MY JANUARY BEAUTY FAVORITES
MY JANUARY BEAUTY FAVORITES
I am super excited to post my first ever “beauty favorites” blog! And since this homeschool mama’s new to this, I’m going to keep it basic and simplistic.
Let’s start off with skincare because I am Korean and good skincare for Asian women is as basic as water and sunlight (pssst… if you want to un-age like an Asian or a vampire, then you must stay outta the sun like an Asian vampire. At the very least, slather on the sunscreen and cover up. Trust me, your less-wrinkly older self will thank you.) Links are down below for products mentioned in this post.
I discovered this a couple of summers ago on one of my many beauty quests to Ulta and both my daughter and I've been using it daily ever since. It's Soap & Glory's 3-in-1 Daily Detox Vitamin C Facial Wash. It is gentle enough to use every day and it wakes up my skin and gives it an amazingly clean, soothing, and refreshing glow. Honestly, my skin craves it the way my mind craves that first cup of morning coffee. No joke. It is that good. The scent is a bit stronger than I am used to but not overpowering. It has a fruity, citrusy fragrance and it smells very fresh and clean. You can pick it up at Ulta, Target, or amazon.
My next favorite skincare/makeup is a Correcting Primer by PUR. I am not a fan of silicone primers (they feel heavy and leave a residue-like texture on top of my skin). PUR's primer is both silicone-free and oil-free and it absorbs into my very dry winter skin and leaves it super hydrated. Also, I got the green tube because I have some red and pink splotchiness on my cheeks and the green tint helps to reduce that. I also use a miracle redness corrector that makes the redness vanish completely and smooths out my skin flawlessly but more on that in another favorites blog.
Now we're getting into the fun toys - mascara and lipstick!
I rarely go anywhere without mascara. The only place I go to consistently, without mascara, is to bed. Other than that, if I'm leaving the house then I'm probably rocking mascara. My eyelashes are short, sparse, and stick straight out - no curl, no volume. Over the years, since my teens, I have experimented with just about every reasonably priced and some outrageously priced mascara on the market. My absolute, hands-down favorite lately is the Covergirl Plumpify blastPRO Waterproof in Very Black. It thickens my sparse lashes nicely and separates them without getting clumpy and if you "swoop" outwards and up at the edge of your lashes, it helps give you a gorgeous cat eye effect with little effort, easy-peasy. And lastly, as a mom of 6, I love the affordable price at around $9. The non-waterproof version glides on smoother and is easier to get off at the end of the day but I tend to cry, yawn, or get caught in the rain whenever I'm wearing non-waterproof so I've learned to stick with the bulletproof (I mean "waterproof") versions. Anyway, there's a great eye makeup remover that erases all traces of hard to remove mascara without tugging at the sensitive and delicate skin around your eyes.
When it comes to everyday lips, I prefer a well pigmented gloss such as NYX Professional Makeup Mega Shine Lip Gloss. Lipsticks are too high-maintenance for all-day, everyday wear. The only times I really look in the mirror are first thing in the morning and during my bedtime routine because the day in-between is full to the brim with homeschooling, toddler duty, mom duty, and everything else duty that I don't really have time to adjust my lipstick. Also, lipsticks tend to dry out my lips as the day wears on. The NYX glosses are not as drying and still look flattering even as they fade, unlike most lipsticks. A tube lasts a long time and the shine is subtle yet sparkly and not greasy or sticky. There's a good variety of shades to choose from and again, budget friendly for a large family mama. I usually keep two or three duplicates of my favorite colors - one for the diaper bag, one for my makeup box, and one for the car. After all, I may have a lot of kids and a full plate but that doesn't mean I have to look like a hot mess. It's way more fun to look your best.
And last but not least, this unglamorous but very necessary favorite in my first beauty favorites review is the Ardell Touch of Color hair wand. I'll be turning 46 this year and the gray hairs are marching at a faster pace these days. As you can imagine, I don't get to the salon very often so I prefer to do minor touch-ups at home. It's a quick 60 seconds of brushing it on at the roots with the mascara-like wand and off I go. I love it.
So those are my picks, tips, and beauty favs for the month of January. What are your favorites that you just can’t live without during the cold winter months? I’d love to know.
Let’s start off with skincare because I am Korean and good skincare for Asian women is as basic as water and sunlight (pssst… if you want to un-age like an Asian or a vampire, then you must stay outta the sun like an Asian vampire. At the very least, slather on the sunscreen and cover up. Trust me, your less-wrinkly older self will thank you.) Links are down below for products mentioned in this post.
I discovered this a couple of summers ago on one of my many beauty quests to Ulta and both my daughter and I've been using it daily ever since. It's Soap & Glory's 3-in-1 Daily Detox Vitamin C Facial Wash. It is gentle enough to use every day and it wakes up my skin and gives it an amazingly clean, soothing, and refreshing glow. Honestly, my skin craves it the way my mind craves that first cup of morning coffee. No joke. It is that good. The scent is a bit stronger than I am used to but not overpowering. It has a fruity, citrusy fragrance and it smells very fresh and clean. You can pick it up at Ulta, Target, or amazon.
My next favorite skincare/makeup is a Correcting Primer by PUR. I am not a fan of silicone primers (they feel heavy and leave a residue-like texture on top of my skin). PUR's primer is both silicone-free and oil-free and it absorbs into my very dry winter skin and leaves it super hydrated. Also, I got the green tube because I have some red and pink splotchiness on my cheeks and the green tint helps to reduce that. I also use a miracle redness corrector that makes the redness vanish completely and smooths out my skin flawlessly but more on that in another favorites blog.
Now we're getting into the fun toys - mascara and lipstick!
I rarely go anywhere without mascara. The only place I go to consistently, without mascara, is to bed. Other than that, if I'm leaving the house then I'm probably rocking mascara. My eyelashes are short, sparse, and stick straight out - no curl, no volume. Over the years, since my teens, I have experimented with just about every reasonably priced and some outrageously priced mascara on the market. My absolute, hands-down favorite lately is the Covergirl Plumpify blastPRO Waterproof in Very Black. It thickens my sparse lashes nicely and separates them without getting clumpy and if you "swoop" outwards and up at the edge of your lashes, it helps give you a gorgeous cat eye effect with little effort, easy-peasy. And lastly, as a mom of 6, I love the affordable price at around $9. The non-waterproof version glides on smoother and is easier to get off at the end of the day but I tend to cry, yawn, or get caught in the rain whenever I'm wearing non-waterproof so I've learned to stick with the bulletproof (I mean "waterproof") versions. Anyway, there's a great eye makeup remover that erases all traces of hard to remove mascara without tugging at the sensitive and delicate skin around your eyes.
When it comes to everyday lips, I prefer a well pigmented gloss such as NYX Professional Makeup Mega Shine Lip Gloss. Lipsticks are too high-maintenance for all-day, everyday wear. The only times I really look in the mirror are first thing in the morning and during my bedtime routine because the day in-between is full to the brim with homeschooling, toddler duty, mom duty, and everything else duty that I don't really have time to adjust my lipstick. Also, lipsticks tend to dry out my lips as the day wears on. The NYX glosses are not as drying and still look flattering even as they fade, unlike most lipsticks. A tube lasts a long time and the shine is subtle yet sparkly and not greasy or sticky. There's a good variety of shades to choose from and again, budget friendly for a large family mama. I usually keep two or three duplicates of my favorite colors - one for the diaper bag, one for my makeup box, and one for the car. After all, I may have a lot of kids and a full plate but that doesn't mean I have to look like a hot mess. It's way more fun to look your best.
And last but not least, this unglamorous but very necessary favorite in my first beauty favorites review is the Ardell Touch of Color hair wand. I'll be turning 46 this year and the gray hairs are marching at a faster pace these days. As you can imagine, I don't get to the salon very often so I prefer to do minor touch-ups at home. It's a quick 60 seconds of brushing it on at the roots with the mascara-like wand and off I go. I love it.
So those are my picks, tips, and beauty favs for the month of January. What are your favorites that you just can’t live without during the cold winter months? I’d love to know.
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