Long time no see. August was a blah month. I cannot believe that we are going into September! I mean it was just April! I think my body knows Fall is coming and the days are getting shorter. I've been super tired/can't be bothered to do much lately. Oye vey! I need to get it together. The upside is that FOOTBALL is BACK!!!!! Woohoo!
Here's my top 5 for August and a bonus *shifty eyes*. Also since there are only a few products, I decided to throw in the meh and surprise products in this post. I didn't feel like doing a separate post. See laziness I tell you! I'll try not to be too chatty.
Let's get to it!
MAC Raizin
I have been reaching for two blushes this month and they both happen to be from MAC. One is Notable which I have talked about before. The other is Raizin which I really hadn't reached for in a while and now I don't want to put it away. It's is a great everyday blush for deeper skin tones. It's described as golden reddish-brown and it's matte.
philosophy The Present
I purchased this when it was in the outlet section (sale section) of the philosophy website after hearing Wayne Goss rave about it. I got it for $15. The original price is $30. I've used it off and on and I liked it but wasn't wowed by it. It reminds me of the Rimmel Matte Primer. Since it's from philosophy, it has some good for you skincare benefits. The more and more I've used it with and without makeup, the more I have enjoyed it. It would repurchase it again, if I can catch it on sale.
Mask Duo
I was watching crystalis007's July favorites video and she mentioned doing a mask duo with two Glam Glow masks (Supermud Clearing Treatment and Thirstymud Hydrating Treatment). She said that it's a great at home spa treatment and using the two masks together had done great things for her skin. She recommended trying it out with similar products and that you didn't necessarily need the Glam Glow masks since they are expensive. I had two masks that were similar to The Supermud Clearing Treatment masks (Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque and Murad Clarifying Mash) but I didn't have a moisture mask. I picked up Queen Helene's Olive Oil Masque from Bed, Bath & Beyond. So I gave it a go alternating with the Queen Helene and Murad masks with the Queen Helene Olive Oil Masque and I LOVE the results. My skin felt super smooth, plump and hydrated. It's like a reset for your skin. The one mask pulls the gunk from your skin and the other soothes and puts moisture back into your skin. If you have some similar masks in your stash, give them both a whirl. This will probably be my Sunday evening treat going forward.
Covergirl Queen All Day Flawless Foundation
I've gushed over this foundation as a surprise product back in February. It was a favorite back March and now it's a favorite again. You can probably already guess that it's going to be my foundation of year when I do my 2015 favorites post. This has been my go to foundation for the month. I took it with me to Philly and I just can't stop using it. My friend says it's magic brown liquid and it really is. The coverage is great, it blends nicely into the skin, it lasts all day and doesn't break me out or irritate any breakouts that I may have. I want to check out the shade before and after Mocha just for giggles. I have two bottles on hand now. When I get to the second bottle, I will order two more. It is that serious and it's not a game. I don't want to be without this foundation. I don't want to get too crazy with backups since it does have an expiration date due the sunscreen being in it. If you have not tried this foundation, grab a bottle and give it a try. You will not be disappointed.
philosophy Summer Grace Whipped Body Creme
This is another philosophy product I scooped from the outlet section of philosophy's website. I had the spray fragrance and when I saw there was a whipped body creme, I wanted that too. Their whipped body cremes are one of my absolute favorite body moisturizers. This one however seems to leave my skin super soft and hydrated all day. The summer grace scent is described as a "warm, bright floral fragrance of sun-kissed bergamont, passion flower and warm coconut musk."
BONUS: Ubiquitous Hair and Health Trade Show
Sneaky sneaky with a bonus favorite lol! I went the Ubiquitous Hair and Health Trade Show last Saturday. I went last year and had a good time. This year it was held at the Convention Center downtown in DC. There was more room which was nice. You could sit down and grab a bite to eat. There seemed to be the same number of vendors but there were some new ones present. The plan was NOT to buy a crap ton of stuff but I ended up buying a crap ton of stuff lol. Below is a pic of the inside of my bag *head palm*. Ledisi was the musical performance and she was fantastic. If you are in the DC area or happen to be in the area when this event is going on I highly recommend checking it out!
Surprise Products of the Month
Neutrogena Pore Refining Toner
I stopped at Bed, Bath & Beyond to purchase another L'Oreal Youth Code Texture Perfector Serum and Neutrogena Clear Pore toner. At this particular location they have a HUGE skin care section and but they didn't have the Clear Pore toner. So I ended up grabbing their Pore Refining Toner. I was curious about this line since I've heard good things about it. I took it with me to Philly and really enjoyed using it. My skin feels super soft and I do feel it makes my skin feel and appear smoother after using it.
Anastasia Beverly Hills World Traveler Shadow Couture Palette
I'm always leery of hype brands/brands that send a crap of stuff to instafamous beauty folks on Instagram and YouTube. The only palette I have from Anastasia that I do like is the Maya Mia palette. I picked up the Tamanna palette but returned it and I missed out on the Amrezy palette. I picked up this palette with my Ulta $10 off birthday coupon. From pics I saw beforehand, I knew the eye shadow colors were right up my alley. I've used it off and on throughout the month and had to make myself out it away. The shadows are nicely pigmented and blend nicely. This is good everyday palette for any level of makeup lover.
Colour Pop Lip Liners
I've had Pitch (blackened chocolate brown) for a while. I used a couple of times when I first got it but put it away to use up the NYX liner I had in Espresso. The NYX liner has been my go to due to price and availability. I finally used it up and reached for Pitch. One thing I will say about NYX liners, they are hard and you have to do a few swipes to build up the color. Colour Pop liners are SUPER SMOOTH and PIGMENTED! The first time I used Pitch I was like WHOA! It took some getting used to to since I was used to the NYX liners. Now I really like it. This month I ordered BFF 3 (deep peachy brown), Ellarie (blackened violet) and Leather (Deep blackened violet). BFF 3 is lighter and warmer that Pitch. It's ok but it won't be my everyday liner. Ellarie is gorgeous! I wore it it a matte read lip pencil and I love it. I wore Leather with MAC's Heroine lipstick and the two together are perfection! I'm excited to have darker liners that I can wear with various red, berry and purple lippes. I will definitely repurchase Pitch which I could use on its own with other lippies since I can make a dark brown liner work with just about any lippie color. It may be outdated but it's what I like and am comfortable wearing. If you're looking for some new lip liners, check out Colour Pop.
Meh Products of the Month
Neutrogena Pore Refining Cleanser
Since I had been enjoying the Pore Refining Toner so much, I decided to pick up the cleanser when I was in Walgreens. I like how my skin feels after I use it. However, I cannot get over the smell and it irritates my eyes something terrible. I can't open my eyes at all when I use it and I don't have it that close to my eye area! The fumes or whatever from the fragrance of the cleanser are very strong. I read reviews on Ulta about it irritating people's eyes. I'm so bummed. I may try to finish using it or I may just toss it. I'm using the Ambi Even & Clear Foaming Cleanser that I picked up from the Ubiquitous Hair and Health Trade Show and so far I'm enjoying it.
Nivea A Kiss of Olive Oil & Lemon
This was a YouTube made me do it product. MakeupbyTiffanyD has raved about this product for a long time. When I've been out and about, I've searched for it with no luck. I finally saw it at Ulta and picked up it. I used it at night. I didn't find it all that moisturizing for my lips and I can't get past the taste. So in the trash it goes and I'll stick with Carmex for my lips at night.
And there you have it!
On to September!
