MAY FAVIES BABIES (2017)

[jemly]

can ya believe it ? MAY FAVORITES are here. what are you favorite little babies this month ?

i'm gonna preface mine with saying i'm *not* including the reverie hair products i got recently--that i know some of you are curious about--not because i don't love them (i do !) but because i want to use them a bit more so i can really talk about them properly. 

• PETER THOMAS ROTH rose stem cell bio repair cream. what can i say, i adore this cream. i wanted to try it because i swear by the rose stem cell mask from this range, and it had surprisingly good reviews (surprising because anything that claims to be anti-aging tends to have mixed reviews, i've found, due to varying expectations). it's lightweight and soaks into the skin almost immediately--admittedly a feature i didn't love at first as i'd bought it with the intention of using it as a night cream (and i like to feel like a basted turkey as i go to bed). but i was very quickly swayed--and i now i wear it morning and night. not only does it hydrate, but i've noticed the pores on my nose (my problem area) appear smaller. my skin tone is very even and bouncy. and it's a lovely mix of nature and science (my preference). seriously--if anyone wants to ask me any questions about this, please do, because i want to keep talking about it !
• NARS x CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG velvet shadow duo, rue allent. i've worn this almost every single day since it arrived at my door (which is virtually unheard of, no matter how enthusiastic i am for a product). it's maybe replaced my HG NARS eyeshadow duo 'bellissima' as my very favorite. the sheer formula sweeps on evenly but can be built up--natural looking liner or dark smokey drama all over the lid. the light side is a perfect inner corner highlight without looking too frosty (something i don't like on me), or can be used as a light sweep over the dark side on the lid for a hint of added dimension. i'm already feeling anxiety over this not being a permanent item.
• NARS x CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG multiple tint, jo. this is my favorite multiple EVER ! the texture is lovely, it's sheer but buildable. so natural looking but instantly brightening. 
• THE SUM - THE GOLD EDP. this is the latest launch from a little indie brand out of portland. it's like a beach scent for lydia deetz. beach sand cooled by the moon rather than warmed by the sun. jasmine, clove oil, sandalwood and dirt. i can't stop wearing it.
• JORDAN SAMUEL - plié cleanser. just a pleasure to use. to be clear, i don't use this to remove makeup, but as a second cleanse or morning cleanser, so i can't speak for that. but i love how it feels--it's very similar, though not exact, to the beloved NUDE omega jelly cleanser. cleanses skin but leaves it feeling bouncy rather than stripped. the price is great too. (this was a gift, and i'm ever so grateful !)
• RIDDLE OIL -- santal body lotion spray. another scent discovery this month, riddle oil santal is primarily a spicy cardamom and sandalwood scent, with amber, mango blossom and a hint of vanilla. i love the smell (it smells of the incense that was burned in the first yoga studio i ever frequented !), and something about a lotion in this spray form is just such a pleasure. 
• DIOR addict lip glow color reviver balm. i'm such a lipstick junkie, but it's just not been my jam this month. i needed to check my lips into rehab. and just about all i've worn this month is this ! i sleep in it, i go to work in it. my lips are so hydrated and plumped that i swear they look bigger ! i want a couple more (i just have the original pink shade, which gives the perfect natural brightening pink glow)
• REAL TECHNIQUES miracle complexion sponge. it took me a while to dare to try it, but i did, and i feel like it changed my life. i get it now. this is definitely my favorite sponge of ones i've tried (including beauty blender)--my makeup melts into my skin in a way i didn't realize it hadn't been doing before. 100% love.

what made you feel fab in may ?

[Mcakes]

Oh that's good to know about the rubber, thank you @wheeeee! That's disappointing that it does that. Hopefully they source better droppers in the future 😞 The product itself still seems worth exploring though.

[wheeeee]

All droppers do this!  They look nice and I like to apply with dropper....... but, once the bottle is almost half empty the droppers don't seem to hold up.  

Maybe a pump would be better. 

[Mcakes]

You're probably right! I just can't remember lol. I had the Luna oil but don't remember it collecting too much dust. The KORA Noni oil I'm using right now has more of a smooth rubber texture and not the typical dust collecting feel so it's been great at repelling dust so far.

It doesn't bother me too much either way though-especially with hair product. Maybe I'll save the bottle from the Reverie Milk for when I order the oil in case my dropper starts faltering. 

[StephaniLynn]

1. Loreal Pro Matte Foundation - hands down my most favorite foundation I've used, the only foundation I've completely used up. 

2. Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray - my skin has been changing, not as oily has it used to be. I found that De-Slick was drying my face too much and making my makeup look super cakey and powdery. I've switched completely over to All Nighter and could not be happier. 

3. Aerin Rose Hand & Body Cream - I love that this soaks in and doesn't leave my hands feeling tacky or greasy but also moisturizes my hands. Don't let me forget how good it smells!

4. Ulta Full Coverage Concealer - Holy coverage. This stuff conceals everything! I've been using this to brighten my under eye, I love that it doesn't crease and is waterproof so it doesn't get all oily and make up mascara smudge off my lower lashes. 

5. Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette - tis the summer of glowy skin. I've tossed my 'matte' powders aside and have been reaching for this palette everyday. Mainly the 2 lighter shades mixed for all over my face for a lit from within glow. 

6. Mario Badescu Cucumber Green Tea Spray - so refreshing. I will spritz my face after the shower for more hydration, I've even started keeping a bottle in the fridge for extra hot days. Leaves my faced feeling soft and bouncy with hydration. 

[MissEmilly]

May flew by! hard to believe in June, we're halfway done with 2017.

This month was a whole lot of rediscovering old favorites.

MAC Strobe Cream - Received a sample of this in one of my MAC orders and I forgot how much I loved mixing this in my moisturizer for a "lit" within look! It doesn't make my oily face look more oily which is a plus.

ABH Brow Wiz - I picked this up in the Ulta 21 Days because it was such a good deal, but started using them once I was done with the Benefit brow pencils. Really liked how nice and pigmented was, really easy to work with. It's in my everyday makeup bag.

Khiels Avocado Eye Cream - I have dry undereyes and I found this moisturized it so well. Another big plus for it for not creating milia for me and it's such a big jar!

Mario Badescu Cucumber Facial Spray - very refreshing, doesn't leave a film on my face like most facial sprays do, and the scent doesn't bother me like the Rose one does. Cheap & I have back ups!

Verb Hydrating Mask - this makes my hair soooo soft. It's unbelievable and my hair stays incredibly soft until my next wash.

Loreal Pro Glow - I mix this with the ELDW, because by itself I look too oily, but this combo is amazing for the California heat

Farmacy Sheet Masks - I love all their sheet masks, specifically the Soothing and Deep Hydration one. I like the leftover essence from these as well and picked up a bunch from their 20% off sale.

[Anonymous]

I discovered the Verb mask this month as well! It makes my hair so so so soft and doesn't weigh it down. Such a gem!

[Asche]

Oooo I'm excited to see this mask being talked about! I've been eyeing it for ages. Might be time to take the plunge. 😄

[katgoulding]

@Asche I LOVE Verb. A salon I recently stopped working for carried the product line, and it's so affordable and so effective. I reach for  their hydrating shampoo almost every time I shower (I have way too many shampoos and conditioners to choose from). I think it's great Verb came out with an actually affordable line that works. I wish more people knew about Verb and would ditch their drug store brand hair care! So worth it and you really do get a good amount of product!

[starsandbucks]

Lipsticks:

I suppose it's a good thing that I never tried YSL lipsticks until this late in my life because I would have spent a lot of money on them over the years. I LOOOOVE this formula to pieces. So far my favorite shades are #10 and #24.

tarte Rainforest of the Sea Color Splash lipstick - I've never been a big fan of tarte but I picked up one of these lipsticks during the March sale and was super impressed. I bought two more and they're just great. Shown here is Salt Lyfe but the other shades I have (Rum Punch and Siesta) are just as nice. 

Blush:

I think this was on my favorite lists last month but, ungh, I adore that Real Techniques blush brush!

As you can see I've developed a bit of a Charlotte Tilbury blush habit. I still love my Givenchy but I think I like my CT just a smidge more. I'm endeavoring to collect them all. So far I have (from l-to-r) Ecstasy, Love is the Drug and Sex on Fire. 

Skincare:

Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day Lotion - I really didn't want to buy this! I had originally bought the Dr. Dennis Gross Vitamin C/Collagen serum and no matter how little I used or how long I would let it sit on my face it would ball up when I went to add another product over it. I had to use such a minuscule amount to prevent it from happening that I wasn't getting any benefit from the product. I gave it about six weeks and finally threw in the towel and returned it for this, which does NOT ball up and applies flawlessly and is a joy to work with. 

Concealer:

I had a big 'ol bruise on my face that none of my concealers would cover - wrong shade, too sheer, etc. I bought this palette from Makeup Atelier and the concealers are super thick and opaque. I could custom blend a bunch of colors and finally cover my bruise. This kind of palette was never something I felt like I needed...until I needed it. Glad I now have something like this in my arsenal.

Honorable Mention

This will probs go in next month's favorites because I've only had a few days to play around with it but I'm so enjoying the NARS Loaded palette. The longevity of the shadows is so good! I'm glad I finally bit the bullet and treated myself. 

[mrsbaine]

I have to agree with you on your honorable mention @starsandbucks! I like the palette a lot and reached for it a lot over the last couple of days in the month. I used it today and it was beautiful. 

[ashanizer]

@starsandbucks I was going to mention C-Firma too!! But I haven't been using it long enough to give a solid anecdote on it. Just like you, I was so hesitant to buy it hahah but from the time I initially thought about getting it to the time I actually did buy it, I bought 3 $50 foundations and I was like what am I doing with my life?

Alas I bit the bullet and couldn't be happier! Good to hear it's working out for you too 😄

[ashanizer]

May was the month of orange!

I had to throw a filter on for the aesthetic 😉

Anyway, all were purchased in May aside from the Lorac Unzipped Gold Palette.

Foundation: Oh maaaan. The Givenchy Mat Velvet foundation is to DIE for. Every foundation I have used before has settled into every nook and cranny on my nose regardless of primer, but not this one! I love the smell, though many will probably say it's too strong + the shade range is not very diverse. The shade is a bit dark and orangey (lol keeping with the orange May theme!) but a little tan will fix that. The Wet n Wild Photofocus Foundation is a gem from the drugstore. Honestly I wouldn't even think twice about getting a foundation from them but so many ppl were raving about it that $5 was definitely not going to set me back just to try it. And boy am I glad I did! This foundation is going to get a lot of use so I don't feel guilty about overusing my $50+ foundations. 2 cons: smells like paint and not the good kind like UD's concealer (LOL) and no pump.

Blush/Bronzer: I've been dying to look for an orange subtle blush and Becca's Tigerlily delivered.  It's such a pretty color. It looks rather intimidating in the pan but sheers out nicely without sacrificing pigment. I've been wearing this nonstop this month and even using it without bronzer. The formula is very smooth and I wouldn't expect less from Becca's powders. And of course I had to get MJ's O!Mega Coconut Bronzer. I love how this is definitely buildable and not a slap in the face as far as pigment goes, so it's very forgiving. The smell is divine as well! Definitely a must have to get in the groove of summer.

Eyeshadow: I purchased Lorac's Unzipped Gold Palette many moons ago but only recently have actually played with it. The shimmer shades are the BEST. I love applying them with my finger all over the lid. The bottom middle shade was the reason I bought the palette, but I've been really digging into the top middle shade. I've been using that shade and only that for my eye makeup this month to look more awake and have a pretty gleam. Then in came ND's Sunset Palette. The orangey tones called my name like a siren's song. Even though ND's shimmer/foiled shades are great, I've actually been using the Sunset palette in conjunction with Lorac's a lot. I've been getting the prettiest sunset looks! Both formulas are the best I've used.

Lips: I love Wet n Wild's Liquid Catsuit formula. I find it's really the only liquid formula my lips can handle while feeling comfortable and holding up its pigmentation. Recently I've been combining Flame of the Game and Pink Really Hard to get a pretty orange hue!

Nails: I've always loved OPI's formula but recently came across this gorgeous pastel orange shade. And since I've been loving orange this month, I HAD to have it. The shade is in Is Mai Tai Crooked?

Perfume: Oh boy. So I have never been inclined to buy a Chanel perfume for myself...ever. I've smelled No. 5 hated it and was convinced that no other scent would capture me. I WAS WRONG. I don't even know what compelled me to spray Coco Mademoiselle but I did and I've been hooked since. (I'm only 23, but I don't find the scent to be too mature, but obviously nowhere near unsophisticated)  Can you get addicted to perfumes? Because I feel like I ALWAYS need to be smelling this. I got this in the beginning of May and I've already created a sizable dent in it 😮

[ShannonAlexis]

Not too many this month!

- First Aid Beauty Coconut Smoothie Priming Moisturizer: I was having a problem where if I don't let my serum/moisturizer sink in long enough then my makeup would slide around or break up, and I don't have enough time on workday mornings to let it sink in. I replaced my morning skincare with this and my foundation doesn't move or wear off!

- Guerlain la petit robe noir deliciously shiny lipstick in Beige Lingerie - that is a long freakin name. I just call it my ice cube lipstick. I don't like wearing lip stuff but this is soo light and comfortable and shiny. It's my go to right now. It's even taken the place of my Dior lip glow because it's more hydrating. The only think I don't like is how strongly scented it is.

- Becca flower child blush: This is not new, but I've been enjoying brighter and more colorful blushes since I dyed my hair darker. This has been my go to. Its also a very nice finish and easy to blend.

- Nars silk road - my mom actually picked this out even though I have been thinking about it for a long time. It's soft and glowy, very easy to wear every day.

Other favorites: Legion tv show, The Voices movie (with Ryan Reynolds), and the tiramisu cupcakes we had for my birthday!

[Titian06]

Happy birthday @ShannonAlexis!  I love tiramisu!

[jemly]

what a perfectly little collection of favorites @ShannonAlexis ! and happy birthday !!!! 🙂

i want to dive head first into those cupcakes

[starsandbucks]

That blush looks almost as beautiful as those cupcakes! 😉

[Mochapj]

Loveeeeee Legion! Also, those cupcakes look 🤤

[katgoulding]

tiramisu is my favorite!! i can only imagine how good those cupcakes were

[katgoulding]

I love your description of the fragrance by The Sum, Lydia Deetz speaks to me on another level. Was it limited edition? I'm not seeing it on their website for some reason, or maybe I'm just not looking in the right place.

I wish I had favorites to talk about, but this month went in a flash and I've been so sick all I've really been doing is my skin care regimen. Still in shock the month is gone 😞

[jemly]

hi @katgoulding ! they actually haven't launched it yet ! but last month they went ahead and let me stock it in my shop (i swear this wasn't intended as a plug !). i'm not sure what their plan for it is, but if it's something you want to get your hands on you can call the shop and i can ship it to you. i'll send you a pm 🙂

[fairlywell]

Pm me too please? Did not know you have a shop! @jemly