JULY FAVORITES
First thing's first, it definitely wouldn't be appropriate to post this without acknowledging a "happy birthday" to Harry Potter. Contrary to what you might assume, I've actually always been a huge fan— in fact, I can probably explain the wizarding world just as well as I can talk about makeup or fashion or Shakespeare, it's that engrained in me. But if you ever asked me why I'm so wrapped up in narratives like Shakes plays or Harry Potter, I'll answer it simply: a truly successful story to me is timeless — it can transcend any time and any space, and recognizes the real characteristics of what it's like to be human (or in this case, a wizard, but still a very humane wizard at that). That's why I love to look at the world through a bit of a literary lense.. and that's why I'll always end my posts with "a sprinkle of Shakespeare sagacity" — those quotes are, ultimately, pretty useful. But alas.... enough with my rant (I can go on with this for hours) and let's get into the products I've been loving this month.
01). Makeup Forever Pro- Sculpting Palette- An excellent starter contour palette for individuals like me who don't really want to spend too much time or energy contouring! No but seriously, this is a great find if you're looking for some colors to shape your face.. I'm especially in love with the champagney-highlighter swatch. The consistency of these are also great, excellently creamy but not sticky or over-pigmented. A simple swipe of these on your face, with a little blending and you're good to go. Super compact for traveling too, so I will be taking it with me when I'll be away for the next few weeks.
02). Mac In The Sun- So since this is my 'oldie but goody' product for the month, it's been discontinued as far as I know, so I linked the newer version of Mac's large sparkly shadows (which are very similar). But this is probably one of my favorites in my entire collection because it's the perfect mineralized combo of gold and maroon that looks gorgeous on the crease. It also screams summer to me but is really gorgeous for all year around!
03) Mac At The Beach - This is from Mac's new collection of pro-longwear waterproof colour sticks, and I've been using it non stop on my lids as either a base or solely by itself. It has just the right amount of sparkle where it's not overwhelming, and it's perfect for swiping some color on your lids if you're actually heading to the beach or pool (pun intended? lol).
04) Mac Paragon - Another nude, champagney color I've been loving this month on my tearduct and a little on my waterline (if you have sensitive eyes, I would be careful with this as it's a shimmery pencil that might irritate your waterline if you use it there, just a warning!) It really does the trick of lighting up your eyes and just looks gorgeous on tanned skin. I love versatile products, so I played around with it as a lip liner/highlighter and it works just as brilliantly.
05) NARS OASIS - Another oldie but goody!!! I LOVE this blush guys. I kind of rediscovered it in my collection this month and it's just gorgeous and really compliments a summer glow. It's a mauvey-pinky-purple tone with gold flecks, and it just looks absolutely beautiful on any skintone. Definitely a must-buy if you don't already own it.
06) King K by Kylie Cosmetics - So after being incredibly impressed with Dolce K last month, I took the plunge and purchased a few more Kylie colors, King K being one of them! First off, I have to say I love the "metal matte lip" idea. It's something I've always thought would be so beautiful on the lips because I always loved Latte by Lush Cosmetics (a metallic peachy-champagne), so when I saw that Kylie was coming out with actual liquid lipsticks of the same concept, I knew I had to try one. I went with King K, because well, I love gold, and I felt that this one would look the best with my skintone. Needless to say, I'm impressed with this product once again, and wore it a lot over other lipsticks this month (it looks glorious over Mac's Touch and Mac's Taupe). So, well done again, KC.
07) Bandanas!!!! - So I definitely felt I had to throw this into my favorites this month because I've been obsessed with wearing these around my neck. They just compliment every outfit so nicely and add a trendy flair without overdoing it.
Here's to August guys--- SO many exciting things coming and I can't wait to share them with you all. Keep posted on my Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to see what I'll be up to.
"Heat not a furnace for your foe so hot that it do singe yourself" [Henry VIII 1.1]
Cheers, xoxoxo - A