November Favourites: Badger's Balm, MAC, Urban Decay, Revlon, e.l.f, Inglot, Batiste

This month I've really enjoyed smoky eyes and subtle everything else. I've been leaving my brows bare a lot, my lips with just a slick of balm and cheeks with just a hint of highlighter. It's also been about relaxing between rushing to get ready for work!



First up we have a lifesaver. Badger's Sleep Balm. I heard a few good things about this so decided to pick this up when eBay kindly gave me a £5 voucher. I purchased it from Fragrance Direct's eBay outlet. I have to say, it works. I'm always so skeptical about things like this but it's soothing in scent and the action of massaging it into your temples really helps you drift off to sleep. I had concerns about it breaking me out but so far, that hasn't happened.



A product I've been using a lot this month is MAC Blonde MSF. I use the light side to highlight my cheekbones and a hint of the dark side as a blush and think it gives the perfect amount of colour and shimmer.



Urban Decay All Nighter is something I didn't use much when I first bought it. It has grown on me though. It helps keep oils at bay for that little bit longer so I'm no longer looking like a grease ball at the end of my work day. I do notice lots of shine when I get home though so in conjunction with my Revlon ColorStay foundation, I'm shine free for about 10 hours.



Revlon Contour Shadow Brush - an incredible brush for buffing concealer under the eyes. It's soft, gentle and gives a wonderful finish.



Another brush I've been enjoying this month is the e.l.f Fan Brush. It's perfect for depositing a light amount of colour to the cheeks and great for highlighting. I'd like to explore fan brushes a little more and pick up a dense, fluffy one and see how it works out for contouring.



This Inglot shadow is stunning. I use it over black eyeliner to make it last longer and think it's refreshing to use instead of a matte black shadow. It really makes the whites of my eyes whiter!



Batiste Brunette dry shampoo has been a saviour. Recently, I've been having to leave for work a couple of hours early due to the snow and London's awful transport system. By using a dry shampoo I can cut at least 20 mintues from my "getting ready" time. Ideal.

What products have you been enjoying this month?

October Favourites: e.l.f, No7, Wet n Wild, Models Own, M.A.C

There are a few things I've been using religiously this month. A few are past loves, a few are products I didn't think too much of when I first bought them and have found new uses for and some are products I've bought recently that have had a lot of use.

First up is a product I bought nearly a year ago and didn't really like. It was decent but wasn't something I reached for very often. e.l.f HD powder from their studio line. I use this to set my under eye concealer and find it does an absolutely fantastic job of that! I like using my Revlon contour crease brush for this. It's a little messy to use because of the square lid and round screw top but at a fiver, you can't complain much and if I'm using this to set under my eyes, it'll last forever.



Next is a product I received in a swap a while back. I've been using this a lot lately as the shades are very autumnal and we all know I love a good purple. It's the Wet n Wild ColorIcon palette in Lust. Gorgeous shades, incredible pigmentation. If you can get your hands on this I really recommend you do! I hear fantastic things about the ColorIcon shadows and am hoping to get a few more. If anyone on the other side of the pond is interested in doing a swap please get in touch! I'm guessing (and hoping) I'll be done with P5P by the end of November and the UK has a lot of awesome products available. Sleek and Barry M being the main brands and MeMeMe is one coming up in popularity.



M.A.C's Studio Finish concealer has been a staple of mine for a couple years now. It offers great coverage without looking cakey and the colour match is perfect. I have this concealer in NC20 and NW20 - NC I use for blemishes and NW I use under my eyes. I use this by applying with my fingers and patting in to blend.



M.A.C eyeshadow in Humid is another one I've been going to quite a lot lately. One of my Project 5 Pan items is a neutral Biotherm duo which is lovely on it's own but sometimes it's nice just to add a pop of colour and I love green on my eyes. I have small green patches dotted around my iris and this really brings them out.



I bought a Models Own blending brush in a set back when they had their 50% off sale. The size of this brush is perfect for my eyes. I have hooded eyelids and not much lid space so find that it's difficult to create definition in my crease while blending out well and not too far up for a daytime look. This brush is an ideal size for that. It's soft and washes well too. I've not noticed any shedding.





Last up is No7 Stay Perfect nail polish in Totally Teal. It's the most perfect creamy petrol blue colour. I usually change my nail polish up every couple of days because I get bored, but I find myself reapplying this one day after day! It also looks fantastic with gold glitter over the top. I have one of these polishes included in my giveaway! If you haven't entered, you can do so here.



What are your October favourites? Have you used any of these products? Share!

August Wins & Fails

So I think I'm going to start doing these favourites slash regrets posts. I like to be with the in crowd yanno?

WIN:

Models Own polishes - beautiful formulation, great staying power.
Pantene Aqua Light shampoo & conditioner - really is super light and a delight to use.
MUA MakeUp Academy makeup - bargain and beautiful pigmentation.
Swaps! - need I say more? Well...I have.
MAC Humid eyeshadow - a perfect shade to transition into autumn/winter makeup.

FAIL:

Maybelline Dream Mousse eyeshadows - next to no pigmentation, difficult to work with.
Barry M body glitter - falls off within 3 seconds of applying it. Don't ask why I decided to wear body glitter...
Clinique Superfit foundation - broke...me...out...looks lovely on though!

What are your wins and fails?