I know everyone says this, but I seriously can't believe it's the end of October. I think I have such a hard time picking or narrowing down favorites for the month because the month just blows by so quickly. This month's favorites are a bit of a mix of old and new, as I've tried quite a few new bits this month, but was also taking care to "shop my stash" a bit.
There are surprisingly only two skincare favorites this month, so I'll start there. At the beginning of the month I tried a new lip balm and had a horrendous reaction to it - I woke up the morning after with my lips on fire, I got a nice red rash around my mouth, and my lips started peeling like crazy (nice). The thing that single-handedly allowed me to actually wear lipstick again was the Glossier Balm Dotcom. This was already my favorite lip balm ever, but its ability to sort out what was going wrong really secured its place at the top.
The only other skincare bit I think is worth mentioning this month is the Nourish Argan Skin Renew. I think I've finally settled into my perfect skincare routine for Autumn and Winter, so I haven't strayed from those products much. This really sorts out any dehydration and dryness I may be feeling without being clogging or greasy at all. I've been usually applying it at the end of my evening skincare routine every other night or so.
Now, onto the makeup. While I may not have been able to wear lip products for the first week of the month, once I could I wore them like no tomorrow, changing it up every day. I fell in love with the Laura Mercier Creme Smooth Lip Colour in Milky Way this month as it's one of the most beautiful and unique shades I own - you can see it swatched in my Brown Lip Edit. I've been wearing it over the MAC Lip Pencil in Whirl, and they make such a great pair - they don't match perfectly, but the subtle pink tones of Whirl peek through Milky Way and make it even more unique. The formula of this lipstick is lovely as well - I really need to look into the other shades.
I've also found my holy grail liquid lipsticks this month in the OFRA Cosmetics Long Lasting Liquid Lipsticks. They're just so creamy and comfortable on the lips even though they set down to a matte finish and are extremely longwearing. I got four shades (which you can see swatched in my review), but the two I've been reaching for most have been Mocha, a pinky brown color, and Plumas, a mauve-y pink with shimmer.
For eyes I haven't been able to get enough of the NARS Duo Eyeshadow in Kalahari*. It's a nice alternative to true neutral browns as the shades are quite rosy in tone. They pair so nicely together and when I've worn eyeshadow this month, it's pretty much exclusively been this.
If you saw my Tips for Getting Out of a Rut post, you may have seen me mention my quest to put more effort into my makeup each day, starting with a bit of subtle contouring. For that, I broke out my old favorite Kevyn Aucoin The Creamy Glow Duo in the Sculpting/Candlelight shade. It's just the nicest cream formula that blends incredibly well, and the color of the contour side is just perfect for my skin. I've also fallen in love with bronzer this month (see this post) after buying the Make Up For Ever Pro Bronze Fusion in 15I. I've seen what a small dusting of this on my cheekbones, temples, and jawline can do for my complexion and now it's a staple in my routine.
Last but not least is a new favorite base product. I wrote a review of the Smashbox Camera Ready BB Water on Tuesday, and it's all love from me. I won't say too much since you can check the review for more information, but it's been a welcome addition to my collection, as it evens out my skin beautifully without fading halfway through the day.
What were your favorites this month?