Ok, so this should be an AprilFavorites post, but alas, I wrote a March Favorites post back at the end of March and justmanaged to get pictures taken for it. Instead of letting the post go to waste – there are some good things in here! – I’m posting it now…as originally written. Hopefully there will be more on April Favorites next week. So now, take yourself back to the beginning of April and enjoy the March Favorites ride….
Wow, did March fly by! I feel like I was working on this post for February just a week ago, but I’ve actually had 2 non-Favorites posts since then! Miracles can happen. 😄 I feel like I may have a fair amount to get through, so I’m not gonna drag this out. I have mostly makeup favorites, but there’s also a “moment” if you will. We’ll get there…and if you saw my Insta Stories that day, you may already be guessing what it is. 😉 It was a good month on the beauty front, so let’s just get to the best products from March!
We’ll start with the basics – foundation! If you caught my review, you may know what I’m about to mention…the Cover FX Power Play Foundation! I tried this foundation a number of ways throughout March in an effort to determine how it worked best with my skin, which is currently normal-to-dry. That landed me on another favorite, though it’s mainly a favorite because it works wonderfully on my skin with this foundation. It’s the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Oil. I originally thought this primer would basically just be an oil, but it’s not. I mean, it isan oil, but there is somehow some grip to it. You get the intense hydration of a facial oil, but it actually does help keep foundation in place as well! This primer was key to making the Cover FX Power Play Foundation work for my skin type because the foundation is aimed at combo-to-oily skin types. Given that, I need a bit more moisture in a product than the Power Play provides, but I really enjoy the medium coverage and the demi-matte finish, plus it stays put brilliantly without settling into any imperfections on the skin. If you want to know more about the foundation, check out my review since I’m not going to go much deeper here for the sake of space. If you have drier skin and want to try this foundation, highly recommend using the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Oilwith the Cover FX Power Play Foundationfor a beautiful medium coverage base that will last all day!
Another complexion product that I honestly thought was going to be an interesting gimmick at best is the BECCA Hydra-Mist Set & Refresh Powder. This powder is surprisingly fantastic! Again, you can check out the full review here, but this powder not only feels cool on the skin – literally cooling and wet – it actually makes the skin look better! It’s surprisingly comfortable, especially on drier skin, and actually blurs my pores a bit, unlike most powders that accentuate my texture. It keeps my skin looking pretty much the same from morning to night and I just cannot get enough!
There’s one blush I kept reaching for in March. Again, a new release that I didn’t know much about, but it looked pretty and I just figured, what the heck? It is the Bare Minerals Gen Nude Powder Blush in “Call My Blush.” Firstly, the shade is beautiful. Kind of that perfect neutral rosy flush. The texture is also spectacular! It’s a very soft texture, but doesn’t kick up excess powder. It’s not exactly creamy, but almost. The level of pigment is also perfect for a blush. It’s kind of a semi-sheer coverage so that the skin can still peek through, but it builds easily without getting too intense. Whether you have a heavy hand or a light touch, I think you’ll find this blush very user friendly. It’s just fantastic and I think I need to check out more shades! Definitely check out the Bare Minerals Gen Nude Powder Blushes next time you see them!
For the eyes, I have been completely loyal to the Stila Smudge Kajal Eyelinerin “Espresso.” This eye pencil is so creamy and so pigmented it’s unbelievable! It’s a rare makeup day that I don’t at least put a dark eye pencil on the upper waterline of my eyes to help make my lashes look thicker and my eyes a bit more defined. This pencil is perfect for that because it is just so soft, creamy and pigmented, but it also stays put remarkably well! More and more eye pencils stay on the waterlines these days, but I have never encountered one as pigmented and creamy as this new gem from Stila! I will admit that I haven’t actually used this in the more traditional sense of an eyeliner – lining the upper or lower lash lines, but I have no doubt that it would be a fantastic liner that’s easily smudgeable until it sets and would them be budge-proof…but again, I haven’t tested it. That’s just not often why I reach for an eye pencil lately. Regardless, I absolutely want to try more shades (there is also a Navy, a Nude and a Black)! The Stila Smudge Kajal Eyeliner is absolutely one of my most favorite finds from March!
I almost hate to mention this next favorite because it’s already been on clearance (which is when I bought it), though occasionally you can still find it. If you see it, I definitely suggest you grab it! It is the Urban Decay x Kristen Leanne Beauty Beam Highlight Palette, which was made in collaboration with cruelty free YouTuber Kristen Leanne. In particular, I love mixing the middle and right shades in the palette. Let me go back for a second so that makes more sense. This is a beautiful trio of highlighters – so three shades in what seems to be Urban Decay’s standard highlighter formula. They’re laid out in strips that touch, which usually bugs the shit outta me, but I’m dealing with this palette. The shades are all beautiful and can be built up to be more intense or sheered out for a more natural highlight. The consistency is not too creamy, not to dry. They apply beautifully to the skin and don’t emphasize texture on the skin. They are just lovely highlights! I wish it weren’t a limited edition palette because the highlighters are simply gorgeous…the packaging is also pretty in pink metallic with a decent mirror and a compact size, making it fantastic for traveling (not that I ever go anywhere 😄). I absolutely love this palette and am a bit sad that it was a limited edition item. If you find the UD x Kristen Leanne Beauty Beam Highlight Palette, grab it!!!
Lastly for makeup, my eyeshadow palette of choice in March was the ColourPop Double Entendre Palette. This palette has pretty basic neutral shades, but it’s just perfection…especially for every day. The shadows are pigmented without going overboard and they blend nicely. They are a little powdery, but I always tap my brushes before applying to the eyes so I get very little, if any fallout. I usually use my fingers to apply the metallic shades because it brings out the intensity (a wet brush would have a similar effect). I feel like I never mention the ColourPop Pressed Shadows, but I really like them…though I do wish they wouldn’t do so many limited edition shades and palettes. But back to this palette. My most frequently used shadows seemed to be “Draft,” “Teddy Bare,” “Nip Slip,” and “Flasher.” There is one glitter-sprinkled shade that I haven’t used yet so I cannot comment on fallout with that one. The shades are great, especially for daily wear, which is why I really love the ColourPop Double Entendre Palette!
Last on the beauty front is a skin care item from MyChelle. It is their Fruit Enzyme Polish, which is a fantastic gentle chemical and physical exfoliant. You’re meant to apply this after washing your face, leave it for about 3 minutes and then rinse off. It uses fruit enzymes during this phase to help dissolve the dead skin and then when you wash it off there are gently scrubbing jojoba beads for a nice and, again, gentle physical exfoliation. It leaves my skin feeling so soft and smooth without any irritation or redness. It’s absolutely lovely! I don’t feel like this should be used as a daily exfoliant, mostly because it’s not directed to be one…plus I tend to use it in the morning and who has an extra 3 minutes every day? 😄 The only negative to this exfoliator is that I find it a bit difficult to remove all the little scrubby beads. If you use it before showering or something then there’s no issue, but I typically don’t remember it then! It really doesn’t bother me much, especially since all the granules seem to have vanished by the time I’m done adding serum and moisturizer to my face. If you’re in need of a great gentle exfoliant, highly recommend giving the MyChelle Fruit Enzyme Polish a go!
Quickly I want to mention the best part of March, which was my parents’ 50th Wedding Anniversary! I managed to throw together a little celebration (no parties were had for many reasons). I actually managed to surprise them with a fun time together as a family (I’m the only child so it’s always a small gathering). If you caught my Instagram stories that day, I shared my wait for their arrival after lunch to enjoy the surprise and it was such a wonderful time. I wanna do it again! 😄 That was definitely a highlight for me in March.
And that does it! Lots of great things came from March. I hope you’ve enjoyed this wander down memory lane with me and my favorites…albiet a very late wander! 😄 I should hopefully be back again next week with my favorites from April, though lately I really feel I can’t promise anything. Hopefully soon at least! I hope you’re all doing well and I hope to see you again soon!!! Thanks so much for stopping by!
