I’m going to go ahead and follow the beauty blogger/YouTube beauty Guru trend and do an October favorites post. Some of the products mentioned are some of my long-term favorite products, and others are ones I’ve purchased recently. I’ll also include trends I’m loving, just because.
1. Short, painted nails. I absolutely love short, well-manicured nails. They are easy, professional and look good on most people. My favorite October colors included: OPI- Sapphire in the Snow, No Spain No Gain, We’ll Always Have Paris and Light my Sapphire; and Essie’s Mint Candy Apple, of course!
2. Bobbi Brown blush in “Peony.” Ever since getting this gorgeous bright pink blush, I haven’t even touched my other ones. It is a matte finish, and applies sheer, so your cheeks are more “pink flushed” than “Malibu Barbie.”
3. Paul Mitchell Skinny Serum: read my review, here
4. Sleep. I get at least 8 hours a night. I know sleep isn’t a product, but it is definitely a beauty treatment in that if you get enough sleep, you reduce stress and your body has enough time to regenerate. They don’t call it beauty sleep for nothing!
5. Growing out my hair- everyone always tells me “but it’s already long!” Not long enough for me! I’m working on growing it even longer so that I can wear it in those long, pretty soft waves like I used to. I think about 4 more inches would be ideal. My hair grows really slowly so I might even try taking Biotin again and see what happens.
6. Velcro rollers- if you don’t have them, get them. They create lasting shape and volume in 20 minutes or less. A must for every girl who likes a good blowout.
7. Bath and Body Works Aromatherapy Body Wash– I use it after hitting the gym to feel refreshed and relaxed.
8. Brazilians. I know, I know, TMI…but if I can help anyone by posting this, I’ve done my job. Ditch your razor and ingrowns, and get a professional Brazilian wax. I go to the European Wax Center and I swear to you it does NOT hurt. They use a special kind of stripless wax and the results are incredible. I am SO over my razor. (To give you a backstory, I once got a wax in a lady’s home and it hurt so bad I had tears streaming down my face and I let out a few muted screams. The new wax place pain level is a 1.5 at most out of 10)
9. Bumble and Bumble Creme de Coco hair mask. I like this mask a lot. It hasn’t transformed my hair or anything but it is deeply moisturizing and is a great treatment for parched, damaged ends like mine. No product is going to save these ends, only scissors can save me now!
10. Roots. As long as there is not a high contrast between your dyed and natural hair, I think this can be an incredibly sexy and wearable look. My highlights are blended nicely, so I have about 5 months of roots in my hair before I even have to have it colored again.
11. Working out again- I don’t go every single day, but even just 3 times a week makes me feel better about life and relieves stress. Ahhh….
12. Sigma Makeup Brushes– if you need new brushes, buy these today. I promise you won’t regret it. I can’t imagine anyone not enjoying these (but I guess it’s possible!)
13. Cupcakes and Cashmere– this girl’s got serious style. Check out her blog- I spent like 2 hours last weekend reading her entire blog. She posts on the daily and is truly a fashion inspiration (and hair, and makeup and accessories). She’s just got the entire package, and she inspires me to want to be more fashionable.
14. Origins “Clear Improvement” facial mask– the active charcoal mask clears out pores and makes my skin feel smooth and cleansed. It looks a bit creepy when it’s on, but the results are worth it. Be careful if you have acne-prone skin, it draws impurities to the surface and can cause breakouts because of this. I’d recommend this mask for anyone with normal or combination skin who doesn’t have any major acne.
15. MAC Dazzleglass and Dazzleglass cream– these glosses are so gorgeous, I hope they never stop making them. Among my faves are “Babysparks,” “My Favorite Pink,” and “Rags to Riches.”
16. A Positive Attitude- Lately, I’ve realized more than ever before how important it is to have a positive attitude, embrace who you are, and love and embrace others for who they are. There is something to be said about always trying to see the best in people. It’s all about the karma!
I can’t wait to read what your October favorites are! Please share them in the comments below!
xoxo,
Veronika.
Kevyn Aucoin's Candlelight. It's amazing!
Love your blog!
thanks A! what kind of product is "candlelight?" a highlighter, I'm assuming? where can I purchase it?
ummm… so I read your review of the sigma brushes and I googled them and they seem really really inexpensive compared to MAC brushes… where do you get these, also could you post where to purchase the products you recommend so we can go purchase them?
PS… it's Jamie xo
Oscar Blandi's Dry Shampoo – keeps my hair fresh and bouncy on day 3 🙂
I love the dark polish on short nails too. Looks very clean, professional, with a hint of sassy.
I'm also loving my Joico KPAK shampoo and conditioner. I'm not getting the buildup and residue that I had with Pantene.
Another October favorite is the wine 7 Deadly Zins. Yum!
V – What kind of velco rollers do you use? (brand, size)
Fav's right now are Essie Bahama Mama nail polish (not a new color, but its a great 'red wine' with purple undertones.. so its a change from the navys and deep plums). I also love the ease my new UD 24/7 liners glide on and they don't smudge which is a plus. And last, go to fav is Chanel Inimitable mascara… love it.
Jamie- the link os hyperlinked into the word "Sigma Makeup brushes" (you can go to http://www.sigmamakeup.com.
EHayes- some are from Target and some are from Sally's I believe. I have them in pretty much every size, but tend to stick with the medium and jumbo size because they give more volume and shape whereas smaller ones can create a bit of a wave.
Thanks for sharing all of your favorites!
Just curious…which brush do you use to apply your Nars bronzer?
A great hair mask/moisturizer for dry ends: mix a little mayo with 2 eggs and a few tbsp of olive oil (I know, sounds totally gross). Smear it on your hair in the shower, comb through, and wrap hair in shower cap for 30 minutes. Rinse, wash, the rinse again with apple cider vinegar. Makes your hair SO soft and the vinegar closes the hair cuticle, making it smoother and more managable. Somehow the vinegar smell completely disappears once your hair dries.
This might sound so ridiculous but I have to ask – I have always wanted to try velrco rollers but I have no idea how to use them! Any advice on how to get the best results?
And I also agree and LOVE short polished nails!
Some of my faves for the month:
1. Large stud earrings
2. Boots with skinny jeans
3. Brazilian hair straightening! My hair went from wavy/frizzy to silky (but really not that straight unless I flat iron it)
4. Sedu flat iron (I've tried solia, chi, and GHD- this works best for me)
5. itrain workouts…www.itrain.com I choose the itread one for the treadmill and I can run a 5K so much easier…even after weeks without getting much use out of the treadmill.
Candlelight is a highlight. I think sephora is back ordered right now, but beauty.com is having a 20% off sale right now. (for some reason I can't copy and paste in here.
It just gives the perfect glow.
https://tinyurl.com/ybeen3z
Loving your blog. Keep up the great posts! 🙂
Since October is the start of tasty treats season (hello tons of halloween candy), my favorite thing this month is ramping up my exercise routine to counteract my increased food intake. I joined a new gym that offers free classes and I'm loving kickboxing right now.
MAC Dazzleglass and velcro rollers are life changing! I wrote about it on my blog too! It's my secret weapon when I need a little boost. The rollers can take your hair from drag to fab!
Veronika, would you do a how-to post on velco rollers? Thanks!