The month of May was a pretty hectic month for me. Now that I'm thinking back, oh my goodness, so many things happened this month. Here is a quick snapshot of all that went down.
I finished my Junior year of college.
I had to leave my Sephora family for the summer.
I moved out of my apartment.
I moved home to Dallas.
I found out my mom has breast cancer.
I visited friends and family in Kansas.
I had to leave my amazing boyfriend for the summer.
I had to leave my amazing boyfriend for the summer.
I moved to Colorado.
I began an internship at the greatest hotel in the world, The Broadmoor.
And to save the best for last.....I started a blog! This has been something I've always wanted to do, so I'm so excited to finally make it a reality.
With that being said, I have had NO time for my makeup and skincare routine to be subpar. Here are some stand out products that I would definitely recommend you picking up.
Since I was moving out of my apartment, the majority of my makeup, skincare and haircare products were packed up in boxes. This was probably good for me considering I have way too much stuff anyways, so it made me realize what I actually use and enjoy.
*Beauty Blender*
The first thing that I realized was crucial to my collection was my beauty blender. I have multiple brushes that I could use to apply my liquid foundation, but the beauty blender trumps them all. I love it because it pushes the foundation into the skin rather than having it just sit on top of your skin and looking cakey. It also slightly sheers out your foundation so the end result looks more natural. Another perk is that you don't get brush strokes like you would from some foundation brushes. So many clients at Sephora would return the beauty blender saying they hated it and it broke my heart. After awhile I began to ask them about how they used it. Poor things didn't get it wet like they were supposed to. NOTE: beauty blenders are meant to be used damp!!!!!! Run the sponge under the faucet for about 30 seconds and squeeze out the excess water so you don't get water all over your face. That isn't so cute. I like to dot my foundation all over my face and then bounce the sponge on my skin to distribute the product evenly all over the face. WET.SQUEEZE.BOUNCE.
*It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Concealer*
$24
I love this concealer because it has a ton of coverage and does exactly what it says, hides my dark under eyes. I have the shade Neutral Medium which has now been renamed to just Medium. Keep in mind that the size I have is just a sample size. The full size product has more than double the amount in the picture above. The texture of it is more thick than what I'm used to. To make sure it doesn't look too thick on such a delicate area, I apply it first with my fingers in order to let the warmth of my fingers warm up the product. I then blend it out with my beauty blender to make sure it is pushed into my under eye area and not sitting on top of the skin and settling into the fine lines. I then make sure to set it with a powder. This will physically set the product to ensure it doesn't crease or settle and makes it last all day long. I like to set it with the either of the highlighting powders in the Kat Von D Shade + Light Contour Palette or the NYX HD Finishing Powder in the shade Translucent.
*Kat Von D Lock-It Powder Foundation*
$35
This powder is awesome. It is a full coverage powder with a matte finish. Since this powder has a matte finish, I wouldn't recommend it for those of you who have dry skin. But for everyone else, you must try it. Powder foundation is so easy to throw on and has been great for me during this busy time. When I don't have any major blemishes, it is great to even out any redness or discoloration I have and minimize my large pores. I have the shade Light 44. As I (hopefully) get more tan this summer, this shade will probably become too light for me but still works for this quick foundation routine I have been loving lately.
These first three favorites all tie together, I promise. You can see how they all come together in the picture below. The only products I am wearing is brow powder, mascara, concealer, setting powder and powder foundation. First I apply the concealer with my fingers in an upside down triangle shape. I start at my tear duct (where I have the most darkness), then bring the product straight down all the way to the side of my nostril where we all get that dreaded redness around our nose. I then complete the upside down triangle by bringing the concealer to the outer corner of the under eye. The majority of the center of my face is now covered with concealer. This is great for me because this is where most of my imperfections are such as dark under eyes, redness, large pores and discoloration from past blemishes. I blend out the concealer with a damp beauty blender and then set it with one of the powders I mentioned earlier. To finish off the look, I use a fluffy powder brush and dust the Kat Von D powder on the perimeters of my face (where I did not put the concealer). This evens out the skin tone and absorbs any oil I may have. The finished product is a natural but concealed face ready for the busy day ahead.
*Philosophy Purity Made Simple Cleanser*
$11-$55
There are many reasons why I love this cleanser. First of all it is gentle enough for your eye area but still packs enough punch to really break down your makeup in one step. Sometimes I like to actually remove my makeup with either a makeup wipe, my Makeup Eraser, or an oil-based eye makeup remover and then cleanse my face with a product like this. However, I don't feel the need to with this cleanser. It is truly an all in one product which is great to simplify your skincare routine. I have the travel size of this product which was perfect since I was moving around so much this month. They offer five different sizes which is great for anyone whether you are just trying it out for the first time or if it is your go-to holy grail cleanser. Another bonus is you can use this to wash your makeup brushes and sponges with. We sometimes use this at Sephora to wash our brushes every night. Again it is gentle enough to not damage the bristles or break down the glue, but packs enough punch to break down the the liquid foundation and concealer residue.
*Garnier Fructis Brazilian Smooth Flatiron Express*
$4.99
I have very long and thick wavy hair. Needless to say, it can be pretty difficult to straighten. Because of it's thickness and length, it can take up to 30 minutes to straighten my hair. That is entirely too long especially because I love to sleep in and don't want to have to wake up earlier than I have to. I received this product in a past Ipsy bag and have loved it ever since. Usually when I blow dry my hair, it is a frizzy and poofy mess. With this product it is more manageable than ever. I apply this to damp hair and then blow dry it with either a paddle brush or just my fingers. This tames my frizz and straightens out the natural waves. After it is dry, all I have to do is run a flatiron through my stubborn and curly baby hairs around the perimeter of my face. I then quickly run it through any other waves that are remaining and I'm done! Normally I would have to straighten it piece by piece multiple times to get it the way I want. With this product, it truly cuts the time in half.
*OGX Moisture + Vitamin Weightless Oil Mist*
$7.99
I haven't gotten my hair cut in about 2 years. What? Why? I know, I know. I love my long hair and in some ways it is like my security blanket. Anyways, as you can imagine the ends are pretty dead, dull and dry. This oil mist is great because all I have to do is mist it on the ends and it instantly hydrates and nourishes my struggling hair. I also received this product in a past Ipsy bag and I do notice a difference in the health of my hair. It truly doesn't look like it hasn't been cut in 2 years. Another thing I love about it is that it is so lightweight. When you spray it, the mist is very fine and doesn't make your hair look greasy.
*Elizabeth and James Nirvana White Dry Shampoo*
$28
Last but not least, dry shampoo is a must for me. I don't wash my hair every day since that can dry it out even more. I need a great dry shampoo to get me through that 2nd or 3rd day hair. This one is great because it is easy to blend into my dark brown hair. It doesn't leave a weird white cast as long as you rub it into your roots after you spray it on. This absorbs the oil without weighing your hair down. It gives me the volume and fullness I need when my hair is lacking. One of my favorite qualities of this dry shampoo is it smells AMAZING. It has the same beautiful and sophisticated floral fragrance that the Elizabeth and James Nirvana White Perfume has. It is not too strong so it won't compete with or overpower any perfume you may be wearing. But it makes my hair feel clean and refreshed and smelling great!
I hope you found this helpful and try out some of these products for yourself. What were some of your favorite products this month? I'd love to know!
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