MY 5 FAVORITE PRODUCTS UNDER $50

As part of my no-buy year, I’m trying to really get to know and love my collection and starting a “favorite products under $X series” to help me in that process. I’ll be doing posts every month for different dollar amounts, and I’m so excited to dive into my collection in this way. This time, I’m writing about my favorite products under $50. I would love to see your favorites and recommendations for under $50 beauty products in the comments! And, of course, thank you so much for being here, and it would mean so much to me if you subscribe here or on Instagram @liftbakelove for new posts.

Westman Atelier Face Trace Contour Stick in Biscuit ($48)– I’ve included this in multiple favorites posts because I really do love and use it so much.  This is one of my go-tos when I’m short on time and just need to add some color to my face without having to do a lot of work or blending. I own so many cream bronzer products, and always come back to this one as my “I just don’t want to think about it and need something that works” product. I stand by what I said in my 2020 favorites post: if I had to start my collection over, this would definitely be one of the first things I replace.

Auric Glow Lust in Morganite and Selenite ($45) – This product is my favorite for making my skin look amazing no matter what’s going on with it. Even if my skin is dull and dehydrated and not looking its best, Glow Lust will make it look glowy, smooth, and moisturized. Every time I wear it, I instantly feel more confident, especially for video meetings because Glow Lust reflects so beautifully and distracts from anything else going on. Of all of my glowy, liquid products, this is definitely my favorite of the bunch. I use it as a primer, mixed in with foundation, and as a highlighter, and it works amazingly well for all of those purposes.

Auric Glow Lust in Morganite and Selenite

Fitglow Beauty Lip Colour Serums ($42) – I know I write about these all the time, but it’s because I truly love them, and I’m so happy I have so many of them. I use them almost every day. The formula is incredibly nourishing, thick, hydrating, and long-lasting, and I just reach for them so often especially because they work so well as toppers for more matte lipsticks or lip liners. All the shades are beautiful, and I can always find one to match my look. I’ve been really loving Halo and Regal this month in particular, but all of the shades I have get a ton of use. I have 5 full sizes and the rest are minis, and I highly recommend looking out for sales or mini sizes if you’re interested in these!

Fitglow Beauty Lip Colour Serums in Bliss, Beach Glow, Kind, Halo, Ful, Root, Nudie, Gospel, Regal, Cheer, and Juice

Roen 11:11 Quad – This is my favorite Roen quad of the three that I own, and it’s definitely my most used. Each shade is a perfect one-and-done on it’s own, and they are so easy and quick to use. The shade swatched farthest to the right below is my go to for adding a high impact sparkle to any eye look, whether it’s on top of the other shades in the 11:11 palette or any other eyeshadow I’ve used. It just seems to finish off any look, particularly in a world where I want people to see my eyes through a screen. I also really love the Roen formula because it’s so versatile – with a finger, the shades go on incredibly pigmented and intense, but with a brush, you can create a very sophisticated wash of color. They last all day on me with an eyeshadow primer, and I don’t have any issues with flaking or fall out.

Farmacy Honey Halo Hydrating Ceramide Moisturizer ($45) – This is hands down the best moisturizer I’ve tried for my super dry skin. It’s incredibly thick but still absorbs super quickly and plays well with my other nighttime skincare products. It’s been really dry even though it’s solidly Spring now, and I’m so glad I have this to keep my skin hydrated and moisturized. In particular, it’s been saving my dry skin from totally losing all its hydration overnight. I

What are your favorite products under $50? Let me know in the comments below! Let me know if there’s anything else you’d like to see here on LiftBakeLove, and thanks for reading! As always, some links may be affiliate links that support the blog, but all reviews/opinions are completely my own and unsponsored.

This or That? Answering your “which should I choose” makeup dilemmas!

I asked my followers on Instagram for their makeup dilemmas, inspired by this video from Kackie Reviews Beauty, and these were the most common ones! Before I get into it, I love all of these products, and this is just for fun – if you want a more specific recommendation for your particular needs, don’t’ hesitate to ask in the comments or on Instagram DMs. As always, thank you so much for being here, and it would mean so much to me if you subscribe here or on Instagram @liftbakelove for new posts!

Auric Glow Lust vs Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter – I have a longer review comparing these, but the TLDR of that post is Auric Glow Lust all the way. The packaging is way better, and I like the formula more. I love the packaging so much more and it’s way more versatile since I can use it by itself in lieu of foundation, as a primer, mixed in with my foundation, as a highlighter, and any combination of those methods. I also think the Charlotte Tilbury was breaking me out so I ended up decluttering it because of that and because I found I never reached for it over the Auric Glow Lust or the Lisa Eldridge Elevated Glow Highlighter.

Glow Lust in Selenite and Hollywood Flawless Filter in 2

Fit Glow Lip Serum or Finding Ferdinand Custom Lipstick (if you’re buying yourself a gift) – For this one, I would go with the Finding Ferdinand custom lipstick. There’s something so special about getting exactly the color you want (the team at Finding Ferdinand will help you choose if you’re stuck) and being able to choose formula and the scent. I love my custom Finding Ferdinand shades and would happily give or get them as a gift. I also love the Fit Glow Lip Serums (they were in my 2021 Makeup Favorites and I talked about them a bunch last year), but they aren’t the same gift experience as Finding Ferdinand.

Finding Ferdinand Custom Shade and FitGlow Lip Serum in Root

Salt New York vs Phytosurgence highlighters – Even though both of these products are amazing, I would choose the Salt New York highlighter. The Phytosurgence Spectral Shine is gorgeous, but the formula does take a bit of effort to work with. You really have to run your finger or brush over the product many times to get it to pick up. The Salt New York highlighter is so easy to use with a brush or finger and goes on so quickly and easily. It adds a beautiful sheen that isn’t glittery every time and blends easily with other products. I find myself reaching for the Salt New York over my Spectral Shine almost every time because I usually have very little time to get my makeup on in the morning. That said, if you have oily or normal skin (vs my desert skin) or need your makeup to be locked in all day, you might prefer the matte dry down of the Spectral Shine over the dewiness of the Salt New York.

Salt New York in Beige and Phytosurgence in Divine Daylight

Salt New York vs Phytosurgence blushes – I feel similarly about these as I do the highlighters. Both are amazing in their own way and it’s honestly so hard to choose, but I generally reach for the Salt New York Creme Tints. They are so much sheerer and easier to mix and build that I can mindlessly use them and create whatever shade I’m feeling that day. The Phytosurgence Skin Spark Blush Balms are richly pigmented, which is amazing when I want something impactful that still blends beautifully into the skin. But usually, I’m doing my makeup half asleep before I even have coffee and can easily end up overdoing it, which never happens with the Salt New York Creme Tints. I also usually end up sticking to just one shade vs the mixing I love to do. All that said, you can’t go wrong with either!

Salt New York in Raspberry and Phytosurgence in Simmer

Phytosurgence vs Vesca Eyeshadows – I love both of these so much, but from a versatility standpoint, Phytosurgence has a much better range of formulas and shades. Vesca’s liquid shadow in Lyra is one of my all time HGs but there’s only four shades and that one formula from the brand. Plus, the Phytosurgence shadows also provide a different effect depending on how you apply them (finger vs brush vs which kind of brush) whereas the Vesca looks the same regardless. From Phytosurgence, I love both the cream and glitter formulas, and they have four shades in each formula. They’re also (I think) coming out with more of the cream shadows soon! Like all of these, you can’t go wrong with either, but my guess is you’re more likely to find what you’re looking for from Phytosurgence unless you’re specifically looking for the kind of liquid shadow formula the Vesca is.

Vesca in Lyra and Phytosurgence in Potent Petal and Orchid Overload

What other products would be helpful to see compared? Let me know in the comments below!  And let me know if there’s anything else you’d like to see here on LiftBakeLove, and thanks for reading! As always, some links may be affiliate links that support the blog, but all reviews/opinions are completely my own and unsponsored.

5 Products that Always Give Me A Confidence Boost When I Use Them

Someone requested this post, and I got super excited about the idea to think about which products give me a boost when I use them. These products are my version of a bold, red lip – when I put them on, I instantly feel more confident and put together. They make me feel happy and ready to face whatever life is throwing my way no matter what kind of day I’m having. As always, thank you so much for being here, and it would mean so much to me if you subscribe here or on Instagram @liftbakelove for new posts.

Roen 1:1 Quad – I love the Roen eyeshadows, but there’s one shade I use the most. The sparkly shade swatched farthest to the right below is my go to for adding a high impact sparkle to any eye look, whether it’s on top of the other shades in the 11:11 palette or any other eyeshadow I’ve used. It just seems to finish off any look, particularly in a world where I want people to see my eyes mostly through a screen. I did a huge presentation that I was really nervous for and covered my eyes with this shade and got so many compliments on it. So now when I’m feeling nervous, I just put on a ton with a finger, and I’m good to go.

Swatches of the Roen 11:11 Quad

Glossier Portrait and Lisa Eldridge Velvet Petal – I thought I wasn’t a pink person at all since I tend towards more browns and roses for my lip shades. Then I tried these two lip products and realized there’s something about a warm, pink lip that just makes me feel amazing. I’ve gotten compliments wearing both of these, and they really brighten up my face. Portrait is my go to for when I want a glossy lip, and Velvet Petal for when I want something matte and long lasting, especially under a mask.

Auric Glow Lust – This product is my favorite for making my skin look amazing no matter what’s going on with it. Even if my skin is dull and dehydrated and not looking its best, Glow Lust will make it look glowy, smooth, and moisturized. Every time I wear it, I instantly feel more confident, especially for video meetings because Glow Lust reflects so beautifully and distracts from anything else going on. Of all of my glowy, liquid products, this is definitely my favorite of the bunch.

Vesca Kissed By Bronzing Powder in Santorini – I’m not a huge powder product user, but there’s something about this bronzer that really pulls a look together. I find this creates a more satin finish which is great for someone like me that wants to look hydrated and dewy while still having something long lasting, especially under a mask. This Vesca bronzer is my favorite for this purpose (and also my favorite powder bronzer in general) – it’s not too orange, feels incredibly smooth and velvety, blends beautifully, smells amazing, and is such a believable bronzer on me. When my makeup is feeling a bit blah, I add this as a finishing touch, and everything feels right again.

Nail polish – Having super pretty, sparkly, fun nail polish on always makes me feel more confident and put together. I have a ton of polishes that I love for this, so here’s some recent ones that made me feel great while wearing them. I could list so many more – let me know if you want to see more nail polish on here in the comments!

KBShimmer Wrap It Up
Holo Taco Bring Me the Teal and Starrily Star Cluster
ILNP Cityscape
Starrily Uranus

What products make you feel more confident? Let me know in the comments below! Let me know if there’s anything else you’d like to see here on LiftBakeLove, and thanks for reading! As always, some links may be affiliate links that support the blog, but all reviews/opinions are completely my own and unsponsored.

The 5 Makeup Products I missed the most while I was gone for a month

Like I mentioned in my last post, I recently took a month long trip to the East Coast and brought a pared down routine. I tried really hard to bring only what I needed, and there were a bunch of things I left at home and really missed. I was so excited to be reunited with these makeup products this last week and never want to be without them in the future!

I didn’t realize how much I loved the Auric Glow Lust until I didn’t have it for a month. This product is so versatile – I can use it by itself in lieu of foundation, as a primer, mixed in with my foundation, as a highlighter, and any combination of those methods. It gives both a super smooth and glowy effect to the skin, which is something I can’t find with any other product. It’s a really special product that I missed having and being able to use to liven up, brighten, and blur any look that needs it.

I didn’t bring any powder blushes, but I wish I had brought just one – which would have been the the Em Cosmetics Heaven’s Glow Blush in Magic Hour. Because it gives such a soft, glowy look without being overly pigmented, it’s a really easy way product to use to brighten up a look that’s coming off a little dull or flat. This is my go-to for setting cream and liquid blushes, particularly if I know I need my makeup to last all day for video calls or running around a city. This color matches so many of my cream blushes and adds just the right hint of bright pink without changing the overall look too much. I just got this formula in the shade Venetian Rose – let me know if it’s like a review!

Swatches of the 75° Warm , 11:11, and 52° Cool Roen Quads

I bought a mini-palette that I made of single powder eyeshadows, but I so wish I had brought my Roen quads instead. I really love the Roen formula because it’s so versatile – with a finger, the shades go on incredibly pigmented and intense, but with a brush, you can create a very sophisticated wash of color. I totally could have gotten away with just one eyeshadow brush and gotten so many incredible looks with this range of shades, particularly with how many great one-and-done shades there are. I also love that these are so quick and easy to use and last all day which is super important to me when I’m travelling. If I had to pick one, I probably would have gone with the 11:11 but I would have loved to have them all.

I bought my IT Cosmetics CC Cream for foundation because I’m trying to use it up, but it ended up being too full coverage and not as long wearing as I would have liked. The Fenty Eaze Drop would have been a much better choice. The formula is almost entirely mask proof and sweat proof, and it would have been much better for me given all the walking we did outside in the hot weather. It also looks way more natural on my skin while still providing coverage. I love that is blends super quick and easily with fingers which means I wouldn’t have needed a foundation brush, and the packaging would have taken up such little space. Definitely bringing this the next time I travel!

Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate cream bronzer and highlight duo in Shade 0.5

I’ve gushed about the Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate cream bronzer and highlight duo so many times, and I definitely missed it when I was travelling. It has such amazing formula that blends like a dream, looks natural, and still makes an impact. I love how they are both a little sheer which makes it super easy to just throw on without having to be super precise, and it blends into the skin so seamlessly. I love that this has both a bronzer and highlighter in one and that the bronzer shade is neutral enough to be used as more of a “brontour.” I’ve been using it everyday since I got back, and I’m so happy to have it back in my life.

What are your must-haves when you travel? What do you want to see next here on LiftBakeLove? Let me know in the comments!