#monthlyfavorites – Forty, Flirty & Fabulous

April 2020 Beauty Favorites

Hi all! I hope you’re well and staying safe.

Below are my beauty faves for April. As usual, If I have reviewed them before, I will include the link, if not, I will link to where you can purchase:

I had a pretty good mix of skincare and makeup this month. I have been wearing a lot of makeup, because I have been doing a palette a day challenge on Instagram (fortyflirtyfab) where I used a different palette each day. It’s been fun and exhausting! I will be posting my final update soon.

Here’s a close up of the eyeshadow and face palette:

The face palette it the PUR x Trolls World Tour Top of the Charts Face Trio. It’s very fun to use. The blush is my favorite as it really brightens my sad, pale face. LOL!

The Natasha Denona Mini Retro Eyeshadow Palette is fairly new, but I want to include it because it’s amazing! So pretty! I haven’t reviewed it yet, but I’m bringing back my 20 in 2020 palette reviews next month and will be reviewing it soon!

I received the L’Oreal Bambi Eye Mascara and the MAC Extra Dimension Skinfinish Highlighter in Double-Gleam in a giveaway from Youtuber Jessica Braun (she’s fantastic). Both of these are amazing. The MAC highlighter is natural and so pretty on and the mascara separates and lengthens my lashes. Love!

I picked up the Tarte Travel Size Timeless Smoothing Primer in my fall Ulta Points Haul. I just started using it, because I finished the pore filling primer I was using. I do love this. It works very well. I might have to pick up the full size eventually.

I received the Cure Natural Aqua Gel to review on Instagram. It’s a peeling gel, so you apply it to your skin, let it sit for a minute, then rub your face. The dry skin balls up and rinses away. It exfoliates it off and leaves skin soft and smooth.

Derma E is one of my favorite skincare brands. The products are affordable and so effective. This is the Skin Restore Advanced Peptides and Collagen Serum. I ran out of my neck cream and have been using this to firm my skin. It’s so lovely. It feels amazing on and does firm my skin.

This is the second bottle (first full size) of the Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Pink Juice Moisturizer I’ve had. I received it in my December Boxycharm. I love using it in the morning under makeup.

I can’t believe it’s almost May. I hope you had a great month at home, and that May is better for us all!

March 2020 Beauty Favorites

Hi all! I hope you’re well and staying safe.

Below are my beauty faves for March. As usual, If I have reviewed them before, I will include the link, if not, I will link to where you can purchase:

I had a pretty good mix of skincare and makeup this month — plus a perfume!

Here’s a close up of the eyeshadow and face palette:

This is the Viseart Paris EDIT Eyeshadow Palette. I picked this up at the beginning of the month and love it! I can create cool and warm tone looks and every shade is stunning! This is my first Viseart palette and I am so impressed with the quality. It’s tiny, but I love that it has so many shade in it. I will definitely be purchasing another palette from Viseart in the future.

This is the Stay Naked Threesome Bronze, Blush and Highlighter Palette in Naked and it’s such a nice face palette. It’s compact enough that it’s perfect to travel with (someday). I love having my bronzer, blush and highlighter in the same palette. So convenient!

This is my current favorite skincare. The Derma E Vitamin C Gentle Daily Cleansing Paste helps to reduce the appearance of uneven skin tone, revealing a radiant and beautiful complexion. I also like using it as a mask.

The Tonymoly Vital Vita 12 Synergy Ampoule is infused with Niacinamide, Adenosine and the exclusive Vita-12 multi-vitamin compound that uses nanosome technology that provides 12 types of vitamins (A, B1, B3, B5, B6, B8, B12, C,E,F,H) combined to create a highly effective multi-vitamin blend. I use it in the morning to brighten my skin and love it! It’s light and sinks right in.

I received the Nuria Defend Triple Action Eye Cream from an Allure box last year. It’s very hydrating and feels nice on my eyes! It claims to remove the appearance of dark circles, reduce the look of puffiness, and improve fine lines. The skin around my eyes do look nice and smooth.

The Pixi Collagen LipGloss is my current favorite lip balm. It is enriched with Botanical Collagen and Peptides and hydrates and softens while helping to create smoother, fuller looking lips. I like using this before I do my makeup so my lips are nice and hydrated when I apply lip products.

I’ve had this since last year, but I’ve just really starting using the beautyblender RE-DEW Set & Refresh Spray. It’s such a cool product! It refreshes makeup, extends wear and adds a boost of hydration. This has a very fine mist nozzle, and it doesn’t disturb makeup. I like how it blends my powders into my makeup so I look really natural.

And my last favorite of the month is a perfume! It’s the Jen nifer Lopez Promise Eau de Parfum. I have been loving this fragrance. It’s so nice for every day, plus it’s a little bit glamorous!

Have you tried any of these products? What are your favorite products from March?

February 2020 Beauty Favorites

Hi all! Happy Friday! February is almost over, which is crazy! I’m so looking forward to the spring!

Below are my beauty faves for February. As usual, If I have reviewed them before, I will include the link, if not, I will link to where you can purchase:

I had a pretty good mix of skincare and makeup this month! Like normal, it’s a mix of stuff I buy, products from beauty subscription boxes and PR.

Here’s a photo with the palette and blush open:

So pretty! Here’s close up looks at the products:

Truly Beauty Unicorn Fruit Body Butter— I purchased this in my recent Ulta haul and love it. It’s a very dense body butter and needs to be warmed up. When applied it almost turns into an oil and is so hydrating! It smells delicious, too!

The TellurideGlow Snow Rose Recovery Mask also smells amazing — like vanilla and rose. This is a powder mask that’s activated with water. You leave it on for about 10-15 minutes until it dries then washes it off. My skin is glowing a beautiful later!

Kate Somerville Kx Active Concentrates Bio-Mimicking Peptides Serum — This was my choice for BoxyCharm this month. Yay me — it was an amazing choice! I mostly apply this on my neck and it does firm it. I use it in the morning and night and love it!

Derma E Blue Light Shield Spray — I use this everyday before I work at my computer or phone. It has amazing ingredients and I love that I am protecting my skin from blue lights!

Elemis Pro-Collagen Rose Facial Oil — I use this in my evening skincare routine. I have been loving facial oils this winter for hydration and glow. This smells like fresh cut roses and it’s lovely. Plus it sinks into the skin quickly, which I love.

PÜR Fully Charged Mascara and Fully Charged Mascara Primer — I have been using this duo every day and really love the volume I get with it. I am a fan of mascara primers and am enjoying this one!

NYX Cosmetics Slide On Lip Pencil in Nude Suede Shoes — I purchased this in my recent Ulta haul on the recommendation of Youtuber Allie Glines. I needed a nude lip liner (I thought, I just found a Steve Laurent one I got in a subscription box in basically the same shade, LOL). It’s very nice and works well with all of my natural toned glosses.

PÜR Blushing Act Skin Perfecting Powder in Pretty in Peach— If you want a very pigmented peach blush, this is it! This is such a smooth blush and blends out well, but just use a little at first! This shade screams spring to me — and I’m so ready for it!

Colourpop UR A QT Palette — This is another item from my Ulta haul. I love Colourpop and really wanted this! It is only available at Ulta. It’s still available and it’s on sale right now! It’s normally $18, and it’s on sale for $12.60. I think it might be a limited edition, so if you want it, get it now here.

The second month of 2020 is over, bring on March!

What were your favorites this month?

2019 Annual Skincare Favorites

Hi all! I’m back with the second part of my 2019 favorites. This one will be mostly skincare, and maybe a hair care product or two!

Check out my first favorites post that’s all about my makeup faves and one big foundation fail here.

Now on to the skincare goodies:

I have been loving the products above — and more. I will probably have more than one favorite or some runners up in some areas. And as for cleansers, my favorites aren’t pictured because I used them up and haven’t repurchased yet. I have so much skincare that I have purchased, received in subscription boxes or PR that I really want to use up before I get more. Unless, of course, it’s a category that I have completely run out of.

So, starting with cleansers, my favorite this year is the Pixi Glow Tonic Cleansing Gel. This cleanser is so refreshing! And it cleans my skin without leaving residue and without drying out my skin. I also enjoyed the Skin & Co Truffle Therapy Whipped Cleansing Cream. It’s very creamy and removes makeup without irritating my eyes.

For eye cream, I currently love the Origins Ginzing Refreshing Eye Cream. It brightens dark under eye circles. I also really enjoyed the Derma E Hydrating Eye Cream for intense moisture when my eyes need it!

This is my second full size Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask. And I will continue purchasing it. It hydrates my lip so well. I use it at night, and sometimes during the day, too! My favorite day lip balm is the Kopari Coconut Lip Glossy. It’s so moisturizing, which I need as my lips get very dry.

Derma E Skin Restore Advanced Peptides & Collagen Moisturizer — This is hydrating, plus it has tons of anti-aging ingredients so it helps with lines and wrinkles.

Laneige Water Sleeping Mask — This is my last step at night. It locks in all of my other products and my skin is insanely hydrated in the morning.

These are my fave serum’s and oils from 2019:

Farmacy Honeymoon Glow Serum — I use this a couple of times a week to resurface my skin. It contains a 14% AHA/BHA/gentle flower acids blend, Hyaluronic Acid, Salicylic Acid and a proprietary honey blend.

Innisfree Intensive Hydrating Serum — This is such a beautiful hydrating serum. I use it day and night before other serums and moisturizers. I also really enjoyed The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5. It’s such a lovely hydrating serum and keeps my skin moisturized all day.

Glow Recipe Pineapple Bright Serum — This is such a nice Vitamin C serum. I use it each morning and it brightens my skin. It does have a very strong ripe pineapple scent, but it goes away.

Pixi Jasmine Oil Blend — I’ve had this for over a year and have just used it up. A little goes a long way. It’s very hydrating and is nice to use at night

These are my two favorite hair products from this year:

IGK Mistress Hydrating Hair Balm — I apply this balm two ways — on damp hair then I comb through it. Once it’s dry, I apply a bit more. It makes my hair so soft and I love the coconut scent.

Cloud 10 CBD-Infused Glossing Mist — I love this for two reasons: It makes my hair shiny and healthy looking and it smells amazing. Oh, I guess three reasons — the benefits from the CBD oil!

So that’s it for my 2019 favorites! What were your standout skincare products for 2019?

I’m so excited for a new year and new favorites. Bring on 2020!

September 2019 Beauty Favorites

Hi all! It’s almost October, which means it’s time for my September favorites!

Below are my beauty faves for September. As usual, If I have reviewed them before, I will include the link, if not, I will link to where you can purchase:

My favorites this month include a good mix of makeup and skincare, plus a hair care item!

I’ve been trying out loads of new skincare the last few months and love to spotlight my favorites each month. Plus, a few of these favorites are from subscription boxes.

I received the Glow Recipe Pineapple-C Bright Serum in my BoxyLuxe for September. I use it every morning after cleansing and toning.It really brightens my skin!

The Primera Alpine Berry Water Cream is so hydrating.

The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion has made such a difference in my fine lines.

I purchased the Smashbox Primerizer during the spring Ulta’s 21 Days of Beauty. I didn’t want to wear it in the summer heat and humidity, but now that it’s cooler, I’m really enjoying this. It smooths and hydrates the skin. Perfect before foundation to create a moisturized base.

I also got the MAC Prep + Prime Fix+ Scents in Creamy Coconut in the Ulta’s Spring 21 Days. I only have about a third of this left. I like the soft coconut set and it performs just like the original spray.

The IGK Hair Mistress Hydrating Balm was also included in my September BoxyLuxe. This is a gorgeous balm that works to smooth damp or dry hair. I use this every day to tame my frizzies.

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The Wander Beauty Frame Your Face brow pencil was in my September Ipsy Glam Bag Plus. The shade is Dark Brown and it works well for me. The pencil is a bit of a dry formula and takes a little pressure to use, but I like the effect I get with it.

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This pretty face palette is the Ofra x Madison Miller Miller Squad Midi Palette. I also received this in September Ipsy Glam Bag Plus. The blush is really nice for fall and I enjoy the highlighters, although they are very similar to each other.

I’ve had the Sigma Beauty Enchanted Eyeshadow Palette for a couple of months. I’ve posted about it on my Instagram (fortyflirtyfab), but I haven’t reviewed it here yet. I do plan on reviewing it soon. It is unfortunately sold out on the Sigma Beauty website, but I have found it on Amazon here.

This is a stunning palette! You can create ethereal or even very dramatic looks with it. The shadows blend nicely. Some of the shimmers need to be built up, but that’s fine with me.

———————————————————————————————————————————That’s my September favorites. Bring on October! What have you been loving this month?

February 2019 Beauty Favorites

Hi All! Can you believe that it’s the end of February? That means it’s time for another favorites post! I have been enjoying trying new products this month and have selected a few that I have been enjoying using.

Here are my current faves:

Urban Decay On The Run Mini Palette in Shortcut — I have been enjoying this cute little palette. Although it’s small, it contains 8 shadows and I can create whole looks with just the one palette. The quality is as good as my beloved Born to Run palette. Love!

107 ONEOSEVEN Oil-In-Gel Cleanser — This is a Korean Skincare brand and I have been enjoying trying their products. This cleanser is really cool. It comes out a clear gel that you massage into your face to remove all makeup. Then when you add water, it emulsifies and rinses off easily. It completely removes my makeup and leaves my skin soft and clean. I use this every night. This would be the first step if you double cleanse. I don’t really, I just use this, then a toner after cleansing.

Philosophy anti-wrinkle miracle worker primer — Wow! I am loving this primer. I smooth it over my entire face and let it dry. Once it does my wrinkles and pores are way less noticeable. It works so well under all of my foundations. My review of the new anti-wrinkle collection is here.

Higher Education Skincare Easy A Gentle Resurfacing Pads — I use these once a day to exfoliate my skin, usually at night. But the pads are nice to use before makeup to smooth the skin. They are very gentle on my sensitive skin. Check out my review of this cool brand.

Nanacoco PRO. HD Pressed Blush in Shimmery Dusty Rose and Magnu-Matte Lip Crayon in Roasted Chestnut. This is a new brand to me. I did a brand review here. The blush is a shimmery rosy shade and I love it. It gives a pop of color and freshness in the cold, cold winter! The lip color is a gorgeous mauvey-nude and although it is matte, it is not drying on my lips (I’m not a fan of drying matte lippies). These are both so nice and are affordable, too!

Urban Decay Brow Blade and Brow Finish — I received the new Urban Decay brow products for review, and are really impressed with these two! I use the pencil end in the Brow Blade to define my brow shape, then use the brush tip end to create hair strokes. I seal it with the Brow Finish, and my brows look amazing all day long!

What products did you love in February? I would love to know!

January 2019 Beauty Favorites

Hi All! I’m glad January is almost over. It has been a cold, snowy month and I am looking forward to warmer weather. Of course, we have to get through February, but it’s a short month. Easy peasy, right? LOL!

As I was getting ready to create this post, I realized that the last monthly favorites post I did was for October 2018! I skipped November because I was so busy with work and holiday posts, and I skipped December because I was working on my annual favorites. Excuses, excuses! I am going to try to do one each month in 2019.

My faves for January are:

Laneige Bright Dew Original Essence ($55 USD) — This concentrated essence contains antioxidant rich Vitamin C , to help brighten the skin’s overall complexion. The formula also contains Pro-vitamin B5 and Beta-glucan to hydrate and soothe the skin. It feels so nice on my skin. It sinks into my skin and makes it really soft. And it doesn’t irritate my sensitive skin. I have been using this without a heavy cream at night (I’m too hot at night for heavy products) and my skin is still soft and glowy in the morning.

Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask ($25 USD) — I’m really enjoying this mask. It’s a very hydrating night treatment. I feel super dry lately, because of the cold air. Sometimes I even wear this in the morning! I use a lot at night and when I wake up, my lips are still a little dry, but they aren’t cracked or flaking. And they do look nice and plump, which I love!

Derma E Firming DMAE Eye Lift ($24.95 USD) — This multi-action eye cream claims too visibly lift, firm and tighten the delicate eye area while smoothing crow’s feet. I really do see a difference in the firmness around my eye. I apply it all around my eyelids and my top lid is so firm and has stopped drooping (I was started to get hooded eyelids)! And I find that it helps my crows feet.

Oxygenetix Acne Control Foundation ($76 USD) — This has a natural to soft matte finish, but doesn’t looking drying on my skin. It actually just looks like skin! Just flawless, healthy skin! I have been breaking out lately and I use this during breakouts. I do find it helps clear them up, but it also applies so smoothly over blemishes and helps conceal them so nicely! This foundation wears all day.

Dermablend Loose Setting Powder ($27 USD) — I won this in a giveaway last fall and have been loving it ever since. It sets my skin with a soft matte finish. It’s almost too matte for me, but I make sure I hydrate under my foundation and powder and I use highlight and spritz on a nice setting spray. Plus I use just enough to set my face, too much and it can look cakey.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Amrezy Highlighter ($28 USD) — Oh no! It’s out of stock again. I purchased this in the beginning of December (I think). I bought it at Ulta with the Dose of Colors Friendcation palette. The palette was half off plus I had a 20% off my entire purchase coupon so I threw in this highlighter to get free shipping! It’s very nice. It’s a little dark on my skin tone, so it’s more glowy than blinding on me. But I like that look for every day. It doesn’t emphasize my texture, which is amazing for ladies of a certain age!

Ulta Full Coverage Liquid Concealer ($9 USD) — This lightweight, creamy and super blend-able formula offers full coverage, flawless matte finish. The ULTA Full Coverage Liquid concealer contains special ingredients known to promote healing, concealing imperfections, and evening skin tone. Our formula wears beautifully, doesn’t cake or crease and offers long lasting wear.

Tarte Maneater Voluptuous Mascara ($23 USD) — Dress your lashes like you style your hair with this lengthening, curling and volumizing mascara. With a soft-flex brush and lightweight triple-black formula, it lifts lashes at the root, styles and fans them out to create amped-up fluttery fullness with no flaking or clumping. The custom molded brush features hundreds of flexible bristles to curl and coat lashes with even, intense pigment for 23x more volume powered by lash-strengthening jojoba and carnauba wax.

It’s funny that I don’t have an eyeshadow palette in here. I have started Shop My Stash in January and I have two palettes I was using. You can read about that here and the conclusion here. I’m about to post my February Shop My Stash, and that will have three palettes! Stay tuned!

What were your favorites in January?

October 2018 Beauty Favorites

Hi all! It’s November! This year has gone by so fast! Soon it will be Christmas.

I have a few items I’ve been using almost every day in October. Here are the items and links to my first review or post about it:

IT Cosmetics Secret Sauce ($68 USD) — My skin has gotten so dry lately. This moisturizer is thick and hydrating, perfect for colder weather! The skin-loving, powerfully potent secret lies in the Secret Sauce™ Fermented Complex: 7 clinically advanced, penetration-enhancing fermented ingredients that help to increase absorbency and maximize the ultra-hydrating, anti-aging benefits of Secret Sauce™. Also featuring anti-aging peptides, hydrolyzed collagen, hyaluronic acid, vitamin C and licorice root, Secret Sauce™ is perfect for all skin types and reduces the look of discoloration, lines and wrinkles. I used this at night and in the morning my skin is soft and glowy!

BECCA Under Eye Brightening Corrector is a full-coverage creme that color-corrects the appearance of under-eye darkness. It is infused with ultra-fine, light-reflecting illuminators. I like this a lot. It’s just the right shade to go under my eye, it’s a little bit lighter than my skin tone. It helps cover my dark circles and give us a bit of a glow. This was a favorite earlier in the year, but I’ve been using it again and love to apply it every day under my concealer.

Wunder2 Wunderkiss Gloss Lip Liner ($11.95 USD) — This liner is created to be used with lip gloss! The liner is very smooth and easy to use. The claim is that it can be used to create a beautiful, long-lasting lip contour that keeps your lip gloss in place. I find that it does just that. My gloss looks fresh for longer. Available in 3 shades — Nude, Rose and Berry. I love the Nude. I have been trying to use up three Lorac glosses in my current Project Pan, and this lip liner helps them stay on longer and my lips look more polished.

Urban Decay Elements Eyeshadow Palette ($52 USD) — Inspired by the elements – Air, Earth, Fire and Water – a constellation of unique colors orbit around Luna, an ultra-iridescent transformer shade. The 19 new multidimensional pigments include bright mattes, holographic shimmers and molten metallics. This is gorgeous and I’ve been testing out these shadows. It’s perfect for fall and holiday looks.

Morphe High Impact Highlighter in Extra ($14 USD) — At first I wasn’t the biggest fan of this, but I really like it now. The color is gorgeous, it’s a lustrous peachy gold. Just a little goes a long way with this. It’s very intense!

Physicians Formula The Healthy Foundation SPF 20 (LC1) — This is full coverage, but it looks natural on. I don’t have the correct shade, I purchased it online and I guessed on the shade. They all looked pretty dark on the Ulta website so I bought the lightest shade. It’s just a bit light for me. I will purchase this again in a darker shade.

Have you tried any of these products? What are your faves from the month?

September 2018 Beauty Favorites

Hi all! Can you believe it’s the end of September? Tomorrow is October and I am so ready for fall and the holidays!

I’ve had a fun month trying and reviewing some new products, and products that are new to me:

Too Faced Chocolate Bar Eyeshadow Palette ($49 USD) — I purchased this during the Ulta 21 Days of Beauty (haul post to come this week). This is an older palette, but I haven’t tried it yet. This smells like sweet chocolate — it’s so nice! The eye shadows are pigmented with pure, antioxidant-rich cocoa powder and includes 16 matte and shimmer shades of browns, pinks and plums. I’ve really been liking this!

Klairs Soft Airy UV Essence ($23 USD) — This is another product I need to review! Klairs is a Korean beauty brand and I was excited to receive this for review! This is light and creamy SPF essence! It has SPF 50 and is formulated for sensitive skin. It has a water-based it gel texture and sinks right into the skin once applied.

YourGoodSkin Balancing Skin Concentrate ($19.99 USD) — This is YourGoodSkin’s hero product. I use this as a serum under my Klairs essence or my night cream. It it so light and absorbs into my skin so quickly. The claim is that it restores and maintains skin’s natural balance for clinically proven visibly healthier skin in just 28 days. For all skin types. Designed to improve the 5 key signs of visibly healthy skin:

Elizabeth Mott Thank Me Later Face Primer ($30 USD) — I received a tiny sample of this in this month’s Ipsy bag and I LOVE it! I have been hoarding it by using a little at a time. It is a creamy pore filler and looks amazing under all of my foundations!

Buxom Cosmetics Full-On Plumping Lip Cream in Hot Toddy ($21 USD) — This is such a beautiful product. This one doesn’t have a shimmer and it is very glossy. It’s plumping, hydrating and so shiny at the same time! And it has a beauty color payoff.

Buxom Cosmetics Lash Volumizing Mascara ($22 USD) I have been wearing this mascara for a couple of weeks and am loving it. It’s a volumizing mascara that dramatically defines, lengthens, and instantly lifts for fuller looking, ultra-black lashes minus any clumps. I love it for an every day look, but it can be built up for more drama!

Last but not least is the Natasha Denona Super Glow Highlighter ($38 USD) — This super-soft, lightweight formula melts into the skin. It gives a glass-like strobing effect thanks to its high concentration of crushed and milled chroma crystals mixed with crushed pearls.

I have this in the fair shade, Icy Ivory. It’s so gorgeous! But, it’s not really an every day glow. But I want to use it everyday because the glow looks healthy as well as booming! So I like to brush a little translucent powder on top to tone it down. I kind of want this in Light Medium – nude champagne next.

What products have you been loving this month?