Recent Beauty Favorites

Monogrammed Makeup Bag 

I think that beauty products have become a full-blown hobby for me. I mean, it IS part of my job to test new things and share with you all, but I love to do it. I'd do it even if it wasn't my job. I love to try new products and read about makeup, beauty, and skincare. I'm not a professional with any of it, and it's just fun for me. In the grand scheme of things, I don't even wear *that* much makeup, but I love it all. 

That said, I have a very specific type of makeup I like. I mostly like natural-looking makeup, but I do dabble in heavier makeup for photos/videos/events. I don't do a ton of eyeshadow nor do I experiment with off-the-wall colors. I typically 'stay in my lane'. 

On top of all of that, I am fascinated by the beauty industry. The profit margins are crazy. This is why you see everyone and their mother creating beauty and skincare lines. It's also interesting to see the craze for beauty, skincare, and haircare booming. Have you all seen the kids at Sephora?! 

Anyway, the Sephora sale is currently going on. You can save up to 20% depending on what tier you have. Use code YAYSAAVE at checkout. Dermstore has also given me a code, SUMMERWIND, which works on different brands/products throughout the year and the discount varies for those products and brands. It changes here and there, and I don't have details on that, so I typically just try my code at checkout to see if it works on what I want to order! If it's sold out on Sephora or they don't sell it, check Dermstore because sometimes my code is better than the Sephora discount!

Since the Sephora sale is going on, I'm going to focus on that! Instead of sharing a million products with you all, I thought I would share a very concise list of just a few things that I would highly recommend! 

I ordered two things: this concealer that gets rave reviews and this lipgloss/balm/lipstick hybrid that is supposed to be like the Tarte juicy lip but without the coconut scent. 

Tinted Lip Balm 

L to R: Berry, Rose Nude, Pink

This is a product I have used and shared for years. It is a constant repurchase. It's a bit pricey for balm and so many other brands have come out with competing products but I really do think this is the best! If I could only pick one color, it would be Berry! Berry gives you a pretty good color pay off but the other two I wear: rose nude and pink are very subtle. I even put the pink on as a balm when I'm not wearing makeup, just because it gives my lips a little bit of color that looks good.

Top to Bottom:

Sephora, Charlotte Tilbury, Lawless, Charlotte Tilbury

L to R: 

CT Pillow Talk// Lawless Pink Sand// CT Mi Kiss// Sephora Sink or Suede

I've been very into lip liner the past few months. I don't like when you can tell I'm wearing lip liner, I just like that it can enhance the edges of my lips and then I put lipstick overtop. As I age, I see myself using lip liner more and more. It's kind of annoying to use as opposed to just applying a lipstick, but it makes enough of a difference so that's why I continue to use it. My favorite formula is the Sephora brand. I love that I don't have to sharpen it and it has more of a gel-feel so it glides easily. The Charlotte Tilbury liners have nice colors but are stiffer and don't glide as nicely. I *love* the Lawless liner, the only gripe I have with it is that it's so soft that sometimes it isn't as precise at the tip as other liners. The pink sand color is my favorite color out of all 4 of these liners- it reminds me of the retired lipstick from Kosas that I love called Rosewood. 

L to R:

Dolce Vita// Bichette

I hesitated to put up these two blush swatches because this photo makes them look very similar in color but in reality, thye're not. They also look like they have orange/coral undertones in the photo, but they don't, so take the ephoto with a grain of salt. I love both of these blushes. Dolce Vita is liquid but it's not like Rare Beauty in that you put a dab on your cheeks and you have SO much color. You can actually use a decent amount of this. I just blend with my finger and it has such a beautiful, dewy finish. I want to try more colors in this blush because of how much I love the formula. The bichette is a cream blush in the prettiest berry red. I have a few WA blushes and this is my favorite shade! It blends like a dream- foolproof and the kind of blush you use in a hurry because there is no need to be precise. 

Lash Primer// Mascara

Eyelash Curler

If you only buy one thing, I'd suggest the eyelash curler. Prior to this, I was using a $5 lash curler so it felt a little ridiculous to shell out $25 for this one because how much better could it possibly be? It is SO good. Well worth the extra $20, in my opinion. It curls my lashes SO well and never hurts. It's worth the hype. Another product worth splurging on over drugstore brands is this lash primer. I used to use the L'Oreal primer and it's a great product but this primer is truly better and worth the extra $$. I have also used brands like Dior and I think this Lancome brand takes the cake! I think Lancome just does mascara really well because I've used a lot of their different mascaras and have loved them. I am currently using this one! 

Foundation Sticks (I have shade II and IV)

I have shred these a lot over the years so I won't go into too much detail but WA is one of my favorite brands. I have only ever used on product I haven't loved (the highlighter stick) but every other product I have absolutely loved. My sister tried my foundation and ended up ordering it for herself. It's buildable so you can use it for those 'no makeup makeup' days or for those full-glam days. It blends so well and feels like you are not wearing anything. It is never cakey and the shades are spot-on. These are pricey so if you are looking for a good alternative, I'd recommend Merit, they are very similar in formula, in my opinion. I have both brands and use them interchangeably. I actually like that the head of the Merit stick is slimmer than the WA so you can be more precise. In Merit, I use shade Linen and Ochre.

Concealer (in silk)

I just finished the travel size of this concealer because I was trying it out. I love it. It has a medium coverage but you could build it to become full coverage. It's not cakey and blends beautifully. I ordered a new concealer to try out because I like to try new things, but I'll for sure come back to this and get the full size at some point. My undereyes are my pain point when it comes to aging. It's where I notice the most fine lines and I have dark circles and puffiness so I'm always on the lookout for the best of th best when it comes to concealers. I think this one of the better concealers I have ever used as it doesn't settle into my fine lines or get patchy. I also really like the Tarte Cream concealer and the Lune and Aster concealer.