beauty bits and bobs

Every month, I have a few beauty-related things that I absolutely cannot live without.

First of all, Rimmel London's ScandalEyes in Nude. I haven't been sleeping very well at all, thank you final exams, and a dash of this on my water line and... lid-line? makes my eyes look like they're actually open. It applies very smoothly, unlike a lot of drugstore eyeliners, which is great because I usually use Urban Decay's eyeliners which go on like melted chocolate or something.

I've just recently discovered red lipstick. I didn't know that it was an untapped source of self-esteem, but now that I do, I can barely leave the house without it. Pictured is Too Faced's Stiletto Red, which is a nice "real red" -- none of those orangey undertones. It has excellent staying power, as well.

I've also been loving Smith's Minted Rose Lip Balm. Sephora seems to think that it's made just for them, but I've also found it at Anthropologie and loads of other stores. Besides smelling heavenly, it keeps my lips from getting chapped as well as moisturizing them like crazy which is a major concern as we're getting into the cold months. I put it on every night before bed and every morning before I put on my lipstick.

My fear of chapped lips is underscored by the addition of another lip moisturizing product to this list -- the ChapStick seasonal Candy Cane lip balm. It burns like nobody's business if your lips are actually chapped, but it smells divine and I put it in my clutch if I'm going out and don't want to worry about the wellbeing of my fancy lip balm.

Last but certainly not least, an oldie but goodie, Benefit's Bad Gal Lash mascara. I have been using this for about 3 years now, so I don't guess it's really a "monthly favorite," but it really truly works wonders. Though it doesn't say that it's waterproof, I cry like an infant on a daily basis and have never experienced my mascara running down my face, and the brush is not plastic but still, somehow, really separates your lashes and makes them look long and luxurious.