February Favorites

Another month has passed. The month of February thankfully went by fast for me (I'm so tired of winter) and there were a handful of products that I used many times during the past month. I've been enjoying very tonal looks using different shades of brown and beige eyeshadow for soft and pretty definition. I've also been loving hits of pink and peach blush to liven up my complexion, specifically cream formulations for a sheeny, pigmented flush. I've also been really enjoying gloss, which is definitely not my norm (lipstick for life!) but a nice change that keeps dry lips feeling plump and moisturized. Here's the line up that have made multiple appearances on my face (and hands) in the month of February. 

REAL TECHNIQUES EXPERT FACE BRUSH

I really really love Real Techniques (made by the amazing Samantha Chapman from pixiwoo) for their fabulous makeup brushes that are great quality at a very reasonable price point. I use this brush to buff in my foundation for a flawless finish. I love using this brush because it seems like I use less foundation than when I use my fingers but looks so much better on the skin. This brush should be called the anti-cakeface. I use it by putting five dots of foundation on my face and blending it in with circular motions with the brush, I found that dipping the brush directly into the foundation picked up way more product than I needed. This brush is about ten dollars (available at Lawton's Drugmart and Walmart) and I would highly recommend it to anybody (just make sure to clean it about once a week to avoid spreading nasty bacteria all over your face).

STILA STAY ALL DAY CONCEALER 

After dealing with skin woes for the entire month, I think my skin may finally be on the mend. I had some massive cystic acne breakouts in the past few weeks and none of my concealers could cover them. I decided to give this Stila concealer in shade 02 Fair a try and it is the best I have found coverage-wise. I would not use this under the eyes but it is great at covering up stubborn pimples and skin discolorations. It's very thick and waxy feeling and I use the smallest amount (literally a dot of concealer) over a spot and pat it in with my finger. I set the concealer by putting  powder directly over the top, and this normally does the trick. For extremely red breakouts, I'll repeat the process again with another layer of concealer and powder on top for complete coverage. I'm afraid to say it, but  my spots are becoming less angry by the day and my skin seems to be clearing up (fingers crossed).

RIMMEL SCANDALEYES EYE SHADOW STICK

I've mentioned this eyeshadow stick in past posts and I love to use it for creating smokey eyes,or smudged across the lash line for subtle definition. I love this eyeshadow stick in the color 003 Bad Girl Bronze because it is a beautiful reddish-brown that makes blue eyes pop. This is a fabulous drugstore product and it's staying power is impressive, it does not budge all day long. 

ELIZABETH ARDEN BEAUTIFUL COLOR EYESHADOW SINGLE

I bought this eyeshadow after seeing it featured in last year's Allure Beauty Awards. I had not heard much hype about it before, but I was looking for a neutral, shimmery shade that didn't look too pink or gold. I have the shade Blonde, a gorgeous shimmery beige that is beautiful swept all over the lid, or used as an inner corner eye highlight. I'm in love with this eyeshadow and I have used it every day in the last month. 

STILA CONVERTIBLE COLOR DUAL LIP AND CHEEK CREAM

I have already reviewed this cream blush on here before (review found here) and I continue to love this product more with every use. The beautiful warm dusky rose color of Peony has been gracing my cheeks on multiple occasions, adding a pop of color while making my cheekbones look defined. With spring coming, I will likely be buying the coral shade because I love these so much.

ELIZABETH ARDEN BEAUTIFUL COLOR LUMINOUS LIP GLOSS

This lip gloss was sadly forgotten about in depths of my car for months and months without getting any attention. After banging on about finding the perfect nude lipstick, I did not realize that I already possessed the perfect nude gloss. I have the shade 05 Latte and it is a pretty warm browny nude with no shimmer that smells delicious. When paired with a nude lip liner, I walk around feeling like Brigette Bardot (and like I've had my lips done).

LISE WATIER HAUTE COULEUR LIP GLOSS

I talked about this gloss in my recent post paying homage to all things rosy (post found here), and I have worn it so many times this month. I have the shade Signature which is a pretty rose pink. I feel like a lady when I wear this gloss and it compliments most makeup looks. I just wish it didn't have a gimmicky light-up wand, who needs a little flashlight to apply lip gloss?

NATURALLY UPPER CANADA WHIPPED HAND REPAIR BALM

I bought this hand cream (available at Lawton's Drugmart) after running out of my dearly loved The Body Shop Hemp Hand Protector. I picked up the scent Pressed Olive and Avocado and it literally smells good enough to eat. It is super silky and absorbs quickly into the hands (no greasy paws here!) to moisturize the most chapped dry skin. I have extremely sensitive hands from eczema but this hand cream has done wonders to heal my irritated skin. 

So there you have it, the stand-outs of February. Bring on the spring, I'm ready for the sunshine and buttercups! What have you been loving in the month of February?

Thanks for reading.