Something that I have definitely used virtually every day, well every time I painted my nails, is Julep’s new Freedom Polymer Top Coat. I absolutely love it! I must say that I have not tried a large variety of top coats before so I can’t compare it to thousands of others, but I feel like I don’t need to ever try a different top coat! It makes my polish dry to the touch quickly and has a nice shine to it. You can smudge your polish if you decide to, I dunno, sand furniture or something while it’s drying, but you can wash your hands, fall asleep, run to the store, etc within a few minutes of applying it. I really have nothing I can compare this to because, as I said, I haven’t tried that many top coats. I’ve actually never tried a quick-dry top coat before – crazy, I know! J I can say that the shine from the Freedom Polymer Top Coat is better than any others I have tried and it does prevent chipping better than any others I have used. Julep’s new top coat has not left my sight since it arrived earlier this month! J
For my lips, I ordered the new Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss Stick in Fuchsia-Ristic earlier this month and I really like it! It’s very comfortable, easy to apply, stays put and lasts for quite some time. The color is semi-sheer, but still provides a nice pink flush (seems to be my shade of choice!) and a touch of glossiness. It’s really pretty and I’ve been loving it this month. Definitely worth checking out! J
If you’ve seen my review of the Tangle Teezer, you know that I am completely obsessed with it! I won’t go into detail about it here since I just reviewed it, but it is absolutely the best brush I have ever used on damp hair – no products need to glide through hair like butter! It’s also great for dry hair as well and I absolutely love it! J
The next item I’m not sure I would call a favorite, but I have been using it pretty much every day. It’s the NARS Light Reflecting Loose Setting Powder. It’s a nice powder, I’m just not convinced it is anything special. It feels silky smooth and a bit velvety. It is a really super fine powder and I do like it, but I’m not sure I prefer it over my Too Faced Primed and Poreless Loose Powder. I’m not convinced that it really reflects the light in any way to help disguise imperfections, but I’m also not convinced that it does not reflect the light either! So I keep trying it day after day. I think I see a difference in pictures and bright sunlight, but when I apply it in my bathroom mirror, I don’t notice muck of a difference other than a reduction in shine. I should add that, though there are shimmery particles in the powder, you do not see them on your face at all. I’m not sure how that works, but it actually is completely invisible on the skin. And though it is a stark white powder, it does not seem to alter my skin tone at all. I am fair, but this is supposed to work for all skin tones, and I suspect it probably could. So, though this is a frequently used item, I’m still on the fence as to whether or not it is a favorite. J As far as just a loose powder, it is really nice. I’m just not convinced about its light diffusing properties yet, and without that, I’m not that interested by it.
My final favorite for the month is a new makeup bag! I have to admit that I haven’t really used it because I haven’t gone anywhere and needed to carry much with me, so I haven’t really tested it very well. But, it is the coolest makeup bag I have seen in a while. It is from the Sephora Holographic Bag Collection and is called Pastille. It is the 10.5” W x 7.75” H x 3.5” D bag which is a great size for traveling. The holographic effect is really, really cool and it actually is slightly see-through so you can see what’s inside. There are no pockets or compartments or anything, so it is just a structured open bag with a zipper, but I love it! It has rose gold detailing and it’s just really pretty and very practical, which is an unusual combination! J
That’s pretty much it for my favorites in the month of February! I have others like my Carmex lip balm and my Mineral Fusion Base Coat, but I’ve mentioned them recently so I’m not going to be too redundant by singling them out again! J
What have been your must-have products for February? Let me know in the comments because I’d love to know! J
