The Best of February 2015

Hello folks! It's been a few weeks since I last posted on Newfound Beauty but I'm back with my slightly tardy February Favorites. In the past month I've been playing around with my beauty routine and trying some new looks to spice up the long Canadian winter. This month has focused on wearing smoked-out muted colors like grey, plum and bronze. I'm craving some more color on my face to compensate for the dreary, monotonous cold and jazzing up my makeup in the mornings helps a little. Here are my favorite things from February:

SMASHBOX STUDIO SKIN FOUNDATION
I used this foundation almost every day in the month of February. I love the medium buildable coverage which reduces the amount of concealer I need to put on in the morning. This foundation has done wonders for covering up pigmentation left on my cheeks and jawline from acne and has an incredible lasting powder for 12 hour work days. As I mentioned in my review of Smashbox Studio Skin Foundation (check it out here), I have the lightest shade which is still a smidge too dark for me but I make it work by mixing with lighter foundations or bronzing my neck. Just a warning to those uber pale ladies out there looking for a good color match- you won't find it here!

MAC MELBA BLUSH
I'm willing to bet that this blush is one of MAC all-time best sellers. And I totally get why. Although I think this would be the perfect shade on it's own in the summer time paired with a tan, I've been loving to use it mixed with my other blushes. Swiped over the top of a pink blush it creates a gorgeous rosy-peach shade that makes cool toned blushes much more wearable on my warm-toned complexion. The blush is a pretty matte peach that is a must-have in any collection. Matte blush is a great choice for people like myself with uneven skin texture on the cheeks (scars, acne, pigmentation, psoraisis, large pores, etc) as it does not emphasize imperfections.

MAYBELLINE COLOR SHOW POLISH IN KEEP UP THE FLAME
What a perfect red nail polish. Not only do I adore the beautiful shade that is Keep Up the Flame, but I am doubly impressed by the formulation of this polish. It lasts about 5-7 days completely chip-free on myself. I've never encountered any red nail polish that could take such a beating. I have not tried any other Maybelline nail polishes in at least ten years, but I'm extremely impressed with such an affordable polish from the drugstore.

URBAN DECAY NAKED PALETTE
All hail the king! This Naked Palette was my first foray into the world of makeup. A lovely birthday present gifted to me back in 2012 by the boy, it started an obsession with mid-high end makeup. I have to admit that I really haven't gotten much use out of this puppy in the past two years but I've been really enjoying it in the month of February. In particular, I've been favoring Naked (matte beige), Buck (matte warm brown), Smog (bronze with gold shimmer and Toasted (shimmery antique copper). The fall down of these shadows is annoying but the result is absolutely stunning. Urban Decay hits it out of the park when it comes to pigmentation and color selection- every time.

So there sums up my favorite things in February. What have you been putting on your face this winter? What are your favorite combinations from the Naked Palette? Let me know in the comments below!

Thanks for reading.