Monthly Favourites: The Best Of October

The Best Of October

Hello! Hope you are all doing well! So I have never done a monthly favorites post before. I have always had it in my head to start doing them but for some reason I never have. Also, before anyone tries to tell me that November 9th is too late for me to post an October favorites post - you're wrong! : )

Face Products

L-R: Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation and Concealer, Essence Cherry Blossom Girl Bush, Benefit Cha cha Tint, MAC Select Sheer Pressed Powder

This month I've been trying to use up foundations because I have a drawer full of them. I have been making myself use the ones I don't like too, but in doing this I have actually grown to like one of the ones I didn't like before. I know everyone raves about Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation, but for some reason when I first got it I really didn't like it, it made my skin look bloody awful and didn't last any amount of time on my face at all, though now I think that was because my skin was in awful condition when I first got it and now its improved drastically. So needless to say it was thrown in the back of my foundation drawer and that was that. Until I pulled it out again a few weeks ago and decided to give it another chance, and i'm pleased to say that I am now in love with the stuff! It makes my skin feel and appear so much smoother, even and brightened up and pair it with the matching Healthy Mix Concealer and my skin has pretty much been looking flawless, amazeballs!

For setting my foundation I usually use MAC Mineralise Skinfinish in Natural, but I had my cousin's wedding last week and wanted something with a little more coverage. So I bought MAC's Select Sheer Pressed Powder and I'm really liking this. It's great for those days where I want a bit more coverage without looking plastered in make-up. That being said, I think this may be the cause of some breakouts lately. 

Blush wise, I found a lovely one a while ago in Essence's Cherry Blossom Girl Collection. I picked it up when I bought one of their double ended eyeliner pens, reviewed not so long ago here. I hadn't really used this until the last few weeks, but this is a lovely peachy/coral blush that goes on lightly for a lovely subtle flush. Its a great multi purpose product due to the two shades in the compact, I swirl them both together for blush and then use the lighter shade as a highlight which works really well.

I've been pairing the Essence blush with Benefit's Cha Cha Tint underneath if I want to add a bit more oomph to the blush. The two look really pretty together and it's been my favourite way to add colour to my face recently.

Eye Products

L-R: UD Feminine Palette (Old Version), Eyelure Katy Perry Lashes, Benefit They're Real! Mascara, UD 24/7 Liner in Perversion, Revlon Precision Lash Glue

I know the version of Urban Decay's feminine palette that I have is the old version, but honestly I prefer the colours in the one I have to the new one, hence why I won't be buying the newer one. I've been reaching for this most days, it has the perfect shades of shadow in there for putting together a quick and easy eye look that still makes you look put together.

Inside UD Feminine Palette

I wont say too much about my next favourite, as I will be posting about it in the next few days, but I've been really liking Benefit's They're Real! Mascara. It's pretty amazeballs!

When I bought my UD Smoked Palette, it came with a full sized 24/7 Perversion liner. Holy cow! It's amazing! It's the blackest black pencil liner I have ever seen and the lasting power with this is amazing, it lasts most of the day before I have to go near it to re-apply, it's really something else and I think everyone needs this liner in their life!

Now i'm not a big false lash wearer, but for my cousin's wedding I picked up a pair of Eyelure's Katy Perry lashes and they blew me away. I got the most natural pair called Sweetie Pie. They're so beautiful, they really opened up my eyes and I got tons of compliments when I had them on. Will be doing a post on them soon as I was so impressed I think they deserve their own post!

With the Katy Perry Lashes I used Revlon Precision Lash glue, as I hate the stupid little useless tubes of glue that come with eyelashes. The Revlon lash glue is in a league of it's own when it comes to lash glue, its so easy to work with and I had no problems with lashes falling off, it's fantastic!

Lip Products

Top: Strawberry Carmex, L-R: Revlon Lip Butter in Sweet Tart, 17 Lipstick in Barely Blush

I love Revlon's Lip Products, my favourites being their Lip Butters, which I posted about here. Lately I've been wearing Sweet Tart non-stop, you can see swatches in the link posted above.

When I want something a bit calmer than the bright pink of Sweet Tart, i've been using 17's Barely Blush Lipstick. I really love this lipstick, it's been a consistent favourite of mine for a while now, I always get compliments when I wear it so that could be why!

Also now that it is winter, I've been breaking out the lip balms more than usual and my main pick every time is my Strawberry flavoured Carmex. My lips are pretty chapped at the moment and this is doing wonders for them.

Other Favourites

L-R: Nivea Happy Time Body Lotion, Sigma F80 Flat Top Kabuki Brush

I absolutely love the smell of Nivea's Happy Time Shower Gel, to me it's pretty much the best smell in the world, so I was so happy to see that they do a body lotion now! It's the same delicious orange blossom smell, and it leaves my skin unbelievably soft all day long, its brilliant!

Another long time favourite item is my Sigma F80 brush. It's a flat top synthetic kabuki brush that is used to apply liquid or cream foundations. I got this last year from Cloud 10 Beauty and it's been a firm favourite ever since. It flawlessly buffs foundation into the skin, leaving a smooth, streak free, airbrushed finish. Apologies for the dirtiness of the brush in the photo, it's in need of a clean! 

So that's it for my favourites for October, i'm already looking forward to posting November's favourites!

X o X

Review: Essence Cherry Blossom Girl 2in1 Eyeliner Pen

Hello! This post is going to be a bit of a rant, so it may have a few expletives!

 For ages I was looking for a nice brown liquid eyeliner pen and while in the chemist one day I saw that esssence had yet another collection out, which was cutely named Cherry Blossom Girl. I spotted this eyeliner pen and it was brown and double ended! I practically screamed with excitetement in the shop (awkward!) Anyway I went home to play with said eyeliner and proceeded to be utterly dissapointed.

Essence 2in1 Eyeliner Pen in My Little Kimono

At first glance this couldnt be better, an essence eyeliner pen that is brown and is double ended with a thicker end and a thin end? Amazeballs! Thats where that thought got killed. The initial idea of this eyeliner is great, I love the way the thick end gives thick, dramatic lines and how precise and neat the thin end draws. The problem is the formula itself. It goes on well at first and all seems well but it dosent seem to set properly, leaving the imprint of your liner on your eyelid. Thats all well and good, you can just wipe that away, right? WRONG! This liner stains like a mo'fo! It just does not come off! That would be a good thing to have staying power, but this thing litterally tattoos on your lash line and no amount scrubbing seems to fully remove it. It does fade over time, but you really dont want to be scrubbing at your eye area trying to get your eyeliner off, youre just going to end up hurting your eyes and its a well know fact that excess rubbing and tugging on your eye area does nothing good for wrinkles etc. Before anyone says it I know it says that it stains skin and contact lenses and that its semi permanant, but I dont understand why anyone would actually want their eyeliner to stain their skin and be semi permanant?

Thick End

                                   

Thin End

Left: Thick End, Right: Thin End

I really love essence but this liner has really frustrated me, I really wish they had done it better because the idea of it is really great. Also its the perfect brown colour I was looking for, I just dont think they executed this well, I personally dont want brown stained eyelids for days after I wear this. 

On a brighter note there are some really lovely shades of polish in the Cherry Blossom Girl collection, I just think these liners are a bit of a miss.

Until next time, bye! 

X o X