May Favorites

So for the couple people who read my blog you may have noticed that I have been slacking, mostly due to the fact that I had finals, then I had to move out of my apartment, a graduation to attend (another one this weekend), and just life in general. I am back in the game and ready to post so why not start off with my usuals Monthly Favorites and then Monthly Wish List. Again please keep in mind that I have been busy with things that don't require primping so my favorites are a tad plain this month, any ways no reason to waste time, so right to the good stuff. 

Face Products

1. Rimmel London Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation

I got this foundation in the Uni Vox Box from Influenster a while back. It provides a very nice medium coverage matte finish without feeling heavy or cakey. I set this with the Rimmel London Stay Matte Powder and it lasts all day. My only issue is this shade seems to be a touch light on me so if I get any color I will need to go up to a darker shade. 

2. Sephora Sol de Rio Bronzer

I am pretty sure this is part of a limited edition summer collection so I am not sure if it will still be available, but Im sure Sephora core collection has something similar. This is a glorious bronzer for us pasty girls, it is not super dark or very orange so it works perfect without having to be super light handed. This is a huge bronzer so if you are only using it on your face it is going to last you the rest of your life and then some.Also it smells amazing to me, like summer without smelling strongly of sunscreen. If you can find this I would consider picking it up.

3. Beauty Blender Sponge

So I must admit I looked at these forever and a day but just figured it was another gimmicky beauty product. Que the bitching. So finally I bit the bullet and got one to try out when I had a $15 coupon for Sephora, well I am sold. When everyone says these change the way your foundation applies they mean it. It is a bit of a pain to have to wet the sponge in the sink and then go put my makeup on, so I  am working on a fix for that. Otherwise no complaints.

Eye Products

1. Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette

I have featured this palette a million times so I’m not going to say much, but this has been a favorite because I have kept things to a minimum this past month.

2. L’oreal Butterfly Effect Mascara

 I got this mascara in the Beauty Sample Box from Target. I must say this is a new favorite. When I am buying drugstore mascaras usually I gravitate towards M aybelline because it is cheaper and there are a couple formulas that I really love, L’oreal tends to be more expensive so I don't usually look at their mascaras unless I have a coupon but this one I would be willing to spend a little more on. It lifts and curls nicely and is nice and black all without getting clumpy or crunchy.The brush is different than any others I have seen on the market, the flair at the end helps give the outer corner a little more lift resulting in a more cat eye look which I am quite fond of. Usually I layer my mascaras, but this one I have not been layering since I am happy with the appearance when used alone.

3. MAC Naked Pigment

Im sure you noticed this is the old Pigment packaging, I have actually gone through two of these because once upon a time I used this everyday so I bought a backup of the original packaging at a CCO before I ran out of my first one. This one is beautiful for everything you can think of, on the eyes, as a highlighter, mixed in lipgloss , mixed in nail polish… I mean if someone can come up with a way to inject it or bathe in it I just might do it. This has been another favorite for a quick wash all over the lid with some eyeliner and mascara when I want to go out but not with a bare face.

Lip Products

1. NYX Butter Gloss - Fortune Cookie

I am obsessed with these Butter glosses, they are super glossy without being sticky. Usually I am not a fan of glosses but this formula is very nice.

I have these in quite a few shades and would like some more. They smell really nice also and who doesn't like a gloss that smells like baked goods.

2. Sephora Rouge Lipstick - Flamingo

This is another product in the summer collection from Sephora, there were a two other lipsticks and I wish now that I had picked them up also, they are all beautiful bright summery shades, this one is a very pretty coral-pink and actually reminds me a lot of the Viva Glam Nicki Minaj Shade only slightly deeper. The formula is nice and creamy but wears for 3-4 hours. Again if you can find this shade or one of the other two I suggest picking them up for the summer. 

3. Softlips Cube -Vanilla Bean

These are relatively new, the idea is similar to the EOS lip balms but with the silky smooth formula that Softlips usually has, I believe that it comes in two flavors but the Vanilla is my favorite. 

Other Beauty Products

1. Maybelline The Flash Clean Makeup Removing Lotion

I got this a while back when there was a buy one get one at CVS  I also got the Maybelline liquid makeup remover which was really nice but I ran out and decided to use this up before repurchasing the other formula. I really enjoyed the liquid version but I actually really like this lotion version for the nights when I just want to go to bed without much fuss over skincare. It does  double duty ,  I put a little on a makeup remover wipe and wipe it all off and moisturize at the same time. 

2. Clean & Clear Essential Deep Cleansing Astringent 

I just recently rediscovered the benefits of astringent/toners , I like the squeaky clean feeling of my skin after using this and it helps now that we are getting closer to the summer and my skin is more oily. This one contains salicylic acid which helps keep the breakouts at bay. I use this nightly on a cotton round after cleaning all my makeup off.

3. Big Sexy Hair Weather Proof

This came in one of my Ipsy bags, when I am in Corpus for school the weather is so humid I cant keep my hair straight without some sort of product, this one really works so I will be looking into a full size when this one runs out. It does a good job of keeping my little whispy baby hairs down. Again I really like the scent of the product , which is a big factor in how much I like a product. 

Non Beauty Products

1. Torani Syrups 

I  drink a lot of sweet tea and coffee and I really like fun flavors but it gets expensive going to Starbucks and other places to get my fix so I have accumulated quite the collection of these syrups from World Market to use in my coffee and tea at home. My favorite combinations are Peach & Raspberry iced tea, Black Cherry & Coconut green tea, S’mores iced coffee, and Pumpkin Spice in my hot coffee. The seasonal flavors are awesome. There are a million flavors but World Markets display is usually limited, but if you want to stock up wait until there is a sale at WM and you can find them 2 for $7 sometimes even cheaper if you have coupons, which is much cheaper than anywhere else I have found. 

2. Scandal 

Season 3 of Scandal has been my guilty pleasure for the month of May, while packing up my apartment I finished the entire season on Netflix since I didn't catch it live due to my class schedule. I like a good drama and this show has plenty of that to give. Besides who doesn't love to watch Olivia Pope in action? She is an original BAB (“Boss Ass Bitch”) 

3. Gardenia Lily Candle from Target

I love candles and I do not discriminate, I love these candles from Target just as much as I love my B&BW or Yankee Candles. One of my favorite scents in the world is Gardenia and this candle has been simply delightful. Not to mention pretty cheap, the large retails about $10 and the small $5 but using my Cartwheel App I got this candle and one of those cute tin holders both for $10 so they were about half off. I have another one in Red Velvet that is pretty great and their version of Cotton Candy is the best I have ever smelled if you are into more sweet dessert scents.