December favourites

Given that most of these last months have been spent living out of a suitcase, it’s been rather difficult to determine favourites each month. Luckily December was more anchored and I have had decent access to makeup and I finally put together an informative (In my opinion at least) post on what I have been reaching for the most these holidays.

Please note, some of the products are fairly new to me and are first impressions and by no means what i’d call a ‘proper review’. This post is purely me sharing favourites and I hope you find it useful!

Anyways, chatter aside, here’s the menu for today!

As you may have noticed, I haven’t included any eyeshadows as there were just too many favourites to cover, I thought i’d edit it and focus on the most used. First up a bunch of lipsticks I have been enjoying loads.. maybe just a bit too much come to think about it, as I’ve clearly neglected everything else I had brought along with me!

  Left to right, it’s Alexander, Matthew, Ruby Rush & First Time. From the latest Tom Ford releases the clear winners to me were the matte lipsticks, excelling in texture as well as coverage. They aren’t as drying as regular matte lipsticks and are perfect for those with eternally parched lips like mine. If you are a red lipstick lover i’d suggest Ruby Rush. It’s currently my favourite red and last hours upon hours without any fading or slipping around. It’s a prefect candidate for party looks as it’s pretty ‘sip resistant’. For nude lip lovers First Time would be an ideal choice. A pink beige nude, this would suit most complexions below NC35 beautifully. And of course, the pigmentation of these are just stellar and unrivaled.

Moving on to the 50 Lips and Boys released I have been wearing mostly Matthew and Alexander. Between the two i’d say Alexander was harder to wear (in terms of tone) and application was rather tricky too, but still made it to my favourites as it was a rather unique pink in my collection. Matthew on the other hand was a dream as far as application is concerned and was very similar to the regular Tom Ford lipstick formula. I believe it’s a must have for spring or summer and truth be told who could possibly resist such a pretty peachy coral, yes? Next up two darlings from Hourglass.

So I may be a bit late to rave about how amazing Hourglass blushes are. Mostly due to the fact that I am easily put off by overhyped products also I wasn’t reaching for my one and only Hourglass Ambient Powder as much as i’d like. Luckily for me, Hourglass recently released their blushes in palette form! And the exclusive shade that was included in this palette was just too tempting to pass. I use this on days where I just can’t decide which blush to pair with my makeup (which are most days, since i’m eternally running late!). All of them are very flattering and pretty much suit every day-makeup look I have ever worn! The blushes are easy to work with and add a youthful glow. I also love that these blend like a dream and diffuse the colour for an almost airbrushed glowy look even if you use a s***** brush. Hourglass blushes are a great beginners product to invest in. Two thumbs up!

Apart from that I also have been enjoying the Hourglass Ambient powder in Luminous light paired with this (blush palette) as well as other blushes for a subtle daytime highlight. Although Kevyn Aucoin Candlelight still remains my HG highlighter, the Hourglass one is a close second for it’s ease of use and complexion friendly colour.

Next up, is this fabulous new addition to my complexion product arsenal. The Gucci Luxe Finishing Powder. This ultra finely milled powder glides on like silk and sets makeup without the powdery look. No more powdery, cake face! On oily to combination skin this lasts around 3 hours before the first blot (just around the t-zone) therefore I can’t say it has commendable oil control properties. However I still love this for ease of use and is the very first pressed setting powder i’ve truly loved as most pressed setting powders can be very noticeable and powdery once applied. P.S- The shade I use is 040 Medium which suits light medium complexions.

Now onto a holiday release for 2014. The Guerlain Meteorites Perles d’Etoile. I have been using this as a warming blush paired with a red lip. It adds just enough colour for a rich festive look. I believe it’s important to stress that this LE version is more shimmery compared to the regular meteorites in the permanent collection and has a reddish golden glow. For those of you who are very light in colour the red may show up excessively, i’d suggest taking out the red ball (I only had one in my tin!) and using just the rest for a beigey golden glimmer. It’s actually a very wearable shimmer that doesn’t look cheap or loud. I highly recommend this product.

More holiday releases, and one random eye liner. From the Nars holiday release one of my favourites have been this ultra wearable lip gloss Corsica. I have been reaching for this a TONNE. A perfect my-lips-but-better colour for medium complexions as well as flattering pinky brown for lighter complexions, this one’s a work horse.

Next up, my favourite highlighter for the eyes. Lithe, from the MAC Gold-Beige pigments set from MAC Holiday 2014 gifting collection. This pigment is ultra fine and looks amazing as a inner eye highlight. It isn’t overly warm and the beigey tones pretty much make it a suit-all-complexions shade. I also like pretty much all the colours in this pigment set, especially the matte brown one! Just gorgeous.

Another recent release that has been much loved is my Ettusais Creamy Lip Crayon. I love the pink one best from the five that released. They are easy to use and take up minimal space in ones handbag for quick touch ups. On top of that these have Rose Hip oil for conditioning the lips and are fragrance free, which makes this a winner to me!

Lastly, Eyeko Eye Do eyeliner. I have mentioned this several times before as one of those fool proof eyeliners that are very easy to use. I love the felt tip that gives maximum control while the precision tip easily creates an enviable flick to your cat eye liner looks. It’s my go to these days and I am already on my second one. My only beef with this product is that if I open the cap in a hurry i’ve noticed the ink splashes! I have experienced this a few times and have now learnt to open the cap slooooowlllyyy.. apart from that little annoyance, it’s a great product.

For blush options, my favourites are NARS Madly (a warm beige) & NARS Ukraine blush (a deep cranberry shade). Madly has been my go to blush topped with Hourglass Luminous light powder. And for a pop of colour I use Ukraine on just the apples of my cheeks for a very season appropriate flush. Both are highly pigmented and last all day (i’m talking well over 7-8 hours, maybe even more). I specially recommend Madly for day to day wear for adding a soft contour and colour to your cheeks. Excellent product as expected by NARS.

Another unexpected favourite from daily blushes has been Modest Blush by MAC from their holiday release, The Heirloom Collection. It’s a soft dusty pink which adds the subtlest flush. I love how easily this blends and is very finely milled. Something i’d recommend to girls who love a girly flush and colour phobic.

So girls, that’s rounds up my favourites for the month of December, all amazing products in terms of quality and wear.

Which products have you been enjoying lately? If there are any you’ve found back up worthy or repurchasing, please share! I’d love to hear suggestions.