Smart is Always Beautiful

I am less likely to buy from a brand whose products aren't available for me to touch or see in a brick and mortar store. That's probably why it's taken me a while to try anything from Glossier, but I finally did and I couldn't be more excited! The reason I took the plunge is that lately, I'm trying something new. I'm going for a really natural and easy to apply look. That means base products that are undetectable on the face; eye looks that don't distract from everything else I have going on; and natural, nude lips. Nude lips aren't new for me whatsoever, but the other stuff, yeah that's kind of a stretch for me. I love trying every foundation possible; the fuller coverage the better. I always intend for my eye looks to appear nice and simple and the next thing I know it's a deep smokey eye. Glossier as a whole is right up this 'good for you products that support a natural face' alley. Even the inside of the box the ship your order in says, "Skin first. Makeup second. Smile always." "Skincare as Makeup" - That pretty much sums up the philosophy behind all of their products.

Let's just start with Glossier's website. It's cute and creative. It kind of reminds me of all the doodles and stickers that I put everywhere when I was in school and bored out of my mind, without being too kiddy. I love that the cursor changes to cute little icons. It kind of makes me want to embrace that part of my past. Who doesn't need more cutesy in their life? So here's what I ordered: Flavored Balm Dotcom in Cherry, Generation G in Like, Boy Brow in Brown, Perfecting Skin Tint in Medium, and the Moisturizing Moon Mask. Everything came in the cute box, sealed in a bubble-wrap ziplock bag and it all arrived in pristine condition. I also love that it came with the stickers to decorate your products, and a poster accompanied it. I doubt that I will use the stickers and I'm pretty much sure that I won't be hanging the poster anywhere, but I like that added touch. And, the stickers look like the icons on the website - I love that carry-over!

I have heard great things about the Balm Dotcom, but I have a lot of really great lip balms. I wanted to try the Flavored Balm Dotcom in Cherry, because cherry, but I was also a little torn. The red tint to the balm would basically make this product only usable on the lips because I don't really want to tint my cuticles red, or any other dry patch of skin for that matter. I finally decided to bite the bullet and order the cherry one because I do have other products that already fill that all-over-balm niche and it's not like I will be replacing my Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask anytime soon. I'm pretty happy that I ordered this. The cherry scent takes me back to my childhood where I wanted cherry flavored everything. It also gives a really pretty stained look to the lips. They look super healthy and moisturized and just because it's a red balm doesn't mean that it makes my lips look bright and flashy. It doesn't even give you red popsicle stained lips. It's really just a nice red juicy tint to the lips kind of like Benefit's Benetint, but a little bit more muted. I see this being a really great product to fill the natural lips category. 

Generation G lipstick was pretty intriguing to me. It claims to apply like a tinted lip balm but look and feel like a matte lip stain. Crazy right? The four shades they sell are natural, but not the overly brown or pinky nudes that are typically on the market as a nude lip. I picked up the shade Like and it's very mauve-y swatched. On the lips, it's very natural in that pinky mauve-y way. It's also super buildable, so you can wear it very natural or build it up to a brighter color. It feels really nice and smooth on. The only not super positive thing that I have noticed so far is that it hasn't been overly hydrating. For a matte lip hydrating is a tall order, so I'm not really complaining, but on days that my lips are feeling drier and more chapped I would probably reach for something else. Which if my lips are cracking anyway, a matte color is the last thing I want to throw on them. The other shades are Cake which looks beigey and then two shades which are more pops of color, but still in a rather natural way. Crush looks like it would be a more matte version of the Cherry Balm Dotcom and Jam looks like it's a pretty berry stain. If I continue to like Like, I might place an order for at least Jam.

I really like the Benefit Gimme Brow, but the two shades that they originally launched never really fit me right. The Light/Medium was a little too light. The Medium/Deep was a little too dark. Then I heard a lot of great things about the Boy Brow in Brown from people who claim to have the same problem with the Gimme Brow. (Benefit re-launched this product and now they have six shades to choose from, and No. 3 seems to be a pretty dead on match for reference.) Boy Brow is the ultimate in groom and go and brows are kind of a mandatory step in my routine. I don't have overly bushy, unruly brows; I just notice on the days that I groom them versus the days that I don't that grooming really changes how polished my appearance is. It's the fine line between put together and slovenly - for my face. Boy Brow has the perfect brow sized spoolie applicator that thickens, fills in, and locks the hairs into place. The way I use it is, I actually brush my brows forward from the tail into the arch towards the nose. This builds volume up and then you can take it back the other direction, brushing it neatly into place. It feels a little wet for a bit, but it's a quick and easy process and then dries and holds your brows in place all day without smudging. I feel that the spoolie is a little more ideal in shape and size than Benefit's spoolie and the shade is perfect. Definite win with this product. 

Before I decided to go down the path of the natural easy look, the Perfecting Skin Tint was the opposite of everything that I embraced. Now, it's everything I'm looking for. On the Glossier website you actually find under skincare, not makeup, if that gives you a hint about the type of product it is made to be. This skin tint is super, super sheer. It's really just a wash of color to even out discoloration and make your face look nice and smooth. I have not been able to over-apply it or cake it up yet. The Medium shade is a dead on match for me. Because it's adaptable and so sheer I don't feel like I'll have to change shades when I get lighter after summer is over. It's super easy to apply. You can use the dropper to draw it on your face or you can apply it with your fingers, which I prefer. The biggest thing with this is it looks like your face but it's better. With this on, I just have that added something. You can't tell what, it's sure not makeup, but it's something. I just look a little bit more toned and dewy. If I go throughout the day with no makeup on, I look slick and shiny by days end. This keeps that oil slick at bay. I'm not going to lie: This no full-coverage foundation thing is a little tough on me, but this skin tint has made my adjustment a little easier. I also love the dropper bottle. The packaging looks simple, but I feel like it makes me look like a professional. Like it's something you'd expect to see in a makeup artist's kit.

I was dying to try the Moisturizing Moon Mask. I don't have dry skin, so I worried that I wouldn't see much of a difference. It's actually been really nice to have around. I applied it immediately after I got home the day the I received my order and then again after my Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask on Sunday. It feels exactly like a thick face cream. You could almost start rubbing this in like a moisturizer if you're not thinking about it. By the end of the 20 minutes, it actually seems to have soaked in, but then you rinse it off and then apply the rest of your skincare like usual. It actually makes a difference. After the harsh origins mask, it's like a super comforting drink of water to soothe your face. On its own, I notice the added hydration, elasticity, and plumping. What I didn't expect, though, was to feel a little tingle on my skin on the drier areas of my face. It's not uncomfortable, it's just odd. And after the mask is rinsed off those areas are nicely hydrated and smooth. It's a little too early to tell if it helps with skin brightening but so far I'm a fan of this mask.

I wrote a bit about the Odacite Baobab + Sarsaparilla Serum Concentrate for Eye Contour in my post on my skin care heroes. This was a new product for me in July, but I saw pretty quick results. The dark circles that I've struggled with my whole life are actually starting to diminish and I use less of a dark circle corrector. I use one drop for both under eyes and it's ability to de-puff is pretty miraculous. It absorbs quickly and layers well under makeup and eye cream. I've been really impressed with this brand. I really like the natural essential oils for skin care thing.

I'm going to give everyone a break from my waxing poetic about the Hourglass Illume Sheer Color Trio for another month and instead share the love I have had for two foundations this month. The first is the Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra Makeup Stick. I love the finish of this! I've always loved the flawless airbrushed look that Lancôme foundations leave. I also adore foundations in stick form. The texture is always super blend-able and the ease of application makes it ideal. This formula specifically is super buildable, so you can swipe on a super light layer or amp it to a medium to full coverage. I was pretty excited for this before I even used it and I was not disappointed. I've used a lot of this month and it still hasn't gone below the barrel so this is going to last forever.

The other foundation that I loved with month is the Clinique Beyond Perfecting Foundation + Concealer. It is a thicker foundation with a lot of coverage and it literally lasts all day long. Despite its texture once it's applied it feels super light and you forget that you're wearing anything on your face. A light foundation this is not though so user beware. I purchased the shade that the Sephora Color IQ matched me to, 6.5 Buttermilk. It was a good match if slightly dark. I apply it all over focusing on the outer part of the face. Then I go in with the deluxe sample that I had received in a shade that was too light, 2 Alabaster, on the places that you naturally highlight; the nose, forehead, chin, and cheekbones. It's really easy to use the applicator to dot it on the places you want and then it blends in really nicely with a buffing brush. It also lives up to the claims of doubling as a concealer, I barely use any concealer with this foundation. I really really love using this everyday. I feel super confident all day long because I know that everything is covered and this isn't going anywhere.

I have been all over the place with eye shadow this month. I have worn all sorts of different palettes and formulas (a lot that I've been really over the moon about) but the one thing that has remained a constant is my NARS Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base. This primer smooths on the lids as a clear base that shadow adheres to it all day long. This primer also magically makes any eye shadow vibrant. The lack of color base makes it so this primer can also double as a base for concealer under the eyes. This definitely is worth all the hype that surrounds it. This is a must in my collection.

Buxom Wildly Whipped Soft Matte Lip Color in Instigator (Not pictured: Centerfold)

 I love a lip product that applies like a lip gloss and wears like a lipstick. Buxom Wildly Whipped Soft Matte Lip Color is that exactly. It's super easy to apply. I love the larger, flat doe-foot applicator. The product goes on with a mousse-like texture and then wears like a really comfortable matte lipstick. It's not an all day liquid lipstick, but that's preferable to me. It wears for several hours and it feels so nice on the lips. Centerfold (not pictured) is a really pretty warm, peachy nude color. It has some micro-shimmer that you can see in the tube, but one the lips it gives a nice finish without any noticeable shimmer. Instigator (pictured) is a nice neutral fig color. It's nice but in a slightly darker more amped up nude color way. It works for me because of my naturally pigmented lips as almost, but not quite, my lips but better. . I really love how easy these are to wear. A++

I dug out an oldie but goody from the collection this month. One of my long term favorite lip glosses has always been the Buxom Full On Lip Polish in Sugar. It's described as a pink truffle. It is a really full bodied gloss that is a sheer pinky-brown nude. There's a lot of sparkle in the tube, but once it's applied it translates into just really glossy. It does have the plumping effect but the tingling doesn't hurt or feel uncomfortable. It doesn't multiply the size of your lips but rather plumps them enough to remove any lip lines or crevices. The sheerness of the gloss makes it adaptable so it takes on the shade of the lip liner you pair it with. I've been pairing it with Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat in Pillowtalk for a really nice nude lip. This pairing looks great and has been easy to wear with just about any makeup look.

I started using the Lush Salted Coconut Hand Scrub this month and I'm addicted now. I hadn't really thought about having a product just for exfoliating your hands before, but now I can't imagine not having it. It really polishes my hands and makes them soft and youthful. It can also scrub off stubborn glues and permanent marker marks. Then it rinses off and leaves your hands feeling moisturized. There's no need to follow with a hand cream. The scent of this is amazing. It's a warm coconut scent that lingers for a while. I have also used this on my troubled elbows and it works great to slough away the dry skin and then hydrate to repair. This is by far my most favorite Lush product ever and I have loved a quite a few of their products.

I remember my grandma always wearing sandals. I don't really ever remember her wearing anything else although I'm sure she did. Sandals are pretty tough on your feet, so I also remember that her feet were always cracked and dry. I'm pretty much the same way. I could wear sandals and flip flops every day of my life, but I always vowed that I wouldn't pair them with cracked, dry feet. That declaration left me on the hunt for the perfect foot routine and I've tried a lot of products over the years. I've tried the pumice stones and cheese graters and a lot of creams that were really thick and greasy, or smelled weird, or had disclaimers not to expose your skin to the skin after applying - I kid you not. Even after trying Baby Feet this year, which is a chemical process that forces your feet to peel and reveal new soft skin after you soak them, I still had a pretty deep crack on the heel of my foot.
All of this lead me to Sol Janiero Samba 2-Step Foot Fetish Care. I'll admit that I was gung ho on purchasing this because I love the Bum Bum Cream. I expected this to be pretty much a clone of that, but it's not at all. spoiler Alert: obviously, if it's a favorite so I'm not too disappointed. I use the Spongeables scrubber to clean  and soften my feet. Then I use the file that comes in the 2-Step system. It's shaped like a surfboard and it's adorable. This smooths out all the callouses and rough spots and just makes everything super smooth. Then you apply the Foot Fetish Cream. It's pretty much the opposite of what I'm used to. It's not thick. It's not overwhelmingly scented. It's not greasy. It absorbs quickly so you can walk around after applying. My feet are the best that they have every looked and this is really the reason why. They really just need to make a super jumbo size bottle of this cream.

I've only had one failure this month, and I don't mind mentioning it because I really really liked it until it started breaking me out. I have super sensitive skin so I think the Lumene Vitamin C + Age Defying Radiant Beauty Drops will work for a lot of people, even if I'm not one of them. I was wanting to add Vitamin C to my routine and this seemed perfect. These little goldfish looking pods open up and provide you with the perfect dosage amount. The serum goes on really really smooth and silky. I was starting to see a slightly brighter complexion. This claims to protect, nourish, and brighten your skin and I really felt like it was in the short time that I used it. I started to have small break out so I stopped using these and my pimples went away. I compared the ingredients to another product that I know caused breakouts previously and I've narrowed down the ingredients that irritate my skin to: Limonene, Linalool, and Parfume (fragrance). This actually means that I can't use a lot of products that brighten or contain Vitamin C. I had also picked up the Lumene Bright Now Vitamin C Hyaluronic Essence to try, but it also contains these ingredients. I hadn't used it yet so I ended up returning it instead of taking the chance. I'm pretty bummed. Stupid sensitive skin.

So those were the things that I loved in July, and my one sad disappointment. I've made some pretty big changes to my routine so expect August favorites to be a lot different than what I've done in the past. I'll have a post up explaining soon...

What did you love in July?

Do you have any thoughts on these products? Share in the comments below.