Twinkle Lights and Christmas Questions!

Hello there! I hope you are all doing well and enjoying the month of December so far! It has been pretty cold here, which I'm so happy about. It was even supposed to snow yesterday, but unfortunately it didn't. Though, I would not be surprised if it does snow sometime this month. It is a lot colder than it was last year, and it still snowed the day after Christmas last year! I love the cold weather because you can bundle up, drink hot chocolate, tea, or coffee, and relax by the fireplace! It's just so lovely!

Today I painted my nails a color called Twinkle Lights by China Glaze. It's a really beautiful red, gold, and green glitter polish. It was released in 2011, and I've used quite a bit of it since then (though you can't tell because I needed to add thinner and shake it up a bit). Below are the pictures of Twinkle Lights! I used Orly Bonder as a basecoat, three coats of Twinkle Lights, and Sally Hansen Dries Fast top coat (that sounds so awkward, I know!).

I also decided to snag a Christmas questionnaire from Tumblr, which I completed below. Please feel free to answer these questions if you are bored and/or if you like the questions. I'd love to read your answers too! I know a couple of you have been doing the perfume tag, and I've really enjoyed reading your answers to those questions. I will probably do that one during Christmas break, as my schedule this month is pretty crazy! Anyway, onto the questions!

❅ Christmas Questionnaire ❅
Gingerbread: Do you like tea? Yes! I absolutely love tea. I even have a tea cabinet that I did a post about a while back.
Tinsel: What perfume/cologne do you wear?  Lately, I have been alternating between Ice Station Zebra and One Thousand and One Nights.
Ribbon: What's a book that had a strong impact on you? By far, it's The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. The books and movies got me through the severe depression I was experiencing in high school. It let me focus on a different world while I had a hard time with my own.
Holly: Who was the last person you sent a letter to? My landlord. I sent the rent this month in a Christmas card to her.
North Pole: What in your life are you most grateful for? I am so grateful for my family, my boyfriend, and my pets. Each one of them means the world to me.
Christmas Carole: Would you change your name if you could? No, I actually like my name.
Santa: What's your favorite month? I love October and December. However, this year, December has been my favorite month.
Noell: At a movie theater, which armrest is yours? I have no idea! I only go to the movies once in a blue moon, so I don't actually pay attention to such things.
Rudolf: What's a band a family member introduced you to? I think I've always tried to stray from the music my family has listened to, haha.
Candy Cane: Can you make paper snowflakes? Yes! We made them at work on Friday with the kids. I also made a glittery one for a winder wonderland they were making at the temporary school Sandy Hook students attended after the shooting last year.
Eggnog: What was the name of your first stuffed animal? Scruffy! And it makes me sad to say that because I wish I still had him.
Mrs. Clause: Have you ever been on a boat in the ocean? Yes, plenty of times. My parents are very outdoorsy, and they took me on a ton of camping and fishing trips when I was growing up. I have also been on a whale watching boat and a cruise.
Ice: Would you rather be overdressed or underdressed at every party? I am usually underdressed because IDGAF about fashion, so I'll go with that.
Hot Cocoa: What's your favorite thing about yourself? I am empathetic and kind to people. I think it's really important, especially in the hustle and bustle of a big city where there are a lot of rude people in a hurry.
Reindeer: What is your spirit animal? Definitely a cheetah.
Yule Log: Least favorite vegetable? I'm not a big onion fan.
Stocking: What color are your socks right now? I'm wearing red and green fuzzy socks with little stuffed reindeer on the top.
Elf: If you had unlimited money to one shop, which shop would it be? A grocery store. I know that's a weird answer, but I'd really be thankful to not have to worry about food money. Food where I live is more expensive than the national average.
Wreath: Are you allergic to anything? Not to food, but I am allergic to a couple antibiotics.
Cookies: Top three favorite bands? Atreyu,, Marilyn Manson, and Sublime. I've really been loving Marina and the Diamonds lately though.
Toys: Do you want children? Yes, but not anytime soon.
Sleigh Bells: Can you whistle? Not well!
Snowman: Do you like accents? Absolutely!

I hope you guys enjoyed the questions and I also hope you're having a great day/night! Thank you so much for reading!

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!