August '13/ Summer Favorites

Hey guys! I totally spaced doing my July favorites, so this post isn't just my August favorites but the reigning champions from the whole summer. Amusingly this is exactly what happened last year. So lets go!

And this was scaled back...

This is a huge favorites post, so I've divided it in to sections. Starting with.....

Makeup Favorites

So first off I have Coola Tinted Moisturizer which I reviewed here already. Still in love! Its basically replaced all my other TMs and BB creams.

Sonia Kashuk Sheer Shimmering Highlighter. So I got this back in June, as a total impulse purchase at Target. Oh my goodness, I've never been so pleased with a product I didn't research. This has made it into my everyday makeup routine. It just gives the healthiest glow, but I did a whole post on it already so I'll stop gushing.

MAC Woodwinked Eyeshadow. This has always been one of my favorite MAC shades (if not my very favorite) but I've used it soooo much recently. I used it is several posts, but I can easily say I've worn this at least one day every week this summer. Its the prettiest bronze/gold shade. The formula is one of my favorites across my collection too: buttery, blendable, and fantastic pigmentation! Luurrrrve.

Another MAC, this is Honey Jasmine Powder blusher from their All About Orange collection. This is another product that I just wore the hell out of this summer, I will likely wear this a lot this fall as well. I adore very warm orange toned blushes on gingers, and this is the perfect blush for that look.

I was super excited to get my hands on one of Lime Crime's Velvetines! I review this one already here but if you haven't read that or heard of them, its a matte lipgloss that goes on and then stays put! Through.... quite a lot actually! This one is is a stunning warm red.

NYX Butter Gloss in Peach Cobbler. This smooth creamy red orange gloss lived in my purse for most of the summer. I like having a back up lip color with me that I know for sure that love. This has enough color to pop, with out a lot of fuss. Win win!

Finally Revlon Lip Butter in Tutti Frutti. Another product that warranted its own post. This orangey lip butter was a summer staple for me this year. I rocked this more times then I count. The lip butters are a product that I always come back to.

Bronzing

There are also some honorable mentions for this post, Jergen's Natural glow, and NYC Smooth Skin Bronzer in Sunny. But I wanted to have products that I recently discovered.

So first off I have Too Faced Milk Chocolate Bronzer.  The color pay off is great well still looking natural. I got this in the Sephora Sun Safety Favorites and was thrilled! This matte medium/dark bronzer too dark for all over bronzing on me (I leave that one to NYC's) however it's fantastic for contouring! Great product.

St. Topez One Night Only Instant Body glow. This body bronzer is the best perk up for pale skin for special occasions or just when ever you want to rock a short skirt! It's damn near impossible to mess up, and even if you manage to, it just washes off with water. ;D

Sun Protection

For my face I've used Ole Henriksen's Protect the Truth SPF 50 sunscreen for most of the summer. I really love it because its oil free and doesn't break me out. I have a problem with sunscreens and primers giving me crazy break outs but this one works great.

For my body Sun Bum has me covered! I've been using this a lot, especially when I'm outside all day. I reviewed this one already here so I won't say too much more, but this is definitely worth the couple extra bucks!

Bath and Body

First we have Bath and Body Works Forever Sunshine Shower Gel. This has been by far my favorite shower gel this summer. It's a light bath and body works says that it's a "juicy tangerine, pink peonies, creamy sandalwood, and a touch of sweet praline." I'd say thats a pretty good description, however as with a lot of b&bw scents the notes aren't easy to pick up by themselves. But it's a light sweet warm floral. Mmmm...

Nest up was my favorite perfume this summer Victoria Secret Angel Gold. This perfume came as a surprise me, but a happy one. Its a lovely light citrusy floral thats perfect for summer. It has notes of bergamot, gardenia, peony, and light musk. Rounded out with a bunch citrus notes. It's a young scent, but classy. I've been living in this all summer.

Misc.

Sunglasses! They don't need to be expensive. Just cute and UV protective! I got these at target for like twelve bucks. 'Nuff said.

Summer Boardwalk candle from Bath and Body Works. Oh my goodness! I have a huge weakness for food scent candles, and this one is amazing! It smells like candy apples, and carmel corn. It's like the world's cleanest carnival, all the yumminess none of the sweat and trash. I've got about a third left, I'll keep burning it till I have some fall candles and then save the rest for next year.

Juice Beauty Hydrating Mist. This stuff feels like magic on a hot day. Especially if you put it in the fridge for a little while before hand. I can't really tell you how hydrating this is, because I don't have dry skin. But for a quick cool down, this stuff is the best! It's also great to make your makeup look less 'powdery'.

I've had a fantastic (if fleeting) summer, and I'm sooo excited for this fall! What about you guys, anything interesting happen, new product? Let me know in the comments!

Review: Sun Bum Sunscreen Lotion

Hey there you guys! Today I have a review that I'm super excited about. I got in touch with the lovely people over at at Sun Bum, and they sent me this to show you guys. And I can hear you guys now "Really it's just a sunscreen, whats so special about this one?".  Lots darling readers, lots! Shall we see what all the fuss is about?

This sunscreen makes a lot of claims: Hypoallergenic, Oil/PABA Free, Won't Clog Pores, Photostable, Waterproof, and its also enriched with Vitamin E. As well as being Paraben and Cruelty Free, and to top it off it's approved by the Skin Cancer Foundation. This one is SPF 30 but they have a range of SPF 15-70. (all at the same price weirdly enough...)  Getting more interested? Excellent! Now that I've given you the the facts let's get on to the actual review.

Right off the bat I'm gonna tell you, I'm really enjoying this sunscreen. I tested it out while on vacation, (which is the best possible time to test products) where I was out in direct sunscreen for long periods of time. I followed the instructions and didn't get burned or any darker then I was before. The scent is a very classic coconut sunblock smell but it doesn't have a chemical or medicinal edge like many do. It comes out in a white lotion form. It really does feel more like a normal lotion then sunblock, and the white disappears as soon as you rub it in. Those are main deciding factors for me. There's nothing I hate more about sunscreen than when it's looks like you got hit with ectoplasm. Another good thing about this is the packaging is great. I love the logo, color choices, font, and wood pattern; more importantly though the plastic is sturdy with squeezy sides and a leak proof cap. This makes is perfect to throw in a beach bag, or purse.

You can I believe you can find this at Target, but for sure at Ulta or on their website. Retails at $15.99 USD for 8 oz.

So what do you guys think? I love comments so be sure to let me know!

This post may contain product sent to me from a PR company, however all opinions are my own. I am not a professional makeup artist, I just do makeup as a hobby at this time. Feel free to email me if you have any questions!

Monthly Favorites: June '13

Hey guys! Sorry I've been terrible at keeping up the last couple weeks, but to be fair my computer has been having problems. Today I have my favorites for the month of July, I don't think I did a favorites post last month so these have been constant favorites in the early summer.

1) Summer Boardwalk 3 wick Candle from B&BW. It smells AMAZING! It smells like you're walking past a carnival and you get a breeze that smells like carmel corn and candy apples. It has a great scent throw without being too intense, and it just smells so summery and fun! If you don't like sweet or 'foodie' smells, this isn't for you but if you do definitely go check it out.

2) Ole Henrikson Protect the Truth SPF 50 sunscreen. This is the best face sunscreen for oily skin that I've ever tried! It's lightweight and oil free, it doesn't have a white cast, and smells lightly of oranges. Sold yet? I definitely was! This is a little baby bottle that I got in Sephora's 2013 Sun Safety Kit.(Which is totally great! Tip: spilt it with a friend with an different skin type.) When I run out I will definitely repurchase, skin protection is worth a little splurge.

3) St. Tropez Only For One Night Instant Body Glow. This is my favorite instant self tanner. It gives fast even natural looking color with a hint of shimmer, and washes off with just water. I'm a big fan, especially because my legs are several shades lighter then the rest of my body right now. This helps them look a little more lively. Vgood!

4) MAC Honey Jasmine Blush. Okay so this was a limited edition blush that came out maybe a month ago in MAC's Temperature Rising collection. It's a stunning soft orange shade that looks fantastic on me. (not to be cocky or anything. ;D) I normally try not to show LE products, but I really love this. Also you can still find this online, so it's more okay.

5) Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Bronzer. This is an amazing matte bronzer! I was really impressed by this product, and a little goes a long way on a pale girl like me. It gives a very natural finish, and is great for contouring as well as all over bronzing.

6) Maybelline Vivid Lipstick in Vibrant Mandarin. I reviewed this awhile ago, and at the time I thought it looked nice but wasn't totally sold. I let it sit lonely in my lip drawer for a month or so, but lately its been really growing on me! Go read the review for more information.

7) Jordana Lip Out Loud Super Shiny Lipgloss in E- 123. Its a very cheap drugstore lipgloss, with a really stupid name, granted. But these are actually really nice! they're non sticky and come in pretty shimmering finishes. This one is a sheer bright pink coral. Its sheer, but has a fair bit of color payoff and is great for quick summer makeup that doesn't look cakey or overdone.

And for non beauty favorites.... I'm gonna have to go with Diablo Cody's Biography: Candy Girl. It's well written, raunchy, and set in my hometown which is always a trip.

How's your summer going? Any new favorites, beauty or otherwise? Let me know in the comments below!

Pale Girl Glow!

Hey sorry its been awhile guys, I've been having some computer trouble! Now it's no secret I'm pretty fair (about NC15/20). And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that! As a society we are bombarded with a tan white girls as a standard- when that's only one kind of beauty. But as the weather gets warmer we like to get a summery glow. So today I wanted to do a post on how to look naturally glowy and warm with a light complexion.

First I want to give a couple pointers before I do a quick look.
1) Always use a foundation that matches your skin. Even in summer. No buts. It's tempting to use a darker shade to make you look tanner but it never looks good. It'll just make your skin look orange and or dirty. Instead match your shade and then use a bronzer, which brings us to my next point. I'm wearing Nars Sheer Glow in Deauville.

2) Get a nice matte bronzer. I have nothing against shimmery ones- I own quite a few. However a matte bronzer is a staple that everyone needs in their makeup collection, no matter how small it is. I suggest getting one in a medium chocolate like color. A mistake many pale girls make is getting a bronzer thats too light and orangey. It looks really unnatural to have something that orange toned all over your face. I've been really liking Too Faced Chocolate Soliel Bronzer, but NYC Smooth Skin Bronzer.

3) Find a coral or peachy blush that you like. It will instantly warm your face in the most natural way possible. In fact if you don't feel comfortable with bronzer, just a warm blush will bring a little summer to your palor. If you're warm toned I recommend trying out an orange blush I love them because they sort of create your perfect peachy color with your skintone. I'm wearing MAC Honey Jasmine, I also recommend Hard Candy's Fox in a Box Spicy and Sweet blush as a drugstore alternative.

4) Get a golden highlighter. It'll instantly brighten up your face, it's like faux sunshine. Liquid, powder, or cream there are a lot of options so its easy to get your favorite. I particularly like the Balm's Mary Lou Luminizer, but Sonia Kashuk Super Sheer Highlighter is my new favorite and what I'm wearing here.

So darlings what do you think? Let me know in the comments, and stay tuned because I've got a really fun series coming up. =)