Makeup Lately #1

May 21, 2015 in Makeup

I love reading everyday makeup routines, but writing one always seems so formal to me and I feel like I can't do it until I’ve updated every single product for a long period of time. Lately I’ve been thinking, since I live out of a makeup bag and switch up the products inside every week or two, I’d write about my “makeup lately” every once in awhile. Just an informal little “here’s what I’ve been putting on my face for the last week” kind of thing.

I’d been majorly pining for the Charlotte Tilbury Light Wonder Foundation since I saw it get raves on blog after blog, and so when I saw it in Morgan from Blushing Wit's blog sale, I snatched it right up. It's in the shade 2 Fair, and it's a pretty good match - it's pretty light coverage so it's easy to disguise that it's not quite perfect (I'm already planning on saving up for shade 1 for the winter). It leaves the most radiant glow on the skin, which as you know I'm all about, and despite being light coverage it's quite perfecting. It's just good, natural skin in a bottle.

I’ve still been using my usual Maybelline Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser under my eyes, and it’s been getting more use than ever now that I have to get up at 5:30 to get ready for work. Last month I don’t think I used a concealer elsewhere on my face at all because I luckily had an almost perfect skin month, but this month I haven’t been so lucky. I’ve been getting many more blemishes than usual in different places than I’m used to (my forehead, my cheekbones, and the bridge of my nose, when usually I only get them on my chin and on my cheeks right next to my nose), so I’ve been heavily relying on my NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer. It covers blemishes so well without getting cakey or drying them out, so it’s been given a warm welcome back into my routine.

I went through a phase of pushing my Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade to the back of my drawer and only reaching for the Brow Wiz, but I’m back on the Dipbrow bandwagon. I can actually apply this more quickly than the Brow Wiz so it’s one I’ve been reaching for now that I have to get up even earlier for work.

I’ve got a new cream eyeshadow love - my sister cleaned out her makeup stash before she went abroad and finally gave up this baby that I’ve been eyeing ever since she got it - it’s the Origins Ginzing Brightening Cream Eyeshadow in the shade Sugar Peach. It’s a lovely champagne gold that really brightens up the eyes, and I find it lasts such a long time without creasing, even without primer - a miracle on my oily and hooded eyes!

I’ve also been reaching for a new mascara. I say new as in different, because this one’s been sitting unused at the back of my drawer for awhile. It’s the Clinique High Impact Mascara. This is a great all-rounder mascara, giving great length and volume and holding a curl well. It stays throughout the day on me without smudging despite it not being waterproof, so it’s much easier to take off at the end of the day.

On my cheeks I’ve been reaching for creamy products (I actually mentioned both in my April Favorites) - the Stila Convertible Color in Lilium for blush and The Creamy Glow by Kevyn Aucoin in Duo 4 for contour and highlight. They’re both so quick and easy to slap on with fingers and leave a lovely natural look that they're what I’ve been reaching for almost every day.

Lastly for lips, I’ve been constantly applying the Yves Saint Laurent Volupte Tint-in-Oil in I Rose You. I was a bit skeptical of a lip oil, thinking it would run down my face, but it stays put and really moisturizes. The shade I Rose You is a beautiful (you guessed it) rose color that just adds the perfect flushed color to the lips, so it works with any makeup look.

What makeup bits have you been reaching for lately?

The Drugstore Spring Lip Edit

May 19, 2015 in Makeup

So this is a little late since we’re nearing the end of spring now, but these pretty pink shades easily transition into summer as well. I’ve noticed most of the products I mention on this blog are more high end, but I really do make an effort to try things from the drugstore. When spring cleaning my makeup stash recently, I noticed that lip products are where I hoard the most from the drugstore, so I thought I’d put together a little edit of the ones I've got that are perfect for the warmer weather..

My favorite lipstick formula from the drugstore (and one of my favorite formulas, period) are the Revlon Super Lustrous Lipsticks. I’ve got three shades that are perfect for spring/summer: Temptress, Pink in the Afternoon, and Cherries in the Snow. Temptress and Pink in the Afternoon are pretty similar - soft, pretty pinks, but Temptress is much more pink and Pink in the Afternoon has more of a peach tone in it (see it in action in my Holly Golightly Tutorial here - don't laugh at my super dark photography!). I reach for one of these quite often in the spring, and Temptress will always hold a place in my heart because it was the one I wore for my graduation last year. If you’re into bold lip colors, then Cherries in the Snow is definitely one to check out. It’s a lovely pink-based red that makes teeth look whiter and is one of the only bold lip colors I own that I don’t feel too uncomfortable in.

The rest of my picks are all glosses, but I’ll tell you now that none of them are sticky in the slightest. One of my favorite lipgloss formulas is that of the Maybelline Color Elixirs. The most perfect spring shade can be found in Rose Redefined, and in fact it makes a great pair with Revlon’s Temptress. I absolutely love these glosses because they feel so comfortable and “cushion-y” on the lips.

My last three picks are all from Nyx, one of my favorite drugstore brands. I’ve got the Butter Gloss in Strawberry Parfait, which is the perfect complexion-brightening pink. These glosses smell amazing and feel very nourishing on the lips, so it’s no wonder I have about 4 or 5 other shades. Their Mega Shine Lip Glosses are wonderful as well - I used to have so many shades, but I’ve whittled my collection down to Beige and Tea Rose. I have no idea why Beige is called Beige because it’s not beige in the slightest (how many more times can I say beige?). It’s a lovely cool pink color that, now that I think of it, would probably look absolutely lovely over MAC Syrup. Tea Rose is a similar color but with a bit more warmth and a more coral undertone. Corals don’t tend to suit me, but this one is just pink enough that it does! The smell of these kind of remind me of cough medicine I would take as a kid, but luckily it doesn’t linger. These also feel super comfortable and moisturizing on the lips (although not as much as the butter glosses).

What are your favorite lip products for spring? Any drugstore favorites I’m missing out on?

Current Skincare Loves #3

May 16, 2015 in Skincare

As you saw from my Skincare on Trial post a couple weeks ago, I’m really having a skincare moment right now. Maybe it’s the heaping amount of makeup I got for my birthday that’s caused the switch, or maybe it’s the change in the weather. Whatever it is, I’m glad it happened because I’ve found so many new goodies and everyday staples.

Ironically none of the items I’m talking about today were featured in my Skincare on Trial post, whoops. But that just goes to show how much I’ve been testing.

My most favorite new product is the Antipodes Aura Manuka Honey Mask. I heard rave after rave of this and was extremely intrigued by a mask that was both hydrating and purifying. I’ve now used it quite a few times and it just ticks all the boxes. I primarily use it as a moisture mask, but it’s been nice to use while I’ve had a few breakouts lately too. It really feels deeply nourishing and I always wake up with plump, glowing skin the morning after using it.

I mentioned at the very end of my skincare post that I was about to try the Lush Full of Grace Serum bar, and here it is. The prospect of a serum in bar form seemed quite strange to me, but it really is lovely and good for traveling. This one feels a little oily at first when put on the skin, but it sinks in so quickly and leaves my skin so soft. With my skin not being so dry anymore, I only need to use a tiny bit of moisturizer after this (because I can’t just not put moisturizer on!). It really seems to improve the texture and tone of my skin (it really helps with redness) while deeply hydrating.

A product I’ve recently featured on the blog here is the Mizon Apple Smoothie Peeling Gel. It’s a white creamy gel you massage onto your face, leave for a minute, and then massage again, revealing and rolling away dead skin cells and dirt. It’s an extremely gentle yet effective way to exfoliate, so definitely something for those with extremely sensitive skin to look into.

I’ve also recently been trying the Indie Lee Squalene Facial Oil (finding out I could buy things on Amazon with my credit card reward points was quite the revelation - that’s how I finally bought the Antipodes mask, too). It’s a really lightweight oil that sinks in instantly and leaves my skin feeling SO soft. I was nervous about how light it felt and thought it wasn’t going to be hydrating enough for my tastes, but it certainly is. This is totally perfect for someone with dehydrated skin like me and a great product for summer.

Lastly is an oldie but a goodie. I’ve had this tiny sample of the Origins No Puffery Cooling Roll-On for quite a while, but it’s come in quite handy for the spring when my allergies have been wreaking havoc on my eyes (see how I prevent smudging eye makeup here). I often wake up to find my eyes are quite puffy and sore, and this cooling gel (along with the metal rollerball) feel just heavenly and help bring the swelling down right away.

What skincare bits have you been loving lately?