Showing posts with label Milani. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Milani. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

August Favorites

Hello lovelies! 
I cannot believe it's already September! It feels like I just did July Favorites! But, I am more than happy to say goodbye to August, I've never been a big fan. At first when I started thinking about my favorite things this month, I didn't think I had many new things to share with you. But then I looked at my vanity and bathroom counter and realized I had some really good stuff! :) Some of them I have already showed you in a haul post or two, but I also realized that some of my actual favorites are things I just picked up randomly during my travels! 

In the last month or so, I have really been loving my Beauty Blender! I actually got this in my Christmas stocking this past year, but never really used it much before now! I am starting to become slightly obsessed! I love this way this blends my foundation perfectly! I use mine damp and just bounce the foundation all over until its blended the way I want! It helps me to use less product and I love the look it allows me to achieve! If you haven't tried this yet, you need to ASAP! 
I finally decided to pick up the Milani Bronzer XL in Fake Tan! I would pass by this so many times and think "Well, I wanna try it, but it's probably nothing thrilling." and I would opt for another item I had my eye on! Let's just say that was really stupid of me! It's amazing! I love the dual shades that can be used individually or mixed together. It gives the BEST bronzed glow! It's totally matte, doesn't make me look "muddy" at all and I can use the darker shade for contouring! Its so versatile! I've probably worn this everyday this month! ;)
Since August has been pretty damn humid (ew) I haven't really felt like wearing a full foundation every day. Instead I've been using Revlon PhotoReady Skinlights Face Illuminator in Bare Light. I mix this into my Revlon Primer (a Favorite from last month) and apply it all over my face. Then I just go in with a little concealer wherever I need it, and finish with setting powder and bronzer! I love the glow that this gives my skin! It's one of those products that really makes you look like you are glowing from within! It's a pearly shimmer, but doesn't cake my face in glitter! No one wants that! It's light and airy and perfect during these gross, hot, humid, August days!
Speaking of concealer, another product I have basically used every day this month is Maybelline's Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circle Treatment Concealer (longest name ever!!!). This stuff gives amazing coverage without being super thick! In fact, it's a pretty thin formula for how much coverage it gives, which is impressive! I love the little "pouf ball" on the end of the "wand" and it helps me get just the right amount of product that I want! I usually blend the product out with my beauty blender and I love the look it all gives! I think this will definitely be a repurchase soon since I'm running low! :)

As for eyeshadows, I don't think it will be a big surprise that I am choosing a Makeup Geek eyeshadow pan in Beaches and Cream. Ugh I just love this shade! It just seems like it can do so much more than any other eyeshadow I've ever owned! I can use it solely all over the lid, to blend my crease, to transition into a different shade.. the options are just endless and I am constantly finding new ways that I love using it for my eye looks! I would be so bold to say that if you pick only a few Makeup Geek shades to try or add to your collection, make sure this is definitely one of them! :)

Another product I think I have used just about every day this month is the new Too Faced Bulletproof 24 Hour Liner in Dirt Bag. This stuff really and truly is bulletproof! I've never worn an eyeliner that is as long lasting as this one is! It seriously blows me away! I will usually put this on around 6am and I swear, not only does it not budge all day (or irritate my eyes- yay!) but it still looks flawless at the end of the day when I go to take my makeup off for the night! It's amazing! I love that this liner can be used for basic every day work looks and can also totally glam up a more dramatic look for evening or more social situations. I love the deep brown (think dark chocolate) and the teeny tiny micro specks of gold shimmer/glitter! I will definitely not only repurchase this one, but I also plan on picking up more shades! 
As far as lip products go, I have really been loving a lip gloss set that I picked up in Target by e.l.f.! These lip glosses are so super pigmented and I love the formula to death! They aren't sticky or goopy AT ALL! They go on so creamy smooth and feel like soft buttah (ha) on your lips! They don't dry my lips out, but I wouldn't say I noticed a ton of hydration from these alone either. I love these for a simple pop of color that is more casual! Perfect for day time or at the office! My boyfriend loves them too because, "They're not gross!" Hahaha! So they are kiss approved! ;) I think these were part of an e.l.f. back-to-school collection. The cherry reddish color has a little bit of sparkle in it, but nothing too crazy or super noticeable. The peachy color has just a teeny bit of shimmer to it. The hot pink color has zero glitter or shimmer and is just glossy! And finally the light pink color is a pearly and a teeny bit shimmery! I think all of the colors are perfect and offer a wide variety for different looks! I totally see why this was marketed as a back to school set! It would be perfect for a young teen or young adult to throw into their backpack or makeup bag! And you can't beat $5 for four great lip glosses! ;)
Earlier this summer I picked up a coconut lotion from Ulta's body line. It comes in an aerosol spray can and is all about the 'spray & go" concept. I must say, I love me a time saver! But even more than the convenience of the product, I love the summer coconut smell and the formula of this is heavenly!! It's not a super think or sticky lotion! It glides on your skin so smoothly and feels really cooling and hydrating! I love this especially for the summer months because I cannot stand feeling sticky from lotion when its super hot and humid! This has been a lifesaver not only for the month of August, but all summer long! The bad news is I can't find this on anywhere on Ulta's website!! I'm not sure if this was just limited edition for summer or if there are other scents! I will definitely look into finding more again and let you know if I come up with anything!
This month I decided to include a hair product! Since I happen to have the thinnest, most baby-fine hair on the planet I need all the help I can get out of volumizing products! I heard rave reviews on John Frieda's Luxurious Volume Root Boosting Blow Dry Lotion (another ridiculously long named product) and tried to purchase it in a few different locations but it was always sold out! Usually that's a good enough sign to me that it's a well liked product! I finally found one single bottle left on a shelf in Ulta a few weeks ago and jumped at the chance to try it! I've been using this every time I blow dry my hair and I can definitely tell a difference! It gives me a little more bounce and lift in my roots and doesn't make my hair hard or "crunchy" at all! Definitely worth trying if you have thinner hair like me or even if you just want to get a little more bounce to your hair!
As you have probably already noticed, lately I have been obsessed with all things Radiant Orchid! I just cannot get enough of it! I was in Charming Charlie's earlier this month and came across this beautiful orchid and navy blue bib-ish style necklace. I have literally worn this every chance I could get this month. Literally. Like to the point where my boyfriend pointed out that I wore it the last three or four times I saw him! LOL! I freaking love it!!! I love it casual, I love it dressy, I love it just hanging on my jewelry organizer! Its just so pretty that I felt that it needed it's own little shout out in my monthly favorites! Annnnd it even comes with little orchid drop earrings! Ugh- LOVE it and can't stop wearing it!!

So that about wraps up my August Favorites! It's funny how I thought I didn't have much at first but was able to come up with a bunch of stuff to ramble on about! Let me know if there is anything you have been loving this past month! I would love to hear about it!
On to September! :)

Thanks for reading!
♥ Nichole



































Thursday, July 31, 2014

July Favorites

Hi guys!
Unfortunately it is time to say goodbye to my favorite summer month! But on the flip side it's time to talk about the beauty products I have been loving all month long! There are so many, I wasn't sure where to begin! But I think I narrowed it down to a manageable number ;)
This first product I have used literally every single day! I'm not sure how I have gone so long without Mac's paint pot in Painterly! It is life changing! I use it as my eye primer and it matches my skin tone perfectly, but also brightens my eye area up a bit! It is a matte nude shade that allows my cream and powder eyeshadows to really pop and go on smooth and evenly! I have nothing bad to say about this one! :) It will definitely be something I repurchase as I run out and I can't wait to try some of the other paint pot colors from Mac! 
Mac Pro Longwear Paint Pot- Painterly
For my nails this month I have been LOVING Revlon's new Color Stay Gel Envy Nail Enamels! I love that I am now able to get the salon gel effect without having to use a UV light to harden the polish or physically go to the nail salon every two weeks! The polish last for about a week and a half before I find that I'm starting to get tiny chips or I need to redo them! Honestly the gel polish that I was having done at the nail salon sometimes didn't even last that long! My only teeny tiny complaint would be that I did have some staining from the greenish teal color (Dealer's Choice). Nothing unbearable though and I will be trying some of their other darker colors to see if it is a repeat issue! These are so affordable and easy to use! I can't wait to pick up more colors and I would highly recommend giving them a try! 
 010 Top Coat (which can be used on any other the colors), 240-Dealer's Choice, and 030- Beginners Luck
For those of you that know me, you already know I love my blush! So when I saw this blush color, Captivating, from Tarte I HAD TO HAVE IT!! It is so so so pretty and the color name fits it perfectly! It gives my cheeks a nice peach kissed glow and looks great when my face has some color from the sun! It is beyond perfect for the summer months! It's smooth and applies nicely to my face, but most of all I like that the color is totally buildable! I can go lightly or build the color to a brighter/darker peachy coral! It's just gorgeous either way!
Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 Hour Blush- Captivating
Again, I love my blush, and a girl just needs to have options! ;) I have been really getting in to all the new pinky- purple (or better known as Radiant Orchid) shades that I keep seeing pop up in several makeup lines! I happened to be in my local Macy's department store with my mom a few weeks ago, and had zero intentions of making any purchases while she made a quick return... But... these Clinique Cheek Pop blushes were too beautiful to turn away from! I swatched a few shades on the back of my hand and was in LOVE! I chose the color Plum Pop, which I actually don't find to be very plum like at all (although still a beautiful color)! I do like the pretty bright pink that this shade gives off when I apply it to my cheeks, but I found that the blush wasn't as pigmented at home as it was when I was in the store. :-/ Kinda bummed me out. BUT, I found a solution! Now, cream blushes kind of scare me. I just can never get the hang of it or it looks streaky on me, plus I am super oily. Therefore, I usually forgo using them or buying them, but I had been wanted to try Maybelline's Dream Bouncy Blushes since I had heard awesome things about them. So I picked one up in the color Hot Tamale and decided that the cream blush is also too sheer for my taste on its on. I started experimenting and found that putting a tiny bit of  Maybelline's Dream Bouncy Blush underneath my Clinique Cheek Pop blush, I was able to get the look and color intensity I had been after! I've been wearing both together for a few weeks now and love the pink shimmery glow I get from the two products combined! Perfect pink for summer! 
(Top swatch- Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in Hot Tamale, bottom swatch- Clinique Cheek Pop Blush in Plum Pop
Another makeup color I love to use in the summer is bronze! I love a nice bronzey gold shimmer eyeliner against my dark blue eyes! Ulta stores recently started carrying Mally Beauty (YAY!) and I had heard great things about the Evercolor Starlight Waterproof Eyeliners! When I saw this L:ucky Penny color I immediately threw it into my little Ulta shopping bag! :) It is gorgeous! It lasts ALL day long and these eyeliners have some of the best staying power I have ever come across! I tend to have very watery eyes usually, so staying power is extremely important for me! These even hold up to the "dip in the pool" test! I've worn these during family BBQ's by the pool and they have held up to tons of splashing without budging at all! I have three colors, (including blue and brown) but this Penny color is definitely my favorite! As you can see I have used this one quite a bit and will definitely be buying another! :) 
Mally Beauty Evercolor Starlight Waterproof Eyeliners- Lucky Penny
I also recently learned a new trick from the amazing and gorgeous Emily Eddington! She uses a nude liner to line her waterline on her eyes to make them really pop and look more awake! This was something that I never really did before watching her videos! I decided to give it a try (because duh, who doesn't want to look more awake and alert?) especially because my eyes are on the smaller side! I purchased the Milani Shadow Eyez Matte Eyeshadow Pencil in Almond Cream and have been using it every day since I bought it! I love it and can definitely see a difference in how my eyes look wider, brighter, and more awake! I love this stuff! Perfect for long summer nights and sleep deprivation! ;) 

Milani Shadow Eyez Matte Eyeshadow Pencil- Almond Cream

Another item I received as a birthday gift is Bare Minerals eyeshadow duo in The Promise. I am obsessed with this duo! It is SO beautiful! I especially love the buttery glow the gold shadow (Aspire) gives my lids and then I follow up with the darker (almost mauvy purplish) brown color in my crease. I then go back and highlight the brow area very lightly with Aspire! The finished look is GORGEOUS! Very bright and summery and I have totally been loving it! 
BareMinerals Ready 2.0 Eyeshadow Palette- The Promise (Left: Aspire, Right: Vow)
An absolute necessity during the summer months is a stellar primer! With all the heat and humidity, I need something that is not super heavy, helps my makeup set, and keeps my skin from getting oily throughout the long days. I have really really been enjoying Revlon's Photo Ready Perfecting Primer! I use this after I apply the Milk of Magnesia to my face and it totally takes away the chalky residue that the MOM leaves behind! My makeup applies smoothly and evenly! It is not greasy at all like some primers can sometimes be! I've already gone through three bottles of this stuff! The bottle is a little on the smaller side and there is a squeeze pump to get the product out. My only complaint would be that the glass jar makes it difficult to get all of the product out when I start running low. It's kind of a pain, but I've been working around it with q-tips. Overall, I would consider this my liquid gold right now! I love it! 
Revlon PhotoReady Perfecting Primer
And last, but definitely not least is yet another gift I received for my birthday! My BFF gave me a totally fabulos Sigma Brush collection!! I have been DYING to try Sigma brushes and was so excited when I opened up the gift (I love you BFF and thank you again)! I've been experimenting with all of the brushes in the set but the two I keep grabbing for most are the E30 Pencil brush, and the E70 Medium Angle Shading! I've been using the E30 Pencil brush to smudge darker colors under my bottom lash line to blend eyeliners! I love how it gets really close to my lash line without being too thin or too bulky! The E70 Medium Angle Shading brush I have been using in my eyelid crease! Both of these brushes are great quality and super soft (the E30 Pencil brush is a bit stiffer for the purpose its meant to serve). I just love them! They're so pretty and I am so glad to have them in my makeup brush collection! I foresee them quickly becoming the "stars" of my brush collection! 
Sigma E30 Pencil Brush & E70 Medium Angle Shading Brush
So that wraps up July! Again, there are SO many products that I am really loving and excited about right now! It was extremely difficult to narrow it down to just 10! But the products mentioned really are the stand out stars from this past month and ones that I have been super impressed with! 
Sorry if this post was a little on the lengthy side! I hope you have all enjoyed July as much as I have! I am sad to see it go, but excited to see what August will have in store (and in stores hahaha)! And as much as I love summer, July ending just means that we are one step closer to AUTUMN and PUMPKIN EVERYTHING!!! :)
Hope you all have an amazing weekend! Go out and do something fun or treat yourself to something nice (maybe one my July Favorites)! Thanks so much for reading!

♥ Nichole