February 2015 Favorites

I don’t understand where February went. Wasn’t it just Christmas? Wasn’t it just New Year’s Eve when I was sitting on the couch bumming it out in my flannel pajamas, a blue clay mask on my face and reading Cold Mountain, while my parents watched a jazz concert on PBS? Cool people stay in on New Year’s Eve by the way…

Even though I’m in severe denial about how quickly time is passing, February was a month of great beauty finds for me. This is a lengthy post, so grab some tea, sit back and relax.  

I tried two foundations this month. The Becca Radiant Skin Satin Finish Foundation is a beautiful product. I have the shade Olive and it is a perfect match for my skin tone. This is a medium coverage foundation that as the name implies, has a satin finish. This works well with my oily skin, blends likes a dream, and wears wonderfully. In fact it looks better the longer I have it on. When I have a long day, this is the base I grab for. If you are looking for a foundation that gives you flawless skin without looking cakey and too made up, look no further. The second foundation is the L’oreal True Match in the shade W6 Sun Beige. I resisted buying this for a while, even though there is a ton of hype around this foundation. I finally caved and purchased it at the end of January. I’ve been missing out. This is a fantastic foundation at an even better price. It’s medium coverage, doesn’t lean too dewy or too matte and wears well. It lasts for hours on the skin and like the Becca Radiant Skin, I’ll reach for this when I know I’m going to have at least a 10 hour day. I like the Becca a little more than the True Match, but you can’t beat the price of the L’oreal; $8 compared to the Radiant Skin’s $42.

thebalm Cindy Lou-Manizer. I’ve lusted after this product since it was release almost two years ago. After finally getting my paws on Cindy’s champagne counterpart Mary Lou-Manizer and loving it, it was time to get Cindy. Cindy Lou-Manizer is a soft, warm pink highlighter. It isn’t as shimmery, pigmented and intense as the Mary Lou-Manizer, so it’s perfect for those days when I’m not trying to have my cheekbones to resemble high beams. It pairs well with my mid-toned mauve-pink blushes like NYX Mocha and Laura Geller’s baked blush in Sateen Subtle Berry.

Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector in 01 Rose Shimmer. This is another hyped up product I resisted for a while. I just didn’t believe a lip gloss/lip balm hybrid could really be. That. Good. And even after I got this, I wasn’t initially blown away. When I first tried this I was like, “Okay, it’s just a lip balm that smells nice and barely adds any color to my lips.” Duh Alana, that’s the point! This gives the lips a beautiful sheen that isn’t too glossy. It’s moisturizing and just enhances the lips. It’s supposed to be understated, plus it smells lovely, like vanilla. The texture is smooth, creamy, not too thick and not too thin. There is a very subtle shimmer, but it is so subtle it doesn’t translate to the lips at all. In fact, it took me weeks to see that there was shimmer in this product. I have used this product everyday this month. It stays in my handbag and I grab this whenever I need to moisturize my lips throughout the day.

NYX Butter Gloss in Crème Brulee. This is a beautiful gloss. It’s creamy, nicely pigmented, smells of vanilla and melts into the lips. Crème Brulee is a milky pink-nude shade. I’ve been wearing this alone when I’m in the mood for a paler nude lip and I’ve also been layering this over MAC’s Cremesheen lipstick in Peach Blossom. Those two are a match made in heaven. If you’re a fan of soft nude-pink lips, this is your combo. Go do yourself a favor and put these two on your face.

Maybelline Mega Plush Mascara (non-waterproof). It was time for me to put the L’oreal Miss Manga mascara down and give another mascara a chance. I decided on the Maybelline Mega Plush because I liked the color of the packaging. Once I tired it out, I decided that I also like the product. That’s always a bonus. I favor length over volume in a mascara and this gives me great length. I have really long lashes anyway, so I can generally make any mascara work, but this one is quite nice. It doesn’t make my lashes as long as Miss Manga, but I sill like it. It doesn’t smudge on me, even though it’s not waterproof and people have asked me if I’m wearing false lashes, even my parents. Dear Parental Units: No, I am not wearing false lashes. They scare me. No glue is going anywhere near my eyeballs.

I acquired two more Real Techniques brushes this past month. I’ve been eyeballing the Expert Face Brush for a while now and I’ve really been enjoying it when I use it to apply foundations that tend have a more fluid texture. I really like it with the Becca Radiant Skin, L’oreal True Match and the Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua. Because this is a denser brush, I can really get precise application and it blends foundation in flawlessly. I’ve also been putting the Stippling Brush to good use. I strayed away from concealer this month (except underneath my eyes, because the hereditary dark circle struggle is real). I’ve been using the stippling brush to apply more foundation where I think I need it, mainly on my cheeks and it covers up any hyper-pigmentation flawlessly without looking cakey.  

Fresh Umbrian Clay Face Lotion. I was in the market for a moisturizer to use in the morning. I stumbled across this Fresh one that was formulated with oily skin in mind. It claims to control oils while gently hydrating and toning the complexion. I really, really like this stuff. It really does keep my face less oily and I find that I don’t need to blot my face as often throughout the day.  I also like how it smells, like cucumbers and citrus with a hint of floral. I have a back up.

Origins Plantscription Face Oil.  I like this face oil so much that if I were to describe to you in person my love for it, I would just make incoherent noises. My skin drinks this oil up. I use three drops at night and one drop in the morning and my skin is more radiant, bright, even, smooth, soft and more youthful. Granted, I am in my 20s, so my skin is already youthful, but it’s still improved the texture of my skin. My skin has the texture of my 17 year old self and that almost 7 year gap makes a difference. If you’re into facial oils, you may want to look into this gem by Origins.

Those are all my monthly favorites for the month of February. This was definitely a long post, but I hope you enjoyed it. I like taking the time to write these more lengthy posts, there is something satisfying about it.

What were your favorite products from this past month?

-      Alana

September 2014 Favorites

I’m still in disbelief that it’s October. We have a little less than three more months left of 2014. Holiday season is among us people! Hallmark already has their Christmas décor out and we all know that on November 1^st, the Christmas music will be blaring from every store. But before all of that chaos ensues, let’s talk about some September favorites, shall we?

1.     Dior Ultra Addict Lip Gloss in #452 Pretty Rose – I’ve had this for a few months now but I didn’t really appreciate it until recently. When I first got this gloss the pigmentation actually disappointed me until I realized, it’s supposed to be sheer. In September I began wearing this gloss over a lip liner that is ever so slightly darker than my natural lip color. I apply the liner just on the bottom center of my lower lip and to define my cupid’s bow to enhance the shape of my lips. This gloss just gives the prettiest, healthiest look and is hydrating like a balm. It’s become my go-to gloss for minimal or no makeup days.

2.     Maybelline Color Elixir in #065 Caramel Infused – When I first got this gloss last Fall I was really put off by the scent and taste, so I didn’t wear it a ton. I decided to put it on this past month and have been reaching for it frequently since. The scent and taste don’t bother me like it used to and I love the finish it gives. As my best friend said, “You’re lips look luscious!” and what chick doesn’t want luscious looking lips?! It’s a beautiful shade that enhances your natural lip color. The formula is thick but not sticky and hydrates well.

3.     L’Oreal Miss Manga Mascara (non-waterproof) – This mascara is great! I’m not super picky when it comes to mascara because I have really long lashes, so it doesn’t take much for my lashes to look like something. This mascara makes my lashes look unreal. I don’t wear waterproof mascara often, so I expect my non-waterproof mascara to not smudge (asking for a lot, I know…). But guys! This barely smudges on me! My waterproof L’Oreal Carbon Black smudges like crazy on me and this one doesn’t and I have oily skin, so that’s a big deal. If you’re in the market for a new mascara, give this one a go. It’s become one of my favorites.

4.     Maybelline Fit Me Foundation in shade #240 – This is another product I purchased last Fall and I only wear it during the cooler months because it will melt off my face in a heart beat in the hot summer heat. During the cooler months, when set with a mattifying powder I can actually wear this for a few hours before needed to blot. This foundation is marketed towards people with dry to normal skin, but I’ve been able to make it work for me. Bringing it back out this fall reminded me of how much I like it. It’s lightweight, light to medium coverage, it’s a perfect match for my skin tone, and gives a healthy glow without making me look like a face-planted a bucket of fried chicken.

5.     Formula X for Sephora Base Coat – This base coat is the best base coat I’ve ever tried. Period. My nails won’t chip for a week! I’m really impressed. It’s a sticky base coat so polish really adheres to the nail. It’s a bit pricey for .40 fluid ounces ($10.50), but I always do my own manicures, so it’s worth it.

6.     Estelle & Thild Face Cream, Fragrance Free for Sensitive Skin – I’ve wanted to try something from this brand when Estée from essiebutton on YouTube raved about it. However, it’s pricey (retail for this particular face cream is around $48. I paid $13) and not the most readily available. I was browsing around the skin care section of TJ Maxx and lo and behold! there was this face cream! I snatched it up and it’s been love ever since. This is a thicker, richer face cream that I only use at night on nights I apply a facemask, so about 3 times a week. I used detoxifying masks that can really leave the skin feeling tight and dry. On those days I want a heavier face cream that is really going to hydrate my skin and this fits the bill. It’s too heavy for me to use on daily basis but perfect for when my skin needs a little extra TLC. And the ingredients are natural and organic. Win!

7.     Crabtree & Evelyn Avocado, Olive & Basil Hand Cream – This is another TJ Maxx purchase. I’m always on the hunt to find the best hand cream and this may be my favorite thus far. It smells great, it’s super moisturizing and it has great ingredients. I picked up another in the scent Rosewater. When I apply this at night, my hands feel unnaturally soft in the morning. This comes with a hefty price tag at $20 a pop, retail. I paid $6 for mine. Check out TJ Maxx to see if you can score a tube.

8.     The Body Shop Atlas Mountain Rose Body Butter – I love rose anything. I love the smell, the look of roses and even the taste (if you’ve never tried Rose black tea, you’re missing out). Rose is absolutely one of my favorite scents, right along with bergamot. I stumbled across this body butter at TJ Maxx (one of my favorite stores if you haven’t noticed already). I took one whiff and was like, “Yep, I’m gon need that.” It’s a fresh scent without smelling heavy, or like a grandmother. Yet, there is a complexity to it. With my body chemistry it takes on a warmer quality that makes it appropriate for the cooler months. It’s unique also, which is what I look for in a fragrance. I love it so much I went on The Body Shop and ordered the fragrance mist, the shower gel, the perfume oil and a back up of the body butter. I. Can’t. Get. Enough.

9.     J.Crew Factory Statement Necklace – I’ve been looking for a statement necklace like this for a while, a little over a year actually. This necklace is perfect for dressing up or down. I wanted a necklace like this to pair with button downs and plain sweaters. It’s sparkly without being gaudy. I probably wear it 3+ times a week. I have no shame.

Those are all my favorites for the month of September! What were some stand out products for you this past month?

-Alana