My Favorite Things: March 2016

purchased by me | sent for review | affiliate links

Hi, friends! Happy April! It's been awhile since I did a Favorites post (not since my 2015 Makeup Favorites, I believe), so I thought it was about time to touch base with you all. I've been trying out some new products and rediscovering some old ones, and I'm so excited to finally share them with you!

Beauty Buff Favorites of 2015: Makeup

Hi, friends! Can you believe the first month of 2016 is almost over? It's insane how time flies! Today I wanted to talk more about my favorite products from 2015. With skincare products, I'm a snob super picky when it comes to formulas and ingredients, so when I find something I like, it can be a little hard for me to detach and try something new. With makeup, however, I'm a lot more lenient and tend to try more products at a time. Plus, I hesitate having too many jars and tubes of skincare products open at a time, just because beneficial ingredients don't last forever, but with makeup I kind of throw caution to the wind. I don't think I have to tell you have many lipsticks alone I have open right now (or you can see for yourself in my ongoing Lipstick Collection series).

So, without further ado, let's talk about my favorite makeup discoveries and most used cosmetics of 2015!

Beauty Buff Favorites of 2015: Skincare

Hi, friends! I hope you're all having a nice 2016 so far. I'm excited to finally be starting my Beauty Buff Favorites of 2015 series. Most of these are ones I've recommended over and over again on this blog. But the products I like don't get a free ride into a Beauty Buff Favorite slot; I'm always testing and re-testing to see if they still hold up.

The winners are essentially the products I'd be content with using without changing it up. Obviously, being a beauty buff means I'm always trying new stuff (plus this blog would get very boring very fast), but I'd be okay if these were the only products I had to work with.

Quick photo note: it's been cloudy for days and we're not going to see the sun until at least Thursday, so today we're photographing by a window! Plus, the Penni household is in shambles due to the fact that we're finally starting to put our Christmas decorations away.

Without further ado, here are my favorite products I used in 2015!

My Favorite Things: December 2015

Hi, friends! The end of the year is almost upon us! Can you believe it's nearly 2016 already? Where did the time go? Anyway, it's time to talk monthly favorites. These are the tried-and-tested products I most reached for this month. I took most of these products with me when I went out of town for Christmas week. You quickly realize the products you really rely on when you can only take a select few in your suitcase! Let's get into the good stuff.

My Favorite Things: November 2015

Hi, friends! Did you have a nice Thanksgiving? I certainly did! I mean, I can't have anything against a holiday that makes it socially acceptable to stuff your face (or, if you're Italian like me, you do that on every holiday). Today I'd like to share with you a few of my favorite beauty products I've discovered or rediscovered in the past two months. I didn't have much to talk about favorites-wise last month, so now it's back with twice as many products worth mentioning!

My Favorite Things: September 2015

It's been a few months since I did a monthly favorites post, so we have a lot to catch up on! In order to make this post not a mile long, I really had to ween down the best of the best. These are the products that I used all summer and will continue to love into the fall. If it's here, it means I enjoyed using it so much that I'd personally recommend all of my friends to get it, too.  

My Favorite Things: May 2015

Lots of things have happened this month for me. I graduated from college, moved to another state, started a new job, and discovered some new beauty products (which one of these is not like the others?). Below are the products I discovered, rediscovered, undiscovered (??) in the month of May. I hope you enjoy, and don't forget to tell me which products you liked best in a comment down below!

My Favorite Things: April 2015

Hi, friends! Can you believe April is over already? I know I'll be graduating in a little over two weeks, which is absolute insanity. How are you guys holding up? Congratulations to all of my fellow college beauty buffs on their upcoming graduation! Let's celebrate with some makeup, shall we? Today, I'm talking about my favorite things from April!

DIY Tinted Moisturizer

I don't know what it is (or maybe I do: it's finals), but I've been too lazy to wear any kind of foundation product this month. It just seemed like so much effort to put it on and use a brush to blend it out. I don't have time for that! Instead, what I've been doing is I have been combining a little bit of a foundation that are too dark for my skin tone (or just fuller coverage that I prefer) with my daily moisturizer. It's also been a great way to use up products that were too dark for me before! Right now I'm mixing OLAY Complete All Day Moisturizer with SPF 15 ($8 for 4oz) and SUPERGOOP! CC Cream SPF 35 in Light to Medium ($32 for 1.6oz). I really like the result. The best part? I get sheer coverage but don't have to blend it in with a brush or set it with powder. It's almost so easy and fast that I can't not do it. 

My Favorite Things: March 2015

Hello, friends! And Happy Easter! March has come to end, so you know what that means--a monthly favorites post! Honestly, I love reading these kinds of posts. I get so many new products to add to my To-Try List (as if it's not long enough)! But enough rambling--let's get to the good stuff~

CAUDALIE Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet ($39 for 1oz)

CAUDALIE Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet

I'm so excited about this moisturizer! As someone with combination skin, I know the struggles of trying to find a product that works for however many skin types you're trying to treat on one face. But this one does it all! It's a light, mousse-like consistency that delivers enough moisture to my dry cheeks without making my forehead look or feel greasy. I'm so happy I've started using this, because I think you guys with combination skin will really enjoy this. The only cons are that it's $39 for one ounce and I'm using it up way too fast. If I didn't have Birchbox points saved up, I don't think I'd be able to afford this, to be honest.

My Favorite Things: February 2015

Hi, friends! Wow, I haven't done one of these since October! My 2014 Favorites kind of replaced My Favorite Things for the past few months, but now they're back and I can't wait to share my most-loved products with you! There's a surprising amount of makeup, and almost NO skincare (*gasp*). These are the products that I would be most likely to recommend to a friend, because we're all friends here. Without further ado, here are my favorite products for the month of February! 

Beauty Buff Favorites of 2014: Makeup (Eyes)

Hi friends! Today is the final installment of my 2014 favorites: best eye makeup! I hope you enjoy seeing the best things I've discovered this year. Feel free to check out last year's, too! 

Beauty Buff Favorites of 2014: Makeup (Lips)

Hi, friends! Today we're continuing the walk down memory lane with my favorite lip products of the year. This includes everything from lip balm to lip treatment to lipstick. So, let's get into it! If you'd like to see last year's favorites, click here! 

Beauty Buff Favorites of 2014: Makeup (Face)

Hi, friends! I hope the new year is being good to you so far! I don't know if you saw Friday's post in which I talked about my favorite skincare products of 2014, but today I'm going to start the three-post series on my favorite makeup of the year! Why three posts? Because there is so much makeup in my life that I like to put on my face, that if I included it all in one post neither of us would be able to handle it. So, we're going to start with face makeup today--from foundation to bronzer to blush, it's all here. Let's make today a blast from the past! 

Beauty Buff Favorites of 2014: Skincare

Hi friends! How was your New Year's? Now that we've looked at the blog overall in 2014, I'd like to go back over my favorite products with all of you. These are the best of the best that I've discovered or rediscovered in 2014. 

My Favorite Things: October 2014

Happy Sunday, friends! It's the end of the month, which means it's time for me to talk about what new products I've discovered, rediscovered, and undiscovered(!?). Included here are some new goodies, some stuff I started using again after neglecting them for awhile, and some products that I tried and just plain disliked. But enough about that--let's get to the good stuff!

My Favorite Things: September 2014

Hi friends! It's the end of the month, which means it's time for me to talk about what new products I've discovered, rediscovered, and undiscovered(!?). This is some new things, some things I started using again after neglecting them for awhile, and some products that I tried and just plain disliked. But enough about that--let's get to the good stuff!  

Sulfate-Free Haircare: 

Coolway Cool Cleanse & Hydrate Shampoo/Conditioner ($20 each for 8.6 oz each)

Number 4 Shampoo/Conditioner ($34 each for 8.5oz each)

Yes, I am on a sulfate-free hair kick again (cue Throwback Sunday, or whatever). I received these in my Beauty Box 5 May 2014 and Birchbox May 2014. May was a month of good hair care for me, I guess! In typical Beauty Buff fashion, I'm just getting to both of these now, but I'm glad I tried them! Since I cut 10 inches off my hair, I've been going through conditioner so much more slowly, but my shampoo usage is still going strong. I finished my Number 4 Conditioner and Coolway Shampoo, so now I'm using what's left. I think I prefer the Number 4 line, but to buy full-sizes of their shampoo and conditioner would cost me $68! Yikes! I'm in this phase where I'm using up all of my sample/subscription-service-size shampoo and conditioners, so my sulfate-free kick will end when these samples do. It's nothing personal, because as much as I love how soft and flyaway-free these products leave my hair, they also require use of dry shampoo on Day 2. 

My Favorite Things: August 2014

Hi, friends! It's the end of the month, which means it's time for monthly beauty favorites! I'm back at school, and between packing, unpacking, and getting back into the college routine, I haven't had much time to try many new things. Some of these are old favorites that I've continued recognizing my love for them, while a few others are newly discovered goodies. But enough about that, let's get to the good stuff~

WHISH Coconut Milk CC Body Cream ($38 for 5oz)

I received this in my Birchbox this month and I've really been enjoying it! It has a nice, coconut-y scent, and the iridescent shimmer almost makes your skin sparkle in the sun (in a good way, not the weird Twilight way, I promise it won't turn you into a vampire). I don't think I would purchase the full size--especially since, as a CC Cream, it does no real color correcting for me--but I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts. 

My Favorite Things: July 2014

Hi, friends! It is time for my monthly favorites post! I can't believe next month is August, and I go back to school in less than a month. My next favorites post will be written at school in Boston! Whoa!

Anyway, let's get on to the good stuff~

AQUAPHOR Lip Repair ($5 for .35oz)

This has become my new nighttime lip balm, since I used up my Vaseline Lip Therapy (see Lip Balm Bonanza: Part 1). This got a mention in my Part 2, because it really does provide immediate relief to chapped lips. I'm perpetually dehydrated (oops) so this is really nice to have on hand. I especially like using it before bed, since that's 8+ (we wish) hours spent not drinking water! And for those of you who don't like using lip products with petroleum since you're habitual lip-lickers, have no fear; this is petroleum free!

My Favorite Things: June 2014

Hi, friends! It's the end of the month, and you know what that means: monthly favorites! Below are the things I've been loving this month (and a few items that I've been really not liking, but more on that later).

Tree Hut Tropical Mango Shea Moisturizing Body Lotion ($6 for 9oz)

I always use body lotion when I get out of the shower (shout out to dry skin), so when I ran out, I searched the drugstore for a new one. When I saw Tree Hut in Walgreens, I thought I would give it a shot since I've heard good things about it. This one smells like mangoes and it's awesome. I'm not too picky about my lotion, and I have no complaints about this one. It was a good price too, for how much you get in the bottle. 

My Favorite Things: May 2014

Hi, friends! Today I have some very exciting news to share with you: College Beauty Buff now has a registered domain! That's right, from now on you can just go to www.collegebeautybuff.com and it will send you here! How exciting is that? But enough about that. Let's get on to the good stuff--my favorite beauty products for the month of May!

WEN Cleansing Conditioner in Pomegranate ($29 for 16oz)

I have mentioned Wen in countless posts, such as my 2013 Favorites, but I fell in love with it all over again this month. I've been testing out some new shampoos and conditioners recently, and after I went back to using this, I wondered why I'd ever stopped. I don't use it as intended (my hair doesn't feel or look clean when I use it as a shampoo), but I adore it as a conditioner! I use about 8 pumps, and my hair is down to the lower-middle of my back. I'm thinking of chopping my hair off and going for something shoulder-length or shorter, and of course as soon as I announced that out loud, I started getting a bunch of compliments on my hair! Either way, this is a winner in my book. There are a bunch of variations in terms of scent/hair type of this, but in my opinion, they all work the same and the Pomegranate smells the best.