Hey guys! Long time, no blog. I was trying to pursue a different project (YouTube) and after several months of attempts, research and pondering the topic, came up with the conclusion that I am going to stick to just good ol’ blogging after all. So welcome back to basics.

Before getting into the post itself, I have to mention the fact that today is International Women’s Day! To all my fellow ladies – may your days be filled with love and happiness, flowers, and only the best people! Surround yourself with good and it’ll change your life! Where I’m from, this holiday is a huge deal so I am so happy to see it get world-wide recognition over the last few years.

I am sorry to have missed a few months of favorites, but its better late than never! You know I am always trying new things and love to share what worked. And keep calm, we will resume our regularly scheduled programming for the monthly favorites at the end of March.

As usual, I have been trying out some new brands, new products and re-introducing old favorites into my life. Today, I will be picking my very favorite ones that haven’t made an appearance on the blog yet. If you aren’t following me on Instagram, find me @styleasneeded! I’ve started something called Monday Reviews where I highlight one specific product a week and cover its pros and cons as well so you can always ask about product here or there. I am flexible 🙂

Skincare

Glow Recipe Avocado Melt Sleeping Mask – Glow Recipe has been one of those brands that has been on everybody’s radar ever since the Watermelon Sleeping Mask came out. The watermelon mask which I used for over a year,  provides a “light” overnight hydration, while this avocado version is completely different. The consistency is more of that of a thick cream than a gel-moisturizer like the watermelon one. This mask will make is so thick, it might even rehydrate the skin of someone living in Antarctica! I used it on the brutal below freezing days and my skin stayed hydrated all winter thanks to this bad girl. Highly recommend picking this up if you’re battling dry skin.

LilyAnna Naturals Face Cream – This one is an Amazon find. It comes in the cutest spring perfect packaging, which suites this light-weight moisturizer which will keep your skin plump all year long. I wouldn’t say this one is better for spring or winter because while it is quite lightweight, it does the job of a heavy duty moisturizer without ever showing any greasiness on your face. The consistency is between a cream and a mousse and is really simple to rub into your skin. The packaging is a little bulky, so that part isn’t my favorite but I can look past that for the results with this cream.

Beauty

Dr.Jart Beauty Balm – I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, this stuff is so good. This is my all time favorite BB cream/ tinted moisturizer. I even hesitate to call it a tinted moisturizer because of how much coverage it provides but it can’t be called a foundation either. Foundiosturizer? Foundizer? Moistation? Maybe it will come to me later… This BB cream is SPF 45 in it making it perfect for every day and for walking around exploring. I wore this every day during our Australia trip and never got burnt even with the insane heat and sunshine. Of course, kids, don’t forget to reapply sunscreen if you are going to be in the sun for long times.  The color selection does suck, but this doesn’t have to match exactly since it’s a BB cream and will blend in to match your skin tone. You don’t need a lot to cover your whole face either, which is nice. So don’t let the price tag scare you away, it does last a few months with daily use at least.

It Cosmetics CC Cream – I am super late one, I know! But I finally know what all the fuss is about, so now I am going to add to the hype! In my defense, I went to go pick this up months ago and they didn’t have my shade in stock. They did have my shade for the “Illuminating” version of this CC cream so I picked that up. This was a nothing short of a terrible decision because in It Cosmetic’s world, illumination apparently involves glitter. Seriously, glitter particles in the CC cream that are very visible on your face when you apply it. So, reasonable, I did not go back to try what I needed. But I am lucky I changed my mind, because this is pretty much the only CC cream/foundation I’ve been using over the last few weeks. This makes your skin look flawless while still looking natural. You don’t look like you have foundation on while you are wearing this yet all your flaws are covered. This also has SPF 50 in it making it perfect for every day. Highly recommend picking this up if you haven’t already.

First Aid Beauty Hello FAB Bendy Avocado Concealer – This has become my new favorite concealer. This even replaced my Urban Decay Naked Concealer which was my holy grail at the time. This concealer is hydrating, doesn’t crease, isn’t too much coverage (I’m looking at you, Tape Shape) and has an awesome applicator. If you’re in the market for a new concealer, pick this one up.

Physician’s Formula Eye Booster 2 – in – 1 Lash Boosting Eyeliner + Serum – This has become the only eyeliner I use. No more Tattoo Liner and no more Stila Liquid Liner for me since I can spend less money and get the exact same results. Not only that, this has a lash boosting formula which I am all about. I do need to warn you – if you want a matte black finish, you have to get this in Ultimate Black. The regular black version isn’t the darkest and actually looks a bit charcoal and that’s not my jam.

Ace Beaute Grandiose Palette – This was a Boxycharm find. This palette blew me away. I’ve never worked with more pigmented mattes in my whole life. I am definitely going to be picking up a few more palettes from this brand because the quality is top notch and the price is right. The metallics are pretty great too, don’t get me wrong, but man, these mattes are out of this world. The color selection in this palette is not for the faint of heart, but it’s fun to play around with! But I encourage you to go on their website for a ton of other color options. Flair palette, I have my eye on you.

Violet Voss Pro HG Palette – Another Boxycharm discovery. This was part of my first BoxyLuxe box which made the upgrade more than worth it! 20 beautiful colors, a great assortment of mattes and metallics and amazing pigmentation! This was the first Violet Voss palette I’ve ever tried, and I am now their fan and might even try some of their other palettes. If you’re a warm kind of gal, this palette is worth checking out. It’s a combination of rose gold, reds, pinks and gold tones along with many browns to use for the crease and transition shades makes this a winner for one palette, many looks.

NYX Lingerie Gloss in “Honeymoon” – My new favorite lip-gloss. This formula is not sticky and the color is absolutely perfect. If you like mauves that are more on the nude side, check this one out. I just picked up another one from this line as well in the shade “Butter” and am loving it as well. NYX overall is just such a high quality brand for such a low price point that you gotta love it.

That’s all I have for you guys! Can’t wait to see what you think about these products and what you think I should try (after all, some of these favorites were reader recommended!) Thanks for sticking it out with me and I can’t wait to go back to our regular schedule!

As always, thanks for reading!

*Clicking on listed links may result in monetary compensation for my blog