June Lovelies

The month of June was all about staying bronzed while at the same time being protected from the sun

At the beginning of the month, I was laying out in the sun. Stupid me hadn't applied any sunscreen and of course I got a major sunburn!

I cannot even express how painful it was. Thankfully, now it's subsided and I just have some pretty serious tanlines. So because of that, I spent a good portion of the month tending to my "wounds" and ensuring that I didn't end up with any scarring from the burn. 

1. I went to Walmart and picked up this Aloe Vera. It comes in a continuous spray bottle so I didn't have to worry about rubbing in the gel into my already really sore skin. This came in very handy!

2. Evidently, after my sunburn, I started putting on sunscreen any and every time I left my apartment. I used the Clarins Sun Care cream that I showed in this haul

3. Sunburns from my past have left scars. I wanted to really make sure that it didn't happen this time. I used Bio-Oil interchangeably with the Aloe Vera to help prevent scarring. Bio-Oil is super effective at preventing scars, but it really only works if you apply it to fresh scars (i.e. not any scars from months or years before).

4. THIS BOOK! I have a review coming soon of this book so look out for that. The Fifty Shades of Grey series is seriously the talk of the town. I recommend it if you're not to ashamed to a) be seen reading it or b) won't flush at the graphic sexual subject matter

5. Summer = heat. The weather in Canada has been exceptionally hot lately. I need to be certain that my makeup will last all day so I have been using the Urban Decay All Nighter long-lasting makeup setting spray religiously

6. I have been using the Soleil Tan de Chanel cream bronzer with a kabuki brush all over my face, neck, and décolleté to give me an even bronzed glow to my complexion. 

7. I haven't been paiting my nails a whole lot this month, but when I do, I want to make sure that it doesn't take long to dry (so I can continue with my life instead of worrying about ruining my freshly painted claws) and I also want to ensure that it lasts as long as possible. Seche Vite top coat is seriously on of those super talked about products that is worth all the hype. 

8. Along with my Chanel bronzer, I have been using my new Physician's Formula Bronze Booster Glow-Boosting pressed bronzer in Medium-Dark that I showed in my collective haul. This bronzer has a hint of shimmer to it which adds such a lovely glow to the face. I'm not using this to contour so I don't mind the shimmer. I use this on my cheeks and around my temples to deepen my tan and add radiance 

9. The Caudalie Beauty Elixir is a really awesome multi-task product. I showed this in my Optimum Points haul. I use it mostly as a toner and facial mist/makeup refresher. It smells so good too! Like peppermint with a hint of citrus. I have been mostly using the big bottle that I got of this (travel size is the one pictured above). I keep this in my little basket that houses all of my skincare routine post. It's such a refreshing product for summer!

10. Under-eye circles suck. I don't know why, but the dark circles under my eyes have been exceptionally bad lately. I have still been using my bobbi brown corrector, but since I'm more tan now, porcelain peach just isn't cutting it anymore. I've been using my Maybelline Instant Age Rewind dark circle eraser in Neutralizer a lot more lately to help combat the blue undertones of the dark circles (I used this concealer is my most recent FOTD: Tan!). The thing that I really hate about this concealer though is the packaging. I don't really mind the sponge application bit, but you have to twist the top to release the product and mine always breaks! I've have 3 of these concealers to date, and they all break! I'm going to email Maybelline and tell them to do something about it!

11. Summer + Heat = Sweat. I saw this new deodorant from Dove and I decided to give it a try. It's an anti-persperant and it's suppose to eventually in time, lighten the pigment of your arm pits. So far, I haven't noticed any change in the colour of my under-arms (?) but I do like that it doesn't irritate my skin (some deodorants make me itchy) and it's a fresh scent, PLUS it's a pretty decent anti-persperant. I don't stay 100% dry throughout the day, but I would say a solid 91% compared to other products I've tried

12. I have been curling my hair a lot more with second day hair. I recently took the clamp off my regular Conair 1 inch curling iron and I love it so much more now! I never really used the clamp before so it wasn't sad to see it go. I have a blog post coming up about how I de-clamped my curling iron, so stay tuned for that one. 

 

13. Because of my uneven tan situation, I have been trying to correct the situation by using the Clarins Liquid Bronzing Self Tanning lotion on my neck, décolleté and face. My body right now is a lot darker than my face so I need to try and even everything out. This is such a good product! I apply it at night, and when I wake up in the morning, I'm rocking a perfectly tan wherever I applied this. It never looks orange or streaky! It's an idiot-proof facial self-tanner


It's only to get hotter from here on out. The heat throughout the month of June has been sweltering enough, I hope I can take it for the rest of the summer. 


Stay cool!


xoxoDarlingBuds

My FAVE Makeup Setting Spray

Now that it's summer, I've become a bit a worry-wart when it comes to my makeup. I've been trying to use products that I know will last all day. When in doubt, I use this setting spray. 
A couple spritzes of this all over my already-done makeup helps it to last all day. Sometimes I don't even use a setting powder when I use this spray. 
For summer, this is definite staple in my makeup bag. 


xoxoDarlingBuds

My Favourite Primer: Benefit Pore-fessional

I never really saw the purpose of a primer before. I don't have particularly oily skin so I needn't worry about my makeup "slipping" off my face throughout the day. I don't have overly massive pores that need refining. And I don't have problematic, acne prone skin that needs evening out. So before Benefit's the Pore-fessional, a primer was never a must in my makeup routine. However, I really love this primer for reasons I shall explain.

It's targeted to minimize the look of enlarged pores. It has a silicone-y texture that smooths right over the surface of the skin to create a base like a blank canvas. 

It's a skin-toned product. It can either be used by itself, or under makeup (which is its more intended use). 

I find that my makeup applies more easily, and looks more natural when applied over the Pore-fessional primer. I also find that on days when I don't wear any makeup at all, I can use only this primer to make my skin look a little more even for a seriously fast get-up-and-go look. It's a really unique product and it's definitely worth checking out if you too have given up on primers. 

xoxoDarlingBuds

My Favourite Lip Balm: EOS

Words cannot express how much I love these EOS smooth sphere lip balms. For one, the flavours are awesome! The red one is "summer fruit", another fave is "honeysuckle honeydew" which comes in a green ball, and "sweet mint" which comes in light blue packaging. EOS stands for evolution of smooth and that is exactly what the product gives. It's also packed with lots of good stuff while leaving out the bad. 

photo from here: http://evolutionofsmooth.com/

This lip balms leaves my lips feeling so soft and moisturized. The shape is also super unique. Anyone who has never seen an EOS smooth sphere would never guess what you were smearing on your lips. That's always entertaining!
Nothing bad can be said. LOVE EOS!

xoxoDarlingBuds