April Favorites

It has been a while since I've done a Favorites post. I haven't been testing too many new products out that I have been loving. I want to make sure I am sharing true favorites with you, lovely readers, so, yeah, that's my long winded excuse for not posting March Favorites.

April was full of showers (some with snow.. bleck.) so hopefully May brings some May-like flowers and sunshine. I do like a little rain so on those days I was exponentially happier than others. Does anyone else feel the same way about rain? I have heard that it makes people depressed and unhappy but, not me. I enjoy lots of things about the rain: the smell, the puddles, raincoats, clouds, free car wash.... the list goes on. But I am so ready for some sunshine!!

My favorites have been the more constant items in my routine and items that I couldn't have survived without. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 





Origins GinZing eye cream
In order to make myself look and feel human again after waking up this has been a MUST. Slap a bit of this on after a morning cleanse keeps my bags at bag and really lights up my under eye areas without globbing on the concealer. When I do put makeup on over it, the makeup sits nicely and doesn't crease or goop up. (Such descriptive words today...)

Clinique Moisture Surge
This was an unexpected free with purchase product from a later favorite. I went into the Clinique counter to get more of my 3-step treatment and the new Cheek Pop blushers, this little guy came home with me too. My skin has been feeling the effect of winter as of late so the more moisture the better. I have been using this at night before bed and when I wake up in the morning all the dry patches are gone! Poof! It is like a nice cold drink of ice water on a hot summer's day for my face. I really like this guy... enough to purchase a full size!

 



Physicians Formula Bronze Booster Beauty Balm
Talk about a name...shesh. I had been on the hunt for a new drugstore bronzer. I watched multiple YouTube videos, read oodles of beauty blogs, and this one seemed to have a lot of positive recommendations. It is shimmery but not too shimmery; it is bronzing but not orange and very easy to blend. I dust it across my cheeks, forehead, down my nose, and under my chin. I have used it to contour but I like it more as an all over color.

 



 



Clinique Cheek Pop in 01 Ginger Pop
The packaging, the design, the color and the texture of this little guy is #flawless. If you are a blush-a-holic, this is must have. It looks like a cream blush but has a powder finish on the cheeks. I use my Real Technique Stippling brush to apply and then I blend with my fingers (if I'm feeling particularly rushed) or my blush brush. The color payoff is awesome -- super pigmented. Start with a little, blend, blend, blend, and layer it on. I don't think I can emphasize this enough - BLEND! I walked into my office at work looking like Frosty the Snowman and I don't want this to happen to you too! Us girls gotta stick together.

 

 





Too Faced Natural Eyes Neutral Eye Shadow Collection
This palette came in my PopSugar box for the month of April and I have been using it every day since. My favorite combination is Day. I put Heaven all over the lid; Sexpresso (don't really care for that name but, hey, whatever) on the outer corner and blend! I put Push-Up onto the center of my lid for a bit of highlight. It comes with a little how-to use guide to create different looks. The colors are super pigmented with little fall out. They are really fun to blend and play with for all sorts of looks. Plus, it is super small (the container is magnetic so that's fun to play with... #geek) which is very convenient for travel.

 



Soap and Glory Flake Away body scrub and The Body Shop Honeymania body butter
I'm going to talk about these two products together because they have been the body care dream team. My skin was not ready for Spring season until these came into my life. The body scrub smells like sugary-peachy-shea happiness. It has scrubbed off all that funky dry skin stuff to leave behind fresh sun ready skin. The body butter leaves a honey scent that is just, ahh, bliss. It isn't sticky and absorbs very quickly. It has been like an IV for my skin. Plus, I smell AWESOME! :D

Caudalie Beauty Elixir
Beauty in a bottle. This feels fantastic on my skin. Story time: When I was a kid and in soccer we had these squirt bottles with fans attached. When we would come onto the sideline for break this was like instant relief. That mist was refreshing and energizing! This product is the adult version of that spray bottle. After I tone and exfoliate my skin, I spray this on for a refreshing, cooling mist. It smells minty and fresh. It makes my skin nice and glowy before I apply my moisturizer. (PS I did already repurchase this little guy.)

 

Herbal Essence Naked Dry Shampoo

Now, I am a huge fan of dry shampoo, but I hate the white-chalky mist on my roots. Enter this product  -- no white mist but all the benefits. It gives my hair that extra oomf. Plus, makes that second day hair look a little less second day.

 

 

That's all she wrote! I hope you enjoyed April as much as I did. What were your favorite products? Anything you'd like to recommend??

 

 

Yours  xx

 

Disclaimer: Everything mentioned above was purchased with my own money, pictures were taken with my camera (unless otherwise noted/credited) and all opinions are mine and in no way represent anyone or anything other than me, myself and I. This is NOT a sponsored blog post. You're beautiful.

April Favorites

I can't believe I'm already doing favorites for April and that I graduate from college on Saturday. It is just unreal how time moves so quickly and yet, moves so slooooow. Okay, let's just jump into these favorites. Shall we? *holds out hand*

Beauty and Body Care

 For the past month, or so, I've been victim of the lazy girl makeup removal mentality. You know when you're just exhausted and the last thing you want to do is go through your nightly ritual of makeup removal, exfoliation  cleansing, toner and so on? Meet the Simple Cleansing Facial wipes. I've been a cleansing cloth user since high school and these might be my holy grail face clothes. They are super gentle, and still manage to take off all of my waterproof mascara!! Plus, they don't leave a residue at all on my skin. Paired with my moisturizer...Ooooof, perfect!

I love blush. Love it. I use it everyday without fail. I don't like to leave the house without it. This palette is the ELF blush and bronzer compact. It was $1. Expectations weren't all THAT high, but oh how wrong I was!! The color is super pigmented in both the blush and the bronzer. I like the bronzer a lot because it doesn't have sparkles in it. (Nothing is more awful than having your skin sparkle with bronzer especially if your skin isn't exactly perfect.) The blush, however, does have sparkle but it is fairly subtle. This color is almost an exact dupe of Mary Kay's "Shy Blush" which I have used for years but a fraction of the price. Plus, super big mirror, which, say it with me now, perfect for a handbag product!! Obviously I love this product.

I'm having a love affair with Lush. See? Just add this next product to the list; it is "Popcorn" Lip Scrub. According to the label, "A sweet and salty lip scrub that smells like popcorn. Scrumptious!!" I like using this when I'm getting ready before applying my lip product and before bed before adding my Nivea Lip Butter. It is an exfoliant for the lips. It doesn't necessarily taste like popcorn but it does taste sweet. You scrub it on and then, my favorite part, lick it off. I know sounds weird, but it is perfectly normal and awesome.

 Bath and Body Works does it again. This True Blue Spa, heck the entire True Blue collection, does wonders. This is the newest member of the product line (came out early April): Raspberry Mojito Cream Gel with jojoba oil. You will smell like a delicious raspberry mojito (erm, without the alcohol)! I was a bit hesitant about the cream gel bit. It has the texture of a body wash (per water) but smooths into the skin like lotion. I've been applying it after I get out of the shower in the more to add a bit of moisture back into my skin. It isn't sticky, which I was worried about it being. And as you can see, I'm almost out. Shoot, guess I'll have to go shopping for more...

And I know this has nothing to do with Beauty or Body but, um this candle? Amazing. It smells like a Lemon Tart. I refuse to burn it because I love it so much. I occasionally get a whiff of it in my room. It is just the bees-knees of candles. I discuss it more here: I (heart) Spring.

Music Favorites

I have been a massive fan of George Watsky since I was a sophomore in college (2 years ago...) when he performed at the NACA conference. He did spoken word... My favorite: here.

So when I found out he was coming out with an album I was obviously STOKED. Cardboard Castles is a work of genius. It is humorous. It is sad. It is insightful. And all around awesome. Please go listen to it. Here are the videos of some of my favorites.

Book and Movies (and Drink) Favorites

I'm combining a couple categories here, peeps. I've been obsessed with Hubert's Lemonade both the Original and Raspberry lemonade. It is a perfect drink for spring and summer. Can't go wrong with some genuine lemonade, ay? Plus, how cute is this bottle!! ;)

Confess: I didn't read any new books this month. I know, I know. I've been lucky to read the books that I've been required to read for finishing up school and I'm pretty sure you don't want me to tell you my favorite book this month is my Technical and Grant Writing book. Not too exciting at all. I can only tell you that Harry Potter is my favorite book so many times, but um, that is my favorite this month. Technically, I did read the 7th book this month (for my thesis) so, it could fulfill both requirements. Yep. That's my book favorite this month. 

Movies...oh sweet, sweet movies. I went to "42" in theaters this month. Very good. Highly recommend. It is the story of Jackie Robinson. I recently, like, hmm, Sunday, went to the chick-flick "The Big Wedding." I thought it handle the multiple story lines well. The content is very adult but damn, it was funny. Very real-life, if you ask me. It is about a family, and this family faces real "problems" in real ways. It is not a tricky plot, at all. But, hey, I liked it.

And my final favorite...COLLEGE GRADUATION! It is here. It is finally here. I never thought this day would come! 

What are your favorites this month?? I'd love to hear!

Yours xx