The Best Beauty Time of the Year

It's beginning to look a lot like.... a beauty lover's holiday! Happy Holiday Season, everyone!! I went back and forth a lot about the theme of this post. Originally I wanted this to be my holiday wish list, as the timing seemed appropriate with Black Friday and Cyber Monday. But guess what, I've bought many of my most wanted sets already! However as I perused all the new deals available this year, it made me think back to a few years ago at Christmas, when I really started to notice all the different brands and options of makeup in the world. It was at that time when I was struggling with my acne, searching for the right cosmetics without any idea of what I needed and overwhelmed with the choices and the prices. That's when I first saw that the bareMinerals Get Started Kit was on sale for the holidays, and my whole life changed. With the convenience of a value set, I was able to try a wide range of products from a single line and decide what I liked without extreme investment.

It's in that spirit that I write this post.

Impulse Buy Monday: Physicians Formula Mineral Wear Airbrushing Blush

Happy Monday, my friends! It's that time of week again, where I share with you my latest impulse buy that I've been trying out. Today is another piece of my awesome Rite Aid clearance haul (read about it here), the Physicians Formula Mineral Wear Airbrushing Blush in Rose.

$2.99, can you believe it?! The original price was $11.95. Such a great deal, and I can't resist a clearance item!

This is a mineral formula, that's talc-free and even includes SPF 30. I've rarely seen blush with SPF, so that's pretty impressive. With my fair skin, any SPF I can get is fantastic since I burn practically the second I walk out the door! This blush also promises a "Smoothing, Firming, Lifting Effect."

This is a very pink shade, on the darker end of the spectrum, but still very very pink. It's not 100% matte, but it's very close (the shimmer is incredibly difficult to see, and when applied I do not notice any sparkle at all).

I have to be honest, the packaging completely flummoxed me at first, I couldn't figure out how to open it! And then when I did, the middle pan with the actual product in it kept flipping up to reveal the brush storage, even when I didn't want it to! I soon got the hang of it though. And as for the brush, just throw it away, it is a real joke.

I've been using this blush off and on for about two weeks now, and I have to say I do like it. It is incredibly pigmented, so be very careful not to swirl your brush of choice in it and instead just tap it into the product. I use my elf Studio Blush Brush, and I use one side to lightly dab into the blush about three times, then tap off the excess, and apply to the cheek. I then use the clean side to blend and then repeat for the other side. I'm very happy with the resulting flush of pink, it looks very natural. Paired with the Cashmere Bronzer I reviewed last week (check it out here), I get a nice healthy glow along with pretty good contouring. 

The Mineral Wear Airbrushing Blush also has very good stamina. The package promises it will last 16 hours, which is a pretty big claim, but I notice that it's still in tact by the end of my workday and that is all I really need.

As for the smoothing and lifting, I'm thinking this is just a ploy to get you to buy it as I haven't noticed any such effect. I do appreciate that the formula is hypoallergenic and dermatologist recommended since I have problem skin, but other than that it's just another pretty blush.

Impulse Buy Verdict: Although I only spent $2.99 on it, I would probably spend the full retail price. I think it's a fantastic drugstore option for blush, and the fact that there's very little shimmer is a plus (I find it hard to find matte drugstore shades). I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a well-pigmented, sensitive skin friendly blush.

Favorite Fall Makeup Trends

I love the autumn, where the air gets chillier and the clothes become cozier. Nothing beats a crisp November Saturday, going about town in a comfy hoodie and enjoying a Pumpkin Spice latte. As the weather gets colder, and the heat of summer becomes a distant memory, I take the opportunity to look at my makeup routine and shake it up a bit to reflect the style of the season.

My favorite trend of the fall is the deeper shades of lipstick, blush, and eyeshadow. Where spring and summer is all about lightening up your makeup (brighter colors, sheerer coverage), autumn is a time for saturated tones and warmth. As the leaves turn vibrant reds, yellows, and oranges, my makeup gets richer as well.

One such change in my makeup is a switch to lipstick that is deeper red than the pink tones I favor in the warmer months. My favorite at the moment is Mally Beauty's High Shine Liquid Lipstick in the shade Sweet Berry.

I am in love with this lipstick. It is perfect for

Impulse Buy Monday: Physicians Formula Cashmere Wear Bronzer

Where did the weekend go??

So you may remember a while back when I went a little nuts at Rite Aid because they were having a huge clearance on beauty products. One of the items I picked up was the Physicians Formula Cashmere Wear Ultra-Smoothing Bronzer. Honestly the only reason this caught my eye was the adorable knit pattern that was stamped into the product. It is so cute, I almost hate to use the bronzer and ruin it!

$13.95? I don't think so, I think I paid $3.48 for it! I love a good bargain.

Impulse Buy Monday - Folio Yarn by Berroco

That's right, my friends, this week's Impulse Buy Monday is not a beauty item I've picked up, but instead a crafty one! You may not know this, but I enjoy crocheting as a hobby. It's a great way to relax, and I love creating and giving handmade gifts to my friends. My mother and I make a habit of visiting the local yarn shops as much as we can, and on our last visit to our favorite haunt I picked up these beautiful skeins of a yarn called Folio.

Made from 65% Superfine Alpaca and 35% Rayon, this yarn feels like

October Favorites

I love reading other beauty bloggers' monthly favorites, so I decided to join in on the fun! Get ready for... October Favorites! What did I go gaga over this month?