June Favorites

June has still been a month of experimenting with my skin. It's still a little spotty and I'm still trying to achieve a good routine. So far I have found a few things I really like and will continue to use religiously the next month since the wedding date is approaching!

I've been using the Bliss No 'Zit' Sherlock mask about once a week to help calm and soothe my skin. This unique mask comes straight from the Bliss spas. The packet contains the powder that you have to mix with water (the kit comes with a scoop so you know exactly how much water to mix). It's a very thick gooey mask that you pack onto your face. When it dries, the mask rubberizes and it helps declog pores, absorbs all excess oil, soothes skin and help prevent future breakouts. I love peeling it off my skin. The skin under the mask always feels so soft and matte!

SPF has been a MUST this summer to help protect the skin. I have been reaching for very high SPF lately and this Chanel UV Essentiel Sunscreen SPF 50 has been amazing. It's super light weight, non-greasy and almost feels like a fluid primer. It works well under makeup and it's just been a staple the past month. I also have been loving the Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot corrector for my under eye cream. First of all I love the applicator. It's a nice cool metal tip that feels really good against your skin in the morning. I also love that this formula is oil-free and so easy to blend into your skin. I've just really enjoyed using it so far.

On my lips I have been loving matte lipsticks and lip stains. I have been feeling quite oily this summer so a nice matte lip makes me feel much less oily. I love the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet lip colors. They are super pigmented lip stains that are matte and don't feel flaky or dry on your lips. I got the shade Pink Pong which is a rich berry stain and I think its such a flattering color! They last really well on your lips too! I have had full meals while wearing this and it still looks great after!

Setting powder is very important for the oily skin gals. This month I discovered the beautiful Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder and I got the shade in Dim Light. It's a natural peach beige color. It's a very unique finishing powder that really refines your complexion making it look best in whatever light you are in. And finally, I have been using the Pai Skincare Rosehip BioRegenerate Oil nightly to help with my acne scarring. I just did a post on this last week but I have been using it all throughout June and really fell in love with the product. You can read my review here.

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Pai Rosehip Bioregenerate Oil

Countdown to my wedding day is becoming very real. To help me get rid of some scarring and old marks on my face I have started using the Pai Rosehip Bioregenerate Oil. So far I have been using it for about 3 weeks. I heard a lot about this product online which is why I needed to include it into my skincare routine. I wanted to wait a little before mentioning it on here, but so far I am seeing results and I really look forward to slathering this on every night. This stuff is seriously scented and very oily. It has a very orange tint to it and you do need to wait awhile for the product to sink in before you go to sleep otherwise beware of getting it on your clothes and sheets in bed. It does sink in after a few mintues and you don't feel the oil on your skin at all anymore. I still like to apply another later of oil-free moisturizer on top, too. This oil is high in Trans-Retinoic Acid which helps boost the skin's natural healing process. Along with rosehip oil which has proven to be very effective in improving the appearances of scars, acne scars, fine lines, stretch marks and sun burns. I really do think it is beginning to help reduce the scarring on my right cheek. I hope in more time I can report back with more results.

I like that in the morning my face really does look like its more plump and the redness is not as noticeable around my old acne scars. Pai is a really great certified organic brand that I want to try more products from! I have only been using it at night but I might up the game and use a few drops in targeted areas in the day time as well...

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Eyeko Haul

I received a very exciting package in the mail! My Eyeko order!! I ordered this directly from the UK Eyeko website because they had free shipping to the US with $50 purchase! I didn't see any US beauty websites carrying the new eyeshadow sticks Alexa Chung collaborated on so after browsing the website I had to have some things...

I mainly really wanted the new Me & My Shadow sticks. I heard about them and then I saw Lisa Eldridge use them on Alexa in her Alexa Chung Makeup Tutorial and that was it. I needed them. I have a huge love for eyeshadow sticks because they're so easy to apply and to travel with! Alexa had the genius idea to have one end be the twist up eyeshadow and the other end be an eyeshadow brush!!! So genius! I really wanted the Taupe color because that looks like an everyday go-to shade for me. Then I thought it would also be nice to have a slightly darker smokier shade, so I got Chocolate, too. I love the name, too, Me & My Shadow super cute. I've been wearing the taupe shade all across my lids this week blended out. I love it.

I was going to only pick up the 2 eyeshadow sticks, but then I saw this set: Eyeko Alexa's Red Carpet Look. It had the new Me & My Shadow stick in Taupe (check), the Eye Do Mascara which I've been dying to try and the Visual Eyes Liquid Eyeliner in Ebony! I have been using the eyeliner the past few days and I really like the fine point. It's much thinner than my Lancome Artliner and it's fast becoming a favorite. It's one of those felt tip pens that is very easy to work with and pretty stiff so it's easy to control what you're doing.

I also think Eyeko threw in a Hydrogel Eye Patch which is so nice! Can't wait to use it!

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Bath & Body Works Watermelon Lemonade Candle

My favorite thing about Bath & Body Works are the candles. They have a crazy amount of selection and they are always coming up with cool new fun scents. I normally burn candles much  more in the winter but Bath & Body works has a lot of really nice light summer scents that I think are worth checking out! I picked up this Watermelon Lemonade candle because I absolutely love lemonade and the watermelon is a really nice summer scent that I really enjoy smelling summer nights. It smells so good!!! Maybe not for everyone but I absolutely love it. I like the mason jar and lid it comes with - something you can easily reuse for makeup brushes or storage after the candle is done - and the designs are really sweet! This scent was a little hard to find (and I couldn't find my exact one online anymore) but if you really love it, it comes in a few other sizes and products!

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Empties #10

10th Empties post?! I've used up so many products!

I finished my second Anastasia Brow Wiz pencil. I freaking love this stuff. I use the shade Medium Ash (now called Medium Brown) and it's such a good brown brow color. It's not too orange or red toned and looks incredibly natural. I finished my first The Body Shop shampoo that I have ever tried. It's the Rainforest Balance Shampoo which helps people with oily hair. It definitely has this very squeaky clean feeling when using it. You can really tell the difference when you compare using with say a moisturizing shampoo. Overall I really enjoyed the shampoo.

I'm sad I finished up the DDF Protective Eye Cream. First of all it has SPF 15 which I think more eye creams should contain SPF. Second it comes in a nice clean pump that is really easy to use. It blended nicely into the skin and felt smooth and moisturizing under makeup. I didn't really see a huge correcting dark circles but I think its more for smoothing out fine lines and wrinkles.

The MISSHA Time Revolution White Cure serum is a brightening and skin color correcting serum. Any Missha product that I have tried always smells and feels incredible on the skin. I liked to use this every morning under my moisturizer and SPF. And right before I used this I used the Aesop B & Tea Balancing Toner which uses Green Tea to help hydrate, balance the skin and refine pores. I wasn't extremely fond of the scent but it was just ok. I did like how this felt on my skin. It was very gentle and I know it's great for sensitive skin. It made my skin feel very clean and soft.

Another product that I didn't really love the scent (at all) was The Body Shop Tea Tree Blemish Fade Night Lotion. I thought it was a great lotion but I couldn't get over the scent. I did use it up completely and I wish I had it again because I was using it when my skin was in pretty good condition. Now it's really acting up so I might repurchase it but I'm not really fond of the smell so it might not happen. I am in the market for a new oil-free blemish prone moisturizer for morning and night. Let me know if you have any recommendations!

Finally I used up my beloved Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Tri-Wheat Leave-In Conditioner. I absolutely love this stuff. I love spray leave-in conditioners and this one feels great and really detangles your hair. I might try a few other brands but I highly recommend this one and will repurchase it soon.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

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Aesop Parsley Seed Cleansing Masque

I have oily skin. Clay masks are great for oily skin. The Aesop Parsley Seed Cleansing Masque is an excellent gentle deep cleansing clay based mask. I apply a thin layer all over my face and wait about 15-20 minutes for it to dry. I like that this stuff feels very moisturizing and creamy from the tube. It's super easy to spread on your skin and feels amazing. It's a pale sand color and dries even lighter. It does tingle a little on my face but I don't mind when masks do that. As it's drying, it really tightens your face and you seriously feel like you're getting a mini face lift. This would not be a great girls night mask because once it starts drying you won't be able to move any muscles on your face. After the 15-20 minutes you wash it off and you're left with super clean soft skin!



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June Birchbox 2014

Birchbox time of the month again! This month the theme was Away We Go in partnership with JetBlue. All the samples were related to travel, whether it be flying somewhere, road-tripping or even staycation-ing.

First, I noticed the cute packaging for the Davines Love Smoothing Shampoo. It also came with a little packet for the conditioner and another little packet of the leave-in treatment, but the shampoo bottle is adorable and what caught my attention. I love the light shade of pink and it seems like it would be very milky and softening.

Always good to travel with some body lotion. This one is the Gilchrist & Soames London Collection Body Lotion. It's packed with botanicals like grape seed to help moisturize and soften the skin. Lip product of the bunch is the Cynthia Rowley Beauty Creamy Lip Stain in the shade, Valentine. Looks like a pretty deep pink color. I love lip stains and will be curious to try this one out because it claims to be very moisturizing and shiny. I also received the Catherine Malandrino Fragrance. This is the designer's first fragrance and it's very fruity and summery. Will be a good sample to toss in your bag.

Finally the Caudalie Polypheno C15 Anti-Wrinkle Defense Serum! This serum helps smooth over your wrinkles to give your skin a more youthful appearance. I'm not incredibly concerned about wrinkles so this will be a good product to pass on to my mom.

And that is the end of my Birchbox!

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Sephora Haul

I did a quick Sephora order the end of last week. I had a promo code for free shipping for VIB members so I didn't have to spend up to $50 to get free shipping. I had been hearing  a lot of buzz about the Sephora Collection Pro brushes and when I heard they came out with a mini I had to get it because I don't have a great travel size foundation brush and this sounded perfect. This brush is called the Sephora Collection Mini Multitasker #45.5. Obviosuly this is the mini version of #45. The description says its the perfect synthetic brush to apply mineral makeup but I have a feeling I will be using it for foundation.

The other 2 things I ordered were the Soap & Glory Hand Food because I'm almost out of it and I needed to supply it immediately. This is just a great hand lotion for your purse that isn't sticky and feels very moisturizing. A lot of people love the way this smells but I'm pretty neutral about that. And finally I picked up 2 Sephora Collection Ribbon Hair Ties in Ivory and Black. I really love these hair ties and they are on sale for $1 so that was just too easy to add to cart...

Everything else I got was part of the Sephora rewards program. I used 2 100-point perks to get the Tarte Flush Cheek Stain and the Elizabeth & James Nirvana White roller ball perfume (which I think was an amazing deal). I have already opened both. Do not be scared about the cheek stain colors. They appear very strong and dark in the tube but they apply so sheer and light. They look very gel-like on the skin. They blend very easily but I need to use this a few more times to really get a good opinion. So far I am loving the Nirvana perfume. It is made up of Peony, Muguent and Tender Musk. I absolutely love that it comes in this roller ball, too.

Here is a close up of the adorable Sephora Collection mini brush. As you can see it's tiny compare to my hand. This will be so nice to throw in my makeup bag for travel. Plus it comes in this little case so if I can keep that intact I will be able to keep it much cleaner too.

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Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light

Look at this beautiful setting powder. The Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light. She is a beauty. I haven't really delved into any other setting powder other than my Rimmel Stay Matte Powder. I have been very loyal to that one.  It is described as a neutral peach beige powder. I don't know what the technology behind this is... all I know is that it makes your skin glow and look incredible. They are finishing powders that capture your skin in the best light possible. Dim light is a really natural looking shade on me. I think the most popular shade is Diffused Light which is  more yellow but since I am naturally a little darker I went with Dim Light.

It looks a little shimmery in the pan, but on the skin you don't see any sparkle or shimmer. Your face just simply looks glowy and radiant. This also helps blur your imperfections and hide your pores. What I like best about this is that it doesn't look powdery on the skin - it looks very natural and light. I just dust this under my eyes and on my t-zone to reduce some shine. The packaging feels very luxurious as well. Overall it is a little pricey but it's a wonder last step to your makeup look.  

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Maybelline Color Elixir Lip Color

A new drugstore lip product I have discovered recently are the Maybelline Color Elixir Lip Color glosses. I usually love a good lipstick or crayon but something about these really stood out to me. I'm so happy I picked up 2 shades because they're absolutely lovely. They have an easy to use doe foot applicator and the formula is seriously smooth and moisturizing. They look super shiny on the lips and give them a really pouty look. They make your lips appear more full. I like the packaging too and there are so many good shades in the range. (by the way, I took these pictures before I decided I was going to do instagram posts for June...)

I got the shades, 090 Rose Redefined (bottom) and 075 Fuchsia Flourish(top). Rose Redefined is a great rosy pink for everyday. It's just a really pretty wash of color on the lips. Fuchsia Flourish is a wow bright cool toned pink that looks stunning on. I'm resisting to but more but overall I'm very happy with these!!

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Marc by Marc Jacobs French Bulldog Cosmetic Cases

I stumbled upon this adorable cosmetic pouch by Marc by Marc Jacobs. I found it in 3 different sizes. I don't really need another makeup bag... but how can I resist? For those of you who don't know, I have a 2 year old french bulldog named, Riley. I found the print also used for iPad and iPad mini cases. I can only find it on websites overseas so the shipping is a bit too much... But seriously - Super cute makeup bag!!!

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May Favorites

For the month of June, I'm going to change up the format of my blog and only post instagram pictures as the drive of my content.

Today's post is May Favorites!

Three items I used religiously this month were the Mario Badescu Drying Lotion at night and the Benefit Porefessional paired with the Dermablend Smooth Indulgence Concealer in the morning. These three together have kept my spots under control. The drying lotion dries up any acne I have overnight. The Porefessional creates a smooth canvas over my face so I can apply my makeup evenly. And the Concealer is high coverage and not cakey so help cover any of my dark spots or blemishes.

I also discovered a new way to use my Real Techniques Setting Brush. I used to use it to apply powder highlighter to my face, but I don't always use highlighter and I found a much better use for it. Now I use it to blend in my concealer! It's great for under the eyes or any spot concealing.

On my lips I have been loving the Maybelline Color Elixir Lip Colors. I have a post on that coming up so stay tuned for that. And now that it's summer I have loving wearing the MAC x Proenza Schouler lipstick in Mangrove. It's my favorite matte orangey red!

Finally, it took me awhile to get used to the Kevyn Aucoin 'The Mascara Volume' mascara because at the end of the day when you are removing it, the coats of masacara that wrapped around your lashes completely come off. It kind of freaked me out at first to be honest but now I think it is gentle and doesn't leave your eyes a huge mess. I don't think it takes off any of my lashes and the mascara itself is super lengthening and not clumpy at all!

Hope you guys enjoy the instagram posts!

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