One of the things several of y’all requested to see on the reader survey were more of my favorite products and…my beauty routine. Which made me laugh because have y’all ever seen those beauty routine videos on youtube where the girl shows herself getting out of the shower and putting on her makeup? I can not even do that on the internet. I look like a hot mess without makeup on. But here is what I’m loving in the mornings right now:
Favorite Makeup:
1) Sonia Kashuk Super Sheer Liquid Tint Blush in Poppy – I was on a girls trip recently and my friend Harriet had this blush, which I discovered because I completely forgot my entire toiletry bag and had to borrow contact solution from her. Who goes on a girl’s weekend away with no toiletries and no makeup? I do. What is wrong with me? Anyhow, Harriet always looks flawless, like she just stepped out of the pages of a catalogue and since we have similar skin tones I put it on my to-try list.
Then I went to Target the following week and found it on clearance for half off and I had a coupon. So obviously it was meant to be. So far I’m really loving it because it doesn’t scream ” I’M WEARING BLUSH” which can be a problem for us fair-skinned girls. Also pictured are my favorite Sonia Kashuk eyeshadow quads and Sonia Kashuk bronzer, which I wrote about here because I love Sonia Kashuk makeup. I feel super nervous that the blush was on clearance and maybe isn’t going to be carried anymore now that I’ve fallen in love with it. So I went back and bought another bottle, just in case. I also bought a pink color for the winter months, when I’m even more pale than I am now. I know, how is that even possible?
2) Smashbox Camera Ready CC Cream – I tried a sample of this at Sephora and then hyperventilated over the cost and then broke down and bought it. It’s much pricier than my typical L’Oreal counterpart but I have to say that a tiny bit goes a really long way so it’s definitely lasting me longer, which helps me swallow the hefty price tag. And? I like the CC cream way better than the BB cream. The BB creams are all just a touch too heavy and most break me out. The CC cream is not nearly as thick and it looks much more natural on but covers really well. I need a good coverage because my skin is blotchy and often broken out (thanks for nothing, PCOS) and this works great.
Plus, I wore it for really long work days in Florida humidity and it still looked good at the end of the day. When I’m not wearing full foundation, I wear Everyday Minerals Jojoba Alabaster Base powder. I’m a huge Everyday Minerals fan because unlike Bare Minerals, it doesn’t break me out or make me want to scratch my face off.
3.) BeautyBlender Sponge – I don’t know how I lived so long without this thing. Seriously, stop using brushes or your fingers or those awful sponges that you buy at the grocery store and invest in one of these. Mine actually came in a promotional box and I was like “HOLLA!” because I had been dying to try it.
My friend Jeanette uses one of these and I would watch her put on highlighter, lowlighter, concealer, foundation and then just use this to blend everything together and it is seriously some sort of magic because you don’t even look like you have on makeup, you just look fresh faced and glowy when you use it. I dampen mine with a little bit of water and use it to blend my CC cream in and I don’t even know how to tell you how much I love this thing, except that I have been recommending it to everyone I know.
(Click READ MORE to continue reading b/c I use a lot of products, y’all)
4.) Benefit They’re Real Mascara – This was actually my birthday freebie from Sephora (go here to get yours) this year. I typically use Mary Kay Lash Love and I’m a pretty die-hard fan of it so I was happy to see that the Benefit mascara in They’re Real had almost as good results, but it is pricier than the Mary Kay so while it’s definitely worth picking up as a freebie, I’ll stick to the Mary Kay when I’m spending cash money. I’m planning on trying Tarte mascara next because my friend Amber posted some crazy good pictures using it on facebook so we’ll see if it replaces my current long term love.
5.) Cover Girl Outlast Lip Stain in Scarlet Pucker (#402) + Fresh Sugar Rose Lip Treatment in Sheer Berry– My sister introduced me to the lipstain at her wedding a few years ago and I’ve been wearing it ever since. On days where I want a bold color it’s the best because it lasts all day long. I just layer the Sugar over it. On days where I’m just running out the door I wear the Sugar Rose by itself. The Fresh Sugar Rose Duo was last year’s birthday freebie at Sephora and my mother gave me her pack as well so I’ve been trying to make it last as long as possible because it’s also a little bit pricey for lip gloss. I read this review by Melissa Jenna that said the Maybeline Baby Lips was a pretty close alternative to it so it’s on my list to try when I run out.
Favorite Skin Care
1.) Kiss My Face Castile Soap in Grassy Mint – I use this as face wash except for a few hormonal times a month when I resort to my Cetaphil. I have incredibly sensitive skin so the Kiss My Face soap is great because it’s gentle and doesn’t leave it feeling dry and stripped. I like that it makes me feel fresh faced first thing in the morning.
2.) Rodan + Fields Unblemish Face Wash – I don’t actually use this as face wash, I use it as spot treatment and also as a mask on occassion so it ends up lasting a really long time. It’s similar to the sulfur spot treatment from ProActiv only I think it’s better since it’s formulated specifically for adult acne. It’s definitely the best spot treatment I’ve ever used, they should totally market it that way. I only knew to try that because my consultant mentioned that she used it as a mask + spot treatment and I think it works way better that way! I typically leave it on while I do my hair.
3.) Yes To Blueberries Moisturizing Body Wash – I really love most things in the Yes To line. I’ve been using their cucumber face moisturizer for awhile now. They sent me a few bottles of the body wash to try out and the blueberry is my favorite. If they could get it 100% natural rather than 95% I’d be even happier. (I’ll be doing a full review on this soon but they also sent me an exclusive buy one, get one 50% off coupon code to share with my readers. You can go here to use the code Y2LINQ on the body washes – note that this is a promotional link.)
4.) Alba Botanica Natural Hawaiian Oil – Jeff got me this for Christmas and I use it every day after my shower. Maybe that’s too much information for you but my skin is silky smooth and I smell amazing so… I also put a little bit of lavender oil on at night, which is from what used to be Nourish Organics but is now called House Blend Organics. I put that on Scarlette every night as well. I also love supporting House Blend Organics because they are a small business based where I used to live in Tennessee and are really wonderful to their customers. Also, totally forgot that I was going to write a night routine post, which is why this is featured here.
5.) Mary Kay Timewise Face Care – I use the entire line, the microdermabrasion cleanser, the serum and the eye cream. Because I’m thirty now y’all. And also Scarlette doesn’t sleep. Like, ever. So eye-cream it is. I like the entire line but if you’re in the market for an eye cream I highly recommend this one. I feel like I can tell an immediate difference after I use it.
6.) Cover Girl Outlast Stay Brilliant Nail Polish in Coral Silk – This is the perfect coral polish. Not too pink, not too orange and coordinates nicely with my turquoise sandals. And surprisingly it doesn’t chip quickly, which is nice for a pretty inexpensive polish.
Also? I’m still on the search for the perfect under-eye and spot concealer for my twilight-esque fair skin so I’d love some recommendations. Or, share your favorite beauty products because I just really love beauty products, y’all. It’s the southern in me.
(Disclosure: amazon links are my affiliate links, others are just direct links to products to help you find them, and all of the Mary Kay links and the Rodan + Fields links are for consultants who are also blog readers – they didn’t perk me or ask for links, I just wanted to share the love around a bit. Special thanks to YesTo for providing the coupon, which is a sponsored link.)
