October Favourites ♥

As October comes to an end I thought I would share with you the products that I reached for a lot this month. I haven't tried too many new products this month so my post will probably be a little shorter than normal, but with all the new Christmas products now out in stores I definitely know what my next few pay checks will shamefully be going towards.

1. Bourjois Gel Foundation
I was at Shoppers Drugmart one day looking for a new foundation and the Sales Associate suggested I tried one by the company Bourjois. I had heard good things about the company before, but had never seen them being sold at the drugstore, so I decided to give their foundation a try. The foundation is said to be hypo-allergenic, and contain vitamin-rich fruits such as lychee, goji berries and pomegranate. The gel formula is also supposed to make the foundation blend more flawlessly and be more light weight. When I applied the product to the back of my hand in the store I was surprised with how easily and quickly it blended right into my skin. This pretty much sold me on the product right away. I purchased the shade "Vanilla" and I believe this product retailed for around $20.00. It really is a great foundation though and I would definitely consider repurchasing it when this one runs out because it goes on really nicely, doesn't settle into any lines or pores on my face, and has a pretty good staying power.

2. Tarte "Off the Cuff" blush palette
I did a review on this product when I bought it giving my first impressions, but now that I have used it pretty much every day I can confidently say that I love it and it is such a good palette. The quality of the blushes are great, they are really pigmented, and blend really well. The colours are also gorgeous and there are such a great variety of shades. The colours that I have been using the most are the 2nd shade (dazzled) and the third shade (darling). They give my a really pretty rosy flush while still looking really natural. These shades are not special shades that have only been released in the palette, so you can buy them on their own if you like one of the colours. The palette, however, retails for $40.00 and the individual blushes are $30.00, so the palette is a better deal and the blushes are a good size.  I am definitely happy with this purchase.

3. Hourglass Ambient lighting powders palette
This is another product that I did a detailed review of, so if you want to read that post you can check it out on the right hand side of the page. Since I purchased this palette I have been reaching for it every day, and I think it is pretty great. I especially love the middle shade which is "Incandescent Light" and it is the prettiest highlighting shade in the whole entire world. I seriously wish they made this in the individual powders because I would buy that one on its own, however, unfortunately it is a shade exclusive to the palette. The shade on the left is nothing too special to me, but I think it is meant to be just an all over neutral setting powder. The right shade is a little too dark for me for this time of year because I am really fair, but it will be gorgeous in the summer when I have more of a tan. These powders are great, and I won't go on too much more about them because I have a whole post about them if you are interested, but the palette retails for around $67.00 at Sephora. I am definitely going to have to buy more of these powders because they are gorgeous.

4. Too Faced Natural Eye Palette
This is a product that I mentioned in my "Eyeshadow palettes worth your money" post, and it is seriously one of my favourites. The palette just has the most gorgeous neutral colours that are great for every day, and I love the looks that I am able to make with these shadows. The shadows themselves are good quality and go on really well. The combination I use most often is silk teddy all over the lid push up in the crease, and cocoa puff in the outer "v". This palette is seriously perfection and is a really good starter palette for someone just getting into makeup. It is also a little cheaper than most palettes and is $35.00 at Sephora.

5. NARS Larger than life Eyeliner in "Rue Bonaparte"
This is an eyeliner that I use pretty often on my waterline because I like how it brightens up my eyes and makes them look bigger. It also makes me look a lot less tired in the morning. I used to use a white liner on my waterline for this but I like the light nude "rue bonaparte" shade a lot more. It looks a lot more natural and is more subtle than using white. I also like that the larger than life liners are the twist up ones because there is nothing I hate more than sharpening eyeliners. My one complaint with these is that they don't go on super smoothly so you need to go back and forth a few times before they look opaque, but I find the more I use the product the easier it gets to apply. These retail for $25.00 at Sephora.

6. Benefit They're Real mascara
I got a deluxe sample size of this mascara with my Sephora Beauty Insider points and honestly cannot wait to go buy the full size product. The wand has this spiky ball at the end that combs through your lashes to make sure there are no clumps, but you still end up with long voluminous lashes. This mascara is seriously great, and is probably tied with my Covergirl lash blast which until now has been my favourite mascara. This mascara is pricey though and retails for $30.00 at Sephora, so it might have to be a product I only buy as a treat every once and a while.

7. Chanel Glossimers in #164 and #165
These are two glosses that I have been reaching for a lot this month. The lighter pink shade is gorgeous and adds a touch of colour to your lips without making them too nude or baby pink. The darker shade is a pretty coral that makes your lips a little darker, but is still pretty sheer. I have been wearing these pretty much every day either on their own or over a lipstick or lip-liner and I love them. I want to get more of these because I also really like the formula. They are not too sticky, which I like, however they still manage to be pretty long lasting. I also like that they don't really have a smell because I will not go near anything cherry scented. Another thing I like about these shades are that they do not have shimmer in them, which I find a lot of the Chanel Glossimers do. These are probably my favourite lipglosses and they retail for around $30.00 at department stores.

8. Origin's Clear Improvements Active Charcoal Mask 
I have been using this mask about twice a month and when I first used it I really didn't expect to see a difference with my skin, but I found that it really did clean out my pores and made them look smaller. My face also felt so soft and clean after. My one complaint with this product is that it is a pain in the butt to wash off, but I have to say the results make it worth it. I like origins products because they are all natural, and this mask is made without parbens, sulfates, synthetic fragrances, and synthetic dyes.  If you are in the market for a mask I would try this one. It retails for $28.00 at Sephora.

9. Essie "A List" nail polish
This is a polish that I have been loving this month and I have repainted my nails with it a few times. I just find that it is a really flattering red, and even my students in my placement class complimented me on my nails when I wore this polish. It is definitely a shade that I will be reaching for all of November and December.  This polish retails for around $10.00 at drugstores.
                                             

10. Sally Hanson Maximum Growth Top Coat
This is a top coat that I found lying around the house that my mom probably bought years ago and forgot about. I was in the market for a top coat so when I found it I decided to give it a try. I was actually really surprised with how well it worked. It makes my nails look soooooo shiny and makes the polish dry really fast. I was always the worst for painting my nails before bed and then waking up with them all messed up, but with this top coat they dry really quickly and always look perfect. I even use a really thick coat and it still dries perfectly. This is just a really great product. I am not sure how much it retails for at drugstores, but I am sure it isn't more than $8.00. If you are looking for a good, cheap top coat I suggest giving this one a try.

Leave me a comment below letting me know some of your favourites for the month of October

~Jess.♥