Ok, I know February is a short month, but geez! It breezed right by!
I’ve really been trying to incorporate some new or ‘under-loved’ products into my regular routine, because they’re either close to empty and I want to use them up, or they’re ‘rediscovered faves’.
Let’s get started!
BITE BEAUTY SMASHED AGAVE LIP MASK ($26)
I swear the weather up here in New England has reached a whole new level of crazy. Like ‘Britney Spears when she shaved her head’ crazy. And with that has come parched lips. This lip mask is a God send. So much so that despite it’s $26 price tag, I ordered three of them. One for my vanity, one for my purse, and one as a backup. I know. I’m nuts, right? But it’s that good. It’s got a gorgeous universal red-wine tint, and it’s packed full of high quality ingredients like Lanolin, vanilla extract, natural olive fruit, and jojoba oil. It comes in an un-tinted formula, as well as one thats a rosy champagne-y color, but this sheer red just spoke to me. And it’s freakin’ amazing.
MAYBELLINE FACESTUDIO MASTER CONCEAL ($9)
This is one of those ‘rediscovered favorites’. It kinda got buried in my collection, and recently while I was searching for something to conceal my ‘mommy hasn’t slept in a week’ dark circles, this all but jumped out of the drawer at me. It’s thick and creamy, but blendable, and has amazing coverage. I use the shade ‘Light’ under my eyes, and ‘Fair’ to conceal any blemishes, and it does the job without fail. Because it’s so creamy, though, this is one of those concealers that you must set with a powder, or it will absolutely crease. But it’s awesome.
SALON PERFECT BROW DEFINING KIT ($9)
Since running out of my trusty NYX Micro Brow Pencil, I’ve been filling in my brows with powder, and I’ve been loving it! This kit comes with three brow shades, a highlight shade, an angled brush/spoolie duo, and a wax pencil (which I don’t really use). I find that my brows look more natural than ever, which is great for those minimal makeup days where I don’t want my brows to overtake my face, but I definitely want them filled in. When set with a good brow gel, the color stays put all day! One thing I like to do to ensure it doesn’t fade at all is run a little bit of my eyeshadow primer through my brows, and then fill them in. Those babies aren’t goin’ nowhere!
COVERGIRL LASH BLAST CLUMP CRUSHER EXTENSIONS MASCARA ($8)
I have pretty much every ‘Lash Blast’ mascara out there, and ‘Clump Crusher’ is by far my fave. Until I found this in my local CVS one day. I actually applied it in my truck in the parking lot, with no other makeup on, because I was so excited. And it totally delivered! My lashes were defined, slightly volumized, noticeably longer, and it seemed to even curl them a little as well! My eyes looked wide open and awake, and even though I had no powder under my lower lash line, which guarantees a smudge-fest, it didn’t transfer! It applied easily to both my top and bottom lashes, which is uncommon – I usually have to use a different mascara with a smaller brush for my bottom lashes – and it made them long and gorgeous! I’m in lash heaven!
ARDELL DEMI WISPIES ($10 for 4 pairs)
I’m not a regular wearer of false lashes – I mean, c’mon, I’m a stay at home mom; I barely put regular clothes on during the week! False lashes are typically a ‘special occasion’ thing for me, but a couple weeks ago I was feeling especially sassy, and decided to throw a pair on, and I find myself wearing them more often than not now! It’s to the point where it’s almost easier to throw on a pair of Demi Wispies than it is to try to achieve a similar look using three different mascaras. And far less time consuming. What I love about these is that while, yes, they can be quite full and glamorous, they also work well for day to day wear, to really enhance the eyes and open them up. They work well with a blown out smokey eye, or how I’ve been wearing them, with a dusting of a neutral matte brown in the crease, and that’s it. With the literally thousands of styles of false lashes on the market, it amazes me how truly versatile one particular style can be! If you’ve been wanting to try false lashes but can’t decide where to start, start with these!
ESTEE LAUDER DOUBLE WEAR STAY-IN-PLACE POWDER MAKEUP ($40)
Yet another product that seemed to get lost in my ‘black hole’ drawer of pressed powders, I pulled this out recently when I was battling a few blemishes. The reason behind it, and how I have been using it? To spot-set my concealer, and just provide the teeniest bit of extra coverage to particularly angry blemishes. This is also great if you’re someone who doesn’t wear foundation on a regular basis, but gravitate more towards concealer, and want just that touch of coverage and oil control without looking like you have anything on your skin. Basically the way I use it to spot conceal is to apply my regular concealer (or heavy duty, depending on the job) and take a pointed eyeshadow brush, like a pencil brush, and dab it right over the concealed blemish. It helps to set it in place so your concealer doesn’t slide around, even if you aren’t in the mood for a full coverage face. It’s also great with a flat top powder brush to just even out your skin tone. And for the record, because I know it’s a pricey powder, Revlon ColorStay Pressed Powder does essentially the same thing. I just happened to have this floating around, and it’s more than half gone, so I’d like to use it up. I hate waste.
MILANI BAKED BLUSH IN ‘LUMINOSO’ ($8)
Almost everyone here knows about Milani Baked Blush in ‘Luminoso’ – and if you don’t, crawl out from under your rock, run to your nearest CVS, and buy it! All of the Milani Baked Blushes are nice, but most I find to have chunky glitter in. This one though….*le sigh*….not only is it a drugstore dupe for a high end brand, but it’s got this incredibly natural peachy pink glow with the slightest champagne shimmer in it. It’s like having your blush and highlight all in one. It’s like heaven shined down on your cheeks, from a little round, golden compact. This is one of those staples that absolutely everyone needs in their collection, whether you’re a drugstore goddess or high-end hoarder.
BUXOM FULL ON LIP CREAM IN ‘ROSE JULEP’ ($20)
This is a new purchase, which I really struggled with before committing and placing my order, for a few reasons; #1. $20 for a lip gloss? Really? #2. It’s hard to pick a shade online – but thanks to a swatch by Kathleen Lights on YouTube, I took the plunge, and I’m glad I did. I do enjoy Buxom’s lip products; they have a wonderful, refreshing, cool, tingly feel on the lips, which I can’t wait to use during the warm brutally hot summer months. The colors really are gorgeous, this shade in particular being a rosy pink shade that is very close to my own lip shade, so it’s perfect for a minimal makeup day. And they last. They’re sticky, but not uncomfortably so, which helps them stay put, which in turn means you’re not reapplying every hour and zipping through a tube of this stuff in a month.
Really, go buy one. They’re awesome.
There you have it guys!! What are some of the things you’ve been loving this month? Have you tried any of these? Leave me a comment and let me know! I love to hear from you!
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LOTS OF LOVE!!
This is a twist up, chunky stick foundation in shiny black packaging. The shade number is printed on the top of the half clear, half black plastic cap, and the name is printed on the side. The cap isn’t terribly durable feeling, and it pops off easily, so I don’t think this is something I would be inclined to carry in my purse for fear of mess, or even ruining the product.
The formula is surprisingly lightweight, and the ‘anti-shine core’…well, it’s there. I don’t know that it really does anything special. But it’s there.
Affordable Gorgeous 