July 2014 Favorites
I can't believe it's already time to do this again. Have you ever noticed how time seems to move so much quicker when you're an adult than it did when you were a kid? Add it to the list of reasons to want to be a kid again... although I don't spend that much time wishing for that, if I'm being honest. July has been an insanely busy month for me and I feel like until this past weekend I've hardly had a minute to sit still, but there's always new products and old products that jump up to say hello, so I guess there'll always be favorites.
BEAUTY FAVORITES
1. Sonia Kashuk Jewel Of An Eye Palette
I've had this palette since Christmastime, but I hadn't touched it in what felt like ages. I think I probably felt like it was much more of a fall/winter type palette, since I like my summer looks to be a little less fussy. For some reason, I decided this month that I was bored of my day to day neutral eye looks. After watching a few tutorials on Youtube to get ideas, I pulled this out and started experimenting. My favorite look has been using the bronzey shades, which I think make my blue eyes pop and go well with my slightly more tanned skin, but I also did a purple look that I think was really on point. Now that I've played with this some more, I'm officially sold on getting both of the 12 pan neutral palettes as well, just because the shadows are so good. If this is still available, I definitely recommend picking it up because it's really versatile and the quality is definitely on point.
2. Maybelline Dream Wonder Liquid Touch Foundation
This foundation is new this month, but was probably the new release in the drugstore that I was most exciting about picking up. My skin has actually been pretty good - a downright MIRACLE since I've been putting so many new products on it because of Sample Killah - and I think that definitely improves my opinion of this foundation. While the description says that it's medium to full coverage, I would definitely say it's more of a light to medium coverage, but it is buildable. I like to apply it with my fingers and do most of the blending that way before patting over it with my blending sponge (Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge) to get a really seamless finish. One thing that I will say, though, is that this isn't the most long wearing and I find that I need to use a good primer and powder it to get the staying power that I want. But really, it's worth it because the finish on the skin is just beautiful.
3. Physicians Formula Eye Booster 2 in 1 Eyeliner
I already did a review
of this product this month, so I'm not going to say too much about it
here other than to tell you that this stuff is the business. It goes on
incredibly smoothly and requires little to no work. I've found that my favorite way to use it this month has been to apply a pencil liner or a thin line of dark eyeshadow first and give it a little smudging before I define the eye with a very thin, precise line of this right at the base of my lashes. I love the look that it gives, it stays put like a boss, and I never feel like it's a chore to apply it. I definitely recommend this.
4. NUDE ProGenius Treatment Oil
I got this product in the Sephora Favorites Beauty Oil kit and had used it a few times before this month, but I really set to using it regularly because of Sample Killah and I'm pretty sure it's the reason that I've seen such an improvement in my skin this month. This is one product that I used regularly this month, but that I'm not going to make it through before tomorrow, which marks the end of Sample Killah. I don't mind, though, because I'm glad to find that this really expensive product goes a long way. This will absolutely be a repurchase when I make it through this small bottle. Gold, I tell you. It's gold.
5. JULEP Eyelash Curler
I hate curling my lashes. There, I said it. Usually I end up pinching my eyelid or not catching all of my lashes in the curler, and it ends up just looking crimped and annoying. Luckily for me, I don't have really straight lashes that require it all the time. Generally I can get a pretty good curl with just a good mascara. That being said, I love this lash curler. I find it easy to use, I don't end up pinching myself, and it gives a pretty nice looking curl in the end without much fuss. I got this for $1 when it was on sale for the Julep Red Marker Sale and it's definitely my favorite item from that little haul. If you've got the same issues as I do with eyelash curling, I'd definitely recommend giving this a try.
NON-BEAUTY FAVORITES
6. Miss Vickies Lime & Black Pepper Potato Chips
Apparently I'm getting into the habit of sharing snacks as favorites... but I don't mind doing that. I don't snack a ton and me and my boyfriend have been trying to stick to healthy snacks like homemade trail mix or fresh fruit and veggies, but sometimes you just gotta have chips. And these chips are absolutely amazing. They are absolutely packed with flavour, I tell you, and they taste like actual lime rather than weird, vague lime-flavoured powder. I really recommend these if you can get them and this seems like your kind of thing.
7. Shock Top Lemon Shandy
I wasn't going to include this, because a beauty blog seems like a weird place to talk about beer, but I couldn't resist. I'm not much of a beer drinker myself, I tend to prefer to stick to wine when I'm in the mood for a drink, but summertime sometimes seems to call for it and this is what I've been reaching for every time there's a drinking occasion for the last month or so. This is a Belgian style wheat ale with a lemonade flavour and it's just a really, really good easy drinking beer. I'm not a fan of really bitter beers, but a lot of fruit beers tend to be too sweet. This one walks the line between the two quite beautifully. It's just really, really good.
8. The Killing
This has been in my list on Netflix for ages and it's been on my radar since it first started airing, but I never got around to watching it until this month when Netflix really started advertising for the new season (which premieres Friday, August 1). So I finally sat down and started my marathon, a little more slow going that I might have liked - but there's a lot to do that doesn't involve sitting on the couch in the summer. However, I've gotten to the end of season 2 and am working my way into season 3 now. And it's good. It's really good. I like the pace and the characters and the way that it keeps me guessing and never gives me too much. I'm the type who always seems to guess the ending of a mystery somewhere in the first third of a show or movie, so a show that can keep me guessing is really appreciated. I can't wait to see the rest of this. If you haven't watched and this is your type of thing, it gets a huge recommendation from me.
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