February 2014 Favorites

Where did February go!!?? Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining - with February over it means we are one month closer to Spring!  The month of February brought me some new favorites in the beauty world and one old classic that I rediscovered!  

1. Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter - Pink Truffle

I recently discovered the Revlon Lip Butters and love them.  I have a few colors so I might do a review and swatch blog post just to give you an idea of some of the shades - but this one in particular has been a favorite this month!  Pink truffle is a pretty neutral pink/nude that has sort of a 'your lips but better' look to it which makes it really easy for every day wear.  I love these this time of year because they contain hydrating mango, shea and coconut butter for super soft lips (a must in cold winter months!) plus a pretty dose of color.  I like that the colors aren't too intense but are definitely build-able - so as I said, great for every day wear!  These retail for about $8.99 and like I said have a large variety of very pretty shades! Check out my swatch of 'Pink Truffle' below:

2. Soap & Glory Hand Food Hand Cream

Photo Credit: www.soapandglory.com

I heard a lot of raves about this hand cream so when it was on sale at my local Shoppers Drug Mart I decided to give it a try (the 50mL size is usually $5.00 and it was on sale for about $3.50).  I really am loving this!  This hand cream is so moisturizing but soaks right in, eliminating that greasy feeling a lot of hand creams can leave.  It makes my hands feel so good and has totally helped out my parched winter skin!  I gave one of these to my Mom and she is loving it too.  The cream also has a pretty fresh scent that I can't quite put my finger on for a description - I just like it!  The cream contains shea butter, macadamia oil and marshmallow.  Wait ... marshmallow!!??  Yeah ... not quite sure what that does, but whatever it is ... it's magic!  If you live in Canada you can buy Soap & Glory products at Shoppers Drug Mart or Sephora.  

3. Maybelline Master Hi-Light - Nude

This was something interesting I spotted that is unique to the drugstore makeup world.   Not many drugstore brands carry a good highlighter in my opinion.  If they have one at all, I usually find it is way too shimmery.  This one is gorgeous.  It is a "hi-lighting blush" but I find the 'Nude' shade works as a beautiful highlight for the face.  It reminds me a lot of MAC's famous cult classic highlighter in 'Soft & Gentle'.  If I am wearing a matte blush I like to dust this on my cheekbones and center of my face to bring a subtle glow without being too shimmery.  There are about six shades in total and some would work well as a shimmery blush while others would be great for a bronze glow.  Below is a close up of the blush and a swatch.   For lighter skin tones this might be better as just a blush but I find for my Medium tone it is a perfect highlighter for day to day wear.

4. Anastasia Brow Wiz 

Photo Credit: www.nordstrom.com

I didn't know I could love a brow pencil this much.  A brow powder, maybe, but a pencil!? This pencil is perfection.  It retails for around $27 at Sephora which seems crazy for a little brow pencil but I promise you it will change your life.  Ok ... as usual that is a tad dramatic but it really is amazing.  This has the tiniest ultrafine tip which makes it so easy to create a gorgeous and natural brow look by mimicking your brow hairs.  The formula is great because it is hard enough so you can build up a natural look without accidentally going overboard which is so easy with brows!  This is also smear proof and literally stays on all day long.  I have been using a MAC powder for my brows for a long time and have tried many pencils but nothing compares to this.  If you are intimidated by a brow pencil you have to try this - again the superfine tip makes it so easy.  I have the shade 'medium ash' but there is a large variety which can be seen on the Sephora website here.  Remember when choosing an eyebrow shade, pick something a little lighter than your actual brow color to keep them looking more natural! 

5. OPI Nail Envy

Photo Credit: Amazon.com

This was the old favorite that I re-discovered.  I always have my nails painted and it is very rare I give them much of a break.  With the dry winter weather that comes along with the month of February I decided it was time to give my nails and hands a little TLC!  I started using this stuff again and it is amazing.  This is a maximum strength formula with protein and calcium to help nails grow harder and stronger as well as help them resist peeling, cracking and splitting.  The formula also gives a pretty shine to the nails.  The best way to use this is to apply two coats initially and follow that up with another coat every two days.  I also tried this as a base coat and it worked great! 

6. L'oreal Gentle Micellar Solution

Photo Credit: Amazon.com

Ok so I definitely saved the best for last here!  If anyone remembers my favorite skincare items post  I have a great love for Bioderma.  Well ladies, I have found a possible dupe!! I found this at Target for around $10 for 200mL vs. about $22 for 250mL of Bioderma.  I find it works just the same so far leaving my skin feeling nice and clean with no fragrance and causes no sensitivity.  Also important for me (and a reason I love Bioderma) is that it doesn't dry out my skin.  I like using this to remove my makeup before I go in with a cleanser to really deep clean my skin.  I have tried to go back to makeup wipes (when I didn't feel like spending the money on Bioderma) and just find them so irritating to my skin and don't work well for me.  I was so happy when I found this! I'm sure I will re-purchase Bioderma again since it was my first love but for now I am really loving this stuff!! 

Hope you you enjoyed my reviews on some new products I have been loving this past month!  Happy March!