Current Favorites: October and November 2016

Hey ladies! I hope your Holiday season is off to a good start. Before I go on about my current faves, can we talk about how quickly time has gone?  It is finally December! This year has gone by very quickly for me and I think what boggles my mind more is that every year I find myself feeling like time is just passing by so much faster! 

Anyways, I am currently on break at the moment and gearing up for Holiday shopping season and Holiday makeovers. This time of the year, I'm usually very pumped for the Holidays but also tend to be very reflective. It's not just because the new year is just around the corner, but also because it is my birthday month. As the years go by, I find myself reflecting more on the highlights of that specific year and the milestones I've reached, and sometimes lack thereof, oops! Add to that the promise of the new year and how people are pumped about making changes and I usually get into the rabbit hole of introspection. What makes this season special for me is the festiveness in the air and the times you get to spend with your loved ones. Spending quality time with the people I love and celebrating is a big thing for me,  and are worth more than any gifts I could ever get. So while this might be stressful for some of you, please remember to take a break, sip some hot cocoa or tea and enjoy the season, even for just the idea of what it brings. Also, make sure you make time to spend with the person/people that matters most to you! 

Ok, so now that I got that out, let me go ahead and tell you my current faves before I start going off on a tangent that deserves its own post! HA! 

Current Makeup Faves:

1. Inglot AMC 77 Black Eyeliner - Are you looking for the blackest black eyeliner? Then look no further than this eyeliner. I finally ran out of my MAC Chrome Eyeliner and decided to try this product since I heard so many people rave about it. I am happy to report that it did not disappoint! This eyeliner is very, very black and gives a very sharp line, definitely make sure you are calm and collected when applying this eyeliner, because it is so rich in color, you don't want to mess up! Although, it is cream based, so it's not so bad to clean up if you have to. 
2. Huda Beauty Rose Gold Palette - This product right here was the center of my obsession for the whole month of November and up until now. I can't get enough of the textured eyeshadows and the color scheme of this palette! I am in love with it and I already got a back up palette for myself. 
3. House of Lashes Tinkerbell Lashes in Forever Tink-  This is the perfect wispy false eyelashes! I love how fluffy it makes my eyes and the size is perfect for my eye size. It is dedfinitely great at amping up my everyday look, without looking over the top. Lastly, you can't beat the price for an everyday false lash! 
4. GlamGlow Flashmud Mask - It's been very stressful for me towards the end of October and my skin has suffered and started looking dull. This product came to the rescue and brightened my skin instantly! I find that using this once or twice a week made a big difference to my skin's appearance, which made me use it consistently. 
5. La Prairie Skin Caviar Foundation - I'm so in love with this foundation, I find myself looking for excuses to wear this even though I originally only meant for this to be a special occasion foundation. It's not often that I get super impressed with a foundation; most are on the "good" category but few goes to my "great spot". I usually am super picky, but just hit the right spot in terms of coverage, finish and wear! 
6. MAC Lipliner in Morning Coffee - Yes, I'm still on that deep neutral mauve lipstick trend. The current liner I wear with pretty much all iterations of that color trend is this lipliner from MAC. The best part? It's long-wearing and creamy to apply! 
7. Korres Lip Butter - I've rediscovered my love for these lip butters while cleaning out my lip drawer earlier in October. I was reminded of how deeply moisturizing they were and immediately placed a few colors in my everyday makeup drawer. This product really helped keep my lips from getting dry and chapped, as they tend to around this time of the year. 
8. Laura Mercier Instant Ink Eyeliner - I like putting liquid liner on top of my cream/gel eyeliner to really seal them and not make them budge-proof. Hunny, let me tell you, my liner did not move one bit when I applied this liquid liner on top of my Inglot liner. My wing stayed as sharp as a knife throughout the day, with no indications of  any movement or bleeding. ;)

Non-Beauty Faves:

1. How to Get Away with Murder - I've been following this show every Thursday ever since it premiered. I've witnessed the crazy roller coaster of plot twists this show has come up with. I've been left with my mouth hanging open at the end of multiple episodes - this season was no exception! While that mid-season finale twisted a knife to my heart, I kinda expected it and now I can't wait to find out what happened and also just see what is in store for the show's story moving forward. I mean there's soo many loose ends just idly laying around ready to be tied up and/or twisted around some more. 
2. To Hate Adam Connor by Ella Maise - I first read an Ella Maise novel in the beginning of he year, entitled To Love Jason Thorne. This book's main characters are related to the characters of the first novel, although it can be read as stand-alone. I found myself laughing and enjoying Lucy an Adam's story, and swooning over so many sweet heartfelt moments! What I love about Ella Maise's romance novels is that they have enough plot and depth to them to really create a believable romance story while still being very hot and steamy. Most romance novels I've read lately tend to be very heavy on the smut with very basic plot and little depth; not believable for a romance novel. 
3. Audible - I've always loved Audible. I've been a member for almost 2 years, and I really enjoy the fact that I can just listen to books on the go, especially on my commute to and from school and work. This month, despite my hectic schedule, I found myself listening to a lot of audiobooks. I listened for almost 156 hours this month- my highest logged listening hours so far! 
4. Alex and Mimi Ikonn - This couple are e-commerce entrepreneurs and YouTubers that really inspires me to reach my goals and dreams while also making the most of my life. They are the owners of Luxy Hair, The Five Minute Journal and The Productivity Planner and  both have separate channels. Mimi's channel is focused on hair, beauty an wellness while Alex is mostly made up of vlogs, self-growth, productivity and business advice. Lastly, they make the most amazing travel vlogs that I just enjoy watching! 
5. Five Minute Journal App - My busy schedule has definitely taken a toll on my satisfaction with my life at times. Lately, I felt like I was drowning with so many obligations with no end in sight.  I'm very hard on myself and I have very high expectations for myself. That usually leads me to not be easily dissatisfied when I don't reach a goal at the designated timeline. I also am plagued with some insecurities that could sometimes cripple my motivation to move forward. This app has definitely helped me put things in perspective and reminded me of all the good things I should be grateful for in my life. It's definitely made a huge difference for me and made me more mindful and grateful, which in turn gave me a more positive feeling towards my day to day life. It also definitely change my outlook and aided in re-inspiring myself! I would encourage all of you reading this to try out the 5 Minute Journal App or even buy the physical journal if you're more of  a kinesthetic person. 
6. Burberry Merino Wool Scarf - It wouldn't be Fall if I wasn't obsessing over a scarf. The weather has been pretty mild here in Chicago, but I find myself wearing this scarf to give me an extra layer of warmth. It is undeniable that this scarf instantly amps up my outfit and makes it look more classy, hence why I'm so obsessed with it and worn it more than a few times every week! 

And that wraps up my favorites for October and November! I hope this post has inspired you to try something new whether it's a product or experience. Feel free to share some of your faves below- I would love to see some of them!