Monthly Beauty Favorites - March

Hey dolls!!! I'm so sorry I've been away for so long (Has it really been a year? What???)but I really just lost my inspiration for a while and got caught up with other things so I had put my blogging aside. But I'm happy to say that my love for fashion & beauty has been totally renewed! I've been quite the little beauty junkie as of late so I've been doing a ton of shopping and testing of products and I'd like to share some of the things I couldn't put down all month.

Just a little disclaimer, there's a lot of this month because it's the first time but I promise they won't all be this long. :)

EYES: Urban Decay Naked Palette: This is one of those things that I somehow had been missing out on that I now rarely go a day without. In this humble blogger's opinion this is one of the best, if not the best nude palette out there. The shadows are soft without being chalky, the colors have great pigmentation, there's little to no fallout and there are countless looks you can create using just this palette without having to reach for another. It's a definite must have in every beauty girl's collection!

To get the most out of your shadows, you have to use the right set of tools. I recently picked up the #217 blending brush from MAC and it has totally transformed the way I apply my eyeshadow. Blending is everything and this is definitely my new favorite!

Urban Decay Primer Potion and NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer have both earned a permanent home in my makeup collection. The primer gives the shadow incredible lasting power (even for someone with oily lids like me) and stops it from creasing over the course of the day. And for the worst case of under eye circles EVER (yours truly), just a little of the concealer (which also includes light diffusing agents) get rid of those circles completely.

To finish the look, I've been loving Urban Decay's 24/7 Glide On Eyeliners and Benefit's "They're Real" Mascara. The eyeliners are creamy and soft, they set quickly and they have the most incredible staying power of any eyeliner I've ever used. I seriously want them in every single color!!! My eyes have clearly been having an Urban Decay kind of month!

FACE: I have SUPER oily skin so without the right products, my makeup is literally sliding off of my face within two hours of application and it looks like someone slathered my face in Crisco (I know, gross right? Ugh!). Well thankfully I finally figured out a routine to combat the oil slick! I start with Benefit's Porefessional Primer all over my face and then once that sets, I mix a bit of Manna Shimmer Lotion with Smashbox BB Cream to serve as my foundation with a touch of highlight. I received the Manna Shimmer Lotion in a beauty subscription box and the rosy pink has been perfect as a luminizer. I only received a tiny sample but I'll definitely be repurchasing it.

Once I've applied all my makeup, the finishing touch is to spray my face with Urban Decay De-Slick Setting Spray which I swear to you is a miracle in a bottle. My aesthetician told me about this a couple years ago and I all I can say is *JT Voice* Holy Grail!!! This stuff keeps me completely shine free all day long!

CHEEKS: Lately I have been positively obsessed with highlighters! I don't know how I ever called myself a true makeup girl without understanding how much of a difference that extra bit of glow makes but now I can't go without it. It's addictive! As I said, I've been doing some buying, trying and testing of different products so I have a few highlighters at home but the one I find myself reaching for most is this Fergie for Wet 'N' Wild Highlighter in Rose Champagne that I apply with my favorite Eco Tools fan brush. Just a few swipes in the right places and I have that fresh faced Hollywood glow!

As far as blushes, Milani and I have been having a definite moment. Their baked blushes in Luminoso (Peach with a bit of shimmer) and Delizioso Pink (*NEW* Matte Hot Pink - AMAZING!!!!!) have been my everyday go-to's. Milani's blushes are highly pigmented so a little goes a long way but they're easily buildable if you want more color.

LIPPIES!!!: It's a pretty tight race for my favorite product but if I had to choose one that I couldn't live without for the rest of my life, I think that lippies would win. I don't know about you, but even with a full face of makeup I don't feel done without my lipstick. It's that finishing touch that makes a look complete and lately I've been gearing toward matte colors. I've been switching back and forth between MAC's Candy Yum-Yum (Matte Hot Pink) with their Pro Longwear lip pencil in Shock Value (Also Hot Pink) and Ruby Woo (Matte Cherry Red) with a Lip Pencil in the color Cherry almost daily.

When you're wearing matte lipstick, it's really important that you exfoliate and moisturize your lips well because any dry patches or flakiness are going to be on full display with a matte formula as they tend to be more drying to begin with. My favorite way to do it is with this Fresh Brown Sugar Lip Polish followed up with my favorite EOS lip balm.

HAIR & NAILS: For the past few months I've been wearing acrylic nails and I loved them but I hate how weak and brittle they left my nails when I took them off. That's why I've been using this Intensive Strengthening Treatment by NailTek to get them back into shape. A couple swipes a week is all it takes!

I've heard great things about Zoya's Pixie Dust nail polish line so I decided to grab a couple. This particular shade "Tomoko" is like someone took all the sparkle and glitter of New Year's Eve and put it in a bottle. It literally looks like you dipped your fingers in glitter dust. It's probably better suited to a special event but what can I say, everyday is an occasion for sparkle for me!

I have a true love/hate relationship with my hair. It's thick and fine at the same time while being incredibly dry and fragile. It's drives me nuts! I asked my stylist for recommendations and she didn't think twice before recommending this Mizani Hairdressing Cream. A dime sized amount on a daily basis has been the best thing ever to keep my hair moisturized without weighing it down. I'm in product love!

JUST FOR FUN: These last couple items are literally just for fun! I have the WORST sweet tooth and lately I just can't seem to get enough of these teas by The Republic of Tea. I don't know if there's a such thing as a dessert tea but if there is, this is definitely it. The red velvet one is my latest discovery and OMG....Can you say heaven???

Have you tried any of these products? What do you think? Any that you can recommend I try for this month? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Until next time...XOXO ~JuJu