So I took a little break from the blog, but I am back and I have a great blog filled with all the products and things I have been loving this March and April! I took Easter off to enjoy the long weekend and time with our families and than Spring came along and with that chores around the house and yard and the annual spring cleaning...long story short, Sunday's have become far too busy a day to get down to writing. So, if you see my blog posts pop up allover the week, do not be surprised! I would still like to produce a weekly blog but I may change my routine and put them out on a Saturday or during the week. I think you can all relate, there is too little time during the weekend's to get everything done. Let's get down to business, here's my current spring favourites:
MAC Pro Longwear Nourishing Waterproof Foundation- Wow, that is a mouthful, but let me tell you, this foundation is my new-found love. I used the original Pro Longwear foundation formula for our wedding in Mexico and it was fantastic. Once I ran out of that (which lasted me over a year) I decided to try the newest nourishing formula which boasts that it is tear proof, lasts an insanely long time (24 hours, who needs to wear their makeup for that long anyways?!), can be worn as foundation or concealer and is medium to full coverage with a satin finish. I can attest to the fact that this baby does last me the entire work day with no touch-ups needed. I agree it is medium coverage that can be built up but without a heavy or cakey feel. I love the satin finish, it's not too matte and it's not too dewy, it is just the right amount of natural pigmentation that looks flawless. I would recommend this to anyone, even those who don't typically wear foundation. I "buff" it on with my 130 MAC circular foundation brush, in a circular buffing motion that blends it into the skin without streaks and goes on quickly and easily with very little fuss. I have worn it under the eyes as a concealer and although I think it does a good job, I still prefer my Pro Longwear concealer. The ONLY downside is that this product is a whopping $40 and you only get a 25ml tube, sadly most of the other foundations MAC offers are the same price but almost double in volume. I have been using this foundation almost daily for a month and a half now and I sure hope it lasts me a few more months at that price! I would highly recommend you go into a MAC store or counter to get matched with the correct shade, as I find this is the only foundation that runs a lot lighter than the others and I wore a different shade than usual.
Just Natural Bee Refreshed Calypso Coconut Invigorating Conditioner- This natural, phosphate, paraben and dye-free product smells amazing and for a 700 ml bottle I paid only around $7 from the grocery store. I love anything coconut scented and thought it would be a nice alternative to my more expensive hair products, but with more natural ingredients. As I have thick and tangly hair I find this conditioner leaves my hair feeling tangle-free and easy to brush. It moisturizes without feeling too heavy or leaving a residue behind. I like that the consistency is thick but not like a mask, just enough to coat my hair easily. Since I am not currently colour treating my hair and no longer need a colour-safe product, I would buy this again, as well as try the shampoo.
MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot in Painterly- This is another product I purchased to wear for our Mexico wedding but only in the last two months have I been wearing it daily and loving it. Paint Pots are a cream eye shadow that set to powder. They are great to wear as a primer or base under powder shadows because they help them stick and intensify the colour. I started wearing this as a primer and I am addicted. I truly cannot understand where this has been all my life and why I didn't discover it earlier! This shade is the perfect pinky nude and actually looks very similar to a concealer on my skin tone. It helps create a lovely even base and cancels out all of the blue veins that naturally show through my transparent skin. Some other very popular shades are Bare Study and Soft Ochre, which may work well with other skin tones. I use my finger to apply this allover my eye lid, right into the inner corner, and than apply powder shadow overtop. This shade doesn't add much colour but really makes my light coloured shadows stand out far more than if they were going onto bare skin. It also helps my shadows last all day and prevents fallout or smudging. These pots are $26 and I beleive they would last you a few years.
Batiste Dry Shampoo Clean & Classic Original Scent- This is an old favourite that I recently re-purchased in March from Costco. I have tried many different dry shampoo brands and this is by far the best. I have naturally thick and dry hair, moreso than oily, but my roots and crown area do get a bit oily after two or three days of not shampooing. When I was dyeing my hair a darker red the dye was susceptible to fade quickly, and as it was expensive to have done you want to make it last. I found that washing my hair only twice a week worked better for me, and in between I used this dry shampoo. I hold the bottle a foot or more away from my head and spray it, concentrating on my roots. The powder spray can appear white at first but if you brush it through or rub it in with your fingers it goes away. The bottles are around $10 each but I got a three pack from Costco, which contained two full sized bottles and a smaller travel size, for around $12.
Colgate Optic White Platinum Express White Toothpaste- We recently purchased this toothpaste and I'm really liking it. It says it whitens teeth in as little as three days, I have been using it for about two weeks and do not notice a significant change. However, I really like how clean my mouth feels after using. It has a foamy texture that seems to get in between teeth and gums and really makes your mouth feel sparkly clean. So even if my teeth don't get dramatically whiter and I just have a really clean mouth, I still think this is a great product.
Gillette Simply Venus 3 Blade Disposable Razors- I got these in a 4 pack for around $7 at Walmart. I think for a disposable razor these are awesome. The head pivots, they have three blades and a strip of moisturizer. The handle is ergonomic so it fits comfortably and has a shape that prevents slipping and nicks. I'm For the value I think these are a great product and each razor has lasted me several shaves.
I hope you can try one of these products and will love them as much as I do. If you do go out and purchase something I have recommended I would love to hear your feedback. I have missed writing and today's blog has been a really fun one for me to write and I hope you all enjoy it. Enjoy the start of the warmer weather and the change of season into spring.
Teal next time....xoxo
Kathleen
