July Favorites

I have really been itching for July to end. Of course, every month I'm like, "Oh wow, this month went by so fast!" But I feel like July has really dragged on. I probably feel that way because I'm moving across the country in about three weeks! Anyways, I kicked off  July with some amazing purchases at PHAMExpo, and I've had an awesome month for beauty products because of it.

Beauty Blender Solid Cleanser. This stuff is freaking amazing. I am notorious for being really lazy about cleaning my brushes. That's why I kind of hoard brushes, so I don't have to clean them so often! However, between deep cleans, I use the Solid Cleanser to keep everything sanitary, so that when I do finally deep clean my brushes, I don't have as many to clean! It also dries super quickly, so you don't have to wait a few days for your brushes to dry.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit. This contour palette has changed the way I contour my face! The center taupe color is the perfect contour shade for me, and I love using the banana color to highlight under my eyes, while using the shimmering pink color to highlight the tops of my cheekbones. When I had my wisdom teeth removed earlier this month, this contour kit really helped to make my chipmunk cheeks look a lot more normal! As you can see in the photo, this palette is already being very well loved.

Matrix Biolage Fortetherapie Strengthening Conditioner. I have had an amazing hair month, and I completely attribute it to this conditioner. I started using this conditioner early in the month and my hair as been completely transformed! It is so much stronger and healthier than it was before. I use it every other wash in conjunction with my Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Color because it is a bit pricey, but it is seriously worth every penny to have my color-damaged hair feel this soft and healthy!

Aussie Sprunch Mousse + Leave-in Conditioner. Supposedly this mousse is meant for curly hair, but I like using it to give me a little bit more control over my hair. Like I said, I've had an awesome hair month, and this is another product I've tried that I really believe has helped my hair! The leave-in conditioner that is built into this mousse is not heavy at all, and the mousse really helps to hold texture, which my hair has very little of. When I get out of the shower, I will run this through my hair and twist sections of my hair, and it just gives me a really effortless look! And when I curl my hair, this mousse gives me such a defined, piecey look!

Benefit Gimme Brow in Medium/Deep. I always talk about how much I hate my brows, but this product has seriously changed the way I look at them. I still fill my brows lightly, but this tinted brow gel has a fiber formula that makes my brows look like they grow that way naturally! It gives just enough volume to my brows to make them seem natural without looking at all overdone, and the tiny little wand is perfect for keeping your application precise!

I always try to keep my favorites narrowed down so that you don't have a huge wall-of-text to read, but I found so many incredible products this month! Let me know your favorite products in the comments below!

- D.

June Favorites

I can't believe the summer is going by so quickly! As I type, I am looking at my college move in day, which is only 41 days away, and I am just absolutely astonished by how quickly this year has gone by. I feel like I was in Chicago not that long ago, but that was back in February! Anyways, I have just a couple of favorites to talk about this month, so let's go ahead and get started!

Kate Spade Beacon Street Jeanne. I am so obsessed. They no longer sell this version of this bag, however they do have the Holly Street version in "Geranium" available and on sale! Earlier in June, I received a 25% off sale items on the Kate Spade website, and of course, being a curious little cat, I had to check it out. And of course, satisfaction definitely brought me back! This beautiful bag is a charcoal gray color, so it goes with everything, and it's super roomy without taking up a lot of space. It has a patent leather body with 14k gold hardware. Originally, this bag was $398, but I got it on sale for $159, plus the 25% off, which knocked it down to $119! I've always been obsessed with Kate Spade bags, and I think I got a serious deal on this classic bag that I know will last ages. It was worth every penny!

Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Color. I've loved Aussie's 3 Minute Miracle since last year when I bleached my hair, and they recently released their color-friendly line! This deep conditioner is perfect for colored hair, and usually when I color my hair, it begins to fade after just a couple of washes. With this conditioner, my hair color is still vibrant! I loved the original formula, but I love the color formula even more.

Lush Dark Angels Cleanser. This stuff smells weird. Let's just get that out there. It's also pretty rough so I definitely could never recommend this for daily use, despite being a "gentle" cleanser. However, on my psoriasis, this stuff is amazing. I'm not a huge fan of using this on my face because I do have slightly sensitive skin, but I use this on my psoriasis maybe once a week, and I have seen such an improvement! My skin is soft and smooth as opposed to flaky and painful. It is still red as it usually is, but I have noticed that after using this cleanser, the little psoriasis scales that I get usually clear up for a few days. I use this on my entire face once every couple of weeks, just for a really exfoliating deep clean, but for psoriasis, this unique cleanser really helps make my life a whole lot easier.

Wet n Wild H2O Proof Liquid Liner. I know this liner has a lot of mixed reviews, but personally, I absolutely love it. This was the first liquid liner I ever bought, and I still love using it! It's essential for summer, especially if you plan to go to any summer parties where you aren't sure if you will be swimming or not, because this stuff does NOT budge. Period. The only way to get this off is with an oil-based cleanser, and sometimes, that isn't enough. But if you're like me, and you want your liner to look perfect when there is a possibility that you might be in the ocean or the pool (or if it's just insanely humid!), this liquid liner can't be beat in terms of staying power, and is super affordable at around $3!

Band-Aid Brand Advanced Healing Blister Cushions. Okay, so this probably sounds a little bit funny to be talking about in my favorites for this month. However, these things have saved my feet. This month I recently bought a new pair of flip flops, and despite how much I love them, they have been a beast to break in. I feel like I'm super prone to blisters, but these blister cushions are perfect! They stay on really well, and help to cushion the blister against your shoes to make the pain more bearable. I don't think I could ever go back to using regular bandaids again!

And that's it for this month's favorites! I've definitely done my share of spending this month...but I've sworn off of any big purchases, I promise! ;) What have you been enjoying this month?

- D.

Trash Talk

Alright so the point of this post isn't to "trash talk" anyone, but rather talk about the bag of trash that's been piling up in my bathroom. Now, this isn't a huge number of products, but it's definitely more than I usually let build up. Why? So I can tell you all about them, of course! These are a few of the products I have finished up in the past few months, along with my thoughts on them!

• Tresemme Fresh Start Dry Shampoo. So much "no" about this product...I have had this for a few months, and supposedly they have a new formula now, but I don't even want to try the new formula. When I first used it, it actually felt like it made my hair greasier, and it left a really apparent white cast in my hair. I tried to use it a couple times, thinking maybe it would get easier to use since it was my very first dry shampoo, but after like two uses, the nozzle clogged. It's still mostly full, but I can't get any product out, and I don't even think I would want to if I could.
• Up & Up Nourishing Nail Polish Remover. There isn't really much to say about this. I don't really know if it "nourished" my nails or cuticles at all, but it did the job. I prefer nail polish removers with acetone because I feel like they get the job done better, and this stuff is super affordable, but nothing special.
• Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Deep Conditioning Treatment. I have been obsessed with this stuff since January of last year. This is probably at least my fifth or sixth bottle of this stuff, and I recently discovered they have released a bunch of new treatments from their 3 Minute Miracle line! I recently picked up the Color Treatment, so hopefully I love that one just as much as I loved this stuff! It also smells absolutely amazing, and makes my color-treated hair feel super soft without making it greasy.
• Soap & Glory Hand Food Mini. This stuff has saved my hands so many times. I picked up this travel size quite a few months ago and it has lasted me ages! It smells amazing and does a great job, and is super easy to just toss in your bag because it takes up so little room. Soap & Glory's Original Pink fragrance is my absolute favorite, and this hand cream hydrates my hands really well without leaving a greasy film all over my skin. It absorbs quickly and gets the job done!
• Aquaphor Healing Ointment. I became obsessed with Aquaphor when I got my first tattoo done. This stuff seriously does such amazing things for dry skin. I use it in combination with a steroid cream for my psoriasis, and it helps to keep my skin hydrated and soft without irritating it! When the weather starts to get crazy and I find my lip balm can't keep up with my chapped lips, I pull out my Aquaphor at night, and my lips are healed and plump in the morning.
• Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner. This gel liner lasts ages, but that doesn't mean it doesn't eventually dry out. I have had this pot for quite some time (seriously...a really long time), and it's finally time to say goodbye. After fighting with the texture of this liner, I decided I needed to just go out and buy a new pot, because it was just starting to tug and turn a charcoal color, as opposed to the super intense black it was in it's original form. I almost began to think I didn't like this liner anymore, but then once I got a new pot, my faith in this product was revived! 
• Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm. I wear this stuff night and day. The Shea Butter & Vitamin E flavor smells like vanilla cupcakes, and it is a fantastic every day lip balm! It is without a doubt the best lip balm I have ever tried, and has an SPF of 25 to help protect the sensitive skin on your lips!
• Soap & Glory Flake Away Body Polish. It has certainly taken quite some time to get through this body scrub! It has that same Original Pink scent as the Hand Food, and I seriously wish I could describe it to you. It does a fantastic job of exfoliating, and worked wonders on my legs after I got home from Chicago back in February, after fighting against the cold winds that my skin isn't used to!
• St. Ives Oatmeal & Shea Butter Body Wash Travel Size. You may have noticed a pattern. I love moisturizing products. My skin is so dry, but oddly enough, I found that Aveeno products are too hydrating for my skin, and oftentimes just make me feel greasy. I bought this travel size when I went to Chicago, and finally finished it back in April. This tiny bottle lasted me that long! A little bit goes a long way with this stuff, and it lathers beautifully. 

Are there any products you've recently finished that you love? Let me know if there's anything you think I should try!

- D.