The Monthly Review | April

May 02, 2017 in Makeup, Hair, Skincare, Wedding, Lifestyle

I can't believe it's already May - I swear for the last week I've been thinking it was still around the 15th. This month wasn't quite as eventful as March, but it was still great overall.

Beauty

I've always got to start with the beauty products. This month my hormonal breakouts came back with a vengeance, and one thing that really helped soothe and calm them down was the Glossier Super Pure Serum.* I've been all about these beauties since they came out, and this niacinamide + zinc serum has been my go-to of the three Supers. Makeup-wise, I've been breaking out the eyeshadows again and using shades from the Lorac I Love Brunch Pro Palette - my sister surprised me with this recently, and I've been loving it. I'll have my full review up this week, so keep an eye out for that. When I've been using a powder highlight, it's been the Tom Ford Sheer Highlighting Duo in Reflects Gilt. I got this for my birthday at the beginning of April, and it's earned a place for itself in my everyday routine. Lastly for makeup is the new foundation/base from MAC - their Next to Nothing Face Colour. I was super intrigued by this collection, being someone who loves lightweight, glowy bases, and I just love it. I'll have a full review up soon.

I rarely have hair favorites, but I've been using the full line of products from Hairstory* and I couldn't be happier with them. I talked about the New Wash in my Five to Try post last week, but the other three products are phenomenal as well. I was participating in their campaign where you replace your shampoo and conditioner with the New Wash for 30 days, and I'm just about at the end of that, so I'll have a review of the line up soon.

Podcasts/TV

Not much has changed on the music-front for me this month, but in the last couple weeks I've found and become obsessed with a podcast - usually I listen to music on my way to work and a podcast on my way home, but I've been loving this one so much that I listen to it in the morning and in the afternoon. It's My Favorite Murder - I've always been into True Crime and shows like Forensic Files and 48 Hours but this podcast has really gotten me into it.

Brett and I have also gotten into watching Better Call Saul on Netflix - we had watched it when it first came out, but I think I fell asleep during the first episode and just couldn't get into it. We haven't caught up yet, but we're almost there and it's so good. It makes me sad though to see him doing well, because we already know how he ends up in Breaking Bad. When Brett's not home, I've been marathon-ing Crazy Ex-Girlfriend on Netflix, too, and I really love it. I'm a sucker for musicals, and I love every character.

Other Highlights

Big wedding news this month - we finally set a date! On June 8, 2018 I'll become Kelsey Kelly (lol). We picked a photographer too! She's awesome and every single photo, even the portraits, look like candids, which is exactly what I was looking for. Another highlight of the month was seeing my sister's dance recital, where she choreographed her own piece! It was so good, and I was so proud. May is already shaping up to be a good month as well - I'll be in New York City with Glossier this Thursday and Friday!

What were your highlights of the month?

Falling for Bright Blush

April 28, 2017 in Makeup

Maybe it's because the weather is warming up, or maybe I've just been inspired by the Glossier Cloud Paint promotional images, but I've been all about brighter blush shades lately - who even am I? I've been such a diehard "no blush" blush girl for such a long time. My cheeks tend to get a little rosy on their own throughout the day, so I was always afraid of accentuating that. However, I realized how flattering and awakening it is when the color is placed behind the apples of my cheeks (on my face, anyway), and I feel like a whole world has been opened up for me.

The products that sparked this, of course, were the Glossier Cloud Paints.* Leave it to Glossier to get me to try something out of my comfort zone. I was thinking I would only use Dusk, the nude shade, but I've actually been getting the most use out of Haze, the berry color, and Puff, the cool pink shade. These are just beautiful, and they way they blend into the skin makes it look like a natural flush. Once I realized that a brighter, cool-toned blush actually suited my complexion and helped me look more awake, I started digging back through my collection and dusting off some old loves, as well as picking up a few new favorites.

I still gravitate towards cream products most days, as they're quicker and easier for me to apply. I've fallen back in love with the Estee Lauder Genuine Glow Blushing Creme* in Sweet Cheeks - it's a lovely, balmy formula that blends out super easily and leaves the most beautiful flush. It really perks up my skin and makes it look well-rested and glowy. Another stick formula I'm always reaching for are the Bite Beauty Multisticks - Mascarpone is my go-to when I'm wanting a more vibrant pink. It's a warm salmon shade that's super flattering and brightening. This formula also works on the lips and eyes if you're wanting to make a monochrome look out of it, too. I've also started using the Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Blushed Rose. This is a little more neutral than the other blushes here, but since it's deeper than I normally wear, I figured it still counted. This formula is beautiful and easy to apply - I really need to try more from Bobbi Brown.

When I do want a powder blush, I've got two gorgeous shades I've been alternating between. The Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Diffused Heat is an old favorite - I gave it to my sister a while ago, and then when she decided she didn't want it anymore, I took it back. I couldn't be happier to have it back, because this one really makes me look the healthiest out of all the options here. It's the prettiest pinky-coral shade with a touch of glow, and it seems to be the exact shade my skin turns when I blush. A newer one I got recently is the Givenchy Le Prisme Blush in Vintage Pink - I assumed it would be a more brown-y pink color, but it's quite bright on the skin. Swirling the four sections together creates such a lovely shade, and the formula of this is unreal - I'm not sure if I've ever felt a softer powder product.

Do you like brighter blushes, or are you more into neutrals and bronzers? What's your favorite blush?

Dealing with Breakouts | The Gentle Skincare Routine

April 27, 2017 in Skincare

For two glorious months I was blessed with the clearest skin I've ever had. And now this month, the hormonal breakouts that normally plague me for about a week each month have returned with a vengeance. My chin and jawline are currently speckled with angry red spots, and they're so painful that I just want to use the most gentle, soothing skincare on them instead of beating them into submission and risk making them angrier.

When I'm wearing makeup, I've been going in with the Pixi Double Cleanse.* It's super gentle and non-irritating, and it gets all of my makeup off without too much fuss. The cream cleanser side has been great for soothing my skin as well. In the mornings, or at night if I'm not wearing makeup, I've been cleansing with the Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser. It conditions the skin and keeps it clean, but not stripped. This is my all-time favorite facial cleanser, and I think I'm on my sixth or seventh bottle by now.

I also like using a mask to gently clear out my pores and cleanse my skin, and the gentlest of them all is the Glossier Mega Greens Galaxy Pack. It's a thick, creamy clay mask that doesn't totally dry down or strip the skin. It really helps my skin feel cleared out, but not in a totally-vacuumed-and-squeaky way. I've used charcoal/clay masks over breakouts before, and sometimes they're just too harsh for me. This one is just perfect.

I've never had much luck with dedicated spot treatments, but what's really been helping me is a BHA toner. I had heard nothing but good things about the CosRX Blackhead Power Liquid, and it really has been helping. I sweep it over my chin and T-zone with a cotton pad most nights, but I make sure to never skip out on it when I'm breaking out. Despite implying it's only to treat blackheads (and they have a whitehead version), it's really been helping clear up any and all breakouts. Usually my breakouts are aggravated by dehydration, so I'm sure to pat on a few layers of a lightweight, hydrating toner like the Mizon Intensive Skin Barrier Toner after using the BHA toner.

When my spots are particularly angry, I look no further than the Glossier Super Pure Serum.* This niacinamide and zinc serum instantly feels cooling and soothing on the skin. It doesn't cure my breakouts, but it definitely helps with redness and the pain. I usually just concentrate this where I'm breaking out and go in with a hydrating serum elsewhere. My go-to hydrating serum is the Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Liquid. It feels so soothing on the skin, and I can just feel it smoothing and softening any dry patches. It's a watery fluid, so it never feels too heavy or clogging on the skin.

I always seal it all in with the Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Cream. After falling in love with the Liquid, I just had to get myself a tube of the cream. It's just as good, and they work beautifully together as a pair. I could see these helping the driest of dry skin. They're both packed full of ceramides, which hydrate and repair the skin barrier. so they're really so good for your skin. Maybe it's the clinical-looking packaging, but they just feel so healing on the skin, so they're always the serum/cream duo I reach for when I'm breaking out.

What products do you reach for when you're breaking out?

Get the Glossier products I mentioned for 20% off from my rep page here.

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