Monthly Favorites | May & June

I know I'm really late on this post, so I'll make it quick. This is just a generalized round up of products I've used through May and June, so I did condense it a bit. It's already almost August, so I wanted to get this out of the way!

Missha Super Aqua Perfect Water Deep Cleanser: This has been the number one thing that I've been using to take off my makeup at night. I have a feeling this is going to last me a long time because I've been using this for a couple months now. 

Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid: I use this after my toner in the morning and it has salicylic acid in it. I just pop a little on a cotton pad and it isn't drying. I prefer chemical exfoliation and this is great and quick.

Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Super Antioxidant Concentrate Serum: This is my favorite thing ever and my favorite from the Paula's Choice line so far. I use this in the morning and at night and it doesn't make my skin feel too oily. This has definitely been replacing my Missha Time Revolution Ampoule at night and my It's Skin serum in the morning.

Paula's Choice Resist Super Light Daily Wrinkle Defense SPF 30: When I was running out of my Neutrogena sunscreen, I wanted to try something new. At first, I didn't like this one because it has a tint to it. Now that I've gotten used to it, I really like that there is a tint. I can use this by itself on a day off and not feel completely naked faced or it can be used as a primer under makeup since it does dry down a bit. 

Boots No7 Stay Perfect Primer: This was pretty much the only primer I used in May and June. I really like this one and I can blend it in a little better with my beautyblender before applying makeup.

BRTC Jasmine Water BB Cream: I really like this BB Cream in the summer because it's nice and light and I don't have to mix anything in to get a good color or coverage. It's something I want to use up also because I've been hanging onto this for over a year. I think it's the only BRTC BB that matches me.

The Saem Cover Perfection Tip Concealer: I had been using a concealer stick for so long that I forgot how much I liked liquid concealers. This had been on of my favorites a long time ago when I first bought it, but it wasn't bright enough for under my eyes. It actually matches my skin perfectly and it works really well with the BRTC BB Cream.

Benefit High Beam: When I was going bare minimum while we were moving, I would do BB Cream and just add a little of this liquid highlighter on my cheek bones and brow bones. This was easy enough to just dab on with the little brush and blend in with my finger or beautyblender instead of toting a powder and a brush with me.

YSL Volume Effet Faux Cils Mascara: I got this in an Influenster Vox Box because no way would I ever pay $32 for a mascara! I really like it, but that is just way too much to be paying for a mascara. I think $20 is probably the absolute maximum I would be willing to spend. I do really like everything about this mascara though. It even smells nice and the packaging is beyond luxurious. 

Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade in Auburn: This has been my standby brow product since I purchased it. The color is more natural that I was going for before, but I like that it works with my hair and skin tone. It's pretty easy to work with and there is a lot of product in this little jar. I'm a fan.

Marc Jacobs O!Mega Bronze in Tantric: I really like this bronzer for all over bronzing. The color is perfect for my skin and it blends out so nicely. I'm glad I finally sprung for this powder because I wasn't going to buy it due to how expensive Marc Jacobs cosmetics are.

Marc Jacobs #InstaMarc Light Filtering Contour Powder in Dream Filter 20: This is one of those products that I worry about using up because I love it so much and it was so expensive. I love the highlight color to set my under eye concealer and I use it to carve out my contour if I over blend. The contour powder is my perfect shade and it blends so nicely with my NARS Ita brush. It's perfect. I just wish I felt better traveling with it because I worry about something like this breaking my makeup bag. 

MAC Solar Riche: If I wasn't at home and wanted to bronze up a bit, I would use Solar Riche. I used to think this color didn't suit me before I really knew how to use bronzer, but this blends out really nicely. It isn't my favorite MAC bronzer, but I wanted to try something new and I'm a fan.

Sephora Bronzer Powder in Anguilla: I've been loving this for a simple, more natural contour when I don't want to go too dark. Although I really love the Marc Jacobs powder, it tends to look more dramatic. If I'm short on time, I use this to do a light contour because there's a lot of room for error. I don't need to blend it much at all because it's a lighter color.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Diffused Heat: I really like this for a glowy cheek look. This is something I used when I was in a hurry and didn't have time to blend out a more pigmented blush in case I went heavy handed. I think I would definitely try different colors from the line, but they are pricey.

MAC Mighty Aphrodite: I've always loved this blush. I think it was one of the first that I purchased from a MAC limited edition collection, which was Wonder Woman in 2011. I always end up going back to this blush when I don't know what to wear because its just so easy. Definitely an all time favorite.

Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Lilac Rose: As far as highlighting goes, I use the opalescent strip. It's beautiful mixed with just a touch of the surrounding pinks. I keep thinking that I'll use the other colors as a blush, but I don't. When I swirl my brush lightly in the whole pan, I get a more subtle pink highlight color.

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Lightscapade: This has been a standby highlight ever since I bought it. I love remembering when I got something because then I know how long I've loved it. I got this in my old apartment almost two years ago. This is the original release of this highlight that runs more pink than the beige of the second, third, and permanent releases. When I want something that is just simple and pearlescent, I go for this highlighter.

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Moonstone: This is a fairly new addition to my collection, so of course I had to use it a bunch after getting it. I've found that I like this more than theBalm's Mary LouManizer because it isn't quite as heavy. I'm really glad I got this on sale though, because $38 is pretty hefty for a highlighter.

Burberry Britt Sheer: This has been a nice citrusy mist for the beginning of summer. As you can see, I've made a pretty decent dent in this fragrance. I really love how simple this is for warmer weather. It isn't too heavy in the warm weather, so I don't know how it will be when it gets colder. I can't imagine this will be my go-to in the winter.

Escada Born In Paradise: This may be my top favorite out of everything right now. It's a perfect summery mix of pineapple and coconut without smelling like I bathed in a Piña Colada. I really like my other Escada, which is Moon Sparkle, but now I want other more recent Escada releases because of this one. I feel like they will all be pretty similar though and there are a few other perfumes I want before adding on other sweet ones at the end of the summer.

Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh Sunshine: I was torn between getting this perfume, two other limited edition versions, and the original. I ended up smelling the original and not liking it enough to wear. Then I couldn't find a good enough deal on the other one that I wanted, which was Daisy Eau So Fresh Delight. I found this on eBay for a good price for a discontinued limited edition without the box. I love the scent and I love the bottle. This is going to be one of those scents that I wear in the day during spring and summer and worry about using up.

Gucci Flora Gorgeous Gardenia: This was my first Gucci perfume and I'm really happy with it. There were a lot of choices in the Gucci Flora line, but I finally decided on this one because I liked the notes and got a sample. I love the beautiful simplicity of the bottle and scent is so nice and light, but sweet at the same time. I feel like I have a lot of spring/summer floral fruity perfumes, but that's what I like. 

Vera Wang Princess: This is actually one of the perfumes in my collection that I can definitely wear in the winter. Princess has always been a favorite of mine, even if it is considered an immature scent. I still really like it and regardless of how sweet is smells, I still get compliments on it at work. I know when certain people at work like how I smell that I've found a good bottle.

Bath & Body Works Sweet Magnolia & Clementine Fine Fragrance Mist: I generally only choose body mists over perfume for when I want to smell nice but don't want to waste expensive perfume. I pop one of these in my gym bag or spray my work clothes so that I don't smell like old food all the time. This is a newer purchase, but I did have a scrub in this scent that I really liked in my past empties.

Bath & Body Works White Citrus Fragrance Mist: This is a nice refreshing scent that I had been using in my gym bag before buying the larger sizes. I really love how sharp and citrus this one is and I may eventually get the larger size, but last time I did that I got sick of the scent soon after.

Bath & Body Works Kauai Lei Flower Aloe Gel Lotion: I love this size for my purse, apron, and behind the bar. This is my favorite scent from the Hawaii line and I even have a backup for this little lotion that I may need crack into. I don't believe the aloe gel formula will be moisturizing enough to use alone in the winter, but I think I'll still prefer this size.

Bath & Body Works Maui Mango Surf Crushed Coconut Body Scrub: I prefer this formulation of scrub to the other one that I had. This lasts a little longer and the granules scrub better than the beads from the other one. I'm glad I decided to get all the Hawaii scents in this scrub when they were buy 3 get 3 free and I'll have plenty of scrubs to get me through the summer and probably the fall until the winter scents come out.

March Monthly Favorites

I know. I know. I haven't posted in forever. But that's okay. This is the monthly favorites post and one of the only posts a month to even matter. I think I may need to post some recent buys and I will have an empties post coming up soon.

Benton Aloe BHA Skin Toner: Oldie but a goodie. This is my favorite toner and I'm already halfway through this bottle. I think because I've been using only this toner that I might start using some others that are almost gone so that I can get rid of some things before we move.

Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Herbs, and Rosewater: I've had this kicking around for a few months and I've used it off and on. I had been using Fix+, but I like this to take away the powdery look on my face and it's much less expensive than the MAC one. The only thing I don't care for is the strong smell, but it does go away.

Clinique Acne Solutions All-Over Clearing Treatment: I've been mixing this with my Benton Snail Bee Steam Cream that should have probably been in this post, but was forgotten. I think the benzoyl peroxide in this helps keep my skin clearer than salicylic acid.

Skinfood Milk Shake Point Makeup Remover: This is a dual phase makeup remover that I end up using daily. When I ran out of my Missha cleansing oil, I opened a new one that doesn't take off my mascara and also burns my eyes. What I've ended up doing is not even using the cleansing oil and I've just been using one cotton pad of this to take off all my makeup. I'm sadly almost out of this and may have to just try another different cleansing oil. 

Missha Super Aqua Fresh Cleansing Milk: This is not the cleansing oil I was just talking about, but it's the same thing. It doesn't take off my eye makeup at night, but it's a great waterless cleanser for the morning. I used this when my skin was really dry and I didn't want to strip it with soap. I also use this as a hand cleanser when my hands are dry since it is like a lotion.

Mario Badescu Glycolic Foaming Cleanser: I've been using this cleanser off and on since I bought it in the summer, but I really liked it this month. I felt like I had been wearing more makeup and this cleanser really deep cleans and chemically exfoliates. I try not to use it more than 2 or 3 times a week because I don't want my skin to get irritated.

Skin79 Super Plus BB Creams in Green and VIP Gold: I should have included my beautyblender again this month, but I took pictures quickly and forgot. I just want to reiterate that I'm super surprised that these are still around. I honestly don't know what I'm going to do when these both run out, so I'm not complaining. I feel like nothing else blends like these BB Creams, but I know I'm going to fall back on my Face & Body foundation in a month or so. I've also been loving the green one under my eyes because it's a lot lighter and blends really nicely under my eyes.

MAC Skin Base Visage: I keep thinking this is also going to run out. I'm waiting for my skin to be ready for a silicon based primer and have been using this for a couple months now. I really like it, so I'm not complaining. I've been putting this on immediately after my moisturizer and then waiting for everything to dry down a bit and I've been pleased with those results. 

L'Oreal Voluminous Butterfly Mascara: This mascara has been so good to me that I haven't even touched the YSL mascara I received from Influenster. I love the brush and the mascara keeps a curl without being crunchy and isn't too difficult to remove at the end of the night. I know I need to move on once I run out, but I'll definitely repurchase this at some point and see if it contends with the MUFE mascara I also loved.

theBalm Mary Lou-Manizer: I wanted to branch out on highlighters this month because I had only been using this one and the Bobbi Brown for as long as I can remember, but this sits in the front of my organizer. I really like this highlighter for when I'm feeling a strong golden look. I even wish it was a little less pigmented sometimes.

MAC Lightscapade: This is an all time favorite highlighter of mine. I had been using a lot of pink blushes, as you'll see in the next images, and this gives a beautiful pink iridescent glow. I have talked about this before, but I love it. This is the original release of Lightscapade, which gives more of a pink iridescence than the newer releases that come off more beige.

Darac Beauty Sifted Blur Complexion Perfector: I hadn't used this in a couple months and then I used it with my beautyblender to set my under eye concealer. In just a couple weeks, I hit that pan in the middle and now I'm considering purchasing a backup because the brand doesn't exist anymore. I've been setting my entire face with this powder and a damp beauty blender and it is perfection. 

MAC Golden Bronzer: I've been using Golden instead of Aphrodite's Shell because I wanted to branch out a bit and this has more apparent shimmer. You can kind of tell from the pan that the rings are starting to show, so I may end up hitting the pan on this bronzer soon. I've only ever done that with face powder and this is in limited edition packaging, so I don't know how I feel about it.

Vincent Longo La Riviera Sun Face and Body Bronzer in Beauty Sin: I was really enjoying this bronzer this month because I was trying to use other products. I don't know if this is going to be my summer color because of how light it is, but I do like how it blends and I already have a dip in the pan.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Achiote: I really love the color of this blush. It's really effortless and just a dab is all you need. The color blends really nicely into bronzer. I love all of my Tarte blushes, but I actually think this one is my favorite.

Estée Lauder Peach Nuance: I love this blush more and more whenever I use it. I feel like I would use it more if I had just ponied up the extra cash to buy this in a compact and not just a loose pan. I never regret wearing this color and the gradient makes it easier to blend. 

NARS Albatross: I hadn't touched this highlight in so long that I almost forgot what it looked like! I was really digging the yellowish sheen it gave me and it was a nice change from pink or gold.

NARS Hungry Heart: This was another highlight I reached for all month that I didn't use for a bit. I was really into glitter for part of the month and this is a really glittery highlighter. I ended up pairing it with glittery blushes because why not be overkill?

NARS Angelika: This is one of the glittery blushes I wore this month and I've talked about this color before. The color itself is really flattering and the glitter doesn't come off really strong, which is why I like pairing it with a glittery highlighter to amp it up.

NARS Super Orgasm: I haven't talked about this blush before because I've barely touched it. For some reason, I didn't think I would like it because of the chunky glitter. The glitter doesn't translate on the skin as much as it looks like it would and the color is a nice peachy pink. I really loved this blush this month, but I think I'm taking a break from the glitter bomb cheeks.

Prada Candy L'eau: I was skeptical about getting Prada Candy, but I really love the L'eau version, which is the EDT. I wore this scent a ton this month and I only ordered it in the beginning of the month. I'm surprised by how much is gone and this is only a 2.7oz bottle. I may need to cool it on this scent and use others. I've been trying to wear them all evenly, but who am I kidding?

Burberry Brit Sheer: Burberry Brit was another scent I saw everyone raving about, but I didn't care for the notes. The Sheer version, however, was another thing. I really love this scent. It's crisp, clean, and fruity without being overkill on the sweet or smelling like laundry. This was another scent I wore a ton this month.

Marc Jacobs Lola: I'm still on the fence, but I might like Lola more than Oh, Lola! and that's saying something. I originally bought Oh, Lola! in the 3.2oz because I thought I would love it. I do like the scent, but I bought Lola in the smaller 1.7oz bottle because I didn't think I would like her as much if at all. I read reviews saying that if you liked Lola, you wouldn't like Oh, Lola!, so that worried me. I ended up buying this smaller bottle used on eBay, like with Oh, Lola! However, I ended up loving Lola and wore it a ton this month.

DKNY Be Delicious Fresh Blossom: I think I may have mentioned it somewhere, but I actually prefer Fresh Blossom to the Red Delicious that I bought a couple months back. I wore this at the end of February and through March. I really like that it has the perfect balance between being sweet and floral and this actually happens to be one of the scents I get complimented on the most at work.