March Beauty Favorites

Pardon the bit of hiatus in the last week and a half.  I attempted to start a post a few times and I certainly thought about blogging a lot more than that but my brain was like nope.  No thanks.  In fact, my brain is still pretty nope but I'm just gonna power through.  Bear with me.  It will be an adventure for us all.  

Ok, let's get to it.  March beauty faves.  I had a pretty great month for discovering new products and perfecting old routines.  Here we go! 

Nuxe Reve de Miel Lip Balm
I've heard about this lip balm so.many.times and always assumed it was super pricey based solely on the fact that it's French.  When I finally got around to investigating it a bit, I realized it's quite affordable for a quality lip balm that will practically last me a lifetime.  The texture is quite different from other balms.  It actually feels a bit dry and even slightly grainy going on but it absorbs instantly, dries matte and leaves my lips baby soft.  It's a morning and evening staple for me.  

Boots Facial Oil
My first go at facial oils! Being naturally oily, it always felt wrong to think of putting oil on my skin.  But I had been reading and hearing so many good things about facial oils lately, that I decided it might be worth trying.  I wasn't willing to commit to a pricey oil yet so I found this Boots version from Ulta online for $9, right in my budget!  It's so gentle and moisturizing without leaving me greasy at all.  In fact, it may be reducing my oil production during the day since I'm properly hydrated.  I'm a convert.  

Rimmel Stay Matte Foundation in Light Ivory
After hearing a lot of great reviews for this foundation, I bought it back in February but couldn't quite figure out the best application.  I assumed it just didn't suit my skin and almost gave up! I gave it one last go (with the help of the next fave below) and now I get it.  A little goes a long way and blend blend blend to a beautiful matte finish.  

Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge
I've always wanted to try the Beauty Blender but I just can't drop $20 on a sponge.  Mama's gotta eat, afterall.  So when Real Techniques came out with a sponge for about $6, I scooped it up asap.  I don't strictly use the sponge for my foundation but I do use it as a final step to fully blend my foundation and concealer.  I dampen the sponge, squeeze it out, and bump it along my face to fully blend my base.  

The Body Shop Honey Bronzer in 02
This deserves another quick mention (in addition to last month) since I'm loving it so much.  We're baarreelly hitting spring here in Chicago and that means I'm pasty as ever.  This subtle bronzer warms up my skin without making me look like I've taken up fake-n-bake tanning.

Milani Illuminating Face Powder
I bought this entirely on a whim and almost exclusively because I liked the pretty rose pattern.  I think it's marketed as a highlighter for darker skin but it makes the most beautiful blush on my pale skin.  It's warm and bronzey with a slight dewy sheen.  It's been on my cheeks practically all month.  

Urban Decay Naked Palette

Nothing too exciting here guys.  My trusty Naked palette.  My go-to shade is Naked, it's been my transition shade allllllll month long.  I always add in a little Buck for extra depth too.  

Lorac Pro Palette

Keeping it real boring on the eyes this month with some ol' favorites.  The Lorac Pro Palette is the ultimate palette, in my humble opinion.  It's just got everything I need and I've really been reaching for Champagne and Nude all March long. 

L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Excess
Why did I ever stop using this mascara?  What led me astray?  I don't know but I won't let it happen again.  This stuff is the absolute best for volume, length, pigment, and staying power.  

Benefit Gimme Brow
This stuff.  My brow routine has been taken to a whole new level, y'all.  (< Most boring sentence ever?).  I always used an inexpensive clear mascara to set my brows but Gimme Brow just spoke to me.  It's the best setting gel, pigmented and precise, that keeps my brows in place all day long.  Nary a hair out of place.  It's the little things.  

Milani Brilliant Shine in Bare Secret
I'm having a bit of a Milani love affair at the moment.  This gloss is super affordable, well pigmented and not too sticky.  It's the best pinky-brown shade for days when I have no clue what to wear on my lips.  Which is often.  

Buxom Lip Gloss in Sophia
This was a freebie from Sephora and I was soooooo pleased to see it.  Every time I go to Sephora I convince myself not to spend the money on them but they really are awesome.  Be warned, these lip glosses are super tingly (which I love) but they're beautifully pigmented, super long lasting, and not super sticky.  

So what have you been loving in March?

February Beauty Favorites

Here we are again ladies (and gentlemen?)!  Monthly favorites.  While I experimented with a few new products this month and found some gems, I found quite a few misses too.  Thank goodness for a generous exchange policy at Ulta!  Aside from that, I'm still loving nearly every one of last month's favorites too.  

So without further ado, let's get at it.  

November Beauty Favorites

Settle in with a cup of tea my friends and get cozy.  It's monthly favorites beauty time!  I'm still loving all my October Beauty Favorites with the addition of the beauties below.  Let's start with smells!  

October Beauty Favorites

Here we are again my friends! October beauty favorites!  I struggled to restrain myself with this post because I bought a few products right at the end of the month that I wanted to feature but it seemed disingenuous to call them favorites if I've only used them once or twice.  But they're SO great!  

Anywayz, on to this month's goods.  

Let's start with skin care shall we?  I've made a concerted effort to up my skincare routine this month, especially in light of the coming winter months.  My skin tends to get very dry in winter so I want to keep it in tip top shape.  

L'Oreal Revitalift Radiant Smoothing Cream Cleanser

I went in search of a nighttime cleanser at Ulta and I had a few drugstore options that interested me.  Ultimately, this cleanser beat out the others because the price was right (I'm nothing if not frugal).  Even after the first few uses, I was very pleased.  It's a somewhat thicker formula with a super creamy consistency.  It lathers well and it isn't drying.  I've found that it even helps to slightly resurface my skin and fight any scars and spots. 

Physician's Formula Intensive Wrinkle Corrector Eye Cream

As part of my skincare overhaul, I've even dedicated myself to use an eye cream on a nightly basis.  The reason I've mostly been so slow to adopt an eye cream is because it's rare to see benefits right away.  Instead, eye cream is more like an investment that pays off over time.  Admittedly, this eye cream is no different.  However, I find the formula smooth and soothing, it moisturizes well and doesn't leave me feeling greasy.  As far as eye creams go, I think this is a great introduction to my routine.   

Got2B Powderful Volumizing Styling Powder

I feel rather silly that I've haven't mentioned this in past favorites.  I've been using it quite regularly since early summer.  It's a feather-light powder that I sprinkle sparingly onto my roots on days that I've washed my hair.  It creates awesome volume and just a bit of grip to help styling.  And since you need so little, this bottle has lasted me months.   

Onto hands! 

Sally Hansen Cuticle Massage Cream

This stuff.  The smell.  Heavenly!  Along the same lines of my renewed skin care routine, I've also been focusing on taking good care of my hands and nails.  This cuticle cream is non-greasy and well-moisturizing and as I said, the smell is totally intoxicating.  

Nourish Organic Coconut and Argan Body Lotion

This little gem was in October's Ipsy bag and what a total delight.  This formula is so thick and creamy but absorbs into the skin within seconds.  And the smell is to.die.for.  I was beyond delighted to discover that the full size is available at Target for around $10.  I have no doubts that this will soon be a staple at my bedside table.  

Seche Vite Top Coat

This probably needs little explanation.  It's a cult favorite for a reason.  It's the BEST top coat I've ever used and I think I'm already on my 3rd or 4th bottle.  It creates a super shiny finish and makes my nails feel strong.  Holy Grail status.  

Now onto eyes!  

Maybelline One by One Volum' Express

Now, this mascara has not fully replaced my beloved L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Excess but it may be a close second.  I find the formula decently volumizing and impressively lengthening.  The formula is buildable for an awesome dramatic look and there's no smudging all day.  

Essence Liquid Eyeliner

Now, I'll say upfront that this eyeliner isn't particularly long lasting and I didn't really expect it be when purchasing.  However, it has a great teeny tiny precision tip that I use in combination with black eyeshadow and an angled brush (see below).  Paired together, it gives me just the right winged tip.

Lorac Pro Palette

This palette is everything.  I've been wanting it for months but the price tag kept deterring me.  I finally discovered that I had about $36 in unused Ulta Rewards Bucks and I didn't think twice about buying this.  This a rare palette in which I would wear each and every shade.  The formula is so pigmented and practically buttery soft with no fallout.  A combination of these colors have been nearly the only thing on my eyes all month long (and I don't expect that to change in November either).  

As I said, I've cut back on a heavy liquid liner these days and have been opting more for just a little accent in the outer corner of my eye using an angled brush and some black eyeshadow.  I find it's so easy to work with and I can even do it when I'm half asleep.  

NYX Cream Blush in Red Cheeks 
Don't be alarmed by this blush's vibrancy!  It shears out so beautifully and creates a warm rosy glow that lasts all day.  I've been a NYX Cream Blush fan for months now but this shade is currently top of the list.  

TheBalm Mary Loumanizer
I'm no highlighter expert and I'd go as far as to say that this is my first proper highlighter but I'd like to think I know a good thing when I see one.  This highlighter is so lovely, subtle and shear.  I do a quick sweep across each cheekbone and it provides a beautiful glimmer that catches the light whenever I move.  TheBalm knows how to do highlighters right.    

Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Gloss in Natural 
Not too exciting, eh?  With all the excitement I've had with my Lorac Pro Palette, I've been keeping things on my lips somewhat neutral.  This shade is a pale pinkish nude that I swipe on throughout the day.  Admittedly, it's not a SUPER long lasting formula but reapplying a few times throughout the day is no skin off my nose.  

If you're interested in any of these monthly favorites, I've also made a Pinterest board for easy access!  You can follow it here: http://www.pinterest.com/AnniesCtyKtchn/monthly-favorites/

So what have been your favorites this month?

Fall Fingers

I'm sure I'm not the only lady who paints her nails, like, 3-4 times a week.  Partly it's because no base coat in the world can prevent chipping for me (and I do NOT tolerate chipping) but it's also because I find the act of painting my nails really relaxing.  And duh, I like having different colors on my fingers.

And I'm not one to strictly use "summer colors" or "fall colors" or whatever.  Of course I really love a bright neon in July or a deep berry in October but there are also a lot of other options that still look great for the season.

If I was cray cray rich, I'd buy EVERY Essie, OPI, and China Glaze collection under the sun.  And then I'd swatch them for you all and talk about the latest and greatest of the season.  But let's be real, I'm a lady on a budget so I often look for great drugstore options and tend to splurge on top coats or base coats.  Also, if kept well, nail polish lasts foorreever.  So here are some newbies and classics I've been loving lately.

L'Oreal Color Riche Walk On The Beach
I think it's only natural to think of dark colors when it comes to fall but I think a great nude polish looks good any time of year.  I especially love this shade because it's got cool tones which, for me, really flatters my skin tone.

Revlon Colorstay Fall Mood
I love this super metallic copper shade!  I saw this last week at Ulta and immediately snatched it up.  It's unlike any other shade I own and would make a great holiday shade too.  And an extra bonus, the metallic effect makes lightly harder to spot chips.

Orly Terra Mauve
This color looks unassuming in the bottle but it's such a lovely muted berry pink shade.  It's one of those no-brainer polishes that I reach for when I don't quite know what I want to wear.

OPI Ski Teal You Drop
Ah, this one is a classic!  I've worn it for years.  It's such a wonderful deep rich teal and a fun alternative to a dark berry or red for the colder months.  I've even seen a great dupe for this by Revlon (the name escapes me) if you don't want to drop the $9 on OPI.  

L'Oreal Stroke of Midnight
This is one of my newer polishes and I've worn it half a dozen times already.  It's a beautiful marbleized slate grey with streaks of silver.  It has a slightly cool blue tone and it's great when you want a dark nail but you still want something with a little interest.

L'Oreal Breaking Curfew
Yikes, can you tell I have a thing for L'Oreal polish lately?  For the price, I think it's one of the best drugstore options.  This shade is my favorite when I want a super dark nail but not quite black.  I like to wear my nails long and sometimes, black on long nails can look a little.... witchy.  This is a very deep berry purple that makes an excellent replacement.  

Well now you know what my fall fingers will look like.  What are you loving this fall?

September Beauty Favorites

Monthly favorites time!  I wanted to get this posted last Monday but I had just moved apartments and I was too flat-out exhausted to even consider it.  I know you've been waiting with baited breath.  Anyway, let's get at it.  

L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Excess
Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Brightener
NYX HD Photogenic Concealer in Glow 
L'Oreal True Match Powder in Deep Cool
Revlon PhotoReady Powder in Light/Medium

Yikes!  That's a mouthful.  I'm lumping all these together because they were just in last month's favorites and they're still going strong.  With the move and all, I really relied on some trusty standbys instead of buying new products that I'd just have to pack up.  However, I have tried one or two new mascaras that still didn't make the cut to a favorites list.  My Million Lashes Excess is a tough one to beat.   

Simple Foaming Cleanser

When it comes to skin, I feel like I'm pretty lucky.  While I certainly get the occasional breakout, I've never had to deal with any major skin issues.  It feels like I'm at an age where perhaps I should start investing a bit more with my skincare but perhaps I'll save that for next month because Simple is an affordable drugstore brand and I've been pleased with it so far.  Since this cleanser is gentle, I tend to use it in the morning for a quick wake-up and to catch any leftover makeup bits that didn't make it off the night before.  It NEVER stings my eyes and I've had zero irritation with it.  This one is a no brainer.  

August Beauty Favorites

Beauty faves time!!!  This is one of my favorite beauty posts to write because I could just gab about beauty products for hours and hours and hours (and hours and hours).  Let's get at it! 

Psssst!  Dry Shampoo- Fear not, my love affair with Batiste Dry Shampoo hasn't ended.  I actually happened to have a bottle of Psssst waiting in my medicine cabinet so as soon as I ran out of Batiste (which lasted FOREVER btw), I gave this a go.  Now, this one isn't colored so there's a definite white cast on the hair but it brushes out so easily that it's no big deal.  I've also found that there seems to be less build-up in my hair after using it, even for a few days in a row, so I'm totes in love.  

                        

L'Oreal True Match Powder in Deep Cool-   Yes, this color is WAY too dark for me as a regular face powder but, on Maskcara's recommendation, this is a perfect contouring powder!  I used to try contouring awhile back and eventually stopped because I didn't really like the powder I had and I probably wasn't using the right brush.  I've switched things up a bit this time and I contour every day now!  It takes about 30 seconds and I think it makes a huge difference.   

Almay Color + Care Liquid Lip Balm- This particular shade is Cantaloupe Cream but really, I could recommend them all.  This is probably my very first Almay purchase because I generally just don't find most of what they offer very intriguing.  However, EssieButton mentioned these a few times in videos and posts and something caught my eye.  I love the simple packaging, the price (they're about $5.99), and the shear wash of color.  I've worn this on its own and over lipsticks pretty much every day for two weeks.   

Maybelline Color Sensational Vivids in Brazen Berry- Admittedly, this looks a little bold in the tube!  However, it's such a fun bright purple-ish pink and goes well with a surprising number of looks.  This has really been one of my go-to shades the last month when I want to punch things up a bit.  And the formula for the Maybelline Color Sensational collection is really great and not drying.  

L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Excess- Well do I really need to say much more about this mascara?  It's still going strong as my top mascara and I luurrvveee it.  I'm sort of torn because I genuinely enjoy shopping for and trying new mascaras but I really don't see the point anymore after using this one.  There's gotta be a pretty strong case for a different mascara for me to try it at this point.  

Dove Invisible Solid Deodorant in Fresh- Seems sorta weird to call out a deodorant but I'm pretty pleased with this purchase.  I mostly just buy whatever the heck is on sale (which was the case with this too) so I guess I maaayyyy have just been using a lot of cheap deodorant before.  This stuff goes on smooth and smells soooooo good.  Not perfumey or flowery, just super clean and fresh.  

NYX HD Photogenic Concealer in Glow- Look familiar?  This is the same concealer from my June Favorites but it's a different shade.  I ran out of the original bottle so I went to buy another but they were out of Light.  I started looking around for a few other shades and realized that Light may have been to light for me all along.  Glow is a much better match for me and now I seriously love this stuff even more.  So affordable and effective.   

Revlon Photoready Powder in Light/Medium- I've had this powder for MONTHS and really started using it again out of necessity.  My Rimmel Stay Matte powder started to get slightly too light for me after some time in the sun so I gave this a shot again.  It's the perfect shade for me and it really does seem to blur the face a bit (in a good way) that just blends everything together.  The perfect finishing touch! 

Formula 10.0.6 So Totally Clean Deep Pore Cleanser and Pores Be Pure Mud Mask- Part of me feels like this line of products is maybe for tweens or something?  I don't know why I think that but it doesn't really matter because I love it anyway.  The Deep Pore Cleanser is an excellent spot treatment to stop blemishes on the horizon and the Mud Mask is awesome for clogged pores.  Not to mention, I always see this brand on sale at Ulta and I somehow bought these, plus two other products, on sale and with a coupon for under $8.  No clue how I did that.   

Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in Coffee Cake -  Minus the entirely ridiculous product name and packaging on this, it's a reealllly awesome cream blush.  I know the color doesn't look like much in the picture but it's just an awesome warm brownish-pink shade that goes with practically everything.  Now that I know the beauty and splendor of cream blushes, I'm never going back!

What are your favorites this month?