October Favourites 2014

A big hello to November and a bigger hello to this lil' beauty blog of mine! It has been abandoned for much longer than expected since my last post, oops. I guess I just lost the motivation to take pictures, upload them to my laptop, edit them, and type out a super long chunk of text. But I'm back now! I guess? Hehe.

The start of October was when I decided to set up a beauty account on Instagram (@mybeautyroad), and it has been the highlight of my month! I cannot be more thankful for the amazing beauty community on Instagram (IG), especially for those whom I've communicated with (and even met!) because they're all extremely lovely and humble! It honestly brings me joy to know of so many wonderful ladies who share the same passion as I do. *virtual hugs*

I'm actually perfectly fine with no blog because I can type all of this on IG too. But it's a pity that the text alignment / format on IG is terrible :( I'd create different paragraphs in the captions or comments, but they'd be gone the moment I hit "send". I'm sure y'all know what I mean! My (slight) OCD cannot handle such torture hahaha.

So blogging it is! :) I'll stop blabbering and get started on my October Favourites 2014:

1. Soap & Glory Super-Colour Fabulipstick Matte in Pom Pom

This gives a really pretty satin-matte finish. And unlike most lipsticks with such finishes, this one doesn't cling onto any dryness or flakiness that my lips may have on certain days; I was pretty amazed! Described as a "pomegranate pink", it is a slightly cool-toned red colour; not too dark or vampy-ish. I would say this shade is ideal for people who want to try a fall-appropriate lipstick, yet are not willing to go full-on with a super dark lip colour. I've been wearing this pretty often, especially when I wish to wear a slightly darker lip!

2. The Body Shop Mango Lip Butter

A must-have for dry lips, as with all their body butters which are heaven-sent for people with dry skin. I LOVE mangoes (and their scent) so the smell of this is a plain bonus. I'd rate this 10/10 if it ever comes in a lip tint formula! For now it's 9/10 heh. Nonetheless, it's a very moisturising lip care product that is great to put on before you head to bed. Yay to softer lips in the morning!

3. Lime Crime Unicorn Lipstick in Geradium

All the hype and rave reviews about Lime Crime lipsticks need no further description / review by yours truly. Very pigmented and they come in a range of super fun colours. This one that I have is a bright pink with a slight hint of coral, which is awesome so I won't look too Barbie-ish or Nicki Minaj-ish.

4. NYC New York Color City Proof Twistable Intense Lip Colour in 041 Ballroom Blush

Another lipstick! Hahaha. A MUST-get if the area you live in sells these! I got this in London for about £2 and I really regretted not getting more. I actually bought a red shade for my best friend (this one is in a gorgeous medium pink) and when I passed it to her, I kept saying I didn't want to give it to her anymore 'cause I really wanted to keep it for myself hahaha! Very affordable yet so creamy and moisturising; doesn't cling onto any flakiness at all! The colour pay-off is amazing for the price as well. But of course, with most creamy lip products, the staying power isn't the best. Nonetheless, this factor alone shouldn't stop you from getting one of these amazing Clinique Chubby Stick "dupes"!!! My best bet when I'm rushing out of the house 'cause this is too easy to apply.

5. Skin Food Black Sugar Mask Wash Off

I've mentioned on my IG that I've been breaking out in the month of October. Sleeping at 5/6/7 A.M. everyday since coming back from Europe (end August) - plus my skin's tendency to break out a few days before my period -  has finally taken a toll on my skin. My skin has also become duller due to my owl-ish behaviour. Using this about once/twice a week has definitely helped to exfoliate the dead skin cells off my face = smoother, slightly brighter complexion after every use. Although I have to say, it's really tempting to use everyday because it feels so good! The sugar particles will also dissolve when you apply this on your face in circular motions, making this a less-harsh face exfoliant / mask compared to one filled with non-dissolving beads. This definitely reminds me of the Fresh Sugar Face Polish, though I've never tried that!

6. (Primark) The Bubbles & Butters Company Crazy For Chocolate Shower Bubbles

My heart is screaming as I stare at this picture (and everytime I use this during my bath) because I cannot believe I didn't get more of these from Primark London. It was only £1 (!!!) and the cap was sealed, so I was very skeptical and thought this probably wouldn't smell anything like chocolate, nor would it create bubbles. I got one anyway because I couldn't miss it for £1. And boy was I wronggggg. THE CHOCOLATE SMELL IS SO LUXURIOUS AND AMAZING. I cannot help but feel very happy every time I use this. I'll leave the bathtub smelling like chocolate, and the whole bathroom will smell of chocolate too. It does create some shower bubbles as well… So yes, I've used this many times in October. I'm sure this obsession will continue throughout November, though I think I'll be really sad when I'm done with this bottle :(

7. Burberry Beauty 'Lip Cover' Soft Satin Lipstick in No. 15 Bright Plum

When I'm feeling a lil' more adventurous and getting more into this season's vibes, I'd turn to this lipstick. I like myself some cool-toned lippies, and this is almost perfect. The formula is undoubtedly luxurious, long-lasting and hydrating. Sometimes I'll layer my Lime Crime over (featured above) just to create a more wearable and unique colour!

8. L'Oréal Paris Mat Magique All-In-One Matte Transforming Powder in N1 Nude Ivory

I was really intrigued by this pressed powder after watching a particular Clicknetwork episode, but I wasn't a fan when I first got it in August. In the video, it described this powder as even a great touch-up powder with no "cakey-ness", but it wasn't the case for me when I used it. However, because my skin has been breaking out in October, I didn't wanna put on foundation all over my face. I then remembered having this powder, so I tried applying it using a brush and in buffing motion. I get a powdery and matte finish with light-medium coverage, so a few spritz of my trusty Urban Decay make-up setting spray is needed for this powder to look nice on my skin, keeping it matte for a few hours (which is a plus point for my oily skin). I probably wouldn't enjoy this without my make-up setting spray, but the 2 go very well together! In fact, because this is a powder, I haven't experienced any cakeyness at all even when I've worn my make-up for the whole day. Oily skin peeps are really not destined to apply much liquid foundation in our (very) sunny island :( With that said, if you've oily skin as well and are wondering why your makeup always look cakey after a few hours, definitely apply less foundation or switch to a powder foundation (with a make-up spray so you won't look like a powdered princess)!

9. Benefit Cosmetics Gimme Brow in Medium/Deep

Apart from this colour being a little too dark than what I'm normally used to, I've been really enjoying this for setting my eyebrows and keeping them in place! And of course, for giving my brows some much-needed colour hehe. This is also excellent for lazy days when you just need something on your brows, yet can't be bothered to spend 5-10 minutes perfecting your eyebrow shape.

10. Eucerin Dermo Purifyer Cover Stick

I've used this product since a few years ago for my blemishes. It works great, has good skin-like coverage, is easy to blend, and also contains salicylic acid which is my favourite pimple-fighting ingredient (as compared to benzoyl peroxide). I kinda forgot about this until October (breaking out month), because I didn't want my MAC Pro Longwear concealer or foundation to have direct contact with my blemishes. I'll use this as a base and I won't face any issue with layering my concealer / foundation on top. While I don't see this as a pimple-fighting product (it doesn't really help with reducing the size of my pimples; my Clean & Clear acne gel works better and maybe it's because the salicylic acid percentage is higher), I seem to always repurchase this because of its convenience, especially when I just wanna head to a nearby place but I also wanna give my blemishes and redness a quick cover-up.

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And that's it, guys! I don't know how many of you will even read this, but if you've reached this sentence then I'm extremely grateful! :) <3 Here's wishing all of you a very blessed and wonderful November. One more month to my favourite month of the entire year!!! *cues Christmas carols*

With love,

Jolynn Lim

My Beauty Road

"Don't forget to love yourself."

Follow me on Instagram @mybeautyroad for more beauty updates!