November Favorites

Cheers to the holiday season! November really brought in the freezing weather to NYC this month--but the more winter jackets, beanies, and Starbucks Caramel Hot Chocolates, the better. I'm especially thankful this month for all of the opportunities I've had so far this school year, and I'm so pumped to take on more this winter. But first, let's review the last month of fall favorites, shall we?

Beauty 

01. Mac Groundwork Paint Pot- Ah, a beautiful deep nude base for all your toasty eyeshadow looks. I purchased this over the summer at a CCO upstate, and didn't get the chance to use much of it until this month. Besides this as a base, I think it's great to swipe on as a nude color on your lids with a pop of deeper shadow in your crease. This has been my go-to just about every day. 

02. Urban Decay YDK Shadow- Bronzey-gunmental galore is the best way to describe this shade. I believe YDK is also found in the Naked 2 palette, but I happen to also have the single shadow that I got discounted off of Hautelook. I love this as a shimmery lid color with a matte crease, or you can even take a risk with this and use it as a highlight- the pigment payoff is perfectly shimmery.

03. Anastasia Brow Wiz- This baby has been in my favorites a few times by now, and it's just so worth every penny. It's easy to apply thickly or thinly (whichever is your liking) and the spoolie is extremely thorough. The only complaint I do have is that I went through my second pencil of this extremely quickly (oddly enough the first one I had lasted about 2-3 months), so I'm going to test this one out (use it with a lighter hand) to see how long it ends up lasting this time around. 

04. Stila Smudge Stick in Dazzle- Serving as a liner and smudge stick, this stuff is the bomb. I purchased this on a whim when it was discounted on Hautelook a few months ago, and I've been extremely happy with it. I've found myself reaching for it a ton this month for my lower lash line (it's super quick and easy to swipe on) and it's always been a staple liner for when I'm doing my roommate's or friend's makeup! Dazzle is a really pretty deep gunmental-gray with some really nice sparkle which I love. [PRO TIP: do not use this or other pencils with glitter on your waterline- it could really end up irritating your eyes presently or in the long run]

05. Tarte Park Avenue Princess- Ah, guys. I did it. I splurged on this like I said I would. I just LOVE this bronzer ! It's staying power is magical and it really suits my skin tone. I also went with the matte version because my face tends to get shiny throughout the day. [PRO TIP: matte powders (setting, bronzer, blush) are your friends if you have oily/ combination skin]

06. Mac Verve- I recently just purchased this but decided to throw it in my favorites for this month because I've been wearing it since I bought it! I went into Mac looking for a lipstick that complimented Mac's Whirl, and I was in between Velvet Teddy & Verve. I decided to go with Verve because it's deeper and richer and does work great with Whirl. I do have my eyes on Velvet Teddy so that's one I'll definitely be adding to my Christmas list... (Twig too!)

Miscellaneous

 07. Soap and Glory Hand Food- This was one of those items in the little boxes at the Sephora check-out line that was basically staring at me until I picked it up to buy. I humbly accepted defeat, however, because I love the signature Soap&Glory scent (I've gone through many bottles of Clean On Me and tubes of The Scrub of Your Life). Nevertheless, the $6 well spent! Hand Food is super creamy and makes your hands feel absolutely luscious. Great stocking stuff idea as well!

08. Lush Snow Fairy- You know it's Christmas time when you break this baby out! (In fact, that's a lie, because I stock up on these every Christmas and end up having one or two bottles throughout the year). Snow Fairy is a glorious shower gel that basically smells like cotton candy and happiness. It's scent is super similar to Lush's Candy Mountain Bubble Bar & Godmother soap. To describe that colloquially, remember the bubblegum flavored strep throat medicine you used to take as a child, and it was so delicious that you basically wanted to drink the bottle? That's what this stuff smells like. So whether that's a good or bad memory for you, that'll help you decide whether to get your hands on one of these. Either way, it's totally scrumptious and I dig it (if you couldn't already tell....)

09. Alice Tea Cup Brush Holder- A gift from Miss Lindsey, this tea cup was especially useful when I went home for Thanksgiving for the last week of November as a way to store my makeup brushes and tweezer. Grab an old intricate mug or two to display your brushes. Etsy has adorable ones. Cute mugs aren't just good for coffee and cocoa anymore. 

10. H&M Rust Gloves- Just picked up these lovely gloves in November and I adore them! They add a beautiful pop of color and they're super warm. Plus, you can get them online for $10 bucks now so go go go. 

11. Cinnamon Frosting Candle by Bath & Body Works- I went crazy candle shopping with Lindz this month, and in the process, I picked this one up and it's the first one I've been burning. It smells like cinnamon goodness and Christmas, and it's not overly potent which I like. I also picked up Merry Cookie, Marshmallow Fireside, Hot Buttered Rum, Cinnamon Caramel Swirl, and Vanilla Snowflake. Told ya I went crazy. 

& Finally, lookbook & clips from this month! 

Here's to December ++ CHRISTMAS!

“My tongue will tell the anger of my heart, 

or else my heart concealing it will break.”

[Taming 4.3]

Cheers, x