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October/November/December Favorites - Beauty & Skincare


September to December saw me using tons of new Skincare products, all thanks to Sephora Appreciation week aka the sale they had in August and some awesome giveaways that I won along with a bunch of gifted PR products. After trying them for almost four months, I can positively pinpoint all the favorites. The list is really long this time but as there will be an annual skincare and Makeup Edit pretty soon on the blog, I will try to keep this post short and not include the ones that will be included in the yearly favorites. It took me a while to come up with this plan so as to avoid turning this post into an endless nightmare. Also, the photos are really not up to the mark. This is just such a busy busy month!


SKINCARE BITS
LOWENGRIP is a Swedish brand and they sent me their products for consideration. I chose products fit for dry skin. The oil based serum is a fantastic. Usually, I layer moisturizer over a serum, but this oil based serum is basically oil, so I use this serum as last step in my skincare routine. It leaves the skin super moisturized and silky soft to touch. The skin looks plump and healthy. This is a very well made oil serum. The Face Cream on its own is pretty moisturizing too. It is a thick cream and sinks in very nicely. These two products were on top of my list. They really did make a difference for my dry skin. It is not a very hyped product, but when it comes to performance, this one really delivers.


It was so hard to get my hands on this product! It was always out of stock everywhere. Initially when I tried their samples, I was underwhelmed, because with all the hype around it, my expectations with the humble cream had sky rocketed. After using it consistently, I must say it is a nice cream. It smells like roses and it moisturizes beautifully. It is not a very dense cream, but not light weight either, absorbs quickly and does not pills on me, so easy to layer. I prefer to use this during the day. Will have a detailed review up soon.

INSTYTUTUM EYE CREAM is a brightening eye cream that I won in a giveaway. INSTYTUTUM is a brand that carries only a handful of products all made in Switzerland. The products are not tested on animals, are paraben and sulfate free and contains  no mineral oils. 
The eye cream contains shea butter, oat extract, hyaluronic acid, bisabolol, peptides, caffeine, retinol to name a few. The ingredient list is impressive and I am enjoying using this under the eyes. It does not sting my eyes and hydrates it beautifully. There is a noticeable difference in the appearance of fine lines too. I have yet to notice any major difference with dark circles though, but then I have not been sleeping on time and some of my darkness is hereditary. So I mean I am not expecting a lot in that department. A good eye cream. Available here.


Caudalie Vinoperfect range of products are my absolute favorites and I have been using their Vinoperfect serum since ages. The Glycolic Brightening essence is more like a toner in terms of consistency. It is pretty thin, like water and totally not like the essence that I am used to from Kbeauty industry. I like layering this product. The concentration of Glycolic acid is not known. I mean I could not find it anywhere. The minimum concentration of Glycolic acid I use in a toner is 5% and it gives me more visible radiance and glow and the effects are long term. They help in actually tackling the hyper pigmentation but they break me out if used daily. The Caudalie one has blend of Glycolic Acid, Organic Grape Water and White Peony Extracts, which is very soothing and moisturizing and that is why it is an essence and not a toner. (pretty confusing!!) The gentle nature of the product makes it easy to use this pretty much everyday in the skincare routine. It is like smaller dose of acid everyday.  I really wish to know the Glycolic acid percentage in this one. So far enjoying the using it and I love the light scent too. 


SHEET MASKS
I was never a hardcore fan of sheet masking. I love a good face mask but the ones that come in jars and tubes, but now I am warming up to these sheets and have been enjoying buying them from all over the place. Dr. Jart+ and Tony Moly masks are few of my favorites. There are tons of these masks available at every price point and these are little affordable products that everyone should at least experience once to pamper themselves.


GLOW RECIPE Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask was one of the most talked about products in the skincare community on Instagram. I picked a small jar of this face mask and I enjoyed using it. The texture is very light weight, almost like watery gel. As far as the effect on skin goes, it is not the most brightening mask. It is mildly moisturizing too. The reason I like this is because of the way it feels on the skin. It is very cooling, fresh and relaxing. Especially at end of a long day, on tired skin.

This is one of those color changing masks, does not dries. It contains fruit activated AHA, that is pretty gentle on skin. It is one of those quick, pick me up masks that leaves the skin feeling fresh, noticeably bright and glowing. It is not a peel. Does not leaves the face dry. The fact that it is not a very potent product with high concentration of acids and actives is what works for me. I enjoy this 5-10 minute masking ritual a few hours before going out on an evening party and it makes my skin look like I have got a nice facial!


BEAUTY BITS
I don't buy new makeup as often as I buy new skincare. I have become very picky with new makeup and it has to be interesting enough to to come home with me to be added in my vanity.


LILAH B as a brand is well known for their unique, heavy, pebble packaging. I too was attracted to this packaging and picked my very first product from the brand, a blush. Luckily, that was a hit, so I picked the LILAH B. Flawless Finish Foundation. It is a silky powder foundation with sheer coverage. Despite its cute, but not so functional packaging, I like the product. I love how well it looks on my skin. It blends well, leaving a natural luminosity. The color is very forgiving. It somehow adjusts well to my skintone. The coverage is sheer and I would not call it a foundation. It is more like something to even out the skin. My skin but better kinds. (hope I am making any sense here) There is no mirror and no applicator for touch ups, but I still like the packaging. It looks good on Instagram photos. Yes! Insta friendly packaging is a thing!!!

This is an old product. Just a primer. I have had this for a while and I use this only in colder months or when it is not summer. The key to a luminous glow is simple. Use it in tiniest amount. Less is more with this product.

MAKEUP DROP* is a silicone applicator that is shaped like a drop. It was gifted and I use it to apply my face mask. It is such a lovely tool to have. The spreads the mask evenly, in a thin layer, minimizing wastage. The product is shaped nicely. Pointy enough to get inside the jar and has a good grip. Easy to clean and store. 


I like cream blush and cream highlighter and this was the year I added so many cream blushes. Surprisingly, I never tried Milk Makeup before and now that I own a few products from the brand, I regret not trying them before. The Lip and Cheek product is so amazing! It is soft, creamy and blends easily. The lasting power is awesome and it looks so natural on the skin, like real flush on the cheeks. The color I have is Werk. The kit that I purchased has many other products in it that I have to try but I have been thoroughly enjoying the product from past few months.

Cream cheek products give the best, natural look on skin. The PAT MCGRATH LABS Skin Fetish Highlighter in Gold is perfect for my medium skintone. The shimmers are fine and it does not emphasizes any pores. The end result is pretty natural looking without looking metallic. The real star though is the balm on the other side. It is a very unique product that gives the most lovely, dewy look on the skin. It is strange because I hardly see any shimmer particles in it. It looks like any other clear lip balm, but the result it imparts is very dewy. Non sticky and long lasting product. I love it.

BARE MINERALS GEN NUDE™ Radiant Lipstick
I have in this in two shades. Mantra and Queen. Moisturizing lipstick with good coverage and staying power. Does not peel the lips, has no funky smell, packed in a sturdy bullet and affordable. There is nothing I don't like about this lipstick. Just a perfect everyday essential. 


CANE + AUSTIN Face and Body Retexture Scrub 10% Glycolic Acid + 0.5% Salicylic Acid
I have Keratosis Pilaris aka chicken skin, which means my skin is not smooth to touch. I have some bumps on my arms and thighs that are totally harmless. It is a texture issue, which can be easily tackled by exfoliation. I usually use the DERMADOCTOR KP Duty® Body Scrub, which is fabulous but I won the CANE + AUSTIN Face and Body Retexture Scrub in a giveaway and have been using it instead. It is a chemical exfoliator that contains 10% Glycolic Acid + 0.5% Salicylic Acid. I use it in my shower on dry skin. The product is mildly abrasive too, so it is physical exfoliation along with chemical exfoliation. The end result is soft, smooth skin. 

These are a bunch of standout products for me from the past three months. I was lucky to win so many giveaways,  that gave me a chance to try n find some new awesome products. The year end skincare favorites will be coming soon. That is going to be a long one. a really long one!

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The post contains affiliated links. Products marked with * are gifted. All opinions are my own.

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