September Favorites

October 03, 2017 in Makeup, Skincare

For some reason I'm really coming back around to the idea of monthly favorites. I only have two new products in my roundup this month, but I feel like I changed up my routines quite a bit and fell back in love with some older products. There's an even split of skincare and makeup, too.

bareMinerals Complexion Rescue | This is always one I seem to bring back as the weather cools down. This may be my favorite base product of all time. It's super lightweight on the skin, evens out the skintone, and leaves a beautiful dewy finish. I love that despite looking so glowy, it sets down and isn't tacky or sticky on the skin. It's one of the only dewy bases I have that doesn't transfer if I touch my face. This has been my go-to for everyday looks again, and I can't believe I ever forgot about it.

Glossier Body Hero Daily Perfecting Cream* (review) | This is one of the two new launches from the month to make it into my favorites. I really love both products in the Body Hero Duo, but if you only want to get one, I'm definitely a bigger fan of the cream. It's a thick, rich cream, but it sinks into the skin so quickly and gives a dewy glow. I usually would skip moisturizing my whole body and only stick to my legs, but with this one I actually use it all over. If you don't like the feeling of sticky lotions on your body but need a bit of moisturizing, definitely check this one out. You can get 20% off your first Glossier order (and help me out!) by shopping through my Rep Link.

ILIA Illuminator, 'Polka Dots & Moonbeams' | I've really fallen for this one this month. I'm still all about the Glossier Haloscopes, but I was just itching for a change and remembered I had this beauty in my collection. It gives a similar super dewy look to Haloscope, and it feels just as balmy and lovely on the skin. It's a white pearl shade, so it really adds an ethereal look to the skin. It contains rosehip oil and shea and cocoa butters, so it's nourishing the skin while creating a glow. I love that all of their products are named after songs, too.

Kypris Antioxidant Dew | This is another one that's been in my collection for awhile, but I've finally slotted it into a more permanent place in my routine. I've been mixing it with rosehip oil every night, and it's been making my skin look so radiant and glowy by the morning. It's a thin, milky serum that I prefer mixing into an oil rather than applying straight as it sinks into the skin super quickly on its own. I've really been seeing a difference now that I'm using it consistently. My skin is definitely smoother and brighter.

Fenty Beauty Killawatt Freestyle Highlighter, 'Girl Next Door/Chic Phreak' (review) | Ok, I just can't pick a favorite from Fenty Beauty at the moment. But I've been obsessed with this Killawatt highlighter. I don't even use powder highlighters much anymore, but I've made an exception for this. I picked this duo thinking it might be too dark to use on my cheeks but would be perfect for my eyes, but it actually looks beautiful both ways. On the cheeks it's mostly the sheen that shows up, rather than the pigment, and on the eyes the pink tones do show up - magic. These have one more subtle and one intense highlight - the subtle side looks just like a cream on the skin, and the intense side has a little glitter but nothing crazy. This duo is a beautiful pinky-peachy dream.

MUN Skincare Anarose Hydrating Rose Toner | This is another product I've had in my collection for a few months, but I'm only just now starting to use it consistently. I've mentioned a bit on Instagram that I've found my skin has been getting better when I follow up my face cleanser with a toner on a cotton pad - normally I had just been patting everything in, but the cotton pad helps get any cleanser/hard water residue off my face, and things have just been working out better. I love this toner by MUN - it's in a spray bottle, and the mist is perfect for spritzing onto a cotton pad. It's made with Bulgarian Rose Water to soothe and prep the skin, and it also contains Hyaluronic Acid to keep you hydrated. It just feels so soothing and refreshing and is a nice addition to my routine.

What were your favorites in September?

*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.

How I Come Up With Post Ideas

September 29, 2017 in Blogging, Tips

I mentioned in my Spending Ban Update that once I stopped buying so many new products, I instantly ran out of ideas for blogposts. Over time I've finally gotten my groove back and have for the most part been able to still churn out 4 posts per week. I just have to look harder for inspiration now - I figured the places I look for post ideas would make a good post in and of itself!

Take a look through your collection | Just like buying new products helped spark post ideas, looking through my collection of products works, too. When I sort through and take stock of all I have, it's easy to see patterns pop up. Sometimes I find a product in my vanity that's still hyped up that I haven't reviewed yet. This is how I came up with my post The Fall Lip Edit - I found all six of the lipsticks I mentioned floating around in my purse, so I knew they were ones I was using quite a bit.

Use real-life events | Rather than sticking to reviews of new products, I like to try to relate my posts to what's going on in my life. My Makeup for Sick Days post from yesterday was inspired by my catching a cold a couple weeks ago. If you're traveling, pop up a post of what skincare/makeup you're bringing. If you go to parties every weekend, talk us through your staple products that last all night long. When you relate it to your own life, it's so much easier to come up with content.

Look at analytics | Every once in awhile I love poring over my analytics - I look at what posts have been the most popular, if/where they're getting seen, and what people are searching. The site search section is my favorite - I can see what people come to my blog looking for, so if it's something I don't have, then I can easily fill the gap. This is how I decided to write about my Charlotte Tilbury Lip Collection - a lot of people had been searching "charlotte tilbury lipstick," and I didn't have a post with my whole collection for easy reference.

Look at your Instagram photos | I've been working hard on making my Instagram more interesting, and it's been helping to generate post ideas, too. Sometimes I'll look back on a selection of makeup or skincare products I've posted and realize it's something I can elaborate on. For example, this photo I posted of the skincare products I was using inspired my Green(ish) Skincare Routine for Clear Skin post. I realized I hadn't really talked much about most of the products in the photo, so it was the perfect time to talk about them all together.

Check out the Bloglovin' Explore pages | I don't use Bloglovin' to read blogs much anymore, but I do go on from time to time to see if there's anything I've missed lately, and I also like to check up on the Explore pages. It shows what posts are popular at the moment, and it helps spark some inspiration - maybe there's something I can put my own spin on. Sometimes just seeing the title is enough for me to think up my own post.

How do you come up with post ideas?

Makeup for Sick Days

September 28, 2017 in Makeup, Tips

A couple weeks ago I came down with a cold out of nowhere, and I still had lots of things to do that I couldn't cancel. Fast forward to this week, when more and more people at work are coming down with colds, so it's only a matter of time before I catch something again. I've pretty much run out of time off for the rest of the year, so if I get sick, I'm probably going to have to make myself look presentable and come in anyway (wiping everything down in my path). When I get sick my skin instantly shrivels and dries up - it makes makeup application a little difficult. In order to wear makeup while I'm sick I have to prep my skin really well - usually by layering an oil and moisturizer. I've got a post on my favorite oils for daytime, and I usually seal those in with the Glossier Priming Moisturizer Rich.

I like to keep my makeup light and dewy all the time, but especially on sick days. I'll use anything to make it look like I actually have a bit of a normal healthy sheen to my skin. I've recently fallen back in love with the bareMinerals Complexion Rescue - it's basically my favorite tinted moisturizer product of all time. It gives decent coverage, blends into the skin easily, and feels weightless. It leaves a super dewy look to the skin, but it also sets down so it doesn't feel tacky or transfer. My favorite concealer when I'm sick is the Glossier Stretch Concealer. It also has quite a dewy finish that doesn't catch on dry patches at all. I love using it with a damp BeautyBlender to cover larger areas.

For the rest of my face, I stick to cream products. I feel like I always need a little color on my cheeks because I'm so pale, so it's even more of a necessity on a sick day. I start off with a healthy dose of the Milk Makeup Matte Bronzer - still my favorite bronzer of all time - on my cheekbones, temples, jawline, and a little bit across my nose to give a more dimensional, slightly tanned look. And then I like to add a pop of blush for a healthy-looking flush. I love the Glossier Cloud Paints* of course - Puff and Haze are my go-tos, and the Milk Makeup Blush Oil in Ripe is perfect as well. I forgot how much I loved this blush - it's sheer and buildable and leaves a lovely sheen on the skin.

For highlight, I go glossy over metallic. Glossier Haloscope in either Moonstone or Quartz are obvious choices here - they're the best for a bit of dew. I also love the Nudestix Nudies All-Over Face Color in Illumi-Naughty because it's not only glossy but has a really pretty pink shift. The Ilia Illuminator in Polka Dots & Moonbeams is a favorite too - it looks just like the rmsbeauty Living Luminizer, but without the problematic marketing. Lastly (I'm sure you had to know the "glossy highlight" section of this post would be the longest) is the YSL Touche Eclat Glow Shot Liquid Highlighter in 1 Daylight. I've been using this nonstop lately - it's quite natural and can be built up, and it's the prettiest pale gold.

My eyes tend to get super watery when I'm sick, so I usually lay off the eye makeup and go bold with brows instead - I just layer on tons of the Glossier Boy Brow in Brown for a bushy/feathery look. For lips, I choose moisturizing products over full-coverage lipsticks. Usually I'll just reach for a Glossier Balm Dotcom, but if I want something with a little shimmer and color, I go for the Fresh Sugar Cream Lip Treatments* - Baby is my favorite shade at the moment.

Do you try to wear makeup when you're sick and have to go out and about? What are your picks?

If fluffy brows and dewy highlight are your go-tos too, Glossier is currently offering Boy Brow and Haloscope in a Duo that saves you $8 - and you can save even more through my rep link!

*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.