October Favorites!

And the winners are...

So, I have a dirty little secret.  I love Youtube.  Not in the, oh someone posted a Youtube video on Facebook so I'll watch it kinda way.  In the, I am subscribed to Youtubers and watch their new videos everyday kinda way.  I have a mix of Youtubers I am subscribed to, such as Khan Academy, TED Talks, musicians, etc.  But most of my subscriptions, and my favorite videos to watch are "beauty guru" videos!  These girls (and sometimes guys) do a mixture of different types of videos including makeup tutorials, product reviews, and my personal favorite, MONTLY FAVORITES!  The favorite things they talk about in their videos are not only beauty products, but also random household favorites, food favorites, and even Iphone App favorites!  Therefore, in the spirit of monthly favorites and since it is the first of November, here they are.  My monthly favorites!  

Let's just be honest.  I like beer.  I don't like to drink a lot of beer in one sitting, but I like beer.  I'm the kind of girl who wants to go to a bar and try a beer she's never heard of just to see if she likes it.  I don't like getting drunk off of beer.  I honestly love the taste of a good brew.  This, although not quite an "October kinda beer" is a winner.  The Leinenkugel's Lemon Berry Shandy made it in just under the wire for an October favorite when our friend bought it as a Halloween night beer for us to drink while we watched scary movies.  The brew is described as a "weiss beer with blackberry juice and other natural flavors".  To me, it has a nice tangy citrus kick with a hint of sweetness from the blackberry juice.  The lemon flavor is very present, especially at the end and leaves a nice fresh taste in the mouth.  I definitely would recommend this beer for a warm summer afternoon.  I imagine it would be quite tasty with a nice turkey wrap (one of my favorite summer lunches).  Leinenkugel's has a nice line of beers.  I once tried another berry brew from them that was also very tasty.  I am usually picky about fruity beers because I think they are way too sweet and don't actually taste like beer, but I think Leinenkugel's has done well with making a tasty fruit inspired brew.

---

Do you like cereal?  I like cereal.  In fact, I'm fairly sure I could eat cereal for every meal.  Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a little, but I am very fond of cereal.  Always have been.  Always will be.  (I hope).  These days, cereal has become an indulgence for me.  With all of the sugar in most cereals that are in the market (even a lot of the so-called "healthy" cereals), I like to enjoy a bowl of cereal as a snack or as my dessert.  This is where Cap'n Crunch's Chocolately Crunch made its debut in our cabinet this month as my go-to sweet snack.  I have always been a big fan of Cap'n Crunch...just ask my friends in high school....we had a few late nights eating Cap'n Crunch before bed at sleepovers at my house.  So, naturally with my love for all things chocolate and my love for Cap'n Crunch gave way to the purchase of this delectable sweet treat!

---

So, back in January I came across this great subscription service from one of the Youtuber's I follow called MyGlam (these days they are called Ipsy).  The service is $10 per month and for this price you are sent a makeup bag with a few beauty items that can range from a lipstick to eyeshadow to a hair product sample to a face product.  One month in my bag, I received a sample of this little gem from Philosophy.  I loved the sample so much that I decided to drop the $34 (YIIIIKES) on the Philosophy Take a Deep Breath moisturizer.  The product is described as an "oil-free gel cream moisturizer" and claims to detoxify the skin and protect it from environmental factors that cause it to look dull over time.  Now, I don't know if the product is actually detoxifying my skin, but the lightweight formula feels AMAZING on my skin.  I have very acne-prone skin that is affected by the smallest things, so I am constantly looking for great products.  This product delivers what I look for in a moisturizer, which is something lightweight that won't make my face feel oily, yet it gives me enough moisture that the dry patches I sometimes can get stay hydrated.  I have yet to use the product throughout the length of the cold months when my dry areas tend to get worse, so I will have to keep an eye on that and will report back with my findings.  :)

http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?skuId=2245234&productId=xlsImpprod4280093

---

This product is something I have been wanting to try for a long time, but kept forgetting about.  I have heard about this product from multiple girls on Youtube as a great all-around blush.  NYX products in general have become a new go-to brand.  NYX is sold at Ulta stores and where I grew up, we didn't have an Ulta.  Well, hello Ulta Wilmington!  I have now started to add NYX products to my makeup collection slowly but surely.  NYX is a line that is the closest in quality to high-end makeup brands but with the drugstore price.  This particular product, NYX Blush in the color Pinched is a great coral-peachy shade with a warm golden shimmer to it.  It has great pigmentation, so a little goes a long way.  It gives a nice, natural glow to the cheeks and has become my everyday cheek color.

---

I am in love with Bath and Body Works home fragrance products.  I have a wallflower in every room of our apartment and I bought an embarrassing number of 3-wick candles when they were on sale and I had a few coupons back in September.  This particular candle, Slatkin & Co Pumpkin Carving was a free small candle I received at a BBW event. This has definitely become my favorite fall scent.  I know this sounds a little crazy, but this candle literally smells like a pumpkin.  A carved pumpkin.  They did it!  They seriously made the candle smell like a carved pumpkin.  I just don't know how they do it, but they were successful.  

---

On the Bath and Body Works candle theme...these amazing containers are a project I found on Pinterest!  All it took, was a little time in the freezer, a butter knife and a little patience to remove the wax and stickers.  Then, a little was in the sink with some Dawn soap removed all of the residue and...VOILA!  Perfect little containers for things such as pens, paperclips and Post-it flags, and teabags!  Next on my list is a jar to hold "honeymoon funds".  :D

http://snapguide.com/guides/remove-residual-candle-wax-from-candle-jars/

I hope you enjoyed learning a bit about some of my favorite things from the month of October.  Perhaps they will inspire you to try something new that I have enjoyed lately.  In writing this post, I found that I really enjoy doing reviews...so if there is something you are interested in trying out but aren't quite sure, leave a comment and perhaps I may have already tried it or can get my hands on it to give it a shot!