little white truths

I went to check the reviews I've written since the beginning of November to work out which items were my favourites this month, and I was surprised to see that it's been a huge month for me for both skincare and makeup so I had trouble narrowing things down to my top five.

That doesn't normally happen - normally the standout products are very clear - so at least you know that the five products below must be extra good since they've kicked out some other good products.

Anyhoo! In no particular order...

Bobbi Brown Soothing Cleansing Oil

Full review here. I haven't used much from Bobbi Brown - whether makeup or skincare - so when I was able to grab two of these cleansing oils as GWPs, I jumped at the chance because I remember trying the product before and really enjoying it.

Thankfully I really enjoyed it again: it's soothing, hydrating and nourishing, and it just feels so nice on my skin. Indeed, I was sad when I recently finished my second bottle and I'm already missing it. 

There aren't many cleansing oils or balms that feel special to me because so many of them are decent enough, but this is definitely in the special category and I'm hoping I'll be able to buy it at some point next year: it's just that good.

Too Faced Natural Matte Eyeshadow Collection

Love them or hate them, you can't argue against the fact that Too Faced occasionally releases excellent products and I reckon this is one of them. I included it recently in my Project Dent series and really enjoyed using it daily, plus I finally reviewed it during that time: see here if you're interested.

One of the things I love about this palette is the shade selection - yes it's neutral, but it's not just a whole lot of brown so it's more interesting than other neutral palettes - plus it's one of those foolproof palettes that's great for when I'm in a rush because I've never done a dud look with it. 

It's blendable, most of the shades are creamy and apply well, and it's a great stand-alone palette or one to pair with a shimmer or two for the lid. One of my favourites.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzer in Radiant Bronze Light

This bronzer could really be a favourite every month because it's my favourite bronzer of all time, but I reviewed it this month so that's why it's front-of-mind. See review here.

It's hard to describe why I feel that these bronzers beat every other bronzer on the market, but it's got a lot to do with the blurring effect that they have on the skin. I always look younger when I have a face full of Hourglass, so it's no surprise that I own one of almost every powder the brand has released.

Better still, this bronzer blends and applies beautifully so I've never made a mistake with it, and while it's super pigmented, I can always diffuse it if I accidentally apply too much. It's also my favourite colour in the range because it has a red undertone, which is my favourite for bronzing. Just an excellent product.

Becca Mineral Blush in Songbird

Full review here. I own four Becca blushes and I've had them for ages, but it wasn't until I brought this one into Project Dent that I finally started using it more.

The formula of these blushes is beautiful - they're soft, creamy and finely milled - and they always apply well and look so nice on the skin. Indeed, the only reason I don't wear them more often is because I fell for Hourglass and Marc Jacobs blushes a while after I bought these, so it's been nice this year to work on them occasionally as part of Project Dent.

This shade is a terracotta orange with a slight gold sheen that lifts the face and it's a great colour for the warmer months because you can wear it lightly for a more natural look or heavily for a more sunny one. I really enjoy it and I still recommend the formula, even though it's no longer my absolute favourite on the market.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Volume 3

I bought both this and the Hourglass Metallic Strobe Lighting Palette this year, and while I do like the strobe palette, this edit is my favourite because I don't think the strobe palette is quite 'Hourglass'. That is, it doesn't blur and minimise texture like my other Hourglass powders do (including the original strobe powders), and since the airbrushed thing is why I buy Hourglass, it doesn't quite make the grade for me - even though I really enjoy it.

If you're interested, I've reviewed the strobe palette here and this edit here.

I like this palette because it contains powders of the quality I've come to expect from Hourglass, and because I can do my whole face with it - including my eyes, if I'm in a pinch. I really don't think you can beat the convenience of having two blushes, a bronzer, two setting powders (one for the under-eyes) and a highlighter all in the same palette. It's especially good for time-pressed people like myself and I reckon I'll use this to death. Yes I preferred last year's edit but this one's lovely too.

In sum

That's all from me!

I'm surprised to look back over this and realise that I have mostly makeup products in my favourites this month: normally I have mostly skincare. So there you go. It must have been a good month for makeup.

Let me know in the comments what you've been loving this month: I'd love to hear.

Hope all's well with you, and speak soon x