This summer is going by so quickly! I can't believe we're already in August -- halfway through 2010 already! July was a particularly fun month for me because of my birthday on the 18th, leaving me with some great makeup and beauty goodies to share over the next few months. For now, though, let's take a look at my favorite products from the month of July! :)
LIPS
This month, I've been really into pinky-red lipsticks. If you'll recall, Viva Glam Cyndi is a favorite of mine, and this month I discovered a MUCH cheaper near-dupe in ELF's Barely Bitten mineral lipstick. Now, this happened COMPLETELY by accident during my first ELF order because the colors on their Web site are so off that I really didn't even know I'd be receiving the colors I did. Then once I started swatching them, I realized that Barely Bitten looked a lot like VGC, so I swatched them next to one another and it's very close! VGC has a slightly more orange tone, and is actually a bit more sheer than Barely Bitten -- you can decide for yourself whether the dupe is good enough or not. At the end of the day, $5 is much more affordable than $14.50! ;)
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| Viva Glam Cyndi (top) and Barely Bitten (bottom) |
EYES
This month, I forayed into liquid eyeliner for the very first time. Originally, I tried the Clubbing liner by Bourjois, but hated it because it was messy and created a thicker line than I wanted (it's probably my fault because I'm new to this, but I just knew it wasn't working for me). I decided to try something that would offer more control, so I purchased the NYX Felt Tip Liner in Extreme Black and this stuff is great! It still requires some practice on my end, but I notice that the slightly less flexible tip actually makes it easier for me to create a thin line.
In eyeshadows, I am LOVING my newest MAC quad that I received for my birthday. The colors I got were Carbon (a matte black), Satin Taupe (a grayish brown), Parfait Amour, a metallic purple, and Shroom, a nude highlight. Together, those four colors can take me from day to night, casual to dramatic. And because I purchased the shadows in pan form, I saved myself about $16!
CHEEKS
My favorite blush of the moment has got to be NARS' Deep Throat. Really and truly it's a perfect everyday blush -- a pinky peach tone with a tiny bit of gold shimmer to it. What I like best about it is that it initially goes on quite sheer, but can very easily be built up to a more dramatic color. Granted, it's quite expensive ($26), so I made sure to purchase mine in a "Value Kit" at Sephora so I didn't feel so guilty. :)
SKINCARE
I bought the Clinique Anti-Blemish Solutions toner completely on a whim because my local CCO was out of my normal toner (the number 2 purple kind). I'm so happy I did! As I'm sure you know, I have trouble with acne, particularly on my chin, but occasionally in other areas too, like between my eyebrows or on my cheeks. While I can't say that this toner has prevented breakouts, I definitely notice that it treats them and helps heal pimples and blemishes MUCH faster than they go away on their own. The funny thing is that the ingredients don't show a special "active" ingredient like Salicylic Acid, so I don't really know what is doing the trick, I just know that it works!
RANDOM
I am TOTALLY in love with my new Caboodle storage boxes/train cases. I got these at ULTA for Buy One, Get One 50% off, and together they are big enough to house my entire makeup collection with some room to spare. I'm not sure that these are the best method for storing your makeup for everyday use, but if you travel a lot or are moving soon (like I am), you really can't beat it.
And there you have it, my favorites for July -- let me know what your favorite products are below! Here's to a great August!
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