And we're back! Welcome to March's Faves & F$&k No's! I don't think there will be as many as there were last month; considering the fact that I was trying to a no buy (which failed horribly), there shouldn't have been anything at all, and yet here we are! Let's get started!
Faves
BODY
Softsoap Luminous Oils Avocado Oil & Iris Body Wash
$3.49; image from walmart.com
This body wash is seriously...luxurious. I think that's the best word for it. I don't think that it has a very distinct or describable scent (some kind of musky perfume or something), but the reason why it's on this list is because it makes my skin feel like silk. The body wash comes out more like a gel; it's on the thick side, and it lathers up and glides across you skin like nothing you've ever experienced before. This might be my empties focus for April.
Bath & Body Works Paris Amour & Pink Chiffon Fragrance Line
Price varies; Images from fragrantica.com and nouveaucheap.blogspot.com
Again, with the luxury. These two fragrances (sweet and rich in a nice floral-hinted-with-fruit way) will get you as close to the illusion of wearing perfume without actually wearing perfume as possible, and I love them. I have the body washes and body creams in both, and I have the fragrance mist in Paris Amour, and best believe I thoroughly plan to buy the fragrance mist for Pink Chiffon eventually, and you should, too.
MAKEUP
Black Radiance Pressed Powder (Golden Cashews & Warm Hazelnut)
$5; Images from blackradiancebeauty.com
If you've been following this blog for a while then you know that I use these powders in every single look that I do; they are a staple for me (Golden Cashews especially), and I don't think I'll ever like another powder besides these. This is the only powder that perfectly matches my skintone, and does not feel irritating on my skin when I apply it (I had that problem with Ruby Kisses), and it's super uber affordable! You can't go wrong.
*Honorable Mention* Ruby Kisses 3D Face Creator (#12)
$4.99; image from ebonyline.com
This concealer is fantastic (they say it can be used for foundation, too, but I think we're all using it as concealer). It's nice and thick and creamy, and even thought it might not feel like you're getting a lot out of the little pans when you put your tool into them, the coverage goes a long way, and boy, does it cover. The main reasons why this is an honorable mention and not an actual fave are that it does sink into large pores, so if you have pores like mine then I suggest a blurring base to go under it. Also, this, like many cream-pot concealers I've come across, can be a little greasy, so if you're oily (also like me) then stay the hell away from this; it'll only make things worse. But! If you've got the right skin type, and a damp blending sponge, you're good to go!
Makeup Revolution New-trals vs Neutrals Palette
$10; image from makeuprevolutionstore.com
Okay, we all know my obsession with Makeup Revolution, so I tried to keep the amount of MUR products to a minimum in this post, but there are just a couple things that I have to mention, and this is one of them. I've been in love with this palette since the moment I bought it; the colors are gorgeous, in the palette and on the skin, and I just recently revived my love affair with it, and you just need it. You need it; there's nothing else that I can say.
Makeup Revolution Flawless Matte Palette
$15; image from graymaluje.blogspot.com
Do I really need to explain this? Who doesn't need an all-matte palette? The mattes in this palette are soft and creamy and blendable and cooperative and pigmented and perfect for transitions and outer v colors and this is a run-on sentence. It's just really great, and that's coming from the Shimmer Queen, okay? It's perfect; it's flawless.
L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Mascara
$8; image from ulta.com
$8; image from ulta.com
This mascara gives me the life that my eyelashes need, with or without primer and extensions, every single time. I don't like false lashes, I think they look ridiculous on me, and this gives me big, natural lashes, with no glue or ripped out eyelashes involved.
Makeup Revolution Vivid Baked Bronzer + All About Bronzed Bronze Palette
$6; Image from babbleswithbeth.blogspot.com
This is a combo I'm talking about here. Yes, they're awesome by themselves, but together, they make the Perfect Black Girl Highlighting Team. The way that the glow I get from this literally melts into my skin can be compared to nothing else, and I would buy the entire All About Bronzed palette all over again just for one pan (#3), and I probably will. Yup, I feel it, I'm going to end up doing that. Probably no time soon, though; the highlighters in that palette are so pigmented that you literally only have to dip your brush into it once and already you have too much.
NYX Liquid Suede Lip Creams
$7; Image from thegloss.com
$7; Image from thegloss.com
I discovered these lippies at the same time that I discovered the New-trals vs Neutrals palette, and just like that I'm in love. These lip creams are perfect; they aren't drying, they are super duper uber opaque, and they feel glorious on the lips. I don't think I have anything in my collection that can compete with them; wait, actually...
ColourPop Ultra Satin Liquid Lipsticks
$6; image from colourpop.com
$6; image from colourpop.com
Yeah, these are right up there with the NYX Liquid Suedes. Comfortable on the lips, the colors are gorgeous, they aren't drying, and to make things especially great for me personally, they don't have as much of a scent as the Lippie Stix are from ColourPop, which always give me a headache, always. And for $6? Girl, if you don't get-!
SKINCARE
Garnier Micellar Water
$8.99; image from feelunique.com
$8.99; image from feelunique.com
I originally thought that all makeup removers were equal. There was no need for me to think about which makeup remover to get; just grab some wipes and go. That is, until I came across this. I had been bombarded with images of these damn micellar waters all over Instagram and YouTube, and finally I was at Ulta and I saw it and was like, what the hell, life is too short. And boy, am I glad I did! This stuff literally cuts through makeup like dust, no matter how many layers of concealer, foundation, setting powder, face powder, blush, highlighter, contour, that you might have on (and I put it all on), it cuts through with one swipe. And with eyeshadows?! Dampen a cotton pad and lay it on your eye for a couple of seconds and watch it disappear, no matter what kind of glitter, smoky eye or whatever you decided to put on your face, it's going to be gone, I guarantee it.
F&#k No's
I really only have one F&#k No this month, and that would be this:
Maybelline Dream Velvet Soft Matte Hydrating Foundation
$9.99; Image from drugstore.com
Maybelline Dream Velvet Soft Matte Hydrating Foundation
I wanted to like this, you guys, I wanted to! The finish is so pretty on everybody's skin, including mine! But the color! The damn color. The closest one to my skin tone, the one that actually should match me, when you think about it, is 92 Caramel, and it's just too light. Or maybe there's some kind of pale undertone to it or something, I don't know, but it looks like a white cast on my face and I hate it. No matter what I do (putting on darker powder, etc), it just doesn't work, and I don't know what to do to make it work, so I'm not even going to bother. So this is a F&#k No for me only, because I couldn't get with that color. Otherwise, the finish is beautiful, you guys; if you can get the color to work, go for it.
Okay! Yeah, that was a lot quicker than last month's, but I hope you found this to be entertaining/helpful! I'll see you next month!
x Ashlan
