My Charlotte Tilbury Lip Collection | Lip Cheats, Hot Lips, & Matte Revolution

September 14, 2017 in Makeup

One of my favorite brands, for lip products and other makeup, is Charlotte Tilbury. With her latest launch of the Hollywood Lips Liquid Lipsticks, it inspired me to start going through my collection of other CT lip products. I'm hoping it'll take away the temptation to order a bunch of the liquid lipsticks!

T-B: Iconic Nude, Pillow Talk, Crazy in Love, Hollywood Honey, Kim KW, Pillow Talk, Super Cindy, Very Victoria, Bond Girl

The Lip Cheats are definitely my favorite formula of lip liner. It's the perfect middleground between dry and creamy, so they're longlasting without drying out the lips. They have more of a waxy texture than something like MAC's liners, and they smooth out and enhance the lips rather than shriveling them up. Iconic Nude and Pillow Talk are my everyday go-tos - Iconic Nude is a brown nude that's perfect for more dramatic eye looks or for toning down pink nudes, and Pillow Talk is hands-down the best pink nude ever. It really makes the lips look bigger, even without overdrawing them. Crazy in Love is a beautiful plummy shade that looks great on its own as well as under pink and plum lipsticks - it's one that's going to be getting lots of use this fall. Hollywood Honey is the best 90s brick-brown that gives a bee-stung look to the lips when it's smudged in over a balm, and my favorite is pairing it with Glossier Gen G in Leo.

The Matte Revolution Lipsticks are also probably my favorite lipstick formula. It gives the sophisticated look of a matte, but they're still beautifully creamy and comfortable. Again, Pillow Talk is my favorite here. It's quite similar to the liner shade, as expected, so they make the perfect pair for subtly enhancing the lips, and it's a color that goes with any look. I'm 99% sure these will be my lip products of choice for my wedding. Very Victoria is my second favorite (and technically part of the Hot Lips collection now) - it's a brown-toned nude with a bit of a purple tone to it. Usually brown nudes pull red/orange on me, but this one doesn't. It pairs really well with the Iconic Nude liner. Bond Girl is the most perfect fall shade - a little bit of a berry, but a little bit neutral. It goes with a lot of looks, and it's bold without going overboard.

When she launched her Hot Lips collection, I jumped and grabbed two shades, Super Cindy and Kim KW. Super Cindy is another Matte Revolution formula and meant to be the perfect Cindy Crawford 90s brown shade. It's actually quite peachy on me, and I love it because it's the one peach shade I feel like I can pull off. It's great paired with other warm shades. Kim KW is a K.I.S.S.I.N.G. formula, and the only one I own. It's super creamy and comfortable on the lips, but it doesn't slip and slide around. It's a pale pink nude, and perhaps it's a bit too pale for me on its own, but paired with a slightly darker liner (like Pillow Talk or Iconic Nude), it's perfect. Since it's not the matte formula, it's not totally opaque, making it more wearable. I definitely need more shades in this formula - I've got my eye on Bitch Perfect next.

What's your favorite Charlotte Tilbury lip product?

A Green(ish) Routine for Clear Skin

September 13, 2017 in Skincare

If you've seen any of my Instagram Stories over the past few weeks, you may have heard me whining about how I was breaking out like CRAZY. As soon as one spot would heal, three or four more would pop up. I'm pretty sure it was from all the stress of moving, but it was really getting me down. I hunkered down and put together a routine that ended up really helping get my skin back to normal, and as I gathered the products together, I noticed a lot of them had green packaging in common. Subliminal messaging, perhaps?

My skin just constantly felt congested, so I was alternating between the Origins Modern Friction Cleansing Stick* and Clear Improvement Cleansing Powder* for cleansing. The Modern Friction stick has been my go-to for the morning, and it feels so refreshing. It gives a very gentle exfoliation, so it wasn't too abrasive on breakouts, and it didn't strip my skin. While I had active breakouts, I rubbed the cleanser into my hands rather than directly on my face. On nights when I hadn't used the cleansing stick, I would mix some of the Clear Improvement powder into Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser to give it a little kick. The charcoal really helped to clear out my pores, and, again, didn't strip my skin.

I of course used a few masks to try and clear things up, and there were two standouts for me. The Sunday Riley Saturn Sulfur Acne Treatment Mask* is specifically for breakouts and acne-prone skin, containing 10% sulfur to fight acne, as well as niacinamide and zinc to soothe and promote clear skin. I prefer using this as a 10-minute mask targeted on my breakouts rather than a spot treatment (which it also says you can use it for). I used it about twice per week and I really noticed an improvement in my skin. It shrank down my spots and made them less red and painful. Word of warning, though - just wash it off with water and not a washcloth - I used a washcloth, and then everything in the same load of laundry of that washcloth ended up smelling like sulfur.

The other mask I reached for a lot (and am still reaching for) is the Youth to the People Age Prevention Superfood Mask.* It's a creamy clay mask that really feels like green juice straight to the face. My skin always feels cleansed, but never stripped, after using this mask. It doesn't dry and crack like other clay masks, but rather stays quite soft. It helped my skin look brighter and clearer after every use.

I used a combo of two serums, usually - one to treat, and one to hydrate. The Glossier Super Pure serum has been a lifesaver. It's a niacinamide and zinc serum that keeps the skin soothed and blemish-free. I've found that a lot of my breakouts stem from my skin being dehydrated, so a good, hydrating serum was also key. I've been obsessed with the Dr. Roebuck's Ultimate Hydrating Serum* all summer, and it's definitely going to transition well into the fall and winter. It has a thicker formula, but it sinks into the skin quickly and feels so hydrating, plumping, and smoothing. I definitely saw a difference on days I used this compared to days when I didn't.

I went for two types of moisturizers during this time (and sometimes a mix of both) - a lightweight gel-cream product for daytime, and a light yet nourishing oil for night. The CosRx Honey Ceramide Full Moisture Cream has been a staple for the past few months, but it really came in handy while I was breaking out. The formula is lightweight and yet super hydrating, so I could use it during the day and be moisturized all day long without my skin feeling clogged. And at night, I always finished off my skincare with a layer of the Drunk Elephant Virgin Marula Luxury Facial Oil - I like using Marula oil because it feels really light on the skin.

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

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

What's in my Makeup Bag?

September 12, 2017 in Makeup

I realized it's been awhile since I posted an update on what makeup I'm lugging around with me day-to-day. I've still been doing a quite minimal, easy look. I still enjoy the process of putting makeup on during the week, but I've just got so much less time to play around than on the weekends. I keep my makeup bag stocked with foolproof products that I know work for me.

Lately I haven't been wearing foundation much and have instead been using the Milk Makeup Flex Concealer on any areas where I need coverage. It looks just like skin, yet still gives great coverage, so it's a great option for a no-foundation look. As for other skin products, I obviously need all four shades of Glossier Cloud Paint* with me at all times - I love all four shades, so which ones I choose really just depends on my mood. They don't take up much room, so it's nice to keep all four around to mix together if the mood strikes. I also need to always have my Glossier Haloscope in Moonstone and Wowder* to dew-up my cheekbones and un-dew the center of my face.

My brows are still being taken care of by the trusty combo of Glossier Boy Brow in Brown and the Nyx Micro Brow Pencil in Taupe. These give me the full, fluffy brow look that I'm always after. I've been getting back into putting some kind of eyeshadow on everyday, and right now I've got two options: Nudestix Magnetic Eye Color in Angel for when I'm wanting something shimmery and champagne, and Dior Fusion Mono Eyeshadow in Meteore when I want something more bronze and an extra bit of sparkle. They're both beautiful formulas that will not budge all day. My signature outer corner smudge of brown eyeliner is always taken care of by the Colourpop Eyeliner in Brew-Haha (although I always forget to include it in photos), and the L'Oreal Voluminous Lash Paradise Mascara in Black Brown is an everyday staple, too.

As for lips, I've been trying to keep things minimal and only have two in my makeup bag. The Nudestix Gel Color Lip + Cheek Balm in Pulse is an everyday go-to at the moment, as the plummy-nude shade is perfect for the cooler weather we've been having. When I want something a little more sheer and moisturizing, I've been going for the Fresh Sugar Cream Lip Treatment* in Baby. These are beautiful and add just a little bit of shimmer to the lips, too.

What's in your everyday makeup bag?

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

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