As winter in Cleveland continues to rear its cold and snowy head, there are few products in my beauty arsenal I like to use to keep from turning into a scaly lizard. Without further ado, here is my list of favorite winter beauty products:
Caudalie Instant Foaming Cleanser - This lightweight foaming cleanser smells great, is free of sulfates and parabens and deep cleans without drying or stripping the skin. One pump is all I need to clean my entire face. Available at sephora.com 5 oz. - $26
Olay Regenerist Deep Hydration Regenerating Cream - Super moisturizing and one of the only facial creams I have found that keeps away the dry patches I get on my cheeks in the wintertime. The texture of my skin seems better, too. There's no SPF but I wear a powder foundation with an SPF so I feel like I have ample coverage for the winter sun. Available at most retail and drug stores. 1.7 oz $15-20
Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner - Hands down my favorite make-up find of the year! I first saw Bobbi Brown selling this eyeliner last winter on QVC and decided to give it a try. It was love at first brush stroke*. My eyes water non-stop during the winter and once this gel eyeliner sets, it doesn't smudge, smear, or run. It looks great by itself, paired with a neutral lid or used to help build a smoky eye. Available in 16 different colors at bobbibrowncosmetics.com .1 oz $21
*Speaking of brushes, I use an angled eyeliner brush with my gel eyeliner. I've found the angled brush allows a greater amount of precision; I can make a thick or thin line with just a slight change in the angle of the brush itself. I use the Sonia Kashuk Bent Eyeliner Brush, $5.99 at Target.
Nars "I Want You" Lipgloss Set - I absolutely love Nars lipgloss! It's lightweight, long-lasting, has no taste or smell (I hate lipgloss that has artificial flavor added to it...) and comes in a variety of flattering colors. Most make-up/lipgloss junkies probably have a tube of Orgasm lipgloss or blush in their beauty box (I know I do!).
This collection of 5 mini-glosses, exclusive to Sephora, includes great colors (including Orgasm) and is also a bargain, considering a full-size lipgloss is $24. My new favorite color is Greek Holiday, a shimmery, shear peachy color. Available exclusively at sephora.com $45
Palladio Mosaics Bronzer in Sunkissed - I'm not someone who goes tanning in the winter, so it's nice to have a bronzer to create a nice, natural sun-kissed glow, that's not shimmery. There are a variety of mosaics and each one has 5 hues combined into one kit. I sweep a bronzer brush over the Sunkissed mosaic and lightly build up the color where the sun would - forehead, nose, cheeks, and chin. Available at Ulta $10
Body Shop Aloe Body Butter - I started using the Body Shop's Body Butters when I worked there as a sales associate. Before that, I had desperately searched for a lotion that would truly moisturize my dry, chapped skin in the winter and never had any luck. Using Body Butter for the first time was a like a gift from the beauty product gods. All Body Butters contain shea butter and cocoa seed butter. Best of all, these body butters contain NO mineral oil or petrolatum, two petrochemical ingredients I refuse to put anywhere near my skin.
I particularly like the Aloe Body Butter as it has no smell, so it doesn't clash with perfume. Other body butters include coconut, mango, cocoa butter, and brazil nut, to name a few. Unfortunately, we no longer have any Body Shop stores in Northeast Ohio but all Body Shop products are available from thebodyshop-usa.com 6.8 oz $20
LUSH Dream Cream - Another favorite body lotion that also is super moisturizing and smells good, too. The base of this body cream is oat milk, which is very soothing to sensitive skin. It also contains tea tree, chamomile, olive oil and lots more. And again, NO mineal oil or petrolatum. Available at LUSH stores or lushusa.com 8.4 oz $22.55
