Makeup Shakeup Spring 2018
It's been a hot minute since I did any sort of makeup shakeup (half a year to be exact since my last post). There's something about Fall and Spring that really make me want to mix up my makeup. In the Winter it's too cold to be bothered, and in the Summer it's too hot to be bothered. Fall and Spring are when the seasons change and things get bearable, meaning it's usually the time that I want to mix things up a bit. I realize that almost all of the products I'm reaching for lately are products that I have not mentioned before - so I thought it was the perfect opportunity to do a little post to update you guys on what I'm reaching for.
During the Sephora VIB sale, I picked up a select few bits - and surprisingly two makeup products. The first one was a new base that I've seen around a few blogs/grams - and that is the Lancome SKIN FEELS GOOD Skin Nourishing Foundation in Nude Vanilla. Just the idea of a hydrating, oil-free foundation sounded appealing. This one in my opinion is a slightly heavier version of Glossier Skin Tint and gives a bit more coverage. My skin also looks extremely dewy when I use this although I think maybe even a bit too oily towards the end of the day. I am working on ways to utilize this and I think it's worth it to do so. The other product I picked up was the Dior Fusion Mono Eyeshadow in Météore which is a beautiful warm copper shade. I remember touching the sample at Sephora and being so impressed with how soft and pillowy the texture was. With one swipe it was so pigmented and beautiful - I knew I wanted to have it all for myself.
One thing I'm still screaming about is receiving the Anastasia Beverly Hills Soft Glam Palette *. I'm thinking of doing an entire post dedicated to that so I won't really go on too much about it. When I got this I was super on the fence of even keeping it and was debating on doing a giveaway with it - but I don't really have many eyeshadows and am thinking it's time to toss out some of the older ones that I have (aka all the Urban Decay Naked palettes I've had since what, 2009? Yikes.). Although a lot of shades seem like those that I wouldn't reach for, I started browsing online to see swatches / looks and was convinced that I needed to keep it and learn to use it. I was home alone (with Ollie) while swatching them but I was pretty much ooh-ing and ahh-ing over so many shades - although the glittery shades really had me swooning the most. ABH eyeshadows really are as creamy/buttery as everyone says - I'll chat up in my future post about my experience with any fallout / lasting power throughout the day. If there are any questions you have about it - feel free to let me know and I'll try to answer them!
On the eyes I'm on the end of the lifeline of the Diorshow Waterproof Mascara . I wasn't using it all too often as I didn't think it was too great when I first used it, but with most mascaras, I find that it really kicks up on the playing field towards the end of it's shelf life. This one gives nice full lashes and I can really wedge it in for extra volume. I recently just finished up my holy grail KVD Trooper Liner so I thought it would be the perfect time to try out the 2-in-1 eyeliner from the Pixi x Weylie Dimensional Eye Creator Palette *. It's a double ended liner with a kohl liner on one side and a liquid liner on the other. In general I use a gel liner to line my eyes and then a liquid eyeliner to create the flick at the end - so this eyeliner is per. fect. I love how thin the kohl liner on this is and how thin of a line it leaves on your lashes - it would be perfect for tight-lining if that is something you like to do as well. The felt tip liner on this is a bit difficult to maneuver as it is longer than I am used to - I'm also not used to a felt tip as the KVD liner has a brush tip which makes it a bit easier to apply. Overall I'm impressed with it as it does stay put and doesn't budge throughout the day. I do wish they brought this out as an eyeliner to purchase in the permanent range, and I wouldn't say no to a dark dark brown one too.
For cheeks I've been reaching for some new products that recently came into my collection. The first one being the Onomie Boosting Lip + Cheek stick in Nightingale *. It's a beautiful nude color which just gives a nice natural shade of color. I've been pairing this with the Cheeky Blending Blush * which I think works perfectly with these creamy cheek products. The sticks are extremely pigmented so instead of swiping them, I like to just dab a few circles on my cheeks and then blend upwards for a natural flush of color. The other product I've been reaching for is the Laura Geller 'Bronze-n-Brighten' Baked Color Correcting Bronzer in Fair * . I was kindly sent this from UO Beauty and along with Gilded Honey, which remains on my list of products to try, this was something I've actually been wanting to snag! I'm not a huge bronzer person but back in the day (aka high school), I loved the look of sun-kissed and bronze skin. As I was talking about dabbling with self-tanning in my last post here, I'm embracing more color in my skin. Applying this LG one is like dusting a healthy glow onto your skin - I just swipe some across the tops of my cheeks, down my nose, and on my temples for a sun-kissed glow (aka anywhere where the sun would hit you). These are incredibly natural and don't give that dreadful orange-fake-tan looking streak. However, I highly recommend swatching these in person to make sure the shade is truly for you!
On the lips I've really been reaching for two products. I've pretty much let the conditions of my lips hit the fan and they are in terrible shape. They're super chapped beyond a quick fix at this point. I know - I need to drink more water (I'm working on it). But I'm loving the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask which 1. smells incredible, and 2. really does last all night into the morning and leaves my lips feeling super soft. Although since my lips are feeling so meh these days, it's only a temporary fix. But since this is a pot, I don't really like the idea of taking it out in public with me. To remedy this, I've been keeping the Patchology Lip Service Gloss-to-Balm Treatment *. This one applies shiny but it does turn into a nice smooth balm over time. This one has a nice sweet taste to it (again - I know, I shouldn't be *eating* this - but sometimes you can't help it with lip products).
On a side note - I'm fortunate enough to be a Commodity Partner and with that, I was fortunate enough to try some of their new fragrances. One in particular that I am low key obsessed with is Nectar *. This one has notes of orange blossom, pomelo, neroli, and tangerine. It's warm but bright - is that even a way to describe a fragrance? Anyways - my mom is a huge fan of Jo Malone Orange Blossom and this reminds me of it but in a "younger" kinda way? When I got this I easily wore this every single day that week - and I've still been rotating it in and out with my regular stash. And while I know candles aren't really part of this, I just had to mention them cause vibes. I know warm weather doesn't necessarily scream candle season, but there are some fruity candles that I think are perfect for warm weather burning. Over the weekend I finally pulled out my large Diptyque Baies candle to start burning. It made my apartment feel fresh, and with the sun shining in I was set. I love repurposing Diptyque jars so while I do want to savor this, I can't wait until this is empty to use as a jar for something else. Another one that I'm excited to use is the Commodity Candle in Currant* - another fresh and fruity scented candle. It's a black wax candle and has 60 hours of burn time - sounds great to me!
I actually had a lot more fun writing up this post and it was such a nice change of pace from the usual skincare type post. I'm still debating on getting eyelash extensions again and if so, I think I'll have a lot more time to spend on doing eyeshadow (or practicing at least) and mixing it up with some different types of blushes and highlighters. I digress - but I do think I will try to incorporate a 'What's In My Makeup Bag' type post every month or two to just keep things up to date :)
What are some products that you've been reaching for lately?
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Products marked with (*) were gifted to me, but all opinions remain my own. This post also contains affiliate links.
Feel free to read more on my disclaimer.