My Favorite Things: April 2014

Hi, friends. I'm pretty sick today, but I promised you a monthly favorites post today and that is what you shall get. I will try my best to put forth an adequate amount of enthusiasm, though my head is aching and it feels like something small and furry died in my mouth.

On to the good stuff!

The Wet Brush Paddle Brush in Purple ($12)

I know my hair is in it I know it's tacky I KNOW

I LOVE MY WET BRUSH. I wish I could shout it from the rooftops! Instead, here is a poem

Behold, a haiku:

Before The Wet Brush

I'd always tear my hair out

With a wide toothed comb

I know, I know, please save your applause. 

There are those who say to only use a comb when your hair is wet, and others who say not to comb through it at all because your hair is the weakest when it's wet. However, my hair is very long and tangly, so not combing or brushing is not an option. You have to be gentle with your hair when it's wet, but sometimes the knots just don't come out without a little help from a comb. I had been eyeing this product for awhile, and finally I just threw my hands up in the air and decided to go for it. I was a little skeptical, because it is a brush, this this is so much gentler on my hair than a comb! The bristles are extremely flexible and it glides through my hair with ease. Never again will I have to do that stupid "hold your hair in place and try to ease the knots out" thing (you know what I'm talking about). If you have knots and are tired of ripping the hair out of your scalp, get this brush. 

Evologie eSystem Travel Kit ($25 for two 7 ml products)

I received this duo from Sumpto for editorial consideration. Originally I'd told them I wasn't a good candidate to receive these products since I rarely get acne, but they sent it to me anyway just in case I changed my mind. Sure enough, as soon as I received them, finals were rolling around and I started breaking out. These products worked really well for my acne! I used the Intensive Blemish Serum every night on current breakouts, and then the Stay Clear Cream on top. Both contain salicylic acid, which I prefer to benzoyl peroxide, since it seems to work better for my skin (and doesn't bleach my hand towels). I've tried salicylic acid treatments that didn't work (the pH has to be just right) but I saw a difference in my acne overnight! I found that the Intensive Blemish Serum can be a little drying, so I think it's best to get the duo. For those of you who have dry skin like me the Stay Clear Cream won't work as your all-over nighttime moisturizer, but it works great if you put it on top of the spots you put the serum just to prevent dryness. If you have trouble with breakouts, I recommend giving this a try! The little bottles will last you a long time, so I think $25 is a worthy investment. 

Pinrose Petals (3 free samples)

From left to right: Pillowtalk Poet, Moonlight Gypsy, Sugar Bandit

I discovered Pinrose last month from the Beauty & Fashion Blog Community and I'm really excited about it. You start off by taking a quiz, and depending on the results you get, they pick three scents that you might like, and you can try them for free. Each one comes in a little packet shown above,  and a little "petal" (aka the typical swatch cloths good for one use). I am IN LOVE with Sugar Bandit (by the way, aren't the names awesome?) and would totally buy a full size if I didn't have enough scented products in my stash to use up. One full bottle is $50 for 1oz, which is actually pretty pricey, considering that Lancome sells their perfumes for $52 for 1 oz. Still, I'm so tempted. I linked to the quiz above, so go check it out. Even if you don't plan on buying the full size, everyone loves full samples (until you wind up loving the product and it's tragic because don't want to spend $50 on it). Back when I did the quiz, shipping was free, but I think it costs $1 now. 

IT Cosmetics 7pc. Luxe Blurring Micro-Airbrush Brush Collection ($60)

I received this as a Christmas gift and it's basically been in every Favorites post since then. These brushes are so soft that it's like rubbing a little bunny up against your face every time you use them (only these aren't made with rabbit hair omg). I find a new favorite brush every month, and this month it was definitely the angled blush brush (second from the left). It fits over my cheekbones just right, and my blush applies perfectly every time. 

Be a Bombshell Blush in Sweet Cheeks ($16 for .17 oz)

I received this in my Ipsy bag exactly a year ago. This blush is a beautiful pale pink with shimmer, and nearly every day I wore makeup in April, I was wearing this. However, when I was coming home from school on Friday, I opened up my makeup bag to find that IT BROKE. Half of the powder is now floating around in the container, loose and sad. I'm actually super bummed about it (my life is a tragedy, clearly). I'm going to see if I can fix it up and mold it back together somehow because I'm actually more upset about it than should be allowable. Be sure to read my full review for more info and swatches

e.l.f. Essential Lash & Brow Clear Mascara ($1)

I talked about this in my e.l.f. Haul in February. I love that I only have to pay $1 for brow gel, even if you don't get a ton of product in the tube. It keeps my brows in place without making them feel crusty and hard. This also comes with a clear mascara, but since my lashes are blonde, the thought of wearing clear mascara is laughable. I ordered this because I had enough products in my cart on Elf's website to qualify for free shipping. I don't think I would pay for shipping just to get a $1 product, so hopefully the next time I can make it to a Target, they have these in stock and I can buy a bunch of them. 

Pop Beauty Pouty Pop Crayon in Fuchsia Flirt (not available individually but the set of 6 crayons costs $25) 

I received this in my Ipsy bag back in July, and after the summer ended, I put it away. For the month of April, this crayon and the lip gloss below have been my go-to lip combination. It's a matte, bright pink, a little too Barbie for me to wear alone. The pigmentation is great, though it's a tad bit drying (you'll be fine if you wear a lip balm). Also, the staying power is pretty bad. Still, I really like the color, so I'm willing to deal with it.

bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss in Daredevil ($16)

I have been wearing this over my Pop Beauty crayon to turn the color down a notch and provide a pretty shine. To be honest, there's probably a color out there that matches the color I get from combining these two products. Hell, I probably even have a matching color in my collection, but oh well. Overall, I've really been enjoying the bright lip this month.  (Now if only I remembered to reapply my lip products...)

Well, that's everything! I just came home from school on Friday, but those of you studying for finals right now, good luck! 

What were your favorites things in April?

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with, nor sponsored by, any brands mentioned above. Amazon affiliate links may be included. The Evologie was sent for editorial consideration by Sumpto. There are a lot of products from Ipsy bags here and none from Birchbox which makes me wonder whether I should switch back.... To be continued...

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