January 2018 Favorites
New year. New month. New favorites!
January has apparently been a month of detoxing my body and fixing my face, with my favorites including non-toxic tampons, aluminum-free deodorant, purifying face masks, a makeup blender, and two items for hydrating and covering up my under-eyes. Some are favorites that I fell back in love with this month and some are brand spankin' new!
Enjoy!
1. Lola Organic Tampons - $8
If you're a regular reader, you'll know that I have already blogged about Lola Tampons in the past. While the company has been a long time favorite of mine, they recently-ish came out with cardboard applicator tampons, making the entire menstrual experience completely biodegradable. I got my first box with the new applicators this month and I found myself falling in love with the company all over again. The subscription for a box with the cardboard applicator is $2 less than the plastic, but you can only customize your box with Regular and Super. I have been an organic tampon fanatic for a while now and I will NEVER EVER use anything else. If you're not already using organic cotton tampons, you really should, and you can check out my original Lola post to find out more.
Where to Find It: mylola.com
2. Zenda Naturals Beauty Sponge - $8-ish
How did we ever survive before beauty sponges? Beauty Blender came into our lives like a hurricane and blew us away. I love my Beauty Blender, I really do...but they are super expensive and I manage to destroy them in record time. I've tried other knock-offs but none of them were as good as the trusty pink egg we have all grown to love...until...I discovered this inexpensive marvel. For less than $8, this sponge can survive wash after wash without crumbling or tearing apart. Once soaked, it grows to almost double the size but it blends everything beautifully. I love this thing but I love the price even more!
Where to Find It: amazon.com
3. Tarte Clean Queen Vegan Deodorant - $14
One of the struggles with aluminum-free deodorants is finding one that does not cause redness or irritation. For a long time, I used the PiperWei deodorant in the jars and loved it! I still love it but many people, including myself, started having issues with irritation from the essential oils or other ingredients. When Tarte came out with their own aluminum-free deodorant a while back, I had to try it because I am obviously obsessed with the brand. Turns out, this deodorant is AMAZING and hasn't broken out my underarms at all! Mind you, it's not completely natural or organic, but it does NOT have alcohol or aluminum, is vegan (didn't know that was a thing), and it makes my underarms feel fresh and conditioned all day. It doesn't transfer to my clothing and I can workout with it without worrying about stinking up the gym. I have been using this deodorant for months now without any issues, but I was reminded just how much I love the stuff when I sampled a different hyped-up natural deodorant three weeks ago and immediately threw it out and came back to this.
Where to Buy It: tarte.com or sephora.com
4. NARS Soft Matte Complete Concealer - $30
I have a few requirements when it comes to a concealer. It shouldn't crease under my eyes, it should last all day, and it should be full coverage. This concealer meets all three of those requirements! It's THICK but it blends out wonderfully and doubles as an excellent eyeshadow primer. I use a concealer brush to apply it all over and then use my blending sponge (see #2 above) to blend it out. At the end of a full work day, it still looks great! I use the color Custard and it's the perfect shade to hide any darkness or discoloration.
Where I Got It: sephora.com
5. Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Mask - $30
This has been a long-time favorite for me. I've been using this mask for several years and I absolutely love it. After the holidays, my skin was angry and congested from all the junk I was eating and I desperately needed an epidermic detox. This amazing mask helps to clear out my pores and purify my skin, and I swear that it really works! My face feels great after every use! I have used it A LOT this month but still have a bunch left in the container.
Where to Get It: kiehls.com
6. Tarte Skincare Pack Your Bags 9-1-1 Undereye Rescue Patches - $22
Yes, another Tarte product. Yes, I'm obsessed with the brand. They make so many great beauty products and skincare items, and these eyepatches are a fantastic addition to my Tarte arsenal. Each box comes with four packs containing two patches each and they work wonders to hydrate your under-eyes. Lately, I've become aware of how dehydrated my under-eyes have been and it was causing my concealer and makeup to not sit well. I needed something extra to bring my under-eyes back to life and these did just the trick. I throw my box in the refrigerator for an amazing cooling sensation and I slap them on before special events. I can immediately see and feel the difference, and the best part is, I can throw them back into their packaging for a couple more uses.
Where to Get It: tarte.com
1. Societe Brewing
We went to Societe Brewing this month for a special event they were having with Shirts on Tap! Mr. San Diego and I used to work around the corner from their tasting room and we went a lot when they first opened. Going back this month reminded him how much he likes this brewery and their beer!
Here is What You Need to Know:
Website: societebrewing.com
Instagram: @societebrewing
Location: 8262 Clairemont Mesa Blvd San Diego, CA 92111
Hours: Check their website.
FAVORITE MOVIE: i, Tonya
Image Source: IMDb
This movie is hilarious, dark, and incredibly well done. While the story of "the event" is known to most of us, the story of the events that lead to this insane moment in history is not. It's impressive that the writers and directors were able to create a sharp-witted comedy with an honest portrayal of classism and abuse. You root for an anti-heroine who is a product of her environment, who is trying to make it in a world where she has the opportunity for greatness but faces hurtles and adversity brought on by social prejudices and her own terrible decisions.
The acting is incredible, the directing is fantastic, and you'll spend days on Wikipedia trying to learn even more about what happened.
FAVORITE binge: comedians in cars getting coffee
Image Source: IMDb
While this may be new to Netflix this month, the series itself is not new and has been around since 2012. I knew this was Emmy nominated a while back, but I have to confess that I had ZERO interest because I am not a fan of Jerry Seinfeld. I know that statement is incredibly controversial but it's the honest truth. Mr. San Diego started watching this series this month on Netflix (he loves Seinfield) and I happened to catch an episode with him. One episode turned into two, and suddenly we're watching several episodes every night. Each episode is a short 15-ish minutes and features a different comedic guest in a casual and often hilarious interview/conversation. It is entertaining and funny and totally worth the binge! Now I feel like I have to try to give Seinfeld a second chance. TBD...
FAVORITE other: bREKKI OVERNIGHT OATS
These are already prepared overnight oats that you throw in your fridge and grab-and-go! They're dairy free (which is HUGE for me), contain no GMOs, are gluten free, soy free, contain no artificial ingredients, and are VEGAN.
Not only is this stuff super nutritious and convenient, they only have 300 calories and have 9g of protein and 7g of fiber, which means that I'm kept full until lunch time! The best part of all - IT IS DELICIOUS. Seriously, these bowls of breakfast goodness taste great! Mr. San Diego and I got a variety pack this month and we LOVE them. It is such an easy breakfast option that has real ingredients and real goodness.
It's a little pricey for oatmeal at $4 each, but I honestly don't care. I'm constantly struggling to find something that is healthy and delicious during the work week, and it is really easy for me to just grab a breakfast burrito and feel miserable for the rest of the day. We bought our Brekkis online but they are sold at various Southern California and San Diego locations. They're a San Diego company, so that is even more reason for me to support them. You can save a little money by ordering online and signing up for their Subscribe and Save option, which saves you 10% off your order. They sell them in bundles of eight and you can choose eight of the same flavor or get a variety pack.
We have tried the Original, Blueberry, Strawberry, and Coconut and Cardamom, and they're all delicious but I like Blueberry the most and Mr. San Diego likes the Original.
Where to Get It: brekki.myshopify.com
Learn More: brekki.com