I’m not going to lie: I went a little nuts in Chattanooga. Mostly because they had a real, honest-to-gawd Sephora store, not some reformed closet like we have here in town. They had a REAL Sephora store. And not a soul was in there when Tony and I walked in.

Aside: am I the only one who has ever brought a child into that store? They all literally sneered at me. He is a well-behaved child and was easily occupied with the mini trash cans they had around the store. But literally, none of them would speak to my child. Want to sell me? WOO MY CHILD.

ANYWAY. I had gone in with the soul purpose of restocking on my usual fave, Smashbox’s Sheer Focus tinted moisturizer. I’ve used this stuff FOR YEARS. The Luminous shade is something I recommend to most anyone because it is THAT sheer, but totally gives you the dewy look you want. But while I was browsing..

I picked up the Smashbox BB Foundation, and a lady walked over to me and said, Oh, no. Your skin doesn’t need all that. Walk this way with me. And then I woke up in a bathtub of ice with my kidney missing, but I got a helluva haul in my little black Sephora bag.

I am new to the Perricone MD line, mostly because it’s a litttttle pricier than I usually go. But the lady sold me on the benefits of this take on a tinted moisturizer: SPF 30 (30!), no bad stuff, lipoic acids, and the “little dab ‘ll do ya!” mentality. I’ve used it almost daily since I purchased it and I like it a lot. It’s got a little tint to it that looks scary in my hand (it looks WAAAAY too dark), but it blends seamlessly and I really, really like the higher SPF. (In a perfect world, I’d love to give his hypoallergenic moisturizer a try because it felt AMAZING, but that? Is too pricey for me.)

I’ve been eying the Fresh Rose Sugar tinted lip treatment for a long time now, but I couldn’t ever find a smaller or less expensive sample to try it out. And I didn’t want to buy a glorified chapstick tube at that price.  When I found a holiday gift pack that contained the lip treatment, a bronzer, and a “deluxe sample” size of their soy face cleanser, I gave in. (Side note: I counted no less than fifteen [FIFTEEN!] lip colors in my purse the other day. Just in my purse. Three in my desk drawer and probably six more in my bathroom at home. I .. have a problem.) I will say: this is a glorified chapstick tube. But! It does make my lips feel better and more conditioned and most importantly, it stays for a long while. But the best part …

The nice sized tube of Fresh’s Soy Face Cleanser is what sold me. Look, I’ll never touch a bronzer (my skin is transparent, I’m so pale. Seriously, you can see veins), and I have a favorite mascara, but the lip treatment and the cleanser have justified the purchase. This cleanser is crazy gentle, smells nice, and even takes off waterproof eye makeup. I’m a fan. (It’s .. a little pricier than I’m used to, honestly.) I also have a sample of Fresh’s Black Tea Mask that I am using sparingly and coveting and praying it lasts me until I’m 40.

Winter is incredibly hard on my lips, and even worse, Tony has taken to this habit of sucking on his top lip. ALL THE TIME. To the point that he’s 1) chapping and 2) giving himself hickies on his lip. SERIOUSLY. The only non-colored chapstick I ever have on me is Blistex Mint, and it freaks Tony out to have the tingly sensation. I grabbed this First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair on a whim once I saw it was colorless and flavorless, and it fixed Tony’s lips in ONE DAY. It’s now my go-to nightly for both of us and we may never look back. BEST LIP STUFF EVER.

What’s probably saddest about my list is that you’d never know I was really wearing most of these products.

What about y’all? Find any new treasures I should know about?