November is here, bringing snow and wind to Southcentral Alaska. (Seriously, it’s bitterly windy outside. I’m happy to be curled up with a glass of wine and the Internet.) Time for a quick rundown of the products I found myself turning to frequently during October:
1. Julep Facial for Hands Glycolic Hand Scrub
I got this gem in my first Julep Maven shipment last month and I am crazy about it. I don’t use it every time I wash my hands, but I do use it about once a day. What I love about it: Hours after I’ve scrubbed, I can still tell I’ve used it. Especially now that winter is officially here in Anchorage, I’m really impressed that I can scrub once with this in the morning and slap on a coat of moisturizer (my favorite is Bliss High Intensity Hand Cream, and I hoard the holiday scents), and hours later, my hands still feel noticeably smooth. Lately I’ve been feeling insecure about my hands (mostly when I’ve gone to photograph them for this blog), thinking they’ve been looking kind of dull and wrinkly. Maybe it’s just that they feel so great, but I’m kind of convinced this scrub has left my hands looking better, too — brighter and smoother. At $32, the price is a bit steep, but I think it’s worth every penny.
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2. Physician’s Formula Shimmer Strips Eye Enhancing Gel Liner
I mentioned the Physician’s Formula gel liners in my post about a disappointing Ulta brand gel liner experience. I have two sets of these liners now, for brown eyes (brown, violet and black with violet shimmer) and for green eyes (green, violet and black with green shimmer). Don’t let the word “shimmer” scare you off. These are not glitter eyeliners. The shimmer in the black liners is barely noticeable — not noticeable at all if, like me, you use them to line your upper waterline. Like any good gel liner, they last a long time and are very easy to work with, just as striking as a liquid liner but much more forgiving. And the brush that comes with each set is actually very functional, which isn’t something that can be said about too many drugstore eye products. Plus, at just under $11 for three shades, you’re not going to find a better deal around, particularly for this quality.
3. L’Occitane en Provence Limited Edition Desert Rose Ultra Rich Body Cream
My husband brought this back for me from a trip to Chicago and I love it. It’s 25 percent shea butter, so it’s super creamy and moisturizing, and it smells amazing. I feel like rose-scented products are tricky because they can so easily go a bit old lady, but this one smells fresh and bright. It’s moisturizing but not at all greasy, and as the weather has been getting colder I’ve been turning to it quite a bit. The limited-edition cream ($21) also comes in Hibiscus Flower and Cocoa Flower. I have a Hibiscus Flower sample I’ve been saving for a couple of weeks — I’m torn between wanting to hold on to it for when we fly to Las Vegas next month (I always like to save lotion samples to tuck into my carry-on liquids bag) and really wanting to rip into it and see how it smells.
Do you have any favorite products you turn to as the weather gets colder?
