Fab Five: My Top 5 Must-have Beauty Products, February 2015

Hi my lovelies!

I've gathered up my top five beauty favorites for February - read on to see what I can't live without!


C.O. Bigelow Rose Salve  

C.O. Bigelow Rose Salve, $5.50

This is my lips' saving grace for the harsh winter months. I absolutely love how this smells, and how it feels! I slather it all over my lips at night, and wake up with them feeling so soft and moisturized.  I also take what's left on my fingers after applying, and rub it into my cuticles. It is a multi-purpose product that I buy time and time again.


It Cosmetics Bye Bye Redness Correcting Creme

It Cosmetics Bye Bye Redness, $32

This little jar of wonderful is a lifesaver for my red winter skin, and I'm sure it will be just as amazing as we work our way into warmer months as well! During the winter I have red areas on my cheeks and around my nose (not to mention pesky acne marks that visit me all year long) that regular foundation and concealer doesn't always cover completely. I decided to give It Cosmetics Bye Bye Redness a try, and I am thrilled with it, as it virtually erases all signs of redness from my skin! I just dab it on the spots I have, and away they go! I've used it both over and under my foundation, and it works well either way. This is a staple in my makeup drawer, and I am sure I will be buying jars of this until one of us is no longer around!


Avon Moisture Therapy Intensive Healing & Repair Hand Cream

Avon Moisture Therapy Hand Cream, $5

Cold winter months wreak havoc on my hands, making them dry and cracked; luckily this super thick cream helps keep those tiny cracks at bay. I'm not kidding when I say it is thick, so I wouldn't recommend it for use throughout the day as it does leave behind a greasy residue; however, it is perfect to massage into your hands right before bed, and maybe even top with some cotton gloves to get the ultimate moisturizing treatment!


 The Balm Brow Pow Eyebrow Powder

The Balm Brow Pow Brow Powder - $15

I use this in the shade blonde, and it has slowly replaced my Anastasia Brow Wiz. Don't get me wrong, I still love my Brow Wiz and will continue to purchase it, however there is just something about this brow powder that makes me do a happy dance every time I reach for it. It is so easy to use, the color is spot on for my brow color, and it looks so natural. I've used it by itself, as well as in conjunction with my Milani Brow Shaping Wax, and I get fabulous results every time!


Lorac Cosmetics Pro Palette 

Lorac Cosmetics Pro Palette, $42

 Ok, so I know this is not a new palette, but I've been living under a rock I'm a little late to the game and only recently picked this up, and - Oh My Goooodness - it is amazing! What took me so long to jump on the bandwagon?? The shadows are so smooth and buttery, and they apply like a dream in a dream. When I swatched this for the first time, I had to stop myself from rubbing it all over my body - it is that velvety! Needless to say, I haven't put this down since I bought it, and I am in love with the looks it creates. It is a definite must-have in my opinion.


That wraps up my Fab Five for February; have you tried any of these products yourself? What are your February must-haves? I'm always looking for new products to try, so I would love to hear what you're loving right now :)

Thanks for visiting - live a beautiful life!

~Jessica

The Whole Palette Challenge: The Balm Cosmetics Balm Jovi Palette

Hi Lovelies - hope you are well!

I have for you another Whole Palette Challenge with my friend Melissa from the YouTube channel MakeupMinnie83! The rules are simple: You have 7 days to create looks using all of the eye shadows in the chosen palette. Depending on the size of the palette, you must create between 5 and 7 looks, and you must use every shade in the palette at least once. You can use the same shade in multiple looks (some palettes only have one transition or matte highlight shade), and you can even bring in outside colors if need be (some palettes have no matte black or dark brown).

The goal of this challenge is to push you out of your comfort zone, and to allow your creativity to flow. Sometimes I find myself in a shadow funk - reaching for the same colors over and over again. This challenge will really force us to think outside the box and try looks and combinations that we tend to shy away from on a daily basis. For this challenge, we set our sights on The Balm Cosmetics Balm Jovi Rockstar Face Palette:

 This is a really cute palette, with a lot of fun colors that can create a multitude of looks! Inside of the palette are 12 shadows ranging from classic nudes to shimmery metallics, with awesome names like Blink 1982 and Alice Copper. The shades are quite pigmented, but there is a good amount of fallout from most of them, especially the shades with sparkle. The palette also comes with a highlight, blush, and two lip/cheek colors. I tried to use the included highlight and blush in most of my looks, and I always used Kevyn Aucoin The Essential Mascara on my top and bottom lashes. I think this is a very versatile palette that can easily take you from casual weekend to glam night out. I really enjoyed playing with this palette and creating the following six looks:

Look 1:

For the first look, I applied Allegro to the crease, Blink 1982 to the lid, Moderato to the outer V, Third Eye Blinded to my inner corner, and Adagio to my brow bone. I used the NYX Slide on Pencil in Jewel to line my upper and lower lash lines, and  the Vasanti Kajal eye pencil in Rose Gold to line my lower water line. On my lips I have Milani Bedazzled Lipstick in Enchanted Topaz (LE).

Look 2:

For this look, I used the Rimmel Sandaleyes Shadow Stick in Bulletproof Beige on the inner 1/3 of my lid, and then applied Allegro to the outer 2/3. I added Presto to my outer v, and swept it up into the crease. I used Adagio to highlight my browbone, added Bulletproof Beige to my lower lashline, and lined my upper lashline with the Stila Smudge Stick in Damsel. 

On my lips m wearing the Colour Pop Lippie Stix in Lumiere.

 Look 3:

For look 3, I applied a mixture of Allegro and Adagio as my transition color, rem on my lid, and Moderato on my outer v and in my crease. I used Adagio on my browbone, and added a bit of Metal-ica to my inner corners. I smudged a combination of rem and Moderato under my lower lashline, and lined my upper lashline with black gel eyeliner.

 On my lips I have NYX Extra Creamy Round Lipstick in Thalia.

Look 4:

In this look, I again combined Adagio and Allegro and used that as a transition shade. I then applied The Stroke to the outer 3/4 of my lid and blended it up into my outer crease. I highlighted my browbone with Adagio, and my inner corner with Metal-ica. I smudged Metal-ica on the inner half of my lower lashline, and lined the top lashline with Urban Decay's 24/7 liner in Sabbath.   

For my lips I used Colour Pop Lippie Stix in Frida.

Look 5:

I think this 5th look is sooo pretty! I first applied Maybelline Color Tattoo Metal in  Inked in Pink all over my lid. I then pressed Alice Copper onto the outer half of my lid and smudged it up in to my crease. I swept Allegro into my upper crease, and applied Adagio as my brow bone highlight. Lastly, I used Iron Maid-in to highlight my inner corner, and also swept it on my lower lash line. On my lips I have the Colour Pop Lippie Stix in Frida, topped with NYX Mega Shine Lipgloss in Sweetheart.

Look 6:

I saved the most dramatic look for last: I started off by applying the NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil  in Milk to the inner half of my lid, and Black Bean to the outer half. I then used a stiff brush to pack Lead Zeppelin all over my lid. I blended that up into the crease with a bit of Adagio combined with Allegro, and highlighted my brow bone with Allegro. I used Iron Maid-In to highlight my inner corners, and smudged it under my lower lashes. I used a black gel eyeliner to line my upper lashes, winging it out, and the Rimmel Kohl Kajal liner in black on my lower waterline. To complete this look I applied a pair of Ardell 120 Lashes and Colour Pop Lippie Stix in Lumiere.

And there you have the looks I created for the Whole palette challenge using the The Balm Cosmetics Balm Jovi Rockstar Face Palette. I hope you like what I came up with; if you decide to try any of these looks out for yourself, please share - I'd love to see them!  Post them to social media using #msadventuresinmakeup and #wholepalettechallenge :)

Please, please, please check out the looks Melissa creates for this Challenge - she is so talented and creative and beautiful, and comes up with combinations that I would never think of, so show her some love and let her know I sent you over!

Have you tried out The Balm Cosmetics Balm Jovi Rockstar Face Palette? If so, what are your thoughts on it?

Thanks so much for stopping by - live a beautiful life!

~Jessica