Spring Beauty Buys: Face

This spring, I wanted to keep a fresh face, by wearing less makeup. While I do sometimes need a little something to make me look a bit more awake, I’ve been trying my hardest to avoid a full face of makeup everyday. Here are some of my favorite face products for spring.

Mini Beauty Blender

I really like the size of this beauty blender because it’s great to add concealer under the eyes, or anywhere you need to add makeup that’s hard to get to without feeling like you’re covering your entire face.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blue in True Love

I really like adding blush to my face to give it some color when I’m not wearing much else, and this is a great spring blush color. It’s a pretty vivid pink, but I just apply a small amount to the apples of my cheeks, and I’m good to go.

Urban Decay Naked Flushed Palette

I love that this palette has everything in it: blush, highlighter, and bronzer. It’s great to travel with for spring, but it also has everything you need to add some color to your face without feeling like you’re loading a bunch of stuff onto your face.

Sephora Face Masks

I really think that once spring rolls around, everything seems more fresh, and people get really into spring cleaning, so why not clean your pores too? I love these facemasks, not only because they are fun to use to give yourself a spa treatment at home, but they are also really refreshing and make your skin feel smooth and extra clean. I particularly love the green tea and pearl masks. Have you used these before? Let me know in the comments below!

Bows and Arrows,

Lynda

Winter Beauty Buys: Eyes

Continuing my little beauty series, this week I wanted to focus on my favorites for eyes during winter.

Mica Beauty Cosmetics Mineral Eye Shadow in Earth

This is another one of those products that is great to use year round, but I particularly love it during winter because it’s a great neutral eye shadow with shimmer for when I’m at my palest.

Butter London Wink Eye Pencil in Earl Grey

This is a great silver-gray colored eye pencil. I love this for winter because it’s not as harsh as the typical black, and pairs great with the eye shadow I just mentioned above. (Not to mention, I received this in a Pop Sugar box, and now it’s part of my daily winter routine!)

Tarte Colored Clay CC Eye Primer Stick

I’ve been really happy with this product since I purchased it last year. It really does help hold my eyeliners and shadows in place all day. It’s definitely a daily go-to beauty product for me.

Urban Decay Perversion Mascara

I switch up my mascaras quite frequently, but I’ve really loved this one since the first day I used it. Combining this mascara with the shadow and liner above creates the perfect everyday eye look for winter.

What eye products do you use during winter on the regular?

Thanks for reading,

Lynda

Winter Beauty Buys: Face

To continue my series, this week, I want to share some of my favorites for the face during winter. Really, these products are great year round, but I do particularly love them during the harsh winter weather, and I’ll tell you why!

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream

I’ve been using this stuff for almost a whole year now, and it is definitely a staple for me. If I travel, my travel size of this comes with me. I have combination skin, but in the winter, my skin gets more dry than usual, and this stuff really does keep those dry patches from forming. It’s also great for sensitive skin, because its fragrance free, and is formulated without any of those harsh chemicals.

Naked Skin Beauty Balm by Urban Decay

I never really thought I needed BB cream, but then I used this stuff and realized how much it really does even out the skin. This stuff also doubles as a primer for foundation, but you can also wear it alone. Also, just because it’s cold outside, doesn’t mean you don’t need to worry about sun protection! This BB cream is SPF 20, so you’re still protecting your face from the rays, even in the frigid air.

NARS Blush in Orgasm

I really love NARS blush, and this one is a perfect color for all seasons. I particularly love it during the winter because it adds a bit of color to my face when I otherwise look ghostly.

Urban Decay Optical Blurring Brush

I just love this brush. It is the perfect synthetic brush for liquid foundations, creams, primers, etc. and allows application without brush streaks. It also really helps blend blush, bronzer, and highlighters into skin for a more natural look, and can be easily cleaned with rubbing alcohol and water. It is also not a brush that sheds, which is one of the best types of brushes you can get!

What are some of your beauty favorites for your face during the winter?

Thanks for stopping by,

Lynda

August Favorites

Happy Labor Day! Since we are jumping right into September, I thought I’d share my August Favorites with everyone!

1. Videri Chocolate

   

   Videri Sea Salt Chocolate and Dark Milk Chocolate with collectable box. Purchased from the factory in Downtown Raleigh

Local chocolate. Delicious chocolate. I don’t think I need to even say anything else because it speaks for itself. If you’re in Raleigh, just go try it. You’ll know why it’s on my favorites list after you do!

2. Urban Decay Naked Skin Liquid Foundation

   

   Urban Decay Naked Foundation Shade 1.0 with Optical Blurring Brush.  Purchased from Belk.

This is the first liquid foundation I’ve ever used. Ever. I know. I used to use Bare Minerals powder, but over time, I felt like it just wasn’t doing its job when it came to my combination skin. However, this stuff does. It goes on so well, and it doesn’t cake like previous liquid foundations I’ve sampled in stores like Ulta and Sephora. I recommend checking it out if you are still searching for a liquid foundation to love.

3. P.F. Candle Co.- Teakwood & Tobacco

   

   P.F. Candle Co. Teakwood & Tobacco. Purchased from Madewell

My birthday happened, so I say it’s now time to move into Fall. This candle smells like Fall. And I want it to be Fall. So I burn this candle in my room because it makes me believe that it is Fall even though it’s not. Fall.

4. Tree Hut Shea Sugar Scrub- Hawaiian Kukui Nut

   

   Tree Hut Shea Sugar Body Scrub in Hawaiian Kukui. Purchased from Ulta.

Oh how I wish you could smell this right now. Every time I use it, the smell whisks me away to a calm and relaxing spa. (BTW, I’ve never actually been to a spa, so this is what I imagine a spa to smell like.) It’s so relaxing and it just smells so dang good. And it works. Just like sugar scrub should work.

5. Russell + Hazel Planner Accessories

   

   Russell + Hazel Planner accessories. Purchased from The Container Store.

ALL THE ORGANIZATION. Really though, at the beginning of August (or maybe the end of July, I cannot remember), Ashley and I went to The Container Store and got ALL THE PLANNER THINGS!!! And I’m so happy I did. Because now my planner is super customized to what I want it to be like, and I just love it so. So thank you Russell + Hazel, for taking all of my money so I could organize my life even more than I already have.

6. Veda x Madewell Leather Moto Jacket

   

   Veda x Madewell Moto Jacket

Leather jacket love. My birthday present to myself. I’ll probably be wearing this at least 1/3 of the year.

7. Spring Meadow Tide Pods

   

   Spring Meadow Tide Pods.

Just ALL THE SMELLS this month, ok! Don’t judge me. First the candle, then the sugar scrub, and now, I know…laundry detergent. It just smells so good. And every time I need to get laundry detergent, this scent is already sold out, so this is the first month I’ve been able to try it. And now I know why it’s always sold out. Because it just smells like wonderfulness. And yes, it’s like I’m confusing all the seasons (I’m aware of it!)…it’s still Summer, I want it to be Fall, but my laundry smells like Spring.

8. Tarte Colored Clay Eye Primer

   

   Tarte Colored Clay CC Eye Primer. Purchased at Sephora.

What can I say? I like my eye primers. When I’m not using my Urban Decay eye primer in Sin, I’m using this one! It’s like a crayon that you color onto your eyelid and it makes whatever pigment you apply afterwards so vibrant. Seriously. It makes your shadow look exactly like it does in it’s palatte/pot. Also, no smudging throughout the day!

9. C. Wonder Ring Set

   

   C. Wonder Ring Set.

   I stumbled upon these when I was wandering around during my lunch break one day, and they were on sale, so I brought them home with me because I like stacking rings. I also really liked the 3 different colored metals and I use them to sandwich other rings onto my fingers. Yay ring sandwiches!

10. Anthropologie Homegrown Monogram Mug

    

    Homegrown Monogram Mug from Anthropologie.

I bought this for myself (essentially anything I bought this month was a birthday present to myself) because I liked it. Plain and simple. And I wanted another mug to drink from in the morning. I was getting tired of my basic ones, and because this one has an L on it, it’s like I’ve psychologically tricked everyone else into not using it!

 

Bam. My August favorites. What were yours? Let me know in the comments below!

Bows and arrows,

Lynda

June Favorites

Here’s the list of my June favorites!

1. Blue Diamond Smokehouse Almonds

Almonds are just great snacks and toppings in general, but I’ve really enjoyed the smokehouse flavor this month…it kind of reminds me of a cook out flavor, which is great for the summertime.

2. Turtle Flavored Chex Mix

It’s like these sprinkled this stuff with crack or something.  You won’t even understand until you try them.  They are seriously addicting, and if I don’t portion out small amounts for myself, I will consume the entire bag in one sitting.

3. Madewell Allie Gladiator Sandals in True Black

I’m not sure that these are offered online anymore, but I got them as soon as they were put on sale, and I never once felt like I had to “break them in” like you do with a lot of sandals that have ankle straps.

4. Lemons

Since the official start to summer was less than 2 weeks ago, and it has been H-O-T around here, lemons and lemonade have just been refreshing!  They have been consistently cut up in my fridge, ready to add to my iced tea this month, and they’ve also made there way into that soup I posted not too long ago! (Link here.) I’ve also been on an Arnold Palmer kick lately, so lemonade is stocked up in my fridge as well!

5. Blinc Mascara Amplified

The premise behind this mascara is that it doesn’t “paint” your eyelashes, but rather, it “tubes” them.  I was skeptical at first because I wasn’t exactly sure how this was supposed to work, but the first time I actually removed the mascara from my eyes, I was pleasantly surprised!  It really is the neatest thing in makeup products, and it doesn’t leave that annoying black residue underneath your eyes after you finally get all your makeup off.  And you remove it from your lashes with water and pressure, which means my already sensitive eyes don’t have to deal with accidently getting makeup remover on them.

6. Urban Decay Eye Primer in Sin

I received a trial size of this primer in the box that my Naked 3 Palate came in, and I used it all up as soon as I opened it.  I really liked it, however, I still had eye primer to use up, but this month, I finally ran out, so I decided to get a full sized version of this since I loved it oh-so-much!

7. Weekly To-Dos planner by May Designs

I got this little planner in a Pop Sugar Must Have box last year, and I didn’t really put it to use because I was using a different planner that was working really well for me at the time.  I found it in my pile of books early this month, and was excited about its customization for each week.  You fill in the dates for each week and there is a section on the opposite page for “Things to Do,” “Errands to Run,” and also an “Oh, and Can’t Forget” section for anything else you’d like to add for the week.  The other awesome thing about these books is that they are customizable online!  You can pick your cover design and if you wish, you could monogram it, or title it.  There are also multiple options for the inside pages…they don’t just have to be weekly planner pages!  Check it out at maydesigns.com!

8.  Julep Green Tea Facial Blotting Papers

Speaking of summer, it has been hot around here for a while, but this weather sure did sneak up on my skin.  One minute, it was fine, the next, oil everywhere!  I’m very glad I found these in my bathroom with all of my random skincare products, and have been carrying them in my bag for quick touch-ups since this weather has run rampant on my pores.

Those were my favorites for the month of June!  What were yours?!

Bows and arrows,

Lynda