Sunday, April 5, 2015

March 2015 Favorites


I’m going to spare you all from the typical “I can’t believe another month has passed! Where does the time go?” All I know is, even though I actually like cold weather (these born in Massachusetts bones find it refreshing) I’m looking forward to Spring, minus the tiny specks of yellow dust that have been irritating my nasal passageways. However, I will take a few sneezes for this 70-degree weather that is forecasted for this coming week.

 I don’t have many favorites this month, but the items that I do have to share with you all are really noteworthy products.

Feel free to click the image for a larger view


Simple Micellar Cleansing Water. When I ran out of Bioderma, I wanted to find another cleansing water that was significantly cheaper. I didn’t even know Simple had a micellar water until I stumbled upon it in Target. This is a great product. It’s gentle on the skin and really does a great job removing my makeup and prepping it to be cleansed with my other cleansers. At a $5.99 price point, I don’t think I’ll go back to Bioderma. I even like the smell of it; it has a mild, earthy scent.

thebalm Geranium Toner. I’m always on the hunt to find another great toner. The Geranium Toner by thebalm is alcohol free, so it does not feel like it’s burning on the skin. It also contains glycolic acid, which further helps to cleanse pores and even the texture and tone of the skin. It’s also gentle and doesn’t make my skin feel tight and dry. If you’re in the market for a good toner, this is one you may want to check out.

Kiehl’s Rosa Artica Eye Balm. When I first started using this product, I wasn’t sure if I liked it. I’m more accustomed to creamy eye products and this one definitely has a unique texture. When they say balm, they mean balm. When you wipe your finger in the jar, you barely lift up any of the product, save a few white “chunks”, but whether you see it or not, it’s there. It almost has an oily consistency. I only use this at night because it is rather rich and emollient, so much so that I don’t need to use an eye cream during the day. The more I use this, the softer the skin around my eyes becomes. It’s moisturizing and soothing and I look forward to using it every night, even if it is unconventional.

Chantecaille Just Skin Tinted Moisturizer. I briefly touched on this product in my most recent post and I’m only going to mention it briefly here because I’m going to have an entire post on tinted moisturizers. I wore this base the most out of all my tinted moisturizers and foundations this month. It’s got good coverage for a tinted moisturizer, feels light on the skin and has a beautiful dewy finish. It is also incredibly long lasting on the skin for it being a tinted moisturizer.

butter London Cheeky Highlighter Tint. I also mentioned this product in my last post. With the weather warming up, I’ve been craving a warmer glow to my skin and this is the product that I’ve been using to help me achieve that glow. I mix this in with whatever foundation or tinted moisturizer I’m using and it just makes the skin look radiant and healthy.  A little goes a long way, use too much and you’ll end up looking metallic and not in a good way.

NYC Smooth Mineral Loose Finishing Powder. Since I’ve been wearing more luminous, dewy bases recently I was seeking a setting powder that wouldn’t make me look completely matte. That, and my other translucent powder from thebalm was looking a bit heavy on my skin. I was going through my makeup stash and found this. My mom actually gave this to me ages ago and I forgot I had it. I’m not sure if NYC even makes this anymore. This is a very lightweight translucent powder that sets my makeup without looking heavy or making my skin look totally matte. NYC is such a budget friendly brand with some standout products and this is one of them.

NARS Striptease Lip Gloss. I don’t think there is anything particularly special about the formula of NARS lip glosses, but Striptease is such a nice shade. It’s a warm, peachy nude with subtle shimmer that does not look frosty on the lips. It’s not a very opaque shade, which makes it more wearable. I have quite a few nude lip products, but nothing quite like this color. It pairs well over lipsticks and can warm up a nude lipstick that is too cool toned and make it more wearable.

MAC Blankety Lip Stick and MAC Stone Lip Liner. I was at the MAC store in Chicago eyeballing Blankety. I’ve actually been eyeing Blankety since 2013, but always talked myself out of it because I thought it would be too cool and grey for my skin tone. However, once I swatched this on the back of my hand, I was like “Shut the front door! Slap someone! Throw a tantrum!” This shade is just so beautiful. It’s a nude with pink undertones and dare I say, a touch of taupe. The formula is standard for an Amplified lipstick: creamy, smooth and pigmented. The lovely Sales Associate at MAC suggested I pair it with MAC Stone Lip Liner. I tried not to give her a strange look because when I saw Stone the only thing I could think of was that brown, harsh lined lip of the 90’s. Stone is a cool toned, taupe-brown shade. However, applied with a very light hand just to define the shape of the lips underneath Blankety, it is really stunning. It almost creates a subtle gradient effect. This will be a lip combo that I will sport all year long.

Those are my favorites for the month of March. Have you tried any of these products? What were your favorites for March?

- Alana