Recent Favorites: Elegant Makeup

I haven't been posting any "Recent Looks" posts lately, and that's largely because I've been favoring a much more simple makeup aesthetic. I doubt it's very interesting to read a post where the same two or three looks are done, and it has honestly been really nice to just focus on a look I really enjoy and let it be easy. 

With the recent Sephora sales and promotions, I did buy a few new makeup items—mainly single eyeshadows—and they have quickly become some of my favorite products that I've come across in years. And what's interesting is that I personally haven't heard any influencers talk about them. I heard about the eyeshadows from a real-life friend who loves makeup just as much as I do. It has been really refreshing to have a friend recommend a product that they've been loving and then buy the product and have the same reaction. It's what YouTube used to be, when I really loved the content and the community. Now, it's PR packages and hidden sponsorships and contracts, and the only brands that get mentioned are the ones that pay and play the game. 

My recent favorites aren't really talked about, except for the Fenty foundation. And when I gathered all the products to take a picture, I noticed that they all look elegant. This is sophisticated makeup meant for adult women. This is not unicorns and mermaids and alien heads marketed toward children. 

Here are the products that I have been loving:

Fenty Pro Filt'r Foundation

If you read my last post, you'll know that I have been looking to replace my all-time favorite foundation, It Cosmetics CC+ cream. I have loved that foundation for years, but the shade range is unacceptable and so heavily favors light skin, and it's not a product or a brand that I feel comfortable supporting. If you've read my blog for a while, you will know that inclusivity is very important to me, and that factors heavily into my purchasing decisions. I can no longer be ignorant about the people who are excluded by the makeup industry and continue to support products that will only work for me as someone with light to medium skin. 

I honestly didn't think I would find a foundation that could replace the CC+ cream. I have hated nearly all of the foundations I have ever used, and none of them ever gave me the skin-like finish of the CC+ cream. I recently finished all three of my foundations in a project pan, so I decided to buy the Fenty Pro Filt'r foundation. Fenty was honestly one of only a few brands that had an extensive shade range that I felt comfortable supporting. The other brands I considered—MAC, Make Up For Ever, and L'Oreal—all have not worked for me in the past. MAC foundations clog and irritate my skin, Make Up For Ever foundations look too dry and matte on me, and L'Oreal foundations have caused my skin to break out. So, Fenty it was. 

Honestly, I absolutely love this foundation, even more than the CC+ cream. It came as a complete shock to me—even though the product has fantastic reviews—because nothing has ever come close to the CC+ cream. I immediately told my aforementioned friend about it, she purchased it, and loves it too. She was looking for something to replace the old formula of the Estée Lauder Double Wear Light, and she said the Fenty was a great alternative. 

I couldn't be happier that I found a foundation that I like even more than my all-time favorite, and the fact that it is from an inclusive brand makes it that much more thrilling.

NARS Exhibit A

In an era where we are always looking on the horizon for the next new thing to come out and dazzle us for a few moments until we're bored, I think it's nice to reflect upon those staples in your collection that will never be knocked off their throne. And for me, that's Exhibit A.

This is not a new product to me, but it has been my go-to blush for the past month. Every time I wear it, I always wonder why I own any other blush. This is my number-one—the blush that most flatters my skin. Exhibit A has been a part of my life for many years, and after my original blush got to be too old, I purchased this one. I only use a tiny amount because of how pigmented it is, so I find it impossible to think I will ever even hit the pan of it. But I use it, and I love it. And I don't think anything will ever replace it. 

Marc Jacobs Omega Shadows in Perfect-O! and The Big O!

Up front, I need to say that these shadows have really dumb and cringey names. But, if you can get past that, they are utterly gorgeous. The pans are huge—about the size of shadows in Juvia's Place palettes—and they are a "gel powder" formula. I love the texture and payoff of these shadows, but the colors themselves are not unique whatsoever. They come in matte, satin, and shimmer finishes, and I have one matte (The Big O!) and one satin (Perfect-O!), which performs like a matte. I use these as everyday, workhorse shadows, and I like having them as singles in individual packaging. I wear The Big O! almost every day in my crease, and Perfect-O! on the brow bone:

Fyrinnae Serendipity (over Pixie Epoxy) on the lid.

As of now, this line of shadows doesn't have many colors, but I think the range is nice, especially for being so limited. I'll be interested to see if they make other colors in the future, but for now, these were the only two that I felt warranted buying since they are everyday staples in my collection. I wouldn't use the other colors every day, and I already own several dupes of all of them, so I don't see myself buying any more unless the range expands. 

Hourglass Scattered Light Eyeshadows in Smoke, Reflect, and Foil 

When I mentioned to my friend that I was really interested in sheer washes of sparkle and shine, she told me I should try the Hourglass Scattered Light eyeshadows. I bought three colors—a taupe, champagne, and gold—but truthfully, the taupe (Smoke) and champagne (Reflect) look very similar. Reflect also looks almost identical to another shadow in the line, Aura, which is supposed to be pink. So, unfortunately, these shadows don't have a ton of individuality. 

If you're looking for intense pigment, these are not for you. If you hate sheerness, these are not for you. If you hate the idea of a "shadow topper," these are not for you. However, if you like intense shine, these are really pretty and worth considering. 

Reflect:

Smoke:

Foil:

As you can see, Smoke and Reflect are very similar. There is a slight difference between the two, but I wouldn't say that it's strong enough to warrant buying both colors. But these are very beautiful shadows, and although the colors are not exactly unique, the payoff is unlike anything else in my collection, and I have been loving them with a bold lip. 

Marc Jacobs See-quins Eyeshadow in Copperazzi

Because I loved the Hourglass Scattered Lights so much, my friend recommended I look at the Marc Jacobs See-quin shadows, which she said are supposed to be like the Scattered Lights. I wouldn't say the two are very similar, to be honest. Yes, they both have almost a gel-like consistency and work best applied with a synthetic brush, but the Marc Jacobs shadows are full of multi-dimensional glitter whereas the Hourglass have intense shine. 

As you can see, like the Hourglass shadows, there is a ton of reflect and shine to Copperazzi, but it also has a lot of glitter, which the Hourglass shadows don't have. In photos, this shadow honestly doesn't look that impressive, but in person, especially in the light, this is one of the most brilliant, multi-faceted eyeshadows I have ever seen. It also has quite a bit more pigment than the Hourglass ones, so, between the two, I would say the Marc Jacobs shadows pack more of a punch. 

Tom Ford Fetishist

I went through a period for the last several months were I didn't want to wear any lipstick at all. If I wore something, it was usually a tinted lip balm. That's likely because I had been wearing really intense, colorful eyeshadow, and I liked a light lip to balance things out. Now that I have been wearing lighter eye makeup, I have been really liking my lipstick to bring the drama, and Fetishist has been my go-to. This is the only Tom Ford lipstick I have ever purchased, and I can say that this lipstick stays on longer than any other lip product I have ever used, including liquid lipsticks. When I purchased this color (online), I thought it was going to be brighter and more berry, but it is actually quite deep, almost like oxblood. It put me off for a while, but the color was pretty, so I chose to not return it. Since then, I have come to really appreciate this color, especially paired with a light eyeshadow and NARS Exhibit A blush. 

Bésame Cosmetics Red Velvet

Since I've been loving Fetishist, I decided to pull out another dark lipstick favorite, Bésame's Red Velvet. I really love Bésame lipsticks because they have fantastic staying powder as long as you blot and apply two coats (note: the Tom Ford lipstick does not requite this to last all day). Red lipstick always feels intimidating to me because of the upkeep (and, yes, I still worry if I have gotten red all over my face throughout the day), but I really love the depth of this color. Like the name suggests, it is a deep red instead of a cherry-red, and like Fetishist, it looks fantastic with a light eye and NARS Exhibit A blush. 

September Favorites

I know this post is really late, but I figured I would make it regardless as I've wanted to talk about some of these products for a while. September was both a terrible and fantastic month for me, but more than anything, it was pivotal. 

September is usually a hard month for me because it is the beginning of fall. I see so many fall tags going around this time of year, and it seems like fall is everyone's favorite season. And it used to be mine too, until I moved to New York. I am from the Southwest originally, and am used to an incredibly hot climate. When you are facing triple-digit temperatures more than half the year, even the slightest indication that things are cooling off can be very appealing. October was once my favorite month. That was the first sign of cooler weather, which usually meant temperatures in the 80s, or 70s if you were lucky. I loved carving pumpkins and watching Halloween movies, and I was so excited to move into the cooler months and holidays. 

But when I moved to New York City, I discovered true seasons for the first time in my life. And I discovered that I am someone who suffers from seasonal affective disorder, and the season of suffering for me is winter. I lived my entire life never knowing this about myself because I had always lived in an arid climate. I do not feel like myself whatsoever when winter sets in and the little bit of sun that New York City gets disappears for almost eight months. And things that I used to really enjoy, like the holidays, now bring a sense of dread in me. And fall, this time of year I used to love, is now essentially the Jaws theme of impending doom. 

But then I had this thought: What if I don't spend fall and winter in New York City this year?

And my heart filled with peace and happiness. So that realization is my first favorite for the month. 

Now, onto the makeup. 

Duped Just Peachy Matte palette

If you haven't read my blog post on this product, you can do so here. I have to give credit (and thanks) to Lauren Mae Beauty for the inspiration behind this palette. I have been subscribed to Lauren for a few years now and really love her content, and have been really inspired by her "Let's Dupe It!" series. Essentially, in that series, she takes a popular palette and sees if she can dupe it with colors already in her collection. Even more specifically, she uses all single shadows so that people can easily purchase a color or two if that's what they're drawn to. I've always enjoyed watching Lauren's videos, but when I actually put this activity into practice with this palette, I realized how valuable of a tool it really is. 

I talk more about this in the original post, but I was feeling really tempted by the Too Faced Just Peachy Matte palette. It seemed like the perfect color scheme for a companion palette, and I was really considering purchasing it. But when I swatched the colors in store, I was so happy to see that I had duplicate colors already in my collection. Using Temptalia's dupe list for the palette, I put together my own duped palette. 

Since that original blog post, I have swapped out a few colors that work better for me. In the top row, second shade, I swapped Costal Scents Petal Peach for Colourpop The News. In the same row, but fourth shade, I swapped ABH Fudge for Colourpop Slim Fit. And in the middle row, fourth shade, I swapped Coloured Raine Moments for Colourpop 143. And, I have to say, I absolutely love this palette. 

I have used this palette almost every single day since I first made it, and you can even see that I have hit pan in one of the shades since I first put together that blog post. I traveled recently to several cities and countries in Europe, and this was the main palette that I used. I received so many compliments whenever I wore a look with this palette, and I even had several requests to do other women's makeup (more about that in a moment). I don't think I have ever used a palette this consistently, and I am constantly finding it a source of inspiration to look at color in a new way. I have come up with so may different eye looks because of this palette, and I find the play aspect of it very fulfilling. This palette reminds me of how fun makeup can be. 

And, as a side note, this is not endorsing the Too Faced palette whatsoever. I firmly believe that my duped palette is of higher quality than the Too Faced one, and I actually like the color scheme better and feel like the colors in it are less repetitive. 

Wet N Wild Megaglo Highlighting Powder in Botanic Dream

When I was packing for the aforementioned international trip, something kept telling me to take this highlighter. This is somewhat new to my collection, and it is a light pink highlighter. I've enjoyed using this since I first got it, and it is easily the least expensive highlighter in my collection. When I travel, I usually always take Becca Moonstone. But for some reason, I kept having this nagging feeling that this was the highlighter I needed to take, so I did. 

One of the reasons we made this international trip was to go to some friends' wedding. On the day of the ceremony, four women asked me to do their makeup, including the bride. I was not at all prepared for this and was really shocked by the proposition. But, it was what the bride and her bridal party wanted, so I jumped in and did their makeup. I only had the products I brought for myself (which were very limiting), and this was the only highlighter I had. 

(As a fun side note, I only brought two palettes on my trip—the above peachy palette and Colourpop Yes, Please! Obviously, those are not exactly wedding-friendly palettes. I kept thinking that I wished I just had a neutral palette, and the bride mentioned that she had the Urban Decay Naked palette with her... which I had given to her when I decluttered it from my collection a couple years ago. It was perfect!)

This highlighter looked amazing on all of the women, and skin tones varied from incredibly pale and cool-toned to medium and olive. It was such a champ of a product! I also noticed that it lasted for hours on each of the women, even through crying and dancing/sweating. Considering how inexpensive it is, I highly recommend it for people looking for a pink highlighter. 

Cover FX Custom Enhancer Drops in Moonlight

I got this as a 100-point perk at Sephora. I'm not really a fan of liquid or cream face products (apart from base products), so I fully expected to not really care for it. Boy, was I wrong. This thing is killer. I don't need to use much product at all to get a crazy intense shine. And if you're not a fan of intense highlighters, it can be diffused for a subtle glow. The only annoying thing about this product was that I needed to apply it after I put on foundation and before I powered. That may seen incredibly high maintenance, but there were several days where I wanted to wear this product, but mindlessly applied powder first. 

The one downside about this product (and it's a big one) is that I would absolutely consider repurchasing this when I run out, but I don't want a giant bottle of it. Unless you wanted to mix this product into your foundation (which I personally do not want to do), I don't see how anyone could finish it. I know they have small bottles out in a holiday set, but I am not going to buy those. Just because I want one small bottle doesn't mean that I want (or need) four small bottles. 

Marc Jacobs Highliner in Whirl(pool)

This is the first colored pencil eyeliner that I have purchased in about seven years. I once had a dark blue and dark shimmery teal eyeliner, but I never used them. After that, I went through a phase of "I only wear black eyeliner in my waterline," and then I went through a phase of "I only wear cream eyeliner in my waterline." Eyeliner has always been a category in my collection that is completely under control, and I have made a conscious decision to keep it that way. 

But it is a category that I feel can get out of control very quickly, either in trying new colors or trying new formulas. I have my absolute favorite black liquid liner, which is the Physician's Formula Eye Booster; my favorite cream liner, which is Rimmel Scandaleyes in Nude; a few NYX Vivid Brights eyeliners ; and a black liner for the waterline. 

But when I saw Whirl(pool) in one of Temptalia's photos, I was completely struck by it. I bought it and have used it consistently since. This is one of the best eyeliners that I have ever used, and it stays put in my waterline all day. It really is a fantastic liner, and I'm glad I purchased it. I now have an itch to check out the other Marc Jacobs colored liners, but that is a slippery slope that I don't want to go down, especially considering how long it takes to use up an eyeliner. 

Rimmel Colourburst Balm Stain in Honey

I'll be honest—I didn't even know they still made this product. This is a long-time favorite for me and was once the only lip color I would consistently wear. The above photo makes it seem like this current product is several years old, but I have only had this particular tube for a few months. That is just how much I have been using it, and it has lived in my purse for a while. 

This is just the perfect color on me. It's a light mauve and looks like the color of my lips, but with just a bit more intensity. If I don't know what lipstick to wear, this is the one I grab. I feel like it can go with anything, from a super neutral look to something bold and colorful. It's also one of those products where I feel confident applying without a mirror because it blends so seamlessly into the lips. 

Something else that I love about this product is that it is just as great as I remember it. There are so many times where I revisit a product that I used to love and find that I don't even like it anymore. So I was happy to see that this is still a perfect lip color. 

July Favorites: Chantecaille, Wet N Wild, Urban Decay, Australian Gold, and Bobbi Brown

It has been a while since I had a monthly favorites post, and that's because I haven't really had any new favorites lately. I feel like a lot of people have monthly "favorites" that are just the new products that they have tried and liked. And while that is totally fine, that's just now how I approach the topic. For me, for something to be a monthly favorite, it has to be something that I have genuinely used and loved all month, not just for a little bit. 

Most of the things that are my favorites are all-time favorites that I've already talked about, so I don't know how interesting it would be to find out that I'm still loving Becca Moonstone or Physician's Formula Butter Bronzer. 

But this is what I've loved in July. 

Australian Gold Botanical Tinted Sunscreen 

I typically like to wear a sunscreen every day, but I have finally come to accept that it's just not all that necessary when you live in New York City. To my great heartache, the sun hardly ever shines on me. Even when it's a completely sunny day, the buildings just block everything, and I am perpetually in the shade. All of the "foundations" that I use have SPF in them, and I just haven't felt the need to have a sunscreen as well. But then I switched foundations (I'll get to that in a second), and with it being summer, I felt I needed a little extra SPF, even if the sun still was never shining on me. I decided on this one from Australian Gold because it's tinted, and I thought it might give me some additional coverage. And I love it. It doesn't break me out, works great under my current foundation, and has an SPF 50. The best part is that it is so inexpensive. For years I was using sunscreens that were very expensive for little product because they were specifically for the face and didn't break me out. I absolutely loathe the feeling of greasy sunscreen, and it has always been a no-go for my face. So that fact that this is non-greasy, made for the face, and only $15 for a ton of product makes this an instant favorite for me. 

Chantecaille Just Skin in Vanilla 

So, this is an expensive product. And while I wanted to like it (since it was so expensive), I also didn't want to like it (since it's so expensive). This is kind of the perfect "foundation" for me, and I put foundation in quotes because it is a tinted moisturizer. I didn't even wear any kind of liquid foundation until about a year ago, and I've always preferred a sheer coverage. Just Skin is perfectly named. This product just makes me look like I have good skin. (For reference, I have pretty okay skin. I don't have acne and only break out if I don't properly wash my face or if I use something that irritates it. I used to have a lot of sun spots and hyper pigmentation, but after years of skin care and sunscreen, almost all of that has disappeared.) If someone has what they would consider "problematic" skin, I can see this not being a great product. But I really love how this looks on my skin. It doesn't look like I am wearing foundation, which is my goal. I don't mind having crazy eyeshadow or blush, but for some reason, I just don't want it looking like I have visible foundation. The only con I had with this product was that it wasn't all that long wearing. Funny enough, pairing this crazy expensive tinted moisturizer with the inexpensive sunscreen has completely fixed that for me, and I love the way this looks. I apply both sunscreen and tinted moisturizer with my fingers, and everything melds together. I love it. 

Chantecaille Faux Cils Longest Lash Mascara

Eff this stupid, effing expensive, amazing mascara. I purchased this mascara (along with Just Skin) shortly after my first surgery to treat myself. Plus, I was genuinely curious to see if this mascara would live up to its claims of lengthening lashes. I don't have bad lashes, but I am surrounded by people who have the world's best lashes, so I am always looking for something to make my lashes grow. (I know false lashes are all the rage right now because people on YouTube look better on camera with them, but for every day life, that just seems so impractical and frankly high maintenance to me.) Speaking of impractical, I bought this stupidly expensive mascara. And guess what? I have completely fallen for it. I've had it now for about a month, and I have used it every day. I instantly liked the mascara, but I couldn't tell if it was making my lashes grow (which would be the ONLY reason I would consider repurchasing). But, lucky for me (I guess), I have been taking pictures of my makeup for several months, so I had something to compare. Let me show you.

Before:

After about a month of use:

When I compared these photos, I have to say that I was actually quite surprised. I think the difference is really apparent, even in my lower lashes (which have always been pretty much nothing). In addition to what I feel is pretty obvious growth, this is also just an incredible mascara. I don't remember the mascara I used in the top photo, but I do know that I've only used mascaras that I really enjoy. So whatever it was that I used, I thought it was a great mascara. The price point on this, however, it literally more than three times more expensive than the most expensive mascara I've purchased. I was able to justify it as a treat to myself following a major surgery, but every couple months? I don't know. But, when you look at the cost of lash growth products or the cost of eyelash extensions, then the price of this mascara is a little easier to swallow. I'll have to consider if this is a luxury I am willing to pay for, but I have to say that this is hands down the best mascara I've used. 

Wet N Wild Brulee

On the complete opposite side of the price spectrum is this incredible Wet N Wild eyeshadow. I've owned Brulee before and really loved it, but eventually threw it away in one of my big declutters because it was several years old. It took me a few more years to repurchase, but I am so glad I did because I use this guy all the time. When I started getting really into my single shadows, specifically my indie shadows that are loose and can't be put into a palette, I really wanted to have a great brow bone single that I could easily grab for. And I knew that no other shadow would fit that bill for me. Only Brulee. This is definitely one of my favorite brow bone shadows, and considering that it is, what? A dollar? That completely blows me away. I am someone who enjoys luxury makeup, but more than that, I love when a product just works. And this shadow beats out (for me) the likes of Viseart and Tom Ford. You can't really tell in the photo, but I have a pretty good dip going on the upper right side of the shadow, and that's always a sign of how much I love something. 

Urban Decay Roadstripe

I first heard about this shadow from Elle S on YouTube. (If you haven't checked out her channel, I recommend doing so. She's someone with a "makeup rehab" mentality, but she is also just super crazy passionate about makeup and using products that you have and love. I love her inspiration and colorful looks.) She raved about this shadow for months on end, which tells me something. Like I mentioned at the beginning of this post, I feel that what happens most often in the beauty community is that people have new loves of the moment and then they move on to whatever's next. So to hear someone talk about the same eyeshadow month after month told me that there might have been something special here. I've written before about my complete love for Illamasqua Cascade, which is the most beautiful blue duochrome that I have ever used. And Roadstripe is like the violet version of that. To be completely honest, I think Cascade is definitely prettier than Roadstripe, but there are a lot of days where a purple inner corner just looks better than a blue inner corner. And on those days, I go for Roadstripe. This is also a shadow that I have a sizable dip in (on the right side), and I've been surprised to see that I have used this so much. I've been wearing nothing but duochromes in my inner corner for the better part of this year, and this is definitely a favorite of mine. 

Bobbi Brown Camel 

I know I have mentioned this shadow in a favorites post before, but I definitely think it warrants another mention. I recently realized that if someone asked me what my all-time favorite shadow was, my answer would be Bobbi Brown Camel. And I guess the reason I never realized that before is that I expect that my favorite shadow should be a really stunning shimmer, not a matte brown. But, this is it. Ever since I bought this shadow, I have been using it all the time. I use it at least once a week, but usually more. It's just the perfect color for my skin tone that is neutral but still very interesting. And I have yet to find a shadow that duplicates Camel. Rubbish from the Melt Rust Stack is close, but a little more yellow than orange, and Makeup Geek Desert Sands (a shadow some people consider a duplicate) isn't all that similar, in my experience. There is just something about the mustard undertone of this that just flatters my eye, and I love it so much. 

Here are some of my favorite looks featuring Camel:

April Favorites

April was a really fun month for makeup. I started an indie shadow project where the majority of my eye looks were all indie shadows; I discovered some new favorites, and I got a lot of good use out of my products. 

Melt Rust Stack:

When I used the Melt Lovesick Stack in my one week, one palette series, I concluded that Melt Stacks were fine, but not really worth the money. When the Rust Stack came back into stock (it was out of stock for a very long time), I very hesitantly purchased it. I didn't think it was a reckless purchase, but I am surprised that I pulled the trigger. And I am so glad that I did because this is my favorite neutral companion palette in my collection. In fact, this palette might make me able to declutter my Kat Von D Shade and Light Eye palette. And I say that because the shadows in the warm quad in the KVD palette are ones I use the most. Since getting Rust, I have used Shade and Light a couple of times, and it was to use the cooler quads. This is the absolute perfect collection of warm neutral shadows for me, and I found myself reaching for it consistently all month. I highly doubt I will be tempted by another set of warm matte shadows because this is very honestly perfect for me and my skin tone. Added to that, the quality of these shadows are incredible, and much nicer than Lovesick. 

Bobbi Brown Camel:

This is probably my favorite brown shadow in my collection and that I have ever used. It looks really similar in the pan to Rubbish from the Melt Rust Stack, but Camel is more of a mustard, which I love. This really is a unique shade to my collection, and it is an incredibly versatile shade. I wish it would not have taken me so long to pull the trigger on it, but this is also one of those makeup discoveries that only comes after you really know yourself and your makeup preferences. I realized that there was a color "lacking" from my collection, and I knew exactly what it looked liked. When I was younger and didn't know much about my makeup preferences, I wouldn't have realized this was a shadow I really wanted and "needed."

Chanel Soleil Tan De Chanel:

This is a product that I have heard about for years but only recently purchased. I was never much of a bronzer person until about a year and a half ago, so this product was never something I was interested in. The reason I started loving bronzer was because I applied it in the winter. I am from the Southwest originally, and my skin always had a natural bronze to it because of all the sun exposure, and when I moved to NYC, between winter and the buildings just blocking any sun at all, I completely lost that bronze. I tried bronzer that winter and was amazed that it made my skin look like it used to. I have Seasonal Affective Disorder, so I get really sad during the winter, and using bronzer in a way tricked my brain into thinking it was warmer. And ever since then, I have worn it. 

I bought this specific bronzer because my skin was looking really powdery for a period of time, and I thought it might have been my bronzer. I knew this was a warm-toned bronzer, so I thought I would try it. And, man, I love it. This is a great shade for my skin tone, but I think it is really crappy that Chanel does not offer this in other tones. I later realized that it was the power I was using to set my foundation that made my skin look so caky, and layering a light bronzer on top of this gives my skin a really healthy glow. 

Physicians Formula Butter Bronzer in Light Bronzer:

As a bronzer for the majority of the year for me, this product sucks. It is so light that it is barely a face powder for me. And I have a light to medium skin tone. This is also the warmer-toned Butter Bronzer, so the slightly darker shade, Bronzer, would be too cool on my skin tone. I bought this when I was in vacation in California last summer (because of the hype and because of the smell), and when I realized that it did not show up on my skin, I put it in the declutter pile. When the winter rolled around and my normal bronzers were getting a little dark for me, I decided to pull this out. It was still too light for me, but it provided a tiny hint of color. I started using it more and more, and when I saw Jacquelyn Lovene start her "Build Pan Not Walls" project and saw that she included her PF Butter Bronzer, I decided to join that project as well and include this product. I've used this bronzer every day for a few months now, and as you can see, I've hit the pan in two places. As the weather is (finally) starting to warm up, this bronzer really won't cut for me anymore, buy layered over Chanel Soleil Tan De Chanel, it is really beautiful. 

Indie Shadows

Fyrinne Illusionary:

Femme Fatale Candied Apple:

Notoriously Morbid Philosophoscope:

It should really come as no surprise, especially after completing indie month, that indie shadows would be in my favorites this month. There were some ups and down with the project, and I learned that not all shadows are created equal, but for the most part, the project was a success for me and has really taught me the value of single shadows and unique shadows. I've included my three favorites above, but since I talked about each of them in their own posts, I feel I would only be repetitive here. Suffice to say they are all incredibly beautiful and unique and are three of my favorite shadows that I own.

March Favorites

In terms of makeup, I had a good March. I discovered some great new products and thoroughly enjoyed old favorites. Even better than that, I can't remember the last time I was tempted by a new release. That's the fun thing about getting to know your collection and really allowing yourself to enjoy it. Once you do, you realize you have little to no need for anything else new. 

Colourpop Lumiere lipliner and Estee Lauder Shock & Awe lipstick

When I ordered a few Colourpop pressed shadows a while ago, I also added two lip pencils since those are generally reviewed positively. I have never really been a lipliner girl, but that's because until the past nine months or so, I've never really been much of a lipstick wearer. And by that I mean that, historically, I haven't really liked to reapply lipstick throughout the day. I started a "project pan" of sorts in the summer, and one of the items I was trying to use up was a Burberry lipstick. (A project pan, for those of you who aren't familiar, is when you try to use up makeup items.) I did finish that lipstick (and loved it), and since then, I have been a lipstick wearer. 

I really love the color of Estee Lauder Shock & Awe lipstick:

But on me, it felt a little intense to wear to work. I decided to pair it with Lumiere lipliner (I apply the lipliner all over the lips first, not just around the edge of the lips), and the combination is so perfect. It's a beautiful berry color, but more specifically looks like a purple cherry. I love it, and somehow, it's slightly more neutral than Shock & Awe on its own. I have worn this combination almost every single day in the past month. The only days I haven't worn it are when either my eye makeup or shirt clashes with it. And the best part is that even through two cups of coffee, water, and lunch, I don't need to reapply throughout the day. I put it on before I leave in the morning, and the color stays for about nine hours. 

The only downside is that I am burning through Lumiere lipliner. I'm not a huge fan of Colourpop on the whole and don't really want to order more from them, so I hope I can find a suitable replacement soon. To show how much I've used, I've put it next to the lipstick:

Becca Moonstone

As you can see, this highlighter is certainly a favorite of mine, and this has been my primary highlighter for the past month. I've mentioned before that I have many highlighters, but if I was only allowed to have one, this would probably be it. I think the champagne tone is just so lovely, and I think it gives a solid highlight without it looking cartoonish like a lot of the highlighters right now. This is a classic to me, and I love it. 

Marc Jacobs Daisy

If I ever had to describe my "signature scent," it would be Daisy. And that's funny to me because the first time I ever smelled it, more than seven years ago, I really didn't like it. I was living in the UK at the time, and my friend drove us to Cardiff. (We lived in a small town, and I really wanted to go "for real" shopping, so we had to go to a bigger city.) We went into some department store (probably so I could look at makeup), and we stopped in the fragrance section. She tried Daisy and completely fell for it. I smelled it and thought it smelled a little too strong and didn't like it at all (I can't for the life of me remember why I thought that). We both ended up leaving the store empty-handed, but she never stopped talking about Daisy. Many months later, my visa was up and I needed to go back home. I was utterly devastated since I had made so many close friends there, and the day I left remains one of the hardest of my entire life. I was in Heathrow airport, numb from having cried for hours getting there, and I had time to kill before my flight back to the US. I went into one of the Duty Free shops and spotted Daisy. I sprayed it on myself, and immediately I was brought back to that lovely trip to Cardiff with my good friend. And more than that, I was reminded of her. So I bought the biggest bottle of it they had. And since then, it has become my favorite perfume, and as I mentioned, my signature scent. 

In the "project pan" I mentioned above, it was my goal to get through four perfumes this year. This bottle of Daisy was a couple years old, and I wanted to use it up and then use up some of my other perfumes before buying it again. Even though this bottle was a couple years old, it had barely been used. And that's because Daisy is such a precious scent to me that I never wanted to be without it. I decided to throw that out the window this month and use it as much as I wanted, and I ended up using the entire bottle. The scent didn't last too long on me, which isn't something I like about the product, but I did love every second of wearing this. I can't wait to get through some of my other perfumes and then only have the two or three perfumes I most love—one of which will be Daisy. (Also, I said I've never wanted to be without Daisy, so I still have a rollerball of this currently in my collection.)

Illamasqua Cascade

I'll just start with the obvious. This shadow came completely smashed. It wasn't even broken in large chunks; it was entirely power. I was so disappointed and contacted Illamasqua to send me another, but they issued a refund instead. I didn't want to buy another shadow and have to pay another $8 for shipping, so I decided to repress this and hope for the best. And, honestly, I have no idea how this shadow would have performed in its original state, but I absolutely love it. This has actually replaced my beloved Make Up For Ever Pearl as my go-to inner corner highlight. It's a bright white with a blue shift, and the texture is completely smooth. I really can't say enough good things about this shadow. It's the only one I've ever tried from Illamasqua, so, again, I can't really speak to their formula for the most part. 

Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy

I had to mention Pixie Epoxy just because I have enjoyed wearing it under shadows since I got it. I absolutely love what it does to my shadows and how it makes them look so foiled and metallic. As a caveat, I don't like products that require a product like this in order to make them work. I think products should be able to perform on their own. That aside, I do love how this works. 

Fyrinnae eyeshadows

Again, no surprise here, and these were probably my favorite items of the month. I have completely fallen for indie shadows, and of the few different brands I've tried, Fyrinnae is my favorite. My two favorite shades have been Rapunzel Had Extensions (left) and Serendipity (right). I am so happy I decided to try these shadows because they have not only calmed any cravings for new mainstream releases, but they have flat out killed them. There is literally nothing out right now that even partially temps me, and I think that's because I know that nothing will be quite as special and lovely as my indie shadows. And I already have my neutrals covered ten times over, so what the hell do I need any more of that for?