November Beauty Favorites | Blogmas Day 2
Another month, another favorites. I seriously cannot believe it is already the last month of 2016. Where the hell has the year gone?! Anyways, here are the beauty products I've been loving over the past month!
Lorac Mega Pro 3 Sold Out Online
Since I've bought a decent amount of eyeshadow this year, I've been making an effort to wear more of it on a daily basis. This month I've been reaching for the Lorac Mega Pro 3 palette constantly!
I love the color selection-- it's got such a great range of neutrals as well as some more statement-y colors.
The shadows as a whole are very soft and easy to blend. They are powdery, but in a good buttery sorta way. The lighter matte shadows build up beautifully and the metallic shades are so pigmented with one swipe. I did quick, one swipe, finger swatches of some of my favorite shades for this post but if you wanna see more swatches you can check out my Lorac Mega Pro 3 swatches and first impressions post.
It is sold out online but I've seen it in stock at local stores.
Wet N' Wild 'Plaid to the Bone' Eyeshadow Trio Sold Out Online
Drugstore limited edition collections usually don't catch my eye. The exception to that is Wet N wild! Earlier this year I reviewed two of their limited edition highlighters from their spring collection (which will be made permanent in 2017!!) and now I've found another LE gem.
The plaid to the bone eyeshadow trio. I think I picked this up in September along with another trio and sort of forgot about it. What a shame that was since two of the thee shades in this trio are GORGEOUS.
Let me start with the negative to get it get it out of the way. The blue shadow in the middle is terrible. I don't know if I got a dud or what but I can't get any pigmentation out of it. It's a shame since the color is so pretty in the pan.
But the other two shades? OH MY LANTA. I can't believe I paid 3 bucks for this because the shadows are so lux. They're so soft, creamy, and pigmented. The lid shade is a beautiful purple- green duochrome that I'm obsessed with. unfortunately since this is a limited edition set it is sold out online. Your best chance of finding it is in stores but even then it'll be hard since this is part of their fall collection 😬
I'm not the best at applying eyeshadow or photographing it, but I wanted to show the eyeshadow in action so here it is!
On my eyes: Wet N Wild 'Plaid to the Bone' lid shade + Pecan & Violet Grey from Lorac Mega Pro 3 Palette
Mac 'Del Rio' Lipstick
I think because MAC lipsticks get so much hype, I had unrealistic expectations for them. But for the price and color range, they really are solid lipsticks!
One shade I've been reaching for constantly is Del Rio. It's a cross between a red, a brown, and a purple. It's definitely a unique color and one that I think compliments my complexion perfectly! Thanks to its satin it's easy to wear and doesn't dry out my lips.
MAC currently has a 25% off sale on their US and Canada sale and I'm eyeing a few lipsticks/ lip liners really hard (...even though I never seem to really like the liners when I swatch them? But I still wanna have one to try out for real lol.)
On my lips: MAC 'Del Rio' Lipstick
Too Cool For School Aqua Gel Mist
Usually i like to use a product for at least a month before I decide to feature it in a favorites (hence why my most recent Sephora purchases aren't featured in this post)... but this too cool for school mist was too good to resist! I'm obsessed with it.
I've tried a decent amount of mists-- from high end to drugstore, and I find this one to be a very unique formula. Like the name implies, it is a gel formula. It has some weight to it but it doesn't feel heavy. It adds such a nice burst of moisture when I use it! Without any stickiness! Another plus is that the mist is pretty fine. It has a very refreshing scent which I credit to the rosemary extract.
I've been going mostly base makeup free so I haven't gotten a chance to try this out on a full face of makeup. Also i know this has nothing to do with the actual product, but I find the packaging so adorable!
CosRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid
While AHAs have become my bffs over the past year, I stayed away from BHAs because in the past I didn't find them to do anything for my skin. Then I discovered the world of Asian beauty and the power of Betaine salicylate.
Basically betaine salicylate is a gentler BHA since it's a combo of betaine and salicylic acid. If your skin doesn't like salicylic acid either, then I highly recommend checking out CosRX's BHAs. This is the strongest version with 4% BHA, but they have two weaker versions.
This exfoliant is frequently mentioned in the AB subreddit and I totally get why, shit is amazing. It doesn't sting or cause any redness for me, but then again my face is accustomed to mild actives. It has also really helped improve the texture of my skin! I think I may finally get a routine down to terminate my closed comedones, but I don't want to speak too soon and jinx myself! Either way, I'm thankful for this guy. I should also mention that it's alcohol free which is a major plus 👍
It has a very liquid texture which I'm not usually too fond of, but the pump makes it easy to distribute a little bit at a time. If I go overboard with it, it does leave a sticky film on my face but that's totally user error.
Fantastic Beasts & Where To Find Them
My last favorite isn't beauty related but I had to throw in my love for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. I was a massive Potterhead when I was younger and the series still holds a very dear place in my heart.
After being utterly disappointed with The Cursed Child (which tbh I have decided to ignore and erase from my memory. It ain't canon as far as I'm concerned), Fantastic Beasts totally restored my faith in the wizarding world! I love love looooved it! I love the characters, the plot, how they had just enough content carry over from Harry Potter without totally relying on it. Even if you aren't a huge Harry Potter nerd I would still recommend watching it since Eddie Redmayne's acting is fantastic. I'm so excited for the series to continue!
And that's the end of my favorites! What were your favorites this past month? Do you have any products you're looking forward to using for December? I know I do. I'm finally digging into my VIB haul!
Lorac Mega Pro 3 Sold Out Online
Since I've bought a decent amount of eyeshadow this year, I've been making an effort to wear more of it on a daily basis. This month I've been reaching for the Lorac Mega Pro 3 palette constantly!
I love the color selection-- it's got such a great range of neutrals as well as some more statement-y colors.
The shadows as a whole are very soft and easy to blend. They are powdery, but in a good buttery sorta way. The lighter matte shadows build up beautifully and the metallic shades are so pigmented with one swipe. I did quick, one swipe, finger swatches of some of my favorite shades for this post but if you wanna see more swatches you can check out my Lorac Mega Pro 3 swatches and first impressions post.
It is sold out online but I've seen it in stock at local stores.
Wet N' Wild 'Plaid to the Bone' Eyeshadow Trio Sold Out Online
Drugstore limited edition collections usually don't catch my eye. The exception to that is Wet N wild! Earlier this year I reviewed two of their limited edition highlighters from their spring collection (which will be made permanent in 2017!!) and now I've found another LE gem.
The plaid to the bone eyeshadow trio. I think I picked this up in September along with another trio and sort of forgot about it. What a shame that was since two of the thee shades in this trio are GORGEOUS.
Let me start with the negative to get it get it out of the way. The blue shadow in the middle is terrible. I don't know if I got a dud or what but I can't get any pigmentation out of it. It's a shame since the color is so pretty in the pan.
But the other two shades? OH MY LANTA. I can't believe I paid 3 bucks for this because the shadows are so lux. They're so soft, creamy, and pigmented. The lid shade is a beautiful purple- green duochrome that I'm obsessed with. unfortunately since this is a limited edition set it is sold out online. Your best chance of finding it is in stores but even then it'll be hard since this is part of their fall collection 😬
I'm not the best at applying eyeshadow or photographing it, but I wanted to show the eyeshadow in action so here it is!
On my eyes: Wet N Wild 'Plaid to the Bone' lid shade + Pecan & Violet Grey from Lorac Mega Pro 3 Palette
Mac 'Del Rio' Lipstick
I think because MAC lipsticks get so much hype, I had unrealistic expectations for them. But for the price and color range, they really are solid lipsticks!
One shade I've been reaching for constantly is Del Rio. It's a cross between a red, a brown, and a purple. It's definitely a unique color and one that I think compliments my complexion perfectly! Thanks to its satin it's easy to wear and doesn't dry out my lips.
MAC currently has a 25% off sale on their US and Canada sale and I'm eyeing a few lipsticks/ lip liners really hard (...even though I never seem to really like the liners when I swatch them? But I still wanna have one to try out for real lol.)
On my lips: MAC 'Del Rio' Lipstick
Usually i like to use a product for at least a month before I decide to feature it in a favorites (hence why my most recent Sephora purchases aren't featured in this post)... but this too cool for school mist was too good to resist! I'm obsessed with it.
I've tried a decent amount of mists-- from high end to drugstore, and I find this one to be a very unique formula. Like the name implies, it is a gel formula. It has some weight to it but it doesn't feel heavy. It adds such a nice burst of moisture when I use it! Without any stickiness! Another plus is that the mist is pretty fine. It has a very refreshing scent which I credit to the rosemary extract.
I've been going mostly base makeup free so I haven't gotten a chance to try this out on a full face of makeup. Also i know this has nothing to do with the actual product, but I find the packaging so adorable!
CosRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid
While AHAs have become my bffs over the past year, I stayed away from BHAs because in the past I didn't find them to do anything for my skin. Then I discovered the world of Asian beauty and the power of Betaine salicylate.
Basically betaine salicylate is a gentler BHA since it's a combo of betaine and salicylic acid. If your skin doesn't like salicylic acid either, then I highly recommend checking out CosRX's BHAs. This is the strongest version with 4% BHA, but they have two weaker versions.
This exfoliant is frequently mentioned in the AB subreddit and I totally get why, shit is amazing. It doesn't sting or cause any redness for me, but then again my face is accustomed to mild actives. It has also really helped improve the texture of my skin! I think I may finally get a routine down to terminate my closed comedones, but I don't want to speak too soon and jinx myself! Either way, I'm thankful for this guy. I should also mention that it's alcohol free which is a major plus 👍
It has a very liquid texture which I'm not usually too fond of, but the pump makes it easy to distribute a little bit at a time. If I go overboard with it, it does leave a sticky film on my face but that's totally user error.
Fantastic Beasts & Where To Find Them
My last favorite isn't beauty related but I had to throw in my love for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. I was a massive Potterhead when I was younger and the series still holds a very dear place in my heart.
After being utterly disappointed with The Cursed Child (which tbh I have decided to ignore and erase from my memory. It ain't canon as far as I'm concerned), Fantastic Beasts totally restored my faith in the wizarding world! I love love looooved it! I love the characters, the plot, how they had just enough content carry over from Harry Potter without totally relying on it. Even if you aren't a huge Harry Potter nerd I would still recommend watching it since Eddie Redmayne's acting is fantastic. I'm so excited for the series to continue!
And that's the end of my favorites! What were your favorites this past month? Do you have any products you're looking forward to using for December? I know I do. I'm finally digging into my VIB haul!