September 2016 Favorites

September is the month that puts me into a fall mood. This year's September has been a really hot one and I love it. Evenings are becoming chillier and my east side room is also pretty cold in the afternoon. It's time to bring out candles, fuzzy blankets and darker makeup. I've already been experimenting with a lot of my usual fall colors. I also have a few new favorite skin and body care products.



Plantae Bitter Orange Blossom Spritz*

Spritz has a lovely bitter orange scent to it which feels very refreshing. I love this as a first step in my night and morning routine, when I'm not using exfoliating toners. It gives the skin a boost of freshness and is a great moisturizing base for everything that I put on top. I'll have a full review of both Plantae products on my blog soon.

Plantae Sea Buckthorn Berry Night Cream*

It has a very natural specific scent which I'm not that fond of, but I've gotten used to it. Texture of it is very light and it needs a bit more to massage it in completely. It almost leaves behind a bit of a sticky feeling. In combination with spritz this works great in my evening routine. In the morning my skin is always well moisturized and plump looking. That leads me to believe that it's a lovely evening moisturizer for normal to combination skin.

Avon Nutra Effects Mineral Glow Lightweight Facial Oil*

Facial oil has a soothing subtle sweet fruity scent to it which I really love. It's very thin and lightweight oil. Formula feels like a dry oil, because it soaks into the skin quickly and doesn't leave behind greasy layer. I find it to be one of those transitional oils. I would probably use something richer in colder months, but it's great for now, when my skin is still a bit oilier and not as dry as in the winter. It feels soothing and nourishing.


Catrice Lash Dresser Comb Mascara

I've already written a review of this one here. It's definitely been my favorite of this month, because I've mostly been using only this one for my makeup looks. I love comb like wand and the fact that this gives nice definition. I would love for it to have a bit more volume, but it's great for when you want your lashes to look multiplied. I also love it for very natural looks.


Trend It Up Powder Blush - 050

I love mauve blushes for fall makeup and when I saw this one in the store, I got it. It's been on my cheeks a lot this month. It reminds me a lot of H&M blushes in that it has a similar satin finish, but is in fact a bit more shiny with no visible shimmer in it. I also love that dirty mauve shade. It has great pigmentation and I have to be careful how much I put on my brush. It also lasts on me well so it makes it a total winner. 

Rimmel Lasting Finish Soft Colour Blush - 010 Santa Rose

Before I got Trend It Up blush I've been obsessed with this one. Mateja totally bought me with her review. It's no wonder I love it so much, because it's similar to one of my favorites H&M Pure Radiance Powder Blush in Apricot. Santa Rose is a bit more dirty version of Apricot. It also has a very cool toned sheen to it. I love the light shade of it and it goes with pretty much all makeup looks. The staying power is not as impressive. Maybe it has something to do with lighter shade. 


Sleek Highlighting Palette - Solstice

I can safely say that this is the most reflective highlighter that I own. What fascinates me the most it's how it looks like on the skin. Most highlighters have a strong pigmented base that leaves some sort of shade on your skin. But these look like they have no colored base on the skin and they just reflect off it. It's fascinating. If you build it up you can almost get a metallic look. I prefer it applied lightly. All shades are fairly light and will be great for colder months. My favorite shades are Subsolar (yellow toned) and Equinox (peach toned).

Essence Pure Nude Highlighter - 10 Be My Highlight

I've already reviewed it here. It's one of the most natural looking highlighters. It has a very peach based tone to it and is more for light to medium skin tones. It's super finely milled and gives lovely cool toned sheen to the skin. This is great for when you want something natural looking. 


MAC Lipstick - Velvet Teddy

This is probably one of the most popular fall MAC lipstick shades and I get why. It can almost look a bit different on each skin tone. On me it's quite peachy based warm brown with a hint of mauve. On someone cool toned this could be a lot more mauve based brown. I always get compliments when I wear it. It's not too dark, but also not light. I love it for the fall season and the formula is lovely as well. Not heavy feeling and it doesn't particularly dry out my lips. 

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Swivel Stick

Another Mateja inspired purchase. It's a greasy but lightweight lip balm. Actually, this is supposedly for marks, blemishes, rough and dry skin anywhere on the body, but I use it as a lip balm. I like this for moisturizing my lips through the day. It has cocoa butter which I've always loved for the lips. It's one of those good lip balms for every day use. For mornings and evenings I still use a bit more hardcore lip products. I also really like cocoa smell of it.

Trend It Up High Shine Lipgloss - 150

This one is a new edition to my tiny lip gloss collection. I've just fallen in love with the shade and had to get it. It has a brush applicator, which I really like. Another one of those mauve brown shades which are perfect for fall or great neutrals in general. It has a fairly good pigmentation. Formula is a bit sticky, but that also means it stays on the lips well for a lip gloss. It has an odd scent to it which I didn't like at first, but I actually love it right now. To me it smells like gingerbread cookies and a bit of cinnamon. 


Revlon Parfumerie Scented Nail Enamel - Autumn Spice

Oh my God, the smell of it! I couldn't believe that this smells for so long. I've had it on for 5 days and I could still smell it. The fist and second day the scent was really intense. Whenever I scratched my nose I smelled it. The intensity wears of through the days and on the fifth day I could barely sense it, but it was still present. It has a very cinnamon warm spice scent. I can't describe which spices are in it, but cinnamon definitely is. This is perfect if you love that warm exotic spice scents. Shade itself is just as fall appropriate, very rich brown with golden sheen.


Balea Nut Bodybutter With Hazelnut Oil

Sara mentioned this body butter on her blog here. Then Mateja also raved about how well is smells here. I completely forgot about it until I saw it on sale in DM. I bought it a long time ago, so I'm not sure if they even sell this. Since the weather has been a bit more chilly, I've taken it out to really moisturize my skin. I love body butters for their greasy rich layer on the skin. This one is a very thick whipped butter. Once you warm it in your hands it breaks down. You still need to massage into the skin well to really get it soaked in. I love that it leaves moisturizing layer on the skin, but it's not greasy at all - like for example body oils. This keeps my skin moisturized for the whole day. The thing that makes this a total winner is the smell. Oh my...it smells exactly like Monte milky hazelnut dessert. I couldn't believe it. When I opened it I got such cravings that I had to buy Monte the next day. If you're on a diet and love sweets, I would advise you to stay away from this.

Avon Nutra Effects Velvet Soft Moisture For Body, Face And Hands*

I've already said that I am a huge fan of Nutra Effects Active Seed Complex Hydration Daily Cream. It's my favorite face moisturizer so far. When I got this version for body, face and hands, I knew it was going to be good. It's very light textured and it feels lightweight on the skin as well. It feels like one of those universal creams for the whole body. It has lovely subtle soothing scent. I love the fact that this is not greasy in general, but it leaves a very light buttery layer on the skin. It means it will stay on skin for longer time and really moisturize and protect the skin. I've been loving it for hands and especially on dry patches on my body. For the face I haven't tried it yet. 


Ebay and DIY Choker Necklace

The one on the left side is from Ebay and the one on the right side I made myself. You can see how here. I've been loving wearing chokers, but especially these two have been on my daily menu this month. I love leather strap bow design from Ebay for a bit more sophisticated and romantic looks and I love plain ribbon black choker for a bit more sporty and edgy looks. I think these necklaces are very easy to style and I love how they look like paired with outfits. 

Source
The Blacklist

To say that I've been obsessed with this show is an understatement. If I could, I would watch all the episodes in one day. I even had a few dreams of similar action scenes in my sleep. Currently, I'm in the middle of third season and then I'll finally be up to date with it. Please, no spoilers in my comment section. I love Raymond Reddington as a character. He's basically number one criminal on FBI list and now he works with them to catch other criminals. He works closely with Elizabeth Keen, (former) FBI agent and I'm still trying to figure out how he's in relation with her. I love witty and sarcastic Reddington's humor and the fact that he's always a step ahead of everyone else. Season three got really exciting in the beginning and now it's a bit more slow-paced again. If you love smart, complicated, action based shows, you'll love this.  

*Products were sent to me.

Falling For Fall

Orange and purple, what can be a better combination? I love both of these shades, especially on my dark brown eyes. Purple always looks great with brown eyes and orange reflects coppery warmth of my eye color. Today's makeup is a colorful combination, perfect for transitioning into fall season, when you're still a bit hooked on colorful summery shades.


As always, I started with an eye primer and bone colored matte shade all over the lid. Then I added light warm matte brown in the crease. I deepened it with a medium very warm matte brown shades. To add some more warmth, I also added in the crease a very warm red toned medium matte brown. On the lid I added a coral creamy base shade to act as an adhesive for my other colorful matte shades.


For the lid I mixed a few of coral and peach matte shades. Around lower lash line I mixed bright pink and purple to get this kind of warm purple. I also deepened the outer corner with just the purple. 


On my inner corners I applied sparkly peach based highlighter shade. I also winged out my black liner, applied black mascara and added some individual false eyelashes. I find these easier to work with and they still look natural enough, but just add some volume and thickness to my natural lashes. 



For the face I used foundation, concealer and powder. I also bronzed up my outer parts of the face. For highlighter I went with a peach based very reflective and light highlighter. I wanted my blush to match purple tones, so I used a mauve shade. 

The star of this look that made it fall appropriate is a very bright warm purple lip pencil.





I am always a little sad when summer is over and the weather becomes a bit chillier. It sort of feels like nature is preparing for a long sleep. I also associate this time with less fun and summer adventures, which is kind of sad. But then again, I love fall clothing, darker makeup, wrapping yourself up in a blanket, enjoying a cup of tea and burning some candles. This was my letting go of summer and transitioning into fall makeup look. 



Products used

Face: 
Catrice HD Liquid Coverage Foundation 010 Light Beige
Catrice Nude Illusion Foundation 040 Medium Beige
Catrice Liquid Camouflage High Coverage Concealer 020 Light Beige
E.l.f. HD Powder Sheer
Essence LE Lights of Orient Bronzer 01 Sunkissed Beauty
Sleek Solstice Highlighting Palette - Hemisphere
Catrice Illuminating Blush - 010 I Am Nust About You

Eyes:
Avon Ideal Flawless Eyeshadow Primer
Zoeva Cocoa Blend - Bitter Start
Zoeva Cocoa Blend - Substitute for Love + Too Face Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar - Peanut Butter
Zoeva Cocoa Blend - Freshly Toasted 
Kiko Long Lasting Stick - 21 Passion Fruit
Sleek i-Divine Ultra Matts V1 - Strike
Catrice Defining Blush - 030 Love & Peach + Sleek i-Divine Ultra Matts V1 - Strike
Sleek Solstice Highlighting Palette - Equinox
Sleek i-Divine Ultra Matts V1 - Sugarlite + Pucker
theBalm Nude'tude - Sexy
Clio Kill Black Waterproof Brush Liner - Black
Catrice Lash Dresser Comb Mascara 
Artdeco Adhesive for Lashes and Sparkles
Essence Lashes to Impress - 01 Single Lashes

Lips:
Rimmel Lasting Finish 100 Kisses Stay On Lip Contouring Pencil - 071 Cherry Kiss

Review: Catrice Lash Dresser Comb Mascara

One of the novelties of Catrice fall/winter new products is also Catrice Lash Dresser Comb Mascara. I wanted it purely because it says that it has a comb brush, which I thought would be great for defining the lashes.


It has a black and mauve plastic packaging, which weirdly reminds me of Maybelline Lash Sensational mascara. It's a lot slimmer than most mascaras. In it is 7 ml of product and it costs 4.69€.



The wand is silicon and it has four rows of small silicon comb bristles. Bristles are really short, maybe 2 mm long. Comb like shape helps you to coat each lash and it almost brushes them through.



Because the bristles are so short, I have to get really close to the roots, to perfectly coat each lash. Sometimes I get too close and I poke myself in the eye which is not a pleasant feeling. The brush has a lot of product on and it can make lashes look clumpy. I would advise to wipe off the excess with a tissue and then use it.


One coat gives the lashes very natural definition. I find that it elongates them just a little bit and it definitely defines them. This is not a volumizing mascara. It's more for definition. It doesn't give you tons of length either, just a bit. 

On the photos below you can see my natural lashes and on the right side are my curled lashes. 


On the left photo I only applied one coat and on the right side I went in with another coat. As you can see one coat gives you a lovely definition, but the second coat can make the lashes look a bit clumpy. The more you layer it, the more volume you get. But by doing so, you also compromise definition effect. 


On the bottom photo I also applied some to my lower lashes. I love this for the lower lashes, because if you wipe it off on a tissue, you'll get a really nice soft definition. With most mascaras my long lower lashes always look clumpy and thick, but Catrice actually gives them some definition and makes it look like there's more of them than it really is.

I also love the fact that this holds the curl well. Actually, it holds my curl for the whole day. Maybe that's because the formula is not too wet. It's also not dry, but it feels lightweight on the lashes. As far as I know, it's not a waterproof formula.

If you apply more coats, it may start falling down through the day. Sometimes I find little dots of mascara on my under eye area. If you apply small amount, you won't have this problem. 



I also wanted to show you how it looks like on my full on makeup photo. I've already used it in many of my previous makeup looks like: Red Glitter Lips, Modern Mermaid Makeup and Glowy Summery Makeup.


This is a mascara for those that want definition. It's perfect for those that already have voluminous and long lashes, but just want a bit of added definition. The fact that it holds my curl for the whole day, makes it a winner in my book. It's also not too wet, but there is a bit too much product on the wand in the beginning. Personally, I am a lover of silicon wands and the comb bristles are great for definition. I would have liked just a bit more volume from it, but you can't have it all. I've been loving defined lashes, especially with simple makeup looks. I find that the lashes can make a huge difference and since I don't have as many, a lot of mascaras just make them looks like there's even less. Catrice's is probably my new favorite for a natural defined lash look.

DIY Choker Necklace

I'm sure you've already seen choker necklaces all over the internet, if not in real life. As with brown lipsticks, these are also somewhat of a 90's comeback trend. Who still has that elastic plastic wired one? I do. Ah.. the good old times. Since my budget doesn't allow me to buy Kim-Kardashian-covered-in-diamonds choker, I'll just show you a few affordable options that you can easily make at home. I haven't seen these in our stores yet (always late to the party), so I decided to just make them myself.


On the photo below is the one that inspired me to do this post. I bought it on Ebay and immediately liked it. It's one of those tie in a bow longer chokers. 


Things you'll need:
-scissors
-sewing thread
-sewing needle
-leather strip
-gift wrapping ribbon
-sewing meter
-velcro
-jewelry beads
-clasp
-jewelry ring
-stud
-chain-nose pliers
-wire cutters
-gold chain



With every step you'll need to measure how long you'd like the choker to be. I suggest that you put sewing meter over your neck and measure it. You also need to have in mind if you'll be adding any rings, clasps and such, because this will mean you're necklace base needs to be shorter.


Romantic Bow

After you've measure the length that you want, you'll add one small jewelry bead on each end of this leather strip. I tied the knot at the end to secure them and prevent them from falling down.


And that is the finished result for this choker. All you have to do then is just tie it around your neck and make a bow. This one is very similar to the one that I bought on Ebay. I choose the string that I already had at home and since it is pink, it looks more romantic and girly. 



Gold Chain Choker

You can also make chokers that look like regular chain necklaces, but are shorter and come tighter around the neck. This one I started by cutting the chain in my desired length. On one side I added this jewelry ring. On the other side of the chain I also added one ring and I attached clasp at the end of it. Keep in mind that your chain needs to be a bit longer to hang off of the stud.


I decided to use a regular clothing stud and put wire on the spikes that are usually used to secure on the clothes. As you can see I hung the chain on left and right spike and then I used my chain-nose pliers to bend down both spikes and secure the chain in place. 


This gave my chain choker a small hang down underneath the stud. I think it adds just a bit of something else and doesn't look as boring.



Simple Black Choker

As with all the previous chokers you'll also need to measure out your gift wrapping ribbon. Before measuring I would also cut your velcro to fit ribbon width. Then you hold velcro and ribbon in both hands and measure it around your neck. You'll need the ribbon to overlap at the back, because you need both ends of velcro to stick together. 


Since the edges of ribbon were not pretty looking, I decided to put some fire next to them to make the edges straight. Then I hand sew velcros on the ribbon. Obviously you can do this step with a sewing machine. if you have it. My velcros were hard and therefore the sewing was a bit harder too.


Don't forget that you need to sew different sizes of velcors on each end so that they'll be able to stick together.


That is all you need. You have yourself the most basic black ribbon choker. I wouldn't wear this with a ponytail, because obviously my stitches aren't aesthetically pleasing, but it looks absolutely fine from the front.


These are my three types of chokers that I decided to make. I just used what I already had at home from previous DIY projects and created something new. It's a great way of using up any leftover jewelry pieces and it keeps you busy on a rainy Sunday.


I also wanted to show you how they look like on me. 

Lips: NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in London
Lips: Avon 3D Plumping Lipstick in Pucker Up
Lips: Avon True Colour Perfectly Matte in Red Supreme
You can also stack these chokers. I personally also like stacking them with regular necklaces. It creates a more dimensional statement look.


My favorite has to be the simplest black ribbon choker, which I wear a lot. It just adds a bit of something to a very boring outfit. I also love to pair it with the gold chain choker, which is a statement on its own and can easily pass as a regular necklace. Pink bow I would probably wear with something like a doll dress. It's a bit too romantic and girly for my taste. I think I'll need to make it in a darker shade and add some edge to it. 

What do you think about chokers necklaces? Would you wear them?