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March Beauty Favorites I howsweeteats.com

Can I just say it again? I love to talk about makeup. I could eat, sleep and breath makeup. It’s so fun. Major hearts.

These are the things I’ve been hooked on this month. I really tried to narrow it down and show you the things I’ve been using consistently, constantly.

First, some shoutouts on things I’ve mentioned in previous favorites’ but am still using nonstop: the kenda blowdry spray, the korres lip butter, the tarte bb moisturizer, the macadamia masque, and the loreal voluminous mascara in carbon black.

Also, some things I have tried in the last few years and not a fan of that everybody else loses their minds over: maybelline baby lips, maybelline color whispers and eos lip balms in the egg thing. There are probably more and I’ll try to think of them.

Oh. And P.S.: a bunch of you asked last month if I could start showing you some pictures of me wearing this junk on my face so you knew what it looked like. Oomph. My solution is that I may start sharing some shots on instagram, but I don’t think I have the time right now to take fully blown beauty blogger-like shots. That stuff takes TIME. First up, the times I wear full, fun makeup these days are so sporadic. And when I am wearing it, I usually only leave myself so long to get ready because of work or real life, and it pretty much looks like a tornado went through my house. It takes me about 4-5 hours to put these favorites posts together and I’m just not sure that in addition, I could learn to use my big camera for clear, good (read: showing you how the color actually looks in proper light) photos right now. Hopefully in the future! If I see someone rave about a product, what I’ll usually do is google the name with the review, check the reviews on makeup alley and search it on you tube. I can often find a couple reviews, clear shots of the shades (i.e. swatches and on someone’s face in clear, natural daylight) and determine if I like it from there. I mean, I think food blogging takes up a lot of time but these beauty bloggers spend hours perfecting that stuff and use awesome equipment to get those shots.

Also: how wordy am I? God. So horrible. Just be glad you don’t have to live with me and talk to me in real life. Can you imagine listening to me tell a story? Ew.

Simple Foaming Cleanser I howsweeteats.com

First!

This Simple foaming face wash is so gentle. I love it. Yeah, I was half tempted to pick it up since Allison Williams is the spokesperson and all, but I love that it comes in a pump and I love how foamy it gets. I really can’t say enough good things. I get it at Target (surprise surprise). Even my husband is using it.

the beauty blender I howsweeteats.com

The beauty blender! As I’ve mentioned before, I hate wearing anything on face (like foundation) because I have pretty normal, sort of dry skin and I just never feel like it looks natural enough. These little things change all that. I first heard about them from Jess back in the Fall. I took the shortcut and tried the really cheap brand from Ulta that isn’t shaped exactly like this and is also pink. I thought it was okay. Then I tried the same shaped one by Sonia Kashuk from Target. THEN, I watched a video of someone comparing the beauty blender to the other rip offs and decided I had to try the real thing. OH MY GOSH. There is no other sponge like this. When dry, it’s smaller (on the right), but you get it wet then squeeze all the water out of it and it doubles (at least) in size (on the left). It is so soft and gentle and gives really sheer coverage all over your face. I just adore it and use it every single day. I got mine at Sephora, but I believe the amazon link above is cheaper.

As for what I’m putting on my face, I still alternate between the Tarte and MAC BB creams that I mentioned last month.

daily brush cleaner I howsweeteats.com

And because I royally suck at thoroughly cleaning the beauty blender or my eye shadow brushes, this spray has been a lifesaver. I can’t really get on the band wagon for much else from e.l.f. – maybe I’m being a brat but everything I’ve tried (including most brushes) has seemed cheap and junky. Not really a fan. But this I like, and it’s still insanely cheap.

laura mercier rose gold caviar stick I howsweeteats.com

I’m not one for using these eye shadow sticks much, but a few months ago I picked up this rose gold one from Laura Mercier and really like it. It’s such a pretty, shimmery color. I know. I’m terrible at describing things.

MAC pigments I howsweeteats.com

Next next next: pigments. Okay, I am a giant fan of using pigments for eyeshadow. The MAC ones above are from holiday collections that came out in – I don’t know? – like 2007? 2008? Embarrasing, yeah. But they last forever and I love how they look on the eyes. I don’t even know if they’ve had pigment sets lately for their holiday collections, but you can definitely buy pigments at the counter in all sorts of cool shades. The key is to use a damp brush (I spray mine with the Fix+ that I mentioned in January) and pat it on the lid. I also got super excited when I found a bunch of NYX ones at Ulta. Again, super cheap! Also, Ulta constantly has the buy 1, get 1 50% off sale (as they do with almost all the drugstore brands) and you can use a coupon. What that means? It’s basically free.

The shades above are the ones I use most – the white-ish one has a pink sheen, then the purple, the melon color and the NYX hot pink one. I also use that brush above that I got at Ulta and it seems to work the best. I’ve been using pigments since before I got married and it never fails – when I wear them, I get a ton of compliments on my eye makeup.

maybelline color tattoo white I howsweeteats.com

Occasionally I will use this maybelline color tattoo cream base in white underneath the pigments, just to make them pop more. It totally depends on what color I’m using and how much time I have. I don’t wear this shade for much else, but I really like to use it on top of my eyeshadow primer and under the pigment.

urban decay naked basics palette I howsweeteats.com

Okay. This naked basics palette might be my favorite favorite of the entire month. I think this is actually the only “new” product I have been using consistently, and when I say new I mean I got it mid-February. I have been using this nearly every day for my eyes, especially if I’m going for a more natural look. Being that I’m not obsessed with the Naked palettes like most people are, I didn’t think I’d care about this. But I watched a few tutorials with it and loved the looks. The WOS color matches my skintone almost exactly and is incredible for a no makeup look. All of these shades are matte (except the first one), which is also something I don’t have many of since I’m such a shimmer/glitter/color freak. I’ve used the naked 2 and faint shades a TON. You can barely tell.

And it’s so small  – like smaller than my hand. I love the size. I’m hooked.

tarte amazonian clay blush in tipsy, MAC blush in warm soul I howsweeteats.com

Can you also tell I’m on a little coral kick? Between that and mint green, I wish I could redo my entire house right now and make it look like pastels puked everywhere.

I’ve had both of these shades since last summer – tarte tipsy and MAC warm soul – and I love ’em both. Plus, they are another product that lasts forevvvvvver. Again, can barely tell I’ve used them. I don’t reach for them everyday, since with my pale skin it can be hard to wear corals with wearing lots of colors on my eyes (hello clown school) but I have definitely done my makeup a specific way multiple times in the last few weeks JUST so I could wear them.

lip goodies I howsweeteats.com

I figured I’d throw these in here because it is my before bed routine and has been for over a year. I adore lush lip scrubs – you may remember me mentioning them over a year ago. They taste like CANDY! yum. I use lip scrubs usually twice a day – morning and night, and maybe before I wear a crazy lipstick, so I tend to blow through them. This bite whipped cherry is also awesome. Not quite as “gritty” as the lush, but *tastes* incredible.

And of course, along with my grapefruit obsession… burt’s bee’s grapefruit. I use this after the lip scrub, always. I can’t tell you how many tubes of this I’ve actually been through (and I mean, WHO finishes lip balm before losing it?) – I think it’s their most moisturizing flavor too.

cover girl balm sticks I howsweeteats.com

Another lip thing I’ve been using are these cover girl jumbo gloss balms. I’ve had a mental block against cover girl for years, most likely since I was using their stuff when I was like 13 years old, but grabbed these a few months ago when I first saw them in Ulta. They are just what they say – sort of balmy and glossy – and can leave a little sheer color. Fun to change it up.

body shop body butter, hempz lotion I howsweeteats.com

I’d like to call myself a body butter hoarder, but can you be a hoarder when you constantly go through tubs of them? Finishing off every last bit? Hmmm. I love the body shop body butters (again, also often on sale at Ulta) – they have the most amazing scents ever – but sometimes they are just a bit too thick for me. As in, have you ever used a body butter than had a hard time pulling on pants? Yeah. Sounds weird, but so true. I love the butters but probably only use them 2-3 times per week, and I use lotion every single time I get out of the shower, no exceptions.

The hempz original lotion has been one of my all-time favorites for YEARS. We are talking since I was in high school and went to a tanning bed and discovered it there. It might be my favorite lotion scent (slightly tropical, almost banana-like? but not banana in a bad way at all) ever. I have gone back to this for over 10 years now. It is my go-to in the summer months, and I really do believe that it holds your tan, or does whatever that myth says that lotions do after you’re out in the sun. It’s not greasy and just the perfect consistency. It can be a bit pricey so I tend to grab it at Ulta (…again) when they have the buy 1, get 1 50% off. Probably been through 15 bottles of this stuff. Please the ignore the leaf on the front. You jokesters.

loreal spring polish I howsweeteats.com

If you follow me on instagram, you know I’ve been infatuated with the loreal spring paris nail collection. More pastels. Gah. Love them. My favorite way to wear them is to paint one color on my first three fingers, then a different on my ring and pinky. Then for opposite hand, I switch which nails I did with the colors. Then I use the essie luxe polish in shine of the times over top. I’m not sure if you can still find that (I think it’s 1-2 years old?) but I get SO much use out of it. Yes, I’m 12 years old.

The bottom butter london color is molly coddled, which I do like, but gotta say the loreals blow every other pastel out of the park.

chi curling wand I howsweeteats.com

A curling wand! I’m so behind the times. First, I don’t think I’ve owned an actual curling iron since I was maybe, 15? I am a huge proponent of hot rollers… and still use them. But, and this sounds weird, I actually wanted something that might give my hair a little curl without so much body? My hair holds volume really well, so sometimes the rollers just make it huge. Like Texas huge. I freaking love it, but wanted to try out some other curls. While I’m still playing around with this stupid thing (I’ve burnt my fingers like 800 times), I feel like it gives me Connie Britton curls.

Which, um, if you are a fan of Connie Britton, you totally know what I mean. BEST HAIR EVER. Google image it.

March Beauty Favorites I howsweeteats.com

K. All done. What fun beauty things have you used this month? Tell me, tell me, tell me!