October Favorites

I didn't get around to doing a September favorites so this is more of an September/October favorites post. I haven't been wearing a lot of different makeup the last few months. I did perform with my troupe a few times though. We danced a 1940s Golden Era Bellydance piece so I've been doing a retro look a lot which is where most of my favorite products come from.

If anyone is interested in a tutorial for this look let me know. It's pretty easy and always looks glamorous. Anyhoo, on to the October favorites!

Eyeko Skinny Liner, Ardell Wispies, Besame Crimson Rouge, e.l.f. Tinted Lip Moisturizer, & Benefit They're Real! Mascara

• Eyeko Skinny Eyeliner in Black I got this back in my July Birchbox it was one of the few items I got from Birchbox that I absolutely loved and one of the very few full sized items I ever got. Anyhoo, this is a felt tipped liner that glides on smoothly and is long lasting. It makes it really easy to achieve that winged liner look. It comes in several different colors. There's a purple I keep talking myself out of buying. It's gorgeous but I don't know when I'd ever wear it. You can buy it at Sephora or Birchbox for $15.
• Ardell Wispies Love love love these falsies. They're big and dramatic but still give that soft wide-eyed look. You can find Ardells in most drugstores and Target for around $4.
• Besame Crimson Rouge I got this is as a sample in my August Beauty Army kit. Besame Cosmetics is all about the vintage retro look with their products and their packaging. This cream blush is much drier than other cream blushes I've tried. It works great though. Just dab a little bit on and blend it out and you have the perfect vintage looking flush. The full size of this is $22 and you can find it at Besame Cosmetics or Beauty Army.
• e.l.f. Moisturizing Lip Tint SPF8 in Rose I usually carry around a ridiculous amount of lippies in my purse. So I've been trying to use up some products and cull the herd. I rediscovered this and have been wearing it a lot. Rose is a darker pink color. I find it much more pigmented than other tinted lip moisturizers/lip balms that I've tried. Fairly well moisturizing and the color is long lasting. These are $3 on the e.l.f. website and I think you can find these in Target.
• Benefit They're Real! Mascara I got this sample in my September Little Black Bag. I really didn't want to love it because the full size is $23. I have a hard time finding a mascara that doesn't give me panada eyes even though I only wear mascara on my top lashes. This mascara delivers length and stays put all day. Love it! I have about $10 worth of Birchbox points to cash in so I'll probably buy this. You can also find it pretty much everywhere... Benefit, Sephora, and Ulta.

I don't normally talk about music but the eagerly awaited new album from The 69 Eyes is finally out! The 69 Eyes are a Finnish Goth rock/metal band. The new album is so good. I've been listening to it two or three times a day. Here's the video for the single "Red."  My favorite track is actually "Black." You can buy this on Amazon as a CD or download. The Itunes version features a bonus track which is a duet with Kat Von D.

August Favorites

The month of August flew by! This month I have been using some new products and some products that have been sitting in my makeup drawer neglected for awhile.

e.l.f. Kabuki Face Brush, UD 24/7 Stray Dog, MUA Heaven & Earth, Macadamia Healing Oil, e.l.f. Makeup Mist & Set

• e.l.f. Kabuki Face Brush This brush is so soft! I've been using it lately in place of my Estee Lauder powder brush and I love it. It's only $6 from e.l.f. I picked this up last month when they were having a sale for only $3. I'm really amazed at the quality for the price. This brush is fully synthetic and vegan.
• Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner in Stray Dog This was party of the 24/7 Travel Set in Naked. I don't believe this color is part of the permanent range. I picked the set up when it was Hautelook last time. The color is a nice taupe brown. It just happens to go perfectly with the eyeshadow combination I've been using from my MUA palette.
• MUA Heaven & Earth Palette MUA is a UK drugstore brand that lots of bloggers rave about. I finally got my hands on some of their products. Here's my haul post if you missed it. Their products are well priced even with the exchange rate. I'm happy to report that they live up to the hype. This palette is pigmented with a nice texture. I've been creating some really nice smokey daytime looks. I'll try to do a full review soon. 
• Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment This was from my first Beauty Army. This smells amazing and leaves my hair very shiny and soft. I definitely plan on purchasing the full size version in the future. 
• e.l.f. Makeup Mist & Set This is another of those products that I use everyday and tend to take for granted. I really notice a difference in how long my makeup lasts when I don't use it. The ingredients include aloe, green Tea, cucumber and vitamins A, C & E. There are probably better setting sprays out there but for $3 I don't think you can beat this one. It also tends to last. I've had this bottle for awhile and I'm just now getting to the halfway point..

What are your August favorites?

July Favorites

My day to day makeup routine hasn't changed much since June. I'm still wearing minimal makeup because it's hot.  So this month  thought I'd share a few products that I use every day that are sort of my unsung heroes.

Estee Lauder Powder Brush I got this from my mom years ago who got it as a GWP.  I love this brush for  applying powder. The bristles are soft and don't shed. I've been using this for years.

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light. This is a little pricey at $29.  I've had this for a couple of years but didn't start using it every day until this year. So it should last for a while. I use this to set my foundation or BB.

Smith's Rosebud Salve I keep this beside my bed and apply to my lips before going to bed. It does a great job of keeping my lips hydrated throughout the night. I sometimes use this on my elbow as well. I have a tendency to prop my left elbow up on my desk and rest my chin in my hand. This makes the skin on my elbow rough. :(  I need to start using this for my cuticles more.

NYX Pin Up Tease Mascara This is my new favorite mascara. If you haven't read my review you can check it out here.

Day of the Dead Hot/Cold Soothing Pad My sister made this for me when I was having my gall bladder removed. Then I would microwave it for a few minutes and put it on my shoulders to alleviate the pain of the gases from the laproscopic surgery leaving my body. I rolled my ankle really bad a few weeks ago and I've been keeping this in the freezer so I can prop up and ice my ankle. Thanks Weaz!

June Favorites

It's hard to believe June is over already! I really haven't been wearing that much makeup this summer.

Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush, Holika Holika BB, Revlon Lip Butter, Balenciaga Perfume

• Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush in Peach Satin.  I had forgotten about this blush until I found it again while digging through my makeup drawer. I love this blush. I'm so sad it's discontinued. I do have an unopened one in my secret stash. I find this blush gives a nice peachy glow.
• Holika Holika Shimmering Petit BB Holika Holika is a Korean cosmetic company. BB stands for blemish balm. These are like a somewhere between a tinted moisturizer and a foundation. They also usually have some skin nourishing ingredients and sunblock. I am so in love with this. I hardly ever wear foundation any more. I will do a full review of this soon. I promise.
• Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie.  When I first bought this, it just didn't live up to the hype for me. I decided to give it another shot and now I can't put it down. This gives a nice berry color to the lips. It lasts a decent amount of time and isn't sticky.
• Balenciaga Essence Perfume Someone sent this to me as an extra with one of my trades. The funny thing is that I just added to my wishlist because I wanted to try it. I'm so in love with this perfume. I'm starting to not wear it every day now because I'm running out. I may have to break down and buy the full size. I suck at describing perfumes so just look it up. :)

So those are my June favorites. Not a whole lot as I'm going for minimal effort these days. I've also spent most of June on the quest for the perfect mascara. I haven't found it yet. ;(

Question Wednesday: Holy Grail Products

Thanks to Nykki for Question Wednesday. Check out her blog Nykki's Mane Blog

Today's Question Wednesday comes from Aly over at Wonderland Beauty!!

Today's Topic from Aly over at Wonderland Beauty is: Holy-grail products


What is your go-to eye makeup look? What products do you use to achieve this look?
Neutral Eyes. Using my Inglot palette. #337, #341 & #353

What are your top 3 favorite lip products for summer?
EOS Lip Balm in Sweet Mint, Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie, and Guerlain Extrait de Rose

What is your favorite liquid face product?
Holika Holika Shimmering BB (the pink one)

What is your favorite eyebrow product?
MAC eyebrow pencil

Lastly, what are some of your holy grail makeup items?
My Inglot palettes, Milani Luminoso Blush, Benefit Porefessional Primer

May Favorites

This month I indulged and bought myself some more high end items for my birthday but other than that I haven't been buying many products this month. I've actually been using a lot of things from my subscription services and   from free samples with purchase.

NARS Orgasm, AmorePacific Tinted Moisturizer, Bond 9, StriVectin, e.l.f Angled Blush Brus

• NARS Blush in Orgasm  I have to admit this is very similar to the Milani Luminoso blush which was my favorite blush in February. I like the formula of the NARS a little better for some reason I can't really describe. It just has the feeling of a higher quality product.
• AmorePacific Tinted Treatment Moisturizer I got these samples with my birthday haul. Generously sized I got multiple uses out of the first little pod I tried. Fell in love with it! The lightest color works well for me. I tried out Fair today and it's just a tad too dark. Unfortunately the full size of this product is $70!  So I don't see myself buying it anytime soon. I will have to admire you from afar AmorePacific. I still have the Light-Medium and Medium samples if anyone is interested.
• Bond No.9 Nuits de Noho This came in my May Sample Society Box. It smells slightly exotic and indulgent. I absolutely love it. I don't wear it everyday because I'm trying to make this sample last. I wore it recently for one of my belly dance performances just to give myself that extra boost. 
• StriVectin SD Intensive Concentrate for Stretch Marks & Wrinkles also from May Sample Society and the QVC Test tube. I was using this for a few weeks prior to my performance. It definitely lessened the appearance of my belly stretch marks and the scars from my recent surgery. I'm a believer.
• e.l.f. Angled Blush Brush I originally bought this brush with contouring in mind but I like it for general blush application. Besides I still haven't quite figured out that whole contouring thing. The fibers are really soft and seem to pick up just the right amount of product. I just looked and didn't see these on e.l.f. Hopefully they aren't discontinued. This brush is cruelty free. 

Sorry I've been neglecting my blog. I did get sucked into Diablo3 but I also really got sucked back into belly dance. I had an amazing weekend last week at a festival. I may blog about it.  Would you guys be interested in a performance video?

April Favorites

I haven't been wearing as much makeup this month as I usually do. I've also been trying not to buy anything makeup wise unless I really have a need. I really need to use up some products and samples. I've been somewhat successful so far.  Two of my favorites this month came from my March Birchbox

• MAC 217 Brush I had quit using this for awhile in favor of the MUG Crease Brush but I've been reaching for it a lot lately. This is a great brush fir getting into the crease or blending. I've had mine for years and it's held up nicely.
• Harvey Prince Yogini Perfume There was a sample of this in my Birchbox last month. I loved it so much I had to order the full size bottle. The light, clean fragrance features top notes of purifying sandalwood, refreshing grapefruit, and sensual Egyptian myrrh. Subtle cues of golden amber, incense, and star jasmine.
• Kerastase Elixir Ultime Was also from my Birchbox last month. This mixture of hair oils is lightweight. The scent is a bit herbal but the shine payoff is great! If I could get the fragrance of the Oscar Blandi Jasmine Oil serum and the effectiveness of the Kerastase in one serum I would be a happy Bat indeed.
• Almay Oil Free Eye Makeup Remover I've long been on the hunt for an eye makeup remover that I liked. I've tried the Clinique Take the Day off and MAC's makeup remover. Neither compares to this drugstore find. It removes eye makeup easily.
• NYX Blush in Pinched I love the cream blushes from NYX that I have so I picked up Pinched when Ulta was having their NYX sale. It's a perfect peach color for summer with just a hint of shimmer.

What are your April favorites? Is there anything you can't wait to try in May?

March Favorites

I mixed up my usual makeup quite a bit in March. I've been really trying out some new products this month.

• Inglot Eye Shadows In love with the smokey eye palette I put together from my Inglot Mini Haul. Cool toned grays look great with my blue eyes and cool toned fair skin.
• e.l.f. Stipple Brush I've been using this for applying cream blush and I love the amount of control I have. I can go subtle or really build up layers for a bolder look. Soft synthetic bristles.
• Benefit POREfessional Primer My new favorite primer. It really minimizes the appearance of pores and is long lasting. If only it were unscented it would be the best primer ever.
• NYX Extreme Lip Cream in Bonfire I'm a big fan of this formula. This is a nice bright fuchsia for Spring.
• NYX Cream Blush in Boho Chic Applied lightly is a nice pink glow. Builds up nicely. Smooth and creamy. It lasts about eight hours before it starts to fade.

February Favorites

I know I'm a little late in doing this. The month of March crept up on me even with that extra day thrown in there!  I've been so busy at work that I've been neglecting my blog. boo.

February Favorites

• Ulta Nail Lacquer in Goddess Is a sheer pink/gold champagne color. It adds just the right amount of shimmer

• Maybelline DreamLumi Touch Highlighting Concealer in Ivory:  This is a pretty good color match for me. Applies smoothly and blends easily.  Just the right amount of brightness under the eyes.

• Milani Minerals Blush in Luminoous A soft pink/peach color. Looks great on the apples or the backs of the cheeks. The compact comes with a built in mirror and brush. I used the brush for the first time the other day. It's very soft and picks up a good deal of product. 

• NYX Xtreme Lip Cream in Buttery Nude:  I've already rave about this in my review.  I'm still reaching for this several times a week.