♥♥ February Faves ♥♥ 2013

 It's that time! Time to show you all what I have accumulated over the month of February and what items have become dear to my heart over these last 28 days!

SKIN CARE

Dr. Woods Shea Vision African Black Soap - $3.09 (here)

This product has achieved favourite status, first and foremost, because it has drastically helped my skin. I believe that this product has been a major player in healing my blemishes and scarring and controlling outrageous breakouts. Also, it's completely natural, no chemicals at all, so I don't feel as though I'm harming my skin in order to fix it. It has a funny, "grandfather" smell to it...but it's kind of been growing on me (uh-oh). Also, it is definitely exfoliating (not a scrub, the actual under-the-epidermis-that-prevents-wrinkles kind of exfoliating); I can feel it working away at my skin when I use it. I ♥ this stuff, I plan to continue to use it for as long as I live. I also use it with the face brush pictured with it (you can get them from Sally's for like $2..) at night and it helps to really get all the gunk out of my pores and exfoliate even deeper...while still being gentle and not abrasive :).

Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay - $4.99 (here)

If you guys have read my review(s) on this product then you probably know how I feel about it already. However, I'm going to tell you again. This stuff is a powerhouse. Really deep-cleans and dries up all oil and gunk and bacteria in it's way..which also makes it feel like concrete on your face. But it is more the discomfort. My pores are absolutely invisible and I just love to use this stuff after a week of makeup, sweaty workouts,  and breakout battles. Also, it is %100 bentonite clay, so it is completely natural and everyone should own this...especially if you have large pores/oily skin/breakouts.

Soap And Glory Flake Away Body Polish - $18.00 (here)

Soap and Glory products are always pleasing to me. This scrub especially has been one of my all-time faves for a while. It is scented with their Original Pink fragrance and sloughs off dead skin super duper easily. I like it because it is not one of those body wash-scrub hyrbids that really don't exfoliate at all. This product actually gets down to the nitty gritty and scrubs my skin without leaving it dry and irritated...actually, just the opposite. It leaves my skin smooth and silky. Love. It.

Moist Hemp Cucumber Jasmine Lotion - $7.99 (here)

I have been loving these moisturizers. Their formula is great for dry skin. It is a pretty nice thickness and absorbs quickly without greasiness. The smell of this one in particular made me die and go to heaven though. If you know the cucumber melon body lotion from Bath and Body Works...then you will know what this smells like. It's identical. But the formula is better and it contains ingredients that are actually good for your skin! I am a HUGE fan and I can't wait to try more of the scents.

Tanwise Self-Tanner - $10.99 (here)

This product is pretty awesome. It is a dark instant tanning lotion that has the green tint to it when it first goes on (typically seen in tanners that don't look orange/are dark), and if you apply it with gloves it is the smoothest application. It is fairly moisturizing and smells amazing. It smells like cherry almonds when you first apply it and then fades away to nothing. The colour is great and buildable, it doesn't streak and it lasts forever. I also used it on my face without a problem. Love love love.

Moist Hemp Bronzing Moisturizer - $8.49 (here)

This product goes hand-in-hand with the Tanwise. This product is a gradual tanner that smells somewhat like coconut and is silky, moisturizing and gives a pretty good colour. I haven't used it by itself, but I use it everyday after I shower to keep up my fake tan. Also, you get a huge 180z bottle for a veeery fair price. I really like it.

Face Make-Up
foundations and bb creams

Revlon PhotoReady BB Cream (Light-Medium & Medium) 

I have been pretty impressed with these BB creams. They almost act more like light foundations, rather than an actual BB cream. The coverage is great and buildable with a dewy finish. I would say that the colours are a touch on the orangey side, but really, hardly at all. They come in like 5 or 6 different shades too, so there is one for everybody! Plus they blend super nicely too. Overall, one of the better BB creams that I have tried.

Physicians Formula Super BB All-in-1 Beauty Cream (Light-Medium) -$18.49 (here)

I was super impressed with this as well. The coverage is fabulous on this BB cream, and it has a bit of a thicker consistancy which I think makes it ideal for people with dry skin like myself. It has a nice dewy finish and lasts pretty long throughout the day. Also, it covered my blemishes fairly well. The colour is spot-on and super blendable. The only thing of course, is the price. It is a touch steep...but what Physicians Formula product isn't?

Maybelline Fit Me Foundation (115/135/220/325) - $11.99

This has become my favourite foundation this month because of it's light, liquidy coverage and it's dewy finish. I also love how many different colours they come in. I have four: one for when I'm pale/a highlight, two for different tans, and then a super dark one for contouring. I feel like this last a decent amount of time and they just make my skin look flawless and healthy. They are easy to blend and build-able. 

 face powders and cheek

 Maybelline Fit Me Powder (225) 

I have used this powder as a setting powder, as well as just a light coverage for days I don't feel like wearing makeup and I have been impressed. It seems to mimic your skins appearance and glides on well, and blends just as nicely. The coverage and colour is nicer than I was expecting. As a setting powder, I noticed a bit of oily-ness but not a lot, it appeared more like a dewyness rather than my face actually appearing oily. Overall, I am pretty pleased with these and will probably pick up some different colours.

Physicians Formula Mineral Wear Talc-Free Airbrushing Pressed Powder SPF 30 (translucent) - $19.99

I love this powder. It truly makes my skin look airbrushed. It is silky and light and just makes my skin look beautiful. I love that it is talc-free and it is also great as a finishing/setting powder for my foundations. Gives my face a nice, healthy glow.

Loreal Visible Lift Blush in 705 Nude Lift 

I was pleasantly surprised with this product. I wasn't sure if it was a powder or a cream blush when I bought it, so I was happy when I found out it was a mousse-cream blush. The colour pay-off is pretty good and its blendable and has a touch of luminescence to it. I love this colour specifically because it is a burnt rose type colour and just looks amazing on pale skin, or especially skin with a bit of colour. I am going to be picking up a few more of these to test out.

   

Eye Makeup

Loreal Voluminous (Original and Carbon Black)

These have always been my HG mascaras. I've just never wanted to admit it because they are so normal.  But the formula is great, the brush is nice. I get a lot of volume and thickness with these mascaras, more than with any other I have tried. You can layer these to your hearts desire and you get minimal clumpiness, no flaking and no smudging. Love them, always have, always will.

   Maybelline Line Stiletto Liquid Eye Liner

I have been into liquid eyeliner this month. I've loved the dramatic look it can give my eyes without a lot of excess. This one is my favourite because it is liquid/felt-tip and is thin and tapered at the end and then gets wider, so you can change how thick you want it easily. It's one of the only ones I can use because I am so challenged when it comes to eyeliner. Stays on, stays black. I'm a fan.   

 Annebelle Eyeshadows (12D1S and 12B1S) 

I bought these eyeshadows not expecting anything special and was pleasantly surprised when I discovered that the gray-brown eyeshadows looked awesome. They blend easily and don't smudge. I just wish they had names so I knew which ones they are! (I put in the title the numbers on the back...I'm assuming that's the colour number).

 Maybelline Eyestudio Colour Tattoo (Bad to the Bronze and Tough as Taupe)

I am a fan of all the colour tattoo eyeshadows but these two colours are so awesome that I used them alllll the time. They are both super pigmented and last allll day...and probably all night too, really. I love them (Bad to the Bronze is my fave fave though). 

Lip Makeup

Coral Lipsticks

   Coral lipsticks have been my bread and butter this month. I love how they bring out my blue eyes and make plain looks fabulous and super playful. My favourite ones this month were (from left) Rimmel Coral Queen, Maybelline Vibrant Mandarin, Revlon Lip Butter in Tutti Frutti, and Revlon Balm Stain in Rendevous. These are all lovely coral colours and last quite a long time (the lip butter not quite as long...but that's to be expected).

Nude Lipsticks

Obviously, I didn't feel like wearing coral lipsticks every day so on the days where I wanted something more muted I wore nude colours. The ones that I wore this month were (from left) Revlon Matte Lipstick in Nude Attitude, Revlon Lip Butter in Creme Brulee, and (my favourite) Revlon Balm Stain in Charm. I really like Charm not only because it stays on all day but that it has a peachy undertone to it, and I prefer those to the brown undertones in the other two, though they look really nice I was tan.
 

Hair

 

 Beyond the Zone Super Sexy Wave Spray

I LOVE this stuff. It is meant to be like a beach spray for your hair and it does a pretty good job. It smells a little bit like chemically altered grapes but the effect it has on my hair overrides that. I have a review on this stuff actually right here.

Organix Coconut Milk Split End Serum

This is another product my hair can't live without. It is sulfate-free (which is pretty sa-weeet!) and I put it in my damp hair as a moisturizing/protecting measure. It smells just like coconuts which rocks because my shampoo and conditioner is coconut too, so my hair smells like coconuts...always. Also, it makes my hair super silky.

Batiste Dry Shampoo (Fresh Scent)

Best dry shampoo. Ever. I know I said I liked Dove, but this stuff takes the cake. I hadn't used it all that much before, but this month my Dove ran out so I started using this and fell in love. It absorbs oil sooo easily and actually makes my hair feel smooth and soft, rather than powdery and dry. Will definitely be picking it up in the other scent.

Tangle Tamer Max Brush

I didn't see what the hype was about these brushes until I bought one. But they are truly something special. They have thin, flexible bristles of different sizes so it gets tangles out of your hair without putting any stress on it. With some loving persuasion it also works on big rats nests too (not that I had any..cough..cough). I love this brush and I'm considering picking one up for my horse's tail too because it breaks so easily..

Randoms

BBW Market Peach Candle and BBQ Lighter

I burnt this candle every day for this entire month and I am so sad that it is no longer with me. It was a great candle. It smelled like how fuzzy peaches taste. Right? Also, I finally invested in a BBQ lighter so now I can light my large candles without turning my fingers into hot-dogs.

Kashi Granola Bars and Avacodoes!

Yum. Omg yum. The Kashi bars are dark chocolate and coconut and are like the heaven. It has granola with a thick topping of chocolate and then shredded coconut on top. I'm actually addicted. And avacadoes are SO DELICIOUS. I understand why people love them so much now. They have a bit of a bite to them that I was happy about. The only thing is that they are so soft that they are fairly hard to cut up and deal with because they turn to mush. But I will eat the mush. So whatevs. 

 

Thanks so much for taking the (extensive) time out of your wonderful lovely life to read this post! I made the above (albeit poorly) just for you. For being the best. 

Big kiss!
Em