February 2017 Favorites

*Affiliate links/PR samples used.

Guys, I'm so excited to share this month's favorites with you I'm practically dancing out of my chair. 2017 has been off to the most amazing start beauty-wise, and it's got me more pumped to blog than ever. It's not like my passion for playing with product has ever really wavered, it's just that lately I've come across things that I'm genuinely loving so much that I find myself looking forward to doing my nightly skincare or putting on my makeup each morning. And of course, being the true enabler that I am, I can't wait to tell you about it all so you can fall in love right along with me!

January 2017 Favorites

Hello lovelies! It may be hard to believe, but it's already time to wrap up the first month of 2017! As far as beauty goes this year has been off to quite a start. Between an onslaught of new drugstore makeup launches, all the swag I took home from Gen Beauty, and whatever holiday deals I managed to scoop up at the end of December, I've got an almost overwhelming amount of new stuff to review. That being said, my January favorites are comparatively pretty modest. TBH, I'm pretty picky about what I choose to include in my monthly favorites round-ups. I only like to mention products that I've been using and loving consistently so I can be confident in my recommendations, and sometimes that means it can be a few months between when something hits my hands, and when I make a final verdict. Still, I think I've got some pretty exciting finds to share! If you're curious to learn more about what they are, keep on reading.

Classic Holiday Glam at Bloomingdale's

There are a lot of things I love about the holidays - baking sugar cookies, seeing Christmas lights,  shopping ridiculous online sales (but really though...my poor wallet). In all seriousness, there's something inherently magical about the month of December. Even though we're all grumpy about the cold and dealing with crazy traffic and lines at stores, there's still an excitement in the air that makes everyone seem at least a little bit festive. In true beauty blogger fashion, I channel a good chunk of my holiday spirit into my makeup game. It's not that I won't occasionally rock a glam look year round, it just that as soon as the Christmas decor is up I find myself busting out the glitter and lashes pretty much every weekend.

Recently I received this beautiful PR package from Bloomingdale's with a selection of products that are perfect for creating a classic glam holiday look. From a bold red lip, to fluttery lashes, to a signature scent, and a killer 'do, you've got everything you need to channel your inner old Hollywood starlet.

Sephora Gift Sets Under $50

Hello friends! Today I thought it'd be fun to do a little bit of online window shopping with you all. Sephora has launched a TON of new favorites kits, which inspired me to peruse all of their available value sets and come up with a list of 10 badass options all under $50. As a beauty blogger the hours I spend browsing through Sephora's website could easily be considered justifiable research. But in reality I'd probably waste just as much time looking at pretty bottles and compacts even if I didn't have an audience to share my musings with (#iamaddictedtobeautyproducts).

ANYWAY...these little sampler sets are by far one of my favorite ways to shop beauty. Much akin to my fondness for tapas, I'd rather have a little bit of a lot of different things than one big dish...err bottle...tube?...you get the picture. I love variety and the surprises that come with it. Sometimes you fall in love with a product you would have otherwise never thought to try. Other times a product that seemed amazing turns out to kind of suck, leaving you totally relieved that you didn't buy the full size.

Sampler sets are also a great way to stave off beauty boredom. We've all been there. You've been using the same shampoo for the last 6 months, and while it started off amazing, you've gotten to that point where washing your hair is like listening to a ridiculously overplayed song on the radio. You feel too guilty to abandon a half used bottle of perfectly good product, but you're just so over it that the entire process makes you rage. How is there still so much left? Will it ever end? YOU JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND. On the flip side, opting for a mini size gives you a much greater likelihood of actually using the entire thing up before it hits My Heart Will Go On status.

So whether you're looking for travel-sized versions of products you love, or are feeling a bit adventurous and just looking to experiment, these value sets will likely be money well spent. They're also adorable. Just sayin'.