Hello and hola, this month's favorites are racking up frequent flier miles because they are from all over the world! If you are a dedicated reader (Hi, Mom!) you may notice that this format is a tad different than past favorites posts because these items are all things I have loved this month, while in the past I had some variety with my 'rave', 'read', 'random', 'reject' and other 'r' descriptive words. But hey, lets switch it up a bit!
While traveling and in life, I forget things. This time round I forgot to bring face wash on our trip to Europe... oops. When we were leaving London we needed to get rid of some UK pounds, so Mom ran into a Boots store in Kings Cross and bought this face wash pretty much at random. It smells like grapefruit and peaches, and helps to wake me up in the morning but is still hydrating and takes makeup off! It might be hard to come by, but Soap & Glory has proved itself again as a solid brand for everything skincare, makeup, and lotion with a twist of fun.
This stuff lives up to its name, because it seriously must have some magic potion ingredients. It's amazing. It makes my eyeshadow go on with a stronger color pigment, and it really does stay all day!! I am a proud addict, and don't know how I lived without this before. I could go on but it would just be more excited rambling, so basically: this is a great investment, lasts a long time, isn't sticky, has no scent, and works wonders- especially for anyone whose makeup tends to smear throughout the day.
I have had my eye on this beauty for a while, but couldn't justify getting it for myself. Thats what friends are for! Liv got me this amazing eyeshadow palette for Christmas, and I seriously haven't wanted to use another one since. The variety of colors, the even spread of mattes and sparkle colors, and the pigment quality is just...wow. My daily eyeshadow routine: base of 'LT Pink', under the brow highlight in 'Cream' or 'White', crease shading with 'Taupe' or 'Mauve' (probably my favorite in the whole palette), and a pop of shine in the inner corner with 'Nude'. I love them all! In my opinion, this palette is superior to the Urban Decay Naked Palettes (gasp), and is a better value at $42 for 16 colors versus $54 for 12 shades.
I love this stuff. It is a beauty/backstage cult favorite, and it is amazing. It smells like roses and gives a nice shine, but isn't sticky or overpowering in any way. The formula is great all formats, but I love the convenience of the tube especially for traveling. It's a bit pricey at $6 for a lip-balm, but it technically is multipurpose and can be used for dry skin, cuticles, and even heals irritation on the skin from a rash or burn. Well worth the price tag!
Boscia is an all around reliable and great brand for anyone with sensitive skin or anyone who is looking for high quality products with delicious scents. This product works really well for targeting problem areas without over drying or irritating the skin, and blends in nicely so makeup can go seamlessly on top! The tube has a 'click to release' system, so be careful when applying that you don't click one to many times and get too much product! Most Boscia products are on the higher price range, but this spot treatment lasts a long time and is seriously high quality.
This planner is a tease favorite, because unless you are in London there is no way to purchase this exact version online but it was just too cute so I had to show it off. The outside of this planner is made of cloth in one of Liberty's famous flower prints and gold leaf is stamped on the outside of every page and on the front of the book itself. Precious. Liberty, built in 1924 from the tiber of two ships with dark wood and classic British decorations lining each floor and stairwell, is one of the coolest and most expensive department stores I have ever been in. You could tell it was still the '
wonderful emporium where the latest fashions sit alongside design classics' as it was built to be, and Mom wanted to find the perfect thing to help me remember the trip- and this is just the ticket. I love the design of the calendar and weekly planner inside, and the outside flowers and gold details make it girly and beautiful without being obnoxious.
Tea is quintessentially British, and has been a constant companion and obsession of mine for years. I have tea almost every day, so I couldn't resist picking some up while we were in London. Earl Grey for the morning, mint tea for after dinner movie time, and this lemon ginger tea for practically anytime. The ginger gives it a nice zing, and helps to wake me up without any caffeine or added sugars. Especially after a heavy meal, dairy, or a strange Spanish meal, this tea helps to calm my stomach and soothe any unwanted food side effects. I don't have the original packaging, so I have started storing my tea bags in empty glass jars and I think they look really cute on my desk and don't create any extra waste! Twinings is a bargain worthy brand, and creates quality tea that is available almost anywhere...except Spain.
When I arrived in Spain, my skin started to act real funky. It was probably stressed out just like me and adjusting to the new environment, food, and weather was a bit much for my pobre piel to handle. When I mentioned this to Pilar (my señora/host Mom who has a homeopathic cure for everything) she told me the solution was jojoba oil, and let me borrow hers. I have since invested in my own, and I'm hooked. It reminds me of BioOil which I also love, but it is unscented, completely natural, and has a myriad of uses. Some include a daily skin moisturizer, makeup remover, and hair conditioning treatment. A complete list of uses and a link to buy it can be found
here.
With love and favoritos,
Sarah Belle
