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What's In My Bag

What’s Inside My Makeup Bag

January 5, 2016
Inside my makeup bag truffle clarity pouch

It’s only the first week of the year and even though I’ve tried to clean out some of my purses and reorganize, I’ve already accumulated way too much in my makeup bag. I just emptied it this morning and counted 12 lip items … wait no, 13 eek! Everytime I go out with my husband, he’s always asking what it is that I’m lugging around and if I really need to carry all this stuff. Of course I don’t, but I still do. Here’s a peek at what’s inside my makeup bag which is the Truffle Clarity Clutch Small in Nude. Some will be reviewed on the blog very soon.
______________

Lips

Featured from left to right:
______________

All the other stuff

From left to right:
______________

I’ll say now that the Dior Lip Glow in Lilac is way better than the Pink one (which turns fuchsia on my lips sometimes). I ordered all the Too Faced Melted Lipsticks from the chocolate launch because how can one resist anything chocolate? There are hits and misses with the colors – I’ll be editing swatches to upload later this week (my husband said one of the colors looked absolutely hideous on me). I pulled out my Tisse Rivoli eyeshadow quad recently – it is one of my favorite neutrals in quad form but I misplaced it and couldn’t find it for months (I had put the compact in my blush drawer which is why I couldn’t find it with all the other eyeshadow compacts). My goal for the new year is to find some more makeup organization solutions. I’ve been using Muji Acrylic organizers and drawers, but I need something bigger with taller drawers – any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. There are a number of options out there I’ve been researching – I’ve been making notes on dimensions and picing, it’s kinda overwhelming to sort out! 

What’s in your makeup bag this week? If you keep your makeup contents to a minimum, how do you edit/organize what you carry? 

Press samples featured above indicated by a *. 

On My Radar

On My Radar / New in Beauty

December 23, 2015

Is it too early for spring beauty yet? For those looking forward, there is a lot on the horizon for spring that focuses on fresh and glowing beauty. I’ve already spotted sneak peeks of new foundation releases from Chanel, Laura Mercier, YSL, Armani, NARS to name a few – all to be launching soon. For now, here’s a roundup of new beauty launches on my radar that you can purchase right now if you need instant gratification. I placed a large order a couple days ago for some Dior spring items and also picked up a few pieces from Chanel spring. I’ll be testing them in the next week and have swatches as soon as I can.
  1. Chanel Collection L.A. Sunrise for spring 2016 has started to trickle in stores and is now live on Chanel.com, Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue. It has a brighter feel than what I normally go for, but I love that everything is lively and colorful. What I picked up (reviews + swatches soon):
  2. Charlotte Tilbury Magic just launched the Magic Skin Trilogy with two new additions to her Magic Line. I’m a huge fan of her Magic Cream ($100) and couldn’t be more thrilled to see it available now in the Magic Night Cream ($145) and Magic Eye Rescue Cream ($60). I’ve been testing both of the new items for 3 days now, will have a report back after a few more days but I can say now that the Magic Night Cream is phenomenal – I wake up with glowing skin. (Also available in a Magic Skin Trilogy Set for $285.)
  3. YSL Spring Look just launched with a collection of pastels. I have my eye on the Glossy Stains ($36) in Tangerine Boho and Rose Folk along with the La Laque Couture Nail Polish ($27) in Love Pink.
  4. Bobbi Brown Extra Lip Tint ($33) launched a few weeks ago. I went to two counters to see if they had it in stock and both had sold out so I ordered it online. I’m excited to see how it compares to the ones from Clarins and Dior.
  5. Dior has a couple spring launches, one is a Lip Glow collection which features the Addict Lip Glow Color Reviver Lip Balm ($33) in Lilac. As a fan of the pink and coral, I’m really excited to see how this one wears.
  6. Dior Glowing Gardens for Spring has light and airy colors with powders ebossed with gorgeous floral designs. The Diorskin Nude Air Illuminating Powders ($58) in Glowing Pink and Glowing Nude look so pretty. There are two Eyeshadow Palettes in Blue Garden and Rose Garden ($63 each) but as one who rarely wears aqua or green eyeshadow, I will need to test before splurging.
  7. Tarte just launched their Chiseling Charmers Deluxe Contour Set ($24, online only). This looks promising.
  8. Glamglow’s latest is a peel-off mask called Gravitymud Firming Treatment ($69). I need this like yesterday.
  9. Henri Bendel Champagne Candle ($30), need I say more? My local store was sold out but had one burning in-store. It smells amazingly fresh.
My wishlist is already a mile long. I will need to do some sorting, thinking and prioritizing before splurging. What’s on your radar for the upcoming spring beauty season?
Uncategorized

Rosy Red and Pink Tinted Lip Balm Treatments for Holiday

November 2, 2015

Today I’ve rounded up nine of my favorite rosy tinted lip balms for the holiday season coming ahead. Many of you loved last year’s roundup on holiday reds for lips and nails. This year’s version is for the neutral lip lover who is afraid to wear bold reds on the lips but wants to try something with some color. If you’re like me and almost always wears neutral colors on the lips, tinted lip balms, treatments and oils offer sheerer coverage and are more natural looking. I have a mix of pink and reds in a number of different formulas. If you’re looking for a good double-duty lip product that offers tint and hydration, I hope this guide will help you find a new one this month.

Below are a mix of potted balms, wand/gloss-like balms, squeeze tubes and twist up sticks. All of these offer a glossy sheen. As usual with most balms, lasting power will not be the same as with lipsticks, but this means that they fade more naturally. Oils often come with a stain built in so there is the hydration aspect but the color will stain the lips and last longer throughout the day. Several of these have been reviewed in depth before. I’ll link previous reviews.

Shown from left to right:

  1. By Terry Baume de Rose Nutri-Couleur in Bloom Berry ($56, review) is one of the most expensive lip products I own. Splurging on the regular Baume de Rose made a big dent in my wallet and once the tinted versions launched an even bigger dent was made. This is a super lush thick rose-scented balm. Bloom Berry is my holy grail red lip balm because it for me it’s the perfect shade of berry red. The pot is really large so it will last a long time. I’ve had mine for over a year, there’s still a lot left and it hasn’t gone bad yet.
  2. By Terry Baume de Rose Nutri-Couleur Cherry Bomb ($89 for set of 5, review) comes in the full-sized pot, but I have it from a holiday set (both the pot and wand are identical in color). For those who want a brighter cherry red, this one is a lovely color that is bright but not too bright. It will give your lips a natural flushed look.
  3. Hourglass No. 28 Tinted Lip Treatment Oil in Icon ($42) is the latest from Hourglass Cosmetics. If you’ve tried the original clear lip oil, you are probably aware of how luxurious, hydrating and amazing the formula is. It has anti-aging ingredients and oils to hydrate, condition and soften the lips while reducing wrinkles. The packaging is truly unique with a press-pump dispenser and a gold tip cap. Icon is a sheer glossy see-through red. It’s truly luxurious and gives the lips a healthy glow. Pigment is sheer but noticeable. It does fade to a natural shine throughout the day. Out of all the lip treatments this one feels the most hydrating on my lips.
  4. Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask in Smashed ($26, review) is a classic lip treatment that works wonders as a lip treatment. As a tint this is one of the sheerest and lightest in pigment so if you’re super timid with color, this one offers a very natural wash of color. If you’ve tried the Bite Beauty Agave Lip Masks you are probably familiar with the thick but lush hydrating formula. It offers a veil of moisture that is really good for dry lips.
  5. Fresh Sugar Shine Lip Treatment in Cherry ($18.50, review) is a tinted lip treatment that is a classic red cherry color. It has high shine and comes in a tube with a sponge tip applicator. These also come in the twist up stick form. The stick has more pigment while the tube is sheerer but offers more shine. If you have super dry lips, you may find the color from the tube will settle into lines. The color is a vibrant cherry red but is sheer so it’s not in-your-face bright.
  6. Burberry First Kiss Gloss Lip Balm in Rose Blush ($26) is a newer lip product from Burberry. I wanted the Crushed Red color but it’s been sold out at my local Sephora (I need to just order it online already). I have a couple of these lip balms sight unseen. Part of me was expecting to be disappointed because I thought they would be basic and sheer. The other part of me had high hopes because I’m a fan of their lip products. These lip balms are really amazing. They offer enough color to show up on the lips and also have an amazingly smooth feel. There’s slip but it’s not greasy. I’m head over heels in love. It’s also scent-free.
  7. Clarins Instant Light Lip Balm Perfector in Red ($25, review) is my favorite stick balm formula. You can read the full review with swatches of all the shade options linked above. The only downside is the size and price. They are on the small side which makes them pricey. The formula can’t be beat though.
  8. bareMinerals Pop of Passion Lip Oil Balm in Punch Pop ($16) is a twist up stick balm oil treatment. If you’ve tried other traditional tinted lip oils you may have been disappointed with the color payoff (I know I have). The oils in stick form from bareMinerals offer more pigment. They swatch sheer on the hands but the texture of the lips really picks up the color. The ones I tested have a slight stain in the pigment as well which makes the color last longer than most balms. The formula is plush and also unscented. I give these a thumbs up for pigment and coverage.
  9. YSL Volupté Sheer Candy in 04 Succulent Pomegranate ($36) is a pinkish fuchsia color that’s soft and sheer. I’m beyond obsessed with the Volupté Sheer Candy formula although for most it is either a hit or miss. If you want a super lush balmy feel with a glossy shine, these are among my favorite sheer lipsticks that offer hydration. They are scented like grapefruits or mangos (to me it smells like a mix of both) but it’s not overly sweet and they also taste good.
Swatched below in the same order:

Swatched on the lips:

My top picks:
By Terry Baume de Rose Bloom Berry for the best color
Hourglass Lip Oil in Icon for the most hydrating feel
Clarins Instant Light Lip Balm Perfector and YSL for the best texture
If you’re a neutral lip lover who is curious about rosy colors for the lips but want something a little more natural than the traditional bold red lipstick, I hope you found this roundup helpful! Do you have a favorite tinted lip balm or treatment?
Press samples featured in this post include items from Clarins, Hourglass and Bare Minerals. All others purchased by me.
Base Makeup Roundup

Concealer Rotation – Fall Edition

October 28, 2015

Today I have a roundup of concealers I’ve been putting to the test. It’s been a year since I last did a concealer rotation. Since my summer trip to Europe back in June I’ve gotten a few shades darker than normal so my go-to favorites Clé de Peau Beauté in Almond and NARS Ginger no longer matched my skin. Several months ago one of my friends asked me about my favorite concealers which include Clé de Peau Beauté, NARS and Edward Bess. Those three brands also happen to be her favorites but she wanted to try something new and so began my hunt for something new that would perform as well if not better than my tried and true. This post has been several months in the making. It took me weeks of testing and swatching with several trips to the counter to find matches. Finding a shade can be tricky depending on what you want to conceal. Also some oxidize in color so a swatch of color that is an exact match might turn out to be too dark after it sets.

I put five new-to-me concealers to the test from Charlotte Tilbury, Bare Minerals, Urban Decay, Make Up For Ever and Chanel. In addition I’ve added a feature on the Surratt Surreal Skin Concealer (I bought this last spring but never reviewed it) and I’ve included the Clé de Peau Beauté and YSL Touche Éclat for swatches in the roundup. Most brands have more than one type of concealer formula. I looked for ones with a creamy texture that blended easily on the skin without emphasizing lines. I prefer medium to full coverage with a smooth looking finish. Ideally I would like something with 100% full coverage but finding an exact match is tricky and I often find full coverage concealers too thick.

Below from left to right:
  • Surratt Beauty Surreal Skin Concealer ($50 for 0.06 oz) in #5 is the most expensive concealer I’ve tried in the per oz sense. It comes in a twist up stick form and has sheer to medium coverage. I found 5 to be a good match but the coverage is minimal and texture is on the dry side. If you have oily skin or find that you only need a tiny bit of brightening/coverage this one is good, but I wasn’t thrilled with it. I will use it to the end though.
  • Clé de Peau Beauté Concealer ($70 for 5 g/.17 oz) in Almond is one of my all time favorite concealers. It’s extremely pricey but well worth the splurge. It covers under the eye really well, doesn’t cake, lasts all day and blends really well. The trick is to warm it up with the fingers to apply. If you apply it cold and straight from the tube, it can look thick. A little goes a long way and my tube has lasted forever without going bad (one lasted 2 years).
  • Charlotte Tilbury The Retoucher Conceal and Treat Stick ($35 for 3.5 ml/0.12 fl oz) in #3 is a new concealer to me. It’s one that’s been on my radar for a long time but I’m usually not a fan of click-type brushes because they seem so unsanitary to me. This is my new favorite. It conceals and brightens dark circles like magic. It blends into a creamy smooth finish. It stays put although you do need to set with powder. It works wonders on spots as well. This has a skincare element to hydrate and plump the skin. I’m in love.
  • YSL Touche Éclat Radiant Touch Concealer ($42 for 0.1 oz) in 5.5 is a classic I’ve been using on and off. I found it worked under the eyes to brighten and conceal but in a very natural minimal way. Coverage is sheer to medium. If you don’t have a lot you need to cover under the eyes and need just a tad of brightening this is good. For me as I get older I find I need and prefer more coverage (I’m 34 right now). For spot coverage this doesn’t do much.
  • Bare Minerals bareSkin Concealer ($20 for 6 ml/0.20 fl oz) in Medium-Golden and Tan were both pleasant surprises. I say they surprised me because the color range look liked it skipped my match. Medium-Golden is my current match for under eyes. It covers smoothly and has a thinner texture making it feel truly weightless. Under the eyes it makes the skin look smooth. There’s no caking or emphasizing of lines. It is on the creamy side so if you have super oily skin it might be too dewy for you. It has a slight glow without looking too glowy that makes the face look younger with brightness. It held up well in the high 80 degree heat for me (I set it with Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Powder).
  • Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer ($28 for 5 ml/0.16 fl oz) in Medium Neutral and Med-Dark Warm is something that is raved about by so many. I was matched in store to Med-Dark Warm. It’s one that is a perfect match on my skin but darkens after 5 minutes. In store I tried both the Medium Neutral and Med-Dark Warm, one on each side. The artist who matched me said she thought the darker one was better. I’m actually in between shades for under eyes. I prefer the lighter option for the eye area and the darker one for spot cover. Texture is thin but creamy. It lasts all day without caking, creasing, fading or drying out. I would say the color selection is pretty limited and the colors do oxidize. If you can test this in store – see how it wears throughout the day before picking a color.
  • Make Up For Ever Full Cover Concealer ($32 for 15 ml/0.5 fl oz) in 7 and 8 are two shades I picked up from Sephora. I also tested these, one on each side. The artist said she thought 8 was better. The product does darken slightly, but not as much as the Urban Decay. I bought 8 originally and asked my husband what he thought. He thought it looked like an exact match but I felt it made my face look sallow and tired (for under eyes). I ordered 7 which I found to be better for under the eyes and which will be a good match for other areas as I lose my tan. 8 works perfectly for spot coverage. If you want something that covers spots really well and looks seamless by blending into the skin this one is really quite amazing.
  • Chanel Correcteur Perfection Concealer ($42 for 7.5 g/0.26 oz) in 30 Beige is something I gave a try recently. Chanel concealers seem to have gone through several reformulations over the years. I’ve never really been a huge fan but it’s mainly because I’m always matched to colors that are way too pale for what I should be wearing. I know everyone has their own take on how to match concealer, but I really don’t like having my under eye area 2-3 shades lighter than the rest of my face. In this case I’m again, in between shades. I bought 30 although I really should have passed on this one. The consistency and coverage is really good. Right now 30 is just the slightest bit too dark for under eyes but 20 is definitely too light.

Swatched side by side:

I spent hours researching concealer shades and swatches before going to the counter. Even if a makeup artist offers to match me, I still like to test multiple shades to see how they compare. Half the time I’m mis-matched and researching swatches ahead of time helps me know what to look for. I was able to swatch most of the shades side by side for reference. The only line I skipped was Make Up For Ever because the 3 stores I went to each were missing testers of multiple shades.

Surratt Beauty concealers come in a small twist up tube, there are currently eight shades, each color has a number as the name:

Cle de Peau Beaute comes in a twist-up tube, there are currently 6 shades:

Charlotte Tilbury The Retoucher comes in a brush wand style, you twist the base to click up product (similar to Stila Lip Glazes), there are 10 shades available:

YSL Touche Eclat (unit was missing 1.5) comes with a brush tip that dispenses product when you push the base, there are 10 shades available at Sephora. Some other retailers also have shade #6. The colors swatched side by side seem odd because they don’t appear to go from lightest to darkest. Even after doing a lot of research, making sense of the options, colors and undertones can still be confusing. I took a photo of the display and double checked each pen to make sure they were in the correct slot before swatching in numerical order:

Bare Mienrals bareSkin Concealer comes in a wand with a sponge tip applicator, there are six colors currently available:

Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer comes with a sponge tip applicator in a tube, there are eight shades available, I like that they have neutral and warm options in some of the shades:

Make Up For Ever Full Cover Concealer comes in a squeeze tube, the formula is really concentrated so a little goes a long way, unfortunately none of the stores I visited had testers of all the colors so I wasn’t able to swatch all the shades. There are 12 shades available, but they some skip numbers, it goes from 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 18 to 20.
Chanel Correcteur Perfection comes in a long tube with a sponge tip applicator. This one wins for the prettiest packaging, there are six shades available:

In terms of applying concealer, these days I like to use the fingers to pat and blend. If you prefer tools, three tools I really like are the Sephora Hakuhodo Concealer Brush, Chanel #10 and beautyblender micro.mini (previous reviews linked for reference).

In testing a number of different brands of concealer I have indeed found a few new favorites. To sum up my thoughts:
  • My top two favorites for under eye are the Charlotte Tilbury Retoucher and Bare Minerals bareSkin concealers, they brighten the face, cover dark circles really well and both last all day on me
  • Best spot cover product is the Make Up For Ever Full Cover Concealer
  • Urban Decay Naked Skin wins for best multi-purpose concealer, but shades darken/oxidize and color selection is pretty limited
  • Surratt Beauty was the most disappointing for me, mainly because it didn’t have the coverage I was looking for and texture is on the dry side
  • Chanel would win if the color selection was more diverse (I’m in between shades, and based on my swatches I suspect many of you will fall in between shades or outside of the range completely)
If I had to recommend you check out only one, the Charlotte Tilbury wins for new ones that I’ve tested, but my heart still belongs to Cle de Peau Beaute. The NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer is still a formula that I really like for under the eye and spot treatment, but after looking at all the colors I found the next shades up from Ginger to be either too pink or too dark. (Café Makeup has an amazing post with swatches of all the NARS concealer shades swatched here.)

In case you’re new to any of these brands, I’ve listed some of the retailers where you can find the following brands:

What’s your go-to concealer right now? As always I would love to hear about your favorites or what you’ve been testing right now. Do you use the same for under eye and spots? Or do you have different colors/brands you use?

The Bare Minerals concealers were provided as press samples for review consideration.
All others purchased by me.

What's In My Bag

Inside My Bag

October 21, 2015

I have a peek at what’s inside my bag this week. My well-loved Prada Saffiano Tote has held up remarkably well over the past couple of years, I’m really impressed with how sturdy the leather is. I had read mixed reviews about the quality, stitching and durability. I do take good care of my bags, but overtime it’s a given that the edges will become worn, some stitching comes loose and scratches are almost always inevitable. With this one, all the stitching has remained in tact. The edges haven’t shown any wear or scuffs. There are little studs/feet at the base which I think is a huge plus in protecting it if you set it on the ground or on a chair. Perhaps the biggest plus for me is that it has kept it’s shape.

Onto what’s inside my bag this week:
Truffle Privacy Clutch (small size) in Cabernet (c/o)
Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat in Pillow Talk (swatched on lips here, also here)
MAC Pro Longwear Lip Pencil Cultured (swatched here)
Elizabeth & James Hand Cream in Nirvana White
Charlotte Tilbury Lip Lustre in Blondie (swatched here)
Charlotte Tilbury K.I.S.S.I.N.G Lipstick in Bitch Perfect (swatched here)
Glossier Coconut Balmdotcom (c/o, currently sold out)
Molton Brown Hand Cream Gingerlily (c/o)
YSL Pop Water Glossy Stain 203 (currently 10% off at Nordstrom, swatched here)

Truffle launched a new color for fall called Cabernet which is a deep plum wine color. The color comes in a wide selection of options: Small Clarity Clutch, Large Clarity Clutch, Document Case, Privacy Clutch and a new style called the Privacy Wristlet. All the items are in the textured leather that has a coating making it super durable. I teamed up with Truffle to shoot some of their new products for their website. Also note their Nude Privacy Clutches are back in stock with an updated look. It now has the white contrast trim. Here are a few shots below that didn’t make the cut, hope this helps for size reference.

Large Privacy Clutch measures 9” H X 12” W
Small Privacy Clutch measures 7 1/2” H X 9 3/4” W
Zip Wristlet measures 5″ H x 8″ W

What’s inside your bag this week?

Items sent courtesy of brands indicated with c/o beside them. All others purchased by me.

Uncategorized

On My Radar / New in Beauty

September 20, 2015

Happy Sunday everyone! I hope you’ve had a great weekend. A few things on my beauty radar right now (from top left, clockwise):

  • Chanel has a new mini launch with some new products. There are two new Joues Contraste Powder Blushes in Golden Sun and Vibration along with a new highlighter called Infiniment Chanel Illuminating Powder. I bought one blush and the highlighter – they are almost too pretty to touch. I hope to start testing soon.
  • For holiday Hourglass has launched their Ambient Lighting Edit palette. It comes with three Ambient Lighting Powders, two Ambient Lighting Blushes and one Ambient Light Bronzer. It looks phenomenal – however since I already own five of the six colors individually and in other palettes, I think this will probably be redundant to own. I use the powders I have regularly and have yet to hit pan in any of them (they last forever!).
  • I’ve been on a foundation brush kick – I’ve been testing a number of different ones in search for a cheaper alternative to my holy grail Tom Ford Cream Foundation Brush. I’ll have a roundup very soon, two of the latest I’ve tested include the MAC #196 Slanted Foundation Brush and the new Chanel #8 Two in One Fluid and Powder Brush.
  • Tatcha has a new Soothing Indigo Mini Set. It has travel sizes of the Rice Enzyme Powder, Recovery Cream, Silk Hand Cream and Body Butter. The Indigo line is really good for sensitive skin that is prone to irritation. Anytime my skin is dry, itchy or irritated, this line works wonders to soothe the skin and calms down redness. (There’s a promo code CLEAN20 to receive a complimentary travel-size Pure One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil on any order over $20. Offer expires 9/30/2015)
  • Truffle has some new products for fall. They’ve launched a new Privacy Wristlet in black and cabernet. The cabernet color also comes in their document cases, clarity clutches and privacy clutch (it’s gorgeous!).
  • Lipstick Queen has a new full pigment lipgloss called Seven Deadly Sins. There are six colors available online from Space NK. In a season filled with new lip products, formulas and colors, I do not need another lipstick or lipgloss – but somehow I’m still intrigued by these. Lust looks like the perfect berry red based on online swatches.
  • Drybar products just launched at Nordstrom.com! Both my husband and I swear by The Chaser Shine Cream. Other favorites of mine include the Mai Tai Spritzer and Hold Me Hair Clips. I’ve loved everything I’ve tried from the line.
  • YSL has launched four new Matte La Lacque Couture Nail Lacquers. I’m not a fan of the matte nail look, but  I might make an exception for the YSL formula (the glossy ones are really really good).
What’s on your beauty radar this week?

Monthly Favorites

August Favorites

August 31, 2015

I have a monthly favorites roundup today featuring both beauty and grooming products for him and her. My husband had so much fun pulling his favorite things last month he wanted to participate again. We’ve both been experimenting with new products – for me it’s a regular thing since I’m a beauty blogger and constantly trying new things. For him, he’s found out trying new products takes quite a bit of time to figure out how they really perform. There are some things he wanted to toss after one use, but in the interest of giving things a thorough test drive he’s opened up to giving items more than 1-2 uses before writing things off. Our August beauty and grooming favorites this month:
  1. Tom Ford Skin Illuminating Duo in Moodlight (reviewed here) is the must-have highlighter duo this season. It gives the skin the most stunning glow. There seems to be mixed information about whether or not it’s limited-edition. I received an e-mail from the team at Tom Ford confirming that it’s limited-edition. Others report it is permanent. To be safe I bought 2 backups. It’s that good.
  2. R+Co Death Valley Dry Shampoo Spray (Travel Size) is something I picked up a month ago. I’m the type of person who washes her hair daily so I don’t use dry shampoos a lot. There are days though where it’s so hot my hair needs a quick refresh. Many are white in color and leave my black-brown hair looking dusty and grey (even if I brush it out). This one is colorless and smells amazing. A few spritzes absorbs oil and gives the hair texture. I give it a huge thumbs up.
  3. First Aid Beauty Skin Rescue Deep Cleanser with Red Clay has been a long time favorite. I’ve used this on and off for a year now (I like to switch up my cleansers). I think I’ve gone through 4 tubes. It’s amazing in this hot humid weather at cleaning the skin, unclogs pores and is gentle but really effective.
  4. YSL Pop Water Glossy Stains have been in regular rotation (previously swatched/reviewed here). The colors are summer-perfect. It’s so easy to swipe on the lips and the stain makes the color last long. My two favorites for the last month have been Pink Rain and Wet Nude.
  5. Surratt Beauty Lip Lustre in Soigne is one of the prettiest shimmering rose pinks. It looks very metallic in the tube and when swatched on the hands but on the lips it’s not as frosty. It’s the perfect soft rosy pink shimmer. See it on my lips here.
  6. I acquired a few minis of the La Mer Moisturizing Soft Cream and it’s heavenly. I have been rationing three tiny bottles for months now (since around May) and I’ve fallen head over heels. I don’t want to splurge on the full size but there are some deal/value sets. I need to buy soon. It will be one of my biggest skincare splurges but it’s amazing on my skin. It hydrates, feels smooth, doesn’t get greasy and makes my face glow.
  7. Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Glow in Medium to Dark is my go-to bronzer this month. You can see the full review + swatches here. I’m completely obsessed.
  8. Charlotte Tilbury Wonderglow is something I’ve been mixing in with foundation to add a subtle glow. I like that it has a yellowish golden undertone which I find rare in liquid illuminators which are often pinkish/opal.
  9. La Mer Illuminating Eye Gel is something I’ve been using since the spring. It’s a good lightweight product for day and in this hot summer weather it’s just what I need. For a real deep treatment my go-to is still Chanel Sublimage but it’s a bit heavy for day in this super hot weather.
  10. This hakuho-do x Sephora Kusuriyubi Angled Concealer Brush is amazing. I did a full review earlier in the month which you can see here, but this is my favorite concealer brush of all time now.
  11. For the longest time my husband has been a loyal Jack Black user, but he opened up to trying some items I brought home from Kiehl’s. He really likes the Facial Fuel Energizing Facewash for Men. It lathers up well and really cleans the skin making it feel refreshed without leaving any film or stripping the face. The entire Facial Fuel line has a good masculine look to the packaging which he finds appealing. I tried this one and have to say it’s pretty darn good. For him, it helps prepare his skin for shaving by making it feel smooth.
  12. Kiehl’s Facial Fuel Heavy Lifting Eye Repair is what he uses under his eyes to try and treat wrinkles and dry skin. This year he’s been keen on researching products and changing his lifestyle to prevent aging (or at least try to delay it). He’s on his second jar of this. He likes it because it hydrates and really helps with his wrinkles.
  13. Kiehl’s Facial Fuel Energizing Moisture Treatment for Men has been in regular rotation for skincare. He likes this because it softens the skin without feeling greasy. It absorbs quickly and makes the skin feel invigorated. He actually got this one in Men’s Starter Kit because he likes bottles with smaller packaging.
  14. Clarisonic Alpha Fit Cleansing System for Men is a new device designed specifically for men. My husband had tried my Aria with his own brush heads. He liked the concept but didn’t like the design (he said it looked too girly and felt bulky). I bought this one for him – the video sold it for me. It has a good masculine look and fits in the hands easily. He uses his in the shower daily and finds it gives his skin a deep clean and has made a noticeable difference in texture and preventing blackheads/clogged pores. He has super thick facial hair and this Clarisonic has softened the ends of his hair so when he shaves it feels softer. It’s on the pricey side but he’s really happy with it. It fits on the shelf in our shower without taking up a lot of space.
  15. Nuxe Men Multi-Use Shower Gel is his favorite right now. He likes the way it smells and how it lathers (for him the lather is important). It leaves the skin feeling clean and moisturized. I’m a fan of the way it smells on him too. Review here.
  16. Penhaligon’s Blenheim Bouquet Deodorant is something he bought because he was researching Penhaligon’s shaving products. He decided to give this one a try based on online reviews he read. He likes it because it has a good fresh manly scent and doesn’t make his skin peel.
That wraps it up for our beauty and grooming favorites for the month!
What were your favorites for August?