In My Makeup Bag | November

Autumn vibes have officially crept into my go-to makeup and I'm here to tell you about it. I've been keeping my everyday products in a Glossier pink pouch to lug around with me, and I've pretty much been rotating them out on a monthly basis. This month there seems to be more of a cohesive color story than usual, so I thought I'd take you on a little tour of my everyday makeup bag.

There's nothing new in the skin department - I'm still using my Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint almost every day and then going in with the Milk Makeup Flex Concealer. The Perfecting Skin Tint doesn't have much coverage at all, but it just makes my skin look good. The Milk concealer has officially reached holy grail status by now - it looks so skinlike but still has great coverage. It's no Shape Tape, but I'm not looking for that level of coverage. This will cover my dark circles and blemishes, and I like that it doesn't cake up or crack as I move my face throughout the day. Seriously you need to try it.

Going in order of how I do my makeup, brows are next. I always start with Glossier Boy Brow in Brown - I honestly can't go a day without this. I like using it before anything else because it does such a great job at defining and enhancing my brows. Recently I've gone back to the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade in Medium Brown, and I'm loving a slightly more dramatic brow look for fall. I've been using it to try to draw extra hairs in my brows to make them look extra fluffy and bushy.

I feel like every time I write one of these posts I say something like "omg! I'm using eyeshadow!" and then I stop again right after. But yes, again, I've been using eyeshadow. On quick days, I've been using the Laura Mercier Caviar Sticks - I have the Mode to Modern set, which includes the perfect everyday shades, and I've been using Amethyst the most. It's a super pretty purple-y bronze shade. When I do feel like putting in a little more effort, I've been using shades from the NABLA Cosmetics Dreamy Eyeshadow Palette (review). I can't get over how pretty this palette is, and I love that it's still wearable for everyday despite not having a bunch of brown eyeshadows. I need to mention the Surratt Beauty Relevee Eyelash Curler - it's a new addition, and I totally get the hype now. It easily fits all my eyelashes without any pinching, and it creates a super realistic curl instead of an L-shaped kink. As for mascara, I've gone back to the L'Oreal Lash Paradise Mascara. It really gives my lashes some oomph, giving crazy length and volume and holding the curl. It also doesn't smudge on me even though I don't have the waterproof version - score.

Keeping with the plum/berry theme I've been going for with the eyes, I've been reaching for the Glossier Cloud Paint in Haze a lot lately for my blush. It gives the perfect flush to the skin without making me look red or blotchy. I used to be afraid of blush, but the Cloud Paints totally changed that. I change up my highlight more than anything else since I have way too many, but right now I've been loving the Nudestix Nudies All Over Face Color in Illumi-Naughty. I love that it's mostly a clear formula, giving a glossy look, with a bit of a pink shift when it hits the light. It's just a stunning highlight, and one of my favorites in my collection for sure.

Last is lips, and I always keep a few options with me. For an actual lipstick, I've been loving the Pat McGrath Labs LuxeTrance Lipstick in Realness - it's a lovely mauve-y nude shade that's really close to my natural lip color. This formula is phenomenal, too. It feels so lightweight and comfortable on the lips. I'd highly recommend picking one up in the VIB sale! If I'm going for a more natural look or want something glossy, I've been reaching for the Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb. I still love this so much, and it's my favorite thing I got from Fenty Beauty when it launched. It's the most perfect shade, is beautifully glossy, and isn't sticky at all. My favorite lip look lately, though, is applying some of a NARS Powermatte Lip Pigment (review) over the Glossier Balm Dotcom and dabbing it into my lips to create a stain. For this look, I've been loving Save the Queen, a plummy pink shade that looks perfect worn full-on on its own or smudged out. So the whole look is a little plummy, a little berry, and perfect for fall!

What makeup have you been wearing lately?

Discount Corner: Get 20% off your first Glossier order at glossier.com/reps/kelsey, and get 10% off any order on nudestix.com by using the code DADMUNK10 at checkout! I do get a small commission for both of these, but that money gets invested back into my blog.

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The Best Glow-Inducing Masks for Morning

I know I'm constantly complaining about my skin being a little dull for my liking, but I swear it gets even worse when the weather cools down. I'm no stranger to dehydration and dryness, and they make the dullness even worse. To fix this, I love a good mask that will amp up the glow, and it's even better when they're suitable to use in the morning - they're instantly-gratifying, not too harsh, and will give a glow that lasts all day long.

The Clay One | I've sung praises of the Origins Original Skin Retexturizing Mask with Rose Clay over and over, but it really is one of my favorite masks ever. I love how clean and purified clay masks make my skin feel, but normally they strip my skin of all moisture and I end up even duller than before. But not this one - it contains jojoba beads that burst as you wash the mask off, so you not only get a bit of exfoliation from the beads, but also some moisture. This is my favorite to use after a super late night - it instantly makes my skin look a lot more "well rested."

The Honey One | I can already tell this is going to be a godsend on cold mornings - the Farmacy Honey Potion Renewing Antioxidant Hydration Mask* is one of my favorites because it gently warms up as you massage it over your skin. It's full of Farmacy's Echinacea GreenEnvy Honey, which has all the purifying and hydrating benefits of honey and is chock full of antioxidants. I love honey masks because they're a bit of a two-in-one - they not only hydrate the skin, but the natural antibacterial properties of honey also keep the skin feeling cleansed and renewed. This gives my skin an insane amount of glow, and it makes it nice and pillowy for makeup application.

The Fifteen Second One | If you're a morning shower person, then you need to try the Blithe Energy Yellow Citrus & Honey Splash Mask. Splash masks are so intriguing to me - basically you're supposed to dilute them with water, either in a big bowl or in the shower, and just splashing it on your face for fifteen seconds will give you results. This yellow version is meant to brighten the skin and exfoliates with lactic acid, and the scent alone will wake you up - it's so lovely and citrus-y! I was skeptical of the fifteen second claims, but it truly makes my skin instantly feel smoother and plumper - I'm converted. 

The Super Quick Peel | I've talked about this sort of recently, but my main go-to in the mornings/if I want to make sure my makeup goes on smoothly is the Pixi Peel & Polish.* It's quite strong and effective, but it doesn't leave my skin red or sensitized. It resurfaces the skin with natural fruit enzymes, lactic acid, cellulose, and sugar extract, and it does it super efficiently in about two minutes. It leaves my skin smooth and really glowing - it's quite the pick-me-up for sure. If I'm in a rush but still need to give my skin a bit of TLC, this is the one I reach for,

The One That's Like a Facial | If you want the results of the Pixi but in a more gentle but less efficient form (that sounds negative, but I just mean it's going to take you more than two minutes), then I'd recommend the Tata Harper Resurfacing Mask. This goes onto the skin like some kind of marmalade, and it leaves you with baby-soft skin when you wash it off. It doesn't even feel like it's doing anything when it's on my skin, so the results are even more surprising. This gives an instant glow and is the best to use before makeup. I'm most definitely going to be using this the morning of my wedding to prep my skin. It's just beautiful.

The Moisturizing One | I'm pretty sure I can't write a post about my favorite masks without mentioning one of the Glossier ones. The Moisturizing Moon Mask is the first one I turn to when my skin is feeling dehydrated or dry, and it's also great for energizing and depuffing the skin because it's so cooling. It deeply nourishes with sweet almond oil, squalane, and hyaluronic acid, and it also works to brighten with licorice root and lemon fruit extract. My skin just drinks this up, and when I've got a lot of time to just relax, I like to apply a thick layer and just leave it to sink in for a few hours. This is another one that's great before a special occasion because it really plumps up the skin and makes makeup apply like a dream.

Do you ever use masks in the morning? What are your favorites?

*Products mentioned have been sent to me for consideration, but all opinions are my own. Please see my disclaimer for more information. This post contains affiliate links.

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NABLA Cosmetics Dreamy Eyeshadow Palette | Review + Swatches

I know I mention a lot that I don't wear much eyeshadow on a day-to-day basis, but when I saw photos and swatches of the NABLA Cosmetics Dreamy Eyeshadow Palette, it just spoke to me and I immediately started stalking the website for its release. I loved that it was a little less neutral than I'm used to, but I could still see myself wearing it often. Purple and rose tones are some of my favorites for eyeshadows, so this just seemed right up my alley.

T-B | Immaculate, Byzantine, Illusion, Seniorita, Sistina, Vanitas, Rose Gold, Metal Cupid, Delirium, Lullaby, Inception. Dogma

The Dreamy Eyeshadow Palette contains twelve shades in three finishes: Super Matte, Just Pearl, and a new formula, Fluid Metal. NABLA are well-known for their incredible eyeshadow formula, so I couldn't wait to try it. The Dreamy Eyeshadow Palette is their first eyeshadow palette - until now, they've only done singles.

So this formula everyone's been raving about? Worth. The. Hype. It not only swatches beautifully (the swatches shown are just one swipe!), but the shadows are also easy to work with. I'm not the most skilled with eyeshadow at all, and I still am able to put together beautiful looks with this. Usually super pigmented shades like these will kick up a lot of powder when you put your brush in, but these don't. They almost feel like creams to the touch. By the end of the day, they have creased on me a little bit, but there's no fading or dropdown, and everything creases on me anyway. I will note - if you're using an eye primer, make sure you set it first before applying these. They do like to stick down to the primer, and this makes it harder to get a seamless blend. If I can do nicely-blended looks with this, though, anyone can.

Every shade performs beautifully, and my favorite formula in the palette is definitely the Fluid Metals - they give an almost foiled look and are just so stunning. The mattes are lovely as well - not chalky in the slightest. They're some of the creamiest matte eyeshadows I've ever tried. I don't know how they do it. There's only one Just Pearl shade in the palette, Delirium, and this was the only one I wasn't too crazy about. It just felt a little bit gritty when swatching. 

I also can't get over how pretty the packaging of the palette is. I love the stars and moon motif on the front, as well as the silver and gold accents. It's a decent size, but it still fits in the palm of my hand, so it would be good for travelling.

All in all, I'd highly recommend the palette and suggest you hop on the waiting list until it comes back in stock.