Makeup Lately #2

July 04, 2015 in Makeup

As promised in my first "Makeup Lately" post, I'm back again to tell you what I've been slapping onto my face every morning for the past week or so. Like the last look, this one is also pretty minimal, but with a tiny pop of color I don't usually go for.

Over the past few weeks I've been back on the bareMinerals Complexion Rescue bandwagon. I think this will be one of the first bases I'll ever finish - I've gone through about half of it by now. I just love that it gives a beautiful dewy glow to the skin but doesn't feel tacky in the slightest. I've also been needing my trusty concealer duo of the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser for under my eyes and the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer everywhere else more than ever. I've been waking up so tired every morning, and it shows not only under my eyes but all over in my skin too. This combo just helps to brighten everything up. I like to blend it all in with the Zoeva Silk Finish Brush for a flawless but natural finish.

For my eyes I've been using a little more color - I start with a wash of the ColourPop eyeshadow in Bill, a muted plum, all over the lid and into the crease and add a thin line of the Kat Von D Ink Liner in Baudelaire to my top lash line. I have a bit of a soft spot for navy eyeliners, and this is the first liquid one I've tried. The tip dries out pretty quickly so I have to close the pen and shake it again before moving on to my left eye, but once the color is there it doesn't budge. I really like how the navy looks with my brown eyes, and I'm definitely going to be wearing it with more bronzey eyeshadows soon. I've been reaching for my L'Oreal Voluminous Waterproof Miss Manga Mascara lately because it never smudges on me despite the weather heating up. On my brows I've still been using the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade with the brush that goes with it (I think it's #12) - I've finally gotten the hang of this recently so it's all I've been reaching for.

For cheeks I've been keeping it light and neutral with the Stila Aqua Glow Watercolor Blush in Rosewater - it's just a perfect neutral pink shade that gives a natural flush and goes with anything. I love that the first layer of these is quite sheer, so I can go for a subtle hint of color or build it up if I want. I've been skipping contour recently and going straight for the highlight (which is apparently known as strobing - I've been following a trend I didn't even know about!). I recently got my hands on the Laura Mercier Matte Radiance Baked Powder Compact in Highlight 01 that I mentioned in my Beauty Wishlist, and it's just stunning. You get a very noticeable glow, but it still looks really natural and like you're just glowing from within. Definitely a product I'll never be without from now on.

Lastly for lips, I've been playing it safe with some more neutrals. I made a FeelUnique order recently and discovered I could get Bourjois products through there, so I had to pick up the Rouge Edition Velvet in Nude-ist. It fits in nicely with all my other neutral colors, and the formula is so long-lasting. Another one I've been gravitating towards is the ColourPop Lippie Stix in Lumiere. It's such a lovely mauve-y pink shade that's really similar to the NARS Audacious Lipstick in Anna, and it's a little bit of a bolder option than Nude-ist.

What products have been your go-tos lately?

The Skin Pamper-ers

July 02, 2015 in Skincare

Being the owner of some constantly dehydrated and dry skin, I always like to give my skin a treat before I go to bed. Even in the summer heat, I just love slathering on a thick layer of moisturizer. If I could layer on an overnight mask every night without overloading my skin or if I could afford to use a sheet mask every day, I totally would.

I first realized my love of a nice, thick moisturizer at night when I started using the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream. If you’ve been reading my blog from the beginning, you’ll know I’m obsessed with this stuff. Recently though, when I was having a hard time spreading it evenly over my skin without dragging and tugging (it is a thick cream after all), I tried mixing a little of the facial oil I had on hand (rosehip), and a new favorite was born. I like how adding in the rosehip oil thins the cream out a little, making it easier to spread over and work into the skin. Sometimes when I’m having a dry moment in the morning, I’ll mix the Ultra Repair Cream with the Indie Lee Squalene Facial Oil for something more lightweight.

I was super happy with my cream + rosehip oil mixture for quite awhile, until I got my hands on the Nourish Argan Skin Renew. This cream has a lovely whipped consistency that sinks into the skin flawlessly. It’s got so many skin-loving oils in it, like jojoba, sunflower seed, and argan of course, so it glides beautifully over the skin like my other mixture, and I don’t even have to mix anything together. It feels heavenly on my constantly stressed skin and really feels like it’s relieving and repairing it. Most reviews I’ve seen say they limit their use to a few times a week, but I just can’t resist slathering this on almost every night. It feels that good. When I wake up in the morning, my skin is hydrated, plump, and absolutely glowing and feels so incredibly nourished.

The Nourish Argan Skin Renew is formulated with Frankincense, a natural astringent to gently balance the skin (making this cream perfect for all skin types), and Rose of Jericho, which improves skin's natural hydration levels and cellular density. It can adjust to different skin types and environments, so despite feeling like a thick cream, it's one that anyone could use. It's also made using natural ingredients, is cruelty free, and 85% organic if that's important to you. Working in a place that's not exactly the portrait of cleanliness, I can tell when my skin just feels tired and worn from the environmental stress. Washing off the grime from the day and then applying the Argan Skin Renew just really makes it feel like my skin is springing back to life. You only need to use a small amount, so this jar is going to last awhile, but I can already tell it's going to be one to repurchase.

Have you tried a more "oily" moisturizer like the Argan Skin Renew?

June Favorites

June 30, 2015 in Makeup, Skincare

We’ve reached the end of another month, and as I annoyingly remark in every favorites post, where has the month gone?? I can’t fathom how we’re already halfway through the year. June was a pretty boring month for me beauty-wise. I did try some amazing new skincare and get some new makeup, but I pretty much went for the same (very minimal) makeup look every day. The attitude I described in my Lazy Day Look? Yup, I’m still feeling that.

Most of my makeup favorites come from ColourPop Cosmetics. I finally gave into the hype around this brand, and boy am I glad that I did. The products are incredibly affordable and yet some of the best I’ve used. I still can’t get over how cool the mousse-like consistency feels to apply. You can see everything I got in my Haul, but my favorites of the month have been the highlighter in Smoke N Whistles and the eyeshadows in Plunge and Hanky Panky. The highlighter is one of the most beautiful I own (and I’ve amassed quite the collection of highlighters lately), and one I’ve reached for almost every day. Most highlights you see are more golden, but this one is a soft pink with a white and silver pearl, so on my extremely pale and cool-toned skin it just looks like a natural (yet quite intense) glow. The consistency I mentioned before is just perfect for cheek products - it glides on beautifully and blends seamlessly.

The eyeshadows are just as beautiful as the highlighter. The shade Hanky Panky is the most perfect barely-there shade, just a neutral taupe-y brown color. I love putting it through the crease and dabbing some of the beige-y gold shimmer Plunge on the lid. It makes the most perfect minimal summer eye look that I can see myself wearing throughout the rest of the season.

The only other makeup item I’ve been consistently reaching for this month is the Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment in Petal. I mentioned this in my Beauty Wishlist earlier this month, and I actually ended up buying it the day the post went up (whoops). I love these tinted lip balms, but the other colors I had were just too bright for every day. The Petal shade is almost the same shade as my lips, maybe a tad darker and peachier, so it makes the most perfect my-lips-but-better shade for every day. Since it’s so moisturizing and easy to reapply, I’ve been keeping it in my work bag throughout the week and also reaching for it for simple weekend looks.

I’ve got one skincare favorite this month, and it will be no surprise since I wrote a glowing review on it last week - the Mizon All-in-One Snail Repair Cream*. I’ll keep it brief since I have a whole post dedicated to it, but using this really makes my skin feel more plump, smooth, and hydrated. Since it’s so lightweight, it’s the perfect summer skincare item.

Since my makeup and skincare haven’t been too exciting this month, I thought I’d add in a haircare and bodycare favorite as well. I got the Bumble & Bumble Hairdresser's Invisible Oil Primer in a Sephora point perk at the end of last month and I’ve been using it ever since. I’ve noticed it rids my hair of frizz just as well as the other leave-in conditioners I’ve used, but this one doesn’t weigh my hair down or make it greasy at all. I love that it’s got both heat and UV protection included as well, and I’ll definitely be picking up the full size when my sample runs out.

I rarely talk about body care, but I’ve found quite the winner: the Nivea In-Shower Body Lotion. I’ve got the formulation for dry skin. One thing I always neglected post-shower was moisturizing my body. I never skipped my legs as they’d get so irritated otherwise, but I always skipped the rest of my body because most moisturizers left me feeling so oily and greasy and I couldn’t stand it. Although the in-shower moisturizer is an extra step, it’s so quick and easy to smooth on and rinse off in the shower that it’s quickly become a welcome addition to my routine. I can really feel a difference in the smoothness of my skin, and I never get dry or rough patches anymore. One to try for sure!

What were your favorites this month?