Fall and Winter Make-Up Essentials

It’s my favorite time of the year people! November to January is prime time for me! I love the weather, Thanksgiving, Christmas and the prospects of a New Year. I also look forward to breaking out my warm cozy sweaters, boots, scarves and changing up my make-up routine just a bit. Like most people, I start whipping out deeper lip and blush colors and go for a more “flawless” face look.

So let’s talk about my staple make-up products for the fall and winter seasons! As a disclaimer, the majority of the products in this post are high-end products. I’ve been experimenting more with higher end makeup and I have really grown to like what I’ve tried out so far!

Lips

Clockwise: Dior Ultra Addict Gloss in #652, NARS Russian Doll, Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey, YSL Rouge Volupte Shine #2

Swatches from Left to Right: YSL Rouge Volupte Shine #2, NARS Russian Doll, Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey, Dior Ultra Addict Gloss #652

 *My lighting makes everything look too red. I'm going to work on different lighting. But in the mean time bear with me. The YSL and NARS lipsticks are a lot deeper and more purple than shown. 

·      YSL Rouge Volupte Shine Lipstick in #2 – What would be a fall/winter makeup look without a berry lip? I’ve wanted to try one of these YSL lipsticks for AGES but the price tag is nauseating! One of these bad boys is $35. But I ransacked the Internet and on eBay I scored this one for significantly cheaper. I should do a post on how I find good deals on eBay and not get ripped off by scammers. Hmmm, that’s an idea…. But this is a beautiful lipstick. It’s got a light, smooth, pigmented formula, think Revlon Lip Butters, but not so soft to the point where you feel like it’s going to crumble when you apply it. It smells like a Jolly Rancher and you can wear it sheer or build it up to an intense berry. It isn’t overly shiny, provides a nice sheen to the lips and leaves behind a nice even stain on the lips as it wears off. It claims to be moisturizing, but I’m not too impressed with how well it “moisturizes” my lips.

o   A great drug store alternative is Revlon’s Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Crush. It has a different finish on the lips because it’s a stain, but the shade is in the same family.

·      NARS Russian Doll – Don’t be fooled by how dark this lipstick appears in the bullet. It’s extremely versatile. It has a satin finish and I prefer to wear it as a stain by lightly applying it to the lips and then really working it in with my finger. This is a deep, cool burgundy shade with purple and brown undertones. This can be built up to full intensity if you want to go for a really vampy look. I think this would look amazing on really pale skin with a subtle, smoky eye and flawless foundation. Literally like a porcelain doll (I see what you did there NARS).

o   Other lip products of a similar shade (though different finishes) are Revlon’s Super Lustrous Lip Gloss in Raging Raisin and YSL Rouge Volupte Shine #1.

·      Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey – This a great, everyday lip color. I gravitate more towards this product in the cooler months because it has more mauve, brown undertones than Rimmel’s Show Off/Apocolips in Celestial or YSL Rouge Volupte Lipstick #9.

·      Dior Ultra Addict Lip Gloss Glow in #652 Mischievous Rose – The Dior Addict Glosses are my Holy Grail favorite lip glosses. The texture is so silky, smooth, shiny and luxurious. They are pigmented, hydrating and make your lips look unreal. They don’t last incredibly long on the lips because the formula is so slick, but I don’t mind. Mischievous Rose is a brown toned rose shade, that once it warms up on your lips, it looks so natural and pretty without being over the top. When I saw this in the tube I was scared it would be too brown, but it’s not once applied. Good stuff Dior, good stuff. I have no dupes or similar products to this one. 

Eyes

·      Urban Decay Naked2 Palette – For what ever reason I tend to stray away from eyeshadow in the warmer seasons, but once things start to cool down, I break this bad boy back out. Even though I have warm, yellow undertones to my skin, I prefer taupe eyeshadows and there is something about this palette that screams fall and winter to me. It’s slightly cooler toned than the original Naked palette, but still won’t look odd on those of us with warmer undertones. It’s got a ton of shimmer shadows and three matte shades that make it versatile; perfect for a simple every day look, or a festive sparkly look for those holiday parties.

·      Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze – This is the perfect eyeshadow base for the Naked2 palette and it works well on its own. Another eye product I really only break out during this time of the year because it’s a taupe shade.

Cheeks 

Swatches from Left to Right: theBalm Mary Lou-Manizer, NYX Mocha, Milani Red Vino, Tarte: Breathless, Embraced, Whimsy, Bashful, Irreplaceable.

*Again, my lighting makes everything too red. My bad!

·      NYX Blush in Mocha – This is the perfect everyday blush shade that goes with a variety of looks. In the summer I tend to go for blushes like NARS Orgasm, theBalm’s Hot Mama or Milani’s Baked Blush in Luminoso, but once things start to cool down, I want shades that lean more on the berry side. This blush just gives the perfect flush with a matte finish. It’s also at a great price point to at around $5.

·      Milani Baked Blush in Red Vino – This blush looks horrifying in the pan and it is insanely pigmented, so you do need to use a light hand, but when applied lightly, it gives such a beautiful berry hue to the cheeks. It is laced with gold shimmer, so it also provides a nice glow to the cheeks. I remember the first time I wore this, a coworker asked me why I looked so flushed. This is one of those blushes that makes you look like you’ve been in the cold for a few hours. It’s a great quality blush at around $7-8. Can’t beat that!

·      Tarte Pin-Up Girl Blush Palette – This  is my first Tarte purchase and I’ve wanted to try their 12 Hour Amazonian Clay blushes for a while. So, when Sephora had Tarte’s holiday blush palette, I snagged it. I really like this palette and it has a great selection of shades for any look you may want to do. It has three matte blushes and two with subtle shimmer. The main reason I wanted this palette was for the matte tan blush (perfect for when you want to wear a bold lip) and that purplish blush next to it with the subtle sheen. Very pretty.

theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer – I’ve wanted this highlighter for aaaages! Literally, I think at least two years, but I always talked myself out of it. But I finally caved and purchased it and I have used it practically everyday since getting it almost two months ago. Like I said earlier, I tend to go for more of a golden sheen on the cheeks in the warmer months and I like to cool things down in fall and winter. I wanted a highlighter that would still compliment my warm skin tone, while also complimenting the cooler toned blushes I start to wear again. This is also such a nice highlighter; soft and pigmented. It’s easy to go over board with this though, so apply with a light hand!

Face

·      Laura Geller Spackle Primer in Ethereal – I love to mixed this in with the Rimmel Stay Matte Primer. It provides such a lovely glow to the skin and really makes your foundation look nicer.  I wouldn’t say this is shimmery, it’s more opalescent. It doesn’t look glittery at all, it just glows. Perfect if you’re trying to achieve that flawless skin look that people strive more towards when the weather is colder. It really makes you look “lit from within.” This is also a very generous size. Most primers come in 1 ounce tubes. This is 2 ounces, so you are getting more for your money.

·      The Body Shop Extra Virgin Minerals Liquid Foundation – I can only wear this foundation when it is cold and dry outside because otherwise it will slide off my face. It has a dewy finish and I find it to actually be quite moisturizing. This is not an oil free foundation, but it does not break me out. It has light to medium coverage and gives a natural look to the skin. It’s perfect for those cold winter days and you want a foundation that’s going to provide some extra moisture to your skin.

·      Chanel Vitalumière Aqua Foundation – This foundation has a huge hype around it and I’ve been curious about it for quite sometime. I finally got my hands on it and I like it quite a bit. I have the shade B40, which is the perfect shade for me when I don’t have a tan. It’s wears nicely and has a satin finish. It feels like nothing on the skin. It has light to medium coverage and I feel like the longer I have this on my face, the better it looks. It really makes my skin look flawless. The wear time is great on my skin, for me being having oily skin. For the price point I wanted it to really perform, but at the same time I didn’t want to like it so much because then I’ll want to repurchase when I run out. Guys, I like it too much. So long money. Send me a post card from France, signed by Chanel (that ain’t gonna happen). Lovely. Pricey. But lovely.

These are all my makeup staples for Fall and Winter. Quite a long post I know, but I really wanted to share these items with you all! So for those of you who actually read everything, you're the best!

That are you cold weather makeup staples? Have you tried any of these?

- 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