APRIL FAVORITES

Full Disclosure: This post is in part gifted by Bootaybag and I am compensated as a freelancer for Function of Beauty.| All opinions are my own!

Finallyyyy it's starting to truly feel like spring/summer, and I could not feel more rejuvenated and thrilled. April's been a busy month for me -- finishing an internship, shooting every week, and freelancing on the side (speaking of which, click here to read my latest Teen Vogue pieces). This month has also been chock full of a lot of throwbacks as well (in every sense of the word!), which has been super cool (never thought I'd say that about reconnecting with old friends, but there you go). And just overall, enjoying new places and opportunities that have been thrown my way. Another takeaway from this month is that I have definitely had a few "New York moments," from passing through 30 Rock nearly everyday on my way to work, to attending a secret speakeasy in an art gallery downtown. It's these one-of-a-kind things that make me feel grateful to have access to such a cool universe in NYC -- and it's moments like these I'll always hold onto. And speaking of holding onto cool things, (hah how cheese of me), without further ado, here are some products I've been obsessed with this past month.

BEAUTY

01. Milk Makeup Highlighter in 'Supernova'- Boy, have I had my eye on this little baby for a while. I am totally obsessed with everything about this little rollerball: from it's packaging, to its pigmentation, sheen and more. It's just the perfect fun purple-toned highlighter I love to throw on for a night out, and it adds the perfect amount of holographic sparkle to any makeup look. Just 10/10. 

02. Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer Travel Compact- I got this little bronzer in a Sephora perk this month, and it hasn't left my purses' makeup bag since. I've always already been a huge fan of this bronzer because of its pigmentation and tone, so it's even better to have it in a mini-version to carry around in my bag for the upcoming warm months. While I'm a bronzing fanatic, I do find that most full-size bronzer compacts are huge -- and this often makes it difficult to throw into a clutch or bag. This smaller version is literally the perfect solution, so kudos to Too Faced for cracking that code. 

03. Cotton Candy Cream Kylighter by Kylie Cosmetics - To be honest, I really couldn't turn down getting one of these after how much I loved her Salted Caramel version. This one is definitely lighter and slightly more pink (probably better for my current paler skin tone, I would definitely not use this if I were tanner), but it still has a really pretty peach sparkle and adds really nice long-lasting highlight to the face. I typically apply this with my fingers as opposed to a brush cause I find that it picks up better on skin. Other than that, super great pigmentation and really pretty color. 

04. 'Literally' Gloss by Kylie Cosmetics - Okay, another Kylie product I know! But let me explain: I ordered my second kylighter and another matte liquid lipstick on Easter weekend, and lo and behold, the Jenner queen was having a "spend $25 and get one free product" deal going on. The free products ranged from lip liners to glosses, so I thought I'd take a stab at trying her neutral 'Literally,' gloss (I mean, if it's free..!) I started wearing it upon purchase and I really like the formula and tone -- and am also impressed by how well it moisturizes my lips. While I'm not a huge gloss wearer, I definitely am pretty happy with this. And while I probably won't repurchase, I'll definitely use it for as long as I can. 

miscellaneous

05. April Bootaybag- Thanks to the lovely ladies at Bootaybag, I got a fun 'mix it up' combo this month, featuring white lace bootay-shorts and a pretty dark green lace pair (which I was so excited to throw on that it didn't make it into the feature photo this month, lol #sorrynotsorry). These pairs are super comfy and I absolutely love the convenience of having these delivered to my door -- (way easier then combing through drawers and piles of underwear at VS or Pink). And I love that the colors and styles are also a surprise with every new bag, so it really never gets boring! Such a clever company with a great cause (for every Insta photo of a pair with the hashtag #undermatters, they donate one dollar to a Melanoma foundation). 

06. Custom Blk & Noir Necklace - So funny enough, I actually got this necklace back in March and forgot (whoops!) to throw it in my favorites then. I've been wearing it so much, to be honest, that I often forget to take it off! Anyway, I always wanted an affordable and small nameplate necklace for KQ, so when I stumbled upon Blk & Noir's site, I was super excited to find just that. You can personalize whatever you'd like on the front, and add cute details like an open heart, diamond, or triangle symbol on them. I'm really impressed with how it's held up so far (literally I've been wearing it for 2 months straight), and I will definitely consider doing more of these in the future. Just a really great place to find custom nameplate/vintagey looking pieces, so I'd highly recommend!!

07. Custom Function of Beauty Shampoo and Conditioner - Last, but certainly not least, I wanted to share with you guys a little bit about this incredible company that I've been freelancing for, for the past month and a half or so! Function of Beauty! So, full disclaimer, I've wanted to try their products for a while now (even way before I started copy for them) and finally got my hands on a custom set this past month. No joke here you all: this regimen has truly changed my hair. Within the first few washes, I immediately noticed a difference in the texture of my hair and scalp, and am truly jaw-to-the-floor impressed (seriously, I will probably not go back to normal generic shampoo/conditioner pairs after this). I promise and fully disclaim that that's my most unbiased opinion about it, but I really encourage you all to try it out to see for yourself! What I can guarantee: you'll be just as pleasantly surprised as I was, I swear!

Here's to May ladies & gents!

"Live a little; comfort a little; cheer thyself a little."

[As You Like It 2.6]

Cheers, xx - A. Martine

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