April Favorites 2013

Well I'm going to sound like such a girl right now and say that this month went by so quickly. I'm not joking. It feels like just yesterday I was on my way back home for the half-marathon that took place the first weekend in April! Here in Minnesota it didn't start feeling like April until last Friday, so I am very happy that spring has decided to come out of hiding! Here are a few things I've been loving the past month!

I talked about the Pink Fresh and Clean body spray in my collection post, but the lotion is equally as amazing. I love that when you pair fragrances with the matching lotion the staying power is tripled! This is a great lotion and I've used it for years. I only recently started using it again as a daily lotion and I'm so happy I did!

If you've already read my post raving about the Neutrogena Hand Cream then it wont be a surprise to you that it is showing up in my favorites! I love that this is a multi-use cream and it is the best chapstick replacement ever. I don't think I'll ever buy chapstick again.

I bought this Boots Expert Sensitive Gentle Refreshing Toner awhile back because I had forgotten my Bioderma at my house in Wisconsin and needed something gentle to take off makeup and refresh my skin. I definitely believe this is a dupe for Bioderma and if you've ever purchased Bioderma in the states you'll appreciate the $4.00 price tag on the Boots version. I still love my Bioderma as a number one product, but since it's so expensive I've been happy using this as a substitute.

In my Bursting with Blushes post I mentioned the Revlon PhotoReady Coral Reef Blush and ever since that post I have been wearing this blush everyday. I'm so glad I found a coral/orangey blush I can pull off.

This Revlon Fearless nail polish is a perfect bright spring red. I don't usually go for reds in spring time, but I wore this for a week and a half and almost wanted to repaint my nails the same color because I loved it that much. I paired it with my new Essie Strength base coat and was very impressed with how long it lasted.

The Essie Fiji nail polish is the perfect baby girl pink. I think of a baby shower when I wear it because it is so creamy and cute. It does need two coats to be opaque, but I don't mind an extra coat for a perfect pink.

I've had the L'Oreal Voluminous Smoldering Eyeliner in Brown for a long time and it lasts forever! I love that it is a creamy eyeliner that just glides right on. It doesn't drag my eye and you can smudge it easily to get that "smokey" eyeliner look. I've been wearing it only on my bottom lash line to create a darker look

Now for some Non-Beauty favorites of the month:

For the first part of April there was still snow on the ground here in Minnesota, but once the sun came out I finally got to test out my new Birkenstocks in the style Gizeh. I purchased them because of my plantar fasciitis and they have been amazing. I will be living in these shoes this summer. I won't need anything else. Ever.

My favorite song of the month has been "I Do Adore" by Mindy Gledhill. I love the ukulele and the happy upbeat lyrics. It feels like summer and I love to belt it out when I'm in the shower.

What are some of your favorites from this month?

A Beauty Bag Must Have: Neutrogena Hand Cream + A Dupe!

I purchased this product way back in August after I got my tattoo because it was a fragrance free, no-nonsense lotion. After tossing it aside in my beauty closet for many months, I rediscovered it at the height of dry hand season. From the moment I started using this I knew it would be life long love.

As the package says, "Just a dab heals dry skin." They're not kidding. A tiny drop of this thick hand cream will leave you feeling as soft as a baby's bottom. I guarantee it. It does have an interesting formula because it starts out as a gel consistency (think Vaseline) and as you rub it in it becomes more like a lotion. I've carried this around moving it from my backpack to my purse, my overnight bag to my gym bag, and everywhere in between.

Only yesterday did I read the back of the package and really take it seriously. It says, "And it's not just for hands. Use it on your elbows, knees, face, and lips..." Now I don't know about you, but putting lotion on my mouth just seemed weird. After trying every lip product in my collection, I had given up on having moisturized lips. So as a last resort I grabbed the hand cream and slathered it on. Crazy as it seems, this works wonders. I cannot rave enough about this product! It continues to surprise me even though I've had it for months!

And at just under $5, I think this would be a great dupe for the Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream.