With so many beauty products out there I always find it interesting to know what people's favorites are. Everyone has their own their own standards when it comes to beauty so of course people want different things from the products they use. Below are a few products that I have been especially loving in the month of April.
1. Nars ITA brush dupe- If you've heard of the Nars ITA brush then you know it is a pretty penny and I was just not willing to pay that for a contouring brush, but when I found this dupe on Wish I had to get it! I paid $3 for this baby and it works like a dream. Not only is it shaped perfect to give those chiseled cheeks, but the handle is great to softly blend everything out. By far this is one of the best things I have ever bought for $3!
2. Cortas Rose Water- This product can be used in so many ways because rose water is so beneficial to you, but personally I have been loving it as a toner. I do suffer from acne breakouts, especially a few days before that certain time of the month, so when dealing with my acne I tend to put some harsh products on my face and I hate the feeling my skin has after. So what I have been doing is patting a little rose water on top o the the dried acne products and my skin feels hydrated and vibrant again. I love using this product. This is just the brand I found, but I am sure any good quality rose water would do the trick. $7.97
3. MAC Extra Dimension Skinfinish in Oh, Darling- This highlighter is such a beautiful light golden color that looks great on almost all skin tones. This highlight can be very intense, but without leaving chunky glitters all over your face it just leaves a nice glow. If you've noticed that there are two products labeled with a 3 up above, that is because I am giving you a dupe for Oh, Darling! I love finding dupes for limited edition products that I can no longer get and the one I have for you is an eyeshadow from Kiko Milano in the shade 208 Light Gold. The color is so close that I wore one on each cheekbone for a day just to see if anyone would notice and of course no one did. The Kiko eyeshadow is a bit more intense because it is meant for the eyes, but just use a light hand and you will love it. $14.00
* while you are there I would recommend #200 as well!
4. Ofra Liquid Lipstick in Miami Fever- This color is a slight burnt orange and I just love it oh so much! It was made in collaboration with Kathleen Lights ( super popular YouTuber!!!) and the color and formula are just great. I have a few of these liquid lipsticks and I have to say the formula is one of my favorites. It is a bit of a moussey texture when you first apply it, but it dries very matte and true to color. If you are not into matte lips this may be a little drying for you, but you could always throw on a clear gloss after of prep your lips with a good balm before hand. Oh and all of their colors are named after cities which makes me love them even more. $19.90
* If you search around on YouTube many big beauty accounts have a discount code for Ofra!
5. Julep Matte Lip Mousse in Smooch- These lipsticks might just be my favorite formula of liquid lipsticks! The have a mousse texture like the name would suggest and then they dry to a matte finish. I know they sound just like the Ofra ones above and they are similar, but these do not dry as matte on me as the Ofra ones which makes them a bit more comfortable to wear and the applicator is by far my favorite applicator for and liquid lip product. It is similar to a doe foot applicator, but in almost an hourglass shape and it is great! The shape and style of this applicator makes it extremely easy to apply! So these are comfortable, easy to apply, and of course super long wearing. I am not exaggerating when I say I go through most of my day before even thinking about reapplying.
$20 ($16 for Mavens)
6. Peek Beauty Natural Stain Brow Powder in Expresso- Notice in the name it says a "stain brown powder" well its true. This brow powder really fills in my brows without making them look too powdery and last throughout the day. I do set this with a brow gel, but I have been in a rush before and did not set them and my brows still lasted for the day. This really is a great powder and it comes in such a cute and small package! Now I did get this product in my Ipsy bag so I do not think you can buy this exact one, but you can buy their duo powder. $22
7. ELF Lock on Liner and Brow Cream in Medium Brown- Oh look another brow product, but as we know our eyebrows are super important so why not love a few different products that help transform them into the beauties they really are. As you can tell I really care for my eyebrows! But anyways back to this product... I have never personally used this as a liner, but as a brow cream it is great. It is comparable to the Anastasia version in my opinion. The biggest difference for me is that the ELF product dries out a lot faster, but for the price point I have no problem scooping a little out into the lid and adding the smallest eye drop to revive it. Once brought back to life this creams glides on smoothly and it very opaque. $4
*These are all currently out of stock in all colors.
8. Too Faced Chocolate Bar eyeshadow palette-This palette quickly became a favorite to many beauty lovers and for a great reason. This really is a great neutral palette with a few shades that can add a pop of color to your look. One thing that I love is the highlight shades are bigger than the other shadows, which makes sense because you use those a lot. A few other things that I love is have the shades will suit so many different skin tones, the shadows are super blendable, oh and they smell like chocolate. I mean who wouldn't want their eyeshadow to smell like chocolate!? $49
9. MAC Cosmetics Oil Control Lotion- This stuff is great for those of you who get a little too dewy during the day and don't want to worry about always having a blotting powder with you. I use this on days where I know I will be pushing my makeup to the limit and I know those T-Zone oils will be fighting to come out. If I'm going to have a busy and long day I don't have the time to be bothered with that and this product really helps to combat those oils for me. My skin really only gets oily in my T-Zone so that is the only place I apply the lotion. I usually apply this after my moisturizer and before my pore filling primer and it really melts into the skin nicely. It is a thin white lotion with a slight smell that goes away shortly after it applies. According to MAC this is a moisturizer so those who get really oily may want to skip their normal moisturizer and then go in with this. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to combat oil. $33
http://www.maccosmetics.com/product/13824/352/Products/Skincare/Moisturizers/Oil-Control-Lotion
10. MAC Cosmetics Pro Longwear Nourishing Waterproof Foundation in NC35- Well like the name would suggest this foundation is long wearing and nourishing, but I am not too sure on being waterproof. I plan on putting this foundation and the lotion mentioned above on a true test while I am on vacation real soon so keep an eye out for that! But back to this post, this foundation claims to do a lot of things and so far I am agreeing with pretty much all of them. I have not broken out with this, my skin feels hydrated all day, it does not oxidize at all, and it seriously last all day. Normally I will only wear a thin layer for everyday and that provides great coverage for me, but it also layers very nice without feeling heavy or cakey. If you are at all curious about this foundation go to a MAC store near you and get a sample to try it out. You can also get a sample of the Oil Control Lotion while you are there. $33
http://www.maccosmetics.com/product/13847/35126/Products/Makeup/Face/Foundation/Pro-Longwear-Nourishing-Waterproof-Foundation
And last, but not least....
11. MAC Cosmetics Eye Shadows in pan form- All MAC eyeshadows are great to me- they come in so many different finishes and shades, they last all day, and a super blendable. That is everything I really need in an eyeshadow so I will not talk about the shadows themselves, but the colors I have been really loving lately:
- Shroom- Satin- soft beige with shimmer- This is one of my favorite browbone highlights of all times! I also occasionally use it in the inner corner over a cream base.
- All That Glitters- Veluxe Pearl- beige with gold pearl- I love this for the lid or inner corner of the eyes
- Soft Brown- Matte- soft golden peachy brown- This is a great crease color to use alone or to blend out more intense colors.
- Patina- Frost- taupe brown with golden pearl- Even though this is a frost I sometimes use it in my crease, but I focus it out the outer half of my eye and then I also will use this on the lid.
- Amber Lights- Frost- peachy brown with shimmer-This is also something I wear on the lid for an intense smokey eye and I usually darken the corners with a black or for a softer look one of the deeper colors in this palette.
- Rule- Matte- vivid orange- I almost always use this in my crease either alone or with something like Soft Brown.
- Red Brick- Matte- orange red- I usually use this to intensify the crease after I use Rule. I really like pairing both of these with neutral colors or for more intense eye Amber Lights.
*All color descriptions are from the MAC website. These are $6 a piece in pan form.
*None of the links above are affiliated with me in any kind of way these are my honest opinions on the products I have been enjoying lately.
