January 2013 Beauty Favorites

I won't really bore you this time with exclamations proclaiming my surprise at the passage of time ('My goodness, is it February already?!) because frankly, I've had enough of January. It's been cold, it's been grey, it's been tiring and confusing. I'm ready for a new month - not for Valentine's, though. But more on that later.

Anyway, largely due to my New Year's resolutions and the self-restraint versus beauty products I seem to dispose of presently, my beauty routine for January has been increasingly simplistic. Let's start with the skincare bits, since there's actually something to write about there.

I've been testing the Dermalogica Gentle Cream Exfoliant for a couple weeks now and every time I use it, I'm surprised by the results. It's a chemical exfoliant with two fruit enzymes (papain and bromelain, the former of which is derived from pineapples, yum... Anyway, I digress) and two hydroxy acids, a salicylic and a lactic. It's all suspended in a base of diatomaceous earth, giving it a texture highly reminiscent of a clay mask. And this is essentialy almost a marriage of a clay mask with an exfoliating mask - it gives me not only the instant brightening and smoothing effect but also seems to absorb the oils and slightly tighten the pores. It gets a big seal of approval from me.

The two other products, DDF Amplifying Elixir serum and Nuxe Reve de Miel lipbalm, are a bit more straightforward. The DDF Elixir is a very liquidy potion full of niacinamine, a miracle ingredient for a whole slew of skin conditions, including acne. I was using it in conjunction with CeraVe PM moisturizer when on holidays in Poland and for some reason, my skin was blissfully clear and less oily yet moisturized for at least two weeks. I will continue testing but I feel that niacinamine works well with my skin (if only it didn't smell very faintly of cigarette smoke!). Similarly, Nuxe Reve de Miel is a wonderful, wonderful lipbalm that feels very lush and conditioning before bedtime.

Onto the make-up: nothing terribly exciting here, I'm afraid. I've been liking my liquid foundation a bit more and the base of choice has been the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum (see the original review here). On my eyes, I've been very fond of a one eyeshadow look, and NARS Pro Prime Smudge-Proof eye base has been keeping my shadows looking perfect throughout the day. A good coat of mascara is a must for this shadow laziness, and my Laura Mercier Full Blown Volume Lash Building Mascara has been a pleasant surprise amid my mascara samples. I've enjoyed pairing the simple eye with a brighter cool pink cheek and lip, with La Femme Pink Flamingo and Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie keeping me company most days. Here's the look in action, with Inglot eyeshadow no. 153 on the eyes.

How did January treat you? Were you more adventurous or more basic with your look? Let me know in the comments!