January favorites

How is it February already?!? Feels like we have just celebrated New Years. People always say January is the longest, most depressing month, but for me it just flew by. I guess time really flies when you are having fun. It was a fun month, but especially fun playing with makeup.

Today I wanted to highlight some of my favorite products that I have used in the month of January.

I have two foundation type of products that I have been using this month. One was Covergirl Fresh Skin Milk. I wear it in the shade fair light 530. This is such a great, light wear product. Sits very nicely on my skin and it just gives enough coverage to even out everything. It has a dewy finish which I love as it always looks so effortless and healthy. The shade is a quite good match for me, even though the swatch leans a bit on the cooler/pink side. However, that is a perk of a sheerer formula, as it blends to your skin and it is more forgiving in case you don’t have a spot on shade. My undertone is neutral, so this shade looks really nice on my skin. It wears beautifully, without any weird patches, and all the products that you put on top of it (cream or powder) blends nicely into it. I know this product has mixed reviews. People mention that it pills on them, that it has weird white dots in the formula, but mine works perfect and I have not noticed any of those issues. It does have a scent, so you should know it smells like bread. I know that is so random, but it does smell like a bread from bakery. I am not mad at it. I love bread.

The other foundation is from BareMinerals. It is complexion rescue hydration foundation stick. My shade is 1.5 birch and I love it. It is a medium coverage product, but you can build it up as well. I like to apply it with a sponge or with my fingers. It is so creamy and not heavy at all. I like to set it around my smile lines with some powder, just to prevent it from settling into them. I just love how this foundation stick makes my skin look. It expires in June so I have to make sure I use it up this year, which should not be a problem, because I love wearing it.

As far as concealers go, I loved rotating between Milani conceal+perfect concealer (which I have in a shade 125 light vanilla) and Uoma Beauty stay woke concealer (in the shade fair lady T2). Both of them have a good coverage and are quite creamy for a concealer and I have just enjoyed using them. Milani is more of my summer shade, as I bought it in the warmer months, but mixed with Uoma concealer, it is a great combo.

Lip and cheek products are always fun to switch up and this month I have enjoyed some pinky/natural shades. Starting with Milk makeup Kush lip balm in the shade Cannatonic. Oh, what a lip balm! So creamy and healing on the lips, with a light wash of color that you can build up to show up more. I love the slight herbal scent of it. A couple of years ago, I have finished the clear one called Green dragon. Loved that one, love this newer shade. Highly recommend.
Flower beauty lipstick line is an amazing one. I love the shade Naked blush which is a matte formula, but so comfortable on the lips. The color is just perfect for everyday and I am a big fan. The last lip product I have used a lot is from EM cosmetic and it is a gloss in the shade Magic hour. One of the best gloss formulas I have ever tried. Non sticky at all and the color is so beautiful. It will be hard to put this one down and use something else (as I do not want to use it up too soon)

As I have mentioned before, I love blushes. This month I could not put down a blush from Clove+Hallow in the shade Blossom. It is a very neutral, almost cool toned light pink blush in the cream formula. It blends so nicely into the skin and looks beautiful on my light skin tone. Plus, it looks like a little nail polish so I love having it out on the bathroom counter. Also, my Essence blush in Bespoke was a lot in use this month (I talked about why I love it in my last blog post)

Newer mascara, that I finally got to open, was Urban Decay Lash freak. I love it. It really made my lashes freakishly long. It has crazy weird wand, but at least it is not huge, so I didn’t get it all over my lids while applying. It is a wet type of formula so I do like how it performs after a week or two after it has been opened. I have never had lashes so defined and so long. It did smudge a tiny amount after a long day, but my eyes are watery from laughing, as hubby and I are always laughing about something. I have a small version of it and while the full size is pricey, I would repurchase this mini version some day, as it gives that glam “Am I wearing false eyelashes?” look.

As for eyeshadows, I am trying not to neglect my single eyeshadows. So, this month I have been reaching for a single eyeshadow from Essence in the shade Ironic. This is such a discovery to me! It is so beautiful, smooth and just perfect. I use it all over my eyes with just a little bronzer on the crease and it looks amazing. It can compete with high end shadow formulas (and win the battle, as it is so affordable) and this shade pairs beautifully with anything you might put on your face. It is that good!

I have been enjoying the Elf bite size eyeshadow palette this month, and particularly in the shade Berry bad. Such an affordable, cute, little palette. I love how this formula performs, especially for the price. I do have to build up the first shade a little, but nevertheless, it is s great little product. These shades would be perfect for a Valentine’s day looks, as this is the month of romance and love. I will spotlight some of my top palette choices for a Valentine’s day soon. Stay tuned! In the meantime, stay safe and healthy and write to you soon!

XOXO, Iva