January Favorites

Hola, amigos! With my resolve to multi-task and blog more often, I'm bringing the products I have been loving this January. I'm quite happy to report two major changes in my beauty routine:

- Being vigilant in taking care of my skin
- Developing a "system" to use items in my makeup stash more frequently

Giving you more insight into these - First, I make it a MUST to put on moisturizer AND sunblock - TBS Vitamin E Sorbet and La Roche-Posay. It sure does make a lot of difference to my skin. Another change is that I have become regular with proper skin cleansing through Olay Pro X face brush and some face wash. It's gross to admit, but the days I used to be at home - I would simply slap some water on my face and think it'd suffice for facial care. Special arrangements - like washing face properly - were made only on special days when I'd wear foundation. I'm ditching the "abhi-raat-ko-tau-mu-dhoya-tha" approach and being a bit responsible. *insert angel halo here* :-P

Second, I would simply use one/two products repeatedly while ignoring others in my stash. In my effort to make good use of underrated products and follow the "finish-some-to-buy-some" approach, I pick some lipsticks, blushes, primer, foundation, brushes etc. to use each week/month. I do cheat in it, but it is going good so far. I'm thinking whether to share the weekly picks on my Facebook/blog and give them a review. Improves accountability, but I am not too sure if I can be committed enough :-D

Let's cut it short to reveal the January Favorites:

Kryolan TV Paint Stick - FS45 - It is a repeat from my 2014 Favorites post, so I will not write a sonnet in its praise here. Just a quick update - I still love it <3 For my everyday at office (without any important meetings), I simply blend it under my eyes with an unbranded small eyeshadow application brush. To avoid dry flaky look, I moisturize & prime my face and it glides well. It does creases a little, but since the weather is forgiving and my skin is not acting out too much, it has been a smooth ride. Also, I set it with Rimmel Stay Matte powder and it stays good as a concealer.

Versace Bright Crystal - I have a thing for perfumes *_* I love them strong & long-lasting. Although they shouldn't be too fruity/flowery/sweet or overpowering. This baby right here was a gift from my lovely sister-in-law! I have been basking in its glory ever so often this January :-) Apart from the awesome fragrance, which I cannot explain, this one lasts on my clothes very well - more than 24-48 hours. It has been my dream to pick my previously-worn clothes up and get the whiff of my scent in it. Previously, it'd be rare. May be because I never picked my clothes back up :-D or the other perfumes would never last so well. All in all, this is a must-try-once product that I'd recommend to you all :-)

Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade - Dark Brown - Believe me, I tried so hard to NOT include it here. One, it has been in my 2014 Favorites. Two, everybody knows it's "da" bomb! No matter how many reasons I give, I HAD to put it here. I love how this can be used for slight definition of your eyebrows or BAM! full on transformation into a brow-diva. It truly is waterproof and super pigmented. I have been using it regularly for over a month and barely scratched the surface. To my surprise, it doesn't budge through sweat or anything else. I know this will be my best friend in months to come <3 If you are interested in grooming your brows - ditch EVERYTHING to get this. Trust me, it's worth it!

The Original Beauty Blender - I have tried dupe sponges and brushes. Frankly, this one makes them feel like they're made from your sofa-foam. It is very... spongey and soft. Doesn't soak up much foundation and gives streak-free even finish to your makeup. Be it cream/liquid or even powder (with a light hand buffing motion) face products. My only issue with it was that you have to be a bit careful with cleaning it. I tore little bits of mine :'( while trying to take the stains out. Truth is, some foundation/product stains remain. As long as you have soaked it in antiseptic soap, baby shampoo or some brush cleaner long enough and gently pressed it under water to take the soap out, even if the stains remain you'd be good to use it. Don't force to restore its prettiness. I did and paid for it. *sigh*

MAC Satin Lipstick - Rebel - I had been waiting for Fall/Winter to justify excessive use of berry tones on my lips. This was the first lipstick that made me fall head over heels in love with berry-purple-burgundy lips. Till this day I am smitten. Unlike online bloggers' swatches, this appears quite darker on my lips instead of a berry-pink-maroon twist. Helps me don that strong-brows-dark-lips combo with everything. This and my favorite beige pashmina - My winters are complete ^_^

Essence Silky Touch Blush - Life's A Cherry - Well, you find love at unexpected places. To me, one such incident was finding this blush at the backend of my stash and I just kept it on the top shelf during a makeup re-organizing session. Interestingly enough, I had to make a quick run for an errand and I used Essence blush brush to apply this on my bare face. 4 hours into it and loads of workout, I saw my face pink-red - which I took as me being flushed after a tiring day. Once everything settled, I was washing my face before bed time and this baby was still on me. Loud and clear :-) Since then, I have been applying and dashing to work every morning and it gives a beautiful pink-coral look on my cheeks. I do have one other shade as well, and clearly these blushes seem underrated. Do give these a shot when you're on a budget and want a nice friend for your pocket-and-cheek.

That's all, folks! I hope you find something useful in this post - may be a product you'd wish to try or a desire to rediscover something you've ignored from your makeup stash. Let me know your thoughts about what worked the best for you this January and how are your new year resolutions or wishlists coming along? :-)

Cheers,

Bia