the favorites | january 2015

Seeing as we've just gotten into February, it only seems appropriate for me to inform you lovely folks about my favorites throughout the month of January.

I am still planning to make a massive 2014 favorites post, but it'll take a bit more time due to my own busyness. Hooray for getting back into a university schedule!

Anyway, on to the good stuff.

makeup

My poor beloved NARS eye primer is nearing its end, so I picked up the Wet n Wild Fergie Take on the Day primer to replace it. Oddly enough, since it's a bit tackier than my beloved NARS, it works better with my LORAC Pro palette. Also on the eyelid front, I received my order from Hello Waffle Cosmetics upon my return to school, which included Catticus Finch from the cult classic Catssic Literature collection. Catticus Finch is a light pink-toned lavender with subtle copper shimmer that translates to a soft, romantic lilac on the eye. I will continue playing around with this for lovely months to come!

January's rediscovery was the now-infamous MAC 217 brush. This brush isn't the softest tool in the shed, but it's one of the most versatile. I can use it for a sheer wash over the lid, for a softly defined crease, or for a top-notch blending job. I recommend that anyone with a love for eyeshadow at least try a brush with a similar shape to the 217.

Not too many of the bloggers I follow loved Maybelline's Lash Sensational mascara, but I was in the market for a new mascara in January and wanted to check it out anyway. So far, I'm very impressed. It's the perfect cross between the Rocket and the Falsies Black Drama: it's lengthening and volumizing, but it offers quite a bit of definition, too. I can get dramatic lashes in just a couple of coats—or three, if I'm really feeling it. Plus, the packaging is a definite upgrade for Maybelline. Obviously, sleek packaging isn't everything, but it never hurts.

Last fall, I resisted the hype surrounding Colour Pop because I was a bit wary of their sudden success and because part of me finds the name "Lippie Stix" a bit much. Anyway, for $5, I figured I couldn't go wrong, and I'm so glad that I decided to buy it. Lumière [not pictured] is just about the most spot-on "my lips but better" shade, and its matte finish isn't drying. You don't get a ton of product for $5—I'm about halfway through it after a month and a half—but it's a very flattering shade with a decent formula.

Finally, this past month marked my first foray into the world of tinted brow gels. I used to use a clear brow gel last year, but I just sort of stopped when I ran out of my second tube. After hearing rave review after rave review of the Benefit Gimme Brow, I decided to give it a whirl. The Light/Medium shade matches my ash-blond brows just about perfectly, and it doesn't make my brows feel stiff or crunchy. I will often wear this alone or with my Anastasia Brow Wiz if I want a really strong brow.

body

/r/Indiemakeupandmore has been in love with Haus of Gloi for as long as I can remember, and now I understand why. Their pumpkin butter in Madcap Garden [not pictured] is a godsend for my dry winter skin. It has such a rich, emollient formula, and the slightly sweet minty scent isn't too powerful. I'll definitely have to try some more scents. I also have a sample in the earthier Insalata Nocturna, which I very much like but tend to reserve for days when I'm wearing Jo Malone Lime Basil & Mandarin since the two scents complement each other.

fragrance

Speaking of things that smell nice, I purchased a travel spray of Stella by Stella McCartney [not pictured] and am already a third of the way through it. This is rose without any sort of powdery, saccharine, or patchouli-laden trappings. Whenever I smell it, I think, "This is what good perfume smells like." It doesn't last very long on me, unfortunately, but I love it all the same.

Have an excellent February!

What have your favorites been thus far this year?