Tag: hair

Winter Favorites for When Your Skin is Dry and You’re Really Tired

Featuredby liftbakeloveLeave a Comment on Winter Favorites for When Your Skin is Dry and You’re Really Tired

This winter my skin has been extremely dry and textured, and it’s been one of those stretches where a lot of my usual makeup just isn’t cooperating. Everything either clings to and emphasizes texture, or somehow makes me look more tired than I already am. These are the things I keep reaching for when I want to look more alive with minimal effort. In this post, all links are affiliate links (thank you for your support!), but all opinions are my own.

MAKE Beauty Diffusion Dew Skin Tint in 1.5 – Shade wise, this is definitely not quite right on me because it’s way too saturated and too warm. But I still can’t stop wearing it. I’ve mostly stopped thinking of it as a skin tint and started using it as a primer because it makes my (very dry this winter) skin look so much better. It’s extremely sheer, like the original Glossier Skin Tint. At first, I’m wondering if anything is happening. But every time I use it, my skin looks healthier and more hydrated and more even. It blends in about five seconds and so seamlessly, even with the horrible shade match. I’ve found with a bunch of beigey green color corrector, I can get away with this as my only base product, but I do wish they’d come out with more shades. I will note that this has a bit of sparkle/mica/shimmer to it that might bother you if you’re not looking for it, but my skin really needs all the help it can get right now.

MAKE Beauty Diffusion Dew Skin Tint in 1.5

Makeup by Mario Soft Plumping Blush Veil in Berry Punch – This is such a perfect winter blush for me. It’s one of those blushes that makes it look like you slept and drank enough water (couldn’t be me). The shade is such a good berry plum shade that gives that “cold girl” look without looking like you’re wearing a ton of blush. It goes more purple on me than I can get in the swatch but I love how it’s not super bright. The formula blends so seamlessly you can’t see where it starts and stops, and it works really well even over powder. I love to throw it on half way through the day and wake my face back up. I’ve used it alone, under, and over things, and it’s been great every time. It also sets down and lasts pretty well for being a dewy finish product. I discovered during swatching that this actually stains a really pretty soft pink which is one of the reasons it seems to stay so well.

Makeup by Mario Soft Plumping Blush Veil in Berry Punch and Westman Atelier Light Up Highlight Stick in Biscuit

Westman Atelier Light Up Highlight Stick in Biscuit – I normally don’t get this excited about a highlighter but I’ve been loving it so much. Biscuit is a perfect light beige that makes my skin look glassy and hydrated without any weird shifts happening. It also doesn’t emphasize texture and doesn’t mess up any of the products that are underneath. I catch myself in the mirror and think it just looks so pretty. I can swipe it on and blend it out with my fingers or brush or sponge, and it gives that glossy healthy sheen. The only annoying thing is you have to buy the shade Biscuit from the Westman Atelier website, but for me it was worth it because it’s exactly the finish and shade I want and I use it constantly.

Ravie Beauty Soft Definition Longwear Eyeliner in Umber, drawn on (left) and blended out (right)

Ravie Beauty Soft Definition Longwear Eyeliner in Umber – I really need eyeliner to make my makeup look complete, but I am also so terrible at eyeliner. I have given up on it a million times. This is the first eyeliner that has made me feel like I can actually do eyeliner. The formula is soft and blendable, but it still gives definition. I can tightline with it, I can do a thin line, I can smudge it out, I can apply it with 3 hours of sleep. It still looks intentional every time. You have a ton of play time with this formula, which is the main reason I like it. If I mess up, I can blend it away and try to get the look I want without it being a huge mess. That said, once it sets, it sets. I still have proof of these swatches on my arm the next day, even after a shower. I also bought their brush, and it makes it so easy to do my eyeliner. If you want a strong graphic liner, I wouldn’t recommend this. But if you want a soft defined line you can play and practice with that still looks like you know what you’re doing, I highly recommend this.

dae Cactus Fruit 3-in-1 Styling Cream with Taming Wand – I am finally getting into the postpartum hair regrowth stage (yay!), and I have a ton of short little hairs on the top of my head. My hair had been looking absolutely ridiculous no matter how I tried to style it until I picked this up. It smooths everything down so fast, it smells amazing, and it doesn’t make my hair crunchy or sticky. My hair looks so much more put together whether I’m wearing it up or down. I really never knew I needed something like this, but now I can’t go back to not using it all the time.

What other products would you like me to review? Let me know if there’s anything else you’d like to see here, and thanks for reading! As always, some links may be affiliate links that support the blog and some products may have been gifted, but all reviews/opinions are completely my own and unsponsored.

2019 Skincare and Hair care Favorites

by liftbakeloveLeave a Comment on 2019 Skincare and Hair care Favorites

Best skincare discoveries in 2019:
I have a ton of tried and true favorites that I’ve used every day for years (comment below if you’d like a detailed post on that!), so instead of going through each category, here are my favorite discoveries in skincare this year.

Good Molecules Niacinamide Brightening Toner – This toner is my favorite skincare discovery of 2019! It has made my skin clearer, brighter, and less dry. It’s also $14 for a huge bottle. I’m so happy Beautylish sent a free sample to me in one of my orders because this was the #1 product that changed my skin for the better this year.

Krave Beauty Kale-lalu-yAHA – After trying a bunch of other chemical exfoliants, this is the one my skin responds the best to. It keeps my skin from getting congested, and it always looks so much brighter and glowy the morning after I use it. I only use it twice a week, but I can tell a huge difference if I forget to use it when I travel.

The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion – I wasn’t expecting anything too crazy for something under $10, but this has done great things for my skin. I was having trouble with wrinkles forming on my forehead and around my mouth and using this twice a week has totally gotten rid of them. It didn’t cause any purging or redness either, so I’m super excited to have found this.

Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Dream Night Cream – My friend Vera recommended this to me when I was looking to replace the reformulated Clinique Moisture Surge (which I had used for ten years!). She was right in that it was exactly what I was looking for. It’s incredibly moisturizing without being oily, and it smells amazing. I’ve already gone through a full jar in 2019 and repurchased another and can say for sure that this will be a staple for me for many years to come.

Krave Beauty The Beet Shield – My favorite sunscreen was discontinued earlier this year, so I had to look for a replacement. Since I already loved the Kale-lalu-yAHA and had heard great things about the Beet Shield for dry skin, I decided to try it. This sunscreen blends in so quickly, leaves no whitecast, and doesn’t dry out my skin like many others do. I can also confirm it works – I used it for a week in Las Vegas and two in Florida without getting any color on my face.

Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Multi-Purpose Dry Oil – This is hands down the best body moisturizer I have ever found, and I have tried dozens at this point. It sinks in so fast, is lightweight and not greasy, and keeps my skin moisturized for days. I can also mix it in to my other moisturizers super easily if I want an extra boost. I usually get incredibly dry skin in the winter to the point of being itchy all over, but haven’t had that problem at all this year thanks to this dry oil.

Best hair care discoveries in 2019:
In 2019, I bought a few too many Sephora Favorites Hair sets and got a bunch of hair related gifts with purchase. This led to me having over 50 hair products to try this year. My favorites of the bunch are:

Bumble and Bumble Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil Shampoo, Conditioner, and Primer and the While You Sleep Damage Repair Masque – This line and the mask are magic for my hair. Together, they keep it looking shiny, soft, and frizz-free without weighing it down. Plus, it smells amazing and compliments all the perfumes I own vs overpowering them (like DryBar products can do). I only use the mask about once every 3 weeks, and that’s been more than enough to keep my hair feeling great.

Ouai Wave Spray – I had decluttered this years ago for feeling sticky and not doing much for my hair, but now that I have it back in my collection, I have no idea what I was thinking. It works incredibly well after I curl my hair to give it some texture and beachiness without making anything crunchy. I do think it works much better because I now have shorter hair, but I can definitely say it works better than the other wave sprays I tried this year.

dpHUE Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse – When dry shampoo and other products have built up in my hair, this rinse does such a great job getting it clean again. It doesn’t leave my hair dry or overly stripped. It was particularly useful after my engagement shoot and wedding when I had what felt like gallons of hair spray in my hair. It got it all out super quickly, and my hair felt exactly the same as before.

Tangle Teezer – I own a ton of hair brushes at this point, and I thought that it didn’t make a huge difference what you used. This brush totally changed my mind. I love how compact it is and how it fits in my hand, and I can use it with wet or dry hair with limited breakage. The best part for me is that I have some waviness in my hair when it airs dries, and this brush doesn’t straighten them out at all.

Next up – brushes and lifestyle favorites!