In My Makeup Bag | December

Even though I roll out of bed at the last second possible and slap on my everyday face at my desk when I get to work, I've still been making a bit of an effort in the makeup department. I know I don't need to wear makeup, and I'm not expected to, but it just makes me feel more pulled together and ready for the day. Since I think I'll always be an everyday-makeup-wearer, I thought I'd take my November Makeup Bag post from last month and turn it into a monthly thing. I keep my everyday products in a Glossier pink pouch that I carry around with me, and I like to make sure I switch out the products every so often to get good use out of my collection.

This month, I'll be doing a lot of mixing. As much as I love a perfect standalone product, I also really enjoy mixing my products together to get a customized finish that's perfect for me. Lately I've been needing a bit more coverage, so I've been taking the IT Cosmetics CC+ Cream and mixing it with a bit of the Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint. It still has the coverage of the CC Cream (which is insane for a CC cream by the way - definitely try it out if you haven't), but the Skin Tint makes it look more natural and give it a lot more glow. I've been doing the same thing with concealer - mixing something with coverage and staying power with something with glow. Amelia mentioned mixing the Glossier Stretch Concealer and the NARS Soft Matte Complete Concealer the other day, and I tried it right away and am officially hooked. It's going to be my go-to concealer pick of the month, I'm sure of it. Both concealers look quite natural on the skin as it is, and mixing them creates the perfect finish.

My brows seem to be in a pretty wolf-like period, so I've only been brushing through them with some Boy Brow in Brown in the mornings. It's just enough definition, but if I have any sparse areas showing through, I'll go in with a little bit of the Milk Makeup Gel Brow in Pilsner. I don't need my brows super defined at the moment, because eyeshadow has been as simple as possible lately. I'm back on that sheer-wash shadow train, and the new Natasha Denona Chroma Crystal Top Coats are the most perfect product for this. They're a bit squishy in the pot, and they feel a little like the Chanel Illusion D'Ombres. I have the shade Grey Brown, and it's perfectly sheer and shimmery. This shade in particular goes beautifully over top of Burberry Pale Barley (shown here), but it's also great on its own. I officially need every color. If I want something a little more sheen-y and less sparkly, I've been going for the MAC Eyeshadow in All That Glitters. It's the perfect peachy pink color to brighten up the eyes. I've got a new mascara love this month, too, in the Lancome Monsieur Big Mascara. After using sample after sample of this, I finally bit the bullet and bought it with my Sephora coupon. I like that one coat beautifully separates and defines the lashes, but it builds up to a more dramatic effect without ever getting clumpy or spidery. 

As for cheeks, I'm going in with a bit more powders than usual. I've been absolutely obsessed with the lilah b. Bronzed Beauty Bronzer Duo, and I've even got my sister hooked on it, too. It has such a nice formula that builds up to the exact intensity you want. The color is perfect, too (and I've heard mixing them together makes it a dupe for the limited edition Marc Jacobs Coconut Bronzer). For blush I'm still using the Glossier Cloud Paints - I just can't bring myself to use anything else. I keep all four in my bag to have my bases covered for whatever mood strikes, but right now I'm really feeling the mixture of Puff and Dusk. It makes the most perfect neutral pink, like Charlotte Tilbury First Love or Tarte Exposed in cream form. Shock Horror, I've been using something other than Glossier Haloscope for my highlight. My sister was raving about her Hourglass Ambient Metallic Strobe Lighting Palette (review) at Thanksgiving, and it made me really want to reach for mine. I've been hooked since - I mix together the pink and gold shades for my perfect champagne highlight. 

On an everyday basis, I always keep my lips on the neutral side (if I'm wearing anything other than lip balm), and I'm still hooked on the NARS Powermatte Lip Pigments smudged into some Balm Dotcom. Last month I was all about Save the Queen, but this month I know I'm going to be reaching for American Woman religiously. It's a rosy brown shade that matches the blush mixture I mentioned above perfectly when blended out. I hope you're not sick of me raving about these yet, because I don't think I'm going to stop soon. Outside of work, I've been working on using more of my bolder lip products and getting more comfortable wearing them out and about. Seeing as it's almost Christmas (!!!!), I know I'm going to be rocking a red lip a lot this month, and I don't want to reach for anything other than the Fenty Beauty Stunna Lip Paint in Uncensored. I was skeptical about one red for everyone, but it truly looks amazing on everyone I've seen wear it. On me, it's the perfect slightly cool-toned red (I'm wearing it in the selfie I linked above with the eyeshadows). It has a super comfortable formula (you almost can't feel it!) that doesn't feel dry or crackly at all. It does transfer a bit if anything touches your lips, but it still holds up extremely well through eating and drinking. I hope she makes more shades in this formula, because right now it's almost topping the NARS ones as my favorite!

What makeup will you be reaching for this month?

This post contains affiliate links.

---

The New Solution to Redness | Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Collection

Although I've been battling with quite a few spots since the summer, my main skin concern always remains redness. I have a tendency to go quite red throughout the day, mostly through the center of my face. Mix that with my nose's inability to hold onto makeup for a full day and I've got "Rudolph" comments galore. Dr. Jart+ first debuted their Cicapair cream and color corrector a few months ago as redness solutions, and now they've added a few more products to the collection. I was lucky enough to be sent three of the products, and I was loving them so much I went out and bought the one missing product (the aforementioned cream) for a full review of the line.

The idea behind the Cicapair line is that it's formulated with Tiger Grass, or Centella Asiatica, a plant that has been recognized for its healing properties for centuries. The line was inspired by the legend of tigers rolling around in the tiger grass to help heal their battle wounds. It is known to help inflammation, redness, and blemishes. In addition to the Tiger Grass, these products also contain an Herb Complex made up of Houttuynia Cordata and Yarrow to support the skin's barrier as well as their Minerals Solution Botanic Complex (Sodium, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, and Osmopur) to soothe skin and restore moisture levels.

Cicapair Tiger Grass Cream | One of the original products in the line, I tried a sample of this back when it was released in the spring and was immediately hooked on its healing properties. I'm almost always battling some kind of allergic reaction to lip balms, and at the time this totally healed it. Fast forward to now when I've finally bought myself a full tube. I've been slathering this on every night to soothe my super irritated, dry skin (winter is coming). It's a thick, almost balmy texture that feels quite medicinal on the skin. Despite feeling so thick out of the tube it doesn't feel heavy on the skin or break me out. I've noticed this keeps my skin much more hydrated throughout the night, and I wake up with less redness.

Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment SPF 30* | This was the other original product from the line. It starts out green and transforms to a beige color as you rub it into your skin. It isn't moisturizing enough to use on its own - I use it over my moisturizer in the morning. It not only cancels out redness and covers up blemishes, but it also forms an effective barrier throughout the day - the description on Sephora mentions it protecting your skin from dust specifically, and as someone who works in a cement lab where there's nothing but dust day after day (seriously it's The Grapes of Wrath up in here), that claim is 100% true. I used to be washing so much dust and dirt off my face at the end of the day, but now I'm just washing off this product. It makes my skin look so nice throughout the day and has a nice satin finish - it isn't greasy at all. My sister, who has oily skin, also loves it. She sets hers with a little bit of powder, and she says she gets the perfect amount of dewiness after about three hours, and her oiliness doesn't progress from there. She's the biggest foundation junkie I know, and she hasn't worn anything since she's bought this.

Cicapair Tiger Grass Re.Pair Serum* | This might just be my favorite from the collection. Housed in the best bottle for a serum ever (a button pops up as you unscrew the top, automatically filling the dropper with the perfect amount of product for you), this serum has wowed me from first use. Like the rest of the line, it also uses the centella asiatica to soothe and heal redness and inflamed skin. And it might just be the most effective of all of them. I've been experiencing a few breakouts here and there for a few months - nothing out of control, but they were all under-the-skin spots that would last months and months. When I first received the Cicapair Serum, I added it into my current skincare routine (I mixed it in with my usual serums), and the spots I had disappeared in two days. I was blown away. Like the other products in the line, This has also greatly helped with my redness. It's so easy to use day or night, as it's just a lightweight, hydrating serum, so I'm already almost halfway through the bottle! I'll be repurchasing for sure. 

Cicapair Tiger Grass Nightly Re.Pair Mask* | I just recently mentioned this in my Winter Masks post. This feels quite similar to the cream, but with a little bit more of a balm consistency. It feels quite thick at first, but it smooths over the skin effortlessly and sinks in over the course of the night. It does feel a little tacky at first, but I just give it a good half hour before I go to bed, and I don't have any issues sticking to my pillows or anything. I like that I can still feel it on my skin in the morning because I know my skin hasn't dried out overnight. I also think it's genius to package it in individual packets - not only will they be perfect for traveling, but they also each contain the perfect amount of mask for one use. I tend to be a bit stingy with masks, but when it's like this I know I'm using the correct amount to get the maximum benefits. I can't believe how plump and fresh my skin feels the morning after using this. I'm tempted to use it every single night, but I'm trying to stretch it a bit.

Have you tried any of the Dr. Jart+ Cicapair line?

Products marked with an asterisk (*) have been sent to me for consideration, but all opinions are my own. This post is not sponsored. Please see my disclaimer for more information. This post contains affiliate links.

---

Four Winter Masks

I know that winter hasn't technically arrived, but my skin sure thinks it has. I've had to double down and really amp up my moisturization game to keep it from drying out and shriveling up. I've found myself going back to four masks in my collection over and over to help repair, soothe, and maintain my skin's moisture levels.

Perricone MD Cocoa Moisture Mask* | First things first, I love this mask the most in winter because it smells like hot chocolate. But other than that, it's a beautifully moisturizing mask that leaves the skin super smooth and pillowy. This is one I love to use when my skin is so dry that I get flaky patches - this is one of the only masks I have that will get rid of the flakes and then keep them at bay. It has cocoa microcapsules that burst as you massage in the mask, changing the color from an off-white to a deep brown. I love this visual cue that you're ready to sit and relax, and the extra facial massage is great, too.

Glossier Moisturizing Moon Mask | This is the one I go to when I need an instant hit of moisture and radiance. I've mentioned my love of the Moon Mask a million times before, so I'll keep it brief, but my skin just drinks this stuff up. My favorite time to use it is on a cozy weekend morning - I like to apply a thin-ish layer and let it sit for hours while I do things around the house. Once I wash it off, my skin is so plump and absolutely glowing. I love that it not only contains super moisturizing ingredients like squalane, sweet almond oil, and honey, but also brightening ingredients like licorice root and lemon extracts.

Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Nightly Re.Pair Mask* | This is the newest addition to my collection of masks, and I'm already really seeing benefits from it. This mask is packaged in a set of 30 individual packets that you're meant to use every night as the last step of your skincare routine, but I tend to skip a night or two just to stretch them a bit. The packets contain the perfect amount of product for one use (at least for my big head), so I like that I'm not having to leave open packets around to collect bacteria. It has a thick, balmy texture that I can still feel on my skin come morning - I've been going through a phase of just swiping my skin with toner in the morning, but after I use this mask I definitely need to wash it to get the mask off. I like that it sticks around all night to moisturize and soothe my skin. It feels incredibly healing from the get-go, and it will for sure be the perfect product to soothe wind-burned skin once it gets even colder.

Laneige Water Sleeping Mask | When I'm not using the Cicapair mask, I've been slapping on the cult favorite Water Sleeping Mask by Laneige as the last step of my skincare routine before bed. This is insanely hydrating despite feeling super lightweight. I wake up to smooth, fully hydrated skin that's not greasy or filmy. This is always the one I turn to if my skin is feeling dehydrated - it sorts that out right away. It's super cooling and refreshing on the skin, too, so it's the perfect last step after massaging all my other products into my skin. This is one I'll definitely go and repurchase once I run out - it's become an everyday staple!

What masks will be your go-to's this winter?

*Products mentioned have been sent to me for consideration, but all opinions are my own. Please see my disclaimer for more information. This post contains affiliate links.

---