I'm going to go ahead and get the apologies for the lateness of this post out of the way and offer my excuse. I've been working a couple consecutive overnight shifts this week and along with getting quite sick this week, and in all honesty...I don't really want to do anything but lie in bed and play Hay Day and scroll through Pinterest. I feel like complete and utter yuck.

To do the complete anti-beauty-blogger thing today, I feel like June took FOREVER to go by - it was really one of those just "meh" months where nothing all to awesome took place, life was pretty boring and it rained every single freaking afternoon - thank you, Florida.

I'm going to just jump into the beauty content for this post so I don't complain about anything else, because I'm literally just a wet blanket right now.

 Eyes -

- Maybelline The Colossal Volum' Express Mascara - This is arguably one of my favorite mascaras of all time. After I tried the Pumped Up take on this, I had to cleanse my mascara palate by going back to this one.

- Victoria's Secret Triple Drama Mascara - I'm really sad to see this go since all VS makeup is now discontinued. I made sure to pick this up because I knew I'd be so sad if I wasn't able to have a last hoorah for this one. The way the brush is twisted really actually gets every single lash and doesn't look clumpy.

- Rimmel Scandaleyes Shadow Paint in Pomegranate - This is one of the driest bases I've ever used, in the most positive manner possible. I wouldn't wear this on it's own because its not 100% easy to blend, but this makes a fantastic base - especially for something I'll mention in a moment.

- Jane Cream Eyeshadow in Copper Shine - This is along the same lines as the Rimmel Shadow Paint, but blends just a touch better. Another incredible base.

- Urban Decay Roach - If you have this, wear it over a red/burgundy base. Just do it. It's literally gorgeous!

Lips -

- Maybelline Color Whisper in Pop of Poppy - I've never been one for pink-ish reds, but this one has me converted. I love the color, the formula and in all honesty, the name.

- Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick in Born With It - I've had this for so long and I feel like I've sorely under appreciated it. Literally, Born With It is the perfect pinky nude for my very fair skin tone.

- MAC Lipstick in Dodgy Girl - Part of this being a favorite is the fact that I was actually able to get my hands on it. This collection was so incredibly popular! I love this shade because it's a slightly more wearable take on lavender while still staying in one of my favorite color families.

- MAC Lipstick in Goddess of the Sea - I may or may not have pushed myself to buy from the Alluring Aquatics collection due to the packaging...but it turns out what I chose was actually pretty phenomenal! Goddess of the Sea has this muted quality to the color that makes it so gorgeous to wear!

- Victoria's Secret Lipgloss in Wet - Another item I knew I'd be heartbroken if it sold out before I could purchase one. Wet is a neutral rosy shade that looks great on literally anyone.

- MAC Dazzleglass in Baby Sparks - I don't understand how I keep finding permanent MAC items at my local CCO, but here's another one! I've only tried one other Dazzleglass (Boys Go Crazy, I believe) so I decided to test the waters on a more day to day wearable shade. Long story way short, I love it - and while it is definitely sticky, it is not nearly as sticky as I anticipated.

Cheeks - 

- MAC Extra Dimension Bronzer in Aphrodite's Shell - I now understand the hype around MAC's Extra Dimension Formula; it's literally just so soft and light, but won't blend away to nothing. This shade had the perfect amount of pink to it as well to make it look like a very believable shade against my skin. 

- NYC Cheek Glow in West Side Wine - I've seen it floating around the internet that this might be a dupe for NARS Douceur and while I personally don't think they are dupes, I find this color family very flattering on my skin...not to mention this has a great formula for $2.99!

Face - 

- Boots No. 7 Beautifully Matte - This isn't holy grail status, but it works the best that I've encountered thusfar. I have very oily skin, and it's even worse in the summertime; so I add this to my t-zone to try to keep oil at bay for a bit longer. However, DO NOT put this anywhere you have a drier patch of skin - such as blemishes that are healing and flaking, because this WILL accentuate any minute amount of dryness you may have on your skin.

- Rimmel Stay Matte Foundation - I was so conflicted about this foundation at first because I could not get a smooth application or keep it from settling in my pores but when I started applying this with the next product I am going to mention (ahem!), it literally turned around 180 degrees! I ADORE this foundation!

- Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge - Yes, it's dirty right now...don't judge me. Now, I don't have the Beauty Blender to compare this to because, in all honesty - I didn't want to shell out $20 for a sponge when there is something available on the market that I could get 3 and a half of for that price..but this thing really is a miracle for those with enlarged pores. This is my favorite foundation application method and my skin shows it!

That's it for this month! In terms of lips, you can see I've been all over the place but on the rest of my face its been more along the lines of perfecting the techniques I've already had. I've also begun setting aside lip products that I've been intending to wear at the beginning of the month so I don't feel overwhelmed when I'm digging through my drawers as I'm ready to run out the door!

Also, Happy 4th of July to my readers here in America! I (unfortunately) work the closing shift tonight instead of my normal early mornings, so part of the festivities are going to be postponed until tomorrow...it's normal to set off fireworks the entire week of Independence day out here in the country :), but otherwise I get to come home to home grilled burgers and my adorable dogs who we DEFINITELY dressed up for the holiday! If you're celebrating, have fun and be safe!

Next week, I have two HUGE posts coming for you - one Swatch-A-Palooza and a review of a very popular and very new eyeshadow palette..any guesses??!?

Have a great weekend, everyone!

June Favorites!

So before I begin; My camera is on the fritz. For some reason my battery refuses to charge and I'm somewhat fearing that I'll have to replace it - so in the meantime you guys will be subjected to my mobile photos until I figure things out! GRR!

June basically flew by - I feel like I just posted my May favorites yesterday! Here goes!

Eyes:

Clockwise from the top left is the MAC Lady Gray Quad, Hard Candy Green With Envy Palette (reviewed here) and MAC Sumptuous Olive. A pretty cohesive group here, don't you think?

- MAC Lady Gray Quad - I found this at a CCO this month, and it was originally part of the MAC Me Over collection in 2011, so I'm kind of surprised that it was still available. The top two shades are All Races, which is a stunning matte, pale taupe that was a dream to work with and perfect for my complexion, and Tendersmoke with was a frost finish and a soft lilac. The bottom two shades are Lady Gray (the quad's namesake) which is a satin greenish cool toned gray, and Hazy Gray which is a veluxe pearl and a slightly olive toned taupey shade. I just love this quad. All shadows were soft and pigmented, and Hazy Gray definitely makes me want to try some more Veluxe Pearls (it was my first one!). 

- Hard Candy Green With Envy - 10 shadows. $6 Bucks. Infinite green possibilities. I was quite impressed with this one.

- MAC Sumptuous Olive - Are we sensing a pattern here? I've been wanting this for some time now, and despite its permanent status, I found it at a CCO for cheaper. Score!

Face :

On the left is Hard Candy Glow All the Way in Dollface, followed in the middle by MAC Immortal Flower (reviewed here) on top and Pixi Subtly Suntouched (reviewed here) on the bottom, with the Boots No. 7 Beautifully Matte Foundation in Cool Ivory on the right.

- Hard Candy Glow All the Way in Dollface - I purchased this for two reasons; the swatches looked quite similar to NARS Copacabana, for one, and just look at how much product you are getting for only $6! I've been using this a whole bunch and thanks to Dustin Hunter's video on the Armani Fluid Sheers and how to apply them, I've been using his technique with this and getting great results!

- MAC Immortal Flower - The only thing I hauled from the All About Orange collection. I was just really excited that this was repromoted after I missed it in the Tres Cheek collection last year. I really like the texture to this, and it has really great pigmentation.

- Pixi Subtly Suntouched - Its almost a bronzer, so it counts as me wearing bronzer right? This has one of the softest textures I've tried in a face product and was worth the splurge.

- Boots No. 7 Beautifully Matte Foundation - I tried this after it was noted by Lisa Eldridge as one of her favorite foundations to work with. I remember being interested after she explained the finish and amount of coverage. While I wish there was a tad bit more coverage, this keeps my face nice and matte for much longer than anything else I've tried.

Brushes:

On the left is the Target Up and Up Crease Brush and the right is the Real Techniques Buffing Brush.

- Target Up and Up Crease Brush - Who would have thought I'd be reaching to a Target brand brush almost every day? This can get a tiny bit scratchy sometimes, but the way it deposits color and blends is actually fantastic. I may get a couple backups for when this one is dirty!

- Real Techniques Buffing Brush - I may have featured this before, but I assure you that this time it is for a different reason. I've changed from using the Real Techniques Stippling Brush to this one for buffing in and blending my foundation and I feel like this gives me such a soft, airbrushed look. I LOVE it.

Lips:

From left to right, these are;

- Revlon New Super Lustrous Lipgloss in Super Natural - I think this is the perfect pinky nude gloss for my skin and I've been going to this whenever I wore a bright, bold eye look to tie everything together without putting too much color on my lips.

- Nivea Lip Butter in Vanilla and Macadamia Kiss - Everyone and their brother has been raving about these in the blogging community, so I tried it out. This repairs my chapped lips like a dream and has a nice, sweet, nutty fragrance to it that isn't overbearing.

- MAC Lipglass in Docile - If you didn't already guess, I found this one at a CCO this month as well. It was originally part of the Fabulous Felines and Jeanius collections. Its a pale, pinky lavender with a opalescent quality. The color is what sells it for me, as the formula is mediocre (sticky!!) for me. Fashion over function right? For something so pretty, I'll deal with a bit of stickiness. 

- MAC Viva Glam II (reviewed here) - My perfect matte (ish), nude, "my lips but better" and "I can wear this with anything" shade. I never thought a shade like this would flatter me, either. Now I'm in love!

Fragrance:

On the left is;

- Bath and Body Works Cherry Blossom - I've been wearing this fragrance for YEARS and they just discontinued it. Needless to say, I stocked up, but it also rekindled my love for it in the process.

- Bath and Body Works White Tea and Ginger - If it's tea, I'm sold. I love this fragrance because its not something that I encounter a lot of people wearing, so I feel like it sets me apart. And you know, it smells like tea, and thats a total plus.

Hair:

- Garnier Fructis Pure Clean Finishing Paste - Since I chopped all of my hair off recently, I've been using this to accentuate my layers and make my ends "super flippy!". It isn't sticky in the least and dries down to an undetectable finish. And it smells like citrus. YUM.

Garnier wins the award for most DIFFICULT Website to navigate. Take a look - what a pain in the butt!

So there they are, folks! A lot of CCO finds, and a lot of Youtube recommendations! What were you all loving this month?

Top 5 Picks for Summer - Blush

My favorite blushes are usually pale pastels that most people usually hold of on until springtime - For me, on the other hand, you'd have to pry MAC Full of Joy, Illamasqua Katie and Darling Girl Yes, Virginia out of my cold dead hands before I rotate them to the back of my stash when the seasons change.

For summer, however I try my hardest to loosen my grip and wear something a bit more bright and bold. C'mon, I'm so fair skinned that this is the only time of year where I can really pack up some punchy blush without looking like I'm going out on a tropical getaway. ( I mean I live in Florida, but once you live here for 15 plus years even 65 degrees feels cold to you!)

I scoured my stash of blushes and narrowed it down to 5 that my cheeks will be seeing a whole lot of this summer!

From left to right the top row is;

- Tarte Fantastic - This was part of last year's Fantastic Foursome Four Piece Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush Enthusiast Set. It is a bright, candy pink with strong blue tones to it and I absolutely adore it against my skin. I'm also quite a fan of Tarte's Amazonian Clay blushes.

- ELF Studio Blush in Pink Passion - Probably the brightest blush in my collection, Pink Passion is a hot, candy pink with a matte finish and pigmentation out the wazoo. 

- NARS Orgasm - Yeah, yeah. Groundbreaking choice, huh? It's there for a reason; The big O is a perfect summer shade that will look good on anyone. The golden peachy pink warms up anyone!

- Tarte Magic - Also was in the same set as Fantastic, Magic a pretty true coral - I'm not 100% sure how this is as flattering as it is on my skin, but I'll totally run with it!

And across the bottom because I ran out of room is;

- Boots No.7 Natural Blush Cheek Colour in Coral Flush  - A gutsy pink coral with incredible strength of pigment. This was a forgotten favorite of mine.

As the weather gets warmer, my makeup gets brighter - And I am totally okay with that.

What blushes are you loving for summer? Let me know!

Stay tuned for my other picks for summer, coming soon!