My Summer Essentials- Face

As summer is drawing to a close I thought I would take a look back at my essentials this summer. I will do this in a series of posts starting with face. My skin kind of freaked out halfway though the summer so I've changed all my skincare, which I will include. Now that my skin in cleared up, I've been going with the lightest coverage possible.

Cleanser- Elemis Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Face Wash ($47 here) I was introduced to this brand while on a cruise and I have completely fallen in love with the line. It is on the pricer side, but it is worth every single penny in my eyes. This is what changed my skin for the better.

Makeup Remover- Neutrogena Makeup Removing Wipes ($7.49 at most drugstores) I pick these up in bulk when they go on sale, which is fairly often. I've tried wipes from almost every brand, luxury to drugstore, and these are my go to. They leave a little bit of a film, but I wash after I use them anyways so it's not a problem. There are three varieties- original, night calming and hydrating, and I prefer the original and night calming over the hydrating, only because the hydrating can sting if I've been out in the sun at all.

Astringent- Clean and Clear Deep Cleaning Astringent ($3.83 at drugstores) while most people shy away from astringents due to the tendency of alcohol to both sting and dry, I find that this one does neither. I use this after the makeup removing wipes and find it extremely refreshing. I also use a quick swipe before I put moisturizer on in the morning.

Serum- Elemis Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Serum ($176 here) I was going to pick this up on the cruise when my best friend informed me that he has a couple of brand new bottles lying around our apartment. As far as I'm concerned, this has caused a completely 180 with my skin. I use two pumps about 30 minutes before bed and when I wake up in the morning. After I let in soak in (which really doesn't take long at all) I apply my moisturizers followed by makeup.

Day Cream- Elemis Pro Collagen Marine Cream (usually $210 for 100mL on sale for $185 here) this cream feels extremely light weight once on my skin but leaves me with amazingly hydrated skin and provides a great base for light summer makeup. The only downside I have found to this is that I have to wait at least 15 minutes before I can apply it on top of the serum, otherwise it balls up and makes my makeup look splotchy.

Night Cream- Elemis Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Night Cream ($148 here)- I have no complaints with this one. It is fantastic, makes my skin feel great and has definitely smoothed a couple of my premature fine lines. This one doesn't ball up when applied directly after the serum, but I do suggest allowing at least a little time.

Spot Treatment- Clean and Clear Persa Gel 10 ($5.99 at drugstores) I pick mine up when I'm at Target and its usually on sale. I've been using this for as long as I can remember and it is definitely my favorite of the spot treatments I've found. It dries up pimples overnight and decreases redness dramatically.

That's it for skin care. I'll be posting a couple on summer makeup in the coming days.

Update

So, I realize that I am being a HORRIBLE blogger recently. I haven't posted anything in ages... and I apologize. That being said, because I have a bit of an obsession with makeup, I have a ton. This also means that storing it, keeping track of it and remembering what all I own gets a little difficult. A couple of times a year I like to do a kind of "makeup inventory" where I essentially make an excel spreadsheet and catalogue everything I have. THis is extremely helpful because I find things that got buried that I love, I can cycle out my makeup seasonally (aka I don't need my super heavy winter foundations anymore and my bronzers all come out), and it gives me a running list when I go to buy new things. This sounds extremely conceited, and I promise I'm not trying to brag. Anyways, to get to my point- because I have a recent inventory, I'm going to do a series of posts that are my favorite products, by brand. I'll start with MAC, but have a TON of brands to do which should keep me busy for the next couple of nights.

anyways, much love and expect lots of posts in the near future :D

much love,

Blonde and the Beauty

FOTD- bronzes and teals

I was feeling summery this morning, and summer always brings in those bronzed beauties and bright colors. I'm still loving undercurrent for its crazy staying power and wonderful color. Sorry for the slight creasing in the top photo, it was taken after a full 12 hour day. I've found that the best way to beat this is to slap down an eye primer BEFORE I use mixing medium to foil pigments.

Face:

Laura Mericer Tinted Moisturizer

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural

Eyes:

Copper Sparkle Pigment- on lid with water based mixing medium

Chocolate Brown and Deep Brown pigment- on outer corner- I use my mac 219 to create the V effect, which elongates the eye. I also brought this color down and just slight on my lower lashline

Cuddle Shadestick- just barely placed on the inside corners

Undercurrent Eyeliner- on lower waterline

Cheeks:

Springsheen- applied to apples and blended out towards hairline

Lips:

NARS Turkish Delight- slicked across lips for a quick shine

FOTD- red lips

I know, I know. It's almost summer and I should be embracing the corals, bright pinks and aquas of the season, but sometimes a girl just needs to feel timeless. Nothing says classic more than black winged eyeliner and a red lip. This is actually a fairly quick look, once you get the hang of the eyeliner.

Face:

Kinerase Ultimate Day Moisturizer

MAC Studio Finish Concealer

MAC Mineralize SkinFinish Natural

Laura Mercier Powder Foundation

Eyes:

MAC Bare Canvas paint pot- from lid to brow bone

SMH single in creme de nude - brown highlight

SMH single in bondage- along lower lashline

SMH single in charade- blended lightly into the crease

L'Oreal HIP creme liner in black- along top lashline (I use the sonia kashuk bent eyeliner brush)

Urban Decay 24/7 liner in Rockstar- on waterline

Imju Fiberwig Mascara- bottom and top lashes

MAC shadestick in Cuddle- inner eye highlighter

Lips:

Cargo Reverse liner- outside lip line blended (prevents feathering)

NARS lip liner in Jungle Red- line lips and fill in to create a stain lie effect

MAC lipstick in rebel- a pinkish purple all over lips lightly with a lip brush

Make Up Forever Lipstick in 205- blue red all over lips

Cheeks:

MAC Beauty Powder in Summer Rose- on apples blended back towards temples

MAC Beauty Powder in Shell Pearl- used as a C highlighter (from top of brow to top of cheekbone)

I know this seems like a ton of products for a "simple look" but the whole thing takes me less the 15 minutes, which is saying something as most of my looks take almost 45 minutes. The biggest time saver is foundation. Now that summer weather is rolling around I can get away with a lot less coverage, which equals a huge time cut.

Updates on skin care and foundation routines

So- I've changes up a couple of things with my foundation and skin care routines as summer approaches. I will give you a run down on a couple of new things that I am trying, whether I'm loving them or leaving them after I finish up what I've got.

Skincare:

After I suffered from a rather large breakout due to Studio Sculpt (so sad, I know) I returned to my tried and true skin care. the only thing that really changes is the moisturizers for both day and night. I've also gone back to using the Peter Thomas Roth cucumber mask every night (stick it in the fridge for the most wonderfully refreshing and cooling mask ever)

Moisturizers:

Daytime- Kinerase Ultimate Day Moisturizer ($125)- I do realize that the price for this is ridiculously high but it lasts FOREVER. I've had the same tube for over a year, and I still have tons left. The Sephora website describes this as the "richest day cream in the Kinerase collection - ideal for dry, mature, or environmentally damaged skin." I definitely have to agree, as this is the heaviest moisturizer I have ever used. Its perfect for making it through tough winters. However, unlike some moisturizers, it doesn't sit on top of your skin and feel gloopy. Instead it sinks deep into the skin, moisturizing from the inside out and creating the unmistakable natural "glow from within". This also claims that "using sunlight-activated technology, photosomes are clinically proven to improve the appearance of sun-damaged skin by 52 percent." While my skin isn't sun damaged, I can tell you that this keeps my skin wonderfully soft without being greasy all day long.

Nightime: Kinerase Ultimate Night Moisturizer ($125)- This is the heavier yet wonderfully blissful night cream that puts all others to shame. Don't get me wrong, I love my Chanel Beaute Intiale, but there is just something about this that always makes me feel like my skin is the best it can be. I slather it on at night and in the morning my skin STILL feels moisturized. I think that my next purchase will be their eye cream, because I think I may always be a loyal Kinerase fan, even if its not in my everyday repertoire, its definitely the first thing I reach for when my skin starts to act up.

Foundation Routine-

As I mentioned, studio sculpt was wonderful for.... a week. After that I broke out in my worst breakout in about four years. I stopped using ALL makeup (which is a huge deal for me) for about 3 days and washed and exfoliated and treated until some of it went down. I also went to my dermatologist who gave me some heavy duty antibiotics to get rid of it all.

Foundation:

Primer: CoverFX BritePrepFX ($45)- I bought this a long time ago, when I was hooked on all over CoverFX's products. Although my love affair with their intense cream foundations and cakey powder ended, things with BritePrep and I never got off the ground. I was into the "super matte" porcelain doll look, and I figured that a brightening primer was the last thing I needed. However, as my makeup has evolved, and summer approaches, I find myself wanting more and more for glowy, sun kissed skin. A very small amount of this goes a long way, and I have to remember to shake it or I get a big oily, separated mess. But, once I got the hang of it, my skin is glowy all day long, without looking like I dipped my face into a vat of frying grease.

Concealer: MAC studio finish ($16.50)- full coverage, creamy, perfection. those are the only things I needed to hear. I'm sold. I set it with some luminous Armani loose powder I've had for years.

Foundation: Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer ($42)- I've already written about this lots. Its perfectly pigmented and wonderful.

Besides that I haven't changed much at all.

On a side note, in attempts to get my color treated hair back to some for a decency I'm trying the John Freida Frizz Ease Cream Serum Overnight Repair Formula. Talk about a mouthful. updates on that an full coastal scents palettes review coming up tomorrow.

♥ blonde and the beauty

Summer Collection Wishlists

Can I just start by saying I’m so utterly excited for this summer’s makeup collections. I love summer to begin with, but this years offerings are making my summerlust 100 time greater.

I think I may be most excited for MAC’s To the Beach collection (launching May 27th) and Chanel’s Les Pop-Up (launching sometime in May)

To the Beach has really cute limited edition packaging, two new duo fiber brushes and CREAM BRONZERS.

The wonderful bronzes, and fantastic corals and pinks have me in tizzy for the beach. Nothing like a neutral eye and some BRIGHT lipstick. Or maybe some teal shadow, heavy bronzer and a toned down coral.

pictures at the bottom. all courtesy of the lovely christine (my favorite blogger) at www.temptalia.com

MAC To the Beach:

eyeshadow ($14.50): sweet and punchy and maybe sand and sun (yellow-green, light peach)

since I’m currently in love with greens and teals, I was super excited when I saw the first promo pics float in, but saddened when I realized that the launch included two permanent colors, shimmermoss and humid.

Lipstick ($14.00): lazy day, beach bound and maybe Thrills (pale peach, light blue-pink, rosy copper)

I was really hoping for some brighter pinks and corals with this release, although the focus seems more to be on bronzing, bright greens and subdued lips. Thrills is definitely one I’m going to have to swatch before I buy, because I feel like it may look pretty wintery on me.

Lipglass ($14): easy louger, flurry of fun, splashing (baby pink, sparkly peach, blue pink)

yes, I realize that this is all three, but 1- i love lipglasses, 2- i love limited edition packaging and 3- they are such versatile colors, and ones I wear on a regular basis.

Lip Pencil ($13): Life’s a Breeze (soft pink)

I hate that MAC releases limited edition lip pencils. I feel like these are staples in makeup routines and by releasing them in limited quantaties, its like a tease. If you really like them you end up doing what I did with Naked lip liner- buying multiple backups. That being said, I love the pink one, and I don’t quite have a pink like it in my collection

Eye Kohl ($14.50): Float on By (dark green turquoise)

once again, this feeds into my newly acquired green fetish.

Powder Blush (18.50): Hipness (intense coral)

I’ve also recently acquired quite the liking for coral and peachy blushes. Hipness looks absolutely gorgeous.

High-Light Powder ($26): Marine Life

I’ve never seen any MAC product like this before, and the seahorse is just too cute to pass up.

Cream Bronzer ($25): beach bronze (golden glow)

I love bronzers, and I love cream blushes- needless to say I’m extremely excited for the cream bronzers

Lustre Drops (18.50): sun rush (peachy bronze)

I’ve used my Pink Rebel lustre drops quite often as highlights, and can’t wait to add a bronze to the mix.

Nail Polish ($12): Scorcher (bright coral-red)

I’m not known to be the biggest fan of MAC nailpolishes. However, this one looks absolutely too good to pass up.

Chanel’s Les Pop-Ups:

Les Vernis nail polish ($23): Riviera (intense pink)

this is the perfect pink for summer, and although it is definitely on the pricey side, these polishes have a great formula.

Lipstick ($32): Summer (rose) and Genial (coral) Bikini Peach (soft pink)

all three of the lipsticks released in this collection look amazing. The bright corals and pinks lacking in MACs release are definitely present in this collection. Genial is the color seen on the Chanel runway shows, and I wanted it from the moment I saw it.

Lipgloss ($29): Bondi (light copper)

I love Chanel’s lipgloss formulas, and don’t have nearly enough. I may even splurge and get the other two also.

FOTD- Greens, Blues and Purples

In an attempt to break myself out of the super neutral look I’ve been sporting for a week, I visited my lovely friends at MAC to see if they could pull me out of my neutral-dazed funk. As always, they delivered, and this look was just too gorgeous not to show.

update: whether it was a change in climate from vacation or a result of my new favorite foundation, I got a huge breakout when I got back from spring break. Since then I have totally laid off the foundation, as I’m thinking that Studio Sculpt may have been the culprit. I’ve been using smashbox photofinish, studio finish concealer and MSF natural as my daily skin routine, along with tons of cleansing and it seems to be making the problem much less.

Products Used (MAC unless noted otherwise)

Face:

Smashbox Photofinish Original Primer

Studio Finish concealer in NW20

Mineralize Skin Finish Natural in Medium

Eyes:

Painterly Paint Pot (nude base)

Purple Haze (matte grey lilac color), Violet Trance (bright matte purple) and Atlantic Blue (matte cool toned blue) in crease with a 224 tapered blending brush

Steamy (a cool blue toned teal with lots of shimmer) all over the lid with the 239 shadow brush

Ego (a very shimmery light pink) as a brow bone highlight with the 239 shadow brush

Blacktrack fluidline (black gel eyeliner) across the top lash line with either a 209 or a 266 angled liner brush

Pearlglide Intense eyeliner in Undercurrent (blue teal color) on bottom waterline and top corner waterline- this gets released on thursday and all of the colors are AMAZING!

Violet Trance and Atlantic Blue right on bottom lash line with the 219 pencil brush

Fresh Super Nova Mascara on top and bottom lashes

Cheeks:

Springshine Blush (shimmery pinkish orange) to the apples with the 129 blush brush

Mineralize Skin Finish in Light Flush buffed onto cheekbone with 181 small buffer brush

Refined Golden Bronzer (deep golden bronze) with 181 buffer into contour

Lips:

naked lip liner (true pale neutral- almost like a concealer for your lips)

Plushglass Lip gloss in Posh It Up (a golden pink that almost has a coral-ish sheen)

I think this may be my new “go to” look. I’m loving the green with my brown eyes. I tend to reach for purples and blues, but I’m definitely going to start going out of my way to use more greens.

(coastal scents reviews are in the works, just taking a while)