Monthly Favorites | July 2015

What a terribly clichéd thing to say, but where did July go? Between working and, well, working, I haven’t been paying much attention to the days passing by. I had a really busy month preparing for my upcoming semester abroad, and there is still a lot more for me to look forward to doing. Nevertheless, here are my favorites from the past few weeks!

Beauty

Origins High-Potency Night-A-Mins: If you saw my Sephora haul post you’ll know that I picked up a few skincare samples. This night cream by Origins has to be one of my favorite skincare products I’ve ever tried. It’s creamy without being too thick and moisturizing without being oily. Plus the fruity, fresh smell is so lovely on the skin. I always recommend Origins products, and I am no less impressed with this night cream!

BECCA x Jaclyn Hill Shimmering Skin Perfector in “Champagne Pop”: Another favorite from my Sephora purchase is this highlighter by BECCA and YouTuber Jaclyn Hill. I splurged and I can honestly say it is one of my favorite purchases of all time. Rarely do I ever find something that consistently makes me feel beautiful! Champagne Pop gives the prettiest, buildable glow. I’ve used it almost every day that I’ve worn makeup since I got it!

NYX Prismatic Eyeshadows in “Fireball,” “Golden Peach,” and “Girl Talk”: The formulation of these shadows are crazy good – by far the best drugstore ones I’ve found and really comparable in quality to Urban Decay shadows. They are so pigmented and creamy, and come in unique, saturated colors. I love wearing them alone or mixed together for a really bold eye. I’m thinking about doing a tutorial on the three, so let me know if you’d like to see that!

L’Oreal Brow Stylist Plumper: I’m usually pretty picky when it comes to brow products, and I’ve been skeptical of all the new brow gels that claim to naturally fill and set. To be honest, I don’t use this gel on its own. I find that I’m more comfortable with thicker, darker eyebrows because mine are so naturally fine. However, it sets my brows so well, holding all day, and fills in any sparse areas. It doesn’t goop onto my eyebrows and actually has little fibers that help my eyebrows look fuller. If you have thicker eyebrows, you could definitely get away with this brow gel alone, and if you’re like me, I think you’d enjoy using it to set any other brow products you’ve used.

L’Oreal Infallible Makeup Extender Setting Spray: I find that in the summertime I need to use a setting spray to prolong my makeup throughout the day. I don’t like using too many powders and still want to have a dewy finish, so for a long time I used Urban Decay’s All Nighter to set my makeup. Once I got through that, though, I looked for cheaper drugstore alternatives, and this one does the trick! I actually like it better than the Urban Decay one because the mist is finer and easier to spray. I knew it was my new holy grail item when it kept my makeup not only on my face but actually looking good when I was out all day in humid, 90 degree weather. 10/10.

Music Video

Girls Like Girls by Hayley Kiyoko: Okay, I definitely meant to share this with you all last month, but it remained a favorite this month so I figure it’s still applicable. A lot of you have probably seen this already, but it’s such a fantastic video. And song, of course. I just really like the exposure of adolescent crushes and admiration between girls without it being sexualized. It’s such a little thing to ask for, but it’s still so ignored by popular media, so it feels like a big win! Especially with its popularity. Anyway, check it out and let me know what you think and if you have any other recommendations that fall under the same message/idea!

Book, Movie, and Soundtrack

Paper Towns by John Green: I am so incredibly biased on this one. Like, I wish I could say “Everyone, this is objectively the best piece of cinema I’ve seen in the past decade” but I really can’t. My attachment to this book and its message runs too deep. But trust me when I say that I genuinely did enjoy every part of re-experiencing this story this month. And that includes re-reading the book, listening and purchasing the soundtrack, going to the press tour, and attending the premiere. I don’t care if my “fangirling” makes you cringe. The soundtrack makes me nostalgic for the mix CDs I’d trade with my friends in high school, and while the movie was different from the book, it had the same heart. Bravo to John Green and everyone else involved in the Paper Towns universe. I can’t wait to see what’s next.

What did you love (or hate) this past month?? And what do you want to see me write about this month? More makeup tutorials, book reviews, etc.? Let me know in the comments below!

Happy August!

xx. Diana