The Repurchases | Five Products Worth a Re-Buy

Being someone who's quite beauty-obsessed, I often see running out of one product as an opportunity to try something new. But there are a few products that I just can't be without, so whenever I run out, I need to run out and repurchase (or just keep multiple backups).

Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint | This is my absolute favorite base product. I love the effect it has on the skin - it's quite smoothing and perfecting and gives an incredibly healthy-looking glow. One reason I've repurchased countless bottles is because it's so versatile. Not only is it beautiful on its own, but it also mixes really well with other products to help them look more skin-like.

It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream | Speaking of base products, this is one of the only other bases I've ever repurchased. Like the skin tint, it gives a skin-like, slightly dewy finish, but it has a whole lot more coverage. I actually love mixing the two together to get the perfect amount of coverage. This is a great option for everyday because it sheers out and builds up well, leaves the skin looking perfected but natural, and has an SPF of 50.

Glossier Boy Brow | This is one product that I am terrified of running out of. I'm pretty sure I have about four or five backups right now, because it's just that good. I'm perfectly comfortable leaving the house without makeup, but I always feel better when I fill in my eyebrows, at least a little. The Boy Brow fills in and fluffs up my brows, and it's great on its own or as a base for other brow-filling products. I love that it holds my eyebrows in place for the whole day without being stiff or crunchy - this is definitely "your brows but better." You can get 20% off your first Glossier order through my rep page.

Wander Beauty Unlashed Volume & Curl Mascara | This is such an underrated hidden gem. I really like mascaras packaged in tubes, for one thing - I feel like you have a better chance of getting more product out before having to throw it away. This gives such a beautiful, fluttery look to the lashes that's perfect for everyday, and it also builds up nicely to something more dramatic without getting clumpy or spider-y. It's not waterproof, but it still manages to hold a curl on my stubborn lashes and doesn't smudge all over my oily eyelids. This stuff is some kind of magic, and I highly recommend picking up a tube in your next Sephora order.

Dior Addict Lip Glow Color Reviver Balm | If I could only use one lip product for the rest of my life, this would be it. It's a lovely, hydrating lip balm, and it gives the lips a really pretty flush of color. This comes in four shades now, but the original pink shade is still my favorite. It's one of those products that supposedly works with your body's pH/temperature to create your own custom color. I do find that it shows up brighter on my lips than other days. It creates the perfect, healthy, "just-bitten" flush to the lips that works for pretty much any occasion.

What products will you always repurchase?

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New In From Buxom

Last week I got a super exciting package from Buxom Cosmetics - I had only tried one or two things from the brand, so I jumped at the chance to try more. I'm a sucker for any lip product, really, so I was excited to try a couple new (to me) formulas.

L to R | Peach Daiquiri, Pink Champagne, White Russian Liquid Lipstick, White Russian Bold Gel Lipstick

There are two new, limited edition shades of their Full-On Lip Creams - these are one of my favorite lip gloss formulas. They're super creamy on the lips and stick around for quite awhile without being uncomfortably sticky. Now, your hair will stick to it if the wind blows, but your lips won't feel stuck together or anything. They have that minty tingle of a plumping gloss, and I find it really smooths out the lip lines and does gently plump my lips up a little. I have quite sensitive and reactive lips, but these never give me a problem. The new shades are Peach Daiquiri, a pale peach nude, and Pink Champagne, a pale pink nude. These shades are a little sheer, so they allow your natural lip color to show through and add just a hint of peach or pink. They're really beautiful, and Pink Champagne has already earned a place in my everyday makeup bag. 

The other exciting bit is that they've expanded their cult-favorite White Russian shade (originally from the Full-On Lip Cream line) into two new formulas: the Big & Sexy Bold Gel Lipstick and Wildly Whipped Lightweight Liquid Lipstick. As you can see from the swatches, they're both different shades, but beautiful nudes nonetheless. The Bold Gel Lipstick is such a stunning formula - I had never tried it before, but now I've got a few more shades on my wishlist. It's incredibly creamy and comfortable to wear and apply, but it still has a matte finish and fades evenly. This version of White Russian is probably one of my favorite nudes in my collection now. The Whipped Liquid Lipstick is another formula I had never tried, and again, I've been loving it. There are many complaints about the longevity, but these days I don't mind reapplying a lipstick if it means it's more comfortable to wear. Also, Buxom never claims that these are longwearing. I can get a few hours before having to reapply, which is easy to do without it crumbling everywhere. The White Russian shade here is a beautiful pale nude that I like to pair with a slightly deeper lip liner to create a really pretty and subtle ombre lip.

I've been so impressed with these that I'll definitely need to look more into Buxom - what are your favorite products by them? I'm definitely going to need to pick up the original White Russian Gloss now!

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

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My Mom's Favorite Beauty Products | Guest Post

I had the idea for Mother's Day that I would have my mom pick out some of her favorite products to share on the blog, and then I forgot to bring my camera home to get a photo week after week. So, better late than never, right? Here are my mom's most favorite products.

I was honored a few weeks ago when Kelsey asked me if I would like to do a guest post about my favorite beauty products.  After the stress of leaving a job I had been with for 15 years and starting a new one (with a boss who is 20 years my junior!), I finally had so time to reflect on what I use every day, regardless of how stressed I may be!

Milk Makeup – Cooling Water

This is my favorite thing – ever!  I get up at 5:00 am every weekday to go to a Pure Barre class (side note – seriously look into trying this out if it is offered near you; I have never exercised consistently in my life, but this low impact, total body workout is really addictive).  The first thing I do is head for the refrigerator to get my Cooling Water.  I apply this under my eyes and then up to and around my brow bone.  I also use it on the sides of my mouth in my laugh lines as well as on my neck.  Another side note – don’t forget to moisturize your neck!  It’s not as talked-about as moisturizing your face, but is SO important.  The skin on your neck is so thin, so the loss of collagen as you get older is much more noticeable, so be sure to always moisturize your neck so you don’t end up with the turkey neck!  Anyway, the caffeine in Cooling Water really energizes my skin, de-puffs my eyes and makes me feel more awake and ready for class.  I use it again after I shower and as the first step in my skin-care regimen, as the seawater in it helps to soothe my skin, which tends to get red and flushed easily.

Glossier – Invisible Shield SPF 35 – Daily Sunscreen +

When I was in my teens and early 20s, I went to the beach.  A lot.  And the whole point of going to the beach was to lie in the sun and bake.  I didn’t use sunscreen, I used baby oil.  Seriously.  I can’t even remember how many times I burned so badly that I had blisters, even on my face.  I shudder when I think of that and how much I damaged my skin.  I still go the beach for a week every year, and I still lie in the sun and get a tan (I know, bad), but now I always wear sunscreen.  And it is super-important to wear sunscreen every day even if you are not at the beach, or planning on being in the sun.  UVA & UVB rays are there every day, even on cloudy days.  Even when you are sitting in your car or out biking.  And don’t forget about all of the pollution in the air that is invading your skin.  Or those harmful free radicals inside your skin just waiting to cause more damage.  Using the Invisible Shield SPF 35 Daily Sunscreen + is the solution to all of these issues!  The clear water gel formula absorbs into the skin with no greasy residue.  The sunscreen is packed with UVA/UVB filters, and the “+” neutralizes free radicals and prevents pollution from getting in, protecting your skin without feeling like anything is on your skin!  PSA – I have my nails done every few weeks, which includes having to put them under a UV light to set the gel.  This is not good for your skin!   If you get your nails done like this, don’t forget sunscreen on your hands.  The Invisible Shield SPF 35 Daily Sunscreen + is perfect for your hands, because regular sunscreen can be too thick and can impede the gel from adhering to your nails if it gets on them.

Trader Joe’s – Nourish Shea Butter Hand Cream

I wash my hands more often than I probably need to (thanks to my OCD).  While I love how clean they feel, I do not like how dry and tight they feel.  So I use a lot of hand lotion.  But I can’t stand when the palms of my hands feels all greasy after rubbing lotions in.   My daughter Taylor got the Shea Butter Hand Cream as part of a gift basket once and gave it to me and it was the solution to my problem!  It has shea butter, cocoa butter and almond oil as moisturizing agents, but is non-greasy and quick-absorbing.  It also contains Vitamin E which is a powerful antioxidant.  This comes in a 2 ounce, squeezable tube, so it is easy to throw in your bag and take anywhere with you.  I do wish they also packaged it in a larger size, because I go through so much of it that I have to buy 10 at a time when I go to Trader Joe’s!

By Terry – Baume de Rose Crystalline Bottle

I am a sucker for anything rose-scented.  It reminds me of my grandmother, who was my first best friend.  She took care of me when I was little, and she was always my rock during a difficult childhood. Anyway, I love this lip balm.  Kelsey gave this to me as a gift and I loved it because of the scent, but was blown away by how moisturizing this is.  I usually do not like a lip product in a tube with a wand applicator because the formula always seems so thick and sticky, but this one is not like that at all.  It also contains anti-aging biotechnological ceramides which is an added bonus.  

Water

Perhaps the most important.  I drink so much water during the day and I think that is why my skin does not look as bad as it should, considering I didn’t really start taking care of it until a few years ago.  Water not only keeps you hydrated, but flushes out toxins in your body that could otherwise cause damage.  I find that if I don’t drink enough water during the day, I am more apt to get a headache and to overeat.  I am lucky that the city I live in was voted as having the best-tasting drinking water in the nation at the National Rural Water Association Rally in Washington, DC.  The city’s water is so pure that it was entered into the competition without any treatment.

Thank you for putting up with my first attempt at writing.  I hope that  you might have found some of this helpful and perhaps you can look ahead to when you are older to see what you can be doing now to keep your skin looking its best later!

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