It’s Friday I’m in Love With…

Bright Manicures

China Glaze in Lemon Fizz

Spring is here, and with the sun being out I’ve been totally inspired to brighten up my nails. Though I don’t usually go for very dark colors because I don’t like removing them or staining my nails, I do usually stick to nudes, neutrals, and soft pinks. But for spring and summer, I like to take the more vivid colors out of my collection.

I’ve always preferred to paint my own nails. First off, I find it very relaxing. Secondly, I get bored quickly with the color of my nails, so it’s easier for me to change them myself as I end up doing them two or three times per week. I also have the exact collection I want, as I’ve chosen all the colors myself 😊.

Here are a few of my favorite bright colors for spring:

China Glaze I Just Can’t-Alope

China Glaze A Walk In the Park

CND Vinulyx Tutti Frutti

Jamberry Sweet Sangria

What is your favorite bright nail polish?

Thank you for reading this week’s Friday I’m in love! ❤️❤️❤️

It’s Friday I’m in Love with…

Toning in Layers

This is kind of a continuation from last week’s Friday I’m in Love, which was about face mists. As I’ve been more focused on hydration, I’ve noticed that my skin has been showing overall improvement. It looks more glow and plump, less textured and red, and amazingly, much less oily. This was very counterintuitive for me, even though I’ve heard this idea before. But it really does work.

Since I’ve discovered this, I’ve jumped head first into the world of toning. I’ve been loving using a few layers of moisturizing toners to add back hydration after cleansing and using acidic toners. I use these after more active toners like Pixi Vitamin C Tonic and Glow Tonic, to soothe my skin and make sure I’m moisturized, then I’ll apply a serum or moisturizer.

I like to apply these in layers so that I get the most benefits. I learned all of this from researching the “seven skins method”, which completely changed my skincare routine. I start with my most acidic toner, and give it a minute or two to sink in. Then I move to Pixi Rose Tonic, which is pure hydration and soothing. Next, I use Pixi Milky Mist it Coxir Ultra Hyaluronic Toner, followed by another layer of Pixi Rose. The purpose of putting the Hyaluronic Acid toners in between the rose tonic is to give the Hyaluronic something to draw moisture from, as it works by binding to water and holding it in (as I understand it).

I then alternate between one of my sprays. I like to apply my toners by pouring a bit into palm and rubbing it between my hands, then patting it onto my face. They can also be applied with a cotton round, but I much prefer the hand method.

What are your favorite hydrating toners? Do you like to layer yours?

Thank you for reading this week’s Friday I’m in love! ❤️

It’s Friday I’m in Love with…

Face Mists

Face mists are one of those skincare products that I never thought were really necessary. I loved the way they felt so I’ve used them for ages, but did they really serve a purpose? I actually didn’t think so. Something happened recently that changed my mind.

When I discovered retinol and glycolic acid, I jumped into both head first. Usually I alternated nights, sometimes I used glycolic in the AM and retinol in the PM. One day, I did a physical scrub, then a mask, then rubbed some retinol on my face. The next morning, my skin actually hurt. I noticed I was breaking out. My face looked pink. Given all of that, I saw no reason to cut down on my beloved toners though.

I was reading up about a brand I hadn’t tried yet, and I saw a post about over exfoliating. I went down the rabbit hole, and started studying my skin. I noticed I had all the symptoms. I didn’t even realize this was a thing. But I had done it.

So I went on an exfoliation purge. I put away my retinol and GA, swearing not to use them until my face stopped hurting and turned back to a normal color. But, what to do in the meantime?

A huge help has been…these face mists. They’re cooling and soothing, they give a tiny added hit of moisture, and you can spray them throughout the day over your makeup if you’re feeling a bit tight or sore. I use all three of these for different purposes and at different times of day:

Mario Badescu Aloe, Herbs, and Rosewater ($7-$12 at Ulta): I use this mainly at night after double cleansing and before serums. The rosewater is very calming and helps to add a bit of moisture to the skin.

Mario Badescu Aloe, Cucumber, and Green Tea ($7-$12 at Ulta: I use this mainly in the AM after cleansing and before serums and makeup. I find a great wake up mist, and it’s seems to help keep oil at bay.

Pixi Glow Mist ($15 at Target of pixi beauty.com): I am never without this. I use this after I’ve applied all my makeup and setting spray. It adds a beautiful sheen to the skin and intensifies highlighters and shimmers, while melting any powders into the skin. It has aloe and Argan oil so it’s soothing and moisturizing but still very lightweight.

What are your favorite mists?

Thank you so much for reading this week’s Friday I’m in love! 💗💗💗

It’s Friday I’m in Love with…

No7 Lift and Luminate Serum Foundation

I’m usually not one to try new foundations. I have the cc cream and foundation from It Cosmetics (see last week’s Friday post) and I usually don’t deviate from those. But, last week something happened that made me try something new.

A friend from work and I went on a day trip together and we were in the car for a few hours I kept noticing not only how luminous and smooth her skin looked, but also how it stayed perfect through the day. We met at 7:30am and finished the day at 5:30pm, and her makeup didn’t move or become the least bit shiny. On the drive home, I had to ask her what she was wearing. She told me it was this serum foundation from No7, and she’d gotten it at Target for around $15.

Guess who went to Target that night.

I ended up purchasing the No7 Lift and Luminate Serum Foundation first in Warm Beige, which did end up being a shade or two too dark for me. Luckily, the It Cosmetics Confidence in a Foundation I’d purchased is a shade too light, so I can mix the two for a good match. I did end up picking up the shade Warm Ivory, which is a perfect match.

The packaging is very nice; it’s a glass bottle with a pump dispenser. The formula feels like a combination of a cream foundation and a face serum; it’s very lightweight and sets down fairly quickly. It sets to a luminous but not shiny finish, and it does control my shine for at least 8 hours. I do use a setting spray because, well, it’s who I am. But I can wear this with or without a setting powder. It feels weightless, and made my skin look smoother and covered my redness without issue.

I also found that when I mixed this foundation with others (It Cosmetics cc cream) it extended the wear.

I’m so glad I tried this. I’ve work it everyday since I bought it. At $15.99, it’s worth every dollar!

Thank you so much for reading this week’s Friday I’m in Love! ❤️

No7 Lift and Luminate Serum Foundation in Warm Ivory

It’s Friday I’m in Love With…

Smudged Liner

I know this is not a new thing, but after watching a live Instagram video by Harriet Hatfield (@harrymakesitup, she’s so great) I decided to try her method of applying a gel pencil eyeliner and lightly smudging it with a brush. This isn’t super smudged and smokey, but just enough to make the line a bit less precise. I’ve also found an added benefit that since you’re blending the liner already, there’s less chance of it smudging on its own throughout the day. I’ve found this method has helped my eyeliner wear much better through the day, even on my watery eyes and oily lids.

My favorite pencils to use have been the L.A. Girl Gel Glide Liners. These come in a variety of colors; shown here are my most frequently used shades: royal blue, brown, and black magic. These stay quite well and give a precise line when used not blended, but they also blend nicely. Their only $3.99 at Ulta so getting multiples is well worth it, and they perform great for such an affordable price.

To get a soft smudge without getting my liner everywhere, I’ve been using the Real Techniques Bold Metals 102 brush, which I think is intended to be a concealer brush. It has a pointed tip, and is firm but bendable enough to get a good soft smudge but not get all over your eye.

This method really just softens your line, gives a bit more smoke, but still looks clean and finished. I find it to be a perfect balance and great for everyday. I also love how it’s helped the longevity of makeup.

What technique have you tried and loved lately?

Thank you so much for reading this week’s Friday I’m in Love! ❤️

It’s Friday I’m in Love With…

It Cosmetics CC Cream + Confidence in a Foundation

This morning, I accidentally discovered a magical combination. I was never one to mix foundation; in fact, I used to just be one to wear pressed powder all over my face and be done with it. But as aging happened, the need for foundation grew.

I started trying different formulas, and learned quickly that I didn’t love anything too full coverage or too matte. Most in that category made me break out or made my face itch. I loved the look of dewy and radiant foundations, but sadly they didn’t last very long on my oily skin, and inevitably by 4pm everyday my face looked like an oil slick. Then I found It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC Cream. It lasted fairly well, wasn’t too matte and had a lovely glow, and it had great coverage but a pump and a half still felt really light on my skin. So I went through a couple of tubes very happily, my only issue being that could’ve used a tad bit more oil control. Setting Powder and spray were very helpful, so I wasn’t majorly concerned.

Then I saw that It Cosmetics had launched a new foundation that was advertised to have great staying power, a velvet matte finish, and an oil free formula. I couldn’t wait to order my Confidence in a Foundation. Originally, only the It website had it, so I ordered what I thought would be my best color match (light natural). I based it a bit on my cc cream shade, which is light, not taking into account that the cc cream comes in 12 shades while the foundation comes in 48 shades. (The Foundation is now carried in Ulta and Sephora stores for much easier color matching). The shade I ordered was a smidge light, and I was coming to the end of my current tube of cc cream (of course I have a back-up!) so I decided to do a half-pump of each to even out the color.

The results were fantastic for me. I ended up with the beautiful glow I get from the cc cream, but the lasting power of the foundation. It did even out the shade, and the texture on my skin was lovely. It definitely controlled my shine better than the cc cream on its own. Since I now have a full cc cream and foundation, I think I’ve found the magic brew that is perfect for my skin. I used to think foundation mixing sounded high maintenance, but now I kind of get it.

In natural light with no setting Powder

With finished makeup

Shiny New Thing!

Glossier Play Colorslide Liner

When Glossier Play launched on 3/4/19, I couldn’t wait to place my first order. I made sure to get it in before my no buy started, I eased in with two eyeliners. I have extremely difficult eyes when it comes to eyeliner. They water constantly, my lids are oily, and my skin is crepey. Put all that together, and it’s a pretty hostile environment for any liner.

The Glossier Play Colorslide liner looked promising. The website describes it this way:

“Colorslide is the eyeliner where what you see on the pencil is exactly what you get. Plus, a waterproof formula that dreams are made of: a highly pigmented, smooth gel eyeliner that doesn’t crease, smudge, tug, or skip and lasts for 12 hours (matte shades last in the waterline for 8 hours), leaving you to create freely. Draw something new with a pencil that lasts all day and all night.”

I couldn’t wait to open up my little pink bubble bag and try out the formula. I won’t lie, Glossier delivered. The formula is pigmented and slides on beautifully. I found it very easy to apply, and the color was true to what showed in the pencil. I tried it on a pretty cold day, so the second I went outside my eyes started tearing immediately. When I got to work I was sure it would’ve smudged, but my line was still where I’d drawn it. I purchased Brack, a dark brown, and Adult Swim, the most beautiful deep blue. I can pretty much guarantee these won’t be my last purchases from Glossier Play. These liners are so, so good.

Glossier Play Colorslide in Adult Swim

Full Swatches from the Glossier Play Instagram

It’s Friday I’m in Love With…

Shopping My Stash!

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday, which means it’s now Lent. I’m admittedly not the most religious person, but if there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s sticking to a Lenten promise. It’s really a good time to test yourself; to see if you can give up one thing that you really enjoy.

I’ve given up many things in past years, chocolate, soda, ice cream, tea, clothes shopping, etc. This year, I decided to hit myself where it hurts.

A 40 Day Beauty No Buy.

No makeup. No nail polish. No skincare. No hair items. None of it.

This was to serve a few purposes:

1. To save some money. Beauty isn’t free, Am I right?

2. To actually enjoy beauty shopping again. Not to just buy to buy, but to buy because I’m truly excited about the product.

3. To rediscover what I already have and start using it again.

So I went through everything I had, and got rid of anything I knew I wouldn’t use. Anything my friends could use went to them, the rest was donated to a women’s group at a friend’s church. Then, I reorganized everything that was left and found things I completely forget I had.

That fantastic rainbow colored NYX Brights Ultimate Shadow Palette.

That gorgeous, shimmery Tarte Make Believe In Yourself Palette.

The peachy classic Milani Luminoso blush.

The full collection of Buxom Power Plump Lip Balms that I loved buy never wore enough.

I could go one, but I won’t bore you.

The point is, while getting caught up waiting for that next exciting new drop, I forgot how great the collection I already have actually is. And let’s be honest, I’m sure most of us have enough makeup to last us three lifetimes.

Thus doesn’t mean I’ll never buy a new product again. Or, that as soon as Lent ends, I won’t be buying that new green Colourpop palette (I can’t help it. It’s gorgeous). But I’m excited to be excited about makeup again.

An interesting sidebar here, I’ve also become obsessed with hitting pan. I look at #panporn on Instagram constantly, and it’s made me much more motivated to use what I’ve got. Mark my words, I will do a pan post one day!!!

Have you done a no buy? Do you enjoy shopping your stash?

It’s Friday I’m in Love with…

Flower Beauty Mix N’ Matte Lip Duo

Do you ever find that one perfect lipstick in that one perfect shade that makes you want to buy ten of them just in case they ever stop making them?

That’s what happened to me the second I put on the Flower Beauty Mix N’ Matte Lip Duo in Honey Nude. I don’t want ten different colors; I want ten honey nudes. The color is absolute perfection for my skin tone. It gives just the right amount of color and warmth, but it doesn’t pull so warm that it couldn’t be worn with a cool-toned eye. Since the lipstick itself is a bullet and not a liquid, the finish is matte but not drying and stays put for good while. If you need to reapply, it doesn’t cake or crumble. The gloss is more metallic than shiny, and adds another texture and dimension to the shade. Since it’s not a traditional gloss, it doesn’t take away the longevity of the lipstick.

I absolutely love this product. The more I try products from Flower Beauty, the more I like them. I also highly recommend their blush bombs which are equally gorgeous.

Flower Beauty Mix N’ Matte Lip Duos retail for $9.99 at Ulta.

Shiny New (to me) Thing!

Colourpop Fame Palette

As soon as I tried this palette, I had to write about because: I am a very warm-toned girl. Usually, anything remotely cool-tones looks awful on me. I’ve always found cool-tones beautiful but just couldn’t pull them off. Until the Colourpop Fame palette.

The shades in this palette are mauves, taupes, plums, and pinks, but they are neutral enough to work on any skin tone. There are sixteen shades that range in finishes of matte, satin, and metallic. Colourpop’s eyeshadow formula is fantastic; soft, creamy and easily blended. The pigmentation is great but not to intense, allowing a wash of color or you can build them up for more intensity.

Their palettes are also extremely affordable. This palette retails for $22, and Ulta does accept coupons for Colourpop, so I was able to use a $3.50 coupon on this one. These palettes are such a great deal for the quality and quantity you get.

I couldn’t recommend this palette more. The quality is great, the shades are gorgeous, and there’s enough range to take you from day to night.

Five stars Colourpop!

Colourpop Fame Palette via Colourpop official website