Hello JFOG readers! Can you believe how close we are to Christmas?! This year has flown by! And it is already time for me to share my November favorites! This will be my last monthly favorites post of the year, as my next favorites post will include my top products of 2014. So stay tuned! Here is what I enjoyed during the month of November:
NYX White Eyeshadow Base - I purchased this at Ulta a while back, as I read many positive reviews on Pinterest, so I decided to give it a try. I have tons of eyeshadow bases, and I feel that it is very necessary to have a wardrobe of bases, as eyeshadow bases and primers are not one size fits all and certain shadows work better with certain primers. With that being said, I reached for this one most often during October and November for vibrant looks. It makes the shadows appear more pigmented than if I were to use a standard primer. It retails for about $7 and you get plenty of product so it is worth a try!
Donna Marie Super Buttercreme - I have always loved this moisturizer. I have not used it in a while but I opened a new jar last month and it helped me to remember why it is perfect for winter. Firstly, it smells like cake frosting, and the smell does not linger! Secondly, it makes my hair super soft, and keeps it moisturized. Last, it can be used on wet or dry hair. I purchased it on Beauty by Donna Marie's website. A little goes a long way, the ingredients are clean, and it is worth every penny.
Sephora Collection Always Red 01 lip stain - I don't own many lip stains, but this is one that was on my must-have list for a while, and I would never remember to put it on my radar to purchase during my weekly hauls at Sephora. I finally bought it and I absolutely love it!! I think it looks amazing on anyone. It is a universal lip shade and a lot of clients at sephora tell me that it's a dupe for MAC Ruby woo but I don't prefer to compare them since one is a lip stain and the other is a lipstick. I will however say that it is very similar to Stila Besos lip stain. It lasts all day through eating and drinking, and it dries to a matte finish, without the matte feeling, as it is very comfortable. You can't beat the price of only $13, so I would say that this is a must-have for every girl who loves a red lip! I am wearing the lip stain in the picture below, paired with MAC Beet liner.
MAC Goes and Goes lipstick - I have slept on this lipstick. I have owned it for a while but I never wore it until recently. I could not stop wearing it during the month of November. I loved pairing it with MAC Vino Liner. This shade has been discontinued but it is similar to MAC Up The Amp lipstick or OCC lip tar in Rollergirl (available at Sephora). Below I am wearing Goes and Goes with MAC Vino.
MAC Vino lip liner - this was one of my favorite lip liners during November. I paired it with nearly everything! I have a habit of pairing Nightmoth with nearly everything but I decided to lighten up a bit this season and use some of my other liners. My favorite combination was Vino and Kat Von D Vampira. Below I paired Vino with MAC Strong Woman (limited edition):
Kat Von D Vampira - the dark lip has been trending for the past two cold weather seasons. Vampira sells out almost immediately each time it is restocked at Sephora. The lip stain is beautiful and it looks great on most skin tones. The stain lasts throughout the day and it is also comfortable in spite of the matte finish. I purchased Vampira at Sephora. Below I paired Vampira and MAC Vino.
Urban Decay Perversion Mascara - some days I don't have time for lashes, so I have to layer on the mascara. This mascara really gives me length, volume, and curl. It doesn't clump and it doesn't irritate my sensitive eyes. I usually pair it with Benefit They're Real mascara. Urban Decay Perversion mascara is available at Sephora.
Benefit They're Real Mascara - this product has been hyped forever! It definitely is a cult favorite at Sephora. I avoided it forever because I did not like the plastic wand. I received it in gratis at work and decided to start using it when I ran out of my Givenchy mascaras and wanted to try a new one. They're Real lengthens and separates my lashes. I like to apply it before Urban Decay mascara. It makes my lashes look amazing, and if you know me, you know that I have short, tiny, struggle eyelashes!! They're Real mascara is available at Sephora.
MAC Concealer palette in Medium/Deep - I have wanted this concealer palette for my kit for a while but I vowed to wait until I used up my Coastal Scents concealer palette, which I rarely use because the concealers aren't very creamy and are harder to work with. I decided to go ahead and purchase it, as my clientele is growing. The MAC palette is small, easy to carry, and has the perfect combination of creamy concealers in one palette. Previously, I only used my Coastal Scents concealers for brows, but the Mac concealers are so pliable that I use them for brows, foundation, highlighting, contouring, and color correcting. This palette was "everything" for the month of November! I purchased this palette at Mac Cosmetics.
Dior Duo Express Instant eye makeup remover - described as "a non-oily eye makeup remover that quickly and effectively removes all eye makeup, even the most stubborn, waterproof mascaras". When I tell you that the description is facts! Those are facts!! This makeup remover even removes my lash glue! It doesn't irritate my eyes, as it is ophthalmologist tested and great for sensitive eyes like mine. I love it! I received it in gratis from work but this item is available for purchase at Sephora.
Anastasia Beverly Hills Tamanna Palette - I am a palette junkie! So I was super excited to add this to the collection. My favorite thing about this palette is that there is enough range of colors to create an entire look using the palette alone. Most of us know that to be a rarity for palettes, but the social media beauty guru know as @dressyourface did an awesome job with selecting the shades for this palette. The color pay off is great and the shadows last all day. I created very quick and simple looks using the palette (as shown below) and the packaging is a nice size so I was able to throw it in my bag on days when I needed to do my makeup on the go. I purchased this palette at Sephora. The palette was limited edition but the colors are sold individually on the Anastasia website.
Mac Stereo Rose Mineralize Skinfinish - I purchased this product at the beginning of 2014 because it was so coveted on YouTube after its 2012 release, that I just knew I had to have it. I had not seen many brown girls wearing it but I figured I could make it work. With hesitation, I purchased it in stores after the brown girl at MAC told me that it would make a beautiful highlight for me. After I got it I contemplated returning it, but I rarely return items to MAC, so I decided not to worry about it. I also noticed that it remained on the Mac website for months thereafter and I started to think that it was permanent. I said all of that to say that I slept on this highlighter! It is gorgeous. I really like it for holiday. It is a warm pink so it complements my complexion without appearing grey. I wore this several times during the month of November! Stereo Rose was limited edition and is currently unavailable at MAC, but there are several dupes listed all over the internet.
Sephora Collection ultimate oil in gel lipstick remover - prior to using lipstick removers I used eye makeup remover to remove lipstick and lip stains, but I always questioned the safety of this practice. When one of my co-workers showed me Sephora's lip oil I knew that I had to try it. To use, I put a small amount of the oil on my lips and let it sit for about 30 seconds, usually while I remove my eye makeup, then I take a wet or dry cotton pad and remove the oil. It does the job regardless to if the cotton pad is wet or dry but a wet pad is more soothing. The oil removes all of the lip color while leaving my lips soft. I purchased this lipstick remover at Sephora.
Sephora Collection rose mask - This single-use mask promises to provide deep moisture and brightening properties through natural rose extract. The masks from sephora collection are dermatologist tested so they are great for girls and guys like myself with sensitive skin. Another plus is that there are no worries of the masks drying out before use, as they are very saturated with product within the packaging. After leaving the mask on your skin for 15 minutes, the directions state that you are to remove the mask and gently massage your face, allowing excess product to penetrate, and there is no need to rinse. My skin felt very supple, plump and hydrated after using the mask. I have others that I plan to try and I plan to follow up with a report of my favorites. The masks are sold individually for $6 at Sephora, and there is a variety pack available for holiday, where you get all 5 "flavors" for $24.
Glamglow SuperMud Clearing Treatment - this mask promises to visibly draw out dirt and congestion with charcoal. I use this product once per week but it is safe to use 3 times per week, and it works. It helps with reducing texture on my skin and it zaps active breakouts. I have a lot of "under the skin acne" on my forehead, and while it does not noticeably clear that issue, it definitely contributes to leaving me with smooth skin. This product is available at Sephora.
Soap and Glory Rich and Foamous Body Wash - contains raw flower honey, almond milk, and skin conditioners to moisturize the skin while cleansing. The fragrance is described as almond oat and brown sugar. It reminds me of a warm vanilla sugar scent and I absolutely love it! It's creamy and it leaves my skin soft, clean, and smelling yummy. I purchased this body wash at Sephora. I took the pic below in front of one of my grandmother's old portraits. I love the way it looked!
I hope that you enjoyed reading my monthly favorites as much as I enjoyed sharing. If you have any questions or comments please leave them below. I love to hear from my readers and I appreciate you all!
