May 2014 Favorites

Monthly favorites posts and videos are some of my, well, favorites to look forward to each month.  I find it almost a little bit fascinating to really think about what my most reached-for products were for and to notice little trends here and there.

1. L'oreal Miss Manga Mascara

No surprise here.  I'm completely infatuated with what this mascara does for my lashes.  While it's not labeled as a waterproof formula, this particular product performs just as well, if not better, than some waterproof mascaras I've tried.

2. Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Bronzer
An easy go-to for a sun-kissed look.  Plus, the smell is just delicious.

3. Tarte Exposed Blush

Still going strong in May, just as it was in April.  We're having some major remodeling done on our house right now, so a lot of my makeup isn't really easily accessible.  This blush has made my mornings really easy; it's tough to mess this one up.

4. Cover Girl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation

This is one of my new favorite formulas.  It really does last on my skin all day, and it applies beautifully with my beauty blender.

5. Jordana Fabuliner

An easy to use, felt tip black liner that's worth every penny (all 299 of them).

6. Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy Perfume

This was a Christmas gift from my mom last year, and I'm so thrilled to finally have it in my collection!  This is my go-to fragrance for every day; I love that it's light and not too sweet.

7. Alex and Ani Bangles

This little swan guy appeared in a Glossy Box a few months back, and I was instantly hooked.  My Amazon wish-list is now crawling with more of these bracelets, but I just couldn't help myself and ordered the St Christopher charm bangle in mid-May.  I've been wearing them almost every day; I love that they chime just a bit without being obnoxiously loud.

8. AG Hair Cosmetics Keratin Repair Serum

My stylist talked me into this a few months ago, and I've been using every time I've washed my hair since.  My ends tend to be dry and prone to breakage, but since I've been using this serum my split ends have been almost non-existent.

What products have you been loving this month?

Drugstore Haul: Ready for Spring Edition

The weather in Portland has finally decided to turn the corner toward spring; granted, it won't be consistently sunny until around July or so, but for the next few months we'll have some pockets of gorgeous weather that will make everyone forget that it's grey and rainy seemingly all the damn time around here, and I just couldn't resist picking up some products that will be perfect for the bright, sunny days to come.

The first thing I came across was the Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in Candy Coral.  Cream products are so nice for warmer weather, and I was in the mood to make a bit of a departure from my usual blush choices, i.e. many variations of pink.  This blush manages to be both bright and subtle; it takes a bit of working to really get it to show up, but for a light-makeup day in the middle of summer, I think it will be just right.  I also picked up the Real Techniques stippling brush with the intent of using it to apply this blush.

Hey, it's my deck that I should have swept first!

Am I the only one who couldn't find the Jordana display at Walgreens for the longest time?  Every time I was there, I would pace up and down in front of the makeup display and remained completely baffled about this storied inexpensive but uber-quality brand.  Finally, success!  It's next to the register in the cosmetics department!  In my quest to finally perfect a winged liner, I picked up the Fabuliner in black.  It's a nice, firm felt-tip liner that swatched as a deep, rich black.  Excited!

I also got sucked in by the Twist and Shine Balm Stains.  I love my Revlon Just Bitten in Honey, but I've heard such good things about Jordana's version that I figured for $2.99, I didn't have much to lose.  In yet another departure from my standard my-lips-but-better fare, I chose the brightest, fuschia-est shade there was.  It's a lot brighter than I'm used to, but I had visions of throwing on a pair of sunglasses and a bright pink lip and heading out into the sunshine, so there you go.

The last thing I came away with was the Maybelline Color Tattoo in Caramel Cool; I've been on the hunt for this shade for a few weeks now and was about to give up on the dream, but there happened to be one jar left on the display, so I chalked it up to fate and it made its way into my basket.

So. Pretty!

What are you loving from the drugstore these days?