Monthly Favorites: June 2022 Edition!

[Anna2BT]

June marks that we’ve already made it to the halfway point of the year, woohoo! Can you believe it, BIC? The time has come again to take a look back and reflect upon all the things that brought us joy this month – in other words, it’s time to share our June monthly favorites! 🌻✨

Here are the items that brought me a little extra sparkle to my days in June:

• Biossance Squalane + Amino Aloe Gentle Pore-Minimizing Cleanser 6.76 oz / 200 ml 
• NEST New York Wild Poppy Eau de Parfum 
• The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Exfoliating Toner 8 oz/ 240 mL 
• PATRICK TA Major Volume Plumping Lip Gloss 
• Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez Stay Vulnerable Melting Cream Blush 

Also, I’m giving a special shout out to the The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Exfoliating Toner 8 oz/ 240 mL – I’ve been using this a lot as a power combo for my face and body! It helps me with the bumpier areas on my skin and I love adding it as a bit of #selfcare in my post-shower routine.

What sparked joy for you this June? ✨ Whether they’re skincare, hair, makeup, fragrance, and/or wellness goodies (new faves or old loves), the Beauty Insider Community wants to know what you’ve been loving this month. Reply below and use the ‘#’ sign to tag those fave products!

[niki172]

@ather that's great to know thank you! I hope it works for you and that you stay reaction-free. I know how painful having a reaction around your eye area can be especially. 

[ather]

@niki172  It’s the worst! Some eye creams or makeup make my eyes water non stop. It’s super irritating. 

[CookieGirl1]

@niki172 Thanks for the mini review!  I've debated on picking it up or not.  How soon did you see results?  Are you using it on lashes or brows?

[niki172]

@CookieGirl1 surprising very fast and I'm using it only on my brow (I read somewhere that lash enhancements can possibly change the color of your iris. IDK if that's true or not but I'm not risking it lol). I saw results in less than 2 weeks. I should also mention that because of certain things going on in my life I forget and sometimes don't apply it every day nor the two times a day that it recommends. I still have kept my results with very little drawback/loss when I forget to apply it for a few days which is really impressive. I've been using it for 3 weeks now and I usually only apply it once a day at that so who knows what I'd have applying it the 2x's instead. I do think it's something that you will have to continually use, but I think that it's a pretty forgiving product which I love. Plus at that price with the reasonable amount that I have to use every day (when I remember) I think the tube will last me 6-8 weeks at least.

[CookieGirl1]

Thanks for your input, @niki172!  I'm more interested in using it on my lashes (it actually doesn't contain the ingredient known to change iris color--I did a little research) but that's awesome to know that it's worked so quickly for you!

[niki172]

ooohh thanks for the info @CookieGirl1 about it not having the ingredient that can change iris color. I may have to try it now - I bought another tube since The Ordinary was having a 23% off sale on their website and I picked up a new serum to try out as well (haven't gotten around to it yet).

[CookieGirl1]

@niki172 wow, if you like it THAT much I really may have to try it!  My lashes could use a little help.

[Anna2BT]

@niki172 woohoo! I love that rave review. Such perfect timing because I just bought it for myself 😂 Yes, with that price I just had to try it! Can't wait to see the results 🙂

[niki172]

@Anna2BT I think you're going to love it! It's become a HG item for me and I cannot believe the results. My eyebrows were getting sparse (the part that's closest to the bridge of my nose - thanks 2000's brow trend!) and holy cow has it helped my eyebrows grow thicker AND fill in. I only wish I could use this stuff on my head to help with thinning. No adverse reactions with my sensitive skin either - I can't stress how awesome this stuff is and I'm really shocked that it doesn't cost as much as another well known brand that makes similar products.

[Anna2BT]

@niki172 omg thanks so much for the extra details, I'm super excited for this product now! 😁

[itsfi]

It feels like I say this every month @Anna2BT (probably because I do 😂), but the days just fly by. Half way through the year already?!! 😲 How?! I've had that TO Toning Solution in and out of my cart since a few BIC beauties mentioned it and it showing up in your favorites is making me move that one up on my list. Loved seeing your favorites - great photo! I had a heavier load of favorites this month.

Spoiler

Thrive Causemetics Infinity Waterproof Eyeshadow Stick (Copper) is a one and done eyeshadow. This gorgeous shimmery bronze stays put all day on my oily lids - no smudging, smearing or budging - some days up to 12+ hours, without a primer.

SEPHORA COLLECTION #LIPSTORIES Lip Balm Date Prep is a repeated purchase and seems to make a presence as a monthly favorite every year. It keeps my lips soft and moisturized and I love the sheer (but buildable) wash of color it gives, this one in a MLBB shade for me. 

RANAVAT Resurfacing Saffron AHA Masque - Radiant Rani 1.7 oz/ 50 mL is probably the most gentle (but still effective) AHA based resurfacing mask that I've used. It does a great job of exfoliating and resurfacing my skin in a short amount of time - 2 - 5 minutes is all it takes! This mini was part of a discovery set I picked up and a full size of this saffron infused beauty will be in my future.

Floral Street Sunflower Pop Eau De Parfum Travel Spray 0.34 oz/ 10 mL is liquid sunshine. The combination of fresh citrus and sweet crisp fruits, sweet, and slightly powdery floral notes and warm, creamy and comfy honey and amber aroma blend together to lift a mood with a refreshing burst of brightness and cheer. It's happiness in a bottle. Thank you @TeamBIC for including this one in the fragrance gratis. I'm almost finished with this travel spray and will be picking up a full size once I'm done. As I said earlier, liquid sunshine - how can I not pick up another one?

I owe @ather a big 'thank you' for introducing me to the Summer Fridays ShadeDrops Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Mineral Milk Sunscreen 1.7 oz / 50 mL. It's lightweight, milky, serum-like consistency absorbs smoothly and quickly, plays nicely with the tinted moisturizers and foundations I've been pairing it with, and imparts a natural dewy glow to my complexion! I love that its a 100% mineral sunscreen that is not stick or greasy and does not leave a white cast. I have a small handful of favorite sunscreens that I rotate through and this will be joining that group.

I switch to gel based cleansers for my second cleanse as the warm weather rolls in, but even though my skin may lean more combination than dry this time of the year, it's still dehydrated underneath and need something that will give me a thorough cleanse without drying my skin. Enter TULA Skincare The Cult Classic Purifying Face Cleanser 6.7 oz/ 200 mL. The scent is a smidge stronger than I care for, but the results are wonderful -  leaves my skin feeling soft, clean and refreshed without stripping it or making it feel uncomfortably tight.

SEPHORA COLLECTION Dry Body Brush - Bye-bye dry, dead skin. Hello, smooth canvas for every body care product that follows - be it a serum, lotion or oil! It's a great way to exfoliate skin before self-tanner too!

[eshoe]

That perpetual calendar looks like something you would find on Etsy, @itsfi - it is beautiful!

Now the Summer Fridays ShadeDrops Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Mineral Milk Sunscreen 1.7 oz / 50 mL you and @ather have been raving about has me excited for my promo to arrive. Yay for double duty glow and spf!

[itsfi]

@eshoe, hope you enjoy your promo of the Summer Fridays SPF. It's a lovely formulation. Thanks; the calendar was something I received as part of a presentation / class I attended. 

[ather]

@eshoe  Yay!! I hope you love it too!! I like it because it feels like a serum and not like a traditional sunscreen!

[eshoe]

Hmmm that texture sounds really interesting @ather. I would like to be able to apply my spf earlier in my routine, but I am afraid of ‘blocking’ other ingredients from absorption. Not sure that I have any basis for this notion, it just seems to me that spf would act as a barrier to entry, ha ha!

[itsfi]

@eshoe, is there a place in your routine where you prefer to apply your SPF, if not as the last step in your skincare routine? @ather 

[eshoe]

@itsfi I do not know enough about how spf works to answer this correctly, but it an ideal world, I would add it first so my skin could immediately block out all of the bad stuff! But with the texture of sunscreen, even really light ones, it is hard for me to believe that adding mist, toner, serum and moisturizer on top would make all of those products work optimally as well. 

Now a serum would get my spf a couple of steps closer in my routine to my skin, so for me, if it provides better/more effective protection-I am all for it! Which is why I am counting the days until my promo arrives 😄 @ather 

[ather]

@eshoe @itsfi  I guess I’ve never thought of it that way before. I like to use my eye cream before any other products so it can really get in there and absorb but I never thought about SPF. I guess for the most part I have used foundation with spf or a spray so I can reapply easily but I wonder how much wears off or melts off. I’m using up #Supergoop! Dailyscreen Moisturizer SPF 40 PA+++ 1.7 oz/ 50 mL  and use it on weekends when I’m not wearing makeup because it doesn’t play nice and I used it one weekend and forgot to reapply and I wasn’t even a tiny bit red. It held out all day but it’s the only thing I used. I wonder how the SF would stand next to it. Maybe this weekend I’ll split my face one half SG and other SF see which one is better 🤪

[eshoe]

Sounds like an interesting little research project, @ather!

I think my foundation contains spf too…which, now that I think about it, so does my concealer. I guess I am more covered than I realized. Which spray do you use?

[ather]

@eshoe  COOLA SPF 30 Makeup Setting Spray 1.7 oz/ 50 mL  I just use it throughout the day when I think about it!! It’s good  but I’m always in the market to test new products!

[ather]

@itsfi @eshoe  I do mine last step after moisturizer. Before foundation!