Greetings, dear readers! I hope you had a fantastic end to May and the new week and month are off to a fabulous start! I'm still without my usual laptop and only got in for an appointment this past Friday! Unfortunately they couldn't fix it at the Apple store and had to be sent in for repairs, but since it was nothing more than an expensive paperweight, I'm just going to have to make do without it for another week. I've been able to hop on another a little this past week to get some of this together, but it's a little trying when I had to cram as much as I can in a short time. I do have a few posts I need and want to get up this week that I've been fervently working on, so cross your fingers for me! Until then, let's get to today's post!
If you've been following along my blog this year, you've likely seen my monthly favorites posts. Between being overwhelmed with so many makeup launches and just not having the funds to buy them, I wanted to focus some of my attention on things that may not necessarily be the latest release. There are certain products that I find myself gravitating to, and I wanted to create this series to highlight those products. This is my collection of products I found myself really loving this past month!
I have a few friends that I occasionally exchange products with, and we often exchange makeup, skincare and hair related items that we think the other would love or to try out if we already know we can't use or won't enjoy. It's such a nice way to ease some of the product load for those with Birchbox, Ipsy, FabFitFun and the other assorted boxes out there! I don't want to add more trouble to an already problematic 2020, but there is no way I could possibly use all the skincare and makeup items I sometimes get unless I grow another 8 heads, and I know many feel the same way! I was given this particular cleanser by a friend to try out, and to be honest, I wasn't sure it would be for me. I know many swear by cleansers with a creamy texture, but I am often underwhelmed by them. In the end, I opted to give this one a go, and I actually really enjoy it!
Why I love it:
Cream cleansers rarely leave my skin feeling clean, but this one was able to accomplish just that! I don't expect a cream cleanser to remove a full face of makeup, but I do want them to leave my face feeling clean. This one is gentle on the face and doesn't strip away oils and yet my face still feels clean! It's a little more expensive than I like at $35 for a product that literally goes down the drain, but I am really enjoying this tube while I still have it!
Bernadette Thompson Some Like It Hot Nail Polish
I had the pleasure of discovering this brand while at Cosmoprof North America
six years ago, and it was such a pleasure speaking with Bernadette herself! She is such an incredible woman with an amiable personality, and I fell in love with her. I've used a few of her products since that time, and have enjoyed them immensely!
Why I love it:
When I started this series, I never expected to have a nail polish make an appearance, but here we are! As much as I love to change my polish and wear a range of colours, the tomato red of Some Like It Hot really jived with me this past month. Perhaps the name played a roll in loving it as it has been getting toasty here in Arizona, but I have found myself reapplying this to both my fingers and toes throughout May, and that just never happens for me! The formula is fantastic, and I adore the satin matte finish when it dries. It's lovely with a shiny top coat, but I love it most with a matte top coat to add to the longevity.
While I've generally been a fan of pressed powders when it comes to blush, I opted to pick up this loose coral one from Doubledown Cosmetics to try out. Coral is a shade I have found myself lacking in the blush department, and it's a shame as it's a colour I feel suits my skin tone the best. I'm generally drawn towards coral hues once the days heat up, and as I fan of the brand for always giving back, particularly when it comes to supporting victims of domestic violence, I knew I needed to support the brand with this shade in particular!
Why I love it:
Loose blush (and eyeshadows, for that matter) can be a little daunting at first, but I've been enjoying them a lot recently. I'm careful to sift out a small amount of product before swirling in my brush and tapping off the excess, and BAM! My cheeks are then draped with this glorious hue! I've had other blushes fade throughout the day, even with my setting spray routine, but this one stays in place all day for me, looking just as vibrant at the end of the day as it did with first application. It is very pigmented so you might want to start out with a small amount and then build if you want more. I have also found this blush is less forgiving if you have....ahem...crappy brushes as I found when testing out some new to me brushes recently. This is something I'm going to have to keep in mind when I am trying out new brushes in the future. This is an issue with the brushes though and not the blush. I suspect I'm going to be living in this blush all summer long!
Between being sick and the days heating up, it has really been influencing all the products I am using from skin care to cosmetics, even to the eyebrow products. I might do the heavier "IG" brow look on occasion, but I've been really feeling softer, more natural eyebrows in general. I've been using Full Brow's Brow Fibre for a
couple years now and am currently on my third, if not fourth, tube!
Why I love it:
I use my tube of Brow Fibre regularly in addition to other brow products, but I fell in love with it as a solo product in May. I may not have anywhere to be going, but I still like a quick and easy makeup routine in the summer, and you really can't get much easier than adding a couple quick swipes of this product in your eyebrows. I don't have to spend 10 minutes putting this in my eyebrows (followed by another 10 to fix it), and it adds a little colour and depth to my eyebrows. In the areas that are a little more sparse, I let this dry and add a quick second coat for just a little more fill. You really can't get much easier than this for your eyebrows, and the result is the lovely natural look I want right now!
Parfumerie Tiki Monoï Tiki Tahiti Tiare Oil
This is definitely a blast to the past for me! The hubby and I went to French Polynesia for our honeymoon almost nine years ago, and I brought so many bottles of this oil home with me! Those bottles have long since been gone, and someone gifted me this one last month. As you can see, I've really been going through it since I got it!
Why I love it:
This one is simple- it reminds me of my honeymoon on Tahiti and the neighboring islands! There are very few floral scents I enjoy, and Tiare, or Tahitian gardenia, is an exception. In truth I'm not sure I would actually like it if I didn't associate it with tropical weather and laid back times, but that's not really something I feel the need to delve into. The primary ingredient is coconut oil, which normally tends to dry my skin out, but there seems to be enough Vitamin E included to help balance it out. Also, because it is an oil, I apply it directly to my skin right after a shower while my skin is still damp, and that seems to be the trick that makes this work for me. Between the dry weather and my time in the pool, my skin gets dry quickly, but this really keeps my skin feeling soft!
What products were your favorites last month? Have you tried any of these products? I'd love to hear from you!
Until next time, dear readers, have a wonderful day!
XO!
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