September Favorites!

Hello everyone! Long time no ... blog? I'm back with September favorites. I've been getting back into trying out new products and I have a few to share with you. Ready?

First off, oh my goodness these Facial Radiance Pads from First Aid Beauty are amazing. There is no other way around it, these little facials pads full of lactic and glycolic acid make my skin look glowing. When I start feeling like my skin is looking a bit dull and bumpy, I swipe this on at night and wake up to new skin. If you're new to chemical exfoliation, this is a great start as the product is not too strong, but strong enough to see results. I'm also a fan of the Clarins Gentle Exfoliating toner which I've reviewed here. This stuff will change the way you see skincare. I've been using this a lot in September as the change of weather has definitely affected my skin.

Again with the skincare, I've been paying a bit more attention to serums lately. When I saw that Caroline Hirons recommended the Soap & Glory Make Yourself Youthful Rejuvenating Face Serum, and it was reasonably priced, I decided to pick it up at my local Shoppers Drug Mart, which luckily, had it in stock, and it was on sale. The serum smells a bit like oranges and cream - it's not offensive, but not my favorite. However, the product works really well. It's light, but also creamy enough to give a bit of moisture to the skin. My mom is also a fan! I use it at night on my oily/combination skin before my moisturizer and wake up with fresh, plump skin. A+

I bought the Clinique High Impact Waterproof Mascara on a whim. I hadn't bought a waterproof mascara in years and thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to wear on my wedding day. Ya know, in case of tears. I had bought this mascara before in the non-waterproof formula and loved it. Turns out, I was pretty meh about this mascara at first. It gave me no volume and kind of clumped in a bad way. After using it about 5 times, all of a sudden, it started being really good, giving me defined lashes, and some volume. And it really is waterproof - this mascara does not budge. I don't know if the formula had to "settle" after opening, but this product is excellent. And I'm very happy it didn't turn out to be a waste of money too!

The Clinique Just Browsing purchase was a suggestion by a Shoppers Drug Mart associate. I swear, I'm not sponsored by SDM, I just buy a lot of my products there! When asked if I could purchase my usual Clinique Brow Shaper, she informed me that Clinique just came out with the Just Browsing product which is described as a "brush on styling mousse". I thought, heck yes, I'm always up for well defined, full brows. Turns out, this product is the bomb. Sadly, it does use up pretty quicky as I'm already on my second tube. The mousse is light enough that it doesn't feel like you have anything on your brows - no crispyness! - but totally keeps everything in place. Plus, the shade Deep Brown is just perfect for my brows. Highly recommend.

The Stila Color Balm Lipsticks are amazing. While I only own the shade "Isabelle", I wish I owned more. The name of these makes sense - they truly are a balmy lipstick. They feel incredibly moisturizing on the lips, and last quite a long time (4-6hrs). "Isabelle" is the perfect shade of pinky nude and goes with everything. The only thing I'm not so fond of is the minty smell. But it dissipates pretty quickly after you apply the lipstick. Next on my list - the nude shade "Sophie".

And finally, my last monthly favorite is this amazing #160 blush brush from Make Up For Ever. I've owned this brush for a while now, and it is one of my favorites. It's incredibly soft and I love using it to apply my face powder. It's great for a more precise application of product and the wooden handle is of amazing quality. I've washed this brush many times and I have never seen it lose a hair. If you're in the market for some makeup brushes, I highly suggest the ones from Make Up For Ever. You won't be disappointed!

And that concludes my September favorites! What have you been loving this month?