April Favorites

IT'S FAVORITES TIME!!

okay, so I'm a few days late..better late than never right?!

There's not too many for the month of April, as I am trying to be a "responsible adult" when it comes to makeup shopping. 

Freemans Charcoal & Black Sugar Facial Polish Mask:

Where has this been all my life?! Being a dry-skinned diva, I love me a good exfoliator! However, I also have fairly sensitive skin, so I’m wary of anything that may be too abrasive. In comes this polish mask to cure all my woes.

"This unique mask and scrub works double time to detox skin. First, naturally purifying Activated Charcoal helps absorb oil and impurities without over-drying. Then, Black Sugar helps exfoliate away dulling skin cells for softness and clarity."   **freeman beauty.com**

The cool part? You can actually feel the charcoal being active as you apply it to your skin! Like, the areas of your face get hot/warm as the charcoal does its job. Apply all over your face, leave on for 5-7 mins, gently scrub to utilize the back sugar, rinse, and wah-lah, the face of a baby. Trust me, you’ll love this stuff and so will your skin.

Korres: Wild Rose 24-Hour Moisturizing & Brightening Cream:

Could a face lotion get any better than this?! Um, hello. Re-read that name! Fun fact about me; I’m obsessed with vitamin c! It’s literally (in my opinion) one of the best things you can put on your face. People always ask- or tell me how great my skin is, and besides seeing one of the best derms in Dallas, I have to give the rest of the credit to vitamin c. If you didn’t know, vitamin c is like a BLT for your skin, it’s going to brighten, lighten, and tighten your skin while preventing new signs of aging. Yeah, you need some in your life. I’ve literally been using vitamin c products for the last 4 years. Hello fountain of youth. Anyways, this month I rediscovered my love for Korres. (kor-res) It’s an all-natural line, formulated without;

- Parabens

- Sulfates 

- Synthetic Dyes

- Petrochemicals

- Phthalates

- GMOs

- Triclosan

Best of all, their products actually do what the box claims they will do! Once again, being a dry skinned diva is forever a struggle. This moisturizer not only manages to brighten my skin, but still provide enough moisture that I don’t look like a flakey mess in the morning. I prefer to use this cream a night because it is a little heavier, but have used it in the AM and it works perfectly under makeup. No greasiness, or spotty application! P.S. wild rose oil is a natural source of vitamin c. Formulated in this cream, it helps to repair the look of fine lines and discoloration, while balancing and regulating moisture in the skin.

Proclaim: Coconut & Macadamia Nut Oil Hand and Body Lotion

This is literally summer in a bottle. Seriously, the scent of this lotion is so heavenly. The mix of coconut and macadamia nut blend together so nicely, transporting you to a tropical island with every whiff! I’m totally obsessed. I keep one in my purse, one on my vanity, and one in my bathroom. Another good thing, this lotion moisturizes without leaving any greasy residue, and keeps you smelling like a summer dream for hours.

China Glaze Nail Lacquer: Sweet Hook & Lotus Begin:

*Sweet Hook left, Lotus Begin right*

The past month I have been loving purples, and I think these two shades are the perfect pair for Spring/Summer. China Glaze is just a holy grail brand for me. I love how evenly their polish applies, and it usually dries pretty fast as well. Sweet Hook is more of an pastel lilac color, while Lotus is a brighter hue. Sweet Hook is the perfect transition color if you’re someone who isn’t quite ready to make the jump from fall color, to neon summer. Lotus is beautiful for any season. Can’t make up your mind? Put one on your fingers and one on your toes, they compliment each other perfectly too.

Real Techniques: Blush Brush:

These brushes have been a staple in my makeup collection for a while now, but I’m going to be honest when I say that this “blush brush” always intimated me. I mean, who really needs a blush brush THAT big?! Well, apparently I do. Okay okay, so once I got over my fear that this brush may or may not blush the entire side of my face, I decided to finally give it a try & I’m so glad I did! The bristle are sooo soft, and blend any blush seamlessly. I concentrate the majority of the color on the tip-to middle of the brush, and then begin sweeping away. It has totally replaced all of my other blush brushes, and at only $9.00 you will definitely love this little guy, and so will your bank account!

MAC Prep & Prime: Light Boost:

So this is definitely an oldie but a goodie. Me and this guy were in a pretty serious relationship until we fell off and I probably replaced him with “the next best thing”, but for now he’s back in my life, and I don’t see us hitting trouble in paradise anytime soon (until he runs out at least). Anyways, this little guy is the perfect match when it comes to highlighting my face. I like to use him by himself under my concealer, or mix them together to really brighten my under eye. I also use him in other areas around my face to highlight and brighten. I favor him because of his yellow tint, and personally I think it still does the job but gives you a more natural matte finish vs. some of the other brightening products that add extra illumination to the under eye area.

NYX Wonder Pencil: Light:

After many disappointing trips to Ulta, I finally got my hands on this little guy and realized why they could never keep him in stock! This pencil is your one stop shop when it comes to concealing, brightening, and lining. Personally, I love to use this little guy to line my inner rim of my eyes, giving the illusion that I’m a wide-eyed beauty. Doing so not only makes the whites of your eyes appear whiter, but larger as well. I do this little trick with my favorite natural look- but especially when I do a smokey eye to ensure my eyes don’t get lost in the sea of black and brown. You can also use this gem to conceal and brighten blemishes or dark spot around the face, how wonderful!

*MAC P&P - Light Boost left, NYX Wonder Pencil right*

Maybelline Color Sensational The Buffs Lipstick: 910, Bare All:

Obviously I love this lipstick if it’s in my favorites right? But let me first take a second to express how delicious this lipstick smells. *inhales giant whiff* it’s literally like smearing vanilla frosting on your lips, but with way better color payoff! While this shade is not the most opaque, it is still a gorgeous nude color with pink undertones. Being the lightest shade of the collection, this guy is your best friend when it comes to lipstick cocktails. It is beautiful alone, under gloss, or over a darker shade to highlight or lighten the color. #910 is the perfect compliment to your lipstick collection!

MAC: Blankety

Let’s face it; everyone loves a good MAC lipstick. Seriously, you enter the store with a specific color in mind, and BAM there it is right before your eyes, brighter and better than you even imagined! I however was not on a hunt for any specific color the day me and this beauty met. As a nude lipstick lover, I wanted to stay within my comfort zone while still trying something new. At the time, I was definitely into the darker nude lip look, so Blankety was like a gift from the lipstick gods. While some of the other MAC lipstick collections can be a little drying, Blankety is a satin which is going to help keep your lips hydrated for a longer amount of time. It is a nice mix of beige and pink, which on me, is a little darker than my natural lip color. Luckily, this guy pairs perfectly with other lip products; it's all about those lipstick cocktails!

Stila Lip Glaze: Cotton Candy:

I have a love/hate relationship with Stila glosses; April was a month full of love however. The color payoff is amazing, and this one is freakishly close to NARS, Turkish Delight (one gloss I cannot live without!). It’s the perfect salmoney pinky - peach color that you could totally rock all spring. The downfall, they are a thicker gloss which makes them a little bit sticky. Okay, a lot sticky, but I still found myself grabbing for this color multiple times this month. Stila lip glazes: can’t live with em’ can’t live without em’.

* Maybelline-Bare All left, MAC-Blankety middle, Stila-Cotton Candy right*

Victoria's Secret Angel: GOLD:

As much as I love a good fragrance, sometimes I just want to splash my body with an enticing body mist, and I have found the perfect one! I came across this gem one night at VS with no intentions of purchasing, until I sprayed a little on my wrist and totally fell in love. A blend of sparkling bergamot, lush gardenia, and musk cohesively make an alluring scent that lingers for hours. It’s the perfect compliment to any summer day. Once again, the VS angels have blessed me. 

Elizabeth & James - Nirvana White:

This might be my new favorite fragrance, well for the summer at least! If ya’ll know me, which you should - or be getting to by now, you know that I looooove masculine smelling scents, especially when it comes to women’s fragrances. For example, my all-time, holy grail, I can conquer the world, sex goddess fragrance  is Hot Couture by Givenchy. But hearing about the launch of these two fragrances, made my pre-teen Olsen twin loving self jump for joy. Lets be honest though, I’m still an Olsen twin fan to this day. Like can I rock the "I just rolled out of bed, and threw on yesterdays clothes look?” so flawlessly. I fell in LOVE with Nirvana White. It is a blend of Peony, Muguet, and Tender Musk. 3 simple notes that blend together so perfectly. Seriously, I smelt so good I knew I couldn’t leave Sephora without taking one home. I opted for the rollerball, but after wearing this all month, the full size bottle needs to be in my life. The fragrance embodies the effortlessly chic lifestyle that is Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. 

Adding that masculine edge, while still holding feminine sophistication. For me, its the perfect blend of floral and musk, and I’m totally loving it!