click for full sizeIt came to my attention that I skipped a month of faves. I guess a whole month to get to it just wasn't enough time for me. I considered skipping it, since July is long gone, but that felt wrong and totally unfair to July. And, because punctuality and my monthly faves do not go hand in hand with me I have August's faves as well, so grab a big mug of tea, maybe get a cookie too because this is going to be a long one. Well, maybe not, a lot of items deserve their own proper review so I'll keep some of my descriptions short. You still might want that cookie though.
July's Faves
NYX Concealer in a JarNYC does not mince words when they name their products. This little jar is amazing! I didn't have the highest hopes for it when I first got it, but it has turned out to be a must have product for me. It is quite firm, and works best when applied with your finger (it needs to be warmed up a bit.) If you try and go too heavy with it it will crease, but a light hand gives great coverage. I use this under my eyes and on small blemishes.
MAC Pervette Glaze Lipstick (frost)I love a good violet/purple lip but I hate overly frosty lipsticks, so I never thought that I would love this, but I do! I first saw it on
LilliChantilly some time ago. I didn't think I liked it, but the more she showed it the more it had to be mine. It is such an easy lipstick to wear and it gives your lips a pretty lavender pink hue.
NYX Girls Nail Polish in Buzz WorthyThis polish is was an impulse buy, and an odd one for me as I'm not really a fan of gold, but this polish is a taupey gold glitter. Except it isn't quite a glitter, it's like a foil, but a piecey foil. I'll have a NOTD of this soon, because my description is terrible. Regardless, it is a gorgeous nail polish.
L de Lolita LempickaThis was on hard perfume to get my hands on. I first got a sample from Sephora and loved it. So, I headed to Sephora only to find out they don't carry it anymore. So I Googled it, only to find out there are like six different versions of this and they all have really similar bottles. I decided to give up. Just when I had forgotten about it I saw it at Shopper's! Fate smiled upon me, and gave me a little high five too, since it was only $20. The scent is a bit odd (good odd) and totally differernt than anything I've ever found before. For more details read
this.
Baviphat Black Sugar & Honey ScrubI saw this on sale on Ebay (yes, even Ebay has sales) so I thought I'd live a little and give it a try. Best. Decision. Ever. Okay, that might be a bit dramatic, but this is pretty much the perfect scrub. It has the right amount of grit, smells super amazing (almost like apple butter) and effectively sloughs away dull skin without being drying or irritating. If anyone can recommend any other Baviphat products, I'm very interested.
Maybelline Fit Me Pressed PowderI usually don't have shine/oil issues, but I did find that in the summer heat I was in need of something more than my usual MAC MSFN. I find that Fit Me is pretty close to MSFN, but it is a bit heavier and absorbs better. I got quite a bit of use out of this.
Smashbox Mini Soft Lights in TintThis was a free gift when I ordered, but is quite large (the full size of this product is huge!) This is a combo product for me, event though I'm pretty sure they market this as a highlighter. I'm pale enough to use this a a blush/highlight in one thanks to the fact that it has a light sheen and is not over the top. I love the peachy- rose gold shade, it's neutral looking but really pretty and goes with anything.
Smashbox Full Exposure MascaraI'll probably do a full review of this, so I'll keep this short. This is a dryer formula mascara and the brush is your basic wire style, but it delivers great looking lashes with minimal fuss.
August Faves
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Skin 79 Diamond Collection The Prestige BB CreamI've mentioned this a few times (
here,
here and
here) but still haven't done a proper review of it. Anyhow, this is my preferred BB cream, over the Dr. Jart anyhow. I'll have a comparison review, eventually.
JuJu Cosmetics White Peach Whitening MistI learned that facial mists and bb creams go together like... well, two things that go together! I read somewhere that it's recommended to apply bb cream to "plump" skin, and that facial mists are a great base. Luckily for me I have quite the collection. That factoid (to use facial mist before bb cream) has served me very well. It helps to make the thick bb cream spread out evenly and gives skin a smooth even tone. The JuJu mist does help combat dull looking skin by giving it a brightening boost. Of course the peach scent is amazing as well. I highly recommend this one.
Wet 'n Wild Walking on Eggshells Colour Icon TrioI've been using these for a while (months now I guess) and had been planning on doing a Wet 'n Wild theme week, but it kept getting pushed back and now I'm pretty sure everyone has seen what these look like a million times over. I have most of the neutral trios, but got a lot of use out of this one in particular last month. The neutral shades are fast and easy to apply. They can be deepened with dark eyeliner or worn on their own. They are superb quality and defiantly worth trying.
Waitrose Baby Bottom ButterI'm sure everyone has read about this on one blog or another, I know I have. I kept hearing about this vanilla/white chocolate scented (varies by who you ask, I say white chocolate) miracle cream. I found this pot on Ebay (at a very reasonable price, given the exchange rate) and am pretty smitten with it. The soft, sweet scent is a factor, but it also moisturizes like nobody's business. It is pretty thick and a tad greasy when you first apply it, but it absorbs pretty well and is great on really dry skin.
Sheet MasksThe particular sheet mask is a My Beauty Diary Chocolate Truffle Mask, but I've been trying out a bunch of different brands/"flavours". All facial masks have different skin areas they address, but mostly they moisturize and revive dull skin. I love them!
Secret Coco Butter Kiss Body SplashI have had this sample bottle for a while, and thought I might as well give it some use. It was too hot for perfume most days and this is a great alternative. It has a great coco butter, coconut, jasmine scent. I need to find the full size bottle, I'm almost out. This is fairly strong when you first spray it, but it mellows out nicely and has a fairly long lasting time as well.

Proclaim Cocoa & Shea Butter Hand and Body Lotion
I got this in last month's Luxe Box and have been using it non stop. It has a great nutty cocoa butter scent and it is everything you want in a hand cream: it moisturizes well and absorbs quickly with no greasy residue.
Vaseline Rosy Lips Lip TherapyI received this in my swap with Adrienne- of the
Sunday Girl- and have used it steady. I had to clear off the head board on my bed when we started renovating, and in all the hub-bub lost my beloved go to lip balms (Blistex Lip Medex and Nivea Milk and Honey.) That gave me the perfect chance to try this one out. It's great. I find it moisturizes really well, is super glossy and gives lips just the slightest pink tint. The little tin is pretty cute too.
Stila Convertible Colour in LillumThis is a deluxe sample size of this product, but it is still quite large. Lillum is a nuded pink shade that makes for a neutral cheek and lip. I don't use it much on my lips but the shade is perfect for lips as well as cheeks. I find that this is a bit stickier than other cream blushes I've used before, but it blends easily nonetheless and lasts well even on hot humid days.
Rimmel Volume Booster Lip Plumping Gloss in SeduceThis is another item from my swap with Adrienne. This is a nude gloss and is pretty much ah-mazing. It's not super sticky, and it has a good opacity. I can't say that it plumps too much, but I'm not too concerned about that. This is great with lipstick or on it's own and it has pretty long lasting hold.
NARS Larger Than Life Long-Wear Eyeliner in Via Veneto (black)I'm not usually one to spend more than $6-10 on eyeliner, as there are some great drugstore brands, but I decided to splurge with this one. I am so happy I did! This is the best long wear eyeliner I've ever used, it glides on smoothly and stays put for hours. It applies easily to the waterline as well and even stays put there. It is a twist up, so there are no issues in the sharpening department, and there is a tip sharpener in the end.
Bonus Fave!

Dump BagsI'm not a huge user of makeup bags ( I have too much stuff) but with everything being all over the place until all the renovations are done, I packed up a little bag of everyday necessities so I can grab it an apply my makeup where ever I can find the space. The one shown doesn't look massive, but I can get tons in it. What you see inside is only part of what I usually have in it. I am able to get my big BB cream in there along with a full size powder brush, bottle of foundation, eyelash curler, Naked palette, and a few hand fulls of other daily needs. The one shown is a mark. bag. I'm not sure if this design is still available, but the size is. I love that these have a waterproof interior that can easily be wiped out and kept clean.
Congrats if you managed to read it all! What were your faves last month?