Favorites and Flops: October 2014

I've already delayed this post long enough, so forget rounding all of the items up to get a picture. Not worth the effort. However, I will say that I had way more favorites than flops this month, and it's exciting!

Favorites:

Hands of Hope: Philosophy
This stuff is amazing. It helps my cuticles, and my always-appearing hangnails. I forget to use it sometimes, but when I don't use it, I can tell! My mom gave me this stuff last Christmas, and I finally started to use it. It is the bee's knees.

Smashbox Photo Finish Primer
I got this in a Smashbox Starter Kit with Birchbox points, and I love it. I will eventually purchase the full size, when I'm not poor and broke and on a Project Pan makeup hiatus. My birthday is now less than a month away, so who knows what's in store?

It's a 10 Miracle Leave in Product
I am going to cry a river of tears when my sample of this runs out. I found out they sell it at my local grocery store (by that I mean, the one a tenth of a mile from my apartment) which is both good and bad. Good, in that the price MAY be more reasonable than at Ulta. Bad, in that it's so accessible and tempting. But this sample has lasted me an age, and to be honest, a huge-ass bottle will probably last me a century.

Neutrogena Moisturesmooth Color Stick in Juicy Peach
This. Stuff. Smells. Fantastic. My co-worker passed it on to me (and it's part of my Project Pan), and I just love it. It smells great, and it looks great on me. It keeps my lips hydrated better than Chapstick does, which says a LOT about this product. I will definitely, definitely repurchase this.

Benefit "They're Real" Mascara
This mascara is great! I'm hashtag-blessed with long lashes as it is, but these make them look a lot better! It doesn't flake, it has good coverage, and it doesn't smudge easily. I highly recommend it. Unfortunately, I only have a sample size, but I'll dish out a little cash for this someday, after I run out of the eleventy-billion mascaras I now have.

Coastal Scents Go Palette - Beijing
This palette came in my first Boxycharm box and it is BEAUTIFUL. The colors are so useful, and some of them are a little more bold than I would normally wear, which is fun! I always reach for the plum purples and some of the browns in it. This palette has been my go-to for eyeshadow lately, and I absolutely love it!


Flops:

NCLA Nail Polish: Model Behavior
This also came in my first Boxycharm box. It was this beautiful grey-brownish color in the bottle. One coat didn't cover my nails, but the second coat took it from that pretty color to a jet black color. I was so disappointed. It also chipped really, really easily. I think I had it on for a day, even with a crazy good topcoat and base coat, and it was a dud immediately. I gave it away; I was really disappointed.

Mereadesso Moisturizer
This isn't the worst "flop" to ever flop. It just happens to break my face out sometimes, along my jawline. I don't know if I'm allergic to something in it, or what. But it makes my face really soft and smooth. I'm trying to determine if it's the different skin care routine I use it with (I leave it at my boyfriend's place; it's a resealable sample) that causes the breakout or the lotion itself. But either way, it's slightly disappointing.

Be a Bombshell Mascara
First of all, this stuff SMELLED. I mean, I know mascara has a smell, but this smelled god-awful. It was brand new, so I knew it wasn't bad. But, after a few hours, it started flaking on me and it was almost dry from the start. I don't know if I just got a dud, or what, but this mascara was disappointing and frustrating. I don't know what about the Be a Bombshell brand sticks in my head as "quality", but I was really let down by this product.


Now that November is almost over, too, I may as well get on making that list...