February Favorites

Okay, so this is late, I know, but I was using some products that I really liked in February, so I figured there was still time to share them!

Sally Hansen Cuticle Eraser and Balm

I started using this again in February because it has been a rough winter on my skin. My regular body butter wasn't cutting it for my cuticles, so I brought this back into the mix. It takes some getting used to (at least for me) in terms of having it on, but I put it on right before I go to bed and wake up with my hands looking so much better.

Faith Aromatherapy Tahitian Monoi Anti-Aging Scrub

This came in the January Ipsy bag, and even though I didn't get a sample, I used the coupon code to buy the full size. I had never used a body scrub, and I really like how exfoliating AND moisturizing it is. The only thing I'll say about it, though, is that if you're going to use it before you shave either do it a day before or invest in some razor cleaning stuff because it clogs up your razors really badly. And mine are far too expensive for that to be okay with me.

Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser

I went to the dermatologist in February to try and get my skin under control, and one of the things I realized was that with my new routine, I was using way too many drying products on my face. So, I switched to Cetaphil, and I'm really liking it. It doesn't have the same excitement as my previous routine, but it gets the job done without killing my already tortured skin.

NYC In a New York Minute Top Coat

All the credit goes to Nouveau Cheap for this one. My Seche Vite just wasn't helping me out anymore, so I took a risk and tried this $1.99 top coat from NYC. And it's kind of amazing. It's nothing crazy in terms of keeping chipping at bay, but it does a better job than my more expensive brand.

Nyx Love in Paris Eyeshadow Palette in Parisian Chic

I love my neutrals, you guys. And I love this palette. Do I probably have enough neutral eyeshadows? Yes. But this one is my favorite as far as "fancy neutrals" go. I use my Pop Beauty eyeshadow trio on a daily basis, but when I'm going out and want to step it up a bit, I go for this palette.

That's everything I loved last month. I kind of had a back to basics month, and I'm totally okay with that!

Five Disappointing Products

I've talked a lot about products I've loved, but not so much about products that I disliked. I have two kinds of products I dislike. The first are products that I don't love, but I also don't consider harmful or so awful that I won't finish them. The second are products that I won't finish. These are in the latter category. I recognize that these products may work well for others, but I was disappointed in them.

1. Almay Clear Complexion Foundation with BlemisHeal technology

This product kind of ends up between the two categories. I did repurchase this once, but I never made it through the second bottle. First of all, this foundation claims to help heal breakouts, and I saw no significant difference in my skin. It didn't hurt, but it didn't help either. The reason I stopped using it was because it stopped blending into my skin. I'd put it on, think it looked fine, and then look in a mirror later in the day and realize I had lines of foundation all over my face. Finally I switched Revlon Nearly Naked, and I haven't looked back. 

2. NYC IndividualEyes eyeshadow palette in Dark Shadows

I received this palette through Influenster for winning a brand challenge, and I was excited about it. I soon realized, however, that I could not make it look like I didn't have a black eye when I tried to use it. I thought it was because I didn't know how to apply eyeshadow correctly, but I was wrong. The shadows just suck. They're either really unpigmented or too pigmented and don't blend. I was not impressed at all.

3. In-Kind Facial Moisturizer

I bought this at some point last summer because I ran out of the Garnier one I was using at the time. In-Kind boasts that it's made without a bunch of bad stuff like parabens and sulfates, and I remember the bottle saying something like it was 90% natural ingredients, so I figured why not. My biggest issue with this moisturizer? It broke me out. I didn't realize that until I tried to use it again after putting it away for a little while. For something so natural, it really upset my skin.

4. Elf Waterproof Eyeliner Crayon

I love so many of Elf's products, but this is not one of them. I found the consistency to be really awful, and I had to press down really hard to make the color show up at all. Add that to the fact that the color payoff wasn't great even after I pushed down hard, and I'm just glad it wasn't more expensive.

5. Elf Eyebrow Lift and Fill

I currently use Elf's eyebrow kit, and I really love it. I gave it a try despite being really unhappy with this one. Even though this was the lightest color they had, it was too dark for my eyebrows, and it didn't lend itself to filling in my eyebrows very easily. The highlight end of the pencil didn't blend very well.