Standouts and Game Changers of 2018!

Another year is in the books, and you know we LOOOOOOOVE a good round-up of favorites! We’ve got beauty we can’t stop reaching for, life changing products, and things that just make life better. And away! We! Go!

Jess

LanoLips 101 Ointment Multipurpose Superbalm

Pamela gifted this to me last year, and as winter tries to turn me into dust, this stuff is a lifesaver. I put it on my lips every night before bed, and it’s still a little bit there in the morning! It’s also great for those dry spots that show up around your nose, or cuticles, or basically anywhere. I hope to never be without it!

Fenty Beauty Stunna Lip Paint in Uncuffed

I know Lyn has gotten us all to buy something Fenty over the past year or so, and with good reason: this shit is bananas. I picked up the shade Uncuffed during one of the V.I.B. events late last year, and it is PERFECTION. The shade is the absolute perfect rosy mauve, which is my go-to shade for “I don’t want to look dead but I don’t want hot pink lips today” every day wear. The formula is truly weightless, and while it’s not 100% transfer-proof, it’s pretty locked in, and it fades without getting clumpy or flaky. I reach for this almost every day, and it lasts through coffee and lunch and life.

Wet n Wild Ultimate Brow Retractable Brow Pencil

While I love the Kat Von D Brow Struck Dimension powder and think it’s seriously a stand out this year in the world of brow products, I find myself reaching for this $4 pencil nearly every day. It applies soooo quickly and easily and lasts all day. KVD comes out to play if I’m being fancy, but this guy is my ride or die right now.

Saalt Menstrual Cup

Early in the year, I was maybe 85% thinking about making the switch to menstrual cups; when Pamela told me she was switching, it was enough to make me take the plunge. After trying an ok, but not quite right cup the first go around, I found the Saalt cup on Amazon and it is my glass slipper. I like the Saalt because it is a softer silicone, made for “”active women. It’s totally comfortable, and haven’t had any leak issues despite deadlifting, working on my feet, dancing, sleeping… whatever. Plus, it just feels… well, less gross overall!! They last for years, so a bonus is that it feels great to not be throwing/flushing so much (including dolla bills) away. I also like that the company is owned by women who give back to women who may not have access to period care. I am seriously mad I got all the way to my 40’s before realizing cups are the way to go BTW- once you get past the learning curve (and yeah, it for sure takes a cycle or three to get the hang of it), my period is no longer such a pain in the ass. Well, obviously it still is a little, but for sure way less of one.

Apple AirPods

I have gone through about 17000 variations of arm bands, pockets, bluetooth devices, and fanny packs trying to listen to music or podcasts at the gym. My husband finally convinced me to YOLO and buy a pair of AirPods, and they are PURE WIZARDRY. I don’t even know why I resisted for so long. I haven’t ever liked the earbuds that come with Apple products, but somehow these feel mostly invisible in my ears, and yeah, they don’t fall out! I use them everywhere, too- not just the gym. Washing dishes? AirPods. Cleaning my office? AirPods. Grocery shopping? AirPods. The charge lasts forever- did you know they charge right in the case?? I probably charge them once a week or so, but I’ve never even come close to draining them. If I had any complaints, it’s that I wish they would get just a tiny bit louder, but it’s probably better for my health if they don’t. 😉

Spindrift Sparkling Water

For whatever reason, I, along with the hipsters, can’t get enough of sparkling water lately. BUT HAVE YOU TRIED SPINDRIFT?? It is sparkling water with real juice squeezed in!! Not a lot- just like, if you squeezed a lemon wedge into your drink. It’s enough, though, to make it crazy good. Like, CRAZY good. Does it add a few calories? Sure, but the worst offender (grapefruit) only has 15 calories per can. I haven’t gotten my hands on every flavor yet (so far I’ve only found it at Target and Costco), but the blackberry and grapefruit are worth having in your fridge AT ALL TIMES.

Lyn

Drunk Elephant, everything: Okay–maybe not EVERYTHING–but a lot. This girl ain’t loyal when it comes to skin care products and I’m notorious for bouncing around and trying lots of things to see what’s magic. Well–I think Drunk Elephant might be it! My top favorite is the T.L.C. Framboos™ Glycolic Night Serum. It is pricey, but a little goes a long way and the results are immediate. It’s crazy to me how incredibly different my skin feels in the morning after using it at night. I also find the Lala Retro™ Whipped Cream is luxuriously divine. Wanna give them a shot and see what you think? The minis pack The Littles™ is a great introduction to the line.

Urban Decay, Born to Run eyeshadow palette: I’m really unclear why this palette didn’t get much love when it came out. The layout is great–especially if you generally dislike the long, skinny shadow structure of the Naked palettes–this one is in squares and the rows act like little mini palettes. The color range is very unique and offers a lot of new looks. I also like that the palette itself is thin, but sturdy and it has a huge mirror so it’s great for travel. Definitely a good deal with 21 shadows and a lot of room to play.

Marc Jacobs Beauty, Enamored Hydrating Lip Gloss Stick: I tried one of these in Sugar, Sugar and then went HAM and bought a bunch. I’m crazy for these in so many ways. They are a gloss–but a stick and not goopy or sticky or messy. I think even you would like them, Jess! They give the perfect amount of reflection to make your lips look full and fab. And layered over pencils gives them even more versatility. Definitely worth the price.

Norman Kamli, Kamali Kulture Go Crew Neck Dress: This is the greatest, easiest dress of all time. I know that sounds crazy and like a huge over-exaggeration, but it’s not. It’s an instant classic LBD. It’s100% flattering, super soft, simple to pack, no wrinkle, forgiving, like pajamas but classy, any occasion dress. Put Vans on and it’s casual. Throw a necklace on and heels and it’s dressy. Grab boots and it’s somewhere in the middle. With tights–it’s perfect for winter. No tights–it’s a spring/fall/cool summer day dream. If I could wear it every day, I would. I honestly might order another one to have a back up, I love it that much.

photo courtesy of shopbop.com

Apple, AirPods: Jess and I were going to do a joint review of these magical wonders, but never got around to it. (aah, life.) I agree with everything she said. I also bought them because Michael Boggs told me to–in fact–Team Boggs drove me to the Apple store and went with me to get them. I keep them in my pocket and use them constantly. They are super convenient so you can just pop them on and go. I walk a lot and always have them on, even if I’m just going a few blocks. They are also the only way I’ll talk on the phone anymore. I will legit tell someone I’ll call them back so I can grab them, if they aren’t immediately available. You don’t have to yell when talking and you can hear perfectly. Unlike Jess, I have had them die on me, but I’m also spacey about charging them. Which is silly because they charge super fast. I think it’s less than an hour to bring them back to full capacity. The only downsides are the volume isn’t super loud which Jess mentioned–I guess it’s good because it makes it so you can still be aware of your surroundings when walking with them–but on some podcasts I feel like I’d like a little more juice. When you wear them on an airplane, you have to keep your Bluetooth on to have them paired with your phone, so you can’t go into full “airplane” mode. And I do feel a little self-conscious wearing them because they are kinda douchey looking and I lose the effect of traditional headphones that say “I can’t hear you so don’t talk to me.” But aside from those few things, I can’t say enough about what a game changer they were for me this year. Bonus–I’ve had them for six months and haven’t lost them, which is huge!

(and side note: yes to fenty beauty too! and there are 10 new mattemoiselle plush matte lipsticks–thicc being my favorite!)

Schitt’s Creek: Another shout-out to Jess–she called this one and was ON ME  (and you) to watch it–and she was so right. I haven’t been this excited about a show in a long time. And it’s coming back on January 16th so you have time to get caught up before the new season comes out, if you didn’t take her advice the first time around to check it out. I’m the worst at binge-watching and we blew through this faster than any series ever. Also–my closet goals = David Rose and Dan Levy is a great IG follow, if you’re not already on it.

 

Milwaukee Bucks: YOU GUYS!!!! We have the best team in the entire NBA!!!! Seriously!!! We are #1 right now!!! I told you not to sleep on the Bucks two years ago and I’m telling you again–get on it!!! #fearthedeer

HAPPY NEW YEAR, everyone! We love you all so much and are excited for new products, adventures and all the everything and nothings life invariably throws at us. We’d love to hear what rocked your world in 2018 or things you’d like us to check up on for you in upcoming posts. 

Because if 2018 taught us anything–life can be much too much sometimes (and also that it’s okay to declare “it’s my turn to take a selfish!”)–and 2019 could be more of the same.

So let’s do 2019 better–together.

It’s 20% off at Sephora time! Our wishlists and recommendations

As summer draws to a close, we will cope the best we know how: by dreaming of what we are going to use our Sephora discount on (or have in Lyn’s case!)

We made a special Sunday trip to Sephora to get a first hand look at what’s out right now–which we shared on our Instagram story–and picked our favorites.

And then we looked through our stuff to see what we are loving that might be a little on the high end but still recommend and things we are running low on that we can’t live without.

Here are some things that we are either planning to stock up on, or splurge on, or think YOU should buy as our proxy:

Jess:

Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer

A handful of years ago, the three of us were having a rambunctious girl weekend in NYC. It was hot and smarmy in SOHO, so we bopped into a Sephora for a spritz, as we do. A lovely Sephora employee (cast member? What is their official designation??) saw me wilting, and asked if he could introduce me to this primer. “But I have makeup on already!” I worried aloud. He told me not to fret, as it didn’t matter- it would still be magical, and hey, it’s what Madonna uses. SIGN ME UP. My face was instantly human again!

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Let’s Try “Lifestyle” Ice Creams!

Have you noticed something going on?? Something in the freezer section of the grocery store?? So many “ice creams” are now trying to be all “hey! Hey! I’m totes healthy! You can eat the whole pint and it won’t blow your calorie budget for the day AND you can get some protein! Do it! Dooooo iiiiiitttt!! Ice cream for health!!”

I mean, it sounds good, but also a little bit like a clown trying to lure me into a van with candy. Are they worth the hype? I caught about 700* people buying Halo Top the last time I was at the grocery store, so maybe there’s something to it. Let’s try a bunch and find out!

HALO TOP CREAMERY

Halo Top was invented because the founder was hypoglycemic and wanted a delicious dessert that wouldn’t spike his insulin, which is a valid reason to make such a thing. Somewhere along the line, fitness influencers and Crossfitters adopted it (22 grams of protein in a pint! #gainz) and it has become crazy popular. I mean, have you seen how much freezer real estate it gets at the store?? They even sell it at Walgreens!

My husband has some dietary reasons to avoid huge amounts of sugar as well, so it seems like there’s always a pint or two of Halo Top in our freezer- this one was easy to check off the list! I will agree that it is a pretty good ice cream replica, and a bonus is that it comes in a billion flavors, and even a few non-dairy alternatives, so there’s something for everyone. BUT it is sweetened with stevia, and I hate stevia. Like, haaaaaate it. For one, I really don’t like how it tastes, but even if I could get past that, if I eat stevia, it’s basically like I’ve eaten 100 very explosive bees all armed with tiny steak knives. So I get really mad when a thing says “no artificial sweeteners!!!” and then I dig deep into the ingredient list and fucking stevia is lurking around. NO THANK YOU.

So this whole stevia thing has my list narrowed down to lifestyle ice creams that also don’t have stevia, which is…. a shorter list.

ARCTIC ZERO

“Fit Frozen Desserts!” “Lactose Free!” “Gluten Free!” “Fat Free!” “GMO Free!” are things listed all over the package for this guy. It should also include “Flavor Free!”. I tried Cookie Shake, and it was sad. Not terrible, per se- it was, chocolate-ish? But so boring that eating the whole pint wasn’t even appealing. You know it’s good when you forget it’s even in the freezer- I never finished eating it beyond the first half inch down.

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Deal Breakers- What Make Us Hard-Pass On A Product?

I recently was trying a new face mask sample (the Fresh, Lotus Youth Preserve Rescue Mask to be exact) and I was struck by the cucumber scent. Now–I have no problems with cucumbers–I actually really like them, but I know Jess is not a fan. And I wondered if it was just the taste of cucumbers that she was against or cucumber anything.

Which then got me thinking about product deal breakers. Things that are just NOT going to work for you when it comes to a new product. Would a cucumber scent be enough to send Jess running away from the Fresh mask? (it’s actually not included in the description for it and only in the ingredients, btw.) I wondered what other things might be product deal breakers for us–and you!

Jess:

Why yes, I DO hate the scent of cucumber- it literally makes me gag!!

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There Might Be Too Many Brow Things

Oh hi!

Do you remember a while back when I stepped out of my NYX micro pencil safety zone and tried something new?? Well, as expected, it dried out pretty fast, but now my eyes were open to exploring all* the new stuff that has been hitting the shelves in the name of giving you some serious brow:

by “all” I mean “a few”

First, a little about my brows. At this stage in my life, I’m pretty lucky to still have some fullness, thanks to never being able to tweeze them myself- I’d try, then eventually my face would start looking like a Picasso, you know?? So I’ve always left it to the professionals (I’m a fan of threading). That being said, I am still recovering from a wonky wax a few years ago that robbed me of some of the inner part of my left brow. (Pro tip: if you’re getting a pedicure and the tech takes you into a shady back room and also takes a phone call while waxing you, RUN.) I also have a few hairs that have, um, lost pigment. Because I am old. So my main concerns are a) filling in the gaps and holes and B) tinting the greys. I am not personally into the “Instagram Brow”- it is gorgeous on some people but crazy looking on me- and I’m not quite brave/baller enough to get microbladed yet, so to the drugstore we go!

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My Recent Media Binges!

Thanks to the drudgery of winter, I’ve have time to catch up on some shows and podcasts. Let me tell you about my recent binges!

Younger

Catch up on Hulu

Several friends tipped me off to this one- I love Sutton Foster, so once I had access to Hulu, it was first on my list. This is a 22 minute rom-com about a 40 year old woman who, for reasons, has to pose as a 26 year old millennial to get a job. With Darren Star as the producer, it fills that Sex and the City shaped hole in all of our hearts. It’s dumb, fluffy, somewhat predictable, has great outfits, and is just all around delightful- who knew Hillary Duff was so lovable? It also has some great commentary on a 40 year old’s view of youth (“are you one of those millennials who’s never smoked a cigarette and thinks your parents are heroes??”), which is obviously relatable. I binged this so fast I might need to watch it again.

Difficult People

Catch up on Hulu

Another justification of my Hulu subscription is this irreverent entry from Julie Klausner and Billy Eichner (whom I adore). It’s about best friends living in New York trying to make it as comedians, and they are kind of terrible people, but not so much in a cringe-y way, more in a “yeah, I would totally want to do that” way. The jokes fly fast and the cameos are amazing, and hey! Lyn’s sister worked on this show, so give it some love! Also, is there a list somewhere of all Arthur’s terms of endearment for Julie?? Wait, there is!

The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst

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Cheap Thrills: Two New Ulta Finds!

You know how you’re just going to pop into Ulta quick to buy one thing that YouTube convinced you that you need and then end up grabbing a few more things even though your husband is (patiently!) waiting in the car? Here’s what happened a few days ago- I’m happy to report that it was, at least, successful!

One impulse buy was shampoo and conditioner- I didn’t need it, but the kind I like was on crazy sale so I grabbed liters. Spending money on shampoo is no fun, so I embrace the sales!!

Then, while on my way to the area of the store that had the aforementioned YouTuber recommendation (more on that later), I noticed these new Powder Puff lippies from NYX:

Nyx Powder Puff Lippie (photo via nyxcosmetics.com)

Intrigued, I swatched the shade “Moody” on my hand and then thought it was dumb to be buying (more) lip stuff so I moved on. But then I couldn’t stop looking at it. Continue reading

Lightning Round: 2017 Beauty Favorites!

Ok Lovelies- 2017 is about to wrap up and we couldn’t be more ready to ring in a fresh new year. Here’s a quick snapshot of everything we reached for most over the past 12 months. Ready? Hands on your buzzers!!

Daytime moisturizer:

J: Dr Jart Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Balm!

L: What Jess said! But I’ll also go with Glossier, Priming Moisturizer

P: Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF 50

Brows:

J: NYX Micro Brow pencil

L: Lashfood, Browfood Tinted Brow Enhancing Gelfix in Brunette

P: Glossier Boy Brow

Mascara:

J: L’Oreal Voluminous Feline Noir (waterproof formula)

L: Covergirl Clump Crusher–the green one, for every day, L’Oreal Lash Paradise

P: Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir

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The Great Bathroom De-cluttering!!!

This past weekend, my husband and I had a great Saturday. We slept in, went to the gym, had a long, lingering French brunch with a good friend, then wondered what to do with the rest of the day. It was cold and gloomy, so we tried to rally and think of errands or out-and-about things to do, but couldn’t think of anything. I said aloud “well, if we just go home, I’ve been kind of itching to de-clutter the bathroom…..”  This made it real. There was no going back now.

I regret that I did not take “before” pictures. I was focused; on a mission. Because trust me, it was a problem.

I was drowning in products, collected over the 12 years we’ve lived in this house. Old hair products shoved to the back of a cabinet, old lip colors that had separated or dried out, anything cream-based that was past it’s prime, things I used half of and then decided I didn’t like, random samples collected over too many years of Birchbox and Ipsy (long since cancelled), travel bags, and anything that didn’t have a proper home.

THE PLAN

On the heels of the Sephora 20% off sale (during which I showed a fair amount of restraint!), I had a hard time finding a place to put some of my stock-up items. So I was in the right frame of mind for this task, which was “nothing is precious get rid of it all!!!!”. Ok, maybe more like keep what I love, and ditch the rest. If I haven’t used it (or more likely, was unaware of it’s existence), it was out. I grabbed a box and labeled it “keep” and a paper bag labeled “throw”. I probably didn’t need to actually label things that were different types of containers, but it made me feel more official. Lucky for him, the kitten jumped in the “keep” box. I liked this system because it forced me to touch everything, evaluate it, and make a conscious decision of where to put it back (as opposed to the “shove it over there” method). It also let me wipe down my grimy bottles, shelves, whatever.

Now before we go much further, I want to express remorse for my level of waste here. It was SO MUCH STUFF. And as much I would have liked to make a generous donation to a women’s shelter, very little of what I threw out was actually worth passing on, since it was old or half used. So moving forward, I know I’ll still fall into traps and buy stuff I don’t need, but I’m definitely going to go about my purchases more mindfully.

I had four zones to conquer: the countertop, the cabinet, the top of the cabinet, and the daily drawer.

AND AWAY! WE! GO!!

MB was happily immersed in a computer game, so I threw on an episode of The Black Tapes, cracked open a cherry lime Klarbrunn, and started with the cabinet. We don’t have a lot of storage in our bathroom, so we have a cheapie white cabinet in there, which was jammed full of random stuff that would explode out whenever you opened the door. On top of the cabinet, I have a step-shelf for perfume, hair products, and daily use things that was also overrun (which led to things always being knocked over), a smaller set of drawers with makeup I needed to store but didn’t use daily, and a bin full of palettes, masks, hair bands, and pretty much any random thing I needed to shove somewhere. It was out of control, and it felt really great to pull everything out. Here’s the finished, organized product!

I was now able to fit the blue bin inside the cabinet, and that happily houses all the lipsticks, eyeshadows, and skincare products that I use on occasion so I like to keep, but don’t need to have out, at the ready. This allowed me to downsize my palette storage (I didn’t get rid of any palettes!) to a wire basket, which is both smaller and easier on the eyes than an ugly plastic shoebox. The shoebox, as you can see, was re-purposed to the bottom shelf, housing… well, a few things I couldn’t bear to part with, like old perfumes with only 3 drops of nostalgia left in them, or things I use seasonally. Wait… why did I keep all those velcro rollers?? Maybe someday I will learn to use them.

I have a small drawer in the vanity that I keep my daily go-to and frequently used items in, and it was getting to the point where I had to have it configured just so in order to even close it. We all have this drawer, right? I’m not alone? Well, I was able to pare it down quite a bit, and while I still have about 57 too many lipsticks (as if “too many” is even a thing), I can now quickly see and grab what I need on mornings when I hit the snooze an extra time. Or two. I used some food storage containers to separate things out by use- complexion, eyes, lips, and tools, which makes it even easier:

Now look at this clean countertop!

Everything is so tidy! These are things I either use daily or it’s just easier to have them within reach. I don’t use more than a few of those lip/eyeliners, but aren’t they cute all nestled together in a cup??

 

The best/worst thing I did was to wash my brushes. Washing aaaaalllllll of the makeup brushes is oddly satisfying. A few years back, Pamela gave me this awesome brush cleaning mat from Sigma, and it makes the job even more fun! I use lavender Dr. Bronner’s because it is the best, and gentle, and smells nice. Pro tip: always dry your brushes flat- if you dry them stored upright, moisture can loosen the glue in the ferrule and wreck your brush.

Cleaning hair brushes, on the other hand, is a vomit-inducing task. But!! It feels so magical and good to have clean brushes, so suck it up and do it now and then. Pull off as much hair as you can (puke), then soak your brushes in some warm, soapy water (again, I used Dr. Bronner’s) for a few minutes, then scrub any remaining grossness out with an old toothbrush. Later, when your gag reflex recovers, admire your sparkly clean new brushes!! (Check out Kandee Johnson’s tutorial if you need more!)

Here is all the stuff I threw out. It’s a whole grocery bag. RIP, stuff. You had a good run. Except for you Biore pore strips- you were just terrible.

Oh!! I also found $41 cash (??) and rode the wave right into cleaning out my purse. Next stop: the t-shirt drawer. Maybe I’ll wait until the next lazy Saturday rolls around.

xo

What are you cleaning? Do you have any tips to not be a product hoarder? I’m trying to pay attention to how many hot pink lipsticks I have, I swear! What podcasts are you listening to? This project took at least 3 or 4 episodes of The Black Tapes, which I have now finished all 3 seasons of, so I need something new!

20% off–how we recommend you spend your Sephora discount

Lyn has already spent some serious cash at both the Ulta and Sephora holiday sales. And being the enablers we are–here are our recommendations on what to pick up during this weekend’s Sephora sale and some of the items we have our eye on.

Pamela:

I’m thawing out from my spending freeze for the Sephora 20% off sale! And also because I am most certain I won’t maintain my VIB status next year, because I’ve not spent enough money with them this year. So, I may as well stock up a little? Having said that, most of my purchases will be repurchases because I am trying to at least spend practically or some justification like that.

So, I know I have expressed my dislike for this product at least once or twice on the blog…. but now that I don’t have it, I totally want it again! Yep… I will be repurchasing the Sol De Janeiro Bum Bum cream. I never thought I would! I bought it in the holiday gift pack last year, and will again this year, which includes the lip butter and fragrance mist as well, which both seem exciting to try. The cream itself though, is what I’m after. It is so seriously hydrating. My fall/pre-winter skin misses it immensely. And I kind of miss the scent as well – it’s strong, but in the end I started mixing it with a regular unscented moisturizer and it really made it so much more subdued – and really the scent itself was never my issue…. It was the strength of it.

I can’t say I’ve gotten to the end of a tube of lipstick in forever (probably because I have about 30 currently that I need to use, sitting in a drawer upstairs) but I just ran out of my BITE Beauty Matte Cream Lip Crayon in the color Peche. I originally purchased it specifically to wear for my wedding. It’s taken me three years to use it all up, but I do love it and want it back.

And I will (maybe) be purchasing the Maison Margiela REPLICA fragrance – By The Fireplace, because they are sooooo expensive I would never buy this if I didn’t have 20%. I’m still on the fence about spending the money. These bottles are huge, which is great! But I don’t wear fragrance on a daily basis, and if you remember last year I got the MM REPLICA – Lipstick On, which I still love, but have barely made a dent in. So, this is more of a wish than a need. I honestly really dislike smelling like a campfire (but I really like camping – weird), and if you have smelled this you would think I’m silly to want to wear it, because it smells exactly like a campfire. BUT, the campfire smell is warmer and fades to a woody and sweet vanilla. It’s yummy. I really wish they sold it in the travel size. So, I guess I’ll see how I’m feeling about my finances the day I make my purchases.

Oh yeah…. I might also get this years Glow For It set too. I definitely don’t need it, I have or have had a couple that are in it, but I am also a sucker for highlights. And bonus – it still appears to be in stock, unlike last year.

Jess:

Alrighty… *rubs hands together*… what’s my plan?? Well, I also need to restock some of my favorites. I continue to love Origins Checks and Balances Frothy Face Wash (Lyn!! Why do you hate it so??? It’s minty and cleans everything off without drying you out!!), and that’s a boring thing to spend money on so I’ll grab one with my haul. I might also pick up some Bumble and Bumble Tonic Lotion– I don’t use it every day, but I like having it around, especially in the winter.

And speaking of winter problems, I’m also super stoked about this Dr. Jart Magical Skin Potions set Lyn pointed out last week- you get a FULL SIZE Cicapair Treatment PLUS a bunch of other stuff that I will use (their micellar water is pretty great, and I love a mini) for the price of the balm alone!!

Remember last year when I tried a whole bunch of liquid eyeliners?? Well, I’ve finally used them all up! Then I found a fresh mini sample of some Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in my stash, and realized, once again, that it is actually the best eyeliner ever. So… I’ll be adding that back into my daily rotation. (For the record, still love the Physician’s Formula and the Tarte one totally grew to be one of my faves!)

Now for the fun part: the “things I don’t really need buuuuutttttt…..” list. Since I’ll be in the KVD aisle anyway, I really think I need to pick up one of these new Everlasting Glimmer Veil Liquid Lipsticks. I swatched a few on my hand last time I was in the store, and they are BEAUTIFUL. Seriously, out of control gorgeous. I talked myself out of it because honestly, when will I wear this?? But screw it- it’s the holidays and I need something shiny!! (Which color though???)

I need another eyeshadow palette like…. I don’t need anymore eyeshadow palettes. But! This Tarte Tartelette In Bloom Clay Eyeshadow Palette is calling to me for some reason. Anyone have it? Thoughts?? It seems like just the right combination of shimmers and lights and deeps and would be a good grab and go travel palette…. maybe??

It might be way too expensive for several things I already have, but this Superstars Everyday Must Haves kit is kind of great, right? I might need it. Probably because I am also still using a Beauty Blender from the dawn of time.

Lyn:

I already spent a ton of money on the VIB 20% sale–I posted what I ended up going with on our Facebook page–so here are some things I think you should pick up:

FENTY BEAUTY by Rihanna, Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer: This is the most wearable, universally flattering, beautiful lip gloss of all time. I’m not exaggerating. I feel like everyone should have one or three lying around. It’s beyond wonderful and smells amazing. And every time you wear it, it makes Rihanna smile. Go get it!!

LANEIGE, Lip Sleeping Mask: I’m obsessed with this! Since I had some troubles with my old standby, I grabbed this to give it a go. I love it. I wear it every night and throw it on sometimes on no makeup days. Too bad it’s in a pot, but even that doesn’t spoil the magic of this product.

Ouai, Treatment Masque: Yeah, these are stupid expensive. Yes, they work miracles. My hair always looks and feels its best after slapping one of these on. And I get two uses per packet making it slightly more defensible. 

bareMinerals, OIL OBSESSED™ Total Cleansing Oil: Gets makeup off. Has a nice light texture. Makes your skin feel amazing. What more could you want?

Peter Thomas Roth, Mask-A-Holic Kit: I bought a version of this probably two years ago and I’m still working through them. It’s a really nice collection of nearly full size products to fix all face predicaments. Feeling puffy? Go for the cucumber. A little congested? Use the clay mask. Dull looking? Grab the pumpkin. Wanna feel fancy? It’s time for the gold. I’ve never tried their undereye patches, so that’s a bonus! Still a little too much for you, even with the discount? Have fun with these.

And have I mentioned the Anastasia Beverly Hills, Modern Renaissance Eye Shadow Palette? Yes? Ok.

And YAY, PAM!!!! Go get that Bum Bum cream!!!

What have you picked up? Anything you’ve got your eye on? Let us know below!