October is one of my favorite months of the entire year. Apple cider, pumpkins, heck - pumpkin everything, cozy blankets, pretty leaves... you can't tell me it gets any better than that. Along with the season, I've had some favorite beauty things I wanted to share with you, too.
Now that I'm not pregnant anymore, I've been itching to incorporate anti-aging products back in to my skincare routine. I promptly dug through my stash and found the StriVectin Advanced Retinol Pore Refiner and I've been loving it ever since I started using it. This retinol cream actually works, and doesn't dry out your skin in the process. I can see a noticeable difference in the texture of my skin and how quickly my skin regenerates. You may recall I did a full review on this in the past where I go in to depth about all the goodness this stuff does for your skin. It's not cheap, but you totally get what you pay for, plus it lasts a long time because you don't need to use a huge amount each time.
I switched up eye creams recently because I ran out of one that I used all summer long, and I've been using the Algenist Complete Eye Renewal Balm, which I've talked about before. This eye cream is fantastic. It's super hydrating, reduces puffiness and just plain feels nice. Definitely worth trying out if you're in the market for a new eye cream.
This third favorite is something I've loved for ages and have been lusting after, and it's finally in my posession! I used some Sephora points to get this deluxe-sized sample of Viktor & Rolf Spicebomb cologne. Yes, it's a men's cologne, but truly I feel it's more unisex than anything. It's sexy, and smoky and spicy and so so perfect for fall and winter. My husband won't wear it because he thinks it smells like funeral incense, but that makes me secretly happy because that means I can wear it and smell it all day long. Seriously, if you haven't ever smelled this and you like spicy scents, run to your nearest department store and give this a sniff.
I don't have a CCO near me, but when I visit friends who have one nearby, I make them take me. My latest purchase from CCO was this MAC Next to Skin "blush" (sorry for the totally out of focus picture!). This was part of the fall 2014 "Artificially Wild" collection. I don't use this as a blush, but as a bronzer. This is the PERFECT gray-ish taupe for us pale girls who want to contour our face but don't want to look orange. I'm obsessed and wish I would've bought a couple backups because I'm not sure it's available anymore, but I'm so hoping they bring it back for a future collection.
And lastly, I don't know if you've walked in to a Trader Joe's lately, but if you have, you know that you can't turn your head without finding something pumpkin flavored/scented/spiced/etc. I've heard so many good things about TJ's body butters - the typical year-round scent available being coconut which I'm not crazy about - so when I saw the fall Pumpkin Body Butter was out, I took a chance. Boy, am I glad I did. This isn't a gross bakery scented lotion, but more potpourri pumpkin-y. It's mega hydrating but doesn't leave your skin feeling greasy. It smells nice on application and then the scent slowly fades so you can easily wear any perfume over top without smelling like a fragrance counter. This stuff is under $10 and you get a ton of product. Definitely check it out if you have dry skin or just love a good body butter.
What are you loving lately? Have you tried any of these products? Let me know in the comments!