April // Favorite Little Things
April was a simple, relaxing month. I went easy on the makeup and spent more time on myself and being/feeling healthier. I did buy some products throughout the month, but I feel as though I haven't had them long enough to validate them for a "Favorites" post. Maybe a little bit down the line of this year. I definitely don't want to put recently purchased products in these posts as I'm most likely still in my honeymoon/infatuation phase with these new items anyways.
However, I did make one recent purchase which has quickly become one of my favorite products to use. It's the Fresh Sugar Lip Polish. I'm pretty much kicking myself over and over for not getting this sooner. I love Fresh products and I have a handful of the Fresh Sugar Lip Treatments (which you can read all about here). I should have known that I'd also love this lip polish. I purchased this during the Sephora VIB sale and it was definitely a good buy. I have horribly cracked lips and this simple little jar helps to reveal new lips which I never thought was a possibility for me. And these soft lips didn't just last an hour, they lasted all day - sans lip balm, might I add.
As noted in last favorites posts, I was fortunate to attend Coachella again this year. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the event, it's a 3-day music festival in Indio, California (which for those who are not familiar, is the desert of California.) So three whole days walking and dancing around under the desert sky is not for the weak - and definitely not for any makeup products that aren't waterproof or budge proof. For the most part I went with simple products as I could not be bothered, but I decided to be bold and go for that dark lip. I threw on Stila's Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Amore and let me tell you - you will feel so.bad.ass. in this shade. The color looks like a plum/raspberry shade, but it comes out as a deep, wine-colored purple once dried. It's the perfect balance of a vampy and chic look. There is a wide range of colors and I also have this in Beso - which is a bright fiery red. As for the long lasting powers - this stuff is ahh-mazing. I usually layer on about two layers for a deeper color, and once this stuff dries you can bet that it is staying put. By staying put I mean you can touch your fingers to your lip and no product will wipe off. You could also give your boyfriend a huge kiss on his cheek and watch him freak out and run to a mirror just to find absolutely nothing on his face. And you can eat to your heart's content and not have to worry about food being smudged all around your mouth or face. This stuff is the ish, and I'm glad that pretty much every brand is coming out with some sort of liquid lipstick.
For my last favorite beauty product of the month, I have an old favorite. I've been using my Chloe perfume since I graduated from college in 2013. Two whole years this stuff has stuck by me, and I'm feeling especially drawn to it as the warmer seasons are near here (84 degrees today? Ohh yeah). I know, California didn't really have any Winter this year, but the longer days just make my heart so happy and my body finally knows it's Spring. For the past few months I've gone without any perfume for the most part, an occasional spritz or two. But I've definitely been reaching for this more as the sun is shining bright each morning and Chloe is just calling out to me. NowI am absolute crap at describing scent, so I'll just say that this has a lovely sweet yet soft aroma. It isn't a scent that burns your nose, and personally I think it just blends wonderfully with anyone's natural scent. I think it's one of those sets that everyone could pull off, and it is definitely bound to be one of my lifetime favorites.
Not gonna lie, sometimes I spritz one or two sprays around my room so I can enjoy the scent around me. Does anyone else do this too?
Non-beauty favorites
MUSIC: One word, or should I say name -Kygo. Do yourself a favor and go have a listen over on SoundCloud. Kygo was the artist I was definitely most excited to go see at Coachella earlier this month, and there was no better way to close out the weekend than with him (in my book anyways). Kygo pretty much accompanies me everyday at work, the music is mellow and catchy and great to work to. It's also perfect for those long commutes home - paired with the longer days we're beginning to experience, I can roll through traffic with my windows down, the sun shining, and Kygo ringing it all in together for a meditating drive home.
Some of my favorite songs from Kygo:
Cut Your Teeth (Kygo Remix) - Kyla La Grange
I See Fire (Kygo Remix) - Ed Sheeran
Stole The Show (feat. Parson James)
Firestone (feat. Conrad)
EXERCISE: Now I'm not one to exercise - anyone that knows me would probably laugh at the thought of me working out. But to that extent, I'm getting older and as everyone says, the metabolism definitely goes. I'm trying to be healthier and exercise more. My solution? Pure Barre. My muscles are sore just thinking about this, and are sore in actuality because I had an intense workout just yesterday. For those of you not familiar with Pure Barre, it's a class that combines the techniques of Yoga, Pilates, and the Barre Technique (barre as in ballerinas). The class is an hour long and it works every. single. muscle. in your body. The movements are small, but man do they burn. They'll place you in specific positions and have you move your body in small movements with small control, forcing you to engage your core and a ton of your muscles. You will shake - a lot - but don't worry, it's definitely the good kind of shakes. The ones where you'll be sore the next day and know that things are working. I've been taking about 1 class per week for the last month and a half and you really can see the results. This class will make you sweat, but it won't be too hard on your knees as there isn't too much impact. If you're looking to get back into exercising, this is definitely a fun class to try.
I would love to know what you've been loving, please do share!
Cheers!