BEAUTY ROUND-UP | July 2016

July is finally over and that means only one more month until school starts! It's been a month of ups and downs but let's focus on makeup, shall we?These are the 8 products I've been using this month so let's dive in. 

URBAN DECAY NAKED SKIN FOUNDATION in 3.0 -- $40usd for 1 fl oz/30ml

Urban Decay make awesome eyeshadows and this foundation is no different. My skin fluctuates throughout the year, but summertime usually means sweat and oil to the max. This is perfect because it is a completely matte foundation. It can feel or look drying if you don't prep your skin well beforehand. The lightweight texture offers light to buildable medium coverage, which is all I need on a daily basis. The color is a bit peachier and lighter for my summer tan but adding a drop of the CoverFX Custom Cover Drops (review) remedies that problem. There's a new foundation out now that I really want to give a try but I'm going to go through some more stuff before I buy that one.

BECCA COSMETICS X JACLYN HILL CHAMPAGNE COLLECTION FACE PALETTE -- $52usd for 0.72oz

If you weren't aware, Jaclyn Hill is a popular Youtuber known for her poppin' highlights and makeup tutorials. I'm not a fan but the packaging and hype sucked me in. I do have a review planned even though it's sold out online but the highlighters and blushers are still available in duos (with the exception of Rose Spritz). The long and short of it is that while everything is gorgeous, I don't think it's a staple product for me. It's on the glittery side so I don't think I'll be using this too much once summer is over. I'm considering returning the palette but I might keep it for collector's value. 

TARTE BAMBOO CONCEALER BRUSH -- discontinued

I like using my fingers to apply concealer but lately, I've been enjoying brush application. Fingers are faster and give me a lighter application but brushes help me pack on the coverage. I use this with the Skinfood concealer to apply and lightly blend close to my eye, using my fingers for a more thorough blending. This also works great for applying cream eyeshadows, not so much for powder. Tarte's line of brushes are good but they are usually limited edition so you can't get them later. This brush isn't anything special but the type of brush is something I've been enjoying lately.

**SKINFOOD SALMON DARK CIRCLE CONCEALER (review) -- $6.97usd for 0.3oz

This concealer is one of my favorites for covering dark circles. I don't have the darkest of circles but I do like a bright-eyed look. With just a couple of dabs, this will neutralize any darkness and brighten my undereye circles. It's quite creamy so I always make sure to set with powder. Only downside is that it comes in two colors. I use the "darkest" color, 02 Salmon Beige, and on my MUFE HD Foundation 120, it's still a bit Kim K looking. I think mine has gone off because it smells a little funny so I'll be tossing it after this post.

*BENEFIT GIMME BROW -- discontinued

The hype for this was so great that I fell for it. While my feelings aren't glowing, it does the job. I like the tiny brush because my brows aren't large in width. Color is alright for me. Apparently, there are fibers in here to make brows look fuller but it doesn't fluff up my brows or hold it in place. Also, the brush picks up way too much product, so I'm always wiping off the excess on a tissue. If I don't, I'll get globs of product all over my brow. The shade Medium/Deep seems to turn red over time on my brows. Benefit has come out with an additional color and repackaged it but I'm not going to buy that because I didn't have much luck with this one and Benefit isn't cruelty-free. 

*LANCOME CILS BOOSTER XL MASCARA BASE -- $25.50usd for 0.19oz

Lash primers seemed like an unnecessary step in my routine. But when you have sad looking lashes like mine, they really do make a difference. Too Faced makes my all-time favorite mascara. I don't need to use curlers or lash primers with that mascara but for many others, this lash primer makes all the difference. It adds length and thickness to any mascara yet keeps the mascara from smudging all over my under eyes. It doesn't make my mascara look grey. If I get heavy handed, my mascara can look spidery and clumpy. A couple of wiggles is all you need before mascara. I don't know if my eyes are playing tricks on me but it seems my lashes look longer than usual after I take off my mascara. However, I think it cause my mascara to flake off. I'm still going to keep testing this to make sure that it's not the mascara doing that but other than that, it's been much loved this month. Definitely want to test this out further to see if my lashes are growing.

*STILA PERFECT & CORRECT FOUNDATION (review) -- currently on sale for $15usd for 1 oz/30ml

I've done a review on this product before and my thoughts haven't changed much since then. It claims to both be hydrating and oil-controlling, which is contradicting in my opinion. It is definitely on the hydrating side and doesn't emphasize textural issues, like large pores. I find that it's best used alone or mixed with a liquid foundation. When I mixed it with a stick foundation, it broke up and looked patchy. One pump is too much product so I used maybe 3/4 pump for my entire face and extra on any additional spots. The color Tone is a bit too orange looking on me and the next shade down is Fair, the lightest shade they offer. There are a total of 7 shades but even the Deep shade doesn't look that deep to me. However, I think it's a great summertime foundation for those with dry to combination skin because it feels cooling on the face and offers a natural dewy finish to the face. I always powder because I like a completely matte face (I'll produce the oils right back anyway). It's not heavy or thick feeling but offers medium coverage. I think they're discontinuing the line because it's heavily discounted on the Stila website so get yours while you can.

*MAKE UP FOR EVER MIST & FIX -- $14usd for 1.01oz or $30usd for 4.22oz

I bought the travel size of this because I wasn't sure it would work for me. This is great at removing the powdery look to my face. If my blush and contour are looking too bright, this tones it down and meshes the color into my face for a seamlessly blushing look. It claims to make makeup last up to 12 hours and at least for me, that's reaching a bit. I mean, my makeup is still there but it's definitely not looking fresh without touch ups. It does tone down highlighters so I usually add that back after patting this into my face. If I spray too close to my face, I will see little droplets but it won't ruin the makeup. It also adds hydration to my face, which is perfect after a powder touch up. No oil controlling powers here but if you struggle with dry skin or overdid the powder, this one is a great remedy.

This is also my 300th post. I can't believe I've written that many since first starting my blog and my 3rd anniversary is coming up! Don't know if I have anything special planned just yet but I am working on it.

What products did you enjoy this past month?

 Are you excited for August??

(*) denotes a brand that is not cruelty-free.

(**) denotes a brand whose cruelty-free status is unknown/unverified. 

XOXO,

Cindy ♥

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