It's been over two months since my last post and I have missed writing and my little blog community. The warm weather has brought busier days and it has been harder to sit down and write when the sun is shining. Today, while drinking my morning coffee (er, afternoon, as I just sat down to enjoy my first cup) I thought I would write a blog about all the products I have been loving this summer. This list includes old favourites that I pull out only in the summer months, new items I have started using this season and some products that I have just purchased and have yet to use. Grab your shades and a beverage and sit back and enjoy!
Skin Care Products:
Secret Invisible Antiperspirant in Capri Island Retreat- When the weather gets hotter we all need a hard working deodorant. I have always liked Secret products but this scent is SO GOOD! I have never loved a deodorant scent so much, it's a yummy fruity and floral scent that will definitely remind you of a tropical vacation. I think this scent is limited edition so try to grab one (or a few) before it disappears.
Hawaiian Tropic Sheer Touch Oil-Free Sunscreen- This sunscreen has been a favourite of mine for a few years now. I have had it in SPF 30 and 50 and I love the lightweight non-greasy feel. It feels no heavier than a moisturizer and it has an amazing tropical scent and botanicals to soothe and hydrate the skin. If I had to choose my favourite brand of sunscreen Hawaiian Tropic would be it.
Bioderma Moisturizing Make-up Removing Micelle Solution- This stuff is the BOMB. I went into Shoppers Drug Mart and asked the girl for her recommendation of a makeup remover for both face and eyes and this stuff is what she said her, and all the staff, use. It's a clear liquid solution that has no scent and is as gentle as water but as effective as the best makeup remover. It is formulated specifically for sensitive eyes and skin and comes in a few different formulas. The original one that I tried was for sensitive skin, the one I have now is also for sensitive skin but is moisturizing and there is also one for oily skin types. I put it on cotton pads and remove my foundation and eye makeup as part of a two step cleanse. If you do not wear much makeup this could be used on its own as a cleanser with no water needed. On days I wear waterproof or long wearing formulas I like to use this to remove the initial layer of makeup and then follow up with my cleanser afterwards to make sure my skin is totally clean. I do not know how I didn't know about this sooner, it is now my holy grail. I have tried other Micellaire solutions and have found they do not remove eye makeup well but this is so gentle and so effective. I use 3-4 cotton pads to remove makeup from my entire face without the use of water. You can let this dry on your face as it does not require rinsing. I would highly recommend everyone try this product and it is very affordable costing around $20-26 depending on the size of bottle you choose.
Mary Kay Suncare Lip Protector Sunscreen SPF 15- This was actually given to me by a friend who attended a Mary Kay party. I apply this first thing in the morning before leaving for the day, it hydrates my lips and gives me the added bonus of sunscreen. It keeps my lips moist and protected and soft so my lipstick goes on smooth.
Makeup Application Products:
Morphe Brushes- Morphe is a company from California who make affordable makeup and brushes. I recently found out that us Canadian's in Vancouver can get our hands on these brushes at a store called Curlique. I was like a kid in a candy store walking into this place! Here's the two brushes that have started my collection. M439 is a dense, slightly domed, foundation brush made of synthetic hairs. It is so soft and applies foundation quickly, effortlessly and it looks airbrushed and natural. It doesn't absorb product so you tend to use less. I cannot even describe how much I love this foundation brush, it is truly amazing and for less than $20, you need this in your life! The only foundation that doesn't seem to work with this brush is MAC Prolong Wear Nourishing Waterproof Foundation. I don't know exactly why but this formula either works better when applied with a dual fibre brush (natural and synthetic hairs) or a looser fibre brush, as opposed to the dense tightly packed hairs of the Morphe one. M438 is a longer pointed powder brush that can be used to set powder in small areas like the chin and under the eyes or for sweeping highlighter across the cheekbone. The latter is what I got this brush for. The point helps keep control of the product you are applying so that it doesn't land allover the place but yet the bristles are soft and loose to allow some movement. It gives you the perfect highlighted effect and I can imagine it would also be really nice for setting your under eye concealer with powder because of the defined point. I have so much respect for a company that has designed a product that is both quality and affordable, if you are looking to build your brush collection or add a few specific brushes to your basic brushes, you need to check out Morphe.
Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge- I have tried beauty blending sponges before, and I don't think I had the best quality sponge because it bothered my skin. I picked up this sponge at the grocery store, of all places, and I am excited to give it another try. I have been reading a lot of reviews and have heard it is best to dampen your sponge before applying your product, so I'm going to give that a try. I am excited to try this particular sponge as I am familiar with Real Techniques brushes, from YouTube videos, and was surprised I found this at Save On Foods. I will let you know what I think of it once I try it.
Makeup:
Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-In-Place Makeup- I'm late to jump on this bandwagon! This is a highly coveted full coverage foundation that boasts that it stays put all day and covers acne, scars, redness and pores. I got this product off of a friend so I have not been shade matched and find the shade I have a bit too yellow. I have the colour Bone 1W1 which is the lightest in the warm shades, which is what I am in MAC foundations. However, Estée Lauder calls yellow toned shades "warm" and pink based shades "cool" which is reverse of MAC. I think if I purchase this foundation I will get help selecting my shade, but assume I am 1C1, the lightest of the pinky shades. I really like this foundation, it is considered a heavy full coverage foundation but I find it more medium and buildable. It does cover everything but I still find it comfortable to wear all day and it does stay put as it claims. I think I would reach for this more often as a daily foundation if the shade matched my skin tone better as I do really enjoy wearing it.
Rimmel Match Perfection Invisible Coverage Visibly Perfected Skin Foundation- This is my first drug store foundation, I jumped straight into high-end brands like MAC and Clinique when I started wearing makeup. I have always felt leery of the cheaper drug store brands, until recently. When I started watching YouTube videos and reading more and more beauty blogs, I realized drug store makeup lines have changed over the years and are really promoted by many. Rimmel is one of those brands whose products get mentioned very often. About a year ago I started purchasing Rimmel lipsticks and absolutely LOVE them. So, I thought I would try out this particular foundation when I saw it had finally arrived in Canada and was on sale at Shoppers Drug Mart for only $8.99!! You have to wonder why you spend $50-60 on foundation when drug store brands are 1/5 of the price. This product claims to match skin tone without hiding it, blurs pores and provides 24 hour hydration. I tried one pump on bare skin, using my Morphe foundation brush to apply allover in buffing motions. One pump was enough to cover my entire face with sheer coverage that could be built up to light in areas where I prefer more. It felt comfortable and slightly dewy but not sticky. I didn't set it with powder so it gave me a natural BB cream or tinted moisturizer appearance that allowed my natural skin and freckles to show through but hid my imperfections and redness. I wanted to see how it held up without being set with powder and it lasted all day, without going oily or settling into fine lines. It does have a perfume scent to it, which makes me nervous because of my sensitive skin, but so far it didn't cause me to breakout or get a rash. I'm hoping I continue loving this item for the days that I want an almost-no-makeup look or a lighter foundation.
MAC Mineralize Blush in Just a Wisp- this blush is my answer to the highlighting obsession. It is a cool frosty baby pink that goes on really sheer on its own but it's perfect over a darker or matte blush or as a highlighter because of its shiny iridescent tone. Because my skin is fair and pink toned, I like using a pinky highlighter because it is more natural on me. This shade catches the light perfectly and gives cheekbones a little extra attention. I think these mineralized blushes have a beautiful baked, creamy texture, and go on smooth and satiny. I have owned this blush for a few years now but only recently discovered I love it as a highlighter rather than a blush.
MAC Dusky Rose Times Nine Eyeshadow Palette- Last but certainly not least, this is the eyeshadow palette I have been loving all spring and summer. The shades run from cool and pale to deep and rich blush hues that are not too pink. They are perfectly neutral and awesome for everyday use. I find only the lightest shades have slight pink undertones and the rest are more brown. There are both matte and frost colours, which I love having both, but tend to use the frosts more. I reach for this palette everyday out of the convenience of having all my favourite shades in one place. As you can see the top left colour is my most used and favourite, I have hit pan already, and is the perfect brow and inner eye highlighter and allover base shade. I like using the medium toned shades for my crease for soft definition. The shadow size is much smaller than the regular MAC shadows but you have the convenience of a light, compact, travel- sized palette.
I hope you have enjoyed this list of all the products I have recently purchased or have pulled out of my collection and am loving for the summer. Let me know if you use any of these or have recommendations for other things I should try. Happy summer everyone!
Teal next time....xoxo,
Kathleen
