Monthly favorites are some of my favorite Youtube videos, I look forward to seeing what products my favorite bloggers and Youtubers are using and loving each month. Its such a great way to get a reliable review of products you’ve been dying to try. So this month I decided to bring my monthly favorites back into rotation. And hopefully next month I can give it a little twist from my normal favorites.
I used to swear by the Too Faced Born This Way foundation, it has beautiful coverage and feels light on my skin. But last month I picked up the Studio Skin foundation by Smashbox and it has become my new favorite. The formula is so light and is medium to light coverage and builds so beautifully. Even on a bad skin day I can cover my spot and not feel cakey. They have some great colors and even with my more neutral skin I found a really great tone that’s great for when I’m tanned and when I’m not.
I’m a sucker for a really bold lip, from dark berries to bright pinks I love to dress up outfits with a great lip color. Recently I have been obsessed with the stylings of Danielle Bernstein and she is always rocking the most amazing nude lips. So recently the NYX Liquid Suede in Sandstorm and Lime Crime Buffy have been living in the bottom of my purse. I love how brown these nudes are and really give a cool edgy feel to any outfit.
I’ve mentioned before that I am in love with the Mr. Kate Beauty Marks, they were perfect for a summer day, festival look and I’ve been loving them to add a little sparkle this winter. This month Mr Kate decided to give these cuties a little update and bring them out in multi colors and I couldn’t be more in love. The dainty little dots were always my favorites and now they come in really fun colors. These are definitely going to continue to be a staple for me all year.
The weather in Central New York has been so incredibly unpredictable. Just last week it went from beautifully sunny one day to two days later we were struck with a snow storm and temperatures in the 20s. As I mentioned I have been living in my leggings outfits and they have been perfect for this yoyo weather. I have been loving my Lululemon leggings and duster sweater. It’s such a simple yet chic look.
As my new year resolution I wanted to try to live a healthier lifestyle, do things for myself, work out and eat more of a plant based diet. To help me with the diet portion of this resolution I picked up the Love and Lemons cookbook this month and have fallen in love with her recipes. We made the cauliflower tacos and I swear they tasted like the lightest fish tacos you could get on the beaches of California. I also made the chickpea salad, if you’re a tuna fish salad fan this is even better, and if you’re not a tuna fish salad fan this will knock your socks off. Her recipes are so simple with ingredients you probably already have floating around your kitchen, and the cookbook is even set up by main ingredient so if you’ve got a head of broccoli you have no idea what to do with you can flip to the section and create a delicious meal.
This month was quite exciting for me. Not only have I really been focusing on being healthy and building my blog but I also started a new job. I have been loving the growth opportunity I was given in a really small up and coming company. With my new start I decided to give my desk a little personality so I picked up a few pictures with Social Print Studio. They have all different types of prints, you can even print a photo on wood. I got their square prints to make a little collage on my cubical wall. They came out great and add so much character to my space.
Finally, with living a healthier lifestyle I have also been focused on being more intellectual as well. I started reading every night and listening to Podcasts. I have been really enjoying podcasts as a way to get my morning commute started. I really love ProBlogger, a podcast dedicated to blogging, how to grow your brand, your readership and gain exposure with brands. Darren really knows his stuff and has so much experience being a blogger and working with other bloggers it’s really exciting to hear his advice. Just for fun I’ve been listening to the Him & Her podcast. It’s the Skinny Confidential’s Lauryn Evarts and her husband talking to other Influencers about their journeys. Although Lauryn really isn’t my favorite person and she can definitely come off as rude in these podcasts the questions they ask their guests and the experiences their guest bring are really helpful if you’re an aspiring blogger or influencer. If you’re not into blogging there are some fantastic podcasts out there about all types of topics. I’ve been really loving learning new things or listening to other people’s opinions or stories. If you work a desk job Podcasts are a fabulous way to make the day go by and keep you thinking and exploring new ideas.
With next months favorites I want to start recording them and putting them on Youtube. Like I said these are my favorite videos and I really want to start getting a little more personal with my content. So I will be sharing the video and notes about each product with links to everything right here on The Dollface Diaries. I would really love some feedback, from all of you.