Favourite products of the month!
The past few weeks I’ve been gravitating towards some new and old products that have really been working for me so I thought I’d share them with you! Let’s go!
I had seen the Farsali Unicorn Essence Serum. It’s marketed as a dual purpose serum that protects your skin from
free radical damage while also being used as a makeup primer. I decided to give it a try and haven’t stopped using it since. By now you know how important skin care is to me so I really love the idea that it’s actually preventing skin damage while keeping your makeup on all day. You only need 2-3 drops to cover your whole face and it literally keeps your makeup on all day. It does have a scent to it almost smelling like cupcakes so if that is something that bothers you then this may not be the right product it is however more on the expensive side running you 67$ for 30ml and can be found at Sephora!
For foundation my absolute favourite of all times is the Giorgio Armani luminous silk. I prefer more glow when for foundation but nothing extreme so this is definitely the perfect in between. It’s a satin/silk finish and the formula is inspired by the silk shantung worn by kings and emperors so it is a very luxurious foundation.
I currently wear it in the shade 5.5. I really enjoy this foundation because it leaves my skin looking flawless and looks great from application to removal. It is a medium coverage but it’s buildable if you’re looking for something more on the full coverage size again this product will run you 68$ at Sephora but a bottle should last you months depending on how much you use. I personally apply 3-5 drops depending on how much coverage I’m going for.
When it comes to concealer Shape tape by Tarte definitely takes the cake. I personally enjoy this product because it’s full coverage so any dark circles are hidden well and it blends out with barely any effort. I prefer using a beauty blender to use this product. I’m currently wearing the shade fair and love using it to highlight my face while contouring. This product can only be found online on the Tarte website and is priced at 31$. You do get a generous amount and I find a little definitely goes a long way!
For contour and highlight I’m literally obsessed with the KKW beauty (Kim Kardashian West) cream contour kit in the shade medium. My old routine with contouring consisted of powder contouring because I found cream contour products intimidating but this formula is so creamy it blends out effortlessly you get a cool tone and warm tone contour a double ended kabuki brush with a sponge tip applicator on the other side, and a cream highlight which is more like a concealer and a regular shimmery highlight. The only thing I’m not crazy about is the small amount of product you are getting for 42$ US, but I’ve recently learned that is a travel size set and that a full size is coming. I really love using the cream contour because it gives you a much more natural contour/highlight and is buildable. This product can only be found online at www.kkwbeauty.com!
To set my face I’m going with the new Fenty beauty invisimatte blotting powder I’m not sure what is in this product but it literally blurs the appearance of large pores and has no white cast when taking photos. It really locks in your foundation and keeps you from looking oily all day plus it comes in a nice compact with a powder puff that you can throw in your purse if you’re going somewhere and need to reapply. So far Fenty beauty by Rihanna has knocked it out of the park with her current line of makeup and I’m really enjoying this product in particular. You can find this item for 42$ in store or online at Sephora!
When it comes to eyebrows I would recommend the dip brow pomade by Anastasia Beverly Hills. I’ve had mine for a whole year now and still have tons of product left. Im currently using the shade ebony which is the 2nd darkest shade in her line. What I really enjoy is how easily it is to apply I literally use an angled brush to apply and my eyebrows are done in minutes it lasts all day until you’re ready to remove and doesn’t smear or budge I think this is a great product for a beginner or pro but definitely the best I’ve tried so far again this product can be found at Sephora and will run you 23$!
When I want to intensify my contour it simply add more of a bronze look I definitely find myself reaching for the chocolate soleil bronzer in medium/dark by Too Faced. Again this is another product with a scent due to the fact that it contains cocoa powder so it does smell like chocolate but it isn’t overpowering, but if scent is something that irritates you or you simply do not like this probably wouldn’t be the best choice I personally love how buttery the formula is and that it leaves my skin perfectly bronzed with no orange tones. It does come in a lighter shade also. It can be found at Sephora costing you 38$!
For eyeshadow I’ve really been loving the Shadows Ends in the shade onyx as a base and the Huda beauty Rose Gold palette. I specifically am obsessing over the 3D metal shades! When applied over the Onyx shadowsense eyeshadow it really brings the colours to life. The palette is super easy to work with and blends very well my only tip when using the 3D metal shades which are the first row of the palette is to either wet my brush with setting spray to give it that extra metallic finish and also to apply a bit of glitter glue underneath to keep it in place but all in all it’s a great palette. The Shadowsense is 27$ and can be found by clicking on the lipsense link at the bottom of this article and the palette can be found at Sephora running on the expensive end for a price of 85$
Eyeliner is an easy one I’m absolutely in love with the Too Faced Sketch Marker in the shade black. I’ve never been found of felt tip liners until I came across this one it’s super easy to use and gives you control with whatever look you’re trying to do. It’s super black and lasts forever. This can be found at Sephora for 26$
Recently I had been hearing a lot of good things about the L’Oréal lash paradise mascara so I decided to give it a shot and now it’s all I use. I generally wear false lashes but this mascara gives you so much volume on its own that sometimes I skip lashes all together and for 10$ at Walmart you really can’t go wrong. I also love how black it is and how flattering it is to the eyes definitely a drugstore goodie.
If I am going to wear false lashes my absolutely fav are the Huda Beauty lashes in the style #9 Carmen. I love a very dramatic bold lash so I’m all about this style. They are super easy to apply and really draw a lot of attention to the eyes. These bad boys are available at Sephora for 23$ but also keep in mind that they can be worn anywhere from 15-20 times so it’s definitely worth the price.
My current favourite highlighter is Rodeo Drive by Ofra. It’s very buttery and super easy to apply this shade reminds
me of the colour of champagne and is flattering on all skin tones I love how a little goes a long way and I definitely gravitate towards this highlighter on a daily basis. This can be found on ofracosmetics.com for 35$ US but if you use the code MANNYMUA at checkout you can save 30% of your purchase. I’ve tried other shades and the formula is the same across the board and they definitely have a shade for everyone this is something I would highly recommend!
Now for lips! I’m really living lipsense in the shade Praline Rose with the matte gloss. It’s the perfect nude that really goes well with most looks. I love that the colour stays on all day and does not need to be re-applied you do however have to re-apply the gloss but the colour stays on for up to 18hours it’s a really nice shade for fall and it looks really great if you just want a simple look. Again you can find this product by clicking on the link below and will cost you 27$ if you’re someone who does not really enjoy a matte finish then you can always go with the glossy gloss either or is very flattering!
To ensure my look is locked in all day I absolutely love the Urban Decay All Nighter setting spray. I really love how it melts all your makeup together for a flawless look and keeps your makeup on all day looking fresh as if you had just applied it. You can find this at Sephora for 40$!
So there you have a complete list of my current favourites if this list is something you like let me know in the comments below and we can do a monthly favourites!
Please post your comments and questions below and thanks for reading!
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Julie Bilotta runs a facebook group called 
👑Makeup Queens👑 with over 9,000 members based in Cornwall Ontario.
She also is an advocate for improving Prisoner Rights, especially for moms facing the justice system in Canada. She has been a passionate guest speaker at events all across Canada.