December 2017 Favorites
C.O. Bigelow My Favorite Night Balm, $7.50 / Dove Beauty Bar, varies / Twilight Bath Bomb, $7/ IKEA TOFTBO Bath Rug, $8
Amope Pedi Perfect, $49 / Clarisonic Radiance Brush Heads, $27 (but as cheap as $15 ea if you shop smart)
The one week of free-time I had in December was spent doing holiday things – baking, spending time with family and friends, the like. The rest was spent as pure downtime, regenerating and recharging along with my husband. I could have worn glitter eyeliner every damn day – but I didn’t. In fact, I hardly wore any makeup at all for half the damn month. Instead, I spent time doing self-care things.
So, in short, all of my December 2017 Favorites are along those lines.
Brush Up
I am still primarily using Radiance brush heads for my Clarisonic. I can use them daily without my skin getting fussy like they had started to when I began to favor the Luna Mini.
I Love My Lips!
Name that kid’s show. Anyway, I definitely didn’t love my lips because after The Sickness they became impossible. Dry, pale, flaky, splitting, painful. I’ve never had that happen! None of my usual tricks were working so I did pick up C.O. Bigelow My Favorite Night Balm before Christmas. Screw night balm, this is my favorite all-the-time balm! I used to be a devotee of their Ultra Mentha, but the Night Balm is where its at.
A Touch a-Dove the Rest
First, I don’t apologize for my headings. Second, bar soap is smart. It generally costs less than body wash and features less-wasteful packaging. I use Dove bar soap and have for years; typically their Original, but their Cool Moisture is nice, too. Dove doesn’t dry me out or make my skin want to mutiny.
The trick to bar soap longevity is keeping your bar away from the shower’s stream; I use a suction-cup soap dish to help me with this. Mine, naturally, is discontinued – but this Oxo one is very similar in design, albeit almost twice what I spent.
Gettin’ Bubbly With It
Twilight from Lush is still my favorite bath bomb. I got to use one last month and can’t wait to have enough time to enjoy the next. I really dig Lush products as gifts for people who, “have everything,” since they’re consumable and (shouldn’t) contribute to clutter.
In addition to Twilight, I tried this coconut-scented one from Da Bomb. The gold, glittery water was neat but it wasn’t anywhere near as nice as a bath bomb from Lush.
Don’t Shrug Off this Inexpensive Rug
Memory foam bath mats are cool, aren’t they? Unfortunately, though, they’re a pain in the ass to thoroughly clean. Loath to use a towel, I picked up this bath rug from IKEA a while ago. It is:
- Inexpensive (less than $10!)
- Comfortable to step out of the shower onto (feels soft and plush)
- Insulates from stupid, cold linoleum
- Absorbent
- Easy to Clean (just toss it in the washer, then throw over the shower rack to air dry).
Pedi Practice
Many forego pedicure care in the winter months since our feet are imprisoned in socks, slippers, and boots. Even if you forego polish, though, it is worth keeping your feet in fair shape. Like cleaning your home, its easier to do a little bit of maintenance here and there than having to launch an offensive. The Amope Pedi Perfect has remained a great tool for just that.