So, in my last post, I shared some of my tried and true faves, my “golden oldies“.
Today’s post features newer faves; products I’ve started using in the last 6 months or so. In some cases, they’re so good, I’m using techniques and shades I never would have before because I just couldn’t find products I liked enough to bother 🙂
First up, mascara. I’m kind of obsessed with lashes, I spend more time on getting my lashes right than on any other part of my daily makeup routine. Combing, fluffing, and just generally fussing. My new holy grail must have mascara is the Eye of Horus BIO Lash Lifting Mascara. It lengthens, it defines, and it really does lift. My eyelash curler is literally collecting dust in my drawer, it’s been so long since I’ve used it!
Here’s a shot comparing my lashes without vs. with this mascara… I’m also wearing one of my golden oldie holy grails, the Trish McEvoy Intense Gel Eye liner, on my top waterline.
To take all that eye makeup off, I’m sure I reached for my new one-and-only makeup remover, the Pixi + Caroline Hirons Double Cleanse! I’ve followed and trusted Caroline Hirons for a few years now, and when I learned she was doing a collab with Pixi, I was confident it would be great… and, it was. The solid cleansing oil side easily cleanses off all my eye makeup, no vigorous scrubbing and no stinging required, and the cleansing cream side gives an extra cleanse to my skin. Luv it so much, I’ve violated my ‘no buying backups‘ rule, so I don’t have to panic when it runs out 😉
You may recall I’m not exactly expert when it comes to contouring; I tend to go for sculpty blush instead. I’ve tended to avoid it because 1) I’ve had trouble finding a product that is both the right shade for my pale skin and an easy texture to blend, 2) I’d rather just skip it than risk going out of the house resembling a zebra.
Now, though, I’ve found a product that is a perfect shade and a perfect texture… at least for me. It’s the Ofra Cosmetics Skin Sculpting Wand in Sunset. It’s a light, neutral-to-cool, taupe shade with a texture that’s fluffy and moussey. Plus, the doe-foot applicator applies a nice small amount so you can build it up as much or as little as you want. My preferred method of application is to go straight from the doe-foot into the hollow of my cheek (starting up at my ear and angling down) and then to blend it out with my Sigma F23 Soft Angled Contour Brush.
It makes the ideal accompaniment with one of my fave blush looks using the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Mood Light.
Also by Ofra Cosmetics is one of my new fave lippies comes, their Long Lasting Liquid Lipstick in Tuscany. Their liquid lipstick formula has long been a fave, but I usually shy away from any lip color that is frosted, so I haven’t really jumped onto the bandwagon of the metallic liquid lipstick craze. In fact, I usually dislike them so much, I was surprised looking back that I hadn’t included it in my makeup moratoria post.
Anyway, when I saw Tuscany, I had to try it, and not just because it’s named after a region in Italy (though, that didn’t hurt). The slightest of frost is flattering, and slightly plumping without being over the top. And, how I luv my dark, burgundy lip shades. This one is nice and neutral, with just enough of a blue base that it makes your pearly whites look pearly white 🙂
In addition to frosted lip sticks, the other lip trend I’ve avoided like the plague is the craze for orange. It looks so gorgeous on people with olive or deeper skin tones, but it usually just makes me look sickly.
So, it was with trepidation that I decided to try two of the new(ish) 100% Pure Cocoa Butter Semi-Matte Lipsticks in Cactus Bloom (L) and Blood Orange (R) . Not only is the formula very velvety and comfortable, the shades are actually flattering. Who’d have thought!?
Let me know what are some of your new cruelty-free faves!
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*These are only my opinions, formed through my personal experience as a consumer. I am not a medical doctor, an aesthetician, or a health/beauty professional. There is no guarantee what effect, positive or negative, these products may have on anyone else.
**All products were purchased by me from brands that, to the best of my knowledge, are cruelty-free.
Beauty, for good. 