End of the Year Beauty Favorites

I haven’t made a beauty post in a little while but, I wanted to write one for this week’s post. There have been a few products and things that I’ve been enjoying for the latter part of the year, and I thought I would share.

Tom Ford Lip Color in 16 Scarlet Rouge

As the name would suggest, this shade is a vivid scarlet. It applies smoothly and has a satin finish. A really nice shade for this time of year, and honestly, I’ve been wearing this when I’m feeling festive at home.

bareMinerals Lashtopia Mega Volume Mineral-Based Mascara

This mascara has been a pleasant surprise. This mascara gives my lashes a fluttery look and with no smudging nor flaking throughout the day. While I generally go for drugstore mascaras, I do like this one a lot.

Shiseido Eyelash Curler

Up until recently, I never thought much about eyelash curlers. I’ve heard good things about this classic eyelash curler from Shiseido. I decided to try it, despite my belief that eyelash curlers don’t make a huge difference and are generally a waste of time. But wow, was I wrong! This makes mascara application smoother and keeps lashes curled throughout the day. Overall, this tool in combination with the bareMinerals mascara has been 👍

Cover FX The Perfect Highlighting Palette in Light-Medium

I was looking to get a highlighting palette with both cream and powder highlighters. I found this from Cover FX. Since I got this, it’s all I’ve been using for highlighter. I like the pearly-champagne shade Celestial for this time of year. I haven’t tried the golden shade called Moonlight yet, but I imagine it would be great in the summertime. I like to apply the cream first, then apply the corresponding powder for a lovely highlight. But you can use the cream or powder separately for a less intense look.

Isle of Paradise Self-Tanning Drops in Medium

I’ve always been wary of using self-tanner and having the end result look disastrous. But this self-tanner is incredibly easy to use. I just mix it with my unscented body lotion and apply. I personally use about six drops to give myself a golden glow. I also love that I can use this with lotion I already own. Which allows me to control the level of tan I want. And as for the smell, some people have said this is unscented, but I think there’s a slight fake tan mixed with a floral fragrance. But nothing overbearing which is great! If you’re a novice to self-tanning like I am, you should definitely give this a shot.

The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution

I’m pretty late to the hype around this product. However, every time I would go to purchase it, it was always sold out. It’s quite a scary looking product as it appears red on the skin. I’ve only used this a couple of times (which is a good thing considering its potency) but I’m impressed. My skin feels smoother and looks noticeably “brighter” for lack of a better word, the next day. Another win from The Ordinary. And definitely, follow the directions when using this product, and it could be a bit too strong if you have never used acids for exfoliating the skin. A good one that I like is their Glycolic Acid 7% Toner.

I hope you enjoyed reading this post on some of the beauty favorites I found towards the end of this year. Have you used any of these products before? Also, there won’t be a post next week as I will be taking the time to relax at home and catch-up with some of the people in my life from far away. I hope you have an amazing and safe week! Thank you for reading!

Where else to find me: Instagram

My Cozy Fall Night Routine 🍂

As the seasons change and as it gets darker earlier, I find myself wanting to incorporate a routine of rest and relaxation. I feel like this is especially important, considering the stress of life. These are the things I’ve been doing this fall season to help me relax and bring me that warm and cozy feeling.

Do a quick tidy up

Even if you’re sitting at a desk and it doesn’t seem like you’re moving things around, you’d be surprised how things seem slowly move out of place during the workday. It usually only takes a few minutes, and I like knowing that my workspace is reset and ready to go for tomorrow.

Unplug for a while

I feel this is especially important if you are working from home or have been staring at a screen all day. Take a few minutes or more to get away from your screens and do something else. When I do this, I start to feel a little bit better, and it sets me in the mindset of moving on to something else.

Get outside

If I haven’t had the chance to get outside yet, this would be a perfect time. Typically, I go on a short walk, and it’s been great to de-stress and unwind while getting exercise. It also gives me a chance to clear my head with no distractions.

Eat something good

After a long day of hard work having, a delicious meal feels well deserved. I usually have an idea ahead of time on what I’m going to eat for dinner. Let me know if you’re a planner too, or do you just wing it? With this fall season in mind, I’ve personally been enjoying a lot of hearty, comfort foods. This roasted parmesan rosemary potato recipe has been an amazing side dish! What are your favorite comfort foods?

Clean up

After eating a good meal, I like to clean up right after, doing the dishes and cleaning surfaces used for eating or cooking. After that, it’s usually a good time to do my skincare routine, where I will use skincare products that feel like a treat for my skin. I like the Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Sukari Babyfacial Mask for exfoliating. Or I’ll use the Clinique Pore Refining Solutions Charcoal Mask if my skin is breaking out. Since it is getting colder, I’ve been using The Ordinary Plant-Derived Squalane for some added moisture. My skin feels great after using this product. I’ve finally used it up, along with some other products, which you can read about here. After this, I like to put on some comfy clothes, and by doing this, I really feel like I can relax.

Read or watch

By this point, I’ll usually either read or watch something entertaining. I recently re-watched the Harry Potter series. There’s something about that series that makes me think of fall, and I know I’m not the only one. But I’ve currently started reading World Made by Hand by James Howard Kunstler, and while I’m not too far in, I’d say it’s interesting and slightly creepy. If you’re looking to read a dystopian novel, check this one out. What have you been reading lately? I’m always looking for recommendations!

And of course, with cold and chilly evenings, hot drinks are necessary. I’ve discovered this caffeine-free Orange Spice tea from Good & Gather, which you can find at Target. I also like drinking apple cider and hot cocoa – the classics.

And like my workspace, I like to make sure the things I’ve used this evening are put away and that my space is cleaned up and ready for the next day before heading off to sleep.

What is your favorite part of your nighttime routine? Thanks for reading!

Where else to find me: Instagram

Recent Empties

Over the last few months (summer into early fall). I’ve continued to use up beauty products and thought I would share them with you today. Hopefully, my recent empty products will inspire you to use up some of the products that you own.

Beauty

NARS Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base

This is literally the best eyeshadow primer I’ve used to date. I’ve used other eyeshadow primers from the high-end and low-end of the price scale but, I always go back to this one. And this product is a necessity for me if I’m wearing eyeshadow as my eyelids become oily no matter what. I’ve already repurchased this.

Lancome Monsieur Big Mascara

One of my favorite higher-end mascaras, this is a sample-sized one. This was quite volumizing and lengthening. I would repurchase this one day.

Clinique High Impact Mascara

Another sample-sized mascara. I did like this one for more natural makeup days. I didn’t smudge on my eyes throughout the day, which was good. Plus, it is not a total pain to remove. Personally, I like more emphasis on my eyelashes than this mascara can provide. I don’t think I would repurchase this one.

Fresh Sugar Rosé Lip Treatment

This product was great at providing moisture and SPF protection to my lips. I didn’t think this would do much for me, but I enjoyed the pretty shade of pink that could also be built up nicely. This was perfect for lazy days! I would repurchase someday.

Balenciaga Florabotanica Eau de Parfum

I used this perfume during the warmer parts of the year. The notes that stand out to me are the vetiver and rose. It’s a very floral and fresh perfume. I’m happy that I finished this before the colder months, so I don’t have to hold onto this until next spring. This is especially true because finishing up a bottle of perfume can take a while. I really enjoyed this fragrance but, I don’t plan on repurchasing it any time soon.

Skincare

Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow PHA+BHA Pore-Tight Toner

Say “pore-tight toner” three times fast! 😉 I picked this up back when I did a little Sephora haul. I didn’t notice a huge difference at first, but over time I do believe this helped m skin feel smoother, and it was good for prepping my skin before the use of other products. I’ve been going without it for a short while now, but I do miss it. I don’t think this product is completely necessary to my skincare routine but, it definitely is one of those “nice-to-haves”. I may repurchase this one day.

The Ordinary 100% Plant-Derived Squalane

This is one of my favorite products that I’ve discovered within the last few months. I mix in two drops with my moisturizer at night, and this leaves my skin supple and hydrated. I’ve already repurchased this.

Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream

This was a sample-size product that I think was part of a kit. This was a simple face cream that was a little on the heavy side for my personal liking. But I did have some dry skin issues, and this product was great to use. Personally, this didn’t break me out and left my skin feeling plump and hydrated. Since this is a little too heavy for me, generally, I probably wouldn’t repurchase.

Drunk Elephant Lippe Balm

This was a simple, no-fuss lip balm. This was a pretty standard lip balm. I haven’t personally found a pricier lip balm that has blown me away. A lip balm from the drugstore will do the job. This product is marketed as an eye balm as well, which sounds interesting, but I didn’t use this for that purpose. Let me know if you have done so!

That wraps up this round of empty products. I’m going to keep chipping away at more products, so hopefully, I will have more empty products in the future. Thanks for reading!

Where else to find me: Instagram

The Best Facial Masks and Treatments

I think using face masks and treatments can help have an effective skincare routine. Plus, I find they’re a small way to relax and unwind. I don’t own many products in this category but all of these products are used differently and rotated depending on my skin’s needs. Here’s a quick round-up of my personal favorite masks. I have normal-oily skin but some of these products have worked well for other skin types!

Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Sukari Babyfacial. I use this mask no more than twice a month as a “deep” exfoliation for my skin. It does that job well with 25% AHA and 2% BHA acids. I definitely notice an improvement in my skin’s texture and tone. Out of all masks, I’ve tried, this one brings the most noticeable difference to my skin. I think if you pick one mask off this list, make it this one!

Clinique Pore Refining Solutions Charcoal Mask. This is a classic charcoal mask, I personally love using this one when my skin is feeling/looking more oily and looking more clogged or when I notice a few breakouts. I tend to reach for this during the summertime. It’s a pretty straight forward mask, without any crazy hype behind it but it’s one that I’ll keep going back to.

Fresh Rose Face Mask. This is the only hydrating mask that I’ve tried and liked. The jelly-like texture sinks in quickly and the real added rose petals are a nice touch. This mask does an amazing job adding moisture back into my skin without feeling greasy afterward. I’m a big fan of using this after being on a plane or during the dry, cold months.

The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution. This toner “treatment” that I use regularly on my skin as an exfoliant. Like the Drunk Elephant mask, Ordinary’s toner also contains glycolic acid to chemically exfoliate the skin. Unlike the Drunk Elephant mask, this is a less intense chemical exfoliating product. I use this one a few times a week because of its milder formula. As a side note, I really like chemical exfoliating products, I find them more effective than chemical exfoliating products.

I like skincare products with a dual purpose of being relaxing as well as beneficial for the skin. Have you tried these products before? What skincare products do you use to treat your skin?

My Picks for the Sephora Holiday Sale 2019

Sephora has once again created a sale for their Beauty Insider members. I’ve decided to take advantage of the sale and purchase products that I need to replace or products that I’m curious in trying. I’m not on a “no-buy” or even a “low-buy” this year but I’m really making an effort to only purchase products that I need to replace or add if I really believe the product will benefit my beauty routine. I have to think hard about how the product would benefit. It’s also a good time to purchase items that you may consider giving as gifts like the Sephora holiday gift sets.

I’m sure that you already know this, but the Sephora Beauty Insider sale is broken down like this: 20% off for Rouge members, 15% off for VIB members, and 10% off for Beauty Insiders. The sale runs through November 11 and the code to save online is: HOLIDAYSAVE

Here I’ve compiled a list of the products that I’m purchasing or have purchased.

• Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer, this is one of my long-time favorite concealers it’s great for my oily skin and works well at covering blemishes and under-eye circles
• Cover FX Power Play Concealer, this has been getting great reviews, I’ve personally never tried it but it looks like a great all-rounder concealer and has been compared to Nars’s concealer and Tarte’s Shape Tape
• YSL Black Opium, A co-worker sprayed this on me a few months ago and I thought I smelled damn good. It’s that same co-worker’s favorite fragrance making me think this one of those fragrances that can cater to many. And of course, I believe the sale is a good time to purchase a fragrance since this is a pricey one (I should say this about nearly every product)
• The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% Serum, The Ordinary produces some great skin care in general. Mine is running low so a replacement is in order.
• Bite Matte Creme Lip Crayon, I received one of these as the Sephora birthday gift a few years back and I loved the formula. I chose the shade “Amaretto” which is a beautiful looking peach and different to my makeup collection. I don’t know why but these along with some Bite Beauty products are steeply discounted on the Sephora website. I hope they’re not discontinued! Bite has become one of my favorite brands in the last couple of years
• Charlotte Tilbury The Gift of Pillow Talk Lips, this is a limited edition set which includes a full size lipstick and mini lip pencil in the shades “Pillow Talk”. I’ve been very curious of Charlotte Tilbury makeup, particularly the “Pillow Talk” lipstick
• Sephora Lash Lover Ornament, this limited edition gift ornament contains minis of Lancome Monsieur Big, Benefit They’re Real, and ILIA Limitless Lash mascaras I’ m interested in this set because this will be my mascara stash for months and it costs nearly as much as one drugstore mascara. It might even be less depending on the brand. I’ve only tried Lancome’s Monsieur Big and loved it

While there are tons of products to choose from these are the ones that caught my interest. I may write up a post of everything I actually purchased. It might not be the most exciting or necessary list but I think it’s important to evaluate what is important to you. What are you thinking about purchasing this sale?