April Favorites!

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

They say "April showers bring May flowers", but I think Florida waited until the last few days of April to get the memo. We've had a pretty sunny springtime but this week has been so dreary! Thankfully, we aren't getting the brunt of the severe weather here in Central Florida like the Panhandle is getting, but its nonetheless been a pain dealing with the wet roads (and drivers ill-equipped to drive on wet roads -.-) and the general lack of sunshine.

For beauty products this month, I've been terribly repetitive. I find I lack creativity when I'm up at 5am to get ready for work, as I've primarily been working the early morning shift. Its something I'm kind of challenging myself to be better with. I'm definitely not going to get all glammed up at 5am to go to work and get covered in dust, cardboard dusties (the struggle! UGH!) and makeup whilst processing shipment and cleaning/reorganizing products, fixtures and testers - but it makes me happy to wear makeup. Plain and simple; and I have those items that are understated and dressed down enough to be effortless...I just tend to overlook them in my comatose early morning state.

I also got my hair cut again this month as it was SUPER long overdue, so I've been messing with that a lot this month - but I don't really have it all figured out yet if I'm going to be completely honest.

Something I've been wanting to include for a while has been general life and non-beauty favorites at the end of these posts, so bear with me for the next month or so as I figure out how I like to do that!

Before I ramble more, let's just delve in!


Eyes - 


- Wet N Wild Color Icon Trio in I'm Getting Sunburned!: I had such a hankering to dig this one out a couple weeks ago and I totally remember why I loved it so much. Whichever base you put with this combo really does change it drastically, but the major thing that I like about it is that I wouldn't think to put a pink in a trio with a gold and chocolate brown, but the outcome is actually super flattering.

- NARS Smudge-Proof Eyeshadow Base: This is my holy grail eye primer for my super oily skin. Nothing else out performs this!

- Anastasia Brow Wiz in Caramel: I now understand the hype! Since Maybelline reformulated my beloved Master Shape Brow Pencil (yeah, I'm never going to stop complaining about that...) I decided to try this one out despite not having much luck with super fine tipped pencils such as this. Not only does it deposit a good amount of color, it looks completely natural and has yet to have the tip break on me - which is my normal complaint about these types of pencils. The color, Caramel, is literally perfect for my auburn hair as well - not too ashy but not too warm either.

Cheeks - 


- NARS Blush in Orgasm: I've had this naughty named thing for quite some time and I go through long spurts of wearing this in the warmer months. It has the perfect amount of pink in it to make it incredibly flattering on my skin. Pair this with Albatross and you're rockin' and rollin'.

Lips - 


- Milani Lipstick in Pretty Natural: Do you understand the pain I went through to get this lipstick? After EmilyNoel83 mentioned this as one of her new favorite lipsticks I just had to track it down...and ended up buying the wrong shade not once, but twice! And thus, we welcome to the collection. Naturally Chic - which I can understand the confusion, and Teddy Bare - but really, how even??? At least I like them both. Pretty Natural is one of those rosy shades that literally flatters everyone. 

- Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick in Nude Embrace: This is a limited edition shade from the Dare To Go Nude collection and is definitely a "me" color. A mauve toned nude shade??? *grabby hands*

- Maybelline Color Elixir in Luxe in Lilac: Another "me" color. Its a very, very purple toned pinky lilac shade and I find those to be very flattering on me. The Color Elixir formula is also very, very nice - I find it to be very plushy and nourishing and has a good wear time on me for being a gloss and relatively non-sticky. This shade is from the Limited Edition Bleached Neons collection.

- Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss in Super Natural: This goes with literally anything I could muster. I don't know why I haven't worn it more in the past!

Skincare -


- Clean & Clear Advantage Oil Absorbing Creme Cleanser: I kept Clean & Clear at an arm's length for quite some time because I always viewed it as "gimmicky skincare that preyed on teenage skin" but I'm really starting to see the error of my ways. As I've learned more and more about the actual science of skincare, ingredients, genetics and things of the like...Clean & Clear is looking better and better. I have very oily skin, so I decided to try this cleanser to see if it stood up to the Olay Shine, Shine Go Away, and lo and behold...I might like this better. I still love Olay's version, but I don't feel the tightness and the soapy squeaky feel with this one. This uses Rice Protein in lieu of Kaolin Clay, which I have no sensitivity to, but it provides a very, very gentle micro-exfoliation that makes the surface of my skin feel incredibly smooth without over exfoliating it. This also does not have Sodium Laurel Sulfate in it, which I feel is what was probably adding to the tight and squeaky feel in the Olay cleanser. New favorite? I'm eating my words.

Hair - 


- Tresemme 24 Hour Body Mousse with Collagen: We're getting there. I'm still getting used to the increased voluminous nature of my choppy layers - which look something like Einstein's 'do if, Heaven forbid, I go to bed with wet hair (hint, hint...) - but this Mousse is really unlike any I've used before. To put in layman's terms, there is zero crunch to this. If I use it to slick a pony back or to hold some baby hairs into a bun, it holds everything it is supposed to. If I comb this through wet hair and tousle a bit, this keeps frizz at bay. I don't know how it does it, or what this really is, but I like it.

Miscellaneous -  


- Turbie Twist: This was in my Easter basket this year (thanks Mom!) and it's fairly new but I HAD to include it. Remember that "hint, hint" about me going to bed with wet hair? Yeah. This guy cuts the drying time of my hair in half! Remember, I live in a SUPER humid climate, so although my hair is finely stranded, it still takes an eternity to completely dry on it's own. This is more effective than a towel - and not to mention a whole lot lighter. I also like that it keeps my bangs out of my face without me having to put my hair my normal "Cindy Lou-Who" bun on the top of my head to ensure that all pieces are locked and loaded. And, did I mention how soft this thing is? Like, baby kitten soft. LOVE.

- Victoria's Secret Supermodel Approved Miraculous Dry Body Oil: This is my first body oil and if I'm being completely honest, I only bought it for the fragrance to begin with. It smells like perfume and lemon cookies, in the best possible way and it is a fragrance most DIVINE. Turns out that I really, really like the formula of this. If my memory serves me correctly, this has Argan and Grapeseed Oils and it really nourishes my skin as a daily use moisturizer when I don't need something super repairing. It also dries super quick, but the fragrance still lingers for quite some time. If all dry oils are like this, I want to try more!

Non Beauty Favorites!

- I took Fallon, my 8 year old Black Lab to the vet again this month. Clean bill of health, some supplements for minor arthritis and shes about as spry as a chicken. No one believes me when I tell them shes 8!

- I'm down 10 lbs from the beginning of the month! The best part is, I have nearly no desire to eat things that aren't healthy, but I still don't feel like I'm depriving myself of treats. So excited for this!

- I've definitely been on a Les Miserables kick as of late - I've been watching the 2013 version of the movie all the time and I have a station of the music on my Pandora. Though I do think Marius from the 2012 Broadway version was kind of a weenie. I've started reading the book too, but it terrifies me a bit that it is over a thousand pages long. It takes up a good amount of room in my purse!

- Lean Cuisine Cranberry Chicken Salad Additions. OH MY GOODNESS. I never have less than 3 of these in my freezer at any given time. Just try it, you'll understand!

April has been good to me. Annnddd...since I have to be awake in 6 hours I'm just going to go ahead and wrap it up here for you all! I should have a super huge swatch post up tomorrow or Friday so keep an eye out!

3 comments:

  1. Great favs! Congrats on your weight loss and healthy dog! <3

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  2. I totally understand you about the early mornings thing. When I wake up for work (around the same time as you, about) I definitely am not down to do anything that dramatic or creative. Only on my days off do I really get to play with my collection :)

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  3. Lovely picks :) I pretty much want to try everything that you've mentioned, especially Nars Orgasm blush and the Nars smudge-proof eyeshadow base.. I have the Anastasia Brow Wiz (in brunette) and I absolutely love it! It's so good at drawing on eyebrow hairs for a natural look.. great post :) x

    Rachael | overdosedemaquillage.com

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