I try to avoid the cliche "how is the month already over" at the beginning of favorites posts, but seriously, how is it already the last day of June? I know I said in my May Favorites I was going to try and do little spending bans and save my purchases until the end of each month, but I really broke that this month. I think spending bans actually may not be good for me - I managed to stick to it for the month of May, but I went a little crazy with my spending in June. Kind of like putting yourself on a restrictive diet and then binging on McDonald's as soon as it's over. Anyway, most of my favorites from this month are from the "end of spending ban" purchases I made, so that's good, right?
Skincare | My first favorite of the month is the Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum. This was supposed to be my one spendy thing at the end of my spending ban, but I fell so in love with it that I ended up getting the Night Serum to go along with it (review on the two of them coming soon). This has been excellent at clearing up old acne marks and keeping my skin bright and fresh. I've been using it every other morning to ease myself into it (I've heard it irritates some people's skin), but I haven't had any issues. I've been following my serum up each morning with the Purlisse Pur~Moist Hydra-Balance Moisturizer* (it's since been repackaged as the Blue Lotus Balancing Moisturizer). It's such a lovely, lightweight cream that still is super hydrating. It makes my skin feel so soft and soothed - it's definitely one I reach for when my skin is feeling hot and irritated.
Base | At the beginning of the month I borrowed my sister's Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Aquacealer Concealer (she wrote a review of a lot of the Rainforest of the Sea line here!) and was instantly sold. I wasn't planning on buying this in my "post-spending ban" shopping trip, but I decided I needed it. I love the applicator - it makes it super easy to dot on quickly (though I avoid touching it to active breakouts), and I then blend everything in with a Beauty Blender. The lightest shade is a perfect match for me, and it's the only base product I'll reach for on minimal makeup days - I love a good all-over concealer.
Cheeks | To warm up my skin I've been obsessed with the NARS Laguna Liquid Bronzer. I pump a bit onto my hand, dot it on my cheeks with my fingers, and then blend it out with a stippling brush, and it gives the nicest natural glow to my skin. The original Laguna was a little too dark for me, but the liquid is a little more sheer, so it's easy to still get a natural look. My cheeks get pretty flushed in the heat so I typically avoid blush in the summer, but when I have wanted a little flush of color I've been going for the Estee Lauder Genuine Glow Blushing Creme for Lips and Cheeks* in Sweet Cheeks. It's the perfect brightening pink, and it's a lovely, almost balmy formula that glides onto and blends into the skin effortlessly. I can't go a day without swiping on some highlighter, and it's probably no surprise that I've been dedicated to the Glossier Haloscope Dew Effect Highlighter in Quartz (review) almost all month. It gives the most beautiful, believable dewy sheen to the skin that makes me look super healthy and hydrated. I've noticed I've gotten a lot less comments about looking tired since I've made an effort to wear this every day, so it's a thumbs-up from me.
Lips | The new and vast 100-shade Urban Decay Vice Lipstick line launched early in the month, and I managed to get my hands on four shades - I'll have a review on them up next week. My favorite and most-worn of the bunch this month has been the shade Backtalk, which is a Comfort Matte formula. It's a beautiful pinky mauve shade (I swatched it here with some of my other favorite mauves) that looks lovely for everyday, and the formula is so so good. I love a matte lip, but sometimes they're a little too drying to wear all day long. This one, as the name suggests, stays comfortable and lasts a long time on the lips - I can typically get about 5 hours of wear before I have to reapply, and when the color fades, it fades evenly. Spoiler alert for my upcoming review, but the other shades I have perform just as beautifully.
What were your favorites this month?
*Some of the products mentioned have been sent to me for consideration, but all opinions are my own. Please see my disclaimer for more information.
