Hi guys! It’s been a while since I’ve done a monthly favorites post, so I thought June would be the perfect time to update it!
Starting off with eye products, the Alamar Reina del Caribe Vol. 1 eyeshadow palette has been my go-to recently. I received it in this month’s Boxycharm and have been using it ever since. I love the warm neutrals, which as you guys know, are right up my alley. But it’s the other colors in this palette that forced me to get out of my own comfort zone. I’ve been able to play around more confidently with more daring colors that I would have never even considered. On days where I’m wearing minimal makeup — hello southeastern summer — i’ll wear Coco Taxi by itself in my crease and blend it out. More daring days or occasions will have me dipping into Varadero and Celia.
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| Alamar Reina del Caribe Vol. 1 |
The other eyeshadow palette that’s been giving me life lately is the Morphe 3502 Second Nature palette. Don’t ask me about my favorite shades, because I wouldn’t be able to tell you. This is the only eyeshadow palette I took with me when we went on our DC trip. It’s pretty large, and definitely not travel sized, but it was perfect for a longer trip. I had every conceivable shade I could need, what more could I have asked for? (A mirror, probably, haha).
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| Morphe 3502 Second Nature palette |
I almost always have a mascara to talk about in makeup posts, and this month is no different. I got this sample sized Stila Huge Extreme Lash Mascara and am so in love with it. It has an hourglass shaped wand, much like Loreal’s Lash Paradise and Too Faced’s Better than Sex. I love everything about it— the formula, the application, its performance. Even though this is a sample size, it’s really gone a long way and still has more to give.
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| Stila Huge Extreme Lash Mascara |
I’m always so drawn to lip and eye products, that I sometimes completely neglect complexion products. In the time since I’ve last posted about makeup, I’ve been introduced to a few different products that I’m loving. While I do try and prime my face, the primers I’ve had in the past haven’t done too well on me. For one reason or another, I ultimately stopped using them altogether. Then, I found the Cover FX Blurring Primer. It’s the exact consistency I was looking for and wears really well under my makeup. I don’t have to worry about it changing the color or finish of my foundation.
I've really been loving NYX lately and in keeping with that trend, I purchased their matte finish setting spray after hearing enough people rave about it on YouTube. It’s not a new product, but the setting spray I’d been using is “illuminating” and was overpowering on my face. I was starting to look like the tin man every time I used it. The spray is really gentle coming out of the bottle and covers a wide area in one spritz. I’d wear this while working doubles on some of the busiest days at work, and it held up perfectly.
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| Cover FX Blurring Primer | NYX Matte Finish Setting Spray |
I’ve never been much of a concealer person, but I thought I’d give the Wet n’ Wild Photofocus Concealer a shot. I got it in the shade light ivory to brighten up my under-eye area. I love love love this stuff. I don’t use it every day, especially right now that it’s officially summertime in the south. But when I do, I can count on it to not crease and stay in place all day. Plus, it’s really, really inexpensive.
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| Wet n' Wild Photofocus Concealer |
Can you tell I really like the NYX HD Finishing Powder in Banana? I’ve gotten a few powder contour & highlight palettes in the past and the banana shade is always the first to hit pan. I have light olive skin and the first two shades are perfect for setting my foundation. I finally went out and just purchased a standalone powder and I haven’t looked back.
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| NYX HD Finishing Powder |
I’ve used (and have fallen in love with) The BrowGal products before and have loved them. So when I received The Insta-tint (in brown hair 02), I was really excited. This quickly made its way to the top of my list. It instantly replaced my Glossier Boy-Brow. While I love the Boy Brow, the formula could get a little too thick, too quickly (at least for me). The insta-tint has a great formula that can be built up in the places that need it, while still looking natural. Its wand applicator is out of this world. It’s fairly thin and longer than I’ve typically seen on brow products, and it has just a little bit of give, so it’s not completely stiff. This makes application effortless and quick. Even on my no-makeup days, I’m probably wearing this on my brows.
Now I’ll mention a few products that never really stand out to me or that even come to mind when gathering my monthly favorites: beauty tools. If I can sometimes neglect completion products, then I completely ignore brushes. I know, I know. But when I find one I like, I never really look for anything else. Then I got these two brushes over the course of a couple of months in Boxycharm subscriptions. The Aesthetica p12 brush is perfect for bronzer, while I use the Luxie 522 tapered highlighter for… highlight. The Aesthetica brush initially threw me off. I didn’t know what to use it for because of its shape and density. (You guys have to keep in mind that I don’t know much about brushes.) Then I saw an unboxing video where they used it as for bronzer and it clicked. I’ve used so many brushes in the past to apply bronzer/contour and have had to adopt certain techniques to get them to work. This one just works. The way it’s supposed to, and without any sort of compromise.The same can be said about the Luxie.
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| Luxie 522 Tapered Highlighting Brush |
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| Aesthetica P12 brush |
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| Still in love with my Becca highlighter in Prosecco Pop |
Bullet lipsticks took a backseat for a while when the liquid lipstick craze began. I admit that I fell into the trend, but my lips were suffering. I missed the ease of application and the forgiveness bullet lipsticks provide. I am happy to announce that my love of matte lips and non-drying formulas has made it onto my vanity. Here are some of the ones I’m most excited about.
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| Kat Von D Studded Kiss Creme Lipstick in Cathedral here, Vampira here, and Mötorhead here |
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| Smashbox Be Legendary Lipsticks in Cliffhanger Matte here and Bad Mood here |
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| Lorac Alter Ego lipsticks in MUA and Nudist (No longer available) |
And finally, I thought I’d throw in some of my favorite non-makeup related products. The first is the Neutrogena Ultra-Sheer Dry Touch Sunscreen with SPF 55. I’m always really scared to try out sunscreens because I’ve had a few of them break me out and/or never set— rendering makeup application impossible. This one sets to a soft primer-like finish, and wears incredibly under makeup. And actually, if I do wear makeup over this, I don’t even bother with my primer. I know this isn’t cruelty free, but I was in a pinch and couldn’t find any CF sunscreens I was happy with.
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And now for my favorite hair discovery of the year. This is the Trader Joe’s She Butter & Coconut Oil hair mask. This mask works extremely well with my hair, and the results are evident. But what really makes this stand out is that the application time is only 3-5 minutes. I’ve had masks that require 10, 15, or 25 minutes in your hair. That leaves me looking for ways kill time. But 3-5 minutes it totally doable. And the results are something I haven’t seen since using the Living Proof Restore Mask Treatment, which sits pretty at $43. This Trader Joe’s hair mask? Around $5, available in stores.
I hope you guys enjoyed this month’s favorites. I know that most of these products were nothing new, but they’re what I’ve been loving at the moment. What products have you guys been into lately? Also, if you know of any good cruelty-free sunscreens, let me know!
