December Favorites: "In Case of Apocalypse" Edition

I kid.

I know it's a little early for favorites, but I wanted to get these up, in case anyone was still last-minute shopping and needed a recommendation. Plus, I'm hoping to do a Best/Worst of 2012 at the end of the month, so let me know if you have any picks for the list. Here we go!

Eyes:
Urban Decay Midnight Cowboy 24/7 Shadow Pencil
Midnight Cowboy is such a gorgeous color, and that level of sparkle is perfect for the holidays (or everyday if you're me and just don't care about being "day appropriate"). Unfortunately, the fallout from the powder shadow leaves you looking akin to a disco ball. I don't mind a little sparkle on my cheeks, but when it starts hitting my clothes, it's time to pack it in. Luckily, Urban Decay has a stick cream form of the color, with every bit the sparkle--it just stays on your eyes and not your...well, everything else. Use it as a lid color, highlighter, or even a liner! At $20, it's a little pricey compared to the powder form, but if you really love Midnight Cowboy, you can consider the extra couple of dollars a convenience charge.

Buxom Stay-There Eye Shadow in Collie
Another super-glittery cream shadow is Buxom's Collie. The shade is described as "sparkling champagne", and has a mousse-like texture. Alone, it packs a glittering punch; on top of the Midnight Cowboy Shadow Pencil, the effect is staggeringly beautiful.

Lips:
Victoria's Secret Color Drama Lipstick in Enamored
I've been eyeing these lipsticks for a while, now, and finally used one of my Secret Rewards cards to pick one up. The packaging is adorable, and the color I chose was a sheer, glossy, shimmery rose. It looks like a gloss, feels like a balm, and is quickly becoming my favorite shade because it goes with almost everything. Want a smoky eye? This makes a great nude. Want a natural look? This is your-lips-only-better. Going glittery? Why, hello, there! It's not the most long-lasting lip color, but that just gives me the opporunity to pull out the pink chrome and black case to touch-up.

Revlon Lip Butter in Red Velvet
Look, by now, we all know that these things are amazing. All I'm saying here is that, if you want a deep berry lip that doesn't require a ton of maintenance, look no further. That is all.

Face:
Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer in Nude
I was not going to try this. It's expensive, and I love my Too Faced Beauty Balm. I didn't need to ever bother letting this into my life...and then I got a 500-point perk from Sephora and really wanted the highlighter in this kit. Well, the highlighter I could take or leave; the tinted moisturizer is fantastic. The coverage is actually pretty decent, the finish is silky and smooth, it doesn't break me out, and I can cover my entire face with a pea-sized amount. This will last for-freaking-ever. Luckily, it's very similar to my Too Faced, so I don't feel the need to purchase the full-size of this product. However, I am planning to get the travel size. Nude is about a shade darker than my natural skintone, so it will make a great Summer color, and the $19.50 price tag for the 1 oz. is a lot more wallet-friendly than buying a darker shade of the $32.00, 1.5 oz. Too Faced. (Ed. note: The travel-sized moisturizer is 1 oz. for $19.50. The full-sized is $43.00 for 1.5 oz. On what planet does that make sense? You could buy two travel-sized for $39, save $4 and get another half ounce of product. Granted, only two shades are available in travel-size, but if you can fit into one of those, you can save a lot of money. Just sayin'.)

Skin Care:
GlamGlow
Buy this on Amazon, from a trusted merchant (I bought it through Amazon proper, so no worries, there, and I got free shipping). You can get it for a less-than-insane price that way. In fact, go in with a friend or family member. Doing so, you split the cost, and get to have weekly hang-time with them. I went in with my dear Thomas, and we were able to pick up a full-sized jar for around $25 each. Yes, that's still crazy. Yes, it's totally worth it. It clears out your pores, helps rid your skin of blackheads, tightens things up a bit, and exfoliates like mad. My skin is now much more HD-ready (which is great, since we're filming right now!), and Thomas has had a lot less trouble with breakouts. Plus, for a few minutes each week, we get to sit around and look like goobers together. Ah, marriage!