The Everyday Lip Edit

I've mentioned in a few posts recently that I've been more into sheer, glossy lips lately, as opposed to the matte liquid lipsticks I've been hoarding. My bag is constantly packed with these easy lip options that go with anything. The rest of my makeup has been mostly the same lately (let me know if you'd like to see another Makeup Lately post!), but the lips change daily.

On days when I just want a balm, I always go for the Glossier Rose Balm Dotcom. I can't decide if the Rose or Coconut is my favorite of the flavored balms, but I do like that the rose one has a subtle pink tint. The Balm Dotcoms are my absolute favorite lip balms, and I can't be without at least one near me at all times. I've also been really into smudging/mixing other lip products into the Balm Dotcom (check out Glossier's Instagram Story before it expires tonight to see Emily Ferber mixing her favorite lipstick with Balm Dotcom). I've been mixing together two shades of the Glossier Generation Gs, Like and Leo, to get my perfect pinky brown nude. Smudging the product into the Balm Dotcom helps them mix together more easily and keeps it looking a little glossy, rather than the matte stain effect they usually have. You can get 20% off your first Glossier order here. I've also been absolutely adoring the look of smudging a bit of the Rodin Olio Lusso Luxe Lipstick in Billie on the Bike into a little bit of balm. This lipstick is on the sheerer side anyway, but with the balm it turns into a beautiful berry stain. I'm definitely going to have to pick up another shade or two.

I love using a tinted balm on a day-to-day basis, and the Wander Beauty Beach Balm* is a new favorite. It's super lightweight on the lips and leaves a really pretty berry red stain on the lips. It adds a bit of life to the face for sure. They're not tinted balms, but the Nudestix Gel Color Lip + Cheek Balm in Pulse and Lise Watier Fondant Lipstick in Jennifer certainly give that same kind of sheer, glossy effect. Pulse is the perfect plummy nude that gives the lips a little bit of definition and helps them look full and plumped - it's definitely a new favorite addition to a "no makeup" makeup look, and it actually looks beautiful on the cheeks as well. The Lise Watier Lipstick is one of the most comfortable lipsticks I've ever tried, and the shade Jennifer is the most perfect beige nude. I prefer lighter nudes to be on the sheerer side to allow my natural lip color to show through, so this is just perfect.

Sometimes though, I just want a gloss. I can't believe I forgot to include the Glossier Lip Gloss in these photos, but it's always a favorite for sure. I've also fallen back in love with the Nyx Butter Gloss in Angel Food Cake - I had given it to my sister a while ago, but I decided to take it back when she was looking to give it away recently. This gloss is one of my favorite formulas - my favorite from the drugstore for sure, and the color is the perfect "my lips but better" shade. There are so many shades in this line, so if this one's a little too mauve-y for you, I'm sure there's another one you'll like. My last option I always have available is the Dior Addict Lip Glow Pomade. I still think I prefer the original Lip Glow, but this is a beautiful gloss nonetheless. It feels just as nourishing and a teeny bit minty like the original, but it doesn't change the color of your lips quite as much. It's still been an everyday favorite though.

What are your everyday lip products?

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Brand to Try | CosRx

I've been super into Korean skincare for quite awhile now, and it seems that my skin really likes it. It opens up a whole new world of brands to try, which, as a beauty addict, is perfect. I'm not loyal to one brand, but sometimes I find myself reaching for a bunch of products all from the same brand. A brand I've been loving lately is CosRx, a Korean skincare brand with a very reasonable price point. The products are no-fuss and effective - I've got five of them so far to share today.

Honey Ceramide Full Moisture Cream | This is my favorite product I've tried from the brand so far. It's a simple, extremely hydrating cream that works well in the morning and at night. It's not heavy at all and has almost a gel-cream consistency. I know that my skin loves both honey and ceramides as skincare ingredients, so I had high hopes for this. It doesn't sink in as quickly as some creams I've tried, but once it does it's weightless and keeps your skin moisturized all night/day. This really plumps up my skin and seals in all the steps I did before it. 

Honey Ceramide Eye Cream | I just got this recently, and I'm pretty sure it's just the Full Moisture Cream in a smaller pot. I still love it anyway, and the formula works really well around the eyes. It's the same lightweight, gel-cream texture so it doesn't clog up my sensitive undereyes, but it's still hydrating enough that my concealer doesn't get cakey and dry under my eyes. I haven't been using this for long enough to see if there are any effects on dark circles or anything, but it doesn't claim to, and I pretty much just use eye creams for hydration.

BHA Blackhead Power Liquid | I had heard so many raves about this product, so I just had to get in on it. The texture is slightly more viscous than water and spreads over the skin easily. Used consistently, I have noticed it helps keep blackheads at bay, and although they have a formula for whiteheads, I've been using this over other breakouts with success. I use it after cleansing and toning. It uses 4% BHA as well as Willow Bark and Niacinamide to clear the skin, as well as Hyaluronic Acid to hydrate. It doesn't feel harsh at all - it doesn't even burn when put on active spots.

Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence | This was another product I had heard raves about, and it's a new addition to my collection as well. This is so incredibly hydrating - I don't know if it's just good timing/hormones, but ever since I started using this a couple weeks ago, my neverending breakouts seem to have subsided. It has even more of a viscous texture than the Power Liquid, which I wasn't used to in an essence, but it spreads so easily over the skin and sinks in quickly. The 96 means there's 96% snail excretion filtrate, which really helps to repair and hydrate the skin.

Ultimate Nourishing Rice Overnight Spa Mask | I got this a few months ago after Sharmili reviewed it, and it's been love ever since. Despite being an overnight mask, it's quite a lightweight cream, and it doesn't feel sticky or like it'll stain your pillowcases. I wake up with insanely plump and glowy skin when I use this, so I use a thin layer almost every night. With the warmer weather coming I haven't been using as many face oils at night, but this gives my skin just as much hydration and glow. It feels incredibly soothing as well, so I'm sure this will be a summer staple when my skin is stressed.

Have you tried anything from CosRx? I need to try the Blemish Patches next!

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The Monthly Review | May

UM - how are we just one day away from it being June? May was a whirlwind of a month that started with a bang - trips to New York City with Glossier and Newport with Brett, and has since settled down a little. 

Beauty

This month my beauty picks have been all about Glossier - the new sunscreen, Invisible Shield, launched this month (review), and I've been using it every day since. I haven't been able to love a sunscreen enough to wear every day until now. It's truly weightless and feels like nothing on the skin. I've been all about Glossier products for my base too - Priming Moisturizer, Perfecting Skin Tint, and Stretch Concealer. It leaves a beautiful dewy base that lets your skin show through. You can get 20% off your first Glossier order here.

I've also been super into cream cheek products lately, especially in stick form. They're super quick to apply and add a lovely flush to the cheeks. My go-tos have been the Nudestix Nudies All Over Face Color in Naughty 'N Spice (review) and the Smashbox LA Lights Blendable Lip & Cheek Color in Mulholland Mauve. Another group of products I've been loving this month are sheer, glossy lip products. I can't stop wearing things like the new Wander Beauty Beach Balm,* Nudestix Gel Color Lip + Cheek Balm in Pulse, and the NARS Lip Tint in Ephelide (review). 

One last beauty update - I'm still head over heels for my Byredo Rose of No Man's Land Perfume Oil, but this month I've been wearing Byredo Mojave Ghost more and more. My friend Miran is an absolute babe and saved a bunch of leftover goodies from the Glossier rep meetup she organized at The Wing and passed them onto a few of us when we met up with her in New York. I can't describe what Mojave Ghost smells like at all, but I absolutely love it, and now the scent reminds me of what a lovely time I had in New York.

Music/TV

For most of the month I wasn't listening to much music because I was constantly listening to My Favorite Murder instead. But Harry Styles's new album came out in the middle of the month and I haven't been able to stop listening to it. I like every single song on the album, and I can listen to the whole thing start to finish on my way to work. Brett and I saw Guardians of the Galaxy 2 this month, too, and it got me back into that kind of music. The movie was just as good as the first one, I think!

As for TV, I've been binge-watching series left and right while Brett is on his new work schedule. I watched all the episodes of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend that were on Netflix and absolutely loved it. I'm a huge fan of musicals, so this was right up my alley. Once I finished that, I watched Schitt's Creek - it's such a good show! It wasn't quite laugh-out-loud funny, but all the actors in it were great and fun to watch. I've now started watching Veep and Frasier over from the beginning (I go for Frasier when HBOGo freezes up), and it's reminding me how much I loved them.

Other Highlights

The most obvious highlight of the month was my trip to New York with Glossier - it was honestly a dream come true. I wish I had taken my camera around so I could write a whole post on it, but it was such an amazing, inspiring experience. It was awesome to meet the GTeam, see the "Gloffice," and we even got to see behind the scenes of Invisible Shield before it launched. The whole trip was just one big highlight to me, but standout moments were getting to meet an incredible group of women (including Amelia and Jodie, who I had been talking to online for almost a year!), seeing Emily Ferber go through her favorite beauty products over breakfast, having dinner with Emily Weiss, and being recognized by my Instagram handle when introducing myself to people at Glossier ("You're Dadmunk!"). 

Brett and I also took a quick weekend trip to Newport, RI this month, and it was a nice little getaway. We saw an improv show that was so good (just like Whose Line Is It Anyway?), walked the Cliff Walk (which was beautiful even though it was gloomy outside), and had the best breakfast ever.

This past weekend was a highlight, too - my sister came home for the weekend, so it was nice to spend time with her and my parents. We had lunch with my grandparents, too, which is always one of my favorite things to do when we're both home!

On the wedding front, there haven't been many updates, but we did find a photographer! She's the sweetest, and I'm looking forward to the day even more now. Her style is exactly what I was imagining for the day - every photo looks so natural and candid, and I felt so at ease speaking with her. 

What were the highlights of your month?

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