March Favorites, 2014

March Favorites

It’s the last day of March, so you know what that means.  It’s Monthly Favorites time!  For those of you who are new to the blog, Monthly Favorites are those products that particularly stood out to me and ones that I reached for over and over throughout the month.  March was weird, beauty-wise.  I was so sick with that stomach flu that lasted forever, so for two weeks I either didn’t leave the house or when I did, I didn’t wear makeup.  These favorites are pretty much from the first and last weeks of March because the middle was pretty sketchy.  I also have a non-beauty favorite to add at the end, because I have been absolutely obsessed!  So, let’ get into it.

BareMinerals Eyeshadow

I have really been enjoying my bareMineral eyeshadow.  The small duo came in my “All the Favs” set that I reviewed here.  It’s fabulous.  It’s a mini version (1 g) of the bareMinerals READY Eyeshadow 2.0 in “Epiphany” featuring A-Ha and Foreshadow.  I can’t get enough of that gorgeous taupe shade (A-Ha) that looks so beautiful that I can wear it alone and it seems that I spent way longer on my eyes than I actually did.  “Epiphany” is swatched on the top.  The bottom shadows are the bareMinerals READY Eyeshadow 4.0 in “The Soundrack”.  This quad is so me.  I love greens and golds.  These shadows feel like butter and blend so easily and smoothly.  They have a truly wonderful formula and I really recommend trying bareMinerals shadow if you haven’t already.

WnW Drinking a Glass of Shine

I’ve been reaching for my Wet n Wild 8-pan palette in “Drinking a Glass of Shine” (also known as “I Heart Matte”) for my eyeliner a lot this month.  I just haven’t been into pencil liners during March, so instead, I’ve been mixing the matte black and brown in this palette to line my upper and lower lashes.  Shadow liner isn’t always successful on the lower lash line- it really depends on your skin and how watery your eyes are.  But it’s really great on the upper lash line for a very defined, yet pretty natural liner look.  These shadows are so pigmented that a little goes a long way, and I don’t have to pack them on to get major impact.

e.l.f. Studio Mini Eyelash Curler

I am so glad that I recently got the e.l.f. Studio Mini Eyelash Curler because it’s exactly what I needed.  I’ve noticed in the last several months that my lashes are giving me issues.  I have very short, puny lashes that are increasingly curl resistant.  I used to be able to curl my lashes, but over the last six months or so, they just refuse to curl.  I also have smaller eyes, so I have a hard time maneuvering a regular eyelash curler.  I’ve been meaning to pick up a small curler for a while, but never got around to it.  I heard about the Shu Uemura one, but $25 seemed like a lot to spend on an eyelash curler.  Finally I placed an e.l.f. order for some of their new products (more on that later) and found the e.l.f. Studio Mini Eyelash Curler sort of by accident.  It’s about half (or maybe less) the size of a normal lash curler, so you curl your lashes in sections instead of all at once.  I can really get in there, no matter how short my lashes are, and hit the angles I need for maximum curl.  I love it.  There is a learning curve, and there was some pinching the first day or two, but once I got the hang of it, I have had no problems and am really happy with it.

e.l.f. Studio Cream Blush in Temptress

Even though Spring is here, it’s was still pretty cold during March, so I haven’t begun to use any self-tanner yet.  That means that I am still light enough to use the e.l.f. Studio Cream Blush in Temptress as a cream contour.  This is actually a really lovely shade for contour if you have fair or light skin.  Though it looks a little warm in the swatch picture, it is actually pretty neutral, so it works for cool-toned girls too.  It pairs really well with Too Faced Chocolate Soleil, which is cool-toned.  The blush has a smooshy, spongey texture, similar to the Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blushes.  They are lightweight and have a cream to powder finish.  Though I probably won’t be able to wear it for too much longer, I have enjoyed the light contour that Temptress has provided.

*Okay, so here’s a weird thing.  I just checked eyeslipsface.com and don’t see the e.l.f. Studio Cream Blushes anywhere.  I swear they were still on the website last time I checked, but I haven’t looked specifically for them in a while.  Does anyone know if they’ve been discontinued?  I hate recommending a product that you can’t get, but it never occurred to me that the blushes wouldn’t be there.*

Jenny Lawson, The Bloggess

My final favorite is actually a person.  I am completely obsessed with Jenny Lawson.  First, I found her book Let’s Pretend This Never Happened: (A Mostly True Memoir).  I loved it!  My husband and I both read it, and we both really enjoyed it and laughed a lot.  Then, I went to her blog thebloggess.com and I was sold.  (don’t be folled by the picture, it is in no way a beauty blog.)  Jenny Lawson is like Laurie Notaro when she was still funny, only with way more dead animals. (Yes, that is a dead mouse dressed as Shakespeare.)

Lets Pretend This Never Happened

If you enjoy irreverent humor and can handle mental illness and taxidermy, Jenny Lawson is totally wicked.  I would definitely check out the blog and read the preview chapters before buying the book because her humor is not for everybody and certainly not for the faint of heart.  But, she had me hooked by page 11 and I gleefully recommend that those who are not easily offended give her a chance.

So, those are my favorites for March.  Again, it was an off month.  I know that everyone has been clamoring for Spring, but I am going to miss the cold weather.  I am thrilled that winter stuck around so long.  I’m going to miss the cold when I move back to California.  I know that it’s a pretty short drive to the mountains if I miss the snow, but it’s not the same as seeing snow in your own backyard.  However I am excited to move forward, and to see where the next few months take me.  I feel like there are a lot of things in my life that are up in the air and I’m in a state of limbo, which is really stressful for me.  But hopefully I can get some answers soon.

How about you?  How was your March?  What were some of your favorite products?  Let me know in the comments below.