Happy New Year! Yes, it is the start of another new year and I have been waiting for this moment. I have decided to harvest every experience in the last 12 months — the good, and especially the bad — to be loving, teaching moments.
This year, I will be relentless in creating a life that I love and bask in my strength, talents, and passions without any apologies or guilt. Throughout this process, I will incorporate lots of self-care practices.
Self-care means so much to me and that is a whole blog post in itself. Today, I will talk about how makeup is a form of self-care. Applying makeup — whether it takes you 5 minutes or 30 minutes — is creating space for yourself. This time is not trivial or vain… Instead, this form of grooming is self-love. In nature, animals groom each other as an act of care and affection. It is the same for us, too!
So, the next time when you are applying makeup, be present in the moment and speak lovingly of yourself. Enjoy how the makeup feels on your face and observe how it enhances your natural features. This form of TLC is exactly what you need. Makeup is a way of nurturing my feminine side, and a peaceful and fun ritual that I enjoy every time I do it!
If you are a makeup junkie like me or new to using makeup, I hope you see value in the seemingly mundane act of applying makeup. It can be therapeutic and even meditative. I often love listening to positive affirmations on YouTube while I apply my favorite makeup products.
So, for the New Year, I encourage you to try this practice. I am also sharing with you IPSY Glam Bag and Glam Bag Plus goodies and two new festive makeup looks to try for the New Year. Enjoy!
I love IPSY because I get to try new makeup products and don’t even need to leave my house to buy it! All of it arrives in my mailbox. Getting new makeup products is so fun and it is always a treat to get products that I love too because I go through my favorites fast. Their makeup bags are just so cute and I look forward to each month’s drop.
The makeup bags are used for so many things other than housing my makeup. I love to use them to package small gifts for friends and family and store my jewelry. IPSY Glam Bag comes with 5 deluxe size makeup samples that are worth well over are worth over $50+ and you only pay $12 per month. Perfect subscription for the makeup lover!
This is what came in my cute IPSY Glam Bag this month. I just love the variety!
- LUNA MAGIC Lip Liner (Besitos): Line and define your way to fuller-looking lips with this retractable, self-sharpening lip liner in a cool mauve color. $8.50
- MILK MAKEUP Rise Mascara: An award-winning everyday mascara that weightlessly lifts, lengthens, curls, and adds subtle volume for the most natural-looking lashes possible. Mini size $14
- SOPHIA AND MABELLE Fruit Lip Oil: Give your lips a delicious and hydrating treat with this watermelon lip oil that’s infused with super-conditioning and nourishing ingredients. $22
- FIRST AID BEAUTY Ultra Repair Firming Collagen Cream: This luxurious, skin-plumping Collagen moisturizer hydrates and helps visibly firm skin. Standard size is $44.
- BYROE NEW YORK Tea Time Rose Tea Eye Cream: Indulge your tired eyes in this luxurious cream. The lightweight cream is full of damask rose flower water, vegan collagen, and HydraRose. Standard size is $76.
The Glam Bag Plus is a must-have for the makeup addict. Why? Because you get 5 FULL SIZED makeup products for just $28 each month (valued at over $120)! This is a total steal…for reals! Plus, the super cute makeup pouch with its drawstring closure is great for storing intimate wear, packaging gifts and organizing your gym bag. What more could you ask for?
The variety in each Glam Bag Plus is amazing because you will always get a combination of makeup products, makeup accessories, and skin care goodies. IPSY just has you covered! Most high quality makeup items typically cost over $30 and this is just for one item. While, with the Glam Bag Plus you can get all of it each month for just $28. This is a no brainer!
Check out the fabulous makeup and beauty items that were featured in December 2022 Glam Bag Plus.
- PATCHOLOGY Rose Sheet Mask: Formulated with antioxidants Resveratrol (from grapes!) and Strawberry Extract to help protect from environmental stressors. 4 pack is $30.
- KAT BURKI Vitamin C Intensive Face Cream: A cult favorite, Vitamin C Intensive Face Cream provides deep nourishment to the skin, specifically developed to meet the needs of lackluster complexion and to protect the skin from environmental toxins. $116
- MOTD Party of Two Dual Ended Face Brush Set: Party of Two brush set helps you effortlessly apply an array of cream or powder products that includes blush, highlight, contour and more. $24
- TARTE COSMETICS Quick Stick Waterproof Shadow & Liner: Eyes in 30 seconds! Our 2-in-1 quick stick™ waterproof shadow & liner features a gel eyeliner & expertly coordinated eyeshadow shade for an effortless look. $25
- CIATE LONDON The Velvet Palette: Featuring a mix of hyper metallics, soft shimmers, and velvety-smooth mattes, the innovative powder formulation delivers high pigment with a super soft application. $20
Holiday Ready! I am using my favorites cosmetics and new-to-me products for my skin, hair and makeup. I hope you like the transformation. I love this makeup look so much that I will be wearing it a lot …I have listed all of the products below. This look is so glamorous and not overdone, looking this good isn’t reserved just for the holidays. Take note if you are medium skin toned like me. You will also find the products I used for my hair as well.
Skin, makeup and hair products I used to create this festive makeup look.
- PAULA’S CHOICE: 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant. I love this to prep my skin and works great to minimize my pores.
- SERATOPICAL: Radiant Face & Neck Serum, Adoring Advanced Eye Formulation, and Freedom Day & Night Moisturizer, a new clean beauty skincare line created by actress Nicole Kidman.
- SUPERGOOP Glow Screen SPF 40: This works great as a primer and has SPF 40!
- Sephora Best Skin Ever Longwear Foundation – 22.5 N: Just the right amount of coverage and doesn’t cover up my cute freckles.
- Fenty Beauty Match Stix Correction Skinstick – Peach 03: Great for my skin tone and brightens my dark under eye circles.
- Lancome Official TEINT IDOLE Ultra Wear Concealer – 320: It is creamy and conceals my skin under my eyes without leaving it cakey.
- bareMinerals Original Mineral Veil: Delicate while highly effective setting powder.
- Urban Decay Cosmetics Eyeshadow Primer Potion: It applies easily and a little bit goes a long way.
- Buxom x Ash K Holm Hold The Line Waterproof Eyeliner – Call Me: The most richest blackest color.
- Buxom x Ash K Holm Lash Mascara – Blackest Black: I love the mascara wand because it grabs on to each eyelash giving it so much volume.
- Buxom x Ash K Holm Wanderlust Primer-Infused Blush – Seychelles: For such a subtle color it sure packs a lot of color. I love it!
- Buxom x Ash K Holm Plump Shot Collagen-Infused Lip Serum: No filler needed and gives your lips a sexy pout.
- Buxom x Ash K Holm Full Force Plumping Lipstick – Supermodel: Super hydrating and pigmented. Feels so amazing on!
- Buxom x Ash K Holm PowerLine Plumping Lip Liner – Hush Hush Henna: The perfect nude lip liner with a mauve hue.
- SHADES BY SHAN The Setting Spray: One of the best setting sprays I have used. It is water-based, alcohol-free formula is infused with Hyaluronic Acid, Niacinamide, & Ginseng Extract to visibly minimize pores and leave a soft-focus finish.
- L’Oreal Elvive Dream Lengths Heat Slayer Pre-Iron Spray: Preparing and protecting your strands before heat is an absolute must.
- Hot Tools Pro 24K Gold Jumbo Curling Iron: I love the 2 inch curling barrel for big loose curls.
- ColorWOW Hair Extra Mist-ical Shine Spray: It isn’t sticky and leaves the hair looking so shiny and soft.
- Laura Mercier Amber Vanille Eau de Toilette: This scent I am obsessed with and has my husband mesmerized.
- Red Lace Blouse (similar): The combination of red and beautiful lace is absolutely sexy.
- Rhinestone Pearl Chandelier Earrings (similar): I love making a statement with earrings.
For this makeup look I am only going to focus on the lips! This lip gloss from Laura Mercier is quite remarkable. I can’t believe it made my lips look so good without any lipstick or lip plumpers. It glides on well and has some shimmer that makes it so pretty. This duo called Heart of Glace is just perfection!
Housed in a beautifully dressed gift box, this glossy Lip Glace Duo delivers high-shine, glossy, pigmented lips in just one application.
Available in Sugar Plum and new shade Starlight, you can ensure your lips are the icing on the cake this festive season. Sugar Plum is a warm plum shade shot through with a shimmering note of golden pearl, while Starlight gilds lips in a sheer, glossy iridescence.
Purchase from Sephora. Purchase from Laura Mercier.
Wishing all of you a Happy New Year! Thank you so much for following my journey and visiting my blog. See you in the next blog post. xo
