MONTHLY FAVORITES: May 2012 (Mega late!)

I apologize for the super, super late May Favorites! I just got out for summer break from my school so I finally have time away from exams, projects, and whatnot to keep blogging!

Laura Mercier Loose Setting Powder in Transluscent

This has become my holy grail setting powder.  It's quite expensive, for about $35, but it's definitely worth it.  It sets my foundation perfectly and helps it not budge for the whole day.  It definitely does not look powdery on the skin.  It blends into my foundation so you can barely tell I powdered.  My old setting powder made it kind of obvious that I was wearing powder, in my opinion.  This is exactly what I've always wanted in a setting powder and I'm glad I finally found it!

Wet n Wild Color Icon Blusher in Pearlescent Pink

After hearing rave reviews about this blush from a bunch of beauty gurus, I decided go get it.  I mean, it's like $3. And for $3, it is AMAZING.  I am not a huge fan of pink, like I always mention, but this is a mauvey, dusty pink with a bit of shimmer in it.  The color pigmentation is really great.  Better than I expected from Wet n Wild, for sure.  I've been reaching for this a lot since I purchased it. 

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey

This has, hands down, been my favorite lip product for this month.  Though I purchased it in the middle of the month, I've worn it almost every single day since.  I recently did a review about this product, if you'd like to read more in detail about it.  This shade has been my favorite of the ones that I've purchased because it is basically the same shade as my lips, but it just adds some shine and a bit more pigmentation.  It's been a really great every day shade for me.

Blistex Lip Medex

I'm obsessed with lip balms.  My lips get chapped fairly easily and I've tried a million and one chapsticks.  I love Burt's Bees, but this has been amazing.  It's very effective at helping my chapped lips.  It has that very medicated kind of feeling, so some people may not like it, but it definitely makes me feel like it's working.  It gives a bit of gloss to the lips so I've been enjoying using this over my lip products.

Benefit They're Real! Mascara

I've had this mascara for a while because I purchased it when I heard all of the hype about it.  To be honest, I didn't really like it when I first bought it.  The brush is pretty painful because it's plastic so I feel like it poked me in the eyes every time I applied it.  But, I've been using this at the end of my mascara routine and it's been perfect.  It's great for thickening my lashes, but still keeping them separated.  A lot of volumizing mascaras can be quite clumpy, but the bristles on this brush help keep the mascara from getting too clumpy. 

Revlon Colorstay Overtime Mascara

This has become another staple in my mascara routine.  It's great for separating and lengthening and does not clump at all.  I use this right before the Benefit mascara and right after my lash primer.  It's also extremely black, which I really like in a mascara.  This mascara also helps hold the curl of my lashes.  I do have very droopy and straight lashes, so anything that holds curl is best for me.

MAC Powder Blush in Peaches

Now that it's summer, I've been using this blush a lot.  It just gives the perfect, peach flush to the cheeks.  I love the way peachy tones look on my cheeks because I think it looks really healthy and fresh, especially during the summer.  It's also a matte blush, which I really like for an every day look.  I don't own many matte blushes, but I am thinking of getting more because I like that this does not clash with my highlight.

xx,

Jordana

BEAUTY RAVE: My Current Favorite Lip Products

I find that with every season, I have certain products that I constantly reach for.  Since we are in May, I am preparing myself for 4 months of hot weather and constant sunshine.  With this change in climate, I am straying away from my usual fall/winter make up looks like smokey eyes or dark lips and opting for a more neutral, natural luminous eye look and neutral lips or bright lips.  These 7 products are the products I've been constantly reaching for and I think will be staples for me for the rest of the season. 

NARS Lipstick in 'Heatwave'

I am a huge sucker for wearing color on my lips.  During the colder months, I love wearing either a dark red lip or a berry lip.  However, in spring and summer, I prefer a brighter red.  This NARS lipstick is the perfect spring/summer red shade for me.  It's a bright, orangey red shade that is really flattering on my skin tone.  It's a true orange red which I think is perfect for the bright lip trend that always seems to come around when it's warm out.  The consistency of this lipstick is more matte than the other NARS lipstick I own, but I find that because of its matte finish, it lasts forever on my lips.  Even after taking this swatch, I had to basically scrub it off my hand.  It can be a little bit drying, but it isn't unbearable and works fine when layered over a lip balm.

Revlon Lip Butter in 'Tutti Frutti'

I usually gravitate towards orange or peach shades when I look for lip products, because I find that pink tones are not very flattering on my skin tone.  I definitely remember all of the hype surrounding the Revlon Lip Butters and remember that for a good couple of months, I could not find them anywhere! When I finally could get my hands on them, I was immediately drawn to this bright orange shade.  My favorite thing about this product is that when I apply it, I get a light wash of orange over my lips that brings the perfect amount of color to my lips while still looking springy and fresh.  It is super glossy and moisturizing, as well.  Nothing is worse than chapped lips in the summer, so this is the perfect multi-use product for warm months. 

MAC Lipstick in 'Kinda Sexy'

I recently featured this in my most recent 'Retail Therapy' post, and after I received in the mail, I've been wearing this at least 3 times a week.  It is the perfect "my lips but better" shade for me.  I haven't been able to find a good nude shade before, and this has definitely become my "holy grail" nude.  It's not too pink, but not too light so it still looks natural.  It is a little bit drying, which is really unfortunate, but I just chuck on a lip gloss on top and that usually helps.  It's a gorgeous, neutral rose shade that goes with almost every single eye look, without being too bright or overpowering.  

Laura Mercier Lip Glace in 'BonBon'

I purchased this product about a year and a half ago and went through a phase of not wearing it at all.  However, I rediscovered my love for this lip gloss and realized why I bought it in the first place.  First off, the formulation is perfection.  Laura Mercier Lip Glaces are not sticky at all and glide on like a dream.  Not to mention, they smell like vanilla.  This color is a bright pink, but it's a sheer shade so it doesn't look too overly pink on my lips.  And I can't stress enough how much I dislike pink on me! This is definitely the pinkest I'll go.  It looks really beautiful over MAC's 'Kinda Sexy' or with a peachy lipstick underneath.  I am thinking of adding to my Laura Mercier collection because this is the only product I own from the line, and I always hear such great things about it.

Revlon Lip Butter in 'Pink Truffle'

As I mentioned before, I love Revlon Lip Butters. I bought this shade on a whim, since it really isn't a shade I would normally go for.  However, I've found that I have been using this shade a ton since I bought it.  It is a darker, rosy brownish pink shade that is quite similar to my natural lip color, so it's a great lip product for me to just throw into my bag and go.  I can just slick it on without even thinking about it and know that it looks good on.  Since it's such a sheer product, it doesn't look quite as dark on the lips, but just looks really natural.

NARS Lipstick in Barbarella

I featured this lipstick in my 'April Favorites' post.  It's one of my favorite lipsticks of all time.  It's a beautiful, sheer, bright peachy shade that is kind of a no brainer product for me.  I can just always use this lipstick and know that it looks good with whatever make up look I'm wearing.  My only problem with this lipstick is that  because it is such a creamy consistency, it clings to any dry patches I'll have on my lips if they're dry.  So I always make sure my lips are moisturized whenever I use this.  It's a sheer shade, but can be buildable to a brighter peach shade that looks really good for the spring/summer months. 

MAC Lipstick in 'Shy Girl'

I purchased this shade a few months ago after hearing so much about it from a ton of beauty gurus, and I can't believe I waited so long to get it! I asked the lady at the MAC store for a peachy nude that would work for my skin tone and she instantly chose 'Shy Girl'.  It is a light, coral beige shade that is quite sheer but still nudes out my lips a bit, which makes it perfect for when I want to draw focus onto my eyes.  I find that this looks really good when layered with a coral lip gloss on top or even with a lip gloss like 'BonBon'.  I think this shade would look gorgeous on light to medium skin tones, especially with yellow undertones. It's the perfect nude shade without making you look like a corpse like a lot of light nude shades do.

Nails: Essie 'Tart Deco'

xx,

Jordana