I caaaaan’t believe it’s October! Insert typical time-is-flying comment here.

october beauty favorites I howsweeteats.com

This last month I still had a bunch of traveling to do so I didn’t change up my makeup a ton from day to day – I pretty much had my bag packed and this is everything I was using allllll month. I’m excited to be home for the most part now and that I can switch up colors more often and wear dark and crazy fall shades.

Most of the things I was using last month have stayed in my routine, with the exception of swapping out an eyeshadow palette. I’m at the very tail end of my jo malone ginger biscuit cologne (which was limited edition – WAH!). I am still loving the batiste plumping powder and it’s been completely awesome since I’ve actually had to “do my hair” like everyday.

I was a bit sidetracked here and forgot to include nail polish, but I am still crazy over essie for the twill of it. I’m all over classics like essie wicked and OPI lincoln park after dark – basically the darker the better. Does anyone remember OPI black tie optional? UGH, I loved that shade. I really want to get this pretty sephora formula x shade in the next few weeks for the holiday season. Other than that, let’s talk makeup!

october beauty favorites I howsweeteats.com

Okay, so I have a story about this caudalie toner. I’ve been wanting to try it for probably close to two years… and it’s never carried in my actual Sephora stores and it’s pretty much always out of stock online. The “moisturizing” factor is the exact reason I have wanted it since my skin is dry. Soooo… over the last two years I’ve used the Michael Todd cranberry toner with exfoliating cotton pads and have really loved it. I like to use it at night before applying moisturizer but after cleansing to remove any extra dirt on my face. Sometimes I’ll also use it in the morning instead of washing my face (apparently this is Salma Hayek’s skin secret?!) depending on what I’m doing that day.

I’ve been doing the exact same with this and I am in LOVE with it. It’s so pricey but so gentle and wonderful. Neither of the toners have alcohol so they aren’t drying. I just freaking love this one. I’m hoping it stays in stock (the above is almost empty but I bought a second) but if not, I’ll still use the Michael Todd one.

Pointless story over.

october beauty favorites I howsweeteats.com

I’ve talked for ages about how much I love the Olay sensitive skin wipes. I don’t use facial wipes everyday, or even super often at the moment especially since I haven’t been able to go to hot yoga. But while I was traveling I grabbed this mini pack of ole henrickson brightening clothes in the checkout line (how terrible (wonderful) is that Sephora check out line?!) annnnnd I love ’em. I don’t necessarily use them to remove makeup (I use coconut oil, MAC cleanse off oil or josie maran oil for that) but they were awesome when I needed to refresh a little bit on or after long plane rides this past month.

Plus, they smell like heaven.

october beauty favorites I howsweeteats.com

At the beginning of the month, my skin got RIDICULOUSLY dry on my face. I didn’t change anything, I wasn’t using anything new, but I was on planes everyday and in dry hotel rooms and I’m thinking that coupled with the constantly different weather I was in contributed. I still love the andalou naturals cream I talked about last month but even THAT wasn’t enough for me.

This first aid beauty repair cream is just a little thing, I got it with my points while checking out at Sephora, but it has been a LIFESAVER. I used it at night and then in the morning I would mix it with my andalou naturals SPF cream. Within a day or two my face was feeling so much better and the dry flakiness was gone. I’ve since got another sample with points and have worked through it, so I guess I should just get the bigtime one?

I think it’s the first product I’ve used from this line and now I am hooooked.

october beauty favorites I howsweeteats.com

The next three things may seem slightly boring because I mention them ALL THE TIME but it’s a true testament to how much I love them. Remember my obsession with benefit high beam last year? I took a little break from it in the summer because it was almost too light/white-ish for my skin with bronzer and self tanner. But now that I’m as pale as a ghost again, it’s back. The mini sample size lasted me nearly a year, so I bucked up and bought the full size, which is what you see above. I feel like it will last for ten years. It is huge! There is so much product.

My favorite things to do with this are mix a little with my tarte tinted moisturizer, put some on my cheekbones and some right underneath my eyebrows or above my lips. When I ran out of this I had heart palpitations. That’s how much I love it.

october beauty favorites I howsweeteats.com

I’m also still flipping out over the hourglass ambient lighting powder in luminous light. I know, I know – I’ve raved it about it for months, but it’s pricey and I want you to know how much I think it’s worth it! Keep in mind that I am super pale, so if you have darker skin you might need a different shade. This just gives me the perfect glow. When people say that BS like “oh you’re glowing from this pregnancy!” I’m like uhhhhh no. I just have a really great highlighter.

It’s subtle enough that I can use it combined with the high beam above. It’s also made it’s what into my barely-any-makeup routine, which usually just consists of eyebrows, mascara and concealer. Now I brush this on my cheekbones too!

october beauty favorites I howsweeteats.com

Another oldie but goodie – and actually this one is like brand BRAND new because my other brand new one shattered into 32,487 pieces on a New Hampshire hotel bathroom floor – but I gotta mention it. The main reason I wanted to talk about tarte exposed blush (AGAIN) is not only because it’s a staple I adore, but because you guys keep asking what kind of blush I wear with dark lipsticks. This is it!

It’s super natural and almost like… skin?

I know. I’ve ranted enough about it.

october beauty favorites I howsweeteats.com

Now. I feel bad talking about this lorac mega pro palette because I don’t think it’s available anymore? But in the case that they do make more for the holiday season, I have to talk about it. I only have the original lorac pro palette and it’s one of, if not my absolute, favorites. When I travel, I take it everywhere.

I didn’t get lorac pro 2 because I really don’t need it. Heck, it’s not like I need this either but I am so glad I grabbed it. The story is kind of funny because the only reason I ended up being able to purchase it is due to my lack of sleep. I was in Seattle and woke up around 3AM local time since I was still on EST and since I can’t sleep to save my life. What else do you do in the middle of the night besides scan the internet? I somehow was in the right place at the right time and was able to buy it on amazon. FREAKING OUT.

It is the only palette I’ve used since. You can obviously see which colors I’ve really gravitated to but I think all of them are fab. I’m just super excited about it. I love lorac shadows almost as much as urban decay.

october beauty favorites I howsweeteats.com

Lip things! I photographed these on a super bright and sunny day and I didn’t really want to brighten the photographs at all because it takes away from the true colors. The red lipstick still looks slightly brighter than it is, but… it IS bright. What we have here from top, clockwise: MAC rebel – you’ve seen me write about it forever. Perfect fall shade. Next is the MAC rhianna lipglass (was this limited edition?), one I’ve also talked about before but a shade I really like over the red lipstick. Next is the too faced melted lipstick in melted berry. It’s GORG. I’ll tell you more in a sec.

The final shade is MAC relentlessy red, which I’ve also mentioned before but just really love. It’s almost a cross between bright pink and red and it’s totally matte. It also stains the crap out of your lips, which I sort of like. The next day, my lips are often still stained. It’s the color I’m wearing here.

october beauty favorites I howsweeteats.com

This melted berry shade is to die for. I wanted something slightly different than rebel (it can pull really dark on me at times when I use it with MAC nightmoth liner) but in the same family. Not only is this stuff comfortable and moisturizing to wear, it’s matte and completely stunning. I want every shade in this line.

october beauty favorites I howsweeteats.com

Soooo tell me what you’re loving in this fabulous season! What’s your go-to dark lipstick? I want allllll the deets.

{as usual, none of this is sponsored and all of these products were purchased by me. i am not affiliated with any of the companies above, nor do i accept free products. just love to talk about what i like, makeup junkie to makeup junkie. there are a few amazon affiliate links above. thank you for being here!}