Five Favorites: November 2011

I'm not going to say the usual "I cant believe it's already December" like I usually do every month bc its true. I am going to say that I'm happy its December, its my favorite month of the year. I love the holiday season so much plus my birthday is right after Christmas!
My favorite products this month are mostly new ones I bought and I think there's only one that I've had but started using again. 

SECHE VITE
Dry Fast Top Coat

I actually just purchased this yesterday but I already know I love it. After reading on so many nail blogs about how great this stuff was I had to see what all the hype was about. I went to Sally's Beauty Supply and they had it. I applied one coat of it on my already painted nails as soon as I got home. I swear it dried in less than a second! Then I noticed how shiny my nails looked. I have a very pretty blue  color with flashes of pink and purple shimmer on  and it made the color 10x more gorgeous. I've heard other bloggers say that it's the best top coat ever and they didn't know how they even painted there nails before they found this stuff. Now I totally understand what they mean. My mom also said to me later in the day, "Your nails look so gorgeous, it looks like shiny glass" lol. I told her about the top coat and she of course wanted to try it and loves it too. It guarantees not to yellow your nails from dark nail colors and promises to keep your color last without any chipping. The price was a little steep, it was around $9 but if you order it on the Sally's Beauty Supply website you can get it for only $7.99, or a dollar less if you are a member. It was well worth the money for me though. I cant wait to use it with every mani I do.  




L'Oreal True Match 
Foundation

I've been using this foundation on and off for years and in the same shade, Honey Beige. I've tried lots of other liquid foundations over the years and some I really liked and some I hated. But at some point I always end up buying this again, thank god they haven't stopped selling it. I either use powder foundation or liquid, I guess it just depends on what I feel like that day. I like this a lot because it comes in a variety of different shades even though the only one I've ever used has been honey beige. It blends in very easily and is natural looking. With a primer it's always seemed to stay on for a while. The coverage isn't too heavy and isn't too light, its right in the middle where I prefer. Sometimes my skin can tend to be dry around my nose and with some foundations it's only made it worse but not this one. That's one big reason I like this. I apply it by dabbing a little bit on each cheek, forehead, chin and nose, then I use my fingers to blend outwards. I like that I don't have to work too hard to blend and even it out. The only downfall about this product is the packaging, there's not a pump or anything, just a regular bottle so sometimes it could be a pain trying to get the product out of the bottle. Besides that, it works great for me, especially for a drugstore brand. I don't think it's more than $10 at any local drugstore. 

e.l.f Studio Makeup 
Mist & Set

I've been using a makeup mist for a while now, mainly for the mixing medium aspect and I only use it when I wear powder foundation. It also works really well when using mineral makeup. First I apply my powder foundation with a makeup sponge (not the ones that come with the compact) then lightly spritz my face with the setter and apply another layer of the powder and then I blend it in with a kabuki brush. The mist helps that powdery/cakey look go away and gives my skin more of a dewy look. Plus it makes it so much easier to blend in. I first used the MAC's Fix + and when I ran out I started looking for an alternative. Spending almost $50 on a basically a bottle of water seemed a little ridiculous to me. I've also made my own and its really easy. EnKoreMakeup YouTube guru has a great video on how to make it.  Click here  if you want to see the video. Then I saw that elf sold it and I gave it a try since it was so inexpensive. I've heard some mixed reviews on this product but I think the bad reviews were from people that were looking for more of the lasting aspect. I'm not worried about that part since I use a primer. In my opinion it did everything I was looking for. It gives me that same dewy look that MAC and the one I made myself did. So I'm very pleased with it. The smell is a little weird but I can deal with that. For $4 or $5 I could make my own or I could buy this for only $3. You can get this from the eyeslipsface.com website. I haven't seen it in my local Target but they might sell it in yours.  

Maybelline Line Stiletto 
Precision Liquid Eyeliner

Ever since I started wearing the cat/winged eyeliner look and actually applying it correctly, I've been using L'Oreal's Felt Tip Liquid Eyeliner, this eyeliner actually helped me to apply it correctly for the first real time. Even if I think I've found the perfect product. I still like to try alternatives bc you never know you might find one better. As much as I loved and was content with L'Oreal's liner, I heard a lot of great things about Maybelline's liquid liner so I wanted to try it. I've been using it ever since I bought it, I can't say its better than L'Oreal and I cant say its worse either. They both give the same results but I really like it. These are the type of liners you need when trying to apply an almost flawless cat eye or even just a straight line. The felt tip applicator is what I think gives you that control and the handle is very easy to hold. It also glides on very easily and doesn't tug at your skin  like some other liners do. If you are into the very black look then this is perfect, just remember to shake the bottle before opening to get the most color. It dries very quickly so you don't have to worry about drying time and smudging and it also lasts all day. I recently had a really long day and applied this at 5am and when I got home at 1am, (20 hours later) I was shocked that I still had to take off my eye makeup. I thought it would have melted off but it didn't. Oh and how can I forget one of the best parts, it's only around $6 to $7. I got mine at Walmart for $6.50. I find that to be a great bargain and now that I think about it this does have one up on L'Oreal bc their liner was around $10.

Suave Professionals
Sleek Anti-Frizz Cream

I recently bought this product because I needed a new product to help with those after blow dry frizzies. I have enough products for prior to blow drying but there all serums or oils and would make my hair look greasy if I used it on dry hair. I bought this because 1. it was less than $4 and 2. I already have Suave's Professional Dry Shampoo and their Volumizing Root Boost Spray and love them both. So I was hoping this product would live up to my expectations and it did. I use it after I've blow dried my hair to get rid of any frizziness. I like it because its not a heavy formula, it's actually pretty lightweight and does the job. I haven't experienced any greasy/oily looking hair after using this. I only use a dime size amount and run it underneath my hair and through my layers. Then whatever product is left on my hands I'll run lightly over the top and ends. For the price I cant complain at all. I got this at CVS for $3.50 and have also seen it at other drugstores. 

Have you guys tried any of these products before and if so do you have a different opinion?

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