March 2015 Monthly Favorites

Until recently this month has been all about keeping up with my busy schedule and the constantly changing weather. Most of this is timeless stuff that I can reach for without fear of what its going to look like, just a fair warning though that this month is kind of obscenely pricey and I didn't realize this until I finished writing this post and looked back over it.

 Josie Maran Argan Color Stick in Happy $22

This is a gorgeous color and a wonderful product. It is pricey at 22$, but I'm pretty sure I ended up purchasing this one Hautelook for like 10$ or 12$ which is much more affordable.

It smells citrusy which I am kind of meh about but what I love about this product is that it feels moisturizing on the lips but I don't feel disgusted when putting it on my cheeks. A lot of all over color sticks like this end up either being drying on the lips or disgustingly emollient on the cheeks. I reach for it regularly, if it doesn't go on my cheeks it will likely end up on my lips in the morning.

Unblended

Blended

Pros
- Happy is a beautiful pink nude shade, I'm sure it would be a My Lips But Better (MLBB, an alternative name for the controversial 'nude' which doesn't really apply to lips the same way it does the face or body) shade on some ladies out there.
- Doesn't feel gross to put on the cheeks or the lips

Cons
- Pricey
- Wide applicator is good for cheeks but difficult if you have small lips
- Heavy and large, definitely not purse-friendly

Notes
- Citrusy scent
- Pink, shiny, difficult to photograph packaging
- Blends out pretty sheer, perfect on my basically translucent skin but may not show up on darker skin tones

 Rouge Underground Luminess Air Foundation $30
I have been running late a lot this month and when I want to wear foundation but don't have the time to break out the sponge and apply it this is perfect. Bonus, you can avoid purchasing that airbrush machine which, at least to me, is an intimidating investment.

Pros
- Fast and easy to apply
- Sold at Ulta so you can shade match and test

Cons
- Pricey
- You will choke on aerosolized foundation if you have a small bathroom




Notes
- Natural looking light to medium coverage
- No SPF

Elf Bronzer in Glow $3

Despite its name this is actually a matte bronzer. I thought it was going to be way too dark for my fair skin, but it is perfect when blended out and doesn't pull too orange on me. Bonus, its 3$.









Pros
- 3$
- There are darker shades if this is too light for your skin

Cons
- It does come with a brush, but the brush is kind of lame.
- It looks like a three dollar product, so if packaging is your thing you probably won't appreciate this

Notes
- Matte Bronzer

 Mirenesse iCurl Mascara $40 (for full size)

I got this as part of one of my Birchboxes but I've seen this sample size on Hautelook for 7$. This mascara would never be worth 40$ to me ever, nor will I ever buy a full size because it would go rancid before I finished it.  However, this is a great mascara for when you need nice lashes in one coat. It lasts all day, the only time it smudges or flakes is when I rub at my eyes enough to pull out an eyelash or two and even then it is incredibly minor. It is also washable and removes more easily than any of my other smudgy mascaras I already own.






Pros
- Stays all day
- Minimal smudges and flakes
- Still washable
- The most beautiful balance between volume, curl, and length I have ever seen

Cons
- HOLY MOLE THE $$$
-  Absolutely terrible for layering
- The tip of the wand (you know the part for your tiniest lashes) likes to hoard mascara.

Notes
- Sets super fast, great for running out the door, terrible if you get even a single clump
- Tubes. So they gave me a little paper with instructions for this, but basically what they were talking about was that the mascara works by forming like a sheath or a tube around each lash, and you remove it by breaking the bond at the base of your lash with water

Colourpop Lippie Stick in Bound $5

I can feel some of you cringing right now because of how hyped up they are. I have four of the lippie stix in my possession, two of them are from trades, and two of them I got in a Valentine's Day exchange. I have been meaning to place an order myself, but 5$ is not nearly as affordable as people think when you want all the things.




This is a beautiful dusty rose color, I wore it for my graduation head shots. While it isn't very natural looking nor is it the color of my natural lips I find that no matter what state my lips are in (dehydrated and pale, just bitten and flushed, etc.) this color compliments my lips and fades beautifully.


Pros
- By far one of the longer wearing traditional lipsticks I've tried

- Smudges but is not smudgy. I am a clumsy person, and there are lip products where I have accidentally brushed my fingers across my lips and BAM, suddenly I am running around Gotham city trying to come up with ways to kill Batman. This is not one of those products.

- 5$ is actually very affordable considering that many people, myself included, pay 4 times that much for inferior product.

- Slick packaging. They nailed it with the design, large enough to have presence but sleek enough to fit into small places or pen holders, plus the applicator is the perfect size and shape, the tip of the container is slanted like a traditional lipstick so that the product doesn't lose its shape as easily and can still be used for detailing.


Cons
- They only sell them online
- I find the caps on the bottom to be somewhat inaccurate. Crayola would not let this past quality control.
- Also, because I would like to collect a lot of these it would really help me out if the indicator of what color each lippie stick was was indicated on more than just the bottom cap. I know this is common for lipsticks, but so far I'm kind of liking this brand and think they could do better.

Notes
-Bold color. Even if you found a MLBB color in this line it will always look like you are wearing lipstick.
- There is a sweet scent to it, and I find it delicious, but heads up because it is not an unscented product

Clinique Acne Fighting Foundation Dupe

 Foundation and concealer are almost always things I splurge on, because I am a huge believer in high quality basics, but I found a dupe that I really like for my everyday foundation. 

Clinique's Acne Solutions Liquid Makeup is my everyday foundation. It looks wonderful with a primer, but it doesn't exaggerate my pores when I don't wear one. The finish isn't overly dewy, so I can wear it everyday and only need to set it with a powder when I feel oily. I have applied this foundation with and without a sponge, and while I do prefer the finish of the sponge, I can also apply the product comfortably with my hands. Because it is such a low concentration of salicylic acid, I can use it when my skin is perfectly clear without it drying out or feeling abused, but it helps overall with my breakouts. 

Clinique's foundation in Fresh Alabaster
 (their palest shade at the time though they now
have an even fairer shade for those who are paler than me)
and Elf's foundation in Ivory ( also palest)

The dupe: Elf's Acne Fighting foundation. 

Exceptions:

- The color range is a little different and not as wide as Clinique's, and I think Clinique ultimately has a coloring to it that would work better on all skin tones. 

- Elf has a thicker texture than Clinique's, which is much more liquidy. I happen to like this, because I am into cream foundations. 

Here are my swatches (Clinique on the left, Elf in porcelain in the middle, Elf in Ivory on the right).

I did scan over the ingredients list as well, both foundations contain the same concentration of salicylic acid, and look to have very similar ingredients, some in a slightly different order though. 

These are the products blended into my hand, so you can see how they match and how the finish is exactly the same. 

Now, just to make extra sure that I had truly found a dupe, I wore both foundations on separate halves of my face for the entire day on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, that way I was able to get opinions from friends and see myself in different lighting during different parts of the day.  You can see the photos from two of the days on either side, in different lighting and during different parts of the day.