Recent Beauty Favorites.

I tried a lot of new beauty products this month. Some were good, some bad, some scary… but some were GREAT. You may want to drop whatever you are doing and read this now as these six products are really, really good.

The first is a product I never thought I would endorse – Sarah Jessica Parker’s new fragrance, Stash. Hear me out. I hate celebrity fragrances. Hate them. I spent 8 years working in the fragrance world (first as an associate buyer, then in marketing). I am so tired of celebrity fragrances. They all smell the same and rarely does the celebrity actually have much involvement in creating the fragrance. The rumor is that Stash is the (unisex) fragrance SJP wanted to make but wasn’t allowed to at first as it wasn’t commercial enough. So anyway, I smelled it at a press preview and fell in love. It’s that perfect masculine-ish fragrance. A little bit woody + musky (reminiscent of my beloved Le Labo) but still also a little bit delicious and gourmand. You kind of just have to smell it. Since wearing it, I’ve gotten so many compliments on it and constantly get asked what I’m wearing – no one believes me when I tell them!

But also. RMS Beauty’s Makeup Remover Wipes. RMS has long been a favorite of mine for color cosmetics that are all-organic (I’m obsessed with their uncoverup and living luminizer!) These wipes are individually packaged (making them perfect to tuck into your purse, travel bag, or even your gym bag) and they smell incredible. Like coconut cake. But the best part is that they take all of your makeup off in one swoop and leave behind a healthy dose of coconut oil (so hydrating + perfect for bedtime). When I’m traveling, this is the perfect one-step bedtime solution… they take off all of your makeup and leave your skin super hydrated – you don’t even need moisturizer afterward. But oh my god… the smell – it’s amazing!

The next is another great all-natural product: Tracie Martyn’s Enzyme Exfoliant. I had a facial at Tracie Martyn a couple weeks ago and ended up buying this because I liked it so much. It is kind of a scrub/mask hybrid. If your skin is prone to redness and/or dry spots, this is for you. You apply it with your fingertips and massage it into the skin to manually exfoliate for a bit. Then, leave it on for about ten minutes (or until it’s fully dry) and wipe off with a warm washcloth. After using it, my skin tone is always so much more even, fine lines are minimized, and I glow from within. I like it even more than Tata Harper’s Resurfacing Mask which says a LOT.

Next, three cosmetic products!

First of all, I am not sure I ever got around to telling you about MAC’s new Liptensity lipsticks. They are soooo good. The brand launched them over the summer and I have been busy trying out all of the shades (I even wore the blue one on Halloween, when I was a fish). What makes them special is that they are super, super pigmented – meant to push the boundaries of color. L-O-V-E. There are some great reds + pinks (my usual go-to’s) but really it’s all about Toast & Butter – the perfect brown/nude. Brown lipstick is obviously a huge trend for Fall but this one is the perfect neutral. I’ve been wearing it on my snapchat quite a bit.

And then there are two Laura Geller products. I go to a lot of beauty events but I always try to track down someone who works for the brand and ask them what their favorite products are. At a party with Laura Geller, I sat down with Amanda Kahn (the brand’s executive marketing director) and she raved and raved about these illuminating sticks and the brand’s “Filter Finish” powder.

The illuminating sticks make applying highlighter simple and easy. You just swipe it on wherever you want to glow (cheekbones, temples, collarbone, etc) and then run a BeautyBlender over it to buff. So pretty. My personal favorite is Ballerina as it’s nice and bronzy.

Filter Finish is my favorite thing I’ve tried all month as it does exactly what it promises. Know that pretty filter on Snapchat? That’s what this does to your skin, IRL. Trust me. It’s magical. I use this every day now – it’s my obsession!!! (I use it as the last step in my makeup routine – tinted moisturizer first, then highlighter/blush/bronzer… and then I use a big fluffy brush to dust this everywhere). Just trust me. It’s magic!

PS – Check out these five everyday beauty favorites!