Bed Time Bliss: My Winter 2015 Night Time Skincare Routine

Winter evenings render me basically useless, especially in comparison to evenings at any other time of the year. By the time I get home from work it's dark, it's cold, and I usually only have enough energy left for couch related activities. Then again, there's something to be said for the quiet coziness of a winter night. I make a lot more time for restfulness and pampering and general me-time. Whether it be snuggling up on the couch with the boyfriend for a West Wing marathon, drinking a cup of tea while I peruse my favorite blogs, or escaping into the pages of a good book while I soak away in the tub, I'm always able to find some way to enjoy staying cooped up indoors.

One of the things I also make a little more time for in the winter is my bedtime skincare routine. The cold, dry air wreaks havoc on my face, so I like to prep it as best I can for sleepy time restoration. It also is pretty darn relaxing to take 20 minutes at the end of the day to cover your face in lovely smelling lotions and potions. In honor of my favorite bedtime ritual, here's a closer look at all of the products I've been loving lately for my night time skincare.

January 2015 Julep Maven Box

Oh the weather outside is frightful...

No really, though. I'm cozied up at home on a Tuesday morning thanks to the blizzard that rolled in to the Northeast last night. It's looking pretty crazy out there, and I am thankful to be indoors with plenty of fun and relaxing things to do to pass the time. This morning's activities have already included taking a lovely bubble bath (and cracking open a new book while I soaked), making some delicious french toast, and busting out my Julep Creativity Kit to attempt some nail art (pictures of which are sure to be shared later). And on the subject of nails, I realized I still haven't shared my January Maven box with you yet!

December 2014 Glambag

Happy Sunday, friends! It's been a particularly cozy (and snowy) weekend here in New England, which has provided me plenty of time to work on lots of fun blog things. Apparently a blizzard is headed our way tomorrow, which only would be appreciated if it means I don't have to go to work on Tuesday. An extra day of snuggling up on the couch sounds pretty much like the best thing ever.

Anyway, this post FINALLY finishes out my 2014 subscription box reviews! It's not to say that I haven't loved writing about my November and December goodies, I'm just excited to get to talking about January (even though there's only a week of it left). So, on to my Glambag! Ipsy's December Glambag theme was Thinking of You - letting all of us loyal subscribers know how loved and appreciated we are by everyone at Ipsy. The 5 products I received were a nice mixture of haircare, skincare, and makeup, and came in a little black nylon bag, with a heart charm adorned zipper. Here's a quick breakdown of what I got to play with:

• Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes 4-in-1 Mascara
• NYX Butter Lip Balm in Parfait
• Nourish Organic Renewing Eye Cream
• Pixi Fairy Dust in Brightening Bare
• Coolway Boost Repair Treatment

Empties: Starting Fresh for a New Year

2015! I'm not always this invigorated by the prospect of a new year, but this one has got me rearing and ready to go. There is so much I want to accomplish, both on the blog and off, and I can't wait to get started. One of the things I'm hoping to do in the coming months is to make a huge dent in my beauty stash by using up half finished and neglected products, while writing up reviews and tutorials about them along the way. Some time last year I realized that I've never written an empties post (despite the fact that I love reading and watching that kind of stuff from other bloggers) and decided it was about time that I start hoarding away my unused products. In the spirit of the new year (and also hoping to make this a more regular thing) I'm emptying out the bag and starting fresh for 2015! So join me as I say adieu to the products of 2014 with a few final thoughts on my end of the year empties.

December 2014 Birchbox

You know, I'm starting to regret this whole not blogging for a month thing. I'm so backlogged on my subscription boxes that it'll be February before I get to this month's stuff. Oye. Anyway! I'm moving on to my December 2014 Birchbox, which was another winning month for me. December's theme was Decked Out, or going full on festive for the holiday season.

December 2014 Julep Maven Box

After having been a bum (okay, so maybe only in the blogosphere and not in, you know, reality) for the entire month of December I've got such a backlog of things to share. Like all of my lovely December subscription boxes. My Julep Maven box is always the first of the month to arrive, so I figured it was fitting to share before the rest. Having an ample supply of nail polish at home, I decided to skip out on this month's colors finally acquire a Plié Wand instead. I also couldn't resist trying one of the newly launched Orbital Eyeshadows. Was my decision ultimately a wise one? I dare say it was even wiser than I expected.

Ole Henriksen Truth Serum & Pure Truth Youth Activating Oil Reviews

One of the things I've realized upon reassessing my beauty stash is that I've got a multitude of products that I love and use that I've never actually written about. I'll mention them to my mom or friends, and certainly rave about them in my head, but it's about time that I clue you all in to the awesome. This powerhouse duo from Ole Henriksen is a perfect example.

November 2014 Glambag

While I'm still having generally grumbly feelings about Ipsy, this month's bag was one of the better ones I've had in a while. November's theme was Gal Meets Glitter, which sort of confused me in terms of the products I received. The bag was super sparkly, but everything else was sort of neutral and subdued. This isn't very different from most months, though, where I feel like the only thing that sort of follows the theme at all is the bag. Anyway, here's a quick look at what I received this month:

Getting Organized - Displaying Your Everyday Beauty Essentials

Writing a beauty blog is an incredible amount of fun. It also means I acquire more beauty products than I know what to do with. Over time they can easily become a source of clutter and chaos. And sure, I can keep my space looking clean by stashing everything away in cabinets and drawers, but that whole "out of sight out of mind" thing usually results in amazing products being totally forgotten and neglected.

This year one of my blogging resolutions is to focus less on trying and reviewing the next new thing, and more on using the products I already have and telling you why I love them and different ways to incorporate them into your beauty routine. While I've got lots of ideas to keep me on track (aside from locking up my credit card), the first thing I decided needed to happen was putting things out in plain sight to encourage me to rediscover products on a daily basis. There are a ton of pretty ways to proudly display your everyday essentials, and I'll show you a few of my favorites with this tour of my newly revamped dresser.

November 2014 Birchbox

Happy New Year, friends! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season. I took a little bit of a blogging break to focus on baking, crafting, and all things festive, as well as to spend time with people in person and away from my computer. I'm feeling quite refreshed and ready to write, but I also realize that I've got quite a bit of catch up to play. I got really fabulous Birchboxes in November and December, so I just can't skip over writing about them.

November's Birchbox theme was all about Giving - giving back to subscribers, to the community, and even giving yourself a little extra TLC.  With a campaign to raise money for AIDS awareness and jam packed birchboxes, I think Birchbox did an amazing job with spreading the love.