Top 3 in Beauty: May '19 Edition

I wanted to share a few beauty products I’m been using non-stop this month. Starting out with the Dior Forever Foundation. I feel like they must have changed their packaging since I can’t find this exact bottle at Sephora, but guys this foundation is so good. It’s actually the foundation I ended up wearing on my wedding day. It’s medium coverage, glowy, and stays put all day. Can’t go wrong.

I’ve also been using the Marc Jacobs Glow Stick to death lately. With the warm weather, I’ve found myself gravitating towards a creamy highlight. This one makes your cheekbones look a little wet, and I’m here for it. I’ve been using this on my lids too!

I’ve been showing off a little more skin lately, so the Isle of Paradise Tanning drops have been a lifesaver. I love the fact I can use these all over. I just add a few drops to my Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion and massage it into my face and body. So easy, I love how you can control how deep you want your tan too.

What are you top favorites from May?

MDW Sales

Memorial Day weekend (MDW) is finally here! I have such good memories attached to this holiday and look forward to it every year. I’m equally excited for all the MDW sales that so many of my favorite retailers participate in. Such a great time to pick up basics, or score some great deals on past season items. I’ve included a round up of the top sales and a few of my favorite pieces from each below. Happy Shopping!

Nordstrom, UP TO 50% OFF

Shopbop, UP TO 40% OFF

Anthropologie, EXTRA 40% OFF SALE

YSL Beauty, 20% OFF

A new love: Isle of Paradise Tanning Drops

I finally found a sunless tanner that I actually love . After years of trying my fair share of self-tanners, from St. Tropez, Clarins and Clinique,  I picked up the Isle of Paradise Self Tanning Drops during the last Sephora VIB Sale, and immediately fell in love. Not only is it the perfect color, but I absolutely love that I can mix it in with my own moisturizer, so i can stick with my normal skincare routine, then just add the drops in.  I also like how you can control how dark or light you want your tan to be. So if I’m ghostly white, I can either put in 3-4 drops and wake up with a bronzed deep tan, or if I want a gradual tan in the middle of the week I can just use 1-2 drops. I love a good a customizable product. I started to run out of mine a few weeks ago, so I went to Sephora to pick up another bottle and they were out, so got online to order and, sold out! Thankfully I found ones in stock at Feel Unique so I immediately ordered two, just in case! I just saw this morning that they restocked at Sephora, so make sure to grab a bottle before they’re out again!

How to use:

Add 1-5 drops to your favorite moisturizer. More drops = deeper tan. I use 2-3 drops every 2-3 days to keep a consistent sun kissed tan.

Travel skincare: Japan

 One thing I don’t risk getting wrong while I’m on vacation is skincare. I love testing out new products but when it comes to being out of town for more than just a weekend, I like to stick to products I know work. One less thing to worry about! These four items were just haves during my recent trip to Japan.

For cleansing I brought the Amore Pacific Foaming cleanser. Since Japan seemed a little more polluted than a tropical getaway, I opted for a cleanser that would do a thorough cleanse every night. As the name suggests, it’s a foaming cleanser, but it feels luxurious on the skin? It doesn’t strip the oils from my face like most foaming cleansers do. And it removes all of my makeup so I always feel super clean after. 

Next I brought my Kora Organics oil, this was a no brainer. Perfect for layering before and after our 12 hour plane rides. The travel size is perfect too. I even mixed it in with some of my body lotion when I needed a little more hydration.

I brought two different moisturizers, one for morning, one for night. For mornings, I brought my current moisturizer,  the Kiehls Ultra Facial Cream. I like to bring whatever moisturizer I’m currently using, then I just depot it into one of these travel jars I picked up from Amazon. They’re the perfect size for travel, and I like that I can put in as much or as little as I need.

Lastly I brought my Summer Friday’s Jet Lag mask. I love that this doubles as a mask and a night time moisturizer. Love a good two in one product! Perfect for using on the plane, mid flight when you need a little hydration, but perfect for night time too. Would definitely repurchase this product. Smells amazing too! 

Current Night Time Skincare Routine - Spring 2019

My night time skincare routine is either utterly relaxing in the bathroom, with Bossa Nova playing in the background, or a hot mess because I’m scrambling to take my makeup off when I’m half asleep. Either way, I’ve found that the easiest way to handle my skincare is to have a routine.

First things first, removing my makeup. I’m currently using the Farmacy Green Clean cleansing balm. I absolutely love how this product leaves my skin moisturized after cleansing, I can’t stand products that make my face feel tight and squeaky. It’s also filled with cleaned ingredients (on Sephora’s clean beauty list) but still effectively melts all of my makeup away.  After using this balm I’ll finish off with a micellar water, to gently remove the rest of my eye makeup and anything else my cleanser might have missed. I’m not too fussy with brands, I’m currently using the Yes to Cucumbers one my husband picked up awhile back. Anything that’s calm or soothing is typically up my alley .

A good rule of thumb I’ve found with skincare is to apply my products from thinnest to thickest, which brings me to serum. I have  two serums that I’m currently switching between on a nightly basis. If my skin is feeling normal/oily, I’ve been reaching for The Ordinary’s Advanced Retinoid 2% (recently renamed to Granactive Retinoid* 2% Emulsion). I’ve been making an effort to use this more consistently, but found that using it every night can be a little drying on my skin, so I’m currently using it every other day. On my off day, I’ll use my Origins High-Potency Night-A-Mins Skin Refining Oil. I know this is technically an oil, however I find the consistency more like a serum. This has quite a few acids in it which helps with brightening but definitely helps with hydration too. This would be a great “oil” for those who are a little scared of a thicker oil. I’m  running pretty low on this product and decided to change it up so I just ordered the Kiehls Midnight recovery concentrate to replace it. I’ve heard such good things about this product and one of my girlfriends keeps raving about it so I’m excited to test it out soon.

Next, and probably my favorite step, facial oil. I really only got on the oil train about a year ago, and now I can’t look back! I love how hydrating and nourishing they are, perfect for those with dryer skin, but equally great for those with oilier skin as they can help combat excess oil production. Beware that first time users will likely go through a week or two transition period where your skin is getting use to the all of the nourishing oils - but don’t let this stop you. Oils have really kicked up my skincare routine in the best way possible. I use the Kora Organics Noni Glow facial oil. I was happy to find that they had a travel size option so I could test the oil out before committing to the full size (I love that more brands are offering travel sizes now). This product is so rich and nourishing, but never feels heavy on my face which I absolutely love. This has quickly become one of my all time favorite skincare products.

Last but not least, moisturizer. I really look for  product that will lock in all the good stuff I just put on my face. Lately I’ve found myself reaching again and again for the Weleda Skin Food in the evenings. I squeeze a little in my hand and warm it up and apply it to my face. It seals in my serums and oils and leaves my face feeling perfectly hydrated.

And that’s a wrap on my five step night time routine. Like I said before, most days I find this process to be soothing and relaxing, a time for me to focus on myself - love a good self care moment.

Travel Scents

Everytime I travel somewhere new I always make an effort to bring a new scent along with me. Whether I pick it up beforehand or during my trip, I love having a scent that transports me back to that place. We went to Europe last summer and I was convinced I was going to pick up a new scent from Le Labo (we even stopped by their boutique in Paris!), but none of the scents felt right for me. A few stops later in Amsterdam, I stumbled upon the perfect scent in And Other Stories. Let me first say, oh my gosh I love this store so much, I was so stoked to find a store in Europe since they’re not here in the states yet, and it did not disappoint. While testing out their beauty products I picked up the Perle de Coco perfume and I knew it was the one. The name intrigued me and then I saw it had notes of coconut and warm vanilla, it was basically calling my name. I immediately fell in love and ended up picking up the perfume and hand cream. Sadly, the scent isn’t available in perfume form in the states yet (so sad!) but you can still buy the roll on perfume oil, body wash and lotion, so I’ve stocked up on those! I love how I’m instantly transported back to some of my favorite memories whenever I wear it. We’re headed to Japan next month and I’m excited to pick out a new scent for there too. Do you have a perfume that transports you back to somewhere you’ve traveled?