My November Beauty Favorites!

November was a great month of beauty finds for me!  This month's products were all new to me.  I have been trying a variety of things, but these were my standouts.  I am so impressed with all of these items that I think they will work for most everybody.

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Hydroxy Extra Strength Daily Peel

     I received these from a Sephora shipment as a sample.  I have never used an at home chemical peel treatment, so I really had no expectations, but was very curious to see the results.  I have been going to an esthetician once a month from a year and a half now.  I have had many chemical peels during that time, and wanted to see how these at home peels compare.  I was actually shocked with the results!!  They instantly made my face look brighter, smoother, softer, and more plump.  I really couldn't believe it!  It is an easy 2 step process.  After cleansing your face, you use step one (a small cleansing towelette) all over your face and neck in circular motions.  After two minutes, you move onto step two, which is another small towelette and repeat what you did on step one.  When you are finished, you will feel a bit of a tingle, but nothing uncomfortable.  You do not rinse or wash your face after the treatment.  Just apply moisturizer as usual.  You can use this treatment daily, in the am or pm.  I have done six treatments myself and I am just so happy with the results.  I have purchased more and now have my mom using them, and she loves them as well.  I have told all my friends about them and anyone else who will listen.  I love skincare and always have.  I have found 2 great skincare products this year, and this is definitely one of them.  They come in 3 different strengths......sensitive, regular, and extra strength.  I have used the regular and extra strength without any problems.  If you are interested in trying them, you can purchase 5 treatments for $16.  I just received my order of 35, because I never want to be without these.  You can use them daily, but you don't have to.  I have used 6 in two weeks with excellent results.  You can only find these at Sephora. My best friend went to purchase these last weekend, and they were sold out, so you may want to purchase online.

Too Faced Sun Bunny Natural Bronzer

*swatches: Top - swirled together 

Middle - left side of bronzer

Bottom - right side of bronzer

I bought a small kit from Sephora that included many deluxe samples of products that I have been wanting to try.  This bronzer was included.  I have been wearing the Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Bronzer for a very long time now, and really love it.  This is also a very pretty bronzer, but looks quite different from the Chocolate Soleil.  This product comes with two different bronzers.....one lighter and one darker.  Both shades have a soft shimmer in them, that gives a warm sun kissed look.  You could apply these separately or swirl the two together.  I prefer to swirl and apply all over my face on the points where the sun would naturally hit.  The Chocolate Soleil I use as a contour.  This product is definitely best as a bronzer, because it is more golden and adds the soft shimmer.  This bronzer looks great on it's own without blush or highlight, which is great for everyday wear.  Who doesn't love an all in one product when you are rushed for time and trying to get out the door??  This bronzer retails for $30 in the full size.

Too Face Love Flush Long Lasting 16 hour blush - Justify My Love & Love Hangover

*Love Hangover & Justify My Love

These also came in the same kit as the bronzer.  I had heard a lot of great things about this line on youtube, and definitely wanted to try them since I am a total blush junky.  These are gorgeous!  They are soft and apply so smoothly to the skin.  They are also very pigmented and very long lasting.  For many people, blush is the first product to fade throughout the day.  These don't fade on me at all!  I can't say if they wear for 16 hours or not because I don't wear makeup that long, but they definitely last until I remove my makeup at night.  These blushes retail for $26 for the full size and the line offers 6 different shades.

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Opal

Most beauty junkies know about this highlighter, because it is a cult classic.  Probably the most popular item from Becca, yet I had never tried it.  This highlighter really packs a punch!  It is not for someone who likes a more natural or subtle makeup look.  It is a champagne gold and looks so beautiful and illuminating.  It is very pigmented so you don't want to go too crazy with it, but it blends into the skin flawlessly.  I find it to be similar to The Balm's Mary Lou-Minizer in pigmentation, but think it is a little more golden.  If you love to have that "shine bright like a diamond" highlight, you will love this!  I think this will be gorgeous for the holidays.  It retails for $38 in the full size.

Buxom Bold Gel Lipstick - Sultry Mauve

Another new product for me!  I had never tried a Buxom lipstick before, but had heard good things about this line.  I know that matte lipsticks and liquid lipsticks are so popular right now, but I am not a fan of those.  I find most of them uncomfortable and I really don't like anything that is a matte finish.  That's just my preference.  These lipsticks are just the opposite in look and feel.  They are a gel formula, so they are very moisturizing and have a shinier look to them, but not too shiny or frosty.    And even though they are a shinier formula, I don't find that they slip outside my lip line or fade too quickly.  These are not long wearing nor do they claim to be, but they do last me quite well.  I also love this color for the fall and winter months.  The packaging is also really good.  It is a black shiny bullet that also has a magnetic close, so you don't have to worry about the lid coming off and getting makeup all inside your purse (I think we have all been there).  The only negative I have on these is that the actual lipstick bullet is on the big side, which makes it a little more difficult to apply, especially if you have smaller lips.  It doesn't have that point at the top like a traditional lipstick does. I think that's a small thing though compared to the formula, packaging, and beautiful colors that the line offers.  This line offers 30 beautiful shades and retails for $22.

Am-Big-U-Ous You Mineral Blush - Rosy Cheeks (matte) & Peachy Glow

*peachy glow & rosy cheeks

I live in the Columbus, Ohio area, and I found this natural mineral makeup line at a vintage store that I love to go to, De Mar's in Grandview Heights.  It is just a few steps away from my favorite tea house, so I like to stop there after my afternoon tea.  To my surprise they carry an ALL NATURAL, VEGAN, HANDMADE, LOCAL  skincare and makeup line.  My husband actually saw it first and brought it to my attention. Having eczema and psoriasis, he knows that I like to use as many natural products as possible.  Though I have tried and liked very few brands.  It has always seemed to me that many natural makeup lines don't give the same pigmentation and quality as traditional makeup lines.  The lasting power usually isn't the best.  After trying the samples, I saw that the pigmentation was there without a doubt.  My first purchase was the rosy cheeks blush.  I love this blush!  It is the most gorgeous deep rose blush shade!  It is super pigmented, and long lasting.  It goes great with whatever makeup look I am doing, whether it is more natural or more dramatic.  The product comes loose and in a sifter container.  You need to apply very sparingly, because it is so pigmented.  It blends out to be silky smooth and can build up without looking cakey.  I absolutely loved it so I bought the peachy glow blush on my next trip.  This blush is different, but equally as beautiful.  I love peach blushes, because they compliment my warm skin tone, but this blush for my medium skin color is really a highlight.  It has soft, golden shimmers that give a gorgeous reflection on the skin that blends out softly and doesn't look gritty.  This is the same type of loose powder as my previous blush, and requires just a touch to really get that sparkle.  If you are quite fair, you may get some peach color to your face, but if you are darker than that it will look like a golden highlight.  These blushes sell for $12 for 20g of product.  With as pigmented as these are, I promise that this will last an eternity.  This line also offers bronzers, foundation, mineral veil, eyeshadow, and a large assortment of skin and bath care items.  I have not tried any of these, but definitely will in the future.

If you are in the Columbus area, you can go to ambiguousyou.com to find out what locations they are being sold at and any upcoming craft fairs that they will be attending.  If you are outside the Columbus area, or just prefer to shop online, you can find them at https://www.etsy.com/shop/AmbiguousYou.

Too Faced Small Cosmetic Bag

I ordered this bag from Sephora just to up my purchase price, so I could get free shipping.  With all my Ipsy bags I really didn't need it, but it is the cutest little makeup bag ever!  I have some of my essentials in it that I like to keep in my purse.  It has a plastic over coating so it will not get dirty or grimy, you can just wipe it with a damp cloth.  It is small in size, so this won't replace your makeup bag, but it is perfect for throwing in your purse or computer bag when you are on the go!  It retails for $5 on sephora.com

I hope these reviews are helpful, and if you have any questions, please leave them in the comments section below.  I hope everyone is having a great week, and a happy holiday season!