Favorites of this month
1. Yogurt Maker. One my favorite things this month was a yogurt maker. Last time I visited my family, my mom was always making homemade yogurt and it really was so much more fresh and delicious than a store-bought. Following her lead, I decided to get one for us as well since my baby liked the yogurt a lot and it seems to be healthier than regular milk.
After a month of using the yogurt maker I can say that it’s become a whole family favorite and every 3-4 days I make a new batch. Prep time takes no more than 7 minutes. After mixing the milk with the yogurt starter, I pour in the jars that come with the yogurt maker, set the time for 8-12 hours depending on the milk (I usually make it overnight). Couple more hours in the fridge, it’s ready!
I’ve been telling everyone about the yogurt maker so my work friend also got one and now we always talk about what we are going to try next, what are the best toppings, etc. So far I’ve only made plain whole milk yogurt but next on my agenda is flavored yogurt and some non-dairy yogurt.
2. Glossier. I heard about Glossier pretty recently and now I am surprised how did I not know it before? It was literally born online and became somewhat of a cult on social media. Glossier’s motto is Skin first, makeup second and all products are meant to highlight natural beauty and help master that tricky no-makeup makeup look. I started with the Phase 2 set products: Stretch Concealer, Boy Brow and Generation G lipstick. It was love at first touch.
- Glossier Stretch Concealer is the best concealer I’ve ever tried! It’s always been a problem for me to find a concealer that not too obvious on the skin. Glossier Stretch Concealer is very creamy, it melts on skin but it does cover dark circles well and it’s buildable. Love it! My shade is Medium.
- Boy Brow. To be honest I have nothing to compare it to since I’ve only used clear brown gel before but it does the job well, fills the brows nicely and makes them looked groomed yet natural. My shade is Brown.
- Generation G lipstick. Matte lip color, it applies well although it does feel a little dry on the lips when you wear it. The shades are great, I got my first one in Zip which is poppy red and it was a prefect shade of holiday red. The color is very wearable, it does bring attention to the lips without being too loud. Perfect. I also got one in Cake.
I liked my first Glossier experience so much that I put few more things on my Christmas wish list. I got detoxifying Mega Greens Galaxy Pack mask and Moisturizing Moon mask and highlighter (first ever!). I am very happy with all my purchases and actually have couple more things (Prime Moisturizer and serums Super Pack) on the way. All Glossier products are cruelty free and paraben free.
*Click the Glossier link to get 20% off your first order.
3. Star Wars Christmas Mug. You might not know this but I love mugs! From all the trips or even a regular shopping day I always want to bring some cute mug. That’s probably why I don’t have a matching set in my home but instead I have a dozen of distinct mug that I love dearly. I bought this one on my way out of a movie theater as an additional Christmas gift for my husband but I like it so much, I stole it back. With this mug I spent all holidays and every time I look at it, it makes me giggle. Here is another reason why, oh Yoda.
4. Grey’s Anatomy. I had a bad cold during the holidays and didn’t have energy for anything productive so I wanted to find something to binge watch. Grey’s Anatomy has tons of episodes and I’ve never seen it before, three weeks later I am 3 seasons in. I always liked the shows about doctors (House, M.D. you are missed) so I knew I’d probably like it. Besides being entertaining and pretty funny, I like this show because it reminds me that the most important thing is health and loves ones. As the soundtrack says “nobody know where you might end up, nobody knows”…
5. Native Deodorant. I’ve been on a search for a natural deodorant that doesn’t contain Aluminum or Parabens for a while. There is a link between those ingredients in deodorant and breast cancer, kidney disease and Alzheimer’s so naturally I do not want to put myself at risk. I’ve tried many different natural deodorants but couldn’t find the one. Some were natural but simply didn’t work and other stank so bad I would rather smell like sweat. When I heard about Native I decided to give it a try and I loved it! Good ingredients, nice smell and it actually works!
You got to remember that deodorant and anti-perspirant are not the same thing. Anti-perspirant prevents you from sweating (that’s where the aluminum comes in); deodorant works by eliminating odors associated with sweat. Thus, natural deodorants are generally not as effective at stopping you from sweating. Native was surprisingly good with that and on a regular warm day without any intense physical activity I didn’t have embarrassing wet marks under my arms.
6. Activated Charcoal Tooth Paste. . Beauty industry seems to have just found out about activated charcoal and its benefits. Lately, I see it being used as a supplement, cleansing face mask, tooth paste and more. I knew about activated charcoal since I was little, in fact it is a very common Russian remedy for food poisoning, upset stomach, all that jazz. I also heard about its teeth whitening properties and decided to give it a try. Happy to report that I am pretty pleased with the result! Just after a few days of using it, the teeth became noticeably lighter! It seems to be pretty mild as I didn’t have any side effects like tooth sensitivity. It tastes a little strange at first, but you get used to it and it does leave the mouth refreshed.
7. Orgain Vanilla Protein Powder. . After a break for the holidays, in January I went back to working out with Sweat/Bikini Body Guide. I wanted to add some protein for a post-workout shake and picked Orgain. I tried a few different brands before including plant-based ones but most of them didn’t taste good to me and left an unpleasant aftertaste. Orgain tastes delicious! It’s also organic, vegan and has all that clean healthy stuff that I like.
*Links in this post are affiliated. It means that if you make a purchase by clicking the link, I might get a little commission. It does not make a product more expensive for you. On the contrary, some links give you a discount.
