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Saturday, March 30, 2013

Monthly Favorites: March 2013

Hello everyone! It's time for my March 2013 Favorites! These are products that I discovered or recently started using this month that I really liked. The prices are approximate and will vary by location, so what I paid might not be what you would pay if you purchased the product by you.



Yes To Cucumber Face Cleanser Towelettes ($6 ~ 25 wipes) - I only wash my face at night (my face is really dry, so the last thing I need is to strip it of oils twice a day), so these are nice in the morning to freshen up. Plus, they feel really nice on your skin, leaving your skin feeling fresh and cool. I really like the "Yes to" line in general; the products are overall good quality and I find that they've never led me wrong. They can be found at Target.





Lancome Genefique Eye Youth Activating Concentrate ($60 for .5oz) - I never would have purchased this for myself, but my good friend who works at Macy's gave me a .25oz. sample for free, so I just had to try it. This was my first-ever eye cream. It has caffeine to stimulate the blood flow, which reduces dark circles and puffiness. I don't have a before-and-after picture to show you, but I can definitely tell you that it has reduced my dark circles for the long term. I still do have puffiness after not getting enough sleep (because it's inevitable, especially when you're a theatre student), but my under-eye area looks a lot better. I have been using this eye cream every night (I put it on after cleansing and before my face moisturizer) and I can definitely see a difference. Of course, it takes a while to see a visible difference (at least a few weeks) but one day I was just looking in the mirror and got surprised by how much lighter my dark circles looked. I'm very pleased. Would I repurchase it? I don't know yet. I still have quite a bit left (as you can see in the picture to the right) so I still have time to make that decision. I might try out some other eye creams so I can do a better comparison, but so far I really like it! It can be found in Sephora, department stores, and on HSN [Home Shopping Network - allows you to make two payments of $31, which is nice]. 


Aveeno Positively Radiant Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30 in Fair to Light ($17 ~ 2.5 fl. oz.) - I actually was not a huge fan of this at first. I didn't like the texture of it and it did not moisturize my dry skin nearly enough. One day, just at an attempt to start using it up, I mixed it in with my regular daily moisturizer, and I've found that I really like it. It gives a sheer coverage as it is, but mixed in with my regular moisturizer it is even sheerer. However, I feel that it just gives my skin a nice glow. This doesn't provide a lot of coverage, as it is only a tinted moisturizer, but I like to use it on days when I'm in a hurry or when I feel like I don't feel like my skin looks relatively free of blemishes. It can be found at drugstores, Target, and Ulta





 NYC Smooth Skin Loose Face Powder in Translucent ($3 ~ .7oz) - I really like this setting powder! I have dry-to-combination skin, so I like to "mattify" my T-Zone when I put my foundation on, and occasionally (depending on how long I have had the foundation on for) I will reapply midday. It really is translucent--I can't see it on my face at all--yet I really feel like it keeps my liquid foundation/BB Cream on all day and takes away excess shine. It gives such a natural finish to your face, and it's $3! Come on, people! I also like that it doesn't emphasize my pores, since I have rather large pores (or at least, to me) on and around my nose. Only downside is that when you open the top, the powder goes into the air and might make you cough a little. But it's really not so bad. It's a great product, and it's $3 (I clearly can't say that enough)! It can be found at drugstores.



NYC Smooth Skin Bronzing Face Powder in Sunny ($3 ~ .33oz)  - Last time I was in CVS, there was actually a Buy One Get One 50% sale, so I got both this and the Loose Face Powder (above) for around $4.30. That is insane! It is especially crazy, because I am in love with this bronzer. I use it as a contour powder, and I think it is just the perfect shade for fair skin. I have yellow undertones, but I have heard that people with cool undertones really like it as well. It's not too dark or too orange. It's just amazing! And it's matte, which I love (not a big fan of anything shimmery for a bronzer or contour powder). I really can't say enough good things about it. The only downside is that the packaging is a little difficult to work it (it's hard to open, and you get a random little flat white "sponge" that I classify as garbage). But otherwise, it's a STEAL. And isn't the sun imprinted in the powder just so cute? It can be found at drugstores.






Maybelline Dream Lumi Highlighting Concealer in Ivory ($8 ~.5 oz.) - With the help of my new eye cream, my eye circles aren't as bad as they were. However, I still have dark circles, and this covers them up quite nicely. It is not a very thick or pigmented concealer, but it does cover up my circles and it has a nice highlighting quality than illuminates the area. I put will usually put a setting powder over it (like the NYC Powder) just to make sure it stays in place. I would definitely repurchase it! It can be found in drugstores, Target and Ulta.






Revlon Lip Butter in Red Velvet ($8 ~ .09oz) - I am obsessed with this! This is the first time I've tried one of their lip butters, and I am officially in love. They're so moisturizing that if you're something who doesn't normally get dry and chapped lips like myself, you wouldn't even need a balm. Since they are so moisturizing, you need to apply them more often than regular lipsticks (every 1-2hours or so) but since you'll have to reapply lipstick at some point anyway, why not make it a lip butter? I like this because I tend to shy away from reds, but this one isn't an n your face red. It's the subtle red for the shy makeup wearer. I absolutely love the packaging--I think the quilted case is just so cute! I would repurchase it, but being that I will probably hit "pan" or any lip products ever, I don't think I'll ever need to. Revlon Lip Butters can be purchased at drugstores.




Burt's Bees Ultra Conditioning Lip Balm with Kokum Butter ($4 ~ 4.25g) - I don't know what "kokum butter" is, but it sure does the trick! I suffer from dry, chapped lips all the time, and this works nicely. It's a bit less waxy than Chapstick and other brands that can be bought at a dollar store, and I think that might be why it works better. I've had this tube for awhile, and I'm lucky enough that I tend to not lose my lip balms (knock on wood!) so I hang onto them for awhile. And it's in a cute little (it's cute because it's little) tube like most lip balms so I can toss it in my bag and whip it out when my lips get dry. I usually apply this a few times a day when I'm out and about, especially in the winter time when it's cold and windy outside. It can be found at any major drugstore chain.




The Body Shop Mini Mango Body Butter ($6 ~ 1.7 oz.) - I love this! It smells so good, and it's super thick and creamy, like a body butter should be. I put this on before I go to bed, or sometimes during the day. It is a tiny bit greasy, but that's not something I mind since it makes me feel like my hands are getting moisturized. I got it for free off a friend, but I would repurchase it, especially since the mini size will last me an incredibly long time. It can be purchased at The Body Shop.

Song: "Wanted" (cover feat. Julia Sheer) by Alex Goot. - Oh my goodness, you guys. I have probably listened to this song every day for the past three weeks. I'd never heard of it until I heard his cover, and after listening to the original by Hunter Hayes, I realized I liked Alex's version SO much more. Julia Sheer has a beautiful voice, and I absolutely adore all of Alex's music. This song is available on iTunes, as are almost all of his covers, as well as his original album, In Your Atmosphere. His songs are also available on Spotify for free. (but I loved this song so much I bought it and put it on my iPod).


Well, I think that's everything. Until next time!


With love,

Sammi

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