Monthly Faves: October

I find myself suprised when I look over this list. When I was thinking about what to include in my monthly favorites post for October, I did not think that my list would be that big. And then I started gathering things for the photo, and I realized that this post was going to be a big'un.



Without further adieu, here we go!

Non-Drowsy Claritin, 12 Hour Formula - This has been a lifesaver for me this past month. My allergies have been acting up something fierce. At my allergen-reacting worst, I am a blood-shot-eyed, sniffling, watery-eyed, scratchy throat mess whose ears won't stop popping. I am allergic to mold and mildew, and the fall is really bad for that. When I am taking my Claritin, my allergy symptoms are either non-existent or manageable. I am very thankful for this medicine!

Benefit High Beam - I go through fits-and-starts with Benefit products. I use them religiously, and then don't touch them for months. That's been the case with this lovely liquid highlighter, which I have recently re-discovered after hearing Christina Hendricks uses it. I use this very sparingly (one itty-bitty dab will do ya) on my forehead, brow-bone, the bridge of my nose, the tops of my cheekbones, and on my chin - all of the natural places where light hits. It adds just enough shimmer to make your complexion light up, without making you look greasy.

Cover Girl Clean Makeup for Sensitive Skin (Foundation) - I really like this foundation. I have a good shade that matches my skin very well, and this foundation has not irritated my skin at all. The coverage is great. I couldn't ask for more from a foundation.

Silver Rose Necklace & Earrings - I recently hit my 5-year anniversary with my employer, meaning I have been with my current company for five years. When this happens at my place of work, you get a $50.00 gift certificate to spend where you want. I picked up this lovely set with part of that gift certificate. It's very simple and pretty - it goes well with everything, and when I wear it I will remember my 5-year anniversary.

Cover Girl Clean Pressed Powder for Sensitive Skin (Powder) - Once again, I don't have anything bad to say about this product. I bought a shade that matches my skin color well, and it doesn't irritate my skin at all. It sets my foundation, and does not appear cake-y or ashy on my skin.

Extra Professional Sugar-Free Gum in Bubblemint - I am addicted to this stuff, plain and simple. I have a pack in my purse, a pack at my desk at work, and a stash at home. This is also the product that I will pick up at the grocery store or drug store if the actual reason for my purchase doesn't amount to the minimum purchase total for debit transactions.

NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base - This is the best eye primer I have tried to date. It dries quickly and it dries clear. It grabs onto eyeshadow very well, and it takes about 5 hours before my eyeshadow will crease when I use this underneath. It's a standout product from my favorite company!

Neutrogena Healthy Glow Eye Cream - I don't know what it is, but this fall I have noticed my eye area is particularly dry. I use this cream on my under-eye area, as well as in my upper inner-corner (where the bridge of your nose and eyebrows meet). This cream soothes and does not leave an oily residue, which I really like. It's also fragrance free.

NARS Blush in Luster - This is a very pretty orange based blush. It's a nectarine-like shade, and it is very pigmented. I love it, because it gives my skin a nice coral flush without making me look pink, or like an oompa-loompa.

NARS Eyeshadow Duo in Taiga - This is perhaps one of my most favorite eyeshadow duos. The colors are very flattering on my pale skin. The first color in the duo is a creamy gold shimmer, and the second is a dark olive shimmer with gold undertone. The colors bring out the warmth in my complexion, and compliment my blue-green eyes nicely.

So there it is! My October favorites is complete. I cannot believe we are another month closer to Christmas...to think that Halloween was only yesterday! I am really looking forward to November, though. I really enjoy preparing for Christmas, as strange as that sounds - and that's pretty much all I do during November!

What are your favorite products from October?

Top 5 Drugstore Products

Too often we beauty bloggers tend to focus only on department store makeup and cosmetic products, and we ignore the ones that we can find easily at our nearest drugstore.


So, today I thought I would focus my post on my top 5 drugstore cosmetic purchases; they’re all products that I buy regularly and have purchased multiple times.

Blistex Lip Conditioner Sunscreen Lip Protectant SPF 15 - This is a product that I use every night before I go to bed. I slather a thick layer on my lips right before I go to sleep, to help my lips stay moisturized overnight. It prevents chapping and cracking, and I always have a little tub with me when I travel. It’s part of my nighttime ritual - I feel lost without it!

Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Top Coat - This is pretty much a clear nail polish, but it’s formulated to help keep your nails strong and stop them from breaking. I use it as a base coat and top coat when I do my nails, and occasionally I’ll use it on it’s own when I can’t make up my mind which color of polish to wear.

Cover Girl Lash Blast Fusion Mascara - Still my favorite mascara. It really defines my lashes and gives them good volume and lift. It won’t flake on to my cheeks, and very rarely does the product clump on the brush. I go through a tube of this at least once every two weeks! I always have two tubes in my makeup bag - one in black and the other in black-brown.

Neutrogena All-in-One Make-up Removing Cleansing Lotion - I am on my second bottle of this, and will soon be onto my third. I love this makeup remover - it is the first remover that I have used in a long time that doesn’t irritate my eyes or my skin.

Rimmel London Professional Eyebrow Pencil in 001 Dark Brown - I really like this brown pencil. It is the darkest shade of brown I could get, and it makes my brows more defined without making them look unnaturally defined and dark. I just do a couple of light strokes on my brows and then blend it in with the brush on the eyeliner cap.

What are your favorite drugstore cosmetics?

If you would like any information about the products I have mentioned here, please visit their company’s website:

Blistex
Sally Hansen
Cover Girl
Neutrogena
Rimmel London

Monthly Faves: August

Since we are now two days into September, I thought it would be a great time to talk to you about my favorite products for the month of August. Keep in mind that I didn't necessarily purchase these products in the month of August (although some of them were!); really, these are products that seemed to be my most-used, favorite things in August.

So, let's get started! This month's roundup of products covers makeup and skin, and one 'random' product.



Bath Therapy by Fragrance Works 3-in-1 Body Wash, Bubble Bath and Shampoo, in Sweet Vanilla - This is probably the most yummy smelling vanilla-scented product ever. It's amazing. It is a very moisturizing, super frothy 3-in-1 product, akin to the Philosophy 3-in-1s. This product is affordable, and you can find it at Wal-Mart and most drugstores. The other great thing about this product is that it comes in a giant 1 Litre (34 Fl. Oz.) bottle. I love this product; when you're feeling down and need some comforting, this vanilla scent will lift your spirits and help you relax and unwind.

Rexall Nasal Strips - This is from PharmaPlus, and it's their version of the 'Breath-Rite Nasal Strip'. I got a cold at the beginning of the month, and these things were awesome at helping me be able to breath. They're not terribly attractive to wear (even when you buy the clear ones like I did) and the glue on them is a pain to wash off of your nose in the morning, but they do exactly what they are suppose to. The next time I get sick, I will be buying another box of these puppies.

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on Eye Pencil (4, in trial sizes: Zero - black, 1999 - purple, Flipside -teal, Mildew - green) - These were part of an Urban Decay Beauty Insider 500-point exclusive set that I got awhile back with a Sephora order. I had resisted trying them out until recently. They're great eyeliner pencils! They are formulated to be very creamy, so they are easy to use to create a 'barely there' line, or you can make a very defined, dark line. Plus, they are easy to smudge - but don't move into your crease after an hour like some of the drugstore formulas. My favorite so far is 1999 - I love the plumy purple color!

Bodycology Vanilla Cupcake Body Mist - I've been wearing this as perfume lately. Over the summer months, I tend to wear body sprays instead of perfumes. Perfumes have a knack for creating really strong 'clouds' of scent when it's humid - where body sprays are lighter and more nose-friendly when it gets to be humid. I really like this spray, because it's a fun candy-scent - but it's not going to make you smell like a 4-year-old who just toddled out of the ice-cream parlor covered in their ice-cream.

Neutrogena Ageless Essentials Continuous Hydration Night Cream - I have been on the hunt for a great night cream for awhile now. I really wanted something that had thick formulation that wouldn't be greasy or oily on my skin. This moisturizer does just that. The formulation is thick, so you don't need a lot to cover your face. Best of all, the formula seeps into your skin quickly, and doesn't leave a gross residue on your face. The scent is light and kind of reminds me of a baby powder scent with a dash of something else I can't quite put my finger on - but it's a nice smell!

Essie Nail Polish in Pink Glove Service - This is a very pretty color - it's a light baby pink that is meant to be semi-opaque. It's a very simple color that will look good on anyone. It's a color I turn to when I want to do my nails but don't know what color to put on. It's a work friendly shade, and it's impossible to wear too little or too much.

Maybelline Moisture Extreme Lipstick in B400 Silver Plum - I told you I would buy more! I actually own seven of these lipsticks now (including the two I just reviewed). I LOVE these lipsticks. This shade is a standout for me, because it's very unique. This color is a mauve silver, with a very lilac purple undertone. It looks frightening in the tube, but it goes on very sheerly on your lips and creates a nice wash of color.

NARS Eyeshadow Duo in Sugarland - I have been lusting after this eyeshadow duo forever. I've always been attracted to the colors - but for whatever reason, I always put off buying it. Awhile back, I finally bit the bullet and ordered it. This is my favorite eyeshadow duo from NARS. Both shades are shimmery, bright and fun - but not too bright that they can't be used during the day for work-wear. The first shade is a lovely apricot color and the second is a pretty bright lilac purple with shimmer that is the same color as the apricot shade in the duo. I have blue-green eyes, so this duo also does a great job of making my eye-color pop. This duo is part of the NARS permanent line, but I have read elsewhere that it may be getting 'retired' shortly. Has anyone else heard this?

NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Siberia - Not to long ago, I posted a blog entry about this foundation, and the struggle I had been having with it. I've been having a much better time using it, and it's been my go-to foundation this month. I do love the formulation, and I will definitely re-purchase. The awesome thing about this product is that you don't need much to cover your face - I only need to use a jelly-bean sized amount. So, unless this foundation goes bad (expires), I won't be needing to re-purchase for quite awhile yet.

NARS Makeup Primer with SPF 20 - I love this primer! I use it in tandem with my Sheer Glow, and it makes foundation application a dream. It's got a light, refreshing citrus scent, and you only need a pea-sized amount to cover your whole face. I put moisturizer on before using this (at least 15 minutes before applying the primer) and it doesn't make my skin greasy. I also don't break out, which is another bonus.

That wraps up my August favorites! I would love to know what your favorite products for the month of August were; please leave me a link to your blog or youtube channel and I'll check it out!

My Skin Routine

I've been using a new skin-care regimen for the past few months, and it's been doing great things for my skin. For almost 2 years, I was using the Clinique 3-Step Skin-care system - until I realized how oily the moisturizer was making my skin. So, I decided to go back to using drugstore products instead of department store ones. My wallet is happy for this change, as is my skin.

So, here's a quick rundown of the usual suspects:

Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser - When I wake up in the morning, this is what I wash my face with. It's very good for sensitive skin, and doesn't have a scent or dye in it. I use the large pump bottle (it lasts forever!).

Neutrogena Pore Refining Toner - I put a few drops on a cotton pad and use it all over my face (paying special attention to nostril creases, forehead, and under my chin). It's got a nice smell - not too offensive.

Oil-Free Neutrogena Moisture for Sensitive Skin - This is usually the last step in my morning skin routine. I use one pump and apply it all over my face, and make sure to apply it right up to my hairline, and down my neck.

Neutrogena Ultra-Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen SPF 85 with Helioplex - This was my go-to product for summer. I used it after I had applied moisturizer. It works well under makeup, and it does not make your skin greasy at all.

Neutrogena Pore Refining Cleanser - It's a scrub with microbeads that I use every night in the shower to exfoliate my skin. It's not gritty, and I've never aggravated my skin by using it (unlike the St. Ives Apricot scrub).

Neutrogena All-in-One Makeup Removing Cleansing Lotion - I cannot say enough good things about this product. I am on my second bottle. This is a product that works very well to remove not only foundation and eyeshadow, but also liquid eyeliner and mascara. It doesn't leave an oily residue on your skin (if you follow the directions!), and doesn't burn your eyes. This is the last thing I use on my skin before I go to bed.

I was using an eye-cream for awhile, but I gave up on it. I really don't feel like I have a need for it. Wrinkles are inevitable - it's a fact!

If anyone has any questions about these products, I am happy to answer them.