March Favorites!

I don't even know where March went, but here are my favorites of the month!

I finally hit pan on this product today, so I thought it deserved to be a part of my favorites.  This is a Benefit duo I got from Ulta with Benefit's Boing and Eye Bright.  Boing is a concealer while the other is an eye brightener which I like to use on the inner half of my eye.  This product is creamy and blends easy.  I love to use these together and set it with with Bare Escentuals powder in well rested.  It really brightens my eyes.  When I bought this it came in only one shade of concealer so it definitely isn't for everyone.  You can also get eyebright in a pencil form if you just want the brightener.

These are two colors from a MAC quad I put together.  On the left is All That Glitters, and on the right is Sable--both from MAC.  I have always loved the peachy shimmery champagne color of All That Glitters, but I have rediscovered Sable.  It has such a smooth consistency and great pigmentation.  The color is a reddish purple and brown color--very difficult to explain but it looks beautiful on the eyes.  These two colors together create a very wearable natural everyday look.  I like to wear All That Glitters on the first half of my lid and Sable on the outer half to keep things quick and simple.

Unfortunately this product was limited edition in MACs beach collection last year, but I have been loving this blush.  This is called Marine Life, Hi-light powder.  I love this pinky orange color because it resembles my natural flush when I apply it so it looks really natural despite how intense it looks in the pan.  I use this as a blush, I'm not quite sure why they named it a hi-light powder since it has way more pigmentation than a hi-light powder should.

These have been my favorite lip products.  Starting from the left is a lip conditioner I received as a gift with purchase from Estee Lauder.  It is surprisingly really nice and moisturizing.  I apply it first thing before I start my make-up routine so that my lips will be nice and moisturized when I come to apply my lipstick/lipgloss in the end.  It also has some SPF in it, I'm really enjoying this lip balm.  The lipstick on the right is Shy Girl from MAC.  This is a nude peachy color that I find difficult to wear on it's on which is why I love this cremesheen glass by MAC called On the Scene.  This lipgloss is a light orangy peachy color with very subtle shimmer in it.  It's very creamy looking and opaque on the lips.

Nail of the Day #2

So I know this is an awful picture and it makes my hands look really orange, but the color of the polish on my nails is actually very close to true color.  This is Essie's Van d'go nail polish.  It is a very creamy peachy pastel melon color, and I love if for the Spring!  However, like with most Essie polishes, it isn't the easiest color to work with.  It is streaky and you have to be careful to get an even application of the polish, but the end result is a very beautiful color.

Birchbox #2

I received my second Birchbox this week and I must say, I was not really impressed.  I signed up for Birchbox to get more makeup related samples but it seems like recently they have been sending more skincare items.

Pangea Organics Lip Balm-

This was my favorite product in the box, but I wouldn't repurchase it only because it is $12.  It smells really good (mine is Egyptian fennel with grapefruit and sweet orange) and it is really moisturizing.
Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta® Glow Pad-
I really don't like self tanning and so I won't even be trying this product.  This is a wipe where you can pick the intensity of your tan by how much you rub it in.  It's targeted for you to apply it to your face, but they say that you can apply it wherever you want a tan.

Marvis Classic Mint Toothpaste-

This is a minty toothpaste from Italy.  I love the packaging of this it looks really cute on my bathroom sink, and it tastes really good.

Alchimie Kantik Mask-

I haven't used this yet and I don't know if I will.  It is a weekly mask you leave on your face for 20 minutes and rinse.  It claims to boost the appearance of your skin.

Pangea Organics Facial Cream-

This is a facial cream meant for normal or combination skin that penetrates deeply into the skin.  It is full of antioxidants to restore and balance the skin.

They mentioned in their note to keep brows groomed and polished which is why they sent that brush so we can run it through our brows.  Also, they gave us a voucher for a free song that they chose from iTunes.

Forever 21 Jewelry

I am very picky about the jewelry I pick out from Forever 21 because I don't want the pieces I purchase to appear cheaply made (which is why I rarely buy anything but their earrings, I LOVE their earrings!).  However, on my most recent trip there I fell in love with the below two pieces.  I am so ready for warm weather and Spring/Summer trends--can't you tell from my choices?

I fell in love with this necklace the minute I saw it.  In terms of the jewelry I gravitate towards, I always go for the simple and delicate pieces.  This necklace is definitely an exception!  It's a very bold piece and I am in love with the turquoise color.  I thought this would go great with a white tanktop and some shorts once it starts getting warmer.   This is a statement piece, so you have to keep the rest of the look casual so nothing else competes with this necklace.  It was only $10.80 and it does not look cheap and the quality is not bad either.

The general frame of this earring seems to be trending in Forever 21 because they had so many in every design and color possible.  My favorite color is white so I picked this creamy white pair.  Also when it comes to jewelry, I rarely pick silver pieces.  I like for my jewelry to have gold/brassy colors.  These are very lightweight and were only $4.80!  When I tried them on in the store my friend loved them so much she bought herself a pair.

Current Obsession: Nude Polish

Sorry the picture quality isn't amazing, but you get the idea.  I'm obsessed with nude polish for the Spring!  It looks so polished and clean on the nails.  It matches any outfit and is a very feminine color.  Going from left to right:

OPI-Coney Island Cotton Candy
This is a gorgeous sheer and creamy nude.  It has peachy undertones, so it isn't a true nude.  It is a very light and creamy color.

Chanel-Jade Rose
This color is so unique because it has this amazing subtle pink shimmer to it.  This goes on opaque and has very light pink undertones.

Essie-Ballet Slippers
This color comes out a little brighter and more opaque than it looks like it would in the bottle.  It's a light pink shade with white undertones.  The last time I wore this color, one of my guy friends actually commented on how much he like how the color was almost like my nail color.

Essie-Topless and Barefoot
This is the color that has been on my nails in the last two posts.  Out of all the colors, I consider this to be a true nude color.  It comes out opaque and looks like it has a dusty mauve undertone to it.  If you are looking for the perfect nude color by definition, this is the perfect polish.

OPI-Tickle my France-Y
I'm currently wearing this on my toes!  This has deeper mauve undertones and blends into my skin color very nicely.  I am in love with this color for my fingers or my toes!

Md Formulations Creme

This is the only moisturizer I have ever repurchased.  A little of this product goes a really long way so it took almost a year to finish this whole tub (although I only use it at night).  I have dry/combination skin, and this is a really moisturizing product for me at night.  I don't like to use this during the day because I feel like using it overnight gives my face enough moisture (I don't want to overdo it!).  I use the Origins moisturizer for during the day.  This soaks into my skin very nicely and gets rid of any dry patches I may have leaving my skin feeling smooth.  It has really helped me these cold months fight the drier areas on my face.  They sell these in Bare Escentuals stores, but when I went to repurchase this they were no longer on display.  The salesperson pulled it out for me from their cupboards and mentioned that they get very sparse shipment of this product which is why it's no longer on display.  She suggested to try finding this online if you can't find it in stores.

YSL Mascara Singulier

This is the best mascara I have ever tried.  Shrina gave me this for my birthday and I blame her for getting me hooked on it!  I wore it everyday for about 2.5 months and now getting product out of it is nearly impossible, so unfortunately it didn't last long for me.  However, it kept my lashes from clumping together and created fuller lashes which is my number one goal in a mascara so it was worth it.  I wouldn't say it extremely lengthened my lashes which is something it claimed to do so if you are looking for a lengthening mascara, this probably isn't for you.  I really liked the shape of the brush and I liked that it wasn't plastic.  I'm not a fan of mascaras with plastic wands.  It had a unique applicator which really separated my lashes.  Even though it is pretty much empty, I still use it after applying my regular mascara (I'm currently using the mascara from Bare Escentuals I received in my Birchbox) to create that full lash effect.  This is by far the best mascara I have ever tried, if only it was cheaper--I blame you Shrina! :D

February Favorites

The above beauty items are products that I found myself using the most in the month of February and were a part of my daily makeup routine.  

AHAVA-Intensive Nourishing Hand Cream

I got this in my January Birchbox and fell in love with this hand cream!  It is so moisturizing, and my hands get really dry in the winter months.  Anytime I had a problem I just put this hand cream on and it felt like the dryness would immediately disappear.  The only issue with this product is that although it initially comes out thick, once worked into your skin it becomes very greasy and takes a while to settle.  But regardless, that's probably why it works so well!  But if you aren't a fan of greasy lotions this one isn't for you.

 TOO FACED-Sexpresso and Peach Fuzz eyeshadow duo

On the right is a closer view at the duo.  Sexpresso is a dark matte brown color and Peach Fuzz is the cream based color with intense gold shimmer.  Even the close up of this shadow doesn't do justice on how amazing Peach Fuzz is.  Unfortunately these shadows aren't sold individually so in buying Peach Fuzz I was forced to get it in this duo. I don't mind though because Peach Fuzz is the color I had always been looking for!  I was having a hard time finding a shadow where the glitter in it actually transfers onto the face, but this eyeshadow is amazing.  I made a huge dent in the shadow this month I used it so much.  The glitter actually shows up and sparkles on the eyes.   I sometimes would use the brown to lines under my eyes.

MAC-Feline Kohl Pencil

This black eye pencil was a repromote from one of MAC's recent collections.  It is a black liner pencil so nothing you can't get from another brand.  I like this though better than MAC's smolder pencil because the pencil is really soft and is easy to smudge on the eyes.  I would line my eyes and then smudge it out.  I found myself also lining my lower waterline a lot this month with this pencil.

DIOR-lipstick in Serum de Rouge

This is actually a lip treatment with amazing color pay off.  It glides on smoothly onto the lips and moisturizes so it has a shine to it.  Even after it wears off I find it to kind of stain my lips so it always looks like I'm wearing something.  I love this color, especially since spring is right around the corner.  It is a juicy shade of pink.

LAURA MERCIER- blush in Lush Nectarine

You can build the color on this blush to a bright peachy coral, or keep it soft.  It is a really easy color to work with and looks very natural on the skin.  I also like how small the packaging is so it doesn't take up to much space in my drawers.