November Favourites

HAPPY DECEMBER GUYS!!! I just cannot believe it's already the end of the month. I've got newfound products that have been in my good books throughout the month of November, so let's cut to the chase and get right into my November Favourites! <3

1. ELF Studio Angled Blush Brush

I only got this brush in November because I felt the need to buy a brush specially for contouring. I've heard good things about the ELF Studio brushes and since it's so affordable, I decided to get myself one! The quality is AMAZING for its price point. I've washed it once (I am guilty of not washing my brushes after every use, ahem) and there hasn't been any shedding yet! I love how the bristles are soft and firmly held together as well. Overall, this is a super good buy and a huge favourite for November!

2. "The New Science To Perfect Skin" by Daniel Yarosh, Ph.D.

By far, this is the BEST beauty book I've read. For the information provided, it is surprisingly not hard to understand. I have learnt so much from this book and I'm not even halfway done! If you are a skincare junkie and you never fail to look at the ingredients list (even though you probably don't know at least half of the ingredients) like me, then go get your hands on this book now 'cause it really teaches you on what you should look out for! The author also included the names of ingredients that do not work, yet have been used by many beauty companies as part of their marketing strategies. I love this book so much that I've even taken down notes in a new notebook. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

3. Ettusais Quick Fix Powder

The name says it all and my oily face loves this so much!!! My nose and the areas around it (inner sides on the cheeks) have enlarged pores and they get oily throughout the day, so usually I'll blot the oil off and sometimes I like to touch these areas up with powder. My problem though, is that everytime I do touch-ups, it'd look cakey and my pores would look congested - a major turn-off for me skin wise. After using this, I haven't encountered this issue at all! It has therefore become the powder that I put in my makeup bag / bring with me all the time. I like how it provides slight coverage too, so it isn't purely translucent.

4. Etude House Belle Rose Cheek Blusher - #2 Coral Shine Shade

I LOVE pigmented blushers, and more so those with shimmers; this definitely hit the spot for me! One tap with my brush and it is pigmented enough for my cheek. I used to avoid blushers with shimmers when I was younger (aged 16-17) because I thought my oily skin needed no more "shine", but I later realised that some radiance on my cheekbones allowed me to look more… well, radiant! Also, something about coral-pink blushers just work very well for my fair skin. At S$16 for this gorgeous, pigmented blusher with rose embossment and subtle finely-milled gold shimmers, this is a gem worth having!

5. Daiso eye Brow pencil - Brown

"OH GOODNESS." My first thought when I first tried this on. "Oh goodness" like in a very, very, very good way. I loved it and I've been using this instead of my trusty Benefit Brow Zings! I raved about this on one of my Instagram posts before (here) and I'll continue to rave about it because for S$2, you seriously cannot get any better than this. The pencil comes in a triangular shape so it's much easier for you to create defined brow shapes. The first time I used this, I was already prepared to go over my eyebrows with my Benefit brow product because I thought this would be chalky / not pigmented / hard to apply, but nooo! The texture is somewhat creamy despite its stiff waxy look, very easy to draw and very blendable. This is undoubtedly a major favourite for November and I'm sure it will continue to be a favourite of mine for months to come. I really hope this will always be available in Daiso!

I posted a picture of me on Instagram (here) "showing off" my brows because I was just too impressed with this baby, so do check that post out!

6. Za Mascara Base

I have never used mascara bases in my life, and this right here, is a revolution for me. I got this during the Shiseido sale about two or three weeks back for only S$5 (U.P. S$16.30 from Watsons), and I'm so glad I got 2 of these even though I wish I purchased more on hindsight! Ever since I started using mascaras, which was in secondary school, I have always had problems with smudging and I would always get fall-out on my under eyes. I realised that non-waterproof ones just don't work for me at all, so I've been using waterproof ones ever since; although the smudging and fall-out still happen. Then this year, I finally "found" a mascara routine that works perfectly for me - Maybelline Volum' Express as a base, and Maybelline The Falsies after. I explained more about how these two mascaras work for me individually in another Instagram post (here) so do click on the link to be directed to it. But when I purchased this mascara base, I decided to try it with my preferred Maybelline mascara alone (Volum' Express), and I was sold at the end of the day. I had absolutely no fall-out, no smudging, and my lashes stay curled throughout. Since this is the first mascara base I've ever tried, I'm not able to compare it with other brands. With that said, I don't see a reason why I should be trying another brand 'cause this is working perfectly for my lashes right now!

7. Wet n Wild Megaslicks Balm Stain - E126 Rico Mauve

As a fan of vibrant, more intense lip colours, I wouldn't have purchased this if I did not watch a couple of YouTube videos showing swatches and lip demonstrations of these Wet n Wild Balm Stains. I wasn't the only one who didn't fancy this colour based on its packaging alone; a couple of YouTubers said they thought this would be their least favourite, but it turned out to be their favourite out of all the shades available.

Here's how it looks when first swatched:

When first applied on my lips:

With a glossy finish, you really wouldn't expect this to be anywhere near a "stain" and I was doubting that it would be. I don't know if it is just me though, but not only did this last on my lips for several hours even after a meal, the colour also became more pigmented throughout the day!

After 15 minutes:

You can see an obvious change in the finish of the balm stain; it turned from glossy to velvety matte. I love it!!! It also has a slight cooling effect when applied, and it did not make my lips feel dry. Priced at S$7.90 each, this is definitely a lippie worth having.

Psst, you can get this from Luxola and guess what, they are having a sitewide 40% off from 12P.M. to 12 A.M. for Cyber Monday today!!!!!! Like S$7.90 is already not affordable enough?! Go get one already!

8. Sigma P84 - Precision Angled 

I was lucky enough to have won this in a Luxola giveaway on Instagram (here); this was one of my first few Sigma brushes (since I won 4 of them) and I completely understood the hype about them the moment I felt the brushes, washed them, and tried them out. Designed to be used for precise contouring, this has been my favourite brush to use for nose contouring. The brush is super dense though, which is a good thing but I wasn't used to it, so my bronzer appeared super defined when I first used it! I had to blend out the hard line after that hahahaha.

9. Sigma P80 - Precision Flat

(I did mention I don't wash my brushes as frequently as I should right? Hahahaha, so please pardon the visible concealer leftovers)

This brush is probably my most favourite out of the 4 brushes I received. Meant to be used for precise concealer application, I am now a brush convert when applying concealer on my blemishes instead of using my own fingers. There is nothing wrong with using fingers of course, but I've realised that by using this brush, it gives my concealer such a full coverage. When using my fingers, I had to apply my concealer on the blemish area at least twice so that the redness can be covered, but this brush has allowed for my blemishes and redness to be concealed nicely with just a single application.

10. Acne Clear Pimple Treatment Cream

I totally forgot about this pimple cream, but it was truly a gem when I bought my first tube about 2 years back. It was the first time, in many years, that I had not a single pimple on my face; there was nothing else I could give credits to save for this cream here. No words could describe how happy I was, and I raved about this to a couple of friends who asked me for pimple cream recommendations; not to mention its affordable price at only S$4.80 (Watsons) / S$4.95 (Guardian). I went on to purchase my second tube, and then third, but I was sad when I realised it stopped working for me by the time I was halfway done with my second tube. This tube here, is my third tube which I accidentally chanced upon when I was scouring my skincare stash a few weeks back. I'm currently still not at the no-pimple stage, and somehow I feel like this isn't working as well as it did for me when I was on my first tube, but it is a pimple cream I'd recommend to most people (don't think I'd recommend this for very dry skin) nevertheless. I do have to state that this will dry your skin out, so use this sparingly for a few consecutive days and see how it works out for your skin!

11. Maybelline Baby Lips Electro - 70 Pink Shock

I bought this in Europe about 4 months ago and I was so excited 'cause I had heard so much about these American-edition lip balms on YouTube. With a soft spot for tinted lip balms, I naturally prefer these over the ones that we have in Singapore 'cause those are not the least tinted. However, I'm aware that the Asian edition of Baby Lips Electro reached Singapore a couple months ago, and although I've yet to try them, they should be of the same formula as the American edition. The tints don't last on the lips, sadly, but it still gives a nice pop of colour with just one swipe; you can also build up the intensity with more swipes (as seen from my picture above). I find the formula more moisturising than the non-tinted ones, but I know of a few American YouTubers who say our Asian-edition non-tinted balms are more moisturising than this. I'm starting to think that it's all psychological, you know? That we are naturally more impressed with products that are not available where we live? Hahahaha. With that said, I do really enjoy this lip balm, and I'm glad I bought the shades 80 Berry Bomb and 95 Strike A Rose too (as seen here in my lip balms collection).

12. Elizabeth Arden Beautiful Color Lipstick - Red Door Red

I was kindly gifted a holiday set from Elizabeth Arden (I took a picture of the set here) by the generous and really nice Ena (@ena_teo), and this lipstick was a part of the set. When I first saw and held this, I thought it wouldn't be that great because it was really light and honestly felt like a Daiso lipstick to me. However, this is one true case of "judging a book by its cover" because the formula is amazing! As the name implies, this is a true shade of red, and it's a gorgeous one with neither orange nor blue undertones. The formula is super creamy, smooth, and it does not accentuate my fine lines or dryness at all. As with most creamy lipsticks though, the lasting power isn't the best, BUT the colour still manages to stay intact on my lips even after a meal! When paired with a lip pencil, this lipstick lasts all day on my lips and I'm in love.

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Christmas is absolutely my favourite holiday of all, so much so that I kind of wish my family makes it as big of an event as those American families that you see in the movies haha. But as a Christian, I really love Christmas, its spirit, and how it just brings people - even the non-Christians - together. I also love how some shops are playing Christmas music now!!! Hehehe. I still cannot believe 2015 is only a month away, but I shall embrace and celebrate this joyous month while it's still 2014!

With love,

Jolynn Lim

My Beauty Road

"Don't forget to love yourself."

Follow me on Instagram @mybeautyroad for more beauty updates!