Trilogy Rosehip Starter Set

June 16, 2016 in Skincare

If you've been around my blog before, you'll know that I absolutely love rosehip oil. It's probably my favorite kind of oil to use on my skin, and I'm always on the lookout for it in a skincare product's ingredients list. I had always heard lots of great things about Trilogy Skincare as pretty much the authority on all things rosehip, so I was incredibly excited to try out a Trilogy Discover Starter Set* from Beauty Expert that included the Rosehip Cream Cleanser, Rosehip Oil, and Rosehip Vital Moisturising Cream.

Cream Cleanser | Lately I've been getting super restless about the cleansers I've been using - they're all great, but I'm such a product floozy that I was starting to get bored with the same old products. This cleanser looks and feels like a moisturizer when applied, making it perfect for someone with a drier skin type. It leaves my skin feeling nice and clean but never stripped, and I love that it doesn't foam up - foaming cleansers really dry out my skin and leave a weird "dragging" feeling. My skin feels plumped and never tight afterward.

Rosehip Oil | Like I said above, rosehip oil is probably my favorite kind of facial oil. I find that using it consistently really helps even out my skintone, from fading marks to diminishing redness. Rosehip oil also gives my skin the nicest juicy glow, so I've especially been into it now that I want to constantly look so moisturized that I'm almost glistening. It sinks in quickly without feeling thick or heavy, so I think it's one that people with more oily skin could use as well.

Vital Moisturising Cream | I love using the moisturizer on top of the oil as the last step of my skincare routine. It has a thinner consistency - not so thin that it's runny, but thin enough to easily absorb into the skin. It instantly plumps and nourishes the skin, and I can tell it's helping my skin stay moisturized all day even though my skin has a tendency to get dehydrated. As this set is for normal to dry skin, I don't think this would be great for oily skin as it does have a dewy finish even after absorbing into the skin.

I'm usually not one to stick to one brand of skincare at a time in my routine, but every time I go to use one of these products, I just have to use all three. They all work so well together (which I guess is the point of the set!). The combination is nourishing enough for me to use in the evening (when I usually like to slather on all the thick oils and creams), but it's still light enough to use in the morning without my makeup melting off throughout the day. If I wake up with dry and tight feeling skin, I immediately reach for these. Beauty Expert has a couple Trilogy starter sets to choose from so you can find one that will suit your skin.

Have you tried anything from Trilogy? What's your favorite product from them?

*Some products mentioned have been sent to me for consideration, but all opinions are my own. Please see my disclaimer for more information.

The Everyday Lip Stash

June 14, 2016 in Makeup

Ever since I got my new makeup drawers (these if you were wondering), I've been a lot better about rotating products in and out from week to week to make sure I get better use out of my collection. These drawers live in my bedroom so it's easily accessible when I get ready in the morning, and the rest of my collection is kept in a desk in another room. Despite using one of the smaller drawers to store everything lip-related, it still fits a good amount of products. I've been keeping some essential everyday picks inside - whether they're neutral in color to go with everything, moisturizing, long-lasting, or just something new I want to make sure I test out.

I keep a stash of lip liners handy because they're perfect for smudging into the lips post-lip balm for a long lasting stain. My favorites that I always have to have around are the Marc Jacobs Poutliner Longwear Lip Pencil in Prim(rose), the MAC Lip Pencil in Whirl, and the Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheats in Pillow Talk and Iconic Nude.

For me to choose a lip product for the day, it's going to have to be comfortable throughout the day. The best low-key pink lip (that really looks like an enhanced version of your lips - a true MLBB) is the Glossier Generation G in Like topped with their Rose Balm Dotcom. I tend to keep these two in my workbag at all times because it's just my favorite combination. I also love the Colourpop Lippie Stix in Aquarius (the perfect everyday nude), and I like to keep the luxe option of the Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Very Victoria around for good measure, too.

Some new options I've been keeping close to make sure I test them out are all quite different formulas. I recently gave into the hype of the Lancome Juicy Shakers and picked up the shade Vanilla Pop for myself, and I'm basically obsessed. I love how easy it is to apply and how comfortable it feels on the lips. I need to get another shade or two. I've also got the Too Faced Melted Matte Liquified Long Wear Matte Lipstick in Queen B kicking around since I just got it last Sunday. This is a really nice liquid lipstick formula so far - not too drying and quite comfortable. The shade is a nice dusky mauve that works for every day. And for a traditional lipstick I've got one of the new Urban Decay Vice Lipsticks in the shade Backtalk (I've actually picked up three more since then, so expect a review coming soon). This is a "comfort matte" formula, which is exactly what it sounds like. It reminds me a little of the Charlotte Tilbury lipstick formula mentioned above. The color is actually very similar to the Too Faced option (see the comparison here), but I don't mind as the formulas are so different.

What kinds of lip products do you keep close? Are you a neutral lover like me, or do you wear bolds on a daily basis?

The Liquid Edit

June 11, 2016

Usually when the weather heats up, I start reaching for lots of cream products. This season, however, I've realized how much I've been enjoying liquid products. I've had most of these in my collection for a while but I'm only just now realizing how perfect for summer they are. Liquids just blend seamlessly with the skin and feel so lightweight - perfect for hot weather in my opinion.

The eyeshadow | I haven't tried many liquid eyeshadows in my time, but I can still tell that the Wander Beauty Exquisite Eye Liquid Shadow in Bronze is a winner. I love the packaging - it's so easy to apply with the doe-foot applicator. The shade is perfect for everyday and really adds a glossy look to the eyelid. When used with a primer, I don't have any creasing or fading issues at all.

The bronzer | I recently picked up the NARS Laguna Liquid Bronzer, and I'm already head over heels in love. It's very similar in color to the original Laguna Bronzer, but it's quite sheer and able to be built up. I found that the original Laguna was a little too dark for me to pull off, so I find the liquid is a perfect match. It has the subtle golden shimmer like the original to add a bit of natural glow. I like dotting a bit of this on my cheeks and then blending out with a stippling brush. It leaves my face looking nicely sunkissed and more defined. It's such a thin formula that it becomes one with the skin, helping it look as natural as possible. I can definitely see myself using this on many "no makeup" days this summer with only a bit of concealer, brow gel, and mascara.

The blush | I've got two liquid blushes in my stash, and they're both very similar in both formula and color. I love using both the Stila Aqua Glow Watercolor Blush in Rosewater and the Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blush in Cherub pretty much interchangeably and have a hard time picking a favorite. I think I prefer the packaging of the Daniel Sandler blush though - it seems to be less messy. Both shades are a beautiful neutral pink (which is pretty much the only blush color I own) with a tiny bit of gold shimmer in them - like the Laguna, this adds a perfectly believable glow to the face.

The highlighter | Normally, I go all out with highlighter, but there's something so beautifully simple and natural about the BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfectors. I have the travel size tube of Moonstone, and I can't see myself ever getting to the end of the tube. You just have to use the tiniest amount to get such a pretty natural radiance. I definitely don't use this as much as I should, but every time I reach for it I'm reminded of what a phenomenal product it is. Now they just need to start making the smaller tubes of the Pearl shade. I like applying this in several ways - either before my base (although I don't do this as much anymore since getting the BECCA Backlight Priming Filter), mixed into my foundations, or tapped on top. It adds such a lovely glow to the skin that's never glittery or "too much" (though there's no such thing, right?) no matter what way it's applied.

What are your favorite liquid products? Do you switch to liquids and creams in the summer, too?