Monthly Favourites | November 2013

Can you believe it!? We're at the end of the year and are knee deep in the holiday season! By the time this post goes up I'll be in my last Chemistry exam for the year, and have one more exam after - then I'm done for grade eleven! :O Pretty shocked and I am NOT ready for grade twelve, aaaaaaaahh. Anyways onto da faves. I don't have too many this month as I've been using mostly the same things as always (featured in previous favourites posts) and I didn't want to mention things again.

I've been really enjoying using the Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening toner which I will have a review up for after ample testing time. This is really nice and has filled the gap in my routine for a chemical exfoliator (though I am also using the Garnier Dark Spot Night serum, which could be counted as one). It's very gentle and feels like any other toner, no stinging or tight, dry skin after use. So far, I fell like my skin's appearance is brighter and a little more even, but only time and continual use will tell!

Olive oil has been featured on quite a few Beauty bloggers and vlogger blogs and channels. I recently ran out of my waterproof eye makeup remover without a replacement waiting in the wings. I wasn't able to buy another so I decided to try out some Extra Virgin Olive oil which is known to be rather effective as a makeup remover. I have to say, I really like it! It removes waterproof mascara really well, gently and my lids and lashes feel nourished after. It is quite oily (that's a given) but I wash my face immediately after so it doesn't bother me. I've put mine in an old Rosehip oil bottle so it's easy to use too!

A new addition to my concealer collection is the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser in the Brightening shade. I really don't have any brightening concealers as I've not really had the need for them. I don't have terribly bad dark circles at all, however I've had quite little sleep lately staying up and studying so I've noticed circles appearing. That and one of my friends said I looked like I'd been punched in the eye :P ...(thanks Tam !) Anyway! This concealer is very light and pink toned so it's very brightening - especially on my medium, yellow-toned skin. I tend to use it under my base so it's not too stark, but I've been enjoying it! There's no creasing and it is a nice thin, slippy texture that doesn't cake up.

My most used blush is still probably my The Balm Instain one, but a close runner-up this month is the Napoleon Perdis Cream Blush from the Instyle magazine freebie. It's a lovely natural pink that looks nice and dewy on the skin. It also applies fine over powder, though I usually top it off with translucent powder to try and make it last longer. I typically find that cream blushes aren't typically long lasting on me, but I still really like them!

I received this Essence Sun Club shimmer Bronzer in the shade Sunkissed (for Blondes) in a giveaway pack I won (thanks Sarah!). I was going to give it away as it was too light for my skin (as a bronzer) but I thought I'd give it a go as a subtle, natural highlighter as it is pretty close in colour to my skin colour. It then dawned on me that I could use this in a similar way to something like an Hourglass Ambient lighting powder - as a light finishing powder. The shimmer is quite fine and is really more of a sheen than anything, so it's totally suitable all over. I have been dusting this lightly mainly over the typical highlighting spots, and blending it all over the face. It offers a really nice soft focus glow to the skin, and makes me look slightly glowy - and overall I think it just makes my skin look better! I don't think I ever would have bought this on my own, so I am very happy I got to try it and get a taste of what an Hourglass Ambient lighting powder might look like (I wish!!!). It is definitely a good shade for those of fairer skin - it's very natural, rather light and not orangey at all!

Last up for lips is the Australis Colour Inject Mineral Lip Gloss in Bellydance which I won from Candice's giveaway (thanks hun!). I've actually been reaching for this on the daily. It's a lovely pinky-reddy-coral that is quite sheer. I apply it very lightly to give the subtlest hint of coral to my lips, but the colour can be built up to be a bit more noticeable (but no real opacity). It's not too sticky (has a thickness but not sticky) and very comfy on the lips. It also smells EXACTLY like Lipton Peach Ice Tea - love! A full review of this will be coming up soon!

Dark Circle Eraser in Brightening, Shimmer bronzer in Sunkissed, Cream Blush

A movie favourite this month too! I saw Catching Fire last Friday and by God was it GOOD! It was pretty dang perfect if I must say so. They stuck extremely close to the book which is EXACTLY what I want to see in a book-to-movie production. The new director was great - no shaky camera business that makes me feel motion sick :D. The casting was awesome, I LOVED Sam Claflin as Finnick and Jena Malone as Johanna! I just, the feeeeeeels were all there and it was amazing! I'm very excited for Mockingjay pt 1! This video pretty much sums up all my feels about the movie. I also saw Thor: The Dark World at the beginning of the month, and we all knew I would love that one. Please, it has Tom Hiddleston in it - love me some Sassy Loki. It was amazing too (maybe even my fave Marvel movie :o I dunno, but very close to the Avengers), lots of unexpected twists that had me SCREECHING in the cinema - a must watch!

Anyways, what were your favourites? Have you seen Catching Fire yet? If not, DO SO ASAP!