With Love From Lanie: January Favorites

One thing I'm going to try and do for the new year is a favorites post for each month.

It will contain beauty supplies, activities, and sometimes just random things that I feel like throwing in.

If there's anything you'd like me to include or do as a blog post please let me know!

I actually picked up this shampoo and conditioner because it was on clearance at CVS and I was running out.

I'm always switching up my shampoos because I like to try different products and see how they work in my hair.

Honestly I wasn't sure about this at first. I'm not a huge grapefruit fan and I wasn't sure I was going to like the smell. Also, the first time I used it, the shampoo felt like it stripped my hair of all things good and left it feeling "streaky" and the conditioner didn't feel like it was doing any conditioning whatsoever. I had to remind myself that this was first almost all natural product I've ever used in my hair and that I needed to give it some time.

The grapefruit smell is not overwhelming like I thought it would be. After all is said and done, and my hair is completely dry, it's the softest I've ever felt my hair. It's also extremely shiny (like it says on the bottles) and the smell is refreshing.

Highly recommended.

Winter Candy Apple anything? Yes, please!

Much to my dismay, this is only a seasonal product that Bath and Body Works offers. It's my favorite!

Everytime this comes out I have to stock up on it to make sure it lasts me the year. This year howoever, I didn't make it to stock up and I'm not sure they still have it in the stores. Good thing my mom bought me some for Christmas.

You really can't go wrong with anything from B&BW.

Burberry perfume.

If this one has a specific smell I'm not sure what it is. I got it as a gift from a lady I work with, and I was pretty excited because this is a really expensive perfume. It's got a nice smell, it reminds me of Twilight Woods from bath and body works, but it doesn't have as much of an "amber" smell to it.

This is my favorite toothpaste ever. I've tried others and they just don't compare. It's funny because I'm really not trying to whiten my teeth. I was just looking for a toothpaste that was going to leave my mouth tingly and fresh. Also, another requirement is that it's not overly minty. It's perfect. The fact that it whitens your teeth is just an added bonus.

Kiss your acne goodbye! This is the ONLY thing that I've found that works. It's a little on the expensive side, but when you're searching and searching for a long time for something that will help you, it's totally worth it.

The first time I used this I actually used the acne formula. After a week or two my skin was on the mend. By the time I ran out of it my skin had cleared up dramatically. Unfortunately, because of the cost, I didn't buy more and I used other things available at drug stores.Thankfully my skin remained clear while using those products.Once I was able to get the money together for more, I had a clinique skin specialist get a program together for me at Macys and this is what she came up with. It's great! The only thing that's a downfall with this set for me is the moisturizer. It does the revers of clearing up my skin. I think it's too thick and clogs my pores. I use a different moisturizer by them and it's much better, not greasy, and it doesn't make me break out.

This is a wonderful product. You apply it after your moisturizer and before your foundation. It helps minimize your pores and makes your makeup last longer and helps prevent creasing of your eye shadow, especially if you're using a cream eye shadow.

This goes perfectly well with the primer mentioned above. They both came out at the same time. This goes on so smooth and it is soft and blends so well. It's a mousse foundation. It can easily be applied with fingers or a sponge. I use my fingers and then dab it on my face and blend in with a makeup sponge. When I initially bought it I though the color was too dark, but then read reviews that most people bought it and found the same thing. It's not too dark once it's blended in. It's got good coverage. I wouldn't say it's full coverage but I suppose that depends on how much you use. You could easily layer this foundation before getting that cakey look.

Perfectly peach. Plain and simple. Enough color to give you that flushed look and it's totally matte. No shimmer, no sparkle, no nothing. It's good for that simple look, or it you're using a more dramatic look for your eyes. I use it for a totally neutral look on my face.

I use both of these together. Yes, one is purple and one is brown, let me explain.

I suffer from the horrible addiction of Pinterest. One night, after perusing the hair and beauty section, I came across a perfectly simple, neutral, classic, almost pinup girl like makeup. I figured I would try and recreate the look and I used these quads. They're available from any drugstore so anyone can purchase them without paying an arm and a leg. I use the white from the purple quad, for my lid color, and the dark brown from the brown quad for a crease color. I'll do a tutorial on the look that I do.

Long, thick, lashes. If that's something you're going for then this is for you. It's affordable, easily accessible and it works. Plain and simple. It's by far one of my favorite mascaras.

Nude lips. They're in this spring season and I'm finding that I'm really drawn to the look. I think I prefer a nude lip but I'm not afraid to experiment with color.

On to something not beauty related:

I've been drinking water like it's going out of style. It's great for your skin. If you suffer from dry skin, hydrate!

I bought this coffee creamer on a whim. They were on sale 2 for $4 and I couldn't pass it up. I always drink my coffee with creamer, Brian on the other hand, drinks his black. With this in the house his coffee didn't stay black for long.