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For once, all my favorites are makeup items! I had a hard time narrowing these down, actually. I’ve enjoyed a ton of products over the summer but these are the most recent ones I’ve been using regularly.
I have been using The Balm Frat Boy Blush nonstop all summer. In the pan, it isn’t the most exciting-looking color but that is exactly why I love it so much. It looks so natural on my skin and puts the color back in my cheeks after applying foundation. It is a satin-matte medium peachy pink and it leans slightly warm but not too much so it pairs well with most looks. The color payoff is right in the middle – pigmented enough that you don’t have to apply tons of layers for it to show up but not over the top where it makes you look clownish. Just right.
Mac Mineralize Skinfinish in Redhead is from an older limited edition collection but I recently rediscovered it in my collection. I have found that this color is amazing when I feel like I have made my skin look too matte and flat. It gives the skin life when it’s looking dull and it isn’t your run-of-the-mill white or golden highlighter. It’s more of a warm pink color that reminds me of the way sunlight glows on the skin at sunset. I really hope Mac will release this again or make it part of their permanent collection.
I recently decided to purchase Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Diffused Light after swatching it in Sephora. I had heard many times that it could be used as a setting powder but I always resisted trying it. I have the Hourglass Ambient Light Palette and I have tried Dim Light as a setting powder and I did not like the way it looked so I figured the other powders wouldn’t work for me either. This one has an entirely different finish to it. It has shimmer in it but the particles are incredibly tiny and disappear into the skin. Soft, diffused light, like studio lighting or a cloudy day does not show the shimmer very much. Hard light, like direct sunlight or the light from a bare light bulb will catch on the shimmer and it will show a bit more. It takes down shine but it doesn’t completely mattify the skin and it has very lightweight feel. It’s been my go-to setting powder since I bought it.
Maybelline Dream Wonder Foundation (now discontinued) has been out for a little while but it’s new to me. I first bought the shade Porcelain Ivory which turned out to be a bit too light for me so I went back and got Classic Ivory which is two shades darker. It is a sheer fluid foundation, much like other serum-type foundations, and it applies easily and beautifully. It’s great for people that have issues with the texture of their skin (fine lines, large pores, sun damage) because it helps to smooth out the look of that texture more than a traditional liquid foundation. It didn’t cling to dry patches or settle into pores nearly as much as my regular foundations do and it blends in so quickly and easily. I can even just use my fingers and get a flawless application.
I finally caved and tried Anastasia Brow Wiz. For the longest time I used a regular pencil eyeliner but I was getting really tired of constantly sharpening it and not getting a precise enough application. I love that this twist up pencil is very skinny so I can fill in just the bare spots on my brows without overdoing it. Medium Brown turned out to be a great match for me. It’s a bit darker and more cool-toned than Taupe, which has a yellow undertone to it that just looks weird on me. The color works perfectly on the outer half of my brows but I feel like I have to apply it very lightly and blend very well toward the inner part of my brows. I wish they had a lighter color that was more ashy in color than Taupe. Nevertheless, I have been enjoying it and using everyday since I bought it.