Melanie's Nook: January Faves

This month has been a very busy month for me and I did not really do as much planning as what I wanted to. I hope in the coming month I will get better at planning posts as well as meal plans and personal appointments.

Although this has been a very busy month, there has been a couple of products I relied on to make my life a little bit easier. No huss, no fuss! I do not have a lot of time to do my makeup in the mornings, so I have a bag that I take to work and apply my makeup there (I'm usually one of the first people at the office). I really have to get into the habit of switching out my makeup in said bag, because what happens is, I get stuck using the same products over and over. **Note to myself**

Benefit Roller Lash

I got this mascara when Benefit launched in South Africa last year. It quickly became my favorite mascara and that's all I have been using ever since. The formula is comfortable. It's not too dry nor too wet - it's just enough of both to make the application easy, effortless and perfect every time. The bristles is plastic and has got a curve to promote curling of the lashes. The handle of the wand is rubber and that makes it feel luxurious and easy to handle. Removing the mascara is not too difficult, a little bit of miscelar water followed by your cleanser and you are good to go. Benefit Roller Lash is a bit of a splurge but it is all worth it!

Maybeline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser

Recently I change the BB Cream I use on a daily basis. Im still a bit on the fence if I like it or not, but this primer definitely makes me like it more when I use them together. I won't really classify this as a primer exactly. It does not help with color correcting or coverage of redness. All this does is it fills in the pores and make your foundation apply much more smoother. And it does it well! I have not notice that it really prolong the wear of my foundation but the main reason I use it, is for the pore filling. The Instant Pore Eraser is a clear silicon based product, so if you have a oily skin this might not be the product for you.

MAC Eyeshadow in Antiqued and Embark

These two sisters has made my life sooooo much easier. They blend like a dream and they are super pigmented. The only thing I might not like about Embark that it can easily look a bit dirty on the eyes if not blended correctly. I use them in a combo, Embark (the dark chocolate brown) all over my lid and Antiqued (the copper brown) blended into my crease. It make for an easy smokey eye kind of look but using half the time. I saw his combo done by a Youtuber on Instagram and I immediately loved it.

Elizabeth Arden Blush Brush

What a pleasure to use this brush. I got it with my gift collection I bought over the Christmas period and I'm in love. It is so soft and is just the right size. The bristles is synthetic and super soft. I have not cleaned it since I started using it a week or so ago, but I'm sure it will clean easily with no problems. The shape I would describe as a domed face brush. It is not round, but rather a "flat rectangular" shape. That is the best I can describe it. The shape make it perfect for applying blush or bronzer or even a soft contour. I am sure I will get lots of use out of this brush.

Benefit Blush in Dandelion

I got the above picture from the Benefit website cause I wanted to show you guys how beautiful this blush is. This is such a natural blush that lends the cheeks just enough to make it look like that glow coming from within. It smells like cotton candy to me and the pink is so girly. Benefit Dandelion contains micro golden sparkles. I have not yet seen it transfer to the skin but I am sure that its these tiny bits of sparkle that make it look like your skin is glowing. I enjoy using this blush and it looks very natural. There is no way that you can overdo this blush. You can go to town with this lady and it will still look beautiful and natural. If you are ever going to splurge on a blush, I would recommend this one.

Pandora Bracelet.

My husband gave me this bracelet for my birthday last year and I love it. It is comfortable and not heavy (like I thought it would be) at all. I love the idea of adding charms to the bracelet. The Pandora website is very user friendly and when you sign up you can create your own bracelet with charms or create a wishlist. This way your loved ones can easily identify the charms / bracelet you would like to have and it can also show the charms you already own. This to me is such a luxurious piece of jewelry and every time I look at it I think of how much I love my husband and how lucky I am to have him in my life- I must appreciate him more!