September Favorites

Happy October everyone :) I feel like I say it every year, but can you believe how fast this year is going by? Looking forward to watching the leaves change color, wearing layers and boots, and planning my Halloween costume!


Ok, back to the topic at hand...here are the products I found myself reaching for over and over in September:


1) Aveeno Nourish+ Volume Shampoo
I'm so happy to have found this shampoo, it really makes my hair shiny and full of body. Been using it for the past two months and it has yet to let me down! Check out my first impression here.


2) Johnson and Johnson's Baby Creamy Oil with Aloe Vera and Vitamin E
My skin has never felt better! It's soft and moisturized up until the moment I hit the shower, no more itchiness...what more can I ask for? Thanks to a nice deal on Amazon, I have really stocked up on this must-have! Check out my full review here.


3) Giovanni Frizz Be Gone Serum
This September was really strange...lots of super warm, humid days and then tons and tons of rain! Both types of weather wreak havoc on my hair. Now, while this isn't a miracle in a bottle, it really did help to tame my hair from extreme frizzy/poofiness...and for that, I have made it a daily staple. I apply a pea-sized amount to the ends while hair is both damp and dry. Check out my full review here.


4) MAC Select Moisturecover Concealer
I just reviewed this product, but I had to include it here as well. School and work kept me pretty busy in September and that unfortunately meant sleep had to take a minor hit. Thanks to this concealer, I looked fresh and alert! 


5) CoverGirl Lash Blast Volume Waterproof Mascara
This mascara is just awesome! It holds curl well, doesn't give me the spider eye look, and does indeed give me the volume I'm looking for. Now that I've started applying it sans my Jane clear mascara (I think the non-waterproof primer was a bad idea!), I have had no issues with application. Check out my review here.


6) MAC Capricious Lustre Finish Lipstick
This is a my lips but better (MLBB) lipstick for me! I just love the plummy, pink color. It's as moisturizing as a chapstick, which I can't really say about too many other lipsticks I own. Pictures to come soon :)


7) Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss in Coral Reef
Though the color of the tube seems a little shocking, this is a gorgeous milky coral gloss on! It isn't sticky at all and makes for a great spring/summer shade! I'm going to be sad to retire this guy for the fall and winter.


8) Revlon Just Bitten Lipstain + Balm in Twilight
A wearable fushia stain that gives me the 'just finished a berry popsicle' look that I was going for! It's long-wearing and works great for those days when you just don't have the time to reapply. Full review to come soon!


I'm really looking forward to fall so I can bring out my darker lipsticks and give eye shadows a try! What products were your most popular for September? Share in the comments!

My 1st MAC Experience!!

I had been contemplating visiting a MAC store for the past month...I mean, I live in New York City...they are everywhere! As much as I love my drugstore brands, I just had to see what all the MAC-related hype was about. Last week I was given the perfect opportunity while walking around Brooklyn Heights. The store was cute and tiny and the sales representative was super friendly. After watching multiple YouTube videos, I also just really wanted to know what my MAC shade was...


I'm an NW 35!! I picked up the Select MoistureCover concealer for covering up any dark under eye circles. What I loved about this product when I tried it in the store was that it perfectly matched my skin tone and applied so smoothly that I didn't feel like I had anything on. It left me with a nice, dewy finish that didn't require setting with foundation or powder. A great, stand alone product for those rough early mornings!!


Now, being a lip product fiend, I had to get myself a MAC lipstick...I mean, how could I not? I decided to go for a nice, not too crazy, natural pink: Capricious Lustre finish lipstick. I find this to be a great 'my lips but better' (MLBB) shade and have been using it a lot :) Not only does it feel good on the lips, but it also smells/tastes yummy!


I got both of these products for under $35 and am satisfied! I don't think I'll be making very frequent trips to the MAC stores, but I do think that the quality of these products is high and worth the occasional purchase. A girl's got to treat herself sometime, right? ;)

Hits n' Misses: Lip Products

My latest craze has been collecting lip products. Up until a couple of years ago, my only real exposure to lip products has been tacky and bright red stage lipsticks (I'll do another post sometime on the horrors of dance makeup :P) and clear glosses and balms. I have a teeny tiny collection of colored lip products that range from daily must-haves to the not-so-greats. Here's a run through of my mini-stash:

1) Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer - Being such a huge fan of Burt's Bees Lip Balm, I just had to try out these shimmers. I have four different shades:

- Raisin - a dark reddish, berry color

- Rhubarb - a mauve-y pink color

- Nutmeg - a peachy nude color

- Papaya - a dark coral color

From the left: Raisin, Rhubarb, Nutmeg, Papaya

As advertised, these products are indeed shimmery and give a cooling effect to the lips. They glide on very smoothly and the color intensity is buildable. I personally prefer to mix the Raisin and Rhubarb colors as together they give me a nicer shade then when used individually. I find Raisin to be a little too dark and Rhubarb to be a little too bright for my taste. These two shades are shimmery, whereas Nutmeg and Papaya appear glittery, which I don't like. The Nutmeg shade appears to wash me out, this may be due to my skin color (olive skin with warm undertone) or that I have pretty pigmented lips. Although they were easy to find (drugstore/Walmart) and not very expensive, I do not think I will be repurchasing these Lip Shimmers.

2) Burt's Bees Super Shiny Natural Lip Gloss- Again, my drugstore/Walmart beauty aisle curiosity steered me towards purchasing 2 tubes of this gloss:

- Nectar Nude - clear gloss with golden shimmer

- Zesty Red - reddish-maroon gloss with shimmer

From the left: Zesty Red (less and more product), Nectar Nude (less and more product)

I find these lip glosses work best on top of lip balms or lipsticks because they aren't very moisturizing . My favorite is the Zesty Red as I find it really suits my coloring. They are shimmery, but I do not find them to be glittery, which is a plus in my book! The only downside is that at times the gloss can feel a bit gritty on my lips. I will definitely be repurchasing the Zesty Red gloss

3) Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey - My 1st non-drug store lip product purchase! I got this the first time I went to Sephora and absolutely love it! It's more like a gloss than a lipstick (hence almost lipstick). The color is a darker reddish shade (don't be fooled by the actual color of the lipstick), glides on very smoothly, and is extremely buildable. I did about three or four layers in my swatch, but you can make it a lot darker if that's what you prefer. It has a light, pleasant scent. I will definitely repurchase this even though at $14 my bargain hunter's soul found it a tad bit pricey!

4) Maybelline Colorsensational Lipstick in Blushing Brunette - Nice creamy mauve-y pink lipstick with a bit of shimmer. Not so sure if this is the best shade for me, I find it a bit too light pink, but combined with my Burt's Bees gloss in Zesty Red, it's perfect! It has a pleasant scent! I will probably not repurchase this one as I'd like to try another.

5) Revlon Super Lustrous Creme Lipstick in Rum Raisin - My current favorite lipstick! Can be a bit drying, but I like to cover it with a slick of Eucerin Aquaphor or Blistex DCT and I'm good to go! I really love the brownish-reddish shade as it is not too bright nor too dark. I find it to be a natural color on me, not too crazy a shade for work or too dull for night. Especially love that it is matte and not shimmery/glittery at all! Seems unscented to me. Will definitely repurchase this one.

6) L'Oreal Colour Riche Lipstick in Fairest Nude - Last week I was on the search for the perfect nude shade...sadly I am not so sure if "nude" really suits me or my taste. I am not so sure how much I like muting my natural lip color. Fairest Nude is a pinky nude color which really does not suit me at all. I was really disappointed after reading lots of positive reviews on MUA and also seeing a lot of YT Makeup Guru's recommending it. I am considering returning this as I do not think I will be wearing it at all, thanks to Rite-Aid's lenient return policy!

From the left: Black Honey, Blushing Brunette, Rum Raisin, Fairest Nude

So there you all have it, my very tiny lip product stash...my pride and joy :P I am hoping to add the L'Oreal Colour Juice Stick Lipstick in Personali-tea to my collection soon as I've heard good things about it and that it suits all skin tones (my last attempt at nude). Any idea where I can find it, besides online? I've searched a couple of drugstores to no avail.

Any other lip product recommendations?

Til next time,

Mani :)