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March 2014 Favorites
Since this is my first time doing this, I really just sat down and looked at what I've been wearing really consistently this month. Really, there are only two things that are new favourites this month and everything else is a long time favourite or a rediscovery.
BEAUTY FAVORITES
Garnier Skin Renew BB Cream for Combination/Oily Skin - in Light Medium
The first thing I'll say about this product is actually a minor criticism. This BB cream only comes in one shade and it is, strictly, a little too dark for me. Don't get me wrong, I can work with it, but I'd probably straight up dance a jig if I could get this in a Light Pale shade. That being said, I really adore the coverage and finish on this BB cream even though I actually do have normal to dry skin. I find that it wears well on me throughout the day and when I get home from work on a day without any big catastrophes or stresses, my skin is still looking even and shine free, unlike every other Western BB cream that I've tried.
L'Oreal Visible Lift Serum Absolute - in 145 Classic Ivory
I will admit that the first time I tried this was on a bit of a whim. I was shopping the severely picked over cosmetics section in my local Zellers when it was closing to make room for Target, and they happened to have this foundation in my shade. I snapped it up for about $3 and promptly fell in love. After that first bottle ran out, I'd been trying out some different drug store foundations, but when I recently repurchased this and tried it again I fell in love all over. This colour matches my skin tone perfectly and I love the way it blends and sets on the skin. This is another one that I absolutely love as much at the end of the day as I do when I first apply.
NYX Stay Matte But Not Flat Powder Foundation - in Creamy Natural
This is another product that I had previously tried and really enjoyed, but that hadn't been picked up again when I hit major pan on the first one. While I still love my Rimmel Stay Matte powder (and have multiples of it stashed in both my vanity and in my desk drawer at work for quick touchups), I found myself reaching for this more and more often. I feel like this is for those mornings when I just want to keep it simple with moisturizer, a little touch of concealer, lip balm, and a little mascara. This gives me just enough coverage and evenness for confidence, and it also stays put.
Innisfree Green Tea Mineral Mist
A while back I was putting together an order for more Korean cosmetics (like SO MANY other people, I've recently become obsessed with ordering products from SK) and I decided I wanted to try out a mist. In truth, I picked this one on a whim and I've found that I really like it. I generally use it when I finish my makeup to take away any powderiness left behind and for whenever my skin is feeling a little tight from winter woes. I'm pretty sure I'd like to try a few different mists in the future, but this one was definitely worth the purchase and is getting a lot of use in this Hell Winter.
BRONZERS!!!!
Speaking of Hell Winter... Since everyone in Winnipeg has basically been housebound with alternating frigid temperatures and random warm day blizzards during this endless winter, I feel like I haven't seen the sun in ages and it's definitely showing on my already pale skin. The combination of my corpselike complexion and my intense desire for spring to arrive, I've been really bringing on the bronzers this month.
Quo Sunset Beach Face Palette - Limited Edition Spring 2014 (still available @ Shoppers)
I really do love the idea of a face palette like this. It's easily tossed into my makeup bag and gets it all done without having to deal with multiple packages. All of these products contain shimmer, but I feel like they give a really healthy glow to the skin and I have a feeling that I'm going to be getting a lot of use out of this palette through this spring and summer. The coral blush shade is absolutely stunning.
GOSH Cosmetics Bronzing Powder - in Natural Glow 02
I spent a lot of time hunting for a matte bronzer that would look good with my skin tone and pretty much the second I swatched this one I knew that I had to have it. It might have a touch of a satin finish, but I feel like it works really beautiful for really subtle contouring and just brings a little bit of life to my face when I'm looking dull.
EOS Lip Balm - in Vanilla
I believe this particular lip balm was limited edition. I picked it up in a three pack at Christmastime and it's pretty much lived in my purse ever since. (Note that the packaging looks as though it's been through the war.) I feel like people either love or hate EOS and I can definitely say that I'm on the love side. On top of the ever-in-my-purse Vanilla EOS, I have the Lemon Drop EOS on my night stand, the Sweet Mint on my boyfriend's night stand (I like to share...), and a dish with every other flavour on my vanity. I really, really love my EOS.
Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment
The first time I tried these was when they were the Sephora birthday gift a couple of years ago, and I pretty much fell in love with them... until I got a little bit overexcited and smashed both of them within a very short time period. Yes, they are a little more delicate than you might want and you need to be careful not to break them. That said, I still love them and, now that I know to be careful and not twirl them too far out of the packaging, I've been able to keep this one safe and it too has become a winter staple. When my lips are feeling extra dry, I pop this baby on before bed and my lips feel silky soft in the morning.
NYX Butter Gloss - in Créme Brulee
I have three of the NYX Butter Glosses and I feel like I've now got all of the seasons covered colour-wise. This one is probably my favourite though, since the creamy nude shade goes nicely in any season and with many different looks. I will (only slightly shamefully) admit that when I found out my mom was going down to Vegas on a business trip, I handed her an Ulta shopping list with this on it since I could never find this shade nearby. And I'm very, very glad that I did, because this now also lives in my purse for a quick nude gloss to my lips.
Laura Mercier Lip Glacé - in Bare Naked
I'm pretty sure that this came in the Sephora Favorites Give Me More Lip set that I was obsessed with when it came out last fall, and this is definitely one of my favourites from that set. This is, in my opinion, a fairly perfect nude gloss. It has a sheen without being glittery, it gives life to flat nude lipsticks when used to top it, and it smells like delicious baked goods. What more could you ask? I may have to buy this in full size when this tiny one runs out.
Annabelle TwistUp Retractable Lipstick Crayon - in Royale and Havana (Havana not pictured)
This winter, I went on a purple lipstick mission to rival any other, and that's how I ended up trying these out. Until recently I had always kind of assumed that, because I never heard much about Annabelle, that the products weren't very good and so I stuck to more prominent brands in the drug store. I was searching high and low for wearable purples that would suit my pasty skin tone and Royale jumped out at me as something I absolutely had to try. I'm so glad I did. The color is vibrant and a distinct berry purple, but it's very wearable and flattering. I picked up Havana next, and again I found that it was a very wearable and surprisingly flattering nude that now lives in the cup holder in my car for quick lippy application at red lights.
Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge
I actually really love almost everything I've tried from the Real Techniques line, so when I absolutely had to try this out. Now, I will say that I've never had a Beauty Blender because I can't quite bring myself to spend that much money on a sponge, though I always assumed that I eventually would. At $5.99 US, though, this is a huge steal in comparison and it, too, ended up on my Ulta shopping list that I gave to my mom. And I love it. It really does plump up and it really is incredibly soft, which blends my foundation to a really flawless finish. Next time I'm in the States, I have a feeling I'll be picking up a couple more of these for backups.
NON-BEAUTY RELATED FAVORITES
Spartacus - STARZ Original Series
It didn't take long for me and my boyfriend to marathon our way through four seasons of Spartacus this month, forgoing silly things like sleep and chores around the house in favour of devouring our new favorite TV show. I will say that this is definitely not for everyone, it's basically all sex and violence, but it tells a good story all in all. I definitely took a bit of an emotional ride with this show and was really bummed when we got to the end and had to return to our regular sleep and vacuuming schedule.
Veronica Mars The Movie
I admit that I counted down to this and acted a bit of a fool with excitement on March 14 when it came out for Digital Download. I was one of the MANY backers who donated on the very first day the Kickstarter campaign started and I was dying to see where Rob Thomas was going to take Veronica as a real, live adult. I admit that I was a DVD VM fan, never having watched the show when it was originally airing, and also that I couldn't bring myself to watch the last 4 episodes of the original series until I knew for sure that there was going to be a movie. Was it everything I wanted it to be? Yes and no. I was definitely happy with what they brought to the table, but this just makes me want more. I want the R Rated Veronica Mars season that Rob Thomas has said he'd love to make. Please, Netflix or Amazon, give it to me now!
Neanderthal Seeks Human A Smart Romance - By Penny Reid
I'll be honest, I've been an unabashed romance novel reader since I was about 15 and my aunt started letting me borrow from her vast collection of Nora Roberts novels, but recently I've been finding that I haven't enjoyed any of the offerings that the romance genre has been bringing to the table. Sadly, in the 50 Shades of Grey climate, I'm pretty uncomfortable. Imagine my surprise and excitement when I started reading a book that grabbed me from the first chapter and didn't let go. I can't wait to read the second book in this series, which is already tucked away in my iBooks waiting for me to have time to sit down for proper devouring. I finally feel a little bit of renewed hope that the genre I love so much is going to give me the feels that it always used to.
The end.
** Though the infancy of this blog should make it obvious, I'd like to be clear that none of this is sponsored and that all of these things really are my genuine favourites at the moment.
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