Winter Favorites

I've been dealing with some freak breakouts and plenty of dryness this past winter, not to mention odd shifts at a very dirty workplace that necessitates endless hand washing. Hence, most of my makeup looks have revolved around getting my glow back without using particularly obtrusive cosmetics. I've also rediscovered some old loves and stumbled across some fantastic new products!

One of those new products is CoverGirl Clump Crusher mascara ($7, drugstores). I continue to be stunned by how much volume and separation this mascara provides; it's definitely one of my new favorite mascaras! I also fell in love with the MAC Lustre Drops in Pink Rebel ($19.50, MAC, limited edition). I thought these would be too dark and too bronze for my uber-pale skin, but they actually make a fantastic highlight over my neutral and warm blushes. I can mix a drop in to more matte foundations to soften up the finish.

A lovely MakeupAlley user was kind enough to send me a Lipstick Queen Jean Queen lipstick ($18, Nordstrom), and it almost immediately became my Holy Grail "everyday pink" color. Other pieces of MUA swap perfection: the Shu Uemura Hard 9 Formula brow pencil in Seal Brown ($23, ShuUemura.com), which I just wrote a straight-out rave for, and the L'occitane Hand Cream ($10, Nordstrom), which saves my constantly-washed hands from cracking at work.

I've rediscovered great products like the Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Primer ($42, Nordstrom), which really does make all of my foundations look far more natural and glide on like a dream. Another fantastic primer is my Elizabeth Arden Lip Fix ($21.50, ElizabethArden.com), which helps hold my bold lipsticks in place. Makeup Forever Uplights ($29, Sephora) are some of the most underrated highlighters out there! A little of this soft, super-blendable gel formula goes a very long way. (The shade shown here is #11, a very natural and dewy highlight with hints of pink.) And last, but most certainly not least, I've rediscovered my love for Cargo Catalina powder blush ($30, DermStore.com). Talk about a product that doesn't get the love it deserves! I don't care for most powder blushes on my skin, but Cargo's formula is GLORIOUS: soft, but not powdery; pigmented, but blendable; comfortable, but long-lasting. Catalina in particular is a bright, pastel pink that's perfect for fair skin tones.