Five Faves: Winter Beauty Edition

Ah, winter. That lovely time of year in which our skin becomes dry, our hair static filled and our warm weather complexion is replaced with a ghostly pallor. Assuming I'm not the only one plagued by the winter beauty blahs, I have for you Five Faves sure to perk up your pretty face.

Fave #1: Two-Faced Cosmetics Absolutely Invisible Candlelight Highlighter
This gorgeous pale gold-pink powder promises to bring the look of flattering candlelight to the face, and in my opinion, it delivers. Looking at photos from before I started using Candlelight and then after, my skin appears to be glowing and even, without looking pale or cakey. There is a slight shimmer to this highlighter, but it's SO subtle it's completely wearable as an everyday product. Though it retails for $27.00, I was able to purchase it on Ebay for about half the price and with free shipping- so it's definitely worth searching there first.

Fave #2: Freeman's Pineapple Facial Enzyme Mask
This budget friendly mask does wonders for the face. Concerned with some clogged pores and an overall tired look, I set out to find a gentle but exfoliating mask at a fair price and was very pleased with this super inexpensive powerhouse. For less than $2 (trial size, good for at least 3 uses) I was able to slough off the old and reveal the new skin beneath and everything I put on my face seemed to go on smoother after using this product even after just one use. Available at Wal-Mart ($1.87) in the cosmetics department or online, full sized for just $3.99 here.

Fave #3: Bath and Body Works Body Wash in Dark Kiss
Ok, so I know I said faves for your face, but I couldn't resist including this one body product, mainly because the smell is SO nice, that even my husband, who rarely comments on fragrances, came into the bathroom after I'd showered and said "Wow, what smells so good?" Since I already liked Bath & Body Works shower gels (despite having sensitive skin, their fragranced shower gels don't typically seem to irritate me) but this was a new scent to me, AND husband approved, I figured it was worth a share. The shower gel runs $10.50 at retail price, but with frequent in store sales, it's pretty rare to have to pay full price.

Fave #4: MAC Cosmetics Paint Pot in Bare Study
Ok, now I'm going to make a comment here, and I'm just going to say it ONE time, but for the record- I HATE that MAC is "MAC Cosmetics" because it's like saying you're going to the "ATM Machine"- the M stands for MACHINE so you don't have to say MACHINE twice. The C stands for COSMETICS- but anyway, I digress. Despite my dislike of their full company name (and website name!) I LOVE their products, and I'm sure this will not be the last you see of MAC products in my posts (Hi, I'm Natali, and I'm a MAC-a-holic). The MAC product I'm loving this winter is their Paint Pot (a creamy eyeshadow that doubles as a color enhancing eye shadow base) in the shade "Bare Study" - a shimmery pale pink that goes well under most lighter shadows, especially those with a little frost to them, or can be worn by itself. The great thing about Paint Pots (in any shade) is that when worn under eyeshadow, they really lock your pigment in place and your look stays all day. MAC Paint Pots run $17.50 (but will last a VERY long time) and are available at MAC stores/counters or online, here.

Fave #5: Urban Decay's NAKED2 Eyeshadow Palette
What can I say, I saved the best for last. This palette, the sequel to Urban Decay's extremely popular original NAKED palette, like it's predecessor, is filled with absolutely gorgeous, wearable colors that are truly universally flattering. Honestly, you can not go wrong with this palette- all of the colors compliment one another, are long wearing and highly pigmented. It's $50 price tag may seem a bit hefty, however, the NAKED palettes include 12 full-sized shadows, a full-sized dual ended brush with natural fibers, an eyeliner and trial sized lipgloss. If sold separately, at Urban Decay's regular retail prices, you're actually looking at a total of over $250! (Individual eye shadows alone retail for $17) After having owned the original NAKED palette for a year now, and having not even made much of a dent in the product, despite near daily use (thanks to the high level of pigmentation, you don't have to dig into the shadow to get a lot of color output), I feel confident I will get YEARS of use out of the two palettes and I think they are a GREAT buy. They're worth it. Honest. NAKED2 is currently out of stock, and at this time is only available directly through Urban Decay's website. To sign up for an email alert when additional product becomes available (this happened with the first palette as well, don't worry, they'll become available again soon) click here.