Summer Beauty Picks

With summer in full swing, my makeup routine has shifted to accommodate the hot temperatures and easy, breezy clothing styles. Here are my current makeup picks--some are old staples, and some are new favorites.

1. Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel- Hands down the best facewash I have ever used. It's very gentle, and leaves my skin feeling super-clean, but never dry.  It's pricey, but totally worth it. 

2. Too Faced Primed and Poreless- A great primer that I use to keep my makeup on all day. Great under any type of makeup, whether its tinted moisturizer or heavy foundation. I even sometimes will put this on and then only layer powder over it- a quick fix when I'm in a rush! This magic stuff evens out your complexion and smooths flaws so that I can even get away with skipping face makeup altogether on especially lazy days.

3. Stila Sheer Color Tinted Moisturizer - I've been using this stuff for ages. It's my favorite facial product for the summer months, becuase it takes care of moisturization, SPF, and just a hint of foundation all at once. Super lightweight with just enough color to it. A must-have, in my opinion. 

4. Chanel Correcteur Perfector Concealer- The best concealer I've ever used. Until recently, I was using a drugstore option, but I never saw great results. This one stays and stays, keeping away those dark undereye circles that haunt me. 

5. Covergirl Clean Pressed Powder, Oil Control- My skin is a tad oily, so I like to keep powder on me at all times. I've never seen a point in buying high-end powder, but I'm definitely open to suggestions if you guys have a favorite! This one suits me just fine. 

6. Nars Blush/Bronzer Trio- Nars makes the best highlighters, bronzers, and blushes. This limited-time combination pack has their best-sellers (Orgasm, Laguna, and Albatross) all combined into one and is perfect for achieving that summery glow I covet! 

7. Stila Covertible Color- Another cult favorite. This product is amazing, I can't say enough good things about it. The creamy consistency is perfect for both blush and lip color, so it's a great grab-and-go product when you're in a rush. I lvoe the dewy affect it has on my cheeks. 

1. Maybelline Great Lash Big Mascara in Blackest Black- I cycle through current mascara favorites every few months, but this one is my current go-to. For a while I was using DiorShow mascara, which I love, but this one has given me almost the same voluminous, lengthening, va-va-voom-ing results for a fraction of the price. I'm not a huge fan of the original Great Lash mascara, but this new product, with its bigger brush, gives me the huge lashes I crave.

2. Bobbi Brown Eyeshadow in Champagne- My everyday look for eyes is just a wash of shimmery, golden-peachy color. This is my favorite product for that look. 

3. Dior 5-Colour Iridescent Eyeshadow in Earth Reflect- A dear friend gave this product to me for Christmas last year, and I've been hooked ever since. I love mixing different neutral colors for my eye makeup when I want to do something a bit more fancy than just my normal eye, and this palette has all my must-have colors: toffee, dark brown, creamy champagne, light white, and peony pink. 

4. L'Oreal Lineur Intense Felt Tip Liquid Eyeliner in Carbon Black- This is a new buy for me, but I absolutely love it. I'm terrible with liquid eyeliner, but this product makes it so easy to use! Cat-eye liner is easy peasy with this stuff. 

1. Chanel Glossimer in Glaze- This is the very first "expensive" makeup I ever bought years and years ago, and I still use it today. It delivers that perfect sheer pink that I adore. As easy a color as it may seem to replicate, I've never found another product that gives me as amazing, subtle color as this.
2. Covergirl Lipstick in Rapture- I had been wanting a coral lipcolor for a long time, and I finally found this one recently to my delight. It strikes the perfect balance between pink and orange, and was so affordable! It's also not too bright, so it's totally wearable for day-to-day, even beach trips.
3. Covergirl Lipstick in Fairytale- This lipstick just made its first appearance on the blog recently, but I am totally in love with it. I picked this product up along with #6 at CVS the other day on a whim, and I have been unable to stop wearing them since! For my fair skin, this is the perfect bright pink- not too neon, not too magenta, just pretty.

I'm no makeup expert, but for the day-to-day, these products work for me fabulously. What are your go-to products for summer? I'm always dying to find new favorites!

Color Pop

{images via Fashion Gone Rogue}

I've always wanted to learn how to incorporate vibrant color into my makeup routine. I hardly ever experiment outside my go-to products, besides the occasional new lipstick, but summer seems like the perfect time to incorporate some fun new choices into my makeup bag. Even a swipe of unexpected eyeliner would do. Anyone want to teach me how? 

Lacquered

I'm of the opinion that great nail polish can complete an outfit.

One of my favorite things about the changing of the seasons is that the trends for nail polish change, too.

I will admit, I'm a little addicted to Essie's Wicked and Sugar Daddy. I either go with deep, dark red/brown or barely-there pink. I usually just switch off between the two, depending on my mood. But this season, there are some new shades that are just too wonderful to ignore:

Tom Ford, purveyor of all things sexy, is debuting a nail polish this season to go along with his wildly popular Black Orchid perfume and lipstick. This entire collection evokes Old Hollywood glamour; it's stunningly swank. The nail color is deeply lush, and is reminiscent of the Wild Orchid flower that inspired the scent.

Chanel always kills it with their nail colors. The lacquers are beautifully creamy and the colors hit with high impact. Chanel's polishes fly off the shelves faster than stores can stock them; people can't get enough of the unique, trend-setting shades. Last spring, Chanel had an instant hit with their fabulous take on the gray trend. This season, the French house of fashion is offering three military-inspired colors (Khaki Vert, Khaki Brun, and Khaki Rose) that pair perfectly with this fall's favorite color, camel.