Lately...

I've really felt like I've been in a funk since getting back from vacation.. and after Thanksgiving.. and after our anniversary.

I'm just now getting into finals at school, so that's probably what's doing me in, but at least I have been taking a few photos here and there, not for homework. I used to really love fall and winter in terms of working on my portfolio, but these past couple of years, school has really sucked all motivation and self work out of me.

So since tomorrow is December 1, I think I'm going to try a few things to get back on track and feeling more like myself.

I can do it!

Friday Favorites 3

Eeep, missed another week but oh well.. I was on vacation!

So let's jump right in:

• Palmer's Skin Therapy Oil. It's the shit. I don't always use it like you would think, but I have been obsessed with putting a few squirts into my bath water to help moisturize my skin. It doesn't add any scent to your bath, which is nice, so it's amazing. I have been going bath crazy lately and have gotten Sean a bit hooked on them too. 
• Dior 5 Color Eyeshadow Palette in 566 Versailles. I wore this almost every time I wore makeup on vacation because the top two shadows were nice and shimmery and not too difficult to use quickly. I do have a few issues with this palette though. I think they should have gotten rid of one of the top shadows, probably the one that's more gold since there is a gold glitter in the middle. They really could have replaced it with a black, purple or burgundy... or just SOMETHING. And the bottom right, the brown, is a gorgeous chocolate brown with shimmer, but the texture is so disappointing... especially when you look at the other 4 shadows. But now with the holidays coming up, that silver is going to be used a ton. It's amazing and buttery. 
• Kat von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Jeffree. This is a color WAY out of my comfort zone, and I only initially bought it because it's named after Jeffree Star. Now that I've worn it more often, I love it. On my lips it doesn't look as in your face as I was expecting and the comfort level and staying power is amazing, no matter how sheer you apply it. I tend to apply it with my fingers instead of the applicator. 
• Urban Decay Naked Skin Body Beauty Balm. Well there's a name, huh. Anywho, I bought this after testing some at Sephora before I went on vacation and I was pleasantly surprised. Usually I don't like these shimmery tinted body lotions anymore but this was really gorgeous and I wore it almost everyday on vacation when we would get cleaned up for dinner. The tint doesn't make my pale princess skin look fake tan-ey and the shimmer is really flattering. I love the smell and the tingly feeling you get when applying. This is a nice way to wear shimmer for grown ups. =]
• Clinique Smart Custom Repair Serum. I just recently got into trying serums and being more serious about my skincare. I love this stuff! At first I just thought this would be hyped up and a non-essential part of my routine, but I have noticed my skin just looks better.. I can't put my finger on what looks different, it just looks different. Healthier, I guess. Now I feel weird if I skip this step, morning or night.

That's all folks!

Fortune Cookie Soap 2014 Winter Soap Box

Alright - I received my second ever Soap Box from Fortune Cookie Soap.

For this Christmas, the theme was Old Fashioned Family Christmas.. so like Christmas Vacation style. =]

So far I'm pretty impressed with the products, but not my photo taking. I took all of these photos before going on vacation last week so I just snapped away and thought I was good. So, sorry!

Now, admittedly I haven't used most of these yet. But I'm really excited to!

First thing I saw was this guy. It's a Shower Steamer in the scent "I Pledge Allegiance, Amen!". These are just little shower steamers to make your showering experience smell nicer. haha It smells not too girly or sweet, so I'm excited to try it. I think I'll use it tomorrow morning. =]

This is a Hydrate Me bar in "Sparky". It smells like a nice dessert or bread you'd enjoy in the winter. =] Also I should try this in the shower tomorrow! So far these two products are new to me and did not show up in my previous box so I definitely had to look up exactly what they do and how I should use them. haha. 

I've always hated using hand sanitizers because I HATE the alcohol smell and how they felt so drying. Until I tried FCS OCD Hand Sanitizers. Seriously I love them. I have 3 now. The Polyjuice Potion scent is my favorite [and it has glitter so I'm automatically going to like it] This scent is "Mele Kalikimaka" which is Merry Christmas in Hawaiian. =] I took this with me to the Bahamas for vacation and it was well used. It smells very tropical and like a few drinks I enjoyed whilst on vacation. They don't dry your hands out, too!

This label-less gem is a mystery fragrance Deep Conditioner. For now, I'll just call it "Christmas Bonus" as the card calls it. It smells nice; I have yet to try it but I know I need to because vacation wreaked havoc on my hair! It's so tiny though! I'll definitely have to focus it on my ends. 

Winner for most interesting scent name is this Whipped Soap in "Fried Pussycat". One of my favorite parts of the movie and I am actually almost out of this already! I would totally buy more Whipped Soaps from FCS after this guy. The scent is nice and warm and smells so Holiday-ish.

I think this itty bitty jar was accidentally label-less, but it's the Cuticle Butter in "Moose Mug". I want to eat this cuticle butter! You hardly need any, so this will last me a lifetime. It sinks in so fast and so nicely that you won't feel all oily and gross. 

This is the Whipped Cream/Body Butter in "Jelly of the Month Club". It's nice and thick like I was expecting. The scent is a bit sweeter than I like, but so far all of my body butters from FCS have been a tad sweet. The scent doesn't stay intense for long though and they stay nice and hydrating. 

Finally the Fortune Cookie Soap!!!! As you can see, the scent is "Tis the Season to be Mary". This smells very soap like and perfumey. Not girly or sweet, just like a hint of soap under the scent. It's not bad, but not my favorite. 

Again, I'm pretty happy with my box and can't wait to try the remainder of my products!!!

Friday Favorites 2... on a Sunday.

Well I dropped the ball and skipped last week and this Friday I was actually in a wedding sooooo...... my Friday Favorites will be on a Sunday.

At least I took a non iPhone photo though, right?! 

mmkay. Let's see what I've been loving lately.

• Hempz White Peppermint and Vanilla Body Creme. I love Hempz lotions, but sometimes their scents are too much for me, even when I love them. This is LE and I found it in the travel sized goodies in Ulta near the registers, of course. I use this as a hand cream and it's nice because the scent is awesome [I love anything minty] and not too heavy. It doesn't feel too oily as well. 
• Benefit Porefessional powder. Although I hate the packaging now, I adore this stuff. I use a brush to apply it usually, but for special occasions [like the wedding I was in this weekend], I use a damp beauty blender to apply it and everything stays put and stays matte[ish] all day and night. 
• MAC x The Simpsons blush in Sideshow You. This was an online only LE blush and I love it. It's a nice coral/peach with some shimmer but it looks so pretty with everything. 
• Sugarpill Lumi loose pigment. I FINALLY got my hands on this stuff and it's amazing. You can kinda see in the photo the blue duo chrome color it has and it works great as an inner eye highlight or a fun transformer pigment to use on top of eyeshadows. 
• Stila Stay All Day liquid lipstick in Patina. GAH love. This is my way of trying out new lip colors and slowly getting into bolder darker lips. 

So there we go - Friday faves on a Sunday =]

Here's to hoping I don't wake up with 6 inches of snow on the ground!