October Favorites ~ 2016

October 31, 2016

October Favorites ~ 2016

Holy Moly can we just stop for a second?! I seriously cannot believe tomorrow is the first day of November. I have no idea where the time has gone this year and I am totally beyond not ready for the holidays! Does that even make sense? I don’t know, but neither does it being November already so moving on...This month was full of a ton of new and exciting things. I have so many favorites to share, I almost don’t even know where to get started. I think I even have more random favorites than beauty favorites. What?? I know!!

When it comes to decorating the house for this time of the year, I put out almost zero Halloween decorations. Not only because I am completely terrified of almost everything (aka bugs, skeletons, and everything else that surrounds the holiday), but also because I like to spend my money on things that can carry me into Thanksgiving time as well. I found these two pumpkins at the Dollar Tree, of all places, and I just love them. That’s a great place to buy pumpkins to spray paint or personalize yourself, but these are cute enough as they were.

This sounds like something so silly to be picky about, but I have been looking for soap dispensers for what feels like forever. I didn’t want the traditional ones that you see everywhere because I felt like those would break after a while. Then I found this at Target and fell in love! It matches everything perfectly, is so different than anything else, and has a very sturdy pump. Patience is key!

I know this might be hard to believe, but I actually don’t always look like the pictures I post. Crazy, right?! The truth is, I almost always look like a complete slob. Messy bun, no makeup, glasses, lounge pants, and whatever soft shirt I can find. But that’s not what this is about. I have been using these Scunci No Slip Headbands for years and now they’ve become extremely hard to find in stores. I finally ordered more on Amazon and I’m just so happy about it. These keep all the little flyaways out of my face while I’m trying to get things done. It might not be as attractive as bobby pins, but they’re sure a lot faster and more efficient. #noshame

I mentioned in my Behind the Scenes: Blogging Tools post that I had my eye on one of the Amazon tablets. To my surprise, they recently upgraded their Fire HD 8 tablet and lowered the price. I purchased it as soon as I saw it along with this super cute Moko case. They both have worked great for me so far and I would definitely recommend them if you’re looking for a more affordable tablet. I’ve mainly been using mine for social media and in the kitchen as a quick reference to online recipes. It’s extremely fast, has a great battery life, and a clear HD display. Definitely a winner!

If you’ve been following me on social media, then you might know how excited I am to finally have football season back! I’ve been really into hats recently, so I purchased two online from Lids. They were having a sale and I got both of these hats for $10 each, which is a super steal! I’m picky about my hats having the velcro in the back for my hair and these are great! P.S. I can’t pick a favorite so #GoNoles and #GeauxTigers ♥

Sticking with fashion, I’ve needed new glasses for a while. My prescription has stayed about the same, but the frames were on their last leg. I like to wear both contacts and glasses on different days, so of course I tried to find the most affordable glasses I could. I ran across GlassesUSA.com and shopped on their site for about two weeks (talk about indecisive) before finally making a decision. I ordered both glasses and sunglasses for under $200 total! The sunglasses just have a brown tint and nothing special. But the glasses have a more upgraded lense with anti-glare and blue screen protection. I think they’re wonderful and I’ve been loving them so much!

However, after placing my order, I did some research to see other opinions. Some people really enjoy them, but I also read a ton of negative reviews with people claiming they were charged extra shipping fees, there was bad customer service, and that quite a few didn’t even receive their glasses at all. Up until my glasses showed up, I was a nervous wreck after reading those stories. What had me worried is that there were so many negative reviews of bad experiences. So I still don’t know about that side of it, what’s true, or what’s really going on. All I know is that, thankfully, my glasses did arrive, the prescription is perfect, they look good, and they fit. If anybody knows more about the company, I’d love some clarification!

I have about the worst green thumb ever. I can never seem to keep a plant alive for anything! But when we did our landscaping this spring, we put some red impatiens hanging on the fence. Those did so well and always came back even if I forgot to water them a day or two. The Florida sun is no joke and they needed constant water. I wanted some white mums for the front porch for Fall, but changed my mind when I remembered how well the impatiens did for me. I love the way the look and will work my hardest to keep these bloomed as long as possible!

Would this even be a favorites post if I didn’t mention Makeup Geek blushes or bronzers? I don’t think so! This has been my current favorite combo and I can’t get enough of it. The blush on the left is Hanky Panky and Bliss is on the right. You can see in the swatch picture that Hanky Panky is a little too pink and Bliss is a little too light orange. But they make the perfect peachy pink when layered together (far right in the swatch). I blend on Hanky Panky first, then lightly layer Bliss on top. Gorgeousss!

I didn’t think much of this Hikari Cosmetics retractable eyeliner (Raven) when I first saw it in my Boxycharm. But as I started testing it throughout the month, I was blown away by the quality on it. I barely even have to touch my eye with this pencil and it just glides right on. It is the single most smooth pencil I have ever tried. It’s so fast and easy to use, and I really like that it doesn’t pull at my eye because it’s so smooth.

My two recent favorite eyeshadow palettes that I have been reaching for the most are the StudioMakeup On-the-Go palette that I received in September’s Boxycharm and the IBY Beauty Three’s Company palette that I received in my October box. These both have wonderful colors for the Fall time, they’re great quality, and perfect for everyday. I’ll be featuring the IBY palette in a tutorial next week. But in case you missed it, I do already have a full review and tutorial on the StudioMakeup palette. I can’t get enough of either of these!

For lips, I’ve been testing out a few different products recently and decided to bring out my favorite Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie. It matches with almost any makeup look or outfit and is so easy to reach for. I’ve also been using my NYX Butter Balms as well. I have the shades Ladyfingers (pink) and Red Velvet. They’re very smooth and soft on the lips. They smell delicious and are a little more natural than wearing an intense red or pink.

A lot of favorites, I know! I told you this month included a lot of new goodies. It seemed like October flew by, but when I was grabbing out all of my new favorite items I realized how much had happened within those 31 days. I really can’t get enough of all of these products and have been enjoying them so much. My Saturdays have been full of football, I love seeing my flowers at the door everyday, and I have finally entered the tablet world!

~Mani Monday~

Since today’s Halloween, what other color would I have gone with besides an orange?? This Ulta polish in Showgirl is one of my favorites. It’s not a true orange and has a little bit of pinky coral tones to it, which is why I love it so much. This one does need a full two coats because it is on the thin side, but Ulta has great polishes and I know this will last me all week.