My Year in 2012

A lot has happened for me in 2012. A lot of great things, actually. I thought instead of the usual beauty round up I would recap all the things I loved from 2012 (beauty stuff included, of course). Just a warning: it's picture heavy! Let's get on with it.

Skincare:

 I used these throughout the year and have loved them all:

Left to Right: Estee Lauder Idealist, Clinique Even Better skin tone, Neutrogena Clear Face Sunblock, Pangea Organics Facial Toner

 Left to Right: Befine Exfoliating Cleanser, Origins VitaZing, and bareMinerals Deep Cleansing Foam cleanser

 The above skincare items has been really good to my skin. The Neutrogena sun block is perfect for oily skin. I didn't experience any break outs. And if I do say so myself, it also doubled as a face primer. The Pangea Organics Facial toner and the Befine firming toner below, are both perfect for oily skin. These two toners are definitely worth a repurchase. My favorite new item I tried last year is the Origins VitaZing moisturizer. When I tanned over the summer this served a dual purpose of moisturizer and foundation.

 Also, it was a busy summer for me as far as work and travel/vacation was concern. Lack of sleep and long hours drove me to buy these 2 eye creams. Kiehl's Abyssine Eye Cream and Bobbi Brown's Hydrating Eye Cream to the rescue! They both certainly help lessen the look of fatigue and any signs of dark under eye circles.

 The above items were purchased at Duty Free on my way to Canada. Who can resist buying anything at Duty Free? The Shiseido is an eyebrow pencil, Dior's Lip Glow, and best purchase ever: Chanel's Vitalumiere Aqua (I'm in shade Beige 40).

 The only set of brushes I used all year. Can't say anymore except these are the best. I have everything here from ELF, Sephora, bareMinerals, Sonia Kashuk, MAC, Sigma and Real Techniques.

 

 Hand and lip favorites include: Crabtree & Evelyn's hand lotion in Nantucket. I bought the hand cream to try while at Mall of America in Minnesota. The Dior lip glow is the best. If I forget to put on lipstick or lipgloss, this is perfect as it acts like both and it's very moisturizing and has SPF. The Marvelous Moxie is new to the bareMinerals line and this shade in Free Spirit is a perfect nude shade for me. Another lip balm I'm loving is Fresh's Sugar lip treatment. Ok, I have a serious addiction to lip balms!

 As far as eyeshadows go, I didn't venture too far from usual. The only items I've tried and really loved are these limited edition Eyestudio cream shadows from Maybelline. The top one is called Olive Martini. This particular one was so difficult to find. I finally bought it in November, a full two months had passed since it's August release. The second eyeshadow is Eyestudio's Sunset Seduction, a perfect everyday neutral. Love both of these!

 

The only eyeliner I've used all year is the dual ended liner from Urban Decay in Zero and Whiskey. I'm almost out of it so I'm glad Sephora and Urban Decay has made it available for purchase outside of a kit.

The only mascara I have used and loved is Majolica Majorca's Lash Expander Frame Plus. This mascara is so perfect for my straight thin lashes. It's the only mascara that manages to keep the curls in my lashes as well as lengthen and volumize.  I'm so glad I have a back up!

The brand new eye make up remover I tried is from bareMinerals. The instant waterproof formula is a mix of oil and water. You just shake the bottle, fill up your cotton pad and it will gently remove your eye makeup. The formula is non-greasy, very gentle and removes even the most stubborn mascara.

So, while in Canada, I went to Shopper's Drug mart just to look around. I ended up finding this moisturizing body lotion from Garnier. I am so in love with this. I regret not buying more or stocking up while I was there. Unfortunately, this is not available here in the States:( It is moisturizing and smells delicious!

Last beauty favorite is my YSL Rouge Volupte Gloss in # 6. I carried this everywhere. I am almost out. It's the perfect red/pink shade.

Nails:

I had a few nail color obsessions last year. And they are:

Laura Mercier in Cabana - perfect glossy peach

Dior's Bikini 

Dior Limited Edition in Waterlily - gorgeous glossy shade of green. Plus it's scented!

Dior in St. Tropez - this is such a beautiful baby blue/teal color. I find Teal to be a theme color last year!

Another teal favorite is Butter London's Slapper

And my favorite fall shade to round up the year is OPI's Casino Royale from the James Bond Collection.

Shoes:

A fashion accessory I have been loving this year are booties. I got one for my birthday (as well as a new iPod Nano).

And I bought another bootie to wear with a mod dress for a work event last year. Sadly, I bought 2 more after I bought these two...I think I have an obsession:)

Speaking of shoes, the year wouldn't be complete if I don't throw in a sandal favorite. I wore this to my trip to LA.

Travel: 
Speaking of trips, travel was a highlight of my year in 2012. My cousin from Australia and her family came for a visit. I took them everywhere.
Here are two favorite travel gear: a hot pink/fuchsia bag from Steve Madden and a blue Samsonite luggage.

First thing we did was go to Disneyland with my niece and nephew! I love this picture of us!

Then we headed to the beaches of LA...This one is taken in Huntington Beach. So gorgeous and the weather was beautiful!!!

This is a view from our hotel balcony in Santa Monica. We have a gorgeous view of Santa Monica beach. Love!

My cousin and I at Venice Beach.

On our way to San Francisco, we stopped at a town called Cambria. This is a view from my hotel balcony overlooking the ocean. Such a nice view to wake up to in the morning. So relaxing!

My cousin and I at Big Sur! Beautiful view even though the drive through Big Sur made me sick!

While is LA, we tried some local fare: Ok, it's only Pinkberry...but still good!

While at 3rd Street Promenade, we decided to pig out. Yup, buffalo wings and cheesy fries! Yum!

Then, sadly, it was time for my cousin and her family to go back to Australia. One of the highlights from our San Francisco trip is a picture of the Golden Gate Bridge. We finally got lucky one day when it was sunny and got a great shot of the bridge (well, not this shot). But still pretty, right?

So, after LA, I was off to Seattle with my mom for a friend's wedding in July.

Night shot of the Space Needle. Unfortunately, since it was a quick trip I didn't get a chance to go up the needle. Well, there's always next time.

Before leaving Seattle, I had oysters. I mean I had a LOT of oysters. LOVE oysters. Mind you I did not eat all this by myself. It was good:)

Two days after Seattle, I was off to Canada for my cousin's wedding. Can't be in Canada without having some Tim Horton's coffee:)

My cousin on his wedding day.

While in Canada, the family decided we drive to Minnesota. Yup, that's right: flew to Canada only to drive back to the states and drive back to Canada and then fly out back to the states. LOL It was good though. I love a good road trip. My favorite outfit was this dress that I bought at Old Navy.

While my cousin and her family were here, I had to rent a car. My tiny car won't fit a family of five. So, I rented a Jeep Grand Cherokee. I have never driven an SUV before but I fell hard for this one. Now I'm obsessed about getting one!

One last trip of the year was a last minute business trip to Austin, Texas. This is an outside view of the hotel from my room. It's an interesting architecture: guest rooms are facing business offices. Yeah, weird arrangement.

And I had a lot this: Apple Martini:) It was an awesome trip!

Oh, I decided to fix my hair for a change on a night out. I like my hair long and curly. Right now it's short again:)

Well, this recaps my year. I only have one big trip planned for this year and I will be blogging about it.

Here's to an awesome 2013!!!!

What I've Been Loving: Beauty & Fashion

 Just  thought I would do a quick post of what I've been loving lately...

Skincare:
Lately I've been sticking to the following products. I  must say all four would be a definite re-purchase (in fact, I re-purchased the Origins VitaZing during Sephora's Friends & Family Sale - next post).

1.) Pangea Organics Facial Toner- I love this toner. It's cool, soothing, and feels great on my skin. I use this both day and night. I love the clean feeling it leaves my skin. It doesn't make my skin feel tight or dry after I apply it.

2.) BeFine Exfoliating Cleanser with Brown Sugar, Sweet Almond & Oats- I first discovered this while watching one of my favorite beauty YouTuber (missglamorazzi - check out her channel, she's awesome).
I have to admit I was a bit concern about the exfoliating grains in this cleanser. Because of my oily and sensitive skin, I can't use any harsh products that will aggravate my skin even more. That said, I really liked this exfoliating cleanser. I mainly use this at night time. I think the trick is to apply a nickel size amount and put in a bit of water and apply to skin in circular motion. No rubbing or scrubbing against the skin, but a slow, gentle circular motion. Skin feels soft and clean. Hmmmm....should have just dedicated a full post on this.

3.) Origins VitaZing SPF 15 my new favorite moisturizer. I started using this over the summer when I had a really bad tan and a sunburned forehead while vacationing in LA. I didn't want to use any foundation so I decided that a slightly tinted moisturizer will do and dusting a finishing powder on top is good enough for me.

4.) bareMinerals Deep Cleansing Foam - I absolutely love the bareMinerals skincare line. This is my second tube of the Deep Cleansing Foam cleanser. It feels very gentle and clean on the skin. It's perfect for my oily skin. Unlike some Deep Cleansing Foam that I have tried, this one doesn't leave my skin feeling tight or dry. A permanent staple in my cleansing routine.

 Perfect Pairing: Pangea Organics and Origins VitaZing SPF15

 I have also been doing some serious cleaning of my makeup brushes. I had put it off for a long time.
So, here they are nice and clean. Sad thing is this is not even half of the brushes I own. On the other hand, I have come to realize that I really like the affordable $1 ELF brushes. It's the one item I keep coming back to whenever I apply eyeshadow.

 This is an Instagram post. I had dedicated a post of OPI's Casino Royale  earlier - here  I really, really love this color!

I went to Sephora last week and decided to cash in 500 of my points and this is the item I chose. I really need a travel size of the All Nighter long lasting makeup setting spray.

 Not the best picture of me. I was at a work event last week and it was at the end of the night. After a very long and exhausting day, I had to sit. I hate my pose on this but I was so tired I didn't care.

A run down of my outfit:
Blazer: Target
Dress: Kirna Zabete for Target
Purse: Coach black wristlet
Tights: Hue? I think, I forget
Lipstick: Dior 'Diorific - Le Grand Bal Holiday Collection in Diva
Nails: Dior 'Diorific- Le Grand Bal Holiday Collection in Diva
Bracelet: JCrew
Shoes: Bandolino Booties (see below)

 This is an Instagram pic of my latest favorite shoes: booties. I wore this with the Kirna Zabete dress for a work event and I absolutely love it. It's quite chic look with the subtle studs on the side of the boots. The only thing I had to get used to is the heel - it was at least 3 inches high and something I had to get used to since I'm in flats most of the time.

Shameless plug here: Follow me on Instagram: lenzelenz

And I'm also on Bloglovin': jolenzbeauty.blogspot.com

So that's it! Until next time!

xoxo,
Lynn