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03 November 2014

Monthly Favourites: October

Another month, another monthly favourites post. This past month flew by as my mom came to visit for a week, and then I went to a conference in Cape Town for four days. I've been very good at keeping up with my current skincare routine (featured here and here), so the only new favourites I have this month are makeup related! Oh and a few small non-makeup related bits...who knew?


Real Techniques Buffing Brush

I've had (and used) this brush for more than a year, and recently rediscovered it. It's super soft yet dense, so it buffs in liquid formulations and mineral foundations beautifully. It also washes beautifully, and easily returns to its original state after a good cleanse. I bought mine from Amazon, but I hear Real Techniques now also ships to South Africa.

Bobbi Brown Corrector in "Light Peach"

After hearing numerous glowing reviews about this (and finishing my current under eye product of choice), purchasing this was an easy decision. I must admit, I did struggle to use it at first. When I bought it it was still cold in Pretoria, so I had a difficult time in applying the product as it just didn't want to soften enough to apply without dragging the delicate skin under my eyes. Now that it's much warmer, using this product seems so easy now! I dab it onto my under eye area using my ring finger, and then use a concealer brush to work it into the darkest areas.

I was tested for a shade at the Bobbi Brown counter and walked around with it the whole day to see how it sits on my skin. Most of the shades are a salmon colour to combat blue circles. There are a lot of shades, so it's best to get tested by a pro.

Clarins Instant Light Brush-On Perfector in "02 Medium Beige"

This is also a product that I've had for quite a while, but only recently rediscovered. The Instant Light Brush-On Perfector paired with the Bobbi Brown Corrector makes a mean team in combating dark circles and tired-looking eyes. The Brush-On Perfector comes in a gold pen that you twist on the bottom to dispense product through the thin brush. I draw triangles under my eyes, and dab it onto a few more places that need perking up, and then blend it in with my Real Techniques Contour Brush. There are three shades to choose from and they currently retail for around R345.

Revlon Highlighting Palette in "010 Peach Glow"

I won't call this a "dupe" for anything, but this is sort of like a drugstore version of the famous Bobbi Brown shimmer bricks. I can't and won't comment on the difference/similarities in quality, as I don't own a shimmer brick.

I bought both the Peach Glow and the Bronze Glow palettes, but so far the Peach Glow is my go-to palette these past few weeks. There are five stripes of colour and there is a bit of shimmer, but nothing that will make you look like a disco ball. The shades range from rose gold to brown, and there is even a yellowy gold strip. I normally just lightly swirl my blush brush across all the stripes and apply it to the apples of my cheeks as blusher. I then try and swipe only the bottom two stripes (yellowy gold and pale rose gold) and apply it as a highlighter to the top of my cheekbones. 

It's a really nice, easy to wear palette, and perfect for travelling when you don't want to think about packing separate blushers/bronzers/highlighters. I suppose you could also use the shades as eyeshadows, although I haven't tried that yet. You can buy this at Clicks and Dischem and it retails for around R110 (I think).

EOS lip balm in "Raspberry Pomegranate"

I've been lusting after EOS lip balms for a long time so I was thrilled when I heard that HashtagAwesome were selling these on their website. I bought the Raspberry Pomegranate and the Coconut Milk one, but I'm saving the Coconut Milk for when this one is finished, which, by the looks of things, won't be too long!

EOS lip balms are made with natural ingredients and contain no nasties, and the packaging is super cute. I must admit, the packaging might be one of the main attractors! It smells delicious and moisturises my lips without it feeling tacky or like I've just applied a layer of wax. I also don't need to reapply it too often, but let's be honest, with packaging that cute, who would mind?

Rubybox Fresh in a Flash Brush Cleanser

I received this brush cleanser in a previous Rubybox and I love it. It comes in a small spray bottle, and it dispenses a reasonably fine mist: fine enough to not squirt the poor brush with product, but also not so fine that it floats around the whole bathroom and settles on the mirror.

I don't know what's in it, but it smells quite strongly and it does a hell of a job of cleaning my brushes. I use it to spot-clean my brushes, and then to properly wash those that I use most often (buffing brush, blusher brush, powder brush, eyeshadow brush). It cleans the brushes much quicker than some of my other brush cleansers and I think I'll be investing in a few more bottles of this. You can buy it from Rubybox for R69.95.

Mr Price tropical earring pack

The last favourite is a fashion favourite, something I never thought I'd see on Suzy Q-tip! I've been loving the tropical trend this season, and I've made it my mission to acquire palm tree, pineapple, and flamingo accessories and clothes. I haven't managed to find flamingo earrings yet, but I've found a flamingo top and necklace, so that's a win in my book! These pineapple, palm tree, and cherry earrings are adorable and really add a fun and quirky twist to any outfit. I bought the earrings online for R9.99 (yes I know!).

What were your favourites for October? Let me know in the comments section!

Until next time!

Hildegarde
xoxo

2 comments:

  1. Cool items. Love the earrings! So badly want a RT's brush. :)

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    1. I also think they're quite cute! :) Aww shucks, we should've gotten you one for your birthday! Missed opportunity, hehe. Thanks for commenting, Chicara!

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