hearth Bubbling Scrub on top of Hearth Whipped Soap.

Perfume Favorite

There are a lot of beautiful scents with winter collections this year, so this was a hard choice. However, I cannot deny that I have been reaching for Smell Bent's Ice Station Zebra the most. I did a review on it here: http://brighteststarofall.blogspot.com/2012/12/smell-bent-ice-station-zebra.html . It really just smells like Christmas to me and makes me happy!

 Above: Smell Bent Ice Station Zebra

Above: Smell Bent Ice Station Zebra. I've used a lot so far!!

Eyeshadow Favorite

I never knew about the wonders of Aromaleigh before they went under new management. Therefore, I was never able to purchase a color I've been drooling over for over a year- Twinkling Lights. I've spent an embarrassing amount of time sighing over swatches and stalking eBay and Amazon to no avail. I didn't think any colors from the past would reappear on the Aromaleigh 2.0 website, but I almost had a heart attack when I saw Twinkling Lights back on there for this season. It was sold out last year, so I nabbed 2 full size jars immediately! And I am so glad I did! I've been wearing Twinkling Lights almost every day since I got it in the mail. It's such a perfect Christmasy green color with pink sheen and absolutely packed with pink sparkles. I adore it!

Above: Aromaleigh Twinkling Lights swatched on clean skin over DGC Glitter Glue

Nail Polish Favorites

There are usually pretty good options for holiday nail polish collections. However, I have absolutely never seen anything like China Glaze's Party Hearty. I did a post on it where you can see it on my nails right here: http://brighteststarofall.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-elusive-china-glaze-party-hearty.html . It is so beautiful, really Christmasy, and sparkly! I love how there are a lot of different festive colored sparkles in different sizes. Now that indie polish is gaining a following, I bet there are some other good options for awesome colors like this- which is totally awesome!

I also like China Glaze's Twinkling Lights. It is also very beautiful and festive. Twinkling Lights only has small sparkles in it as opposed to different sizes like in Party Hearty. It really is pretty though. I am wearing it now over China Glaze's Mistletoe Kisses. Party Hearty is from the 2010 Christmas collection, and Twinkling Lights is from the 2011 Christmas collection.

Above from L to R: China Glaze Twinkling Lights, China Glaze Party Hearty.

If you've made it through this entire post, you deserve a gold medal! Thanks for stopping by, and have a very wonderful day!

DISCLAIMER: All products mentioned were purchased by me for my own personal usage. I am not affiliated with or compensated by any of the companies mentioned. All opinions are my own and 100% honest!

The elusive China Glaze Party Hearty!

Hello there! It's been cold outside (which is saying a lot, because I reside in a desert that seems to be sweltering 85% of the year), and I guess the weather has instantly made me in the mood for Christmas. We got some classic Christmas lights for the new house we're renting. I am super excited, as there wasn't much we could do to decorate when we lived in the apartment. I also got some candy cane rope lights, so those should be fun!

Another Christmasy thing I did was paint my nails Party Hearty from the China Glaze 2010 holiday collection. I have held onto this polish with my dear life, as it was extremely hard to find! I've also babied it with polish thinner. It's seriously one of my absolute favorite nail polishes, and I am so grateful and lucky I was able to find it. All the beauty stores were sold out (even the gift sets had been stripped of Party Hearty- WTF?!), but I happened to stumble in Sally's beauty supply one afternoon- and ONE Party Hearty had been restocked. The Angels sang from heaven, and I bought that lovely, elusive bottle of polish before it was gone (which would have been not much later than that second, I'm sure). So, that's my story, and here's the polish! It really IS Christmas in a bottle!

           Above: China Glaze Party Hearty

Stay warm out there!

Rachel

Disclaimer: All items mentioned were purchased by me for my own personal usage. I am not compensated by or affiliated with any of the companies mentioned. All opinions are my own and 100% honest.