I’ve mentioned a few times that makeup and skincare are two things I love to chat about, and I thought the easiest way to talk through some of the newer products that I’m trying, or just give you an update on my every day makeup and skincare routine would be with a monthly beauty edit. I had a lot of fun talking through my efforts to use up what I have in my Project Use it Up post, and this to me seemed like a good follow up.
In this beauty edit I’ll be sharing what haircare I’ve been using, the skincare that has been on heavy rotation this past month, and the makeup that I’ve been reaching for on repeat. Let’s dive into it, shall we?
The Makeup Edit
Clinique Even Better Glow Foundation | I thought I’d give this foundation a mention again in my beauty edit, despite the fact that I’ve talked about it recently, because it’s a foundation I really love. I’ve been using this almost daily and I love the light to medium coverage, and the glow that it gives my skin. It has a bit of SPF in it, which is a bonus, and there’s also some salicylic acid in the formula too.
Lorac Pro Eyeshadow Palette | This was my favourite palette when I first bought it, though somehow it managed to make its way to the back of my eyeshadow stash. I recently decided to pull this out again and I remembered why I loved it so much. The shadows are buttery and rich, highly pigmented and blendable. Plus, there’s a great shade selection and I love that it’s an even split between shimmer and matte shadows.
L’Oreal Glow Mon Amour Highlighting Drops | There’s a few products in this beauty edit which are a little new to me, and these highlighting drops fall in that category. I’d been wanting to try these for a while as an affordable alternative to these ones from Cover FX, and at half price it seemed like a no brainer. The gold colour is perfect as we head into summer, and I like that this can be mixed in with foundation to give your complexion some extra glow, or on their own to add a highlight to your cheekbones. It’s quite a liquid formula, which makes it easy to blend out, but also easy to go overboard with product. The dropper applicator is great, but only if I’m mixing this in with foundation. One drop is a bit too much when using this as a highlight. The glitter is pretty subtle, so it gives a nice sheen to the skin. While I think the applicator could be improved, all in all, I’m pretty happy with this so far.
Huda Beauty Smokey Obsessions Palette | There are a few brands I’ve had on my list to try out, and Huda Beauty was one of them, and Black Friday seemed as good a time as any to finally snap something up. I’d heard good things from my sister, and while I was pretty close to splurging on the Nude Palette, I ended up opting for this compact 9-pan palette instead. When it comes to shade selection, I think I made the right choice. There’s four mattes, four shimmers, and one glitter shade, and I love that these all lean pretty neutral. The shimmers are much more pigmented than I’d anticipated, and I love how easily these blend out on the lid. Definitely a brand I see myself looking to buy more of in the future.
Natasha Denona Camel Palette | The other palette I bought during the Black Friday sales was the camel palette from Natasha Denona. Again, I’d been wanting to buy into the brand for some time now, but I’ve always found the price a little prohibitive given that I’m fairly ‘safe’ with my makeup choices. And I hate to say this, but I’m in two minds about this palette. The colours are beautiful, and extremely pigmented, but I can’t say I’ve been too impressed with how they’ve worn. I did an eye look pairing the two shimmer shades on my lid, and I found even with a primer underneath (I used this one), the shimmer shades slid off into my inner corner. Given that this is a five-pan palette which retails for $69, I expected more. That being said, I’m going to get my money’s worth with this palette, but I’ll definitely think twice about buying more eyeshadows from the brand based on this experience.
Clinique Chubby Stick Cheek Colour Balm | Probably one of my favourite Clinique products has to be the cream contour stick, but I’d say this cream blush comes a close second. I have the shade 01 amp’d up apple, and it’s a very basic neutral pink. I like to apply this directly onto the apples of my cheeks, and blend out with a Real Techniques buffing brush. It sheers out really nicely and because it’s a cream, it leaves your complexion looking quite dewy and fresh.
Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 Hr Breathable Concealer | Some of my favourite foundation and concealer finds have come from Rimmel. I find that they always seem to do base well, and I love the more affordable price point. Because my skin has been flaring up a bit, I’ve basically been relying on a good concealer to mask any blemishes or spots I may have, and I’ve been loving adding this Rimmel concealer back into regular rotation. I would say it’s a medium coverage concealer, nice and creamy, and blends out beautifully just using your fingers. I hate the applicator though. It’s fussy, and I find it dreadfully difficult to actually get any product out. Hoping this comes in a tube with a doe foot applicator in the future…
NARS Audacious Lipstick in Sheena | NARS always have some absolutely incredibly Christmas launches, and this dark nude lippie was probably my favourite of the bunch, as it’s something I can see myself wearing year round. The formula of the audacious lipsticks is super creamy, pigmented, and the bullet doesn’t drag when you apply it to your lips. The trade off is that it does wear off around the mouth when eating or drinking, however being such a neutral hue, it’s an easy enough one to re-apply.
Endota Spa Lengthening Mineral Mascara | I’m always up for trying a new mascara; ones that don’t smudge and also aren’t waterproof are pretty hard to come by. So I was looking forward to trying out this mascara from Endota Spa – somewhere I wouldn’t normally think to pick up a mascara from. It has a fibre bristle wand, and it is lengthening, but not as much as other mascaras I’ve tried. What I really liked was how separated and defined each of my lashes were; there wasn’t any clumping whatsoever. The downside? This one smudged on me quite a bit, sadly.
Nude by Nature Allure Defining Mascara | The second mascara that I’ve tried recently is this one from Nude by Nature. As I mentioned, I’m always on the lookout for a good mascara that doesn’t smudge, and I think this is a pretty good option if you want to invest in a brand that puts an emphasis on nature ingredients. So far, I quite like this as I haven’t noticed much, if any, smudging on my brow bone, and it gives a natural but defined lash look. The one thing I don’t like about this mascara is the brush. It’s made from plastic bristles which normally I’m okay with, but each ‘fibre’ is very sharp and pointy, which makes this mascara quite uncomfortable to apply.
Benefit Gimme Brow | I’m a bit of a less is more kind of girl when it comes to brows. I want something simple and easy, that won’t make my brows look too intense. A nice brow fibre gel is usually the way to go for me. I’ve been using the Benefit Gimme Brow for most of the month, and I really like it. I’d been lamenting the fact that I’d finally run out of the Glossier Boy Brow, and I actually think this might be better, plus it’s more readily available in Australia. It disperses the product well throughout my brows, doesn’t clump up, and my brows don’t feel crispy either. It’s a natural look, which is what I tend to go for.
MAC Prep + Prime | This is essentially a very emollient balm, which you apply before putting lipstick on. It feels quite hydrating on the lips, and creates a smooth surface for your lipstick. I feel like this is a take it or leave it kind of product. Any old lip balm will do as a lip primer, and I haven’t noticed this making much of a difference to how my lipstick applies.
Sigma Brushes | So much focus is always put on the actual products we’re using, and often, I forget how much of a hero the tools I use to apply those products actually are. My favourite brushes are from Sigma. The flat shader brushes are great; perfect for picking up product and applying shimmery shadows, and the pencil E30 brush is great for applying some colour along the bottom lash line. For my foundation, I’ve been loyally using the Sigma 3DHD Kabuki Brush for months now. I really like the pointed shape of the bristles, and it works foundation into my skin beautifully.
The Skincare Edit
Philosophy Purity 3-in-1 Cleanser | I’ve talked about this cult cleanser from Philosophy before, and I thought I’d just quickly mention it again as it is still going strong. I’ve done away with all my micellar waters, so I’m basically relying this and my Face Halo to remove all my makeup at the end of the day. It does a great job of breaking down and dissolving makeup without feeling heavy, and it doesn’t strip my skin of moisture either which is a big win.
Instanatural Age Defying & Skin Clearing Toner | You may have seen me unbox this in my latest YT video, and one thing I talk about is how I’m trying to incorporate more organic and natural products into my skincare routine. While I don’t think it’s a necessary step, I do find the addition of a toner helps to balance out my skin. This one comes in a spray bottle which is great because you don’t need to use a cotton pad to apply it. It’s loaded with vitamin c, hyaluronic acid and niacinamide. I’d been suffering from a few breakouts before adding this into my routine, and I’ve found since using this daily, my skin has finally calmed down.
Pixi Glow Tonic | I’ve raved about this in the past, though after using it pretty regularly now (I have been alternating days and nights with the Instanatural Toner), I’ve come to the conclusion that it isn’t as good as I remembered. That being said, I do still think it’s a good toner; it has glycolic acid in it which gently exfoliates the skin, and it doesn’t make my complexion feel irritated or sore. When I use this up, I’m thinking of going back to the SKII Facial Treatment Essence.
Peter Thomas Roth Potent-C Power Serum | I was lucky enough to be sent a trio of products from the PTR Potent-C range, and have recently started using this as part of my daily routine. The Power Serum is very faintly scented, and unlike other serums I’ve used, it’s a cream formula, rather than a liquid. I like that it doesn’t irritate my sensitive skin and the cream is very comfortable to apply. I haven’t been using this long enough to accurately report on how this has been impacting my complexion, so I’ll be sure to share an update with you all next month.
Peter Thomas Roth Potent-C Power Eye Cream | I’m not particularly loyal to any eye creams – truth be told, I’m still on the hunt for the one – but this was one product I was really excited to try. Most of the reviews I’ve read online of this eye cream are positively glowing, and the before and after transformations look pretty incredible. This has ingredients like caffeine and hyaluronic acid, so I’m hoping it’ll improve the look of the dark circles I have under my eyes, as well as softening the ‘smile lines’ I have around my under-eye area.
Clinique Moisture Surge Hydrating Supercharged Concentrate | This was a product I mentioned in my Project Use it Up post, and I just had to talk about it in this beauty edit. I’m a big fan of the moisture surge range as it is, and I’ve really been looking forward to adding this into my routine. After finishing up my Estee Lauder ANR and Lancome Advanced Genifique serums, I finally figured it was time to crack this open. And I really do love it. I apply two pumps of this all over my face and neck, and find it works great as both a morning or night serum. It’s heavily moisturising, and I’ve noticed that some of the lingering redness on my face has started to fade as a result of using this regularly. My only complaint? The product twists up from the bottom, and I can see that I am absolutely chewing through this serum, and I have a sneaking suspicion that this won’t last me much longer than a month.
Aesop Chamomile Concentrate Anti-Blemish Masque | As part of my efforts to calm down my skin, I decided to invest in this anti-blemish mask from Aesop. As per the instructions, I’d use this after cleansing but before my nightly skincare routine. It has quite an earthy botanical scent, and the formula is thick but springy. I liked that this left my face feeling clean and fresh, but not stripped of moisture.
Aveda Tulasara Wedding Masque | Despite having an ‘oily’ or combination skin type, I find my complexion gets quite dry during both the warmer and cooler months. If you’re after a huge boost of hydration, this overnight mask is literally like a big drink for your skin. It’s thick, rich and creamy, but doesn’t break out my skin, and leaves it feeling soft and nourished. I apply this in place of my usual moisturiser before going to bed.
The Haircare Edit
Apelles Blackseed Shampoo | I’ve got a couple new additions to my haircare routine, which are both from Apelles, so I figure I’ll start with the shampoo first. I love the fact that this feels really lightweight, yet it’s loaded with blackseed oil, which contains a dense supply of nutrients. While I wouldn’t say I suffer from dandruff, my scalp probably is a little more sensitive, and I’ve noticed that I haven’t had any flakiness at all while using this shampoo.
Apelles Tamanu Conditioner | I damaged my hair quite badly when I tried to go blonde, and I feel like more than a year later, I’m still trying to repair the quality of my hair. What I like about this conditioner is the abundance of natural ingredients which actively work to transform and revitalise your hair. A few things I’ve noticed are that my ends feel less dry, and my hair is a lot bouncier and has additional shine.
The Beauty Edit
Byredo Mojave Ghost EDP | I still remember the day that I picked this fragrance out at Mecca; I couldn’t decide between this or Gypsy Water. The latter, seemed to be the ‘it’ perfume of the moment, so I decided to go with what at the time felt like a ‘wild card’. And I still love this fragrance to this day. It’s fresh and fruity, and perfect for this time of year.
Jo Malone Wood Sage & Sea Salt Cologne | I’m not particularly loyal to any one fragrance, but I have adored alternating perfumes this month with this little beauty from Jo Malone. It quite earthy with underlying sweet notes, which perfectly balance each other out.
What’s in your November beauty edit?
