My Favorite Things: October 2014

Happy Sunday, friends! It's the end of the month, which means it's time for me to talk about what new products I've discovered, rediscovered, and undiscovered(!?). Included here are some new goodies, some stuff I started using again after neglecting them for awhile, and some products that I tried and just plain disliked. But enough about that--let's get to the good stuff!

I weirdly have a lot of makeup favorites this month. Usually these posts end up with a bunch of skincare items and like one makeup item, but today is not that day! So many new makeup items, how exciting! 

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder Duo in Medium Brown ($23)

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Fix ($21 for .1oz)

Anastasia Beverly Hills Classic Stencils ($20 for 5 stencils)

Anatasia has essentially been the queen of my brows this month. One of my Beauty Resolutions for 2014 was to become the master of my eyebrows, so this is the evidence of my attempt at that. I have pretty thick brows naturally, which before you start getting jealous of, they're actually a pain in the ass to keep tame. On top of that, I have tiny scars from my first and only brow waxing experience at a salon, so the skin in places is a bit bumpy (but probably only noticeable to me), so that's something I have to keep in mind when doing my brows.

The Anastasia Powder is the most natural I've ever seen. I've thought of using eyeshadow, but this is less pigmented so it doesn't look like I drew on my eyebrows with a Sharpie. It just looks like I naturally have more eyebrow hair there, which is awesome. I like to extend the tail of my eyebrows  a bit, especially if I'm doing a more dramatic eye look like a smokey eye, and using this powder makes them look completely natural.

The Brow Fix, at first, looked completely unexciting. It's a clear wax pencil; boring, right? But actually, this holds my brows in place better than any brow gel I've ever used. It also helps the brow powder cling to the hair better, and last longer. I'm really liking it! Plus, I only need a few swipes of this per use, so this will last me awhile.

And finally, the Stencils! I've really depended on these, not only when I'm shaping my brows, but also filling them in. It takes half the time every morning to fill in the empty areas, because I can just hold this up to my eyebrow and color inside the lines. This kit comes with five different stencils, but I usually use the Medium Arch, since that matches my natural eyebrow arch best.

It takes some getting used to, and I think even I'm still learning. I might do a "My Current Brow Routine" in the future, so let me know if you'd be interested in that!

MAYBELLINE Eye Studio Color Tattoo Eyeshadow in Bold Gold ($7)

You guys know how much I love cream shadow, and this has been my go-to this month. It's a great antiqued gold color that's perfect for fall, and my usual daily routine has just been this shadow all over the lid with a bit of warm brown in the crease and BAM, I'm good to go! This shadow lasts all day on me and after 12 hours it's basically crease-less. I have dry eyelids, though, so if you're oily I would recommend a primer. These are definitely not "24-hour" as Maybelline claims, but they're still long-wearing. If you can see it on the right-hand picture, the outer ring of this product has dried out, but most of it is still good. I'm a little annoyed that I've owned this for a year and some of it is rendered useless, but unfortunately makeup doesn't last forever. I'm trying to use this more often so I don't wind up throwing away a full pot of eyeshadow. I prefer cream shadows that come in tubes like Laura Geller's (see my Birchbox post), because the jar doesn't exactly lend itself to longevity. Really dig this color, though, and will be using it all season long (or until it dries up, whichever comes first). 

SMASHBOX Cream Eyeliner in Midnight Brown ($14 for .06oz)

THEBALM Eyeshadow in Matt Batali (from their Meet Matt(e) Eyeshadow Palette, $30), 

This has been my go-to eyeliner combo this month. I would use my Smashbox No. 9 brush to apply the Smashbox Cream Eyeliner as a base, then cover it with theBalm's Matt Batali eyeshadow to set it. It also turns the ware brown into a really pretty raw umber color (that's Paint Shop lingo for cool brown). Ideally, I would have a cream eyeliner that is the same color as theBalm shadow, but this is what I have in my collection to work with. Although I have dry eyelids, I have dry eyes which water like crazy, so anything close to my lash line is subject to disappearing in a few hours if I don't layer products. Layering the powder shadow over the cream eyeliner has been making it last all day for me, and it gives theBalm's eyeshadow more vibrancy, too. I highly recommend this method to anyone which allergies or dry eyes that water all the time. I have a full review on the Smashbox eyeliner, since it's my favorite eyeliner, so if you want to see more click that link (but keep in mind I wrote it when I was a baby blogger so be gentle).

IT COSMETICS Tightline Full Lash Length Black Mascara Primer ($24 for .118 fl oz)

Another product I have a full review on! This is the tiniest mascara wand I have ever seen (not counting Clinique's Bottom Lash Mascara, but this is meant for the whole eye). It really packs a punch, though! It's great at lengthening and giving a natural, everyday look. It's also really long-wearing, so if you have watery eyes like I do, I highly recommend it. The only downside is that there's much less product in the tube than many other mascaras for that price, so that would be the only thing keeping me from repurchasing.

WET 'N WILD Color Icon Blush in Mellow Wine ($3 for .14oz)

I've gone on rants before that since I live in New York and go to school in Boston, I'd have to give my first born child to find a store that sells Wet 'n Wild instead of Black Radiance, For those who don't know, the Black Radiance brand section replaces Wet 'n Wild in urban areas and I guess all of Long Island (where I'm from). I know they're made by the same manufacturer, but when I see everyone talking about Wet 'n Wild, I'd like to try the shades they talked about. I don't understand why stores don't just sell both if they're going to do that.

That said, I finally managed to find a store that sells Wet 'n Wild recently, and I've been looking to try one of their blushes, and I'm really happy I picked this one up. This is a great fall color for people with fair to medium skin. I have to be kind of careful with this not to apply too much (I just kind of lightly tap my brush in once or twice since it's quite pigmented), but medium-skinned folk can be as liberal as they want. It's a great warm pinky-brown color and the color looks like a natural blush on me. They're also three dollars and quite smooth, so you can buy all the colors if you want!

REVLON Colorburst Lip Butter in Red Velvet ($8.50 for .09oz)

Flashback! This was mentioned in my March 2013 Favorites (old post alert), and it's back again for some more action! I've raved about the Revlon Lip Butter formula pretty much every chance I can get. This is a low-maintenance red lipstick, since you don't need a lipliner (it's too sheer for that) and you don't need a lipgloss (it's shiny as it is). This is also a great red lip for those who shy away from bold colors (like me), since it's not nearly as opaque as an actual lipstick. 

OLAY Complete SPF 15 Moisturizer for Normal Skin ($11 for 6oz)

The Sensitive Skin version of this was in my Beauty Favorites of 2013, so when I ran out of my AM moisturizer, I figured I'd try the Normal Skin version. They're pretty much the same thing, I've realized. The ingredients lists are a little different, and they feature different sunscreen ingredients, but I didn't see or feel a different effect on the skin. I also feel like the Normal Skin one offers better sunscreen protection, looking at the ingredients, but don't quote me on that since I'm not a dermatologist. I like using moisturizers with sunscreen in them, since that's one less product I have to use before running out the door, and because sometimes with layering products, you have to remember whether the sunscreen is chemical or physical, whether it should go before or after your moisturizer (depending on the active ingredients), etc etc. It's just easier to use one that has both. Plus, sunscreen is the most important anti-aging product you can use, so the more the better!

PAULA'S CHOICE 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant ($26 for 4oz)

I'm obsessed with Paula Begoun, since she's so focused on research and proof on what ingredients do to our skin. All you skincare buffs who don't know who she is, look her up right now! I have combination skin (aka I hate my life), so I struggle with blackheads on my T-zone and dry skin on my cheeks. This BHA (salicylic acid) product really delivers, as I would expect any of Paula's products to. This goes deep into the pore to pull out any gunk trapped in there, and makes my face really smooth every time I use it. It also doesn't dry out my skin, which is awesome, so I use it all over my face. It supposedly takes a couple of weeks to get the big blackheads that are really trapped in there, but so far I'm in love and will probably never stop using it. She makes this in multiple formulas (this liquid, a gel, and a lotion) so different skin types can have their pick. Ugh I just love this, immediate Holy Grail product. Shut up and take my money!

These are the "wilted roses" of the bunch (you know "raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens"?) These are the antithesis of my favorite things--my "unfavorite" things, if you will. These are the products that essentially made me a sad panda, and I will tell you why.

ACURE ORGANICS Day Cream ($19 for 1.75oz)

I received this in last month's Birchbox, and I just don't like it. This advertises that Gotu Kola Stem Cells and whatever a Chlorella Growth Factor is will help battle free radicals. That's great and all, whether or not it's true, but I can't get past the smell. It's so strong, and it just lingers on your face forever after you apply it. I could smell it on my face for hours, and it's not even a good smell. It's not quite citrus, but not quite creamsicle. It just smells weird, not in a "rotten product" kind of way, just a personal preference way. I can't do it. This claims to be "synthetic fragrance free," but it's still chock full of fragrance, and that can still be harmful to the skin. Even if you're not seeing irritation on the top layer, it could still be harming the layers underneath that you can't see, so I try to limit skincare products with fragrance when I can. All natural doesn't mean better, folks. This gets a big "thumbs down" from me. 

Well, that's everything for the month of October! What products have you been loving (or hating) this month?

Let's be friends! 


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Looking for more stuff I like? Click here to see previous monthly favorites posts!

Disclaimer; I stole/indefinitely borrowed the Smashbox eyeliner from my mom. All other products purchased by me. Not sponsored or affiliated with any brands mentioned in this post because why make money blogging when you can just go to college and develop $100,000 in debt, amirite?