30/11/2015

Monthly Favourites // November 2015

Although I finished Uni at the end of October, November has still been a pretty hectic month! I've been working a bunch (does that at all justify the millions of hauls that happened in November??? Plus more in the mail WHOOPS) and my days off have mostly been trying to catch up on blogs and chillin owwwt watching shows, etc. I have quite a few new products to share with you, which I predicted I would last month. Lots of haulage = lots of exciting new products. Let's jump in!




NARS One Shocking Moment Cheek Studio Palette
MY PRIDE AND JOY. Since buying it last month, this palette has been a go to. It's my first time trying NARS face powder products and boy, they are amazing. The shades that have particularly been getting a workout are Laguna bronzer and Luster. Laguna is an unexpected fave as it's a little sheerer, and has a golden sheen that I was unsure about. Turns out, this is an amazing bronzer for adding warmth and dimension, in a subtle/natural/easy way. Luster is a shade I have wanted to try for AGES and it sure is beautiful. It's a golden peach that it so warming and goes with anything! The sheen doubles as a highlighter as well!

Essence Eyeshadow in Hazel Me Not!
I was actually lucky enough to win Amy's giveaway which included a bunch of Essence products. If you guys have been following since the beginning, you may remember that Essence was probably the first brand I really go into. Their products are really good quality, and for the price?!??! Perfect for beginners. I haven't dabbled much with them in a little while, so it was awesome to try some of their newer stuff. And omggg IT'S ALL SO GOOD. Essence, you are my old faithful and I love you. Ash raved about this eyeshadow in particular and I have to agree, it's awesome. It's a matte taupey/minky brown that works perfectly in the crease for contouring. I actually wore it a few times on its own just all over the lid and under the eye for a grungy, soft matte look. The formula is great too. It's quite sheer but blends and builds really easily!

And now for ALLLL of da lip products.

Essence XXXL Nude (aka the next Magic Mike movie) Lipgloss in Taste the Sweets
This little unassuming gloss has been a daily go-to for me. The shade is so lovely, it's like a peachy-rose-nude and is pretty much a MLBB, coupled with the easy, sheer formula. The texture is great too, thin and balmy, not sticky at all! I really like the petal shaped applicator too :P

Essence Longlasting Nude Lipstick in Come Naturally
LAST ESSENCE PROD I PROMISE, and quite possibly my favourite of them all. I'd seen rumbles of this particular shade around the place but never picked it up. Well DAYUM I'm glad I have it now! This shade is soooooo cool (literally and figuratively). It's a cool-toned mauvey-browny shade that has a bit of grey/purple to it. Very unique in my collection but totally on trend at the moment. I didn't know if it would be flattering on me but it actually looks great! The formula is slightly sheer - but still pigmented - with a slight sheen. It has a balmy texture so it isn't actually the longest lasting, but it's super comfortable and easy to reapply!

Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Patina
Patina is in the same colour family as Come Naturally, perhaps a bit more rosy pink? But still cool-toned and mauvey-brown. Out of the Stila mini set I picked up, this has definitely been my most worn. On the lips it's darker than it looks in the tube, but it's the perfect everyday, slightly deeper but super wearable 'bold' lip. I was nervous about the formula since I've read mixed reviews but I actually really like it! It's easy to apply and lasts ages (through eating too). The matte finish is awesome with little transfer, and is actually quite comfortable and not too drying.

Clarins Instant Light Lip Balm Perfector in Orange
The last two products are quite autumnal but, like I mentioned in my Summer-y post, this tinted lip balm is super warm weather appropriate! It' so easy to slap on and can give quite the punch of colour if you build it up! It's sheer, juicy and is super comfortable and moisturising on the lips. I've already used a decent chunk which I'm not exactly happy about since this is a pricey number!


Antipodes Chia & Kiwi Seed Superfood Serum*
I was sent this around a month and a half ago and have really been enjoying it! It's definitely a face oil, and a rather thick, rich one at that. I use three drops of the stuff every night and it's quite possibly the most nourishing face oil I have! Probably not one I'd recommend to super oily types, and probably best kept for night time! I love it though and don't mind looking like a greaseball ;) But yeah, this shiz is sooo moisturising and nourishing and can imagine it being perfect in winter!

Asap Moisturising Daily Defence*
On makeup free days this has been my go to moisturiser. It contains SPF 50+ (UVA + UVB) and though it feels and smells like a sunscreen, it's not nearly as greasy or thick. Instead I feel like it gives a super plump, dewy glow? I actually love the effect and in general, it's an awesome moisturisier/SPF combo!


Netflix's Marvel Jessica Jones
HOLY BAJEEBUS. Words cannot describe how much I FREAKING LOVE JESSICA JONES. THIS SHIZ IS NEXT LEVEL. It dropped on the 20th and of course I finished it by the Monday (that's pretty slow by my standards). Now I absolutely LOVED Daredevil (the first of the Netflix-Marvel series) but wow, Jessica Jones was even better. Seriously, if you haven't watched the Netflix-Marvel series, you NEED to. Besides trying to explain what it's about, Imma just leave the trailer here (it's a DAMN good trailer). But anyway, I found the pacing really good (I found Daredevil a little slow to get into its groove), each episode was quite thrilling and the plot moved at a steady pace, though there are DEFINITELY some epic peaks. Where Daredevil excelled at action, Jessica Jones is more character-based. The characters, relationships and how they're affected by traumatic events are really delved into and it's super interesting. The Trish-Jessica relationship is just SO GOOD and liek ugh i die. David Tennant as Kilgrave too ✔✔. I honestly can't get over how good this show is. Plus, a bunch of Aussies are in it. REPRESENNNNT.

This may be my last monthly favourites for the year - depending on how I go in December! Let me know what y'all have been loving. Fellow Jessica Jones fans HOLLA @ ME.

*Products sent for consideration