November & December Favorites: Beauty.

It has been FOREVER since I did a legit beauty favorites!

With the pandemic, I have barely been wearing makeup, but then when I got pregnant, I really pretty much stopped. I was just so sick for the last 3.5 months that I couldn’t even handle it. I figured whatever I shared beauty-wise would give it away!

So the last three+ months, basically since the moment I found out I was pregnant, my skin absolutely blew up. I have never had breakouts or pimples or acne in my life – not even in high school. The hormones must be doing a number on me right now. I’m not sure if I can call it acne, but it’s def clusters of pimples that have seemed nearly impossible to get rid of.  That, and combined with the fact that I can’t use my Dr Dennis Gross Peel Pads – it’s been rough!

I think it’s a combination of hormones breaking me out AND my skin being weirdly irritated and dry by winter weather. But it’s just been awful. Sharing below a few of the things that have helped to clear it up. A huge produce I said I’d never buy and one I rediscovered from when I was pregnant with my others.

December Beauty Favorites

Burt’s Bees Herbal Blemish Stick. This is one of the only things that has saved my skin in the last three months! I was desperate for weeks then I remember using this as a spot treatment when I was pregnant with Max. I ordered one and it IMMEDIATELY helped. Like, next morning. It def can dry out the skin a bit so you need a thick moisturizer over it – but I adore this. I am so thankful I remembered it from before!

Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream. Yes, I did this. I still can’t believe it, but oh man was I desperate. In the last few months my with skin a disaster, I tried so many things. I ended up buying this after thinking about it for the last year or so. Long story short – combined with the blemish stick above and my caudalie toner, it has been a miracle worker. My skin is notoriously dry and always has been. This has worked wonders. It’s calming and moisturizing on another level. I don’t really have any scarring for this to clear up, but it has improved my complexion so much. I don’t even mind that I’m not using my other favorite skincare products anymore. The thing about this is that they don’t want you using any other products with it. It’s one of the reasons I always avoided it because I didn’t want to give up some of my favorites. But I was desperate, so it didn’t matter. One downside – the pump is GARBAGE. I’m on my third bottle and the pump hasn’t been great on any of them. Thankfully you can open up the bottom, take out the packaging and cut it to get out every last bit. See also: I have only bought this on sale! Would not pay full price for it.

Bumble and Bumble Invisible Oil Shampoo and Conditioner. My sister-in-law gave me this for my birthday in early November because she loves it so much. I have to say this is the best gift ever – and I gifted it to someone for Christmas! I haven’t changed my shampoo in ages. This is amazing – it smells incredible, cleans my hair without drying out, the conditioner is perfect (my hair is also dry) and works – I am so, so happy with it! I already almost finished the bottles she gave me and I bought the jumbo ones.

Clinique Acne Solutions BB Cream. When I started breaking out, I noticed it was incredibly worse the day after I wore makeup. That wasn’t too often, but still – I wanted a way to combat that! I have used this before and ended up repurchasing. It’s tricky because my skin is dry so I can’t use too much of this, but the formula is super thin and blendable and it also covers SO well. I haven’t used it a ton, mostly because it has lots of ingredients that I don’t use normally in my face makeup. But there have been some times I’ve had to wear makeup and I even be used it as just a spot concealer. It’s really good.

Since I’ve been MIA with my beauty faves, what have you been loving over the last few months? Any winter must haves, or things you’ve discovered in quarantine that you love?!