November Favorites

1) Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Exposed ($25): I own exactly 3 blushes, not counting the Coastal Scents Blush Palette that I have still yet to use (from swatching, they're not very pigmented). Pigment is pretty much the most important thing when it comes to makeup. If you're going to spend an hour or however long it takes to really emphasize your features, it better show up on your face! I personally think Exposed is a universal color and will look wonderful on a variety of skin tones. It's a dusty pink/mauve color on me. It's a matte color, which is great because I hate glitter on my face (I'm talking to you, NARS Orgasm!). Does it last 12 hours? Haven't put it to the test, but my skin is dry/normal so it should last longer in comparison to someone with oily skin. [If you sign up for emails on TarteCosmetics.com, you get 20% off your first purchase!]

2) E.L.F Studio Powder Brush ($3): This brush is amazing! This three dollar brush has helped me achieve flawless skin because it provides full coverage. My favorite product to use this with is MAC Studio Fix Powder with Foundation (more on that later). I also use this with my blushes and it really grabs on to the color. The bristles are super soft and there's minimal shedding. Definitely worth a try! Great stocking stuffer, too. :)

3) Fresh Soy Skincare Set ($38): Why didn't I get this sooner? My friend had raved about it many times before, but I was delirious in my Philosophy world; hence why I discovered these awesome products so late. Picked this set up during Sephora's FF sale (but instead of the eye cream, I got the facial serum) and only started using it recently when my skin erupted like ... well, a volcano. It was badddd. I don't know who the culprit was: reaction to new product, diet, lack of sleep, hormones or all of the above. So I cleaned my slate and changed my routine. I think my favorite product of the three is the facial cream. That thing is the bomb. My dry skin felt the difference immediately! The best part is it doesn't leave a greasy sheen afterwards (I know that bothers some people). That's not a big deal to me, because I like to slather jojoba oil on afterwards before bed. If you haven't tried it, you must! It's so moisturizing and natural, this set would be a good place to start.

4) Lancome Le Crayon Kohl in Black Ebony ($24.50): Usually I wouldn't consider spending so much on eyeliner. There are many more affordable options out there, but I've been after something that has wonderful pigmentation (there we go again) and ease of application. I picked this up for around $16 during Black Friday at a cosmetic outlet store. It goes on super smoothly, without tugging on my lids and blending is a breeze. I've used eyeliner pens, gel liners, retractable liners and pencil liners over the years, but my favorite has got to be pencil. It goes on exactly where I want it to and isn't a big inky mess.

5) L'oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Waterproof ($9): I've already talked about this in my last post, so let me just reiterate how much I love this mascara: I LOVE THIS MASCARA! Head to head with my Cover Girl Lash Blast Volume for sure.

6) Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey ($14.50): I purchased this over the summer and to be honest, I didn't really like it. I was going for a dark berry color, however this went on rather sheer on my lips. Plus it didn't do my chapped lips any favors even though it was suppose to be half lipstick and half lip balm. What's it doing in my November Favorites? Well, I've cured my chapped lips with the help of some Fresh Sugar Lip Treatments (love Honey and Plum) and now this baby glides on effortlessly. The color is  flattering and it's supposed to look different on everyone (I'm a sucker for universal shades). It offers the right amount of rosy tint, and you can go as light or dark as you want. I will repurchase, if I ever finish this tube.

7) MAC Studio Fix Powder with Foundation in NC30 ($26.50): If your face is spotless and without flaws/discolorations YOU DO NOT NEED THIS. This powder is full coverage and it gives me a perfect airbrush look when I use it in conjunction with Lancome's Miracle Teint Foundation and/or any glowy foundations. Since this powder is matte, once it goes on top of a dewy foundation it totally sucks up the sheen. If you have oily skin, I think you'll enjoy this powder. I like to top it off with a bit of highlighter and blush to create some dimension to such a matte face. Also, on my repurchase list.

8) Chanel Le Vernis in Peridot ($25): I have been lusting after this for months! It was sold out at my nearest Chanel counter so I gave up on the search. It's $25 nail polish, after all. I tried to find dupes, but nothing comes close. When Chanel offered free shipping (till mid-December) online, I leaped for this. Two coats were enough and I still can't stop staring at my nails after a week. I never having chipping issues with polish, and this includes Peridot. Graphite is next on my list!

9) Benefit Boi-ing Concealer in 02 Medium ($19): This was a spur-of-the-moment purchase for me. I'm always on the look out for good concealers; most tend to be too drying on my skin. When I tried this at Sephora, I was immediately enamored with how smooth and "wet" this was. It glides and blends easily. The color selection is a rather lacking with only 3 shades, fortunately 02 matches almost perfectly! I use this after foundation and before MAC powder. I haven't really used it for dark circles, mostly just for blemishes, acne scars and all around redness. I was devastated when I realized I lost this concealer today. Hopefully, it's somewhere in my parents' house. I've already bought another one, this time on ebay (for $10!!!) to replace it. I WILL NEVER EVER BE WITHOUT BOI-ING! lmao

Hope you guys had a splendid Thanksgiving!

Mascara Mania

First things first, I just want to apologize for the lack of posts (but who's reading? lol). Honestly, I've just been busy slash lazy. Not going to lie! However, I do have some good news. I recently applied to two Spring graphic design internships (Inked and Seventeen). Inked gave me an almost immediate response to set up an interview, which will be on Wednesday. I didn't really have much hope for Seventeen because I know they get thousands of applications, so I've kind of just focused on smaller publications to try and build my way up. Then suddenly, I saw a response in my gmail account earlier this afternoon! Apparently, after going through all the Spring applicants, I was one of the top 10 candidates! Needless to say, I freaked out. Interview is on Friday :) Wish me luck!

Now back to beauty. As of late, my skin has gotten much better than it was before and I am so thankful about it. In celebration I've started using tinted moisturizers for lighter coverage, rather than my army of foundations. It's definitely a very glorious feeling. Along with that, I'm going through a mascara phase! For the longest time a. Cover Girl's Lash Blast Volume Waterproof has been my staple mascara. It lifts, it curls and it doesn't transfer! What more can a girl want? Before Cover Girl, I had the hots for c. DiorShow, but with such a high price tag, a girl just can't commit. Then, I met b. L'oreal Million Lashes Waterproof... and goddamn I was in love! It's much more dramatic and a tad bit heavier than Cover Girl. At the beginning, it gave me spidery lashes on occasion. But we're through with our rough patch now! I tend to like mascaras more after they've dried out a bit. I tried wearing Cover Girl first and adding L'oreal after, and man does it look good! (I've also tried Cover Girl Lash Blast Luxe (red) and Fusion (purple) and I do not suggest either).

Many friends of mine have raved about d. Bare Escentuals' Flawless Definition Mascara and I can sort of see where they're coming from. In my experience, this mascara does not clump and is very smooth when applied. Unfortunately, my Asian lashes do not stay lifted and look rather sparse with this on. No volume for me whatsoever. I do like this for my bottom lashes though. Another mascara that many people seem to love is e. L'oreal Voluminous Mascara. Personally, I thought it was too inky and wet; therefore, it made my lashes heavy causing whatever curl I had to droop. Not a fan. Lastly, I purchased f. L'oreal Telescopic Carbon Black Mascara after reading about how much Vivianna from Vivianna Does Makeup loved it. I don't think her's is the Carbon Black version though. It's brush is quite similar to Bare Escentual's. I thought the formula was a tinsy bit thicker than BE's and much inkier. One coat is usually enough, otherwise it'll take forever to dry. This also does absolutely nothing for me.

Another mascara that I dislike is Maybelline Great Lash. Complete waste of money!

Let me know what your favorite and least favorite mascaras are :)