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.