Ah, February. The shortest month, but somehow it felt so long! If I’m honest, it was not the greatest of months, but it could always have been worse, right? 😄 Nothing specifically comes to mind when I say that, I just don’t feel I have many fond memories from the month. Then again, it’s is February which is one of those weird months after Christmas when you’re just hoping for the cold to go away and not much else really happens. I’m waffling. My point is, the month has ended and now it’s time to go through all my favorite cruelty free beauty products from the month! I feel like I tried a fair number of new things in February – mainly foundations. There have been so many new releases and none of the things I’ve tried have given me an immediate love or hate reaction. Again, I’m ahead of myself as we’re not discussing these things today. 😉 Let’s just get to business and discuss the things I know that I loved in February…time for my Cruelty Free February Beauty Faves!!!
I’m going to start with maybe a bit of a revelation from February. I have very sparse, thin brows and though I like using pencils and powders to fill them in, I find that it’s just not the easiest or best look in the end…at least for my brows. I remembered that bygone staple of the brow pomade and pulled out my old Anastasia DipBrow Pomade in “Taupe” to first see if it was still usable (it was a bit drier, but I always thought it to be too creamy anyway), and to see if it made for an easier and better looking application on my sad little brows. Behold! It was just what I needed…however, I have never loved the formula or the shade of the DipBrow (not to mention a lower price tag would be nice, though it would take ages to get through a single pot before it expired). I remembered that Milani made a version I enjoyed, but never really gave a fair shot to, so I decided to test that out again too. I am so glad I did! Not only do I like the formula of the Milani Stay Put Brow Color quite a bit, but the shade “02 Natural Taupe” is absolutely perfect for my brows and hair color! The formula is not too creamy, not too hard, not too waxy. It’s easy to apply (I use an Anastasia #12 brush, though it does come with an acceptable brush as well), and the color is not too warm, not too cool (it looks more red in the photo). Not too deep, not too light. It’s just the absolute perfect brow product for my needs and I love it! Plus, it’s about half the price of the Anastasia! Much love for the Milani Stay Put Brow Color!
Next up is a lipstick – more for the color than the formula, though there’s nothing wrong with the formula. It’s the newly reformulated Kat von D Studded Kiss Crème Lipstick in “OG Lolita.” I didn’t mind the old formula of these lipsticks, though they were somewhat stiff and dry, but I didn’t find them uncomfortable or terribly drying on the lips. Regardless, that was the formula of the past and though still not the creamiest of lipsticks, the new Crème formula is definitely less stiff with better glide and not quite as dry. It also has spectacular wear time! I’m one who hates reapplying lipstick throughout the day and I find that with perhaps the exception of after eating a messy meal, this stuff sticks around! All that’s marvelous, but unless I can find a shade I like, there is no point. Thank goodness for “OG Lolita!” I absolutely adore this shade! It’s just a perfect neutral everyday not-quite-peach, slightly pink “your-lips-but-better” kind of color. It’s so pretty! It does look a bit dry on the lips, but it doesn’t accentuate dryness and it doesn’t really feel drying to me. It’s not liquid lipstick level dry looking, but it’s not going to plump up your lips or give them a good sheen. It definitely has a demi-matte finish. I find this lipstick comfortable, though it might still be too dry for some…that color though! It’s just the prettiest everyday lip color I have come across in quite some time…and all of the shades are Vegan as well! Love, love, love!
Moving back to another more affordable “drugstore” item. I’ve had the Wet n Wild PhotoFocus Pressed Powder for a while…since their foundation launched actually…but never really gave it a try. February was finally it’s time! I am so glad I finally tried it because it’s a fantastic powder! It works under the eyes, as well as all over the face without emphasizing texture or fine lines, or making the skin look dry or cakey. It’s totally undetectable on the skin (assuming you have a shade that works! I have “Neutral Beige”). It does what it needs to – effectively sets makeup without being seen! It’s absolutely wonderful and I believe it’s about $5! 🎉 I will say that I originally purchased a different shade (that’s not the relevant part) and got it home where it promptly shattered for no apparent reason. I didn’t drop it, didn’t even use it. It just broke while hanging out in the bag. Not sure what happened there, but I haven’t had any issues with my current compact. Even if it does crumble easily, I still highly recommend!!!
This next item I did love throughout February, though yesterday I noticed I could see it under my eyes – maybe it was a blending issue, maybe it’s the shade I have, maybe it was just the lighting. Not sure, but this was definitely the clear winner of a number of concealer battles throughout February! I’m talking about the new(ish) Urban Decay All Nighter Concealer. I will say that I hate their shade range. I feel like none of the shades match me well. The undertones seem weird and they’re just not ideal, but I can make it work under my eyes which is the only place I’ve been using it. This is probably the highest coverage I have ever encountered in a concealer, yet it manages to look (the other day aside) pretty much undetectable! It doesn’t look heavy, doesn’t accentuate texture or lines, doesn’t cake up (I do need to set it though) and it wears well all day! I have done the one eye with one concealer, one eye with another test to really give this a run for its money and I think I may just like it better than the super-hyped Tarte Shape Tape! 😱 I discovered that the Shape Tape sits more on top of the skin and is just thicker than the All Nighter. It’s shocking to me that there is so much coverage in the Urban Decay All Nighter Concealer without it looking heavy, cakey, thick or aging in any way…at least in my experience! It’s absolutely a favorite from February, though it is awfully pricey at $29 for 3.5mL / 0.12oz (for comparison, Tarte’s Shape Tape contains 0.33oz per tube and retails for $27!!!). If you’re in need on a ton of coverage without the cake, I recommend giving the Urban Decay All Nighter Concealer a look.
A late comer to my favorites is a cleansing oil. It is the Pacifica Coconut Dissolve Cleansing Oil Rehab and I love it! If I’m fair, a cleansing oil is kind of a cleansing oil…well, there are bad ones and good ones, but all-in-all, they’re not typically that different. Anyway, this has a great consistency that leaves the skin feeling clean, but not stripped or greasy. What makes this so lovely for me is the scent – so be warned if you’re sensitive to scented products because it does contain fragrance. This may sound weird, but it smells kind of like vanilla scented playdough to me…and I love it! 😄 It’s described as being a coconut scent, and I kind of get that too, but there’s a definite, albeit pleasant, playdough-type scent underneath. Whatever you want to classify the scent as, I think it smells delightful! And it works well to cleanse the skin gently and comfortably. I apply it to dry skin (usually in the mornings and nights I’m not really wearing makeup – I still prefer a cleansing balm to remove that mask!), add a splash of water to emulsify it into a milky “lather,” rinse and done! My skin feels clean, healthy and happy…and I enjoy the scent every second that it lasts! Don’t worry. It doesn’t linger after rinsing away. This really makes me look forward to washing my face in the mornings, which is a nice bonus and a good start to the day. Plus, it’s affordable! Absolutely recommend trying the Pacifica Coconut Dissolve Cleansing Oil!
This last product I’ve had for a while, but haven’t really given a fair shot until February. It is the Ouai Memory Mist and it is absolute hair wizardry! 😄 This is a spray that you mist onto the hair before styling (in my case curling) and it is supposed to help hair remember it’s shape, as well as add a bit of heat protection. I’ve tried similar concepts to this and most seem to either work but make hair crunchy and hairspray-like, or they may help only a bit. Not so with the Memory Mist! This stuff feels like there’s absolutely nothing in/on the hair and it truly does keep my curls in for a long time. I have gone a week without needing to restyle my hair (yes, I can disgustingly manage to avoid washing my hair for a full week thanks to the residual effects of Accutane). Throughout that week, the curl did lessen some as the days wore on, but they really didn’t fall too much. It never looked bad or un-styled. It’s absolute magic! Doesn’t hurt that it smells nice too. If you’re someone that doesn’t like fixing your hair every day or have a lot of trouble getting a curl to stay, I highly recommend giving Ouai’s Memory Mist a try. It’s kind of life-changing!
That’s gonna do it for my loves of February! It certainly was a good month for makeup. There’s so much that I’m trying to test out as well, so it’s been difficult to stick to any one thing long enough to truly call it a “favorite,” but these definitely made the cut! As I’ve said before, I’m trying to get more post variety happening here, but I’m not doing great so far (this is also being posted a week later than I’d hoped). I did manage to get a review up of the Antonym Skin Esteem Foundation, so check it out if you have a chance! I have so many more foundations that I’m trying to test out right now as well, so I may go from nothing but “Favorites” to nothing but foundation reviews. 😄 Anyway, enough rambling. I hope your February was lovely! Here’s to a fantastic March…and better stinking weather! 😄 Hope to see you again soon and thanks so much for stopping by!!!
