September Favorites featuring Nuxe, Vidal Sassoon, Clarins and more!

A little late, but they're here! September this year has been all about using products I already own. But in the name of not making this dull and talking about products I've already "favorited" before, I've added newer favorites as well. Mostly though, I'm using the same products as my last favorites, and the favorites before. Guess I'm a creature of habit?

To start off, I've raved about it, so it's no surprise that the Clarins Be Long Mascara* (reviewed here) is on my September favorites list. It's seriously one of the best mascaras I've used. The brush is tiny and catches every single one of my lashes. I highly recommend this mascara! For lips, my YSL Glossy Stain in #9 Rouge Lacque has been my go-to for bright lips in the past month. It's super easy to apply and I love the glossier (but no-fuss) formula. As for gloss, I've been obsessed with the Almay Liquid Lip Balms which I've recently reviewed. I'm seriously eyeing the flyers for a good sale on them so I can pick up all the colors. Yeah, I'm obsessed. But only because the formula is amazing! My MAC Prep+Prime powder made a surprising appearance this month. For summer, I've been embracing my natural skin which means I have barely used powder all summer. Now that fall is almost upon us, I've been mattifying my skin a little bit with this powder. Let's be honest though, this powder doesn't completely absorb all my oils, but that's one of the reasons I like it. I find it gives my skin a natural finish rather than a made up one. I've made quite a dent in it and I think it's on its way to becoming a fall, even winter fave!

Non makeup favorites include my trusty Nuxe Cleansing Milk. I feel like I've overlooked this product when I first got it, but I've been back to using it full time. I love massaging it into my skin with a bit of water. It removes all my makeup, and it's non irritating, even if I get a little in my eyes. For my hands which have started getting drier with the change of weather, I've been loving my Body Shop Almond Hand and Nails Cream. At first, I thought the cream was a bit too greasy for my liking, but after applying it before bed a few nights in a row, my hands were super smooth and my cuticles were looking much better. I'll definitely be repurchasing this gem! Finally, I've been obsessed with my Vidal Sassoon Spray Repair and Finish** since I received it at the Beauty United Launch in Toronto. This spray is meant to be more of a repairing product, but I've been loving using primarily as a finishing spray. It give my hair the perfect amount of texture without making it feel like it has any product in it. I've used it on straightened hair to give my hair a bit of messy texture, as well as on curly hair to re-define my curls and again, create a bit of texture. I usually spray the product directly on my hair, scrunch it gently, and that's it! It also smells absolutely amazing. I had been looking for a product like this in my life, but didn't want to pay the exorbitant prices of the popular texturizing sprays out there! Glad I found a happy medium!

And that's it! I had a lot more favorites this month, but you've seen them before, so I figured I'd spare you. Non beauty favorites include fresh apples, candy corn, chunky sweaters, fedoras, and black booties. Can you tell I'm in fall mode yet?

What are your beauty or non-beauty favorites this month?

* I have received this product for consideration but my opinions are always my own. I am not being compensated for this review and I always strive to review products with honesty.

**Disclosure: I am a #BeautyUnited blogger. As part of my affiliation with this group I receive products and special access to P&G events. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Clarins Be Long Mascara - Review, Sweat Test & Lash Discussion

While I generally am a drugstore mascara gal (faves being Annabelle's Le Big Show and Cover Girl's Lash Blast), I do believe some higher end mascaras are worth the purchase sometimes. Example - I love the Make Up For Ever Smokey Lash and the Clinique High Impact Extreme and would re-buy them in a heartbeat. They are on the less expensive end of high end mascara, but are still expensive if you're generally used to buying $5 mascaras.

When I tried the Clarins Be Long mascara, I was surprised. It didn't have anything I usually look for in a mascara, but I loved it instantly. I usually love big mascara brushes, but the Be Long brush is small and plastic. I also usually look for mascaras with heavier formula since I love voluminous lashes, and the formula of the Be Long is thin, but buildable. The funny thing about this is that everything I thought would work against this mascara was what made it truly remarkable. I loved that smaller brush was able to reach the small lashes at the corner of my eyes, which was made even easier with the slight angle to the brush. That's something I have a hard time to achieve with a bigger brush. The formula of the mascara was lengthening and thickening even with its thinner consistency. It doesn't clump whatsoever which makes it super easy to add a second coat. In fact, before the first coat is even dry, you can easily build a second coat without clumping.

I thought it might be interesting to add that on top of lasting on my lashes all day without any flakies, it lasted through a 1 hour moderately sweaty boxercise work out. If it passes the sweat test, that's GOOD.

And if this wasn't good enough, it's super easy to remove. Some of my favorite mascaras are a pain to remove. Yes, they give thick lashes, but thick lashes come with a lot of product, which means pain in the ass makeup removal. The Clarins Be Long mascara achieves thick lashes with minimal product, which means an easier removal process. And less product wasted as well!

This product is meant to give lashes some serious length, and while my lashes are already pretty long, I do find it lengthened them even more. Honestly though, I'm more impressed by its overall performance than by its lengthening factor. It delivers things I never knew I missed in my regular mascaras - the angled, small brush and the easy to build formula are both characteristics I will keep an eye out for in the future.

At a price point of $27, this mascara isn't cheap. But if you don't mind spending money on a makeup item such as mascara, I definitely recommend this gem.

* I have received this product for consideration but my opinions are always my own. I am not being compensated for this review and I always strive to review products with honesty.