How are you spending your Summer Fridays?

[Guessgal]

Summer Fridays starts today for me so it got me thinking, how does everyone else spend the extra time off? I switched jobs late last year and my new company has Summer Fridays, which is a totally new concept for me. I'm thinking of spending the extra days experimenting with some reel ideas and documenting the process here. From mini road trips to cold drinks / ice cream on the patio or even makeup flatlays outside, I'd love to hear how you're spending time in the sun!

Here are some of my photos that incorporate the sun!

Anastasia Beverly Hills Sun Dipped Glow Kit® Powder Highlighters Sun Dipped 

SEPHORA COLLECTION Rouge Lip Tint 

TOM FORD Cream and Powder Eyeshadow Duo Naked Bronze 

TOM FORD Ultra Shine Lip Color Paradiso 

TOM FORD Lip Color Lipstick 16 Scarlet Rouge 

Lancôme L'Absolu Rouge Drama Matte Lipstick No.388 Rose Lancome

Benefit Cosmetics Chachatint Cheek & Lip Stain Cha Cha Tint 

Let's document our Summer Friday memories together! ☀️ And if you don't have Summer Fridays, you can also share your summer plans and sunny beauty collection ☀️

[itsfi]

Love reading about how folks have spent their summer Fridays @Guessgal; great idea for thread. 💗 I've never worked at a place that had a company-wide formal (or even informal) summer Fridays policy, but at a previous job, I did take every Friday off one summer, beginning the Friday before the Memorial Day weekend and ending the Friday after Labor Day. It was a while ago but thinking about it now reminds me how nice that time was. Recently, I decided to take off a few Fridays this summer, either a half day or a full day, to get in some me time. 

2022 summer Friday #1: A day in the park

I took it easy for my first summer Friday. Started the morning off with a leisurely walk for a cup of coffee and then to a park where I spent a couple of hours walking around and then finding a spot to stretch, sit and read. Later in the day, I went to pick up some nibbles for lunch and headed over to a local nursery to do some window shopping for the garden. This was such a pleasant way to get in a little time for myself. 

2022 summer Friday #2: Getting my makeup done

A sales associate I work with reached out to me to see if I was interested in getting my makeup done during an event they were hosting. Ummm, yes, please. I'm often not able to make events during workdays or evenings because of prior commitments, or some days, I'm just too tired, but the timing worked out for this one so I took hold of the opportunity and I'm glad I did. Had a great time!

2022 summer Friday #3: Spa time

I spent part of this most recent summer Friday at the spa, where I had some R&R and quiet time. I was able to go at a time when there were minimal guests and had the entire steam room and sauna to myself. It felt nice to unwind, and the 80 minute detox massage didn't hurt either - well, technically, there were parts that hurt, but in a good way. I knew there were parts of my body that were tight (hello, neck and shoulders!) and discovered ones I had no idea I was holding tension (calves, hmmm?). I felt so much better after the massage (and still have that "ahhhh" feeling. I'll be using these treats they sent me home with this week. 

It's felt really good to have some self-care time. I have one last summer Fridays left this week. Haven't fully planned what I'll do for it, but will stop by here to follow up. 

[Guessgal]

@itsfi I loved reading about your summer fridays thus far! It felt so peaceful reading through your post, with the walk in the park and spa day! I've never been to a spa or even gotten a massage before (they're always booked up during the holidays when I want to go), but you've resurged my interest in them! And that's so cool that you got to model the makeup for an event! I always wondered what that would be like! Was the audience very engaged/asking a lot of questions?

[itsfi]

@Guessgal, ahhh, thank you! It was really nice to just have a day that was low-key. Oooh, I love massages but they are not for everyone. There are different kinds depending on your preferences / needs. Oh Guessgal, I highly recommend a spa day. They do get booked up during the holidays. If I'm able to do it, I like to go in the middle of the week or at times when the spa is not too crowded. Sometimes I go with friends, sometimes I go by myself. The one I went to had a steam room (love this for my skin) and a traditional sauna (versus an infrared sauna which I want to try one of these days). They also had a small heated pool area, a wet room (?) and a quiet room. All so calming. 

Oh, whoops. I must have misspoke. One of the brands was hosting a special event where their Creative Director had one-on-one time to go over makeup, skincare, etc. Some of the makeup artists were present and we all asked questions and chatted away about all things beauty related - it was super fun! I even picked up an eyeshadow color that at a glance was definitely outside of my comfort zone but the entire quad looked so pretty when he did my makeup. Speaking of which, I should put that one in the rotation. Ha! 

[heartsmyface]

@Guessgal  Ha, well this summer Friday was spent tidying up camp gear,  drinking iced coffee, playing in makeup and practicing piano, but to be honest I didn’t even know it was Friday until just now.  
oh and watching bumble bees!   

 

I love your photos by the way!  They look like professional shots!  

[itsfi]

@heartsmyface, just reading about this summer Friday puts me in a great mood. Good for you for practing piano. I used to play when I was a kid. Iced coffee, mmmm. 😍

[QueenMarceline]

@heartsmyface Awww what a relaxing Friday. ❤️ 

[Guessgal]

@heartsmyface That sounds super relaxing! I haven't played the piano in ages and not quite sure I still can 😅 I like seeing the bumble bees too, especially when I'm taking photos near the flowers. I try not to bother them when staging photos bc I get a little nervous when they fly around me. And thank you for your kind words about my photos 😊 I'm hoping to take a few more before the summer ends!

[ather]

@heartsmyface  Sounds like a perfect summer friday!

[Guessgal]

I know I have not been updating this thread lately, but some unexpected things happened in the family health-wise so I haven't been online as frequently. Anyways, I went on a business trip last Friday and thought it would be fun to share some of the travel size items I brought with me as part of my Summer Friday adventures.

There were some gems but unfortunately, also a dud:

• La Mer Mini The Cleansing Foam 1 oz/ 30 mL I've used this a few times before this trip and it does a pretty good job cleansing, nothing to write home about for a cleanser, but I do find its light green colour intriguing as I apply and rub it in. Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream Anti-Aging Moisturizer with Hyaluronic Acid  was also a pretty standard cream.
• Sunday Riley U.F.O. Salicylic Acid BHA Treatment Face Oil 1.18 oz/ 35 mL I originally wanted to use the CT Magic Serum, but last minute dropped this into my bag because I was using UFO a couple nights before my trip and I just love the way the oil re-hydrates my skin. I think it also has helped calm down my skin (even when I haven't been the nicest to my skin), since it has salicylic acid & BHA. My skin definitely feels clearer with it and I'll be buying the full size once I'm done with this deluxe sample
• Bioré UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence Water Base SPF 50 - My aunt got this for me and WOW this is such a gem. I can't believe I put off using it since I had other products. I used it as a primer and the watery texture just made my skin so smooth and ready for foundation! Plus, the fact that it has SPF in it is a major bonus!
• Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Cream Blush Provence Okay this was an absolute dud... I mean I kind of figured since it was getting mixed reviews, but I received a deluxe sample with my Sephora order recently so I decided to give it a go to see for myself. Yeah, it was not pretty. It just went on blotchy, as if I couldn't get the blush to show up in all the places I wanted. When I tried to add more on top, I wondered if some was actually being lifted onto my finger because my finger looked like it had more colour than my cheeks by the end of it. So the next day, I tried using this blush as an eyeshadow and while it was alright on the eyes, the colour didn't stand out that well on my skin tone (see photos below). By the end of the day, I couldn't even tell if I still had the eyeshadow on, although I'm sure it all wore off since that night was rather warm and I recall sweating.

         

• ILIA Mini Fullest Volumizing Mascara Classic Black I've enjoyed using this mascara. I think the lift/staying power isn't bad compared to others I've tried, would give this 4/5. Only thing though - I really wish I remembered to pack a loose setting powder to set my lower lashes/under-eyes! This mascara doesn't usually travel, but I think I underestimated the LA heat. A setting powder would've also helped with mattifying excess shine on my face too
• Benefit Cosmetics Mini Precisely, My Brow Pencil Waterproof Eyebrow Definer I brought shade 3 and 4.5 with me and wow these are really one-time use! I was surprised to see how small they were!! Out of the three days, I was able to stretch the samples to 1.5 uses and still ended up okay, but I definitely know to pack more of these or even bring a small brow palette just in case. Overall, I liked this brow product and think I match better with shade 3, as shade 4.5 was slightly too dark for my liking
• MAKEUP BY MARIO SoftSculpt Transforming Skin Enhancer® Medium @itsfi I recall you asked me about this as a highlight on the gratis thread. I ended up bringing this on my trip to see how it looks as a highlight, but I think the colour ended up blending in with my Laguna bronzer since the highlight and bronzer placement are next to each other. I might try again using it as a highlight on its own without bronzer or blush that might distract from it, but so far, I'm mostly liking this skin enhancer as a bronzer/contour. Let me know if it works for you as a highlight! 

         

• Lancôme L'Absolu Rouge Drama Matte Lipstick in 388 Rose Lancôme - I love this shade, it's my go-to! It's a bright, summer-y pink, but deep enough to provide contrast for my face, as I don't like light, baby pinks.
• Know Cosmetics No My Lips Are Sealed lipstick topcoat - I actually happened to see this at my local SDM right before my trip and thought why not bring this to keep everything in place? It worked really well the first day and I didn't see any lipstick marks on my mask at all. The second and third day, though, I wonder if it's because I put multiple layers that caused some smudging on my mask. Will need to try the sealant again to see if my theory is correct!

Lastly, I got the pleasure of meeting up with @Buootiful for lunch on Sunday before I flew back home. It was such a nice day and perfect for visiting a rooftop patio! The views of Hollywood were also spectacular! You can see how sunny it was with all the glares in this photo haha!

[itsfi]

@Guessgal @Buootiful what a fabulous way to spend a summer Friday❣️ I love this photo of you beauties. 😍

[QueenMarceline]

@Guessgal I love this! You and @Buootiful both look gorgeous. I hope you enjoyed your lovely meet up ❤️ 🙂

[missjeanie]

I love that you both got to meet up for lunch @Guessgal @Buootiful !  You both look gorgeous of course!  I'm also going to have to add the Biore to my next overseas purchase!  I use and love their SPF already so I'm figuring this would be a hit as well. 

[Guessgal]

@missjeanie Yes, yes! Do let me know your thoughts if you end up trying the Bioré 😊

@itsfi also thought I'd update you on my post above about the Makeup by Mario skin enhancer as a highlighter. When I pat it in lightly as a highlight (no blush/bronzer added to face), it gives a nice gleam, definitely very subtle and could work with a natural makeup look. I think I'm more accustomed to highlighters that really pop on the face so I'll likely stick to using this product as a bronzer. Were you able to get it to work as a highlight?

[itsfi]

Thank you for the tag and follow up @Guessgal! The Medium shade in the Makeup by Mario Skin Enhancer works best on me as a bronzer or eye shadow on the face. I've also liked using it on my legs with the Sephora Collection body brush - it's great to add some color and sheen, nice over self-tanner or bronzing cream / lotion.

MAKEUP BY MARIO SoftSculpt Transforming Skin Enhancer®  

SEPHORA COLLECTION Makeup Match Body Makeup Brush 

[Guessgal]

@itsfi @missjeanie Oh yes! I have been using it as an eyeshadow too for a monochromatic look when I have it on as a bronzer (mostly because I haven’t tested out other eyeshadow combos with it - I just know it has to be something warm, perhaps I’ll try it with a gold shimmer next). I also love the large SC body brush you tagged here! Adding it to my loves list! 🛍 🛒 

[itsfi]

@Guessgal @missjeanie, I’ve been impressed with the body brushes from the Sephora Collection - this one and the one for dry brushing have been great. This one also works well for body oils; it soaks up some of the product but it’s not too much. 

[missjeanie]

@itsfiLove the ideas of using the Make up by Mario as a body bronzer.  But.... I'm 100% trying it as a shadow tomorrow!

[ather]

@Guessgal  Ahhhhh that’s amazing you got to meet up with @Buootiful  I just love seeing all the special friendships we make on here!

[Guessgal]

@ather @curlychiquita @blackkitty2014 Yes! I think it's really cool that through this community, I can say that I have friends in all these different parts of US & Canada! Hopefully one day we can meet up too just like this! 🤞

[Buootiful]

Hopefully, there will be a Sephoria we can all go to next year! @Guessgal @curlychiquita @ather @blackkitty2014 ❤️