Remember a month ago when we were all super pumped it was raining instead of snowing in the Midwest? And then we all wished for a white Christmas together, and here we are…freezing our butt off in January? Yeah, me too – and now I’m kicking myself in the bootay for ever wishing for snow!

But, I suppose winter isn’t all bad. I now have a good excuse to go ice skating in Millennium Park, stay home all weekend drinking coffee + tea {dream weekend, right?} and lighting a million candles in my apartment to make it feel cozy. Winter also gives me a pretty good excuse to treat my self {one of my new years resolutions!} to a few new beauty picks to cheer me up. The cold weather gets me seriously down this time of year – so adding some bright colors and moisturizing creams to my beauty routine is just what the doctor ordered {or something like that…}

Here are some of the best in beauty products for winter I’ve been loving {most of which I’ll probably be rocking into spring too!}

1. Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask {$26}: We all need a little TLC during the winter, especially when it comes to your lips! This luxurious lip mask rehydrates and heals your lips, while giving you the prettiest rose gold shimmer to boot. I like to give my lips a little swipe before I go to bed and I always wake up with super soft lips.

2. Lumene Bright Now Vitamin Blue Line and More Minimizer Cream {$20}: I’d never tried Limene products before, but after getting a little sample of this minimizing cream, I’m officially in love with it. It’s the perfect, light gel lotion that minimizes pores throughout the day, and I’ve been adding a little layer before my makeup every morning.

3. Korres Wild Rose Daily Brightening Cleanser {$28}: As a long time fan of this cult favorite  {I used to work for them back in the day!}, anything Korres is officially good in my book. One of my favorite products is their incredible Wild Rose buffing face wash, which I use a few times a week to keep my skin looking radiant and brighter {and yes, it really works!}

4. Lancome L’Absolu Rouge Lipstick {$38}: Feeling the winter blues? All you need is a new pair of killer red lipstick to get some pep back in your step! I don’t know what it is about lipstick, but buying the perfect shade has this crazy ability to cheer me up. I’ve recently been loving Lancome’s lipstick in Rouge Amour, and it’s the perfect, satiny, sultry shade that also keeps your lips moisturized. Basically there’s no reason you don’t need this for winter, right?

5. Makeup Forever HD Foundation {$43}: When it comes to makeup, I tend to go in phases between loving liquid foundation and loathing it. Over the past year, I swore by loose powder, but I was looking for a little change with the new year {new year new you!!!} I’ve been using Makeup Forever’s HD foundation, and I am Totally. In. Love. Unlike other liquid foundations I’ve used in the past, this version is super comfortable, more invisible and more natural looking than other ones I’ve tried. I’ll keep you updated as the winter goes on, but so far – this baby is definitely a winner!

6. Smashbox Brow Tech To Go {$28}: I’m trying to keep my brow game strong in 2016, so this new Smashbox Brow Tech pencil is my new BFF. I love that it’s waterproof, long lasting and comes with a little brush to make sure it always is evenly applied!

7. Shiseido Ibuki Multi Solution Gel {$38}: Sometimes you need a multi-talented gel that can do it all for you skin, and that’s when this Shiseido gel is about to become your new BFF. It smoothes out your skin no matter what’s stressing it out {dryness, environmental factors, breakouts, pores that are out of control – you name it!} It’s totally refreshing and works like a charm, which is a win-win in my book!

8. Smashbox Blush Rush {$24}: When your skin hasn’t seen the light of day for weeks, a little swoosh of color is exactly what you need for a little pick-me-up. I love Smashbox’s blush rush in bright fuchsia since it lasts all day without fading!

9. Lancome Color Design Matte Lip Crayon {$24}: Guys, I’m calling it – 2016 will be known as the year of the lip crayon. I’m obsessed with these Lancome ones for the perfect amount of color coverage and their incredible moistorizing abilities {yay for not drying out your lips!} I literally have one in every color and I’m not ashamed of it 😉

10. W3ll People Expressionist Mascara {$23.50}: As an all natural beauty lover, discovering new natural brands and products is one of my favorite hobbies. I met the founders of W3ll People at A Night For Green Beauty in Chicago last year, and I instantly fell in love with their incredible products {and how adorable the founders are too!} This all-natural mascara creates amazing length and volume for lush lashes without clumping, and I make sure to dab on a few coats every morning before I walk out the door.

11. Herbivore Detox Dead Sea Bath Salts {$18} When you need to relax and unwind, there’s nothing better than taking a nice warm bath {mmm…it’s making me want one right now!} I like to add a handful of these lavender and eucalyptus Herbivore bath salts to my bath to help detoxify my skin and give me some much needed time to decompress.

Any winter beauty buys you’re loving this month? Please share with the class, I’m always looking for new goodies 🙂 xx