{Favorites} June 2011

Hi! I hope all of you had an awesome 4th of July! I went to a poolside BBQ and saw some fireworks later! I had a great Fourth and hope all of you were happy and safe as well! And here are June favorites, as promised!

1. Skin Care


The Body Shop Peppermint Intensive Foot Rescue
I've really been liking this foot moisturizer for the past month. With all of the pretty flip flops and open toed shoes I love to wear in the summer, it is really important to keep feet looking nice, and this does the job. And it smells absolutely divine!

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Liquid SPF 70 Sunblock
Another summer staple is sunblock. I've been wearing this for a couple of months now and it really is almost undetectable under makeup, which for someone with oily skin is very very important! At a price of $12 I again highly recommend this sunblock! I wore it yesterday by the pool for hours on end and my skin did not tan in the slightest. And don't forget to reapply!

Clarins Eye Revive Beauty Flash
This has been my go to eye cream since January of this year. My mom actually picked it up for me because I mentioned I was close to running out of my No 7 Protect and Perfect eye cream, and she's a big fan of Clarins so she got me something of theirs to try out. It's a light eye cream that really moisturizes my eyes so well. I know, I'm a bit young to be using eye creams, but ever since I started wearing contacts my eyes and the skin around them are really really dry, irritated and red. This keeps my eyes happy! And although it is expensive, you get a 0.7 oz, a bit more than the 0.5 oz that are standard for eye creams.

The Body Shop Tea Tree Spot Treatment
This stuff isn't a miracle product, but for those looking to get away from very harsh products containing salicylic acid or benzol peroxide then this may just be for you! I like how it is liquid because I don't have to use a lot as it spreads easily. It takes about as long as any other treatment I've tried, but I find that it doesn't dry out my skin as much as the other treatments I've tried do.

2. Nails


Sinful Colors Hot Pink
I've been loving this obnoxious over the top color for my toes!!! Especially in the sun, it is blinding! I've never been crazy about such bright colors but lately that's all I've been wearing. For some reason these neon polishes tend to dry to an almost matte finish, with almost no shine what so ever, so you definitely need a top coat with this one.

OPI A Good Man-Darin Is Hard To Find
This bright orange cream came out with the Hong Kong collection. I bought it a while later half off but wasn't really into the color that much. I took it out about a month ago and really like it for toes. It's not as attention catching as Hot Pink, but it makes my feet look really nice!

Sinful Colors Base Coat
I bought this one with the accompanying top coat, but I don't really like the top coat. This base coat, however, is great! Somehow it just grabs onto the color! My lighter cream formula polishes go on less streaky and all of them last much longer. Plus, my nails don't get stained any more! I've got a full review of both the base and top coat coming soon!

3. Makeup


Jemma Kidd Eyeshadow in In Season
It's a lot like Vintage from Jemma Kidd, but it has a more olive tone to it. I don't really have any olive shades because honestly they tend to make my skin look really yellow, but this shade has enough brown in it that that hasn't been a problem. I've been reaching for it almost every day.

Stila Convertible Color in Petunia
I love love love this! I've only had it for about two weeks, so it's not exactly a month, but it's the only blush I own that I've worn on a daily basis since I got it! I like Camellia as well, but I feel like this uber bright color is better suited for summer.

Rubens Remedies Rose Water Lip Balm
Ok, so this is one of the best rose salves I've ever used, but is is impossible to find anywhere. I'm not kidding. I got this at TJMaxx for less than a buck and I'm about half way though, but I can't find any place that sells it, in store or online. It's similar to other rose salves (like the C.O Bigelow or Smith ones), but it's nicer. It's a bit harder, but still melts down into a thin salve. while the other two I've tried tend to be soft to begin with. I also like the scent of this one a bit better than the other two. It's less fake. If you can find it anywhere, snatch it up!

Thanks for reading!!! Empties will be up tomorrow!

{Review} Ecotools Bamboo Bronzer Brush (Love!!!)

I'm really really excited to bring you this review. It is on the Ecotools Bamboo Bronzer brush that came in last week!!! I've been on the hunt for a nice kabuki brush for a while but I've always hated how short the handles are on them. I much prefer a brush that has a longer handle. And not only is this a great brush but it's also Earth friendly!!!

The brush is MASSIVE!!! Jus the handle is more than an inch wide. It is round, and super full. The synthetic bristles are very soft and dense.

This is definitely the densest brush that I own. If you've ever felt any of The Body Shop brushes the feel of this one is similar. This brush is perfect for applying any powder to a large area. I've been using it for my bronzer and it diffuses the color perfectly, giving me a bit of all over color. It makes blending down the neck and chest really easy, much easier than it would be with a smaller brush. You don't have to use it for only bronzer. It works great as a powder brush as well! It blends the powder very well, giving a soft focus appearance.

L to R: Ecotools Bamboo Bronzer Brush, Sonia Kashuk Blush Brush, Sonia Kashuk Powder Brush.

In terms of size, here is a comparison to my Sonia Kashuk brushes. You can see how much larger it is. The Sonia Kashuk brush looks like it's larger, but in terms of circumference and density, the Ecotools brush definitely wins out. The handle is also also a great deal thicker than a normal brush, but I actually like that. It takes some getting used to, but I like how hefty it feels.

The brush comes packaged in a plastic pouch, which I actually don't like. The bristles on the brush were a little flattened because of the way they were packaged and the plastic makes the brush smell a bit gross. I had to wash it a few times to really get the smell out.

I do like how Ecotools brushes are very Earth friendly. They are made from recycled and sustainable materials. Also, all of the hair is cruelty free!

The pouch also gives some application tips as well as a green lifestyle tip, which I think is neat!

For the price, this brush is very, very good! It feels like I paid a lot of money for it. The quality of this brush is unbeatable. Sephora brand has a brush almost identical to this one that costs a lot more at $35! Grab this one for a much cheaper alternative! Ecotools also donates 1% of profits, which makes this an all around great purchase!

Pros:

-Earth friendly.

-Very soft bristles.

-Very densely packed bristles.

-Doesn't shed.

-Feels expensive, luxurious.

-Blends very well!

-Inexpensive.

Cons:

-Large handle takes some getting used to.

-Initially smells very plasticy.

-My be a bit too big for people who prefer smaller more precise brushes.

Info:

Price: $9.99 (I got on sale for $7.99 when drugstore.com was having a sale!)

Disclosure: the product featured in this post was purchased by me for the purpose of my personal use. If you have any more questions about disclosure don't hesitate to ask in comments.

{Haul} Small But Super Exciting!!!

So yesterday my package from Drugstore.com finally came in!!! I didn't purchase much, only three things, but I think you guys will be excited about a couple of them!

What I got:

First, I picked up Neutrogena's newest sunblock. This is their LIQUID formula!!! I think this is the first liquid sunblock I've seen from a drugstore brand! I've used the Shiseido version,but it's very expensive. This one is originally $12.99, but I got it a dollar off! I have oily skin so getting sun protection from cream sunblocks doesn't work for me. I can tell you right now that this one is a winner!!!

I also picked up a liquid foundation. I'm still trying to find something to replace my Maybelline Mineral Power Liquid foundation. I got CoverGirl's Clean Oil-Control foundation in Ivory. I was worried that it'd be a bit too light, but it fits my skin very well. I'll be doing a full review soon, but so far I'm liking it.

The final thing I got is Ecotool's HUGE HUGE HUGE Bamboo Bronzer Brush!!! I've been eyeing this one for a while and when I saw it 25% off on drugstore.com I couldn't resist! It's HUGE!!! I've been using a blush brush to put my bronzer on, so I was looking for something bigger, but not shaped like a powder brush. I'll be posting a full review and pictures of this brush soon, too! I'm super excited about this one!!!