What I'm Loving: September edition

The Skincare Finds

@glossier's new #bodyhero line of cleansing body oil and creme are freaking fantastic. As soon as the weather cools down and humidity levels drop, my skin turns sensitive, itchy, and easily irritated (unlike the skin on my face, which I affectionally think of as "rhino skin"). Welcome to Itch City, population: me. This combo is deeply moisturizing and makes my skin look good. And the scent? I'm now obsessed with neroli. Add me to the list of people desperate for a Glossier fragrance! 

@cosrx Acne Pimple Master Patch is the laziest way to treat pimples. Sign me the fuck up for that, please and thank you! I heard about these via @thestrategist and the infamous google doc skincare guide. As soon as a pimple appears, put one of these stickers on it. Then go back to garbage tv and bad decisions. Within a few hours, that pimple will be smaller and halfway to dead. It doesn't magically make spots disappear, but it helps a lot with minimum effort on your part.

@narukous Raw Job's Tears Supercritical CO2 Pore Minimizing & Brightening Mask. Yeah...IDK what this combination of words really means either. But I no longer feel the need to splurge on SK-II sheet masks. These leave my skin equally smooth, plump, hydrated, and glowing. But for way less. Pro-tip: save all that liquid that comes in the package and use it as a serum during the week following the sheet mask.

The Makeup Goods

First off, the surprise find of the month! I had no plans to buy @katvondbeauty's #SaintandSinner palette. But after a couple (or three or four) homemade and stiff cocktails, this ended up in my shopping cart. But I'm so glad I got it! It's pigmented and looks great when applied, and the shades are really fun but wearable. Even the more basic shades are welcome in my overflowing makeup collection, because they have unique glitters or just flat-out apply better than other brands. 

Oh hey Riri... 🙌. So much has been said about @fentybeauty and its middle finger to brands that have been content to offer a limited range of shades (cough cough Chanel). I am all about it, I am here for it, and some other phrase all the other cool bloggers are saying. Shade 360 in the line's Pro Filter Foundation is the best color match I've ever found. Even my mother commented on how great my skin looks when i wear it. As someone who constantly mixes shades to get it just right, this is a welcome change. But...the oil, man. The oil! It goes from matte to glowy within an hour. After that, I start getting calls from OPEC like "Can we get some of that sweet sweet oil?" I doubled my use of blotting sheets! But it's still a winner that I recommend to people. After blotting, my skin looks great again and the foundation is still hanging on my face after a long work day.

This brings me to my next find, which I LOVE. LURVE. LUV. @urbandecaycosmetics Velvetizer. Mix a couple good pinches into your foundation (I like it add a little primer as well to keep the consistency liquidy). Suddenly, your foundation is creamier, thicker, a litter harder to spread, and matte AF. And it stays that way. I'm back down to 2 blotting sheets per day and could probably go without the second one). I haven't even begun to experiment with it yet to see what else it can do, but so far it's a huge winner for me!

I bought this lipstick from @patmcgrathreal's launch a few months ago but now that the whole collection is available, I have to show some love. The MatteTrance line is fabulous. Creamy and velvety, and long-lasting beyond belief. This shade, Elson, lasted through the entire work day, including lunch with NO touchups. That's crazy! Crazy good!!

As a cheek product...meh. But on my lips? @milkmakeup's Lip + Cheek stick in Rally is that perfect shade of girly pink. Trust me. I've spent years looking for it. 99% of them look great on white skin, and end up too chalky on me. This has enough pigment to stand out but it's soft enough to be a wear everyday color. And it's ultra moisturizing. This is a sample stick from Sephora, but I'll definitely be getting a full-size when it runs out.

Quick swatches of Pat McGrath Labs' MatteTrance lipstick in Elson, and Milk Makeup's Lip +Cheek in Rally.

What I'm Loving: August edition

@makeupforeverofficial’s #flashpalette is something I wanted for years but never pulled the trigger on. Now that I finally have it, I’m so glad! It’s incredibly fun to play with and the colors and texture are incredible. It’s not particularly long-wearing on its own, but primers, setting powders, and setting sprays can all help with that. 

@colourpopcosmetics’s #nofilterconcealerand I think it’d be impossible to find a better one for the price point! Great color range, skin-like texture, and longevity makes this my new favorite. Right now, Tan 50 is the perfect color to cover circles without giving me reverse-panda eyes. 

I’m late to the party with @coverfx’s custom enhancer drops, but it’s as good as the hype! Got a sample size of the moonlight shade and currently ignoring my 1,343 other highlighters because it’s so lovely.

Another new one is @narsissist’s powermatte lip pigment in #LondonCalling. The texture is a little finicky for me, but this shade! Perfect amount of brown, purple, grey, and rose that falls right between 90s grunge and sophisticated dark plum.

Lastly, @katvondeauty #lockit setting powder does not play. Pat it gently over undereye concealer and it’s not going anywhere. A light dusting all over gives a smooth, matte finish that lasts longer than any other powder I’ve tried. And I love that there’s a travel size to test it out before committing!