September Favorites!

Paring down the list of favorites for September was a monumental task! Not only have fall collections been releasing, but even holiday collections have been hitting store shelves early! I also have a couple of favorites leftover for review from August that were just too good not to mention. So without further adieu, here are my September favorites!

Anastasia Glow Kit in "Sweets"

I was impressed with the other Glow Kits, so when I found out about this one, and how different it was from not only the other Glow Kits out there but also a lot of the other brands' highlighters that were releasing I was very excited! There are four highlight shades: "Marshmallow," a light cream shade, "Butterscotch," a golden shade, "Sassy Grape," a lavender shade, and "Taffy," a light orange. A couple of these might sound like they wouldn't work - but on my light skin tone all of them are flattering. The colors are not overly saturated, and just give you a hint of the shade with a wonderful glow. They are very buildable. I always have fun trying new and different colors - and when they end up being flattering to boot I am even more pleased. So I could not stop reaching for this throughout the month!

Shiseido "Synchro-Skin" Foundation

This oil-free foundation with SPF 20 has taken over holy grail status in my collection. This foundation does an amazing job of minimizing skin issues like scarring and large pores while still looking very natural. It is medium coverage - but doesn't look as heavy as other medium foundations I have applied because it looks so much like skin. As difficult as it is to find a foundation that hides imperfections so well without looking heavy, I was thrilled with this find. My favorite way to apply it is with a flat-top foundation brush, but it works very well with a beauty blender or your fingers as well. This is definitely going to be a permanent addition to my collection, and one I reach for often. (Note: although I am a neutral, I found that the neutral shade closest to my skin tone was too yellow, and that the rose toned foundation actually worked better - something you may want to keep in mind if you are thinking about ordering it online.)

Hourglass Foundation Brush

This new foundation brush that came out with the Hourglass "Vanish Seamless Finish" foundation stick is perfect for buffing in foundation - very soft and dense. It is also the perfect small size for travel. I've added it to my permanent travel kit. Unfortunately, I can't offer the same praise for the foundation stick - it turned my face into a greasy hot mess in no time at all, and emphasized rather than minimized every little imperfection. Fear not, however, if you need a travel foundation stick, because I have a great alternative below! (Note: I began using the Hourglass foundation stick as a concealer under other foundation, and can report that I have had a positive experience using it in that way - but not as a foundation!)

Lancome "Teint Idole Ultrawear" Makeup Stick

Now this is an excellent alternative, and I love using it with the Hourglass brush I mentioned above. This is the only foundation stick I have ever used that minimized, rather than emphasized, imperfections and looked flawless all day long. After the bad experiences I'd had with the Hourglass stick, Make Up For Ever stick, and others, I was very pleased to find this because it is so much more convenient for travel than a bottle of liquid foundation. It's smaller, less heavy, and doesn't pose a risk of breakage. This stick foundation looks very much like the liquid Teint Idole foundation, which I am also a fan of, when applied. If other foundation sticks have not worked for you either, I highly recommend giving this one a try. I was about to give up on stick formulas before I found this, and was glad I gave it a chance. It's in my permanent travel kit now.

Marc Jacobs Air Blush in "Flesh and Fantasy"

This is the perfect nude blush - not too heavy but buildable, pore minimizing, and very flattering. I have rosacea, so it's a tall order finding a blush that will work on my skin, and this handles the issue perfectly. It has light enough coverage that my rosacea is not emphasized. Of course, due to how buildable it is it will work great regardless of whether you have rosacea or not - or large pores or not - another bonus. I picked up the peachy shade "Lines and Last Night" as well, and it has the same pore-minimizing, flattering, buildable quality to it. I would highly recommend either one, but if you have rosacea, I would especially suggest "Flesh and Fantasy" to reduce the appearance of redness while still giving you a healthy, blushed appearance.

MAC "No Interruptions" Frost Lipstick

At first glance, this lipstick appears very green in the tube. But once applied, it is more of a light bronze and is surprisingly flattering. This is a very wearable frost lipstick. It has MAC's signature vanilla scent and long-wearing formula as well, and lasts several hours on my lips through drinking and snacking. It has become an absolute favorite in my collection.

MAC Viva Glam Ariana Grande 2 Matte Lipstick

Another big winner from MAC for fall, this is a brilliant and flattering purple-y hot pink. The packaging is special edition, with Ariana's signature on the tube. They did her justice with this - no small feat!

Urban Decay Vintage Capsule Lipstick in "Oil Slick"

I just finished a blog post on the full Vintage Capsule collection which you can view for further detail, but "Oil Slick" came out my favorite in the collection. It is a sheer black (read: wearable black) just when I thought those two words couldn't peacefully coexist - and what fun that is! If you like trying out non-mainstream colors without getting too wild, this provides a good chance to do just that! 

MAC Star Trek Pressed Eye Pigment in "Bird of Prey"

I also did a review of several products in the Star Trek collection you may refer to for more information, but out of the products I tried from the collection this one was my favorite. It is a beautiful, pigmented green with multi-colored sparkle that lasts well all day long and blends easily. Very vibrant and bold!

Elizabeth & James "Nirvana Bourbon" Perfume

This is another product I reviewed in a previous post, and I'm still reaching for it non-stop! It is a perfect harmony of slightly sweet, slightly musky for fall. The notes are vanilla bourbon, oakwood, and tuberose. It does resemble bourbon without the strong alcohol element to it. Sister perfume "Nirvana Rose" is wonderful too, but if I had to choose just one it would be this one. It lasts all day long and drives my man crazy (in a good way!) - always a plus!

I will be back next month with October favorites, and will have more posts for you in the meantime with more in-depth reviews of the hot, new releases for fall and holiday, 2016. Thank you for reading, and have a beautiful day!

Heather