July Beauty Favorites!

July Beauty Favorites

It's that time of the month again! I rounded up some products that I couldn't get enough of this past month. Some months go by where I discover some old favorites, but this month I discovered a lot of new favorites that I'm sure I'll continue loving throughout the year. I didn't want to make this post massive, so I picked most of the standout products!

Mason Pearson Boar Bristle Brush - $190

At first when I was using this brush I couldn't understand what the big hype was. BUT, I was determined to keep using it to see if it really made any difference. I have thick, fine hair and it breaks easily. I try to minimize breakage as best as I can with hair products, but I never gave much thought about the brushes I'm using. I've tried Boar bristle in the past, and found it hard to make the change. With the particular brushes I tried, I felt that they didn't get through my hair as well. I brush my hair around 3-4 times a day - once in the morning, a couple of times mid-day and once before I go to sleep. I'm not at all lying that I've seen a noticeable change in how shiny my hair looks as well as the decrease in breakage. Every time I brush my hair, I habitually look each time down at the floor to see if any ends have broken off. Since I've been using only this brush for the past month, it has reduced by 90%. I actually really enjoy brushing my hair with it and the massaging feeling on my scalp (it might be harsh on your scalp if you have thin hair, but I love the feeling). I also can get an extra day out of my hair before washing it. It's hard to tell you to go out and purchase a $200 hair brush, but I think they are worth it and they will last a lifetime.

Nature's Gate Glow Lotion for Medium Skin tones - $13.99

I bought this subtle self-tanner on a whim because of the positive reviews on Amazon. I honestly didn't expect much since I haven't heard of it prior, but it was love at first application. The lotion is all natural and cruelty-free and contains loads of moisturizing ingredients including soybean oil, sweet almond oil, rosehip oil, shea butter and more. With one application, you get beautiful subtle golden color. If you apply it a few days in a row, you can really build up a good tan. In comparison to Jergens Natural Glow, Jergens is a bit orange, but Nature's Glow is very golden bronze. I love it! I've been using it regularly on my body. The best part is the price. It's only around $13-14 for a 16 oz bottle.

Dior Diorshow Maximizer Lash Plumping Serum - $28.50

Mascara primer is a must for me. I've been using Shiseido Mascara Base for around 3 years now, but was curious to try something different. I've been using this every day and I think I'm a new convert! I'll do a comparison post, but so far I can tell that the Dior base is much more gentle on my lashes. It really works great for adding an extra oomph to my lashes. It makes them look slightly longer, and much more volumized.

Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Liner - $20

This is a top-rated liquid liner and I've been wanting to try it for ages. Just as I assumed I would, I love it! The tip is perfect for creating thin lines and unlike some felt tips, I haven't had any issues with it being overly saturated or dry to the point where I have to shake it. I can create a perfect wing in seconds and I love the fact that the color is such an intense black that I only need one layer. It lasts perfectly well until I remove it! *Mine is a sample size I received from Sephora for 100 Beauty Insider Points.

Swatches from left to right: Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Liner, MAC Lightsweep Shaping Pro Powder, Becca Opal Shimmering Skin Perfector.

My March Beauty Favorites!

Most Loved Beauty Products March 2013

We're already halfway through April, but I still wanted to share with you all my March beauty favorites! My schedule has been a little hectic this month, so I apologize for the lack of updates. I appreciate those who have asked about my aunt - there have been a couple of complications, but overall she's recovering very well!

The products I'll be talking about in this post are beauty products that I've used frequently and loved in the month of March. Reviews for each of the products will follow!

Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch Makeup Base - $34

I've used samples of this product in the past, but have only recently been using it regularly prior to applying my foundation. As far as silicone based primers go, I really think this is one of the best. It smooths out my skin for a flawless, even application of foundation and it doesn't cause my skin to itch, feel heavy or greasy like many other silicone based products tend to do for me. I love applying this before my concealer to mildly fill in fine lines and provide a smooth base for a more natural finish. I also like applying this on my chin and forehead (where I tend to have visible pores) and it softens them so they aren't as noticeable. I'm definitely going to purchase a full size container.

MAC Mineralize Moisture SPF15 Foundation - $33

I've been using this foundation all month and I really like it. This foundation seems to oxidize (or darken) a little bit after applied, so I've been mixing it with a lighter shade of MAC Studio Fix Foundation and it works perfectly. I love the thin, creamy consistency and how well it blends across the skin. It gives an almost transparent veil across the skin with light (to light-medium, not full) coverage and a dewy glow. I highly prefer wearing this foundation mixed with another foundation as on it's own it's a bit too shiny for my liking, and transfers easily. Mixed with Studio Fix Fluid, it gives my skin the right amount of glow and looks great all day.

Urban Decay Urban Defense Tinted Moisturizer - $30

This is only the second tinted moisturizer I've ever used (the other one was Laura Mercier) and I love it! It provides just the right amount of coverage and evens out the skintone and covers mild discolorations/red splotches without making the skin look "made up" with foundation. The lasting power is great too. After wearing it the first time I was really surprised that my face wasn't blotchy or greasy by the end of the day. The only downside is that it oxidizes like crazy! There are only 4 shades, so it doesn't leave you with too many color options. In order to make this work, I like taking a concealer  (or concealer/highlight pen) that's lighter than my skintone and apply it under my eyes in the shape of an upside down triangle, down my nose and in the middle of my forehead and blend outward. It adds a highlight to the skin without really adding much more weight or coverage.

MAC Give Me Sun! Mineralize Skinfinish Natural - $30

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Powders are some of my favorite products to use for bronzing and contouring. The powder is very soft and lightweight and glides across the skin so well without ever looking patchy. Give Me Sun is a light, peachy-tan which leans on the orange side, but with my coloring, I really like the look of terracotta toned bronzers. It gives lots of warmth and healthy color to my face and pairs really well with coral blushes.

Benefit Bella Bamba Blush - $28

Bella Bamba is a watermelon pink with golden sparkles. It sort of leans into the Nars Orgasm category of shades, but there aren't really any peachy-coral tones. It has a prominent warm, vibrant pink tone, and in conjunction with the golden sparkles, it gives a nice sheen to the skin. I've been loving this blush on the days where I want a little color on my cheeks (since most days my blush is pretty subtle).

Milani Baked Powder Blushes - $8

Believe it or not, I haven't tried any of Milani's baked blushes, so I recently picked up a couple. I got the shades Dolce Pink - a light-medium rosy pink with golden shimmer and Corallina - a vibrant coral-orange with shimmer. I love both blushes equally. They are super soft and blendable and provide such pretty, glowing color. Corallina is especially nice if you're a lover of peach and coral-toned blushes. They do alright without a base, but I find they last much longer with one. I usually just dab a neutral cream blush on my cheeks to give the baked blush something to stick to, and it prolongs the wear. Definitely recommend for a good drugstore blush, although if you prefer a matte finish, you may want to skip.

Swatches from left to right: MAC Give Me Sun! MSF, Milani Corallina Baked Blush, Milani Desert Rose Baked Blush and Benefit Bella Bamba Blush.

My February Beauty Favorites!

Most Loved Beauty Products February 2013

I haven't done a monthly favorite in ages and I feel like I have so many products to talk about with so little time! I used so many different products throughout February, but I wanted to keep the list short and sweet. All of the products in this post have been used and loved throughout the whole month of February. Reviews will be up shortly for several of the products!

Physicians Formula Super BB Cream - $15

A moisturizer, foundation and SPF all wrapped up in one product. I honestly didn't have high expectations for this product but I seriously love it. It's been my go-to makeup every day for my "no makeup" makeup days and I even like it so much that I've been wearing it on nights out. The coverage is great for a BB cream and it makes my skin look like my skin but better!

YSL Multi-Action Concealer - $35

Two words when I first tried this. HELL. YES. This concealer is amazing and I don't think it gets the proper attention it deserves. This is by far the silkiest concealer stick I've ever tried and it glides on the skin like butter. (I know some of you hate that analogy, but it's seriously smooth - like a rouge volupte in concealer form.) It provides full coverage while remaining lightweight.

NARS Oasis Blush - $29

The moment I thought I didn't need another Nars Blush, I discovered this beauty. It's a really pretty rosy pink with a hint of plum and sparkles. Somewhat similar to Nars Sin, but rosier. Although it looks scary sparkly in the pan, they thankfully play a disappearing act once applied to the cheeks. I've been wearing this just about every day. Love!

My November Favorites!

November Beauty Favorites

I know I rarely ever do monthly favorites, but I had to do a favorites list this month since there are several products I've been loving lately and have been getting most of my attention! The list can pretty much go on forever, but I'll try to keep it short!

Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation - I've had a few samples of this and loved it, but have only finally purchased a tube this month. It's probably one of my favorite cream foundation as it's full coverage, yet it looks like skin. It's comfortable to wear and the color Bamboo Beige is perfect for me when I am in the MAC NC30 color range. My only gripe is that it's not budge-proof and starts to get a little shiny and fade around my mouth around 5-6 hours in wearing it. Despite that, I really do love this foundation.

MAC Bombshell Lipstick - This has been the only lipstick I've been wearing all month. It's such a pretty rosy pink with a hint of frost. It can look a little bright sometimes, so when I want something more subdued, I like mixing it with a lighter shade, such as MAC Creme D' Nude.

Revlon Bordeaux Lipgloss - Bordeaux has been my favorite pick for an easy berry lip this Fall. I love how pigmented and moisturizing it is, and that I don't have to bother with a lip liner. Definitely recommend if you're looking for a very wearable berry.

MAC Bamboo Eyeshadow - Bamboo is a fairly popular shade by MAC, but it's never one that I thought I needed. Well, I was wrong and this light beige-peach with a matte finish has found it's way into my MAC Everyday Palette, and has been a color I tend to reach for just about every day. Fabulous for warm skin tones, it's a great blending color and pairs well with copper, golds and browns. It leans slightly orange, so I wouldn't necessarily recommend it for cool skin.

MAC Mulch Eyeshadow - Mulch is another great shade by MAC that I surprisingly didn't own. Although it's pretty much a standard dark bronzy-brown with reddish undertones, it compliments my skin really well and I find myself using often.

June/July Favorite Beauty Purchases!

Since July is coming to a close end, I thought I'd go ahead and do a favorite beauty purchases post for the month. I also tossed in some products I discovered in June that I'm still favoring now.

1) MAC 131 Duo Fibre Blush Brush - I purchased this at a CCO for around $25. Reg. $40 at MAC. I completely stopped using my 187 and I've only been using this brush for my liquid foundation. I highly prefer it over my 187. The shape and size is perfect to get around smaller areas that the 187 couldn't. If I end up going back to the CCO and they still have it, i'd probably get a back up.

2) Walmart Powder Brush (High Definition) - This costs around $7 and you can only get it at Walmart. The synthetic bristles are soo soft & it's just an overall great quality brush. I use it for my setting powder and my bronzer.

3) Walmart Angled Blush Brush (High Definition) - I love this brush for applying my blush. It's denser than the powder brush and it's made of the same, soft synthetic fibers.

4) MAC Pleasureful Blushcreme - This isn't something new of mine.. I got it at the CCO months ago & never really wore it. Lately, I started to really love it for a dewy pop of pink on my cheeks. I also love using it on my lips. It reminds me a lot of NARS Honolulu Honey lipstick.. one of my old HG's I haven't purchased in a while.

5) The Body Shop Body Butter - I haven't tried anything from The Body Shop.. but when I spotted this at TJMaxx for $6 after hearing juicystar07 on youtube say their body butters are awesome, I thought i'd give it a try. Run on sentence, much? The scent I got mine in is "Black Velvet Apricot". I'm not sure if it's a discontinued scent, but I love the smell. Its a very feminine, sweet apricot. Oh, and it feels amazing on the skin.. ;)

6) MAC Cork Eye Shadow - I've been into browns a lot lately. I own lots of dark browns, but I don't really have any light browns that are similar to cork. I've been using it on my brows almost every day.. and I love smudging it into my lash line for a natural look.

7) MAC Sorcery Eye Shadow - I love shades like this. It does wonders for my hazel eyes. It's a raisin color (a mixture of burgundy/brown/purple piled into one color) similar to MAC Folie. I love smudging this under my lower lash line. It looks great paired with browns and other neutrals.

8) NARS Galapagos Eye Shadow - A chocolate color with gold shimmer. I love NARS eye shadows. I only have one other.. and they are so amazing. Amazing pigmentation and blends like a dream.

9) Alima Pure Mineral Foundation - Absolutely love this. Great coverage.. will be purchasing a full size to use as a setting powder for under my eyes & face. I'll be getting a lighter shade (Warm 3, equivalent to MAC NC30.)

10) Victoria's Secret Dream Angels Heavenly™ Shimmering Hair & Body Spray - I have become addicted to being shimmery this summer. I purchased this on my b-day (June 2nd) and have used it just about every day on my body. It gives a perfect subtle golden shimmer. I JUST ran out, so I'll be getting another one next time I visit Victoria's Secret. It's $10 at the checkout.

11) Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Foundation (Inspired by Carmindy) - Amazing medium + coverage drugstore foundation. I'll be posting a review soon!

12) Orly Mirror Mirror Nail Polish - It's rare for me to find a nail polish I like so much that when it's time to take the polish off my nails, I use the same color.. over and over. I've been doing that with this color. I wear lots of grays.. so it pretty much matches what I'm wearing all of the time. It's a bluish, dove gray.. different from many other gray nail polishes. Lasting power is also good, it gets me through a week.

13) Covergirl Bronze Fire ShadowBlast - Perfect for every day. Check out my full review here.

14) LA Splash Sparkling Coral Lip Gloss - I purchased this at ULTA on a whim, and I'm so happy I ended up loving it. It's my every day lip gloss. It's a light, warm pink with golden shimmer that makes it appear slightly coral. I love the sponge applicator too. It's longer & flatter than a traditional sponge applicator and slightly slanted.

Here's a swatch on my hand.

And on my bare lips.

15) NYX "Pumpkin Pie" Round Lip Stick - I mentioned this lipstick in June. I've been wearing it almost every day since I purchased it. If I'm not wearing Pumpkin Pie, I'm wearing MAC Shygirl.. :) You can view swatches from my past post here.

What are some of your favorites this month??

My Sept/Oct. Monthly Beauty Favorites!

1) Neutrogena Makeup Remover Wipes - I have raved about these before.. and I included these in my favorites because I didn't have them for a week and I was LOST. Nothing was removing my makeup as good as these. These are definitely something I always need to have on hand. Nothing compares!
2) Wet n Wild Creme Liner - At $3.99, this stuff is amazing! I've been using it for a liner every day for around 2 weeks. I haven't noticed any fading or crumbling. I think the consistency is a little smoother than MAC Fluidline. I think this is an awesome dupe and worth a try. The brush that comes with it is useless though. I used it and It was like putting straw to your eye lid. It was so coarse it made my eyes water.

3) ELF Studio Blush Brush - Ever since I purchased this, I haven't used anything else. I always liked large fluffy blush brushes.. so I was skeptical if I was going to like it, but this is the size a proper blush brush should be.. so you're applying it to the apples of your cheeks, not your whole cheek. I use it for powdering under my eyes as well since it comes to a point, you can get close to little areas.
4) ELF Studio Powder Brush - Love this brush for everything! I usually use it for my bronzer though. It works awesome for bronzer, blush, powder and foundation.
5) Bed Head After Party - I just purchased this maybe a week ago. Its a product I always wanted to buy, but reluctant because of the price. At ULTA, I think I paid $18.50. Its around the same price at Target and Walgreen's. It makes my hair feel so light and it definitely makes it more shiny and tames my frizzies I get from the flat iron. Love it!
6) GVP Concentrated Leave in Treatment - I use this every time I wash my hair. I love the smell of it. It's hard to tell if a leave in conditioner has helped your hair, but my hair definitely looks healthier than it use to. I don't know if this has been working.. but I always use it and will repurchase.
7) MAC Blot Powder - I already have a dip in this.. its one of my favorite products and I've been using it every day of October. :)
8) Revlon Nude Attitude Lipstick - I've been wearing this every day.. the perfect nude.
9) NYX Smokey Look Megashine Lip Gloss - I've been wearing this every day as well, paired with Revlon Nude Attitude. It's such a pretty color combo. I already purchased a back up tube of this.
10) MAKE UP FOREVER HD Primer - I got two samples from Sephora and I LOVE this primer. I'm not a primer person.. I think a moisturizer works just the same.. but for some reason, I'm really buying into this primer. The consistency is almost like liquid hand soap, and it makes my face the perfect canvas for my foundation. I just may purchase the full size.
11) MAC Sunbasque Blush - This blush hasn't been getting any love lately because I've been so into my pink blushes.. but I pulled this out of the drawer, and was reminded how much I love it! It is the perfect color for the fall and goes so well with my skin tone.

12) Urban Decay Sin Eyeshadow - It's such a pretty frosty tan with a hint of white and pink. I've been using it in the corner of my eyes to brighten my eyes.
13) Biotin - I just started taking these for the health of my hair and nails. My nails are growing quick and they are so hard. They don't bend of break. I'm looking forward to seeing how this stuff works on my hair after daily use.
14) MAC Light over Dark Blush - I've been alternating this with Sunbasque. This is def. a favorite of mine.. as seen in previous posts.
15) MAKE UP FOREVER Lift Concealer - This stuff works wonders ;)