Sunday, November 3, 2013

October 2013 Favorites

I have so many things I loved this month, it was hard to figure out just what were the things I enjoyed the most.  After much deliberating, here's what I came up with.



First up is this Vaseline lip therapy with cocoa butter.  I love pretty much everything with cocoa butter in it so it was a given that I would get this.  At $1.99, I just couldn't help it.  The tiny little tub is freaking adorable and it is super moisturizing, as all Vaseline is.  


Now all Vaseline is Petroleum Jelly, which is a byproduct from oil.  It was originally found clinging to oil rigs and machinery in the mid 1800s.  The stuff was great for healing minor injuries so it was refined for medicinal and cosmetic use.   You can understand why if you have ever had severely chapped hands or lips, and within a day it is better after putting this stuff on.  Many, including myself, are concerned about petrochemicals in our cosmetics, though, as they can have carcinogenic properties and lead to cancer.  Vaseline claims to be highly refined, triple purified, and is advertised to be carcinogenic free.  It's up to you, but I can tell you that this stuff healed my lips nearly instantly after a terrible sinus infection led to overall dehydration.  The smell is awesome, too. 

Next is the Ponds Evening Soothe Wet Cleansing Towelettes.  These are probably, by far, the best makeup removing wipes I have ever used, and I have tried a lot.  


These smell really calming which is probably because of the Chamomile and White Tea, but that isn't why I love them.  First of all, they are incredibly thick, which is nice since the M.A.C. wipes I have used for a while now are much thinner and tend to tear.  Second, they are very wet.  Heck, it is advertised in bold print right on the front.  The downfall is that the seal sucks and doesn't stay closed, but I store mine upside down anyway to make sure the one on top is the wettest so that keeps the flap closed pretty well.  I have not experienced a dry wipe yet.  Last is the price.  For 30 wipes they cost $4.99.  I used to pay $29 for 100 M.A.C. wipes and I had to use at least two of them to remove my makeup.  Break down the math for a second and that means that 33 M.A.C. wipes cost $8.71, which is ridiculous.  They aren't fabulous at removing waterproof eye makeup, but no wipe really is and I use an oil to take that off gently anyway and there is still enough moisture in the wipe to get rid of the oil too.  WIN!  

I have been using my Revlon Colorburst Lip Gloss in the color Bellini a bunch this month.


The color is great and it looks good layered with a bunch of my lip sticks.  If you want to read more about it, read my full review here.

I picked up the M.A.C. Tan Pigment on a whim one day.  I had heard some good things about it, but never really sought after it.  While at Macy's checking out the new holiday line, I asked if they happened to have it and bought it without even swatching.


I'm really glad I did because this is a great product.  Not only do you need to use the TINIEST amount of product, but you get so much in this bottle, you will have this for years to come!  It looks great on its own for a more natural look, but also pairs well with other colors for more drama.  It retails for $21 and you can find it at M.A.C. stores, counters, and their website.

Essie's Vested Interest nail lacquer was a staple for me in October.  I had it on my nails most of the month and got so many compliments on it.  


It's a very dusty greyish green which is perfect for early fall as I transition to darker colors for the upcoming holidays.  The coverage was good and it was more chip resistant than I expected in a creme polish.  As part of their fall collection, it may not be around much longer so if you are interested, grab it while you can.  

I recently took advantage of the Brows Across America promotion Benefit Cosmetics was running at Ulta.  I have been getting my brows done at their Brow Bar for the past year, and they always do a great job.  The wax usually costs $20, but with the promotion, if you spent $50 in Benefit products, you got the wax free.  Now, clearly it is not free.  You're still spending money, and more at that, but I had been lusting after a couple products and this allowed me to not only get them, but get my brows done too for only $30 more.  I chose two products, one of which was this perfume.


Benefit has always had amazing packaging and this is no exception.  The box lifts up and the door in front folds down to reveal the perfume bottle.  It is a nice, sturdy box with beautiful images printed all over the outside and inside.  While I love a pretty package, that wasn't what made me buy it.  This scent is lovely.  Floral, but not overly so and girly without being cutesy.  Seriously...go smell it.  It is wonderful.

I recently went to Sephora to get Pantone color matched for foundation.  If you don't know what Pantone is, it is a precise color system used by artists and designers to match colors across the board.  So one artist can use Pantone Red 032 U, tell another artist that was the color he used, and THAT artist can use the exact same color without having to mix or guess if it is close.  The colors are assigned a code which is unique to each shade.  The same is true to our faces.  If you have ever bought a foundation in the wrong color, you know the frustration.  Go to Sephora, get your number, and find the foundation colors and brands that match your skin tone and you will never have to guess again.


Anyway, I picked up the Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24 Hour Makeup in the color 160 Ivoire (W).  I have some red on my cheeks from rosacea so this color helps balance that without caking my face in tons of makeup.  The only issue I have with this is that it dries very quickly, so you have to pick a section of your face and blend quickly.  I don't think it lasts "24 hours" (which is stupid anyway, who wears their makeup for that long?!) but it definitely lasts quite a long time and I don't get oily like I have done with others.  A great product overall.

Last for makeup is this Tarte collection.  I don't want to say too much about it as a full review post will be coming soon, but what I will say is that it has a great grouping of colors and has been very helpful with how much I have traveled this month.


You can put the eye shadow quad/blush into the gold bow travel case and have a complete look without having to pack a ton of colors.  Like I said, I won't say any more now.  Be on the lookout for that post as it will have swatches of all the colors and a full review.

My husband bought me what is probably the best wedding present I could have ever imagined.  We were married November 1, 2013 and a couple months prior he took me to Na Hoku, a Hawaiian jeweler to choose the jewelry I'd wear on my wedding day.  He knew I had been dreamily staring at the store's display cases for years every time we went to the King of Prussia mall and he decided that was where he wanted my gift to be from.


I chose the Plumeria pendant and earrings in rose gold.  I have been wearing them constantly this month for the many weddings and other special events that seemed to happen all in October this year.  Many thanks to Sam for the lovely gift.  Every time I wear it, I am reminded of our special day.

Lastly I have loved this cute makeup bag given to me by my good friends Sean and Jenn (and their adorable sons Jakob and Zach).  They gave it to me for my birthday near the end of the month, but I have used it for two trips already!


It is nice and large, which holds all the essentials, and has a small inner pocket which is a nice safe place to pack my contacts.  The best part though is the fact that they said how happy they were that I was pursuing something I loved in writing this blog.  That was the best gift of all.  Thanks again guys!

What are your favorites this month?  Leave a comment and follow me on Facebook and Twitter. 

XO - Bekah



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