The Cool-Toned Edit

October 04, 2017 in Makeup

I know to most people, autumn is all about the warm tones, but to me it's when I start reaching for cooler shades, like berries and mauves. Most warm-toned anything really clashes with my skin (I swear, if it was any cooler I'd be blue), so I just admire all the beautiful orange eyeshadow looks from afar. I've picked through my collection to find my top cool-toned picks in case you, like me, love a good cool color. Be warned - it's a mauve and berry overload here.

EYES

I love some blush and mauve tones on the eyes. They create such a soft, beautiful look that pairs well with lots of lip colors, from nudes and neutrals to vampier shades. My go-to single shadow is almost always the Burberry Wet & Dry Silk Shadow in Rosewood. It's the best mauve-y rose-y brown. I also love the NARS Dual Intensity Eyeshadow in Himalia for a shimmery taupe shade, and the Dior Fusion Mono Eyeshadow in Fahrenheit for something a little deeper - this shade is an especially stunning berry-toned chocolate brown. As for palettes, the Tom Ford Eye Color Quad in Nude Dip is always one I reach for. It's the perfect mix of taupe and blush, and it creates a really sophisticated look. I've also been gravitating towards the Maybelline Blushed Nudes Palette a lot lately - I've actually been finding I can get a lot of similar looks as I get with Nude Dip (although the formulas are not comparable). This palette is the perfect place to start if you're just dipping your toes into the cool tones. The shadows are quite sheer, but buildable.

CHEEKS

Mauve tones are so pretty on the cheeks - they're quite defining and don't make the skin look too flushed or red. My favorite powder blush (probably ever) is the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Mood Exposure. It pairs well with many different looks, and it adds just a hint of color to the cheeks. This formula is lovely and gives such a natural-looking glow. For creams, I love love love the Bite Beauty Multistick in Gelato. I got this one purely because of Amelia, and I'm so glad I did. It's just a stunning shade on the cheeks (and on the eyes!). I love that it's a little grayed out and dusty - it's a perfect muted shade. And you had to know I'd mention at least one Glossier Cloud Paint, right? They're just my favorite blush formula. Haze is going to be my go-to for autumn. It's a really pretty berry shade that just adds the best flush to the cheeks. As for highlighters, I've got a few lavender and pink ones, but my favorite for this year is the Fenty Beauty Match Stix Shimmer Skinstick in Starstruck. It's super shimmery, and when warmed up and applied with fingers, looks shiny and dewy. It's a pink-champagne-verging-on-taupe shade. In my original review I wasn't a huge fan of this on the cheeks, but I'm really coming around to it.

LIPS

Lips are where I went a little overboard in my curating efforts. I just have so many mauve, berry, and wine shades that it was hard to narrow down. The vampiest color in this lineup is the Tom Ford Lip Color Matte in Velvet Cherry. Stunning shade, stunning formula, definitely worth the price of a week of groceries (whoops). Then there's the Burberry Liquid Lip Velvet in Bright Plum - as the name suggests, it's quite a vibrant shade that's perfect in these warm fall days we're still having here. My favorite true mauves are the Sephora Cream Lip Stain in Marvelous Mauve (a classic), the Urban Decay Vice Lipstick in Backtalk, and the NARS Audacious Lipstick in Anna. These are actually all quite similar shades - all a little dusty and smoky. They add a good amount of color and oomph to the lips without being over the top - they're great for everyday. There's also the Clinique Pop Lip Color + Primer in Plum Pop. It's such a good lilac-toned pink shade that's quite girly and pretty. The formula of these lipsticks is so nice too - I definitely need more shades. And then we have the nudes - the Nudestix Gel Color Lip + Cheek Balm in Pulse, Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Very Victoria, and the Laura Mercier Creme Smooth Lip Colour in Milky Way. Pulse is a pure plum nude shade, Very Victoria has a little more grayed-out beige thrown in, and Milky Way is a cool brown shade. They all add such different effects to looks, and they're all beautiful. Lastly (because I don't really know where to slot it), is the Glossier Generation G in Jam. If you just want a tiny hint of berry lipstick, check this one out. It looks just like a popsicle stain on the lips and adds the perfect flushed look.

Do you like cool-toned makeup? What are your favorites?

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?