By Wendy Larson
Every month I make a mental note to sit down and compile my favorites of the month.
Every month I forget.
I need to start writing things down.
Drugstore mascaras are improving by leaps and bounds and this makes me happy. I can’t justify spending $15 + on high end mascaras because they’re something I am going to throw out in a couple of months. I get as good, if not better results with L’Oreal and Maybelline mascaras than with anything I’ve bought from Sephora or MAC. The Telescopic Mascara lengthens and separates AND holds a curl. Perfect for when I want to pretend I have Amanda Seyfried-esque doe eyes. I do find that it does transfer slightly under my eyes, but it’s easily fixed and forgivable because a curl set at 7am stays until 6pm.
Lypsyl Intense Protection Lip Balm
I like to put a lip balm on before bed, but I’m not the biggest fan of thick goopyness all over my pillow…and then of course cat hair gets in it, not fun. This stuff is great. It gives the results of Aquaphor or Vaseline but is the consistency of plain old Chapstick. It’s made with Swedish Beeswax, which makes me smile because I think of the Swedish Chef from the Muppets. It makes me smile more because there is a little bee on the side of the tube that you can push up to move the product up and down. Little details make me happy.
Hard Candy Glamoflague Concealer
You have not concealed until you have concealed with Glamoflague and the MAC 217 brush. It’s the only true full coverage concealer I’ve ever found at the drugstore. Sadly it only comes in 3 shades and can only be found at Walmart. It works for undereye circles and blemishes, and you only need a tiny tiny drop….the tube will last forever. Lately I’ve been skipping foundation all together and just using this under my eyes and on any redness. I found it very similar to Benefit Boi-ing.
L’Oreal Infallible Carbon Black Never Fail Eyeliner
I am a gel/cream liner convert, the Holy Grail being MAC’s Blacktrack Fluidline. One of the biggest reasons I like gel liners are that I don’t have to sharpen them. There must be something horribly wrong with me because I have ruined so many good pencil liners in the sharpening process. The product always breaks off in the sharpener.
After trying all kinds of pencils and sharpeners, I’ve come to the conclusion that I am the problem and not the liner or sharpener- so I said screw it and only buy liners that don’t involve a sharpener. Problem solved. I was elated when I saw this addition to the Carbon Black collection. You may or may not have noticed that most L’Oreal liners and mascaras also come as special “Carbon Black” versions. I’m not sure if Carbon Black is a color or formula or both, it is as promised…it’s pretty black. I love best that this is a twist up applicator with a smudger (that never gets used) and a small sharpener in the bottom. This does well on the waterline, but is a superstar on the lids. You have a good couple of seconds to fix any imperfections or smoke out the line and it’s set until you take it off.
Slatkin and Co. Candle in Flower Shop
Slatkin and Co. are the makers of the candles and hugely popular Wallflowers found at Bath and Body Works. I’m a huge fan of all of the Slatkin candles I own, but most recently I’ve been obsessed with Flower Shop. Slatkin lists the notes in Flower Shop as being “fresh-cut spring flowers, sweet lilac, pink freesia, hyacinth, and cooling greens” I don’t smell any of that. It’s all rose to my nose (haha poet and I didn’t know it!) the scent fills the entire house, making it feel like I live in a cottage in the woods with a rose garden surrounding it. Very Sleeping Beauty. It’s rose, but it’s not your Nana’s rose. No overpowering, powdery, migraine inducing floral here.
I highly suggest checking out any Slatkin candles. I always wait for Bath and Body Works to have a 2 for $20 sale, which is like buying one and getting the second free. BBW also has little votives that last a good 20 hours for $3.50 if you just can’t decide on a big one. The brand is also sold at QVC.com which looks like it ships overseas, in case you’re not in the US or Canada and want to check them out.
Released in honor of Urban Decay’s 15th anniversary, the Quinceanera bag is a huge, glittery purple makeup bag. It screams my name. I want everything I own to be that glittery and purple. It fits everything necessary (and then some) to put on my face in the morning. My old Forever 21 makeup bag was stuffed to the brim and had problems zipping, because I over do it. The inside and outside are vinyl and are easily wiped clean if something explodes. Well made and sturdy, I can see myself loving this bag when Urban Decay is 30.
Did you try anything new in May?
I love the Glamoflague concealer- wonderful stuff!
Ooh worth trying that concealer, though I’m afraid I may need two shades. Lightest and medium.
I became obsessed with a new color of UD 24/7 liner in May, Underground. It’s nearly invisible except that my eyes look perfect once it’s on.
The great thing about the concealer is that it’s something like $6 a pop. It does run a tad dark though, so you might be ok with just the light.