October Faves

The end is near… the end of 2011 I mean. I feel a little sad. It seems I haven’t accomplished much this year. It was the middle of this year when I started getting really interested in make up and beauty products. After 4 months, it has become a full-blown addiction. I have spent a lot of time and money hunting for various products I wanted to try. I think I have enough to last me a lifetime now. At least I will look gorgeous until I die!

I have a handful of beauty products that has become my must haves this last month.

First is Vanicream.

I have really dry, problematic skin. I suffer from eczema and so do my two young children. My poor 3 year old daughter has it worse than her brother. So, I am always on the look out for a good moisturizer. I heard about this cream on YouTube and a few days later I found it at my local Target.

It states “Formulated without dyes, lanolin, fragrance, masking fragrance, parabens, formaldehyde”. I love the stuff. For the longest time, I was using Eucerine (the big one in a jar), and it worked fine except it was like smearing spackle on your body. That stuff is THICK! Vanicream is creamy, goes on smooth – like a thick lotion. It’s formula is so pure, it can also be used as a face cream.

It is a little pricey. I got it for a little less than $15, but I was able to get a 2nd jar at Walgreens for $12 ( it was on sale). The quantity of the product is in weight rather than ounces – this jar had a net wt of 1 lb.

Second up is my Sigma F80 Flat Top Kabuli Brush:

It buffs in my liquid foundation so well. I kind of go between this and a damp beauty blender. I use my Beauty Blender when I use the The Present by Philosophy as a foundation primer. But the rest of the time, I use this. I just saw a video by GossMakeUpArtist on how to make pores disappear. He used a technique that blends the foundation into your skin. I think this will be the perfect brush for that.

Third is my Sigma E25 Blending Brush:

This is a travel size brush.I got this as a free gift when I purchased a couple of brushes off their website. It’s a nice treat. I plan of ordering a full size one when the budget allows. I’ve gotten a little crazy buying stuff lately, I need to slow down.

This brush blends the edges of the eye shadow so nicely. I really like it. I think it actually improved my make up skills.

Fourth is O.P.I.’s Nail polish in Vodka and Caviar

I am a nurse, so nail polish is a no-no on the finger nails. I’m limited to pedicures and the occasional manicure for special occasions. But the minute I have to report to work, my nails should be bare. It’s a big part of infection control. That being said, I am not going to show you how this color looks on my feet. It’s too awkward for me. I don’t have “sexy feet if there is such a thing. You are gonna have to take my word for it that this is a nice color.

It is a deep red. There are sooooooo many other brands that carry this classic color, but what makes this special is the life span of this polish. It stayed on my feet for almost two weeks before I felt I needed to redo my nails, and that was only because my nails grew a little longer.

Last is Benefit’s Creaseless Cream Eye Shadow in STRUT:

I like how you can put a small amount and have a subtle shade on your lid but if you pack on a little more, it makes the look more dramatic. And it does stay on a long time on the lid. It works really well when you use it for a smoky-eye by blending a little on the outer corner of your lid, but I like putting a small amount right above my upper lash line and slightly blending it keeping it right below the natural crease then lining my upper lash line with some black liquid eyeliner and the look is done. The swatch above it one heavy swipe with no blending.

The trick also with this product is to blend it quickly as it dries and sets really fast.

That’s it for my faves of this month. Til next time.