Better late than never... October faves!

Hi Dolls!

Long time, no blog :( I hate that it's been nearly 3 weeks since my last post, but I promise to never go that long again! Due to a combination of a zillion (I may be exaggerating) projects and papers to complete these last few weeks and my mom spending some time in the hospital, I have neglected you guys. I couldn't decide if I should put up my October favorites since we're 10 days into November, but there are so many products that I just couldn't wait to share with you (and a few I'll warn you about!).

 So without further ado, here is my top 5 favorites, and 2 products I won't be re-purchasing.

1.) Revlon Kissable Balm Stain in Crush

So I've expressed my love for these balm stains before and I have to say that this gorge berry/plum combo is an amazing shade! I purchased a Maybelline Color Whisper in Berry Ready (left) earlier in the month, and although the color payoff was fabulous (see both shades below), I really don't like the texture of this lip product. It is advertised as "Truly translucent gel-color with pure color pigments suspended in a weightless gel." Good concept, poor execution. The formula kind of reminded me of Clinique's Almost Lipsticks (Black Honey is a cult classic, LOVE!). However, the gel in this is meant to feel light on the lips, however, the gel formula is a mess. Even using a lipliner, the color travels outside of the mouth and bleeds into lines of the lips, giving a not so cute "I just ate a popsicle" look to the mouth... Guhross.
 
                                    Left: Maybelline "Berry Ready"  Right: Revlon "Crush"

2.) Beauty Blender Kit 

I have always thought reusing makeup sponges was unsanitary, something about a porous surface continuously touching my face freaks me out. I have generally chosen brushes over sponges but after seeing multiple YouTube reviews praising the Beauty Blender and hearing that the sponges can be cleaned with a special cleanser, I started to reconsider my prejudice against sponges. The Beauty Blender is not your average sponge, however. The unique shape fits every contour of the face, blending makeup seamlessly under the eyes and around the corners of the nose. You also get more coverage options than you can get out of a foundation brush, and can be used wet or dry to adjust texture. After playing around with it a couple of times, I realized that I definitely prefer using it damp, the application looks much smoother and more even and blurs imperfections for an almost airbrushed finish. The kit I ordered from Makeup Mania included two fuchsia Beauty Blenders and a cleanser with a pump. I'm not obsessed with the cleanser, it seems to do a rather mediocre job of cleaning the sponges and is a bit messy to use. One other thing that irks me about these wonder sponges, if you use long-wear foundation or concealer (which I do!) the formula permanently stains the sponge. Even when washed immediately after use, the excess foundation/concealer is removed yet the surface stain is there to stay, creating the appearance of forever dirty sponges (yuck). It is recommended to replace the Beauty Blender around every three months. Next time I will order them in black and will give you guys the full report on their stain-ability.

3.) Physician's Formula Baked Collection Wet/Dry Shadows

"Baked Butter"

"Baked Spices"

So I used to be in love with these shadows in college, like IN LOVE. I first discovered the beauty of a wet brush when using these metallic shadow compacts, and I have never looked back! When used dry, these highly pigmented shadows go on smooth and silky... but when you wet your shadow brush, these shadows transform into the most amazing metallics. Here's the best part... guess where I rediscovered these little beauties... Big Lots! I was randomly browsing one day and almost screamed when I saw them! Apparently a store had too many of these and Big Lots snatched them up because I continue to see them in drugstores.There were three color palettes in stock, "Baked Sweets" (purples), "Baked Butter" (cool-toned nudes plus champagne), and "Baked Spices" (warm-toned nudes plus copper). I picked up "Baked Butter" and "Baked Spices" for $3.50 each!! (that's half the price!) and I am advising you... RUN TO YOUR LOCAL BIG LOTS!


I'm wearing "Baked Spices" here. These blend so well that you'll swear that they are high end. These are a super close dupe to Lorac's Little Black Palette and $30 cheaper!





4.) Maybelline Great Lash Lots of Lashes

I cannot express in words how much I love this mascara! I bought this around the same time that I got Benefit's They're Real... and this one beats Benefit hands down (and is under $5)! The most amazing thing about this mascara is the small cone-shaped wand, it's like an amazing hybrid between Make Up For Ever's Smokey Lash and Lancome's Hypnose Star. It is much smaller than the Smokey Lash wand, which I prefer because it allows for much more control and you don't have to worry about getting it all over your eye and it's perfect for defining bottom lashes without getting messy. It's bristles are quite similar to Hypnose Star with varying lengths and widths that grab hold of every lash at the root, making lashes look crazy thick and full, while maintaining beautiful definition and length. The formula is the perfect compromise of not too wet or dry, meaning lashes are weighed down by a heavy formula that takes forever to dry but it is not so dry that it flakes with multiple coats. I currently own this mascara in "Very Black" and "Brownish Black" (for bottom lashes). 

5.) L'Oreal  Magic Skin Beautifier B.B. Cream

I have been searching for a BB cream that worked on my extremely oily and sensitive skin since they hit the market almost two years ago. I have been wanting a product that would provide decent coverage on days that I did not want a full-face of makeup. I have tried several only to find that they had minimal coverage and made my face look disgustingly greasy immediately after applying. The worst one I ever tried would probably be Lancome's Beinfait Teinte BB Cream, it was super thick and all shades were yellow-based making me look I had jaundice. My biggest complaint was that it broke me out after one application and this is a product designed to be a skin treatment with coverage. After sorting through reviews online, I finally found one that is a winner for oily-skinned gals like myself! Ironically it is a L'Oreal product (Lancome is also owned by L'Oreal!) but produced dramatically different result than its higher priced sister brand version. This BB cream goes on white and has tiny blue pigment capsules that burst when rubbed into the skin, creating the perfect shade. The coverage is just right and best of all... it dries to a powder finish! My only complaint is that it does not contain SPF, which is a key ingredient in every other BB on the market. If you're looking for a better than au natural complexion that is super quick and easy to throw on and run out the door. I love this for running errands or going to the gym.


xoxo,

Alicia