Hey there! It's been a while since I've done one of these favorites posts, so this is really a what-I've-been-using-for-the-past-three-months post and not just a May favorites post lol!
I've got a good variety of things too! I've really just been sticking to mostly basics lately because I've been on the go and working out a lot in the evenings, so I haven't been wanting to pile on a lot of makeup during the day only to have it melt off my face at the gym.
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| L --> R: Being True Energy Work Active Body Peel, Rimmel Fix & Perfect Pro Primer, and RoC Retinol Correxion Eye Cream. |
First up is skin care! I've really been trying to use as little as possible on my face. My skin has calmed down, post uni stress, and I haven't been breaking out. I have been using a sunless tanner so exfoliation is a must. The Being True Active Body Peel has been my favorite way of exfoliating for a long long time now (original review here). I reviewed it fairly extensively last summer, feel free to check out that review! I love it so much that this is actually my second tub of it! It's on the pricy side, $43 plus shipping, but worth every penny to me. It leaves my skin feeling super soft and my sunless tanning gel applies very smoothly, with rarely any streaks or patches. I highly recommend!
The Rimmel Fix & Perfect Pro Primer has been another go to in this warm weather. I haven't been wearing a lot of foundation lately, but I like this as a hybrid moisturizer/mattifier. It's not necessarily the best of either that I've used, but at the price, around $6, it works well to make my skin soft and matte. It is a silicone based primer, so if you don't like the feel of those on your skin, this one will not be right for you. And it doesn't work as well as the Smashbox primers, but for the price, it does a good job.
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| Roc Retinol Correxion Eye Cream |
The ROC Retinol Correxion Eye Cream my mom actually picked up for me because I mentioned to her I ran out of my Biore Cooling Eye Gel, which I was in love with at uni because I was pulling a lot of all nighters and it would make my eyes de-puff like nothing else I've every used. My mom has an obsession with eye creams and has tried to get me to use something with retinol for a while now instead of, according to her, wasting money on eye creams with no active ingredients. The RoC cream is a bit more expensive than other eye creams at the drugstore level, but then again this is supposed to be anti-aging, so around $22 really isn't too bad. Does it work to get rid of wrinkles? Well, I really can't tell because I don't have wrinkles, but my mom is also using it so I'll see how it works for her. I like it because it moisturizes, but absorbs very quickly. A lot of eye creams tend to be too heavy and just sit there. It also de-puffs! I was surprised because it's not really all that cooling or anything like that.
My only complaint with this product is the packaging. It's in like a metal/foil package, so I have to be careful to use it from the end in because otherwise too much product is squeezed out. Also, because there is constant pressure on the cream inside the metal packaging, the tip tends to seep a little into the cap, which can be messy sometimes. Other than that so far so good with this eye cream, but I guess time will tell! I'll be doing a full review in the future!
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| L -->R: Being True Energy Work Active Body Peel, Rimmel Fix & Perfect Pro Primer, and RoC Retinol Correxion Eye Cream. |
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| Stila 8 Pan Eyeshadow Palette |
I've been meaning to get a palette for my Stila eyeshadows for a while now and when Stila was on Haute Look a few weeks ago, I jumped at the chance to purchase the 8 pan palette and I love it! So glad to not have to store my shadows in the little plastic containers they used to come in. I actually prefer organizing them in a palette as opposed to the compacts they are currently being sold in. For me it's a lot easier to store and travel with them this way. The case is sturdy and has a full size mirror. And the brush the palette comes with is pretty good too!
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| L -->R: Starlight, Cloud, Grace, Barefoot Contessa, Jade & Lemon (empty was from Chinois--matte bone shade). |
These aren't all of my Stila Shadows, just the ones that aren't packed away. I've mostly been using the top row, especially Starlight, Grace, and Barefoot Contessa. I really want Viola, which is similar to Grace, but warmer and deeper. Cloud is a nice shade, but more of a going out shade because it applies very silver. Jade and Lemon are nice, but I haven't been using them all that much lately. Lemon applies a bit too yellow/gold on my skin. The top row is my go to quad for any occasion.
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| L --> R: Starlight, Cloud, Grace, Barefoot Contessa, Jade & Lemon. (applied wet) |
If you want to get similar colors for less, the CoverGirl trio in Shimmering Sands is a pretty good dupe for Starlight, Grace and Barefoot Contessa. Not the same shades, the Stila ones are a bit darker, but pretty close for under $5.
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| L --> R: Charlotte Ronson Lip Gloss in Anabelle, CoverGirl Lash Exact Mascara in Black & Sally Hansen Liptonic Gem Gloss in Embellished. |
Other than shadows the rest of my looks have been pretty simple. Most days I only do mascara and gloss. Click here to read my review of the Charlotte Ronson gloss. I'm in love with it! Such an easy look, a little taupe shadow, touch of mascara, and juicy sheer red lip. Or, same shadow/mascara combo, but a shimmery sheer plummy lip instead. Effortless, and looks very simple and chic for summer.
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| L --> R: Sally Hansen Liptonic Gem Gloss in Embellished, Charlotte Ronson Lip Gloss in Anabelle & CoverGirl Lash Exact Mascara in Black . |
And I've been loving the CoverGirl Lash Exact mascara for several reasons. If you've been reading my blog for a while you've probably noticed that I'm not a a bit fan of those plastic bendy mascara applicators. They tend to clump and leave my lashes looking long and spidery and clumpy, not a look I like. I'm more into thick and curled. This mascara, the waterproof version of it, for some odd reason, works. I was shocked. My sister had a tube and I borrowed it, fell in love, and bought one for myself. It gives me thick, lashes that stay curled day, and most importantly do not smudge at all at the gym, no matter how much I sweat! Not a big fan of the clean up at night, it takes forever to remove it, even with an oil based makeup remover, but totally worth it for me.
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| Top --> bottom: Sally Hansen Liptonic Gem Gloss in Embellished & Charlotte Ronson Lip Gloss in Anabelle. |
This picture really doesn't do the Sally Hansen gloss justice. It's so much prettier in person and it's appeared several times on this blog. It was a staple in my makeup bag (see here) and it's even a dupe for MAC's Dazzleglass in Datenight (see comparison here!). All in all, it's replaced my Chanel Glossimer in Imaginaire, which is crazy given I got this gloss for a buck at the Dollar Tree and paid over $26 for the Glossimer.
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| OPI Nail Polish in A Good Man-Darin is Hard to Find |
My last fave for this month is a nail polish. I don't post many nail polish pics because I can never get the swatches or even pics of the bottles to show up accurately in pics. I'm gonna try to show more from now on, maybe swatch some on tape or something.
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This shade is perfect for summer. I have been favoring neons a lot too, but this shade has been a go to for my feet. It's a bright orange, almost tomato-ish, but not too red. It looks very bright in some lights and almost red in others. A really pretty color for toes, especially with it being flip flop season. It's completely matte and you could get away with one coat in a hurry because it's very opaque. I've had it on my feet for the last three or four weeks straight and I always get asked what color I'm wearing!
So there's pretty much what I've been wearing these past three months. I've been keeping it simple, half out of laziness half out of determination to finish some of these products too haha!
Tried any of these products? Loved them? Hated them? Let me know in comments!
