Here are some of the products I used this month:

BEAUTY

November brought favorites and some new products I'm beyond excited about. Let's go.

SKIN

I am still loving INNBeauty Project's 10+10 Moisturizer and Retinol Remix and my beloved Oak Essentials Moisture Rich Balm. I'll be bringing the balm away during the holidays, for sure. I always needs moisture x 1000 during the winter but whenever I leave home (what is with that?), my skin is completely dried out. (Couldn't be the 6 cups of coffee I drink each day, could it?)

I'm a huge Vitamin C serum person. It's great for fighting free radicals, building collagen, brightening, smoothing fine lines, and getting rid of hyperpigmentation. As we get older, it's all about the quality of our skin. We all have lines, even when we're in our late teens, A fresh glowing complexion is the goal and something we should strive for. And it doesn't take a $200 serum. I use Naturium's Vitamins C Complex (with Hyaluronic Acid!); it's around $35. I also use an inexpensive one from my esthetic school here in Massachusetts. I throw in a pricier one, like Kiehl's Powerful Strength Vitamin C Serum every once in a while but I'm happy with most serums. I'll try any Vitamin C, from $10 to $100. They work for me

I continued with my favorite cleansers but I just started using La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Cleanser for Dry Skin. (Now, that's a long name!) I use this or Cetaphil in the morning. Always a gentle cleanser. It's not like we're sleeping outdoors at night; our skin doesn't get dirty. Plus, we want to maintain the skin barrier by not stripping it using a a deep-cleaning cleanser. My skin feels so soft and moisturized after using this cleanser.

Eye cream? I've been using Mac's Fast Response Eye Cream under concealer for over 15 years. I'm never stopping. However, I was in a Mac store recently and was told they're either reformulating it or discontinuing it.

I bought 10 tubes, so far. The love is real.

BEAUTY

I feel like my makeup routine was so rote in November. I'm not that big of a fall-winter person. Yeah, the leaves are pretty but I don't really get into into leaf peeping and pumpkin spice lattes and that cool weather. By January, I'm done with the cold and start self-tanning.

I stuck with what I was using in October. I'm still loving Tower 28 Sunny Days tinted moisturizer. Their products are really chef's kiss. I'm quite impressed with how they feel and work. Even their mascara is fantastic (as I mentioned last month) and their Pistachio ShineOn Jelly Gloss. I've used their cream bronzer in the past as well and am just very impressed with their formulations. The products do what they say they'll do, without reactions or issues. Tower 28's future looks very bright.

I still love Shiseido's RevitalEssence Skin Glow Foundation (in Cashmere). I was totally side-swiped but this foundation. It is up there with Armani's Luminous Silk. It is stunning. When I catch my reflection in a mirror I think, "Who has perfect skin?" I do. I do!

Natasha Denona's Hy-Glam Brightening & Hydrating Concealer (in N3) is just perfect. I've not loved a product like this in a long time. It just glides on like warm butter. I've been testing a lot of concealers and they just get dry by the end of the day. But, no this one.

I'm still loving my Merit products. I wear them a lot because they're just easy and make my skin look really great.

I did reintroduce a product: Clinique Black Honey Almost Lipstick. Good grief, I wore this in the '90s. It still looks perfect. I remember when it was in a little pot. I actually love smearing gloss onto lips with my finger. Yes, many think it's not hygienic but, hey, I know where my hands have been. And they're always clean.

Get this lip gloss!

FRAGRANCE

November was the month of everything. Someone has to stop me before I buy again. I've been wearing Lake & Skye Santal Gray, Chloe - the ususals - and then I incorporated Lake & Skye 11 11 Perfume Oil, and Child Perfum to name a few. Good grief. There are too many great scents to choose from. The one common feature is that they're all feminine and soft. Nothing loud. I'm in a feminine mode lately. Baccarat Rouge 540 is still delicious, and Thin Wild Mercury's Whisky 1969 are still make me swoon, but with the weather change and that cozy feeling we get when summer is long gone, I'm loving more of a close, soft, pretty scent...with a bit a sandalwood thrown in.

NAIL

Yes. I've been bad. With the year coming to an end, keeping my nails piano-teacher short was required. I know I'll be back in the swing of nails and pedicures. But for now, I'm keeping it simple.

Bring on 2024!