blush

Aug Loves

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Oh man.. August has passed already?! Insane! I have gotten a bit busy with work, vacation, and school starting so I haven’t been able to post. I am back today though with my August favorites! Even though its late but better then nothing.

I haven’t been using or venturing out to many new products this month since the weather has been rising in LA. Weird.. global warming! Our seasons are totally out of whack. Its been nice and cool during the whole summer until the end of August and BAM went from mid 70’s to 80 to 90 to 100’s.

 

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If you have read one of my earlier post on what I packed on my vacation then you’ll be familiar with this combo. Mac’s Styled Blush and Nars Orgasm Illuminator. Together these two give you the prettiest golden glow on your cheeks. I have been in love with this and have been wearing it since mid August.

 

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Mascara’s are one thing that has been getting used up in my collection one at a time. Since I’m not allowing myself to buy new ones until all the ones I own are used up, I have just been picking up mascara that have been neglected in my drawer. The Maybelline One by One has never been a favorite of mine. Not saying that its a bad mascara but its not one that WOWs me (i much prefer the falsies). I have been really liking this one actually. Mainly because it goes really well with the lighter make-up look that I have been opting for. So if you like the more natural separated lash look then go ahead and give this a try. Holds well throughout the day and I haven’t really experienced any smudging and my makeup is on for 12+ hours a day!

 

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Blotting paper. This has been a MUST. With the weather being so hot I have noticed that my face is getting more and more oily as the day goes on. I have tried many other blotting paper but ultimately, I have to say that the Clean & Clear one is my favorite. I feel as though my oil is really getting blotted and it mattifys(?) my face. Best one in the market. If you guys know of one thats better then definitely let me know.

 

nature valley

Random Food Favorite of this month is Nature Valley’s granola bar. I use to eat these ALL the time when I was in high school. But too much of one this will eventually get boring. I haven’t had one in a couple of years and recently I discovered new flavors. Say what!? Peanut butter flavored.. drool.. You guys know I love peanut and almond butter so this was delicious! It just reminds me of how good these bars are so I have been craving them for the second half of august. Its not the most healthiest bar considering that it doesn’t provide much protein or fiber but needless to say its a good and delicious snack to have in your purse.

Summer Trip – Makeup

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For the Summer travel series.. lets start with makeup!

 

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I am determined to travel as light as possible on this trip. Mainly because I’m not going for that many days so there is no need to overpack. With makeup, I have placed everything in a clear plastic cosmetic baggie that was a freebie from Shiseido. I chose a clear bag because if I’m going to be sharing a room with other girls, most likely their going to bring their makeup as well. To prevent me from sprawling all my products on the counter I can just leave everything in the bag and not have to take it out because I see everything inside already! Saving space and time from when it comes time to pack and leave.

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  • MAC – Style Frost blush (since we’re going to be out in the sun, I wanted a more orangey/coral blush)
  • NYC blushable Creme Stick – Urban Spice (bronzing stick to fake that bronzed look before I get my own natural tan. ahah I’m actually not sure if this was discontinued)
  • Lioele – Beyong the Solution BB Cream (didn’t want to take a foundation with me because I probably won’t want to wear any. But this BB cream will work for day and night because theres no SPF. During the day I will have to put on something with higher SPF anyway so bringing a BB cream/Foundation with SPF in it wouldn’t do much good as to how versatile the product will be.
  • PUR – 4-1 Pressed mineral Makeup – Light (Instead of bringing my regular powder, bringing a mineral powder or powder foundation is great for when you’re on vacation. It gives you the option of being lazy and not have to fuss over your face makeup in the morning. This PUR mineral face makeup gives good enough coverage to cancel out redness and minimize the looks of pores. If you want fuller coverage then simply use a concealer with it and TA-DA light make up for a beach day.
  • NARS – Orgasm Illuminator – (Gorgeous highlighter to use with a sun kissed complexion.)
  • Physicians Formula- Conceal RX – Natural Light (Since both my face makeup is not very high in coverage, of course I need to compensate by bringing a higher coverage concealer for when I want to be more made up … like for dinner or something)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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  • Physicians Formula Eye BOOSTER Eyeliner – ( Pretty self explanatory, my fave liquid liner right now so of course it would be my eyeliner of choice to bring on a trip.)
  • Covergirl – Liquilineblast – Black – (For the most dramatic eye look, a pencil liner is a must)
  • Majolica Majorca – Lash Enamel Glamorous Volume On Mascara – Black ( since I’m going somewhere thats going to be hot hot HOT! I am definitely brining a mascara that will stay put)
  • Urban Decay – Eyeshadow Primer Potion
  • Glitter Liner –  (just for fun, might not even use it. BUT if I get the chance to use it on a night out then I definitely will.)
  • Sonia Kashuk – Tongue in Cheek – 15  (used for a more sultry night time look)
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  • Too Cool for School – Party Time (I bought this in Korea and I have no idea what the color name is. But I love this for day time and just bring with me for on the go because there is the cream shadow base on the bottom and two shadow colors that I use on a daily basis on top. Its compact so its perfect for traveling.)

 

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  • MAC – Mineralize Eyeshadow – Fresh & Mint – (Fun colors that can be pulled off during vacationing by the beach with a pop of blue/pink on the lower lash line. )

 

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So that concludes the Summer trip makeup that I will be bringing on my trip. What products do you bring? Got any good suggestions? Let me know! Next post will be on Skincare!

❤ Jess

Summer Picks

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Since summer is in full swing, let me share with you some summer products that I have been reaching for the most and items in the general category that is a must have for the summer season.

What do I look for in products I use in the summer?

It must be light weight, smudge proof, and long lasting.

FACE: Skin79 Super BB Triple Functions -Whitening

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OK, so Summer = Tinted Moisturizer.At least thats what I think. And for me, BB Cream is pretty much a tinted moisturizer but better. (Don’t think I need to go on about what a BB cream is since you can easily google it and you’ll get TONS of information on it.)  This one that I have has higher coverage than usual tinted moisturizer. SPF25 (protects against UVB  – causes sunburn) PA ++ (protects against UVA- causes premature aging, sunspots, skin cancer) Many Asian skin care products have PA protection levels (more + the better) and the Western markets are starting to introduce it. Best to look for products with both SPF and PA protection.  The color straight out of the pump is a bit gray but after you blend it out, it matches my skin tone perfectly. (about Mac NC25-30) Given I am quite pale, so I don’t think that this will work for people who have darker skin tones. This lasts about 7-8 hours before the coverage starts fading but considering that this is a BB cream I find that to be perfectly acceptable. I can’t say that this is great at oil control though. I don’t have the most oiliest skin, but a couple hours in I do see that my face gets a bit shiny, so for my oily friends, you probably will need to use a oil control primer.

EYES: Estee Laudeer Double Wear Stay-in Place Shadow Creme
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I absolutely love cream shadows. The Estee Laudeer ones are one of my favorites. I have a couple of these andtheir all quite the same across the board. Creamy and blendable. Does not dry out as fast as the MAC Paint Pots. actually none of the ones I own has ever driedout.  I mostly use these as a primer. But for the summer, I also use these just as shadows. After blending this out, it comes out quite sheer but the color is still there. I love shimmery champagne colors and this Golden Sands is a nice eye brightening color for a natural look.

EYES: Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner- Twilight Night Shimmer Ink

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Compared to the Physicians Formula Liquid Liner

Pairing with the Golden Sands, is this Bobbi Brown Gel Liner. This color isn’t jet black so its softer and more natural. I love gel liner because it creates a softer look than a liquid liner. There is no smudging, smearing, melting, or any of it with this liner. I’ve had it on for about 12 hours and it still looks the same as when it was first applied in the morning. There is a bit of shimmer and its really pretty after applied. Its not too overly glittery, its very subtle. The shimmer doesn’t fall out and make your face look like a disco ball or anything.

EYES: Majolica Majorca Lash Enamel Glamour Volume On
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BEST Mascara ever! Not a mascara that I would use everyday though. Why? Because it doesn’t budge. Isn’t that suppose to be a good thing? Well it is, until when it comes time to remove your makeup. It takes double the time to remove my eye makeup than usual if I have this on. Proving, that if your looking for a mascara that holds a curl, adds volumes, and lengthen then this is your go to mascara! I have worn it for 24 hrs before, unintentionally! And my lashes looked the same as when I first applied it. This is probably the ONLY mascara that will hold my curls and not have it droop one bit. Not even a little. Amazing (: (Majolica Majorca is the drugstore line of Shiseido.. no wonder right?)

CHEEKS: Gilly Hicks – Hydrangea

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The ultimate goal of most people during the summer is getting tanned. For those that don’t go out very much, will try and fake that tan. A blush that is a bit darker can give the illusion of tanner, more golden skin. Hydrangea has that more tanner blush color. This blush is my first and only Gilly Hicks beauty product. I remember just picking it up to try during one of their crazy sales. For those that don’t know, Gilly Hicks is the lingerie store of Abercrombie & Fitch. This isn’t super pigmented so it makes it really easy to use (meaning you won’t overdo it) Blendable and buildable .

LIPS: Maybelline – Baby Lips

We all know that sunscreen is needed whenever we go out in the sun. We all apply it on our face and body but a lot of time we forget to protect our lips. Lip balm doesnt’ just help with preventing our lips from getting chapped, but it can also protect it from the sun. Getting a sunburn on our back or arm hurts already, imagine getting your lips burned! Definitely something we don’t want. So when buying a lip balm, make sure to get one with some type of SPF. Baby Lips by Maybelline is a great one. It has SPF 20 and its inexpensive! About $3-4. They have so many different colors and “flavors”? The one that I have is the Melon Mania and oh goodness, it smells delicious! I’m not even a fruity scent girl, but this one really does make you want to slather more on. It also gives you a little bit of color payoff with a bit of glossiness to it.