Sunday, August 7, 2016

July beauty favorites

July was an interesting month for me.  I had a house guest from England for over a week which is why I haven't blogged for so long.  I love seeing friends from far away but all the time it takes to prepare, entertain, and then recover keeps me away from my regular day-to-day life.  But needless to say, with a Brit here I drank lots of tea!

I also developed a renewed interest in Star Trek this month, as my boyfriend kept playing their movies on tv.  There is something so comforting to me about William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy.  And in fact the whole thing lead me to explore some of Mr. Nimoy's poetry which in turn got me back into my love of poetry in general.  I discovered a phenomenal new poet Melissa Tripp and bought her uplifting book of poetry root..

My obsession with beauty products took a toll on my wallet especially this month, but I made up for it with a deep joy and appreciation of what I already had.  So let me tell you all about those....


Make Up Forever Aqua XL Eye Pencil Waterproof Eyeliner - matte pastel purple.  I bought mine at the very beginning of Summer and I have used up over half of it by now.  It's the easiest thing in the world to throw on for a complete summery eye look.  It's waterproof, which means that for most of you it will wear all day on its own, but with my type of lids I needed an eyeprimer to make it last.  Other than that this lilac gem is perfection.



Marc Jacobs Beauty Glow Stick Glistening Illuminator.  "Glistening" is the key word here.  This cream stick gives almost a wet look; nice and natural for my more mature skin.  It is one of the few highlighters that doesn't emphasize my uneven skin texture/pores/wrinkles.  I even use it when I'm not wearing any other makeup at all.  The irresistible packaging is what first lured me in - so cute!



boscia Tsubaki Oil Deep Hydration Hydrogel Mask gives phenomenal results.  I initially bought only one but after using it ran out to get some more.  I can't remember the last time my skin was so plump and firm and glowing.  I think the Tsubaki oil is the key - I love that stuff.  The Asian market really knows how to rock skincare!




Benefit Goof Proof Brow Pencil Easy Shape & Fill.  This pencil is aptly named.  I am usually a disaster with my brows, but this pencil helps me to easily achieve brows worthy of a beauty YouTuber.   With its wider angled tip it can be considered a dupe for the famous Anastasia Brow Definer but I actually like the Benefit one much better.   It is exactly the right consistency and pigmentation - I find the Anastasia one too hard and dull.




Diptyque Candle in Vanille.  Diptyque candles are always a luxurious treat and I bought this one in a midnight online shopping binge.  I haven't even lit it yet because the smell is so perfect wafting from my bedside table.  It's not only vanilla, but also a smoky, spicy, grown-up comfort scent.  I just can't get enough of it!



Bath & Body Works Body Lotion 1)Peony 2) Country Apple* 3) Raspberry & Sweet Mint.  I bought all three in June when they were on sale for only $3.75 each. B&BW always has some kind of sale going on though, so wait for that.  This store is my guilty pleasure - it's all sweet stuff that appeals to my inner child.  But actually I find their body lotions to be some of the most hydrating (and is it my imagination but also kinda firming?) around.  It's all in good fun! 


Phytomer Seaweed Soap exfoliates like a dream.  It feels incredible, like you are gently scratching that sweet spot.  And it almost single-handedly is responsible for the eradication of my Keratosis Pilaris AKA "chicken skin".   Phytomer is a fantastic French spa skincare line, that I've been using since 1999 when I first encountered it at a spa I worked in.  The healing benefits of seaweed are renowned.




What were your favorites this month, beauty or other-wise?



* The Country Apple ended up smelling kinda generic but I still love the other two.


all products reviewed were either bought, researched, or sampled by me. And product pictures were stolen from the link's websites. I am not financially compensated for my reviews


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