december favorites

hi guys! for whatever reason, i didn't really get into anything new this month aside from shopping my stash of makeup brushes apparently. anyway, here's my favorite tools and brushes and a new eyeshadow combo i've been liking. ~Lin-chan ^.~

favorites:

1. sigma F84 & real techniques sculpting brush -- these are essentially the same brush in my eyes. i'm not sure why, but it wasn't until this month that i actually tried using these two for liquid foundation..and i love them. i don't really get what about this shape makes them so much more amazing than sigma's other kabuki brushes (or their dupes)..but it's amazing.
2. wayne goss 17 brush -- i never would have thought i'd love this brush. it's a freaking paddle for your eye (or i guess wherever else you choose to use it). it's really nice and wide (surface area coverage) to pack on color super easily.
3. wayne goss 02 brush -- this is soooo soft!! i also recently discovered this one. which is dumb because i got these two brushes in this year's beautylish lucky bag..in january. end sidenote--anyway i really like using this for highlighting the face.
4. rickycare by ricky's nyc classic 3D blender -- i have no idea why i like this so much. for whatever reason, my experience with this sponge has been so much better than that of my beauty blender. the coverage is great and i feel like i can cover my whole face a lot faster using this than the beauty blender. also, it cleans very nicely and seems to release product a lot better when cleaning than the beauty blender.
5. tinkle (brow/face) razor -- this is a pretty freaking good one. i like how the blade is long so it can cover a larger surface area. that being said, you can also be a bit clumsier with it and accidentally take off bits of your brows if you hold it at certain angles......
6. not new favorites, but this eye combo applied in this order
1. makeup geek baby face -- on browbone (sadface that i dropped a real techniques brush on this and gouged it.....)
2. ulta eyeshadow in sable -- in the crease, blended upward
3. makeup geek barcelona beach -- in the crease, focused on the outer corners
4. inner corner eyeshadow color if different from main shadow color
1. makeup geek rapunzel, starry eyed
5. main eyeshadow color -- patted across lid, use crease/blending brush to blend near crease
1. nars himalia, ardency inn rose gold, milani dolci (this one also had a sad, and got pressed into a pan..)
7. favorite daily-use brushes
1. foundation: sigma kabuki face brushes, or real techniques sculpting brush or expert face brush, or elf ultimate blending brush
2. powder: real techniques powder brush
3. blush/bronzer: wayne goss 00 brush (formerly the holiday brush)
4. highlight: elf small tapered brush, wayne goss 02
5. eyes: sigma E35 & E55, makeup geek soft dome brush, luxie beauty 205

random favorites: 

1. trader joe's cookie butter sandwich cookies -- omg these are teh dia-beet-us. these are butter cookies with cookie butter in between them!!!