October Favorites

Stila Sun Bronzing Powder

This compact is available in two different shades.  I bought "Shade 1 - sheer golden matte bronze", which is the lighter of the two.  I'm not crazy about glittery bronzers so I was pleased with the matte finish.  I loved how natural the shade looked on my skin, and the product lasts all day.  I use the ELF studio blush brush for application.  

Price:  $28 
Overall:  This product is worth every penny!

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Smashbox Master Class Palette

I bought this palette on Sephora.com a few weeks ago.  It comes with 28 Photo Op eyeshadows, four brow powders, eight cream eyeliners, two blushes, three soft lights, and four lip glosses.  

Eyeshadows:

This palette has a nice combination of matte and shimmery shadows.  I love the featured neutral shades in particular. I'm not a huge fan of the more colorful colors - they're a bit too bold for everyday wear in my opinion. My favorite hues are the following:  "Flirt" (shimmery nude), "Cinnamon Toast", "Chestnut", & "Roast" (shimmery browns), and "Opal" (shimmery pearl; great highlighter).

Eyeliners:

Smashbox has great cream eyeliners - they don't smudge at all, and they last all day.  I usually stick to basic black liner, but I've been experimenting with other colors since I have options now.  I really like using "Gilt" (gold) to line my lower lids.

Blushes:

I'm not a huge fan of the featured blushes.  "Warm Apricot" is ok, but "Posy Pink" seriously makes me look like a clown.  I prefer subtle blushes like this Nars Blush in Orgasm.

Soft Lights:

All three shades are absolutely gorgeous.  "Lens" is a shimmery peach, "Prism" is a shimmery light pink, and "Shimmer" is a shimmery (redundant much? =P) nude.  I use all of these colors as highlighting powders/blushes.  

TIP:  Shimmer can visually enlarge your pores so make sure you apply in moderation.  Also, if you decide to use both highlighting powder and blush/bronzer, make sure one is matte.  Too much shimmer can make you look like a disco ball.  Trust me, I speak from experience.

Lip Glosses:

The included glosses are pretty cute - the only color I don't particularly care for is "Mulberry".

Price:  $59 (a $250 value) on Sephora.com + Free Shipping

Overall:  This purchase was a bit of a splurge, but you're really getting a lot of bang for your buck.  This palette is PERFECT for travel.  All you need to do is throw in a few make-up brushes and you're good to go.  I was looking for a new eyeshadow palette when I bought this value set.  I was going to order Urban Decay's Naked Palette, but I thought this would be a better deal.  I'm really pleased with my decision, and I definitely recommend checking this out!

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Maybelline Volum' Express Colossal Mascara

I've always been loyal to Christian Dior's Diorshow mascara ($25), but in order to save some cash, I decided to try some drugstore alternatives.  I bought this mascara on ulta.com a few weeks ago.  

TIP:  Save your designer mascara wands.  The wands are what "distinguish" the designer from the drugstore =P Use them to apply "plain" drugstore brand mascaras.

Price:  $6.99
Overall:  All in all, I like this product.  I can't say it's the greatest mascara I've ever used, but it gets the job done! It does a good job lengthening and volumizing, but it does have a tendency to clump a bit, but then again, what mascara doesn't. I use a toothpick to remove the clumps.  

Click here to buy.  Ulta.com is having a promotion right now - buy 1 get 1 50% off.

NYX Super Skinny Marker

I'm totally obsessed with this eyeliner.  I usually SUCK at applying liquid liner, so I was hesitant to try it out at first, but Ulta was having a promotion - 40% off all NYX products - so I couldn't resist.  

I apply this over my cream/gel eyeliner to give a crisper, cleaner line.  I'm so happy I discovered this product - it's so easy to use!  I will definitely be re-purchasing this for years to come.

Price:  $8.99

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What are some of your favorite products this month?