Summer Beauty Favorites and Fails
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It’s been a hot second since I sat down and did a Beauty Favorites and Fails post (the last one was back here in Novemeber) so I figured I would sit down and just hammer out all my favorite and fails from the summer. Also, just because these products were discovered during the summer, doesn’t mean that you can’t use them and love them year round (because I know I will!)
I love chatting beauty products because it is so exciting to me to help others find makeup that just works for them. I know what it’s like to walk into an Ulta or Sephora and be completely overwhelmed by all the choices and selections. My hope with Favs and Fails is to help reduce that overwhelm and give you all a general idea of what to look for, what might work and what to skip out on all together.
I decided to film another video for my channel (hooray!) and you can watch me ramble down below. I also included the gist of all the Favs & Fails in text form below, too, so if watching videos isn’t your thing, you can still get the deets from this post!
Summer Beauty Favorites:
Milani Eyeshadow Palette (Plum Basics) - Drugstore brands have all been coming out with eyeshadow palettes recently and this one from Milani is the best one that I’ve tried. All 5 shadows are pigmented and easy to work with (one just a little chunky in the glitter department.) This is a great option for those who want to get into the eyeshadow palette world without dropping the big bucks on a palette from Urban Decay or Too Faced.
Jaclyn Hill x Becca Champagne Glow Face Palette - The crown jewel of the summer and perfect for getting your glow on. The formulas on these are fantastic, the colors mix and match well and Rose Spritz is by far the best blush I’ve ever used. This is sold out, but you can still get your hands on her new highlights and blushes by buying the Becca Split Pans at Sephora
It Cosmetics Bye Bye Redness Cream - Literally magic in a bottle and my favorite product of this whole summer. This stuff covers any redness/or problem areas better than any color corrector, concealer or full coverage foundation. I use it under my foundation and sometimes will prime my whole face with it when I’m looking for an even, long-lasting face. It has never let me down and I cannot recommend it enough.
It Cosmetics Your Skin but Better CC Cream (in light) - I went through 2 tubes of this stuff during the summer because it was that good. This CC cream is perfect for summertime or for days when you want to even out your skin without wearing a heavier foundation. It’s really light, but has great coverage and the color correcting properties help balance out your skin. It basically makes my skin look like real skin, just even and a bit more radiant. Plus is has a summery scent.
Colourpop Satin Lippies - I’ve talked about my love for these lippies many times before (like here) and my love for them has not gone away. It’s my favorite lippie formula out there for getting the matte look without drying out my lips and I love how pigmented and long lasting they are. My favorites from this summer were from the most recent Kathleen Lights collaboration: Alyssa and November.
Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Kit in Gleam - My other go-to for glow this summer was this bad boy and boy, does it deliver. All four shades are pigmented and so gorgeous on the skin. I use two of them for highlighting, one as a blush topper and one for bronzer topper (not all at once, though, haha) and they blend so well into the skin without highlighting any texture. My least favorite shade is the blush colored one, only because it can have a weird duo-chrome shift to it if it is applied with too heavy a hand. This is also a great bang for your buck because each kit has 4 full-sized pans. A single ABH highlighter runs for about 36 dollars, but these highlighting kits are 40 dollars, which shakes out to 10 bucks a highlight!
Benefit Bronzer in Hoola - I don’t know why it took me so long to get on the Hoola train (let’s be real, it was the price tag) but I’m glad I finally bit the bullet and bought one. This is by far the best bronzer I’ve used! It’s very pigmented and doesn’t get patchy when blending out, but I really love it because of the color. It’s not too orange and it’s not too ashy, so it’s the perfect shade to warm up the skin without turning into an Oompa-Loompa.
Physicians Formula Butter Bronzer (in the shade Bronze) - This is a great drugstore alternative to the benefit one, although it does lean more towards the orange side. But, it still works great and smells like a Pina Colada, so I basically drench myself in it every time I use it.
House of Lashes Sephora Collection - House of Lashes are my favorite brand of false lashes, so I was stoked when they came out with a line specifically for Sephora. There are three styles (and I own two) and they are so fluffy, thick and are so easy and comfortable to put on. And, in even BETTER news, the HOL lash adhesive can now be purchased online at Sephora. The lash adhesive is the best I’ve ever tried: it dries fast, it makes your lashes stay put all day long and it smells nice!
Summer Beauty Fails (aka, STAY AWAY FROM THESE)
Maybelline Color Sensational Vivid Matte Liquid Lipstick - My biggest beef with this product is that it isn’t what it says it is! It’s a liar! This product does not dry down like a liquid lipstick should; it stays very wet for a long time. The colors are pretty, but this is also extremely fragranced, to the point where I could feel it in my throat! Yuck.
NYX Bright Idea Illuminating Stick - I loved how this swatched in the store, but it did not go on my face like I thought it would. I tried to apply it on top of my foundation and it moved my foundation all around. I tried to apply it under my foundation and it wasn’t strong enough to show through it.
I’d love to hear what beauty products you loved (or what ones failed you) in the comments below and I would be SO grateful if you pinned this post for me to your Pinterest!
