I’m rounding up my September beauty favorites! Fall is officially here, although I feel like we’re skipping this season and going straight to the holidays with the beauty sets and holiday releases already out. I’ll have some in new beauty looks soon, but for now here’s what I loved in September.
New favorite foundation brush
My favorite discovery of the month is the Laura Mercier Real Foundation Brush ($46). For some reason this brush doesn’t seem to be available everywhere even though it was released with their new one Real Flawless Foundation (I wear the shade 3N1 Buff). This is the best foundation brush I have tried. It’s even better than Hourglass Vanish Seamless Foundation Brush.
The Laura Mercier Real Foundation Brush it has a very unique shape and the perfect density. The brush is angled and has a teardrop shape so it glides along the corners of your face for flawless foundation application. The teardrop shape makes it easy to get the product perfectly into the detail areas or corners – I wonder why no one else has made a brush like this before.
Foundation application is smooth and streak-free. I also like the length of the brush bristles – not too short and not too long. You can find it at Laura Mercier the Macy’s (if you’ve spotted it elsewhere, let me know!).
Budget Beauty Favorites
I have some affordable beauty favorites this month! They’re not new (some of them I’ve reviewed before) but I wanted to put them on your radar because they’re too good to miss.
The Elf Halo Glow Liquid Filter it’s one of the best glow boosters I’ve tried. They recently added more shades so you can find a better match now. I wear Shade 3 or 4 so when they added 3.5 Medium Neutral Olive I ordered it to try thinking it would be a good in-between color. I still find Shade 4 best for me right now because 3.5 is too olive, but I don’t mind having another shade in the mix.
The shimmer is not too bright. I can definitely wear it alone or mix it with a foundation all over the face. Right now the new shades seem to only be in Elf Cosmetics and Ulta Beauty. I suspect they will release the new shades Target etc soon.
Maybelline has several products that have gone viral on TikTok and after falling in love with it Sky High Mascara and Lifter Gloss I tried more than the line.
Theirs Super Stay 24H Skin Tint Foundation It 100% lives up to the hype for a liquid foundation that lasts. I haven’t explored much in budget/affordable foundations because most are too pink or peachy toned. The good news is that more brands are offering better shade options and ranges these days. I was happy to find a good match with Shade 310. Quick note though for those sensitive to alcohol in foundations, be aware that this one is quite high on the list. Luckily this didn’t irritate my skin.
Lasting power is truly impressive, even in wet weather. I didn’t try it for a full 24 hours but it lasted a pretty good 12. It’s a runny formula with medium coverage but you can layer it. The coverage is natural looking with a subtle glow and has enough pigment to cover the skin beautifully.
I also really like it Super Stay Matte Hybrid Powder Foundation (in the same shade). It has pretty good coverage but I like to use it as a powder with a brush. Demonstration of the product in action HERE.
Lip Loves
Dior Addict Lip Maximizers it’s always in my bag. Shimmer Rose, Rosewood and Rose Nude are the most worn colors with (Rose Nude gets the most compliments). Dior just launched 3 NEW SHADES for the holidays online and posted one fast scroll with them here. In case you missed it, I’m also sharing it here on the blog. Nude Bloom is the prettiest nude peach with a slight golden sheen, Pure Copper is a stunning shimmery copper (shimmery and super shimmery but the texture is smooth), Holo Silver is a pure shimmery silver.
See sample comparisons below:
Three other formulas I liked include:
YSL Rouge Volupte Shine in 162 Pulsing Rosehip (one of the best healthy pinks I’ve tried) and 150 Nude Lingerie (warmer pink shimmer, looks almost peach next to 162 but I can assure you it’s pink).
Tarte added new shades of it Maracuja Juicy Lip Plump. I need to share an updated swatch post, but the newest shade Rosebud is SO pretty. It’s the best they’ve made so far. Also available in some sets like this duo.
The Maybelline Lifter Gloss it’s a formula I feel like you all already know, but I rediscovered it and it made my favorites list this month. I got the jelly shades from the summer launch and love them. Peach Ring and Gummy Bear are so beautiful. I also restocked a few that I had run out of – Reef is the perfect neutral light.
Bath & Body Care
Two body care products that I have loved are from Ouai and Herbivore Botanicals. We used it Ouai Fur Bebe Pet Shampoo to Ollie and he always smells so good after we wash him with it. I was hoping there was a human option in the same fragrance, but there isn’t.
I tried Melrose Place before (and I liked it) but I wanted to try something new so I ordered Dean Street. It is a very nice fruity floral that is not too sweet. It has linden blossoms and some amber to balance it out. It smells clean, fresh and I liked it enough to buy a few refills.
Herbivore Botanicals sent some stuff to try for a project. I love them very much Nova Serum and now I’m curious about the other serums they have in their line. They stand it out for me it’s theirs Cloud Milk Firming Coconut Body Cream. I’m obsessed with them Coconut Bath Milk Soak for the longest time and was really excited about a body cream.
It’s a silky buttery smooth cream that feels light as a cloud when you apply it. It’s lightly flavored with coconut and vanilla but not overpowering. For a quick reference, if you like the texture of Kopari creams but aren’t a fan of the strong scent or super thick texture, I think Herbivore is a better choice. It’s creamy and moisturizing, but absorbs quickly, isn’t sticky, and isn’t overpoweringly scented.
Autumn nail polish
I’ve been in the neutral nail polish era for so long that I feel like it’s time for a change. i took it out Chanel Le Vernis at 165 Bois des Iles again (review here with the autumn collection) and have been really surprised by all the compliments and attention he’s been getting!
Other makeup loves
For cheeks (blush, bronzer, highlights) the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Unlocked palettes (reviewed here) have been in heavy rotation. I keep going back and forth between Jellyfish and Leopard as my favorite. Even with repeated shades or similarities, I find myself reaching for them more and I think they are very versatile. They are now available at all retailers such as Nordstrom, Sephora, Blue mercury and Ulta Beauty.
I have filmed performances with all three:
Jellyfish here
Leopard here
Snake here
I also have a few repeats that have been re-favoritised. I think so Givenchy Prisme Libre Loose Powder and Concealer it is holy grail material. You can read it full review herebut nothing really compares to the airbrush or lasting power that Prisme Libre has.
The Gucci Illuminator it’s one of the most beautiful liquid highlighters I’ve tried. I don’t know why he doesn’t get more excited! Review + samples in this post here. (PS I will post my review + samples of the new one Concealer Gucci very soon.)
Favorite perfume
Celine Parade was in heavy rotation. It’s a beautiful citrus scent that I think is extremely unique and different. You can read my review of all their fragrances in this post. I’ve tried the others over the past year and Parade remains my favorite.
Hair care
Last but not least, I wanted to give the ghd Platinum+ Hair Styler another reference. It’s my number one go-to hairstyle for sleek straight or wavy hair. As much as I love it Dyson Airwrap for easy waves, the curls just don’t last as long as with a hot tool. (I use it regularly as a blow dryer, though.) The ghd flat iron takes me on every trip and is a lifesaver for styling. I was excited to work with them again to show a demo of how to curl my hair with it. For me it’s especially helpful because I’m not the best at curling my hair with a curling iron – I almost always burn my fingers or my forehead and have sometimes sizzled my hair because the irons were too hot.
The ghd Platinum+ Styler remains at a constant temperature of 365 degrees. It has sensors inside to maintain that constant heat.
That wraps up our September favorites! What did you love this month?
