July Favorites

        Hey everyone! I hope you all have been well! Sorry for the long hiatus. I've had a crazy couple of weeks and honestly just haven't felt like posting. I've filmed a ton of different blog posts, I just haven't felt like sitting down to edit each of them. My work schedule has changed from being very structured to going in early each day, and not knowing when I'm going to get off each evening. So, when I get home, I don't want to sit in front of a computer all night because I do that all day. What I have done is filmed several posts - enough to post twice a week for the whole month of August. I'm going to have these posts set to publish every Tuesday and Thursday evening so that I don't have to worry about getting home late and forgetting to post. I've got more blog post ideas I want to film, and hopefully I can get enough done to where I am ahead of the game for the next few months. Probably through October. August is the month where wedding stuff starts happening full-force. So crazy! Only two and a half months left! I want to be able to do everything with work, wedding stuff and the blog and not get super behind and feel stressed. With that being said - here's to a crazy next few months! Now on to my July favorites! Enjoy :)

First up is the Lorac Pro 2 palette. I'm sure you all could've guessed this one would show up here. I have used this palette non-stop since I got it back in June. It's perfect for creating so many different looks. I've enjoyed it thoroughly this summer, but the colors will be perfect into fall and winter as well. Such an awesome palette! If you've been on the fence about this one, I definitely recommend it!

You can tell I've gotten some use out of this palette, haha. Sorry for it being so dirty! Aren't the colors beautiful?

Next up is the It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC Cream. I did a full review of this several months back - you can find that here. I used this a few times after I got it, and then just went back to using my Covergirl foundation out of habit. Well, I've picked it back up the past month and I use it ALLLLLL the time now. I wear this to work more than I do regular foundation, haha. It can be full coverage, or it can be pretty sheer depending on how much product you use. If I want sheer to medium coverage, I use one pump for my entire face. If I want full coverage, I use two pumps.

I tested out different ways to apply this product to see how I could get the best results. I've tried applying it with different brushes, a beauty sponge and my fingertips. The absolute best application, in my opinion, comes from applying it with my fingers. For some reason, brushes and the beauty sponge soak up too much of this product and it doesn't blend out very well. It's the oddest thing, but that's what works for me! I've seen/heard mixed reviews about this product. You either love it or hate it. But I love it!

This one is a surprise for me. The MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural in the color "Medium +." When I first got this product, I hated it. I didn't feel like it did anything for me. I wasn't impressed at all. But wayyyy back in January, I bought the Real Techniques Powder Brush. It's huge and dense, but super soft. I should've taken a picture of it as well, but I didn't. You can find it here. (Side note: I recommend all of the Real Techniques brushes! They're amazing!!) Anyway, I happened to think "I should try applying it with that big powder brush I have..." Well, I tried it, and I love it! I pat the brush into the powder, I don't swirl it. Then I pat it onto my face, I don't swirl it. It. Is. Awesome! It leaves an amazing finish. It gives me a bit of coverage, and it keeps me matte for hours. It is pricey. Especially for how fast I go through powders. But I love it, and I'll definitely re-purchase!

You can't really tell it here, but it is actually a baked powder. It gives a really natural finish - hence the name, haha.

Next I have a new mascara I've been trying. Sorry for the AWFUL pictures. I didn't realize that every picture makes these products look dirty. I've definitely used them like crazy, but they're not dirt-dirty, I promise! Now, back to the mascara. This is L'Oreal Miss Manga mascara. I'd heard a lot about this product when it first came out, it peaked my interest, and now it's in my favorites!

You can see the brush is tapered. This is so that it will flare your lashes out and give them lots of length - especially on the outer corners. Then the more coats you apply, the more volume you'll have. It doesn't clump at all. It's awesome. The only thing I wish was different is I wish I had it in black. When I got it, I accidentally picked up the Brown/Black color, haha. But it's an awesome brown mascara, if you are in the market for one!

Speaking of lashes, I have some false lashes here that I have been loving! These are the Trio lashes by Kiss. You can find these in your local drugstore, or at Walmart. These are what you would get if individual lashes and strip lashes had a baby. I absolutely love individual lashes. I think they look way more natural, and can give amazing volume. But I love the dramatic look of strip lashes and the easy application. I get the best of both worlds with these!

You can buy them in short, medium and long styles. Although this one came with both short and medium. These are soooooo easy to put on and give such a natural look. You can use the medium ones on the outer corners, and the short ones on the inner corners. I've worn these multiple times, and they are SO comfortable. In fact, I wore them in the engagement pictures Alex and I recently had done. With regular strip lashes, I can always feel them and they irritate my eyes and get heavy after a while. But I wore these for 12 hours straight and totally forgot I had them on. They're awesome! If you want to try individual lashes, but want the dramatic look, definitely try these! They're a breeze to apply too :)