January Favorites

I'm going to start this post by saying that this has been a very long month for me. This month has been spent doing a work term in rural Newfoundland and the country life is not for me. That being said, having to pack my bags for the Monday-Friday workweek made me pare down my makeup bag and use only a handful of products each week. In the process of doing so, I feel like I have re-kindled my love with so many products in my own stash (which will hopefully prevent me from buying more makeup... but let's be real here). I have been doing my makeup a little differently this month, mostly because I want to look semi-professional (who wants a nurse who looks like she's going clubbing?). Therefore I have been sporting a whole lot of barely-there eye looks, well groomed and penciled brows, sculpted cheeks via blush & bronzer and a trifecta of natural lip colors. It was actually really nice to get back to basics and I think I'll continue to wear a really natural and perfected look from time to time. But for now, I'm dying to wear my new Nars Satin Lip Pencil that arrived last week, in the most trampy shade of pink I have ever witnessed (post to come, it's a beaut).

Here's what I've been loving:

TOO FACED PRIMED AND PORELESS FACE SMOOTHING PRIMER

I received this tiny primer in a Too Faced gift set and I gave my two cents on it early this week (read here). Basically this primer was fabulous at keeping my foundation/concealer/powder in place all day and also helped majorly with oil control on my t-zone (not even sure if powder was necessary!). Great primer, so light and velvety.

NARS BLUSH MADLY

My lovely mother was kind enough to bring this back from Vegas for me about a month ago. As I do not have access to a NARS counter for swatching, I had to pick a shade based on the Sephora website and countless beauty blogger reviews. I ended up picking Madly, described as a seashell pink. I'm not sure what seashell pink is supposed to look like, but I would definitely say this is far from pink. I would describe the color as a brown with a touch of red, somewhat like a terracotta color. In the pan, it looks completely frightening, but on the face it is so gorgeous. Because I am so pale, I used this color as a contour on some days, a full bronzer on other days or merely on the apples of the cheeks for a healthy flush. This blush warmed up my whole complexion so nicely and it's a great multi-purpose blush-bronzer hybrid. I will definitely use this blush in a tutorial soon, as there is no way to explain the wonder of this unique color.

LANCOME HYPNOSE STAR MASCARA

Another sample joining the gang! I received this mascara in a gift with purchase months ago and I've used it so many times this month. It's a nice mascara with a tapered brush that's fat on one end (great for adding volume) and pointed on the other end (perfect for getting those lashes close to the corner of the eye). The brush helped to fan out my lashes in a pretty way and give a hefty amount of definition without looking too overboard for daytime.

CLARINS INSTANT LIGHT BRUSH ON PERFECTOR

This is my first ever high end highlighting pen. This was a saviour in my many early mornings this month. I used this under the eyes, atop the cheekbones/temples, down the nose, above the cupid's bow and on my chin. This highlighting pen adds a very subtle luminosity to the skin that's barely detectable but makes such a lovely sheen when light hits the face. I have the lightest shade 01 which looks very peachy when swatched. Clarins has yet to disappoint me!

BROWN EYELINER

I know this sounds really vague, but I did not go without a brown liner in my makeup bag this month. I would use brown eyeliner everyday in conjuction with a nude eyeshadow or simply on it's own. The beauty of a brown liner is it's versatility. I used it smudged into the lash line for subtle definition, smudged over the lid for a quick smokey eye, lined neatly across the top lid and as a full on feline flick. Another bonus is that brown eyeliner is not too harsh and really helps blue eyes to look super blue. I used a handful of brown liners this month, and I can't pick just one. Pictured above is the Rimmel ScandalEyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal in 003 Brown, which is a pretty metallic brown with a slight gold glitter running through.

LANCOME ROUGE IN LOVE LIPSTICK 300B

This is not my first time mentioning this lipstick, it was the proud winner of my Lipstick of the Year 2013. It's a lovely peachy-browny-warm pink color that looks particularly delicious with peach and other warm toned blushes. The color is long lasting and comfortable. The satin finish is also quite pretty. Add a touch of gloss to the center of the lips and it looks like you had your lips done. If you love the nude lipstick look but feel like you look corpse-like with a beige/baby pink lip, this is a fantastic alternative.

LANCOME COLOR DESIGN LIPSTICK PALE LIP

Disclaimer: the name of this lipstick is deceiving. When I hear “pale lip”, I get visions of those nasty concealer-esque nude lipsticks that make me look like I'm dead. This is so far from the truth. This lipstick is a light warm pink that comes off as a slight dusky rose on the lips. Super pretty, and the one and only light pink lipstick that I have actually loved the look of on myself (love it on other people and so jealous of the people who can pull it off!).

MAYBELLINE COLOR WHISPER LUST FOR BLUSH

I think the Color Whispers are highly underrated and a much better version of the Revlon Lip Butters (which I find to be really drying and heavy). These lip butter/balm thingies are really nice and easy for busy days when I don't have time for touching up lipstick. It's super moisturzing and leaves a pretty, shiny neutral pink slick on the pout. The color is really natural and has the feel of a high end product. Fabulous budget buy and highly recommended.

I'm really looking forward to next month and being a little more adventurous with my makeup looks. I love planning Valentine's Day looks and all the girly-ness that surround the holiday. What products have you been loving this month?

Thanks for reading.