Recent Favorites: Spring 2017

I haven't done a favorites post in a while, so I wanted to round up some of the products I've tried over the past two months that really stood out to me. I get to try so many different products every week for the blog and while there's plenty that I like well enough, these are the ones I keep reaching for every single day.

Let's take a look!

1. Hask Blue Chamomile Shampoo & Conditioner 
$5.99 for 15 oz. at Target

If you struggle to keep red or brassy tones out of your hair, you have to check these out. As you may know, purple shampoo helps to cancel out red or brassy tones in your hair (particularly blondes) and mine has a tendency to get brassy very easily, especially since we have hard water.
I've tried other purple shampoos in the past (like the one from John Frieda) but they were such a light lavender color, they really didn't make any difference. This one is actually a deep purple color and it's argan oil based so it makes your hair feel so soft and silky!

Here's what it looks like vs. the John Frieda one...quite a big difference, huh?

Here's my hair after using this only three times...it didn't completely get rid of the reddish tones yet but it looks a lot brighter and more blonde which is a great thing! I'm hopeful it'll cancel out the rest after a few more uses.

I found mine at Target, but I've also seen them at Walgreens and Ulta. The 15 oz. size is huge and will last a long time. Definitely worth picking up especially if you're a blonde!

2. Laura Geller Quench -n- Tint Hydrating Foundation 
$33 for 1.7 oz. at Ulta.com

I've been living in this foundation and can't see myself stopping anytime soon. If you have normal to dry skin, this feels heavenly! As soon as you start to apply it, it feels like you're giving your skin a cool drink of water and it feels incredibly lightweight. It melts right in, leaving a sheer tint behind. If you're oily or if you like a lot of coverage, you probably won't like this but the older I get the more I gravitate toward sheer-coverage foundations. I find that full-coverage just doesn't look good on my skin anymore and tends to age me, settling into lines and pores. Instead, I like to use a light-coverage foundation or tinted moisturizer and then add concealer in the areas where I need it (like under my eyes and to hide the redness on and around my nose).

This foundation comes in only three shades but because it's sheer the color doesn't matter quite as much. I have it in the Light shade and it works great for me.

3. Catrice Liquid Camoflauge Waterproof Concealer 
$5.99 for .17 oz. at Ulta.com (and some Ulta stores)

I purchased this concealer after hearing Kathleen Lights rave about it on YouTube (she also has dry skin so I usually trust her recommendations). It kind of reminds me of the Tarte Shape Tape but it's a little bit lighter-weight and more medium coverage vs. full (although it has more coverage than I thought it would for being such a thin formula). I like using this for every day, while I reserve the Tarte Shape Tape for special occasions or going out at night. At first I was worried that it would be too drying...it dries down very fast and you have to blend quick. But it's actually really nice and because it's so light it doesn't cake up or sink into fine lines. It's also very long-lasting and waterproof so it's a really great affordable option!

I got the lightest shade (Light Natural) and it really helps to brighten up my eye area. The only drawback is that there are just three shades and they're all on the light end of the spectrum.

4. Essence Sun Club Matt Bronzing Powder 

$4.99 for .52 oz. at Ulta.com

I've been loving this bronzer lately! The lighter of the two shades warms up my skin nicely without being orange and it smells like tanning oil (kind of like the Physicians Formula Butter Bronzer). It's matte (which I prefer to a shimmery bronzer) and the powder is very soft, silky, and blendable. The pan is huge (there's over half an ounce of powder in here), so you can take a huge fluffy brush and use it on your body as well. 

Available at Ulta.com

5. Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Filtered Light Setting Powder 
$34 for .35 oz exclusively at Sephora

I'm not a fan of setting powders...at all. The vast majority I've tried make my dry skin look even drier and they tend to sink into fine lines and pores. But when summer rolls around, I'm usually willing to try a few new formulas because my foundations tend to feel a bit stickier in the humidity and I like a smooth, dry finish. I tried this powder on my hand in-store at Sephora and was completely sold because of how smooth it looked on my skin. Then when I got home and tried it on my face, I knew I had found my new holy grail powder...it makes my skin look airbrushed and not dry at all. It also has that heavenly vanilla scent that Tarte's newer palettes have which is a bonus for me. It does have a slight yellow tone but I don't notice the color on my skin at all.

Available exclusively at Sephora.

6. L'oreal Lash Paradise Mascara 
$9.99 at Ulta.com and drugstores

This is, in my opinion, the best drugstore mascara to come out in a long time, and I've been wearing it non-stop lately. It gives my lashes volume, but also lots of fluttery length that's not clumpy at all. It also doesn't flake or smudge (and I'm using the regular, not waterproof). I did a full review on this a few weeks ago, where I compared it to the Too Faced Better Than Sex, so if you haven't read that yet, you can find it here.

Available at Ulta.com and drugstores.

7. Rimmel London Stay Matte Liquid Lip Colour 
$5.49 exclusively at Ulta.com

I don't usually "do" matte liquid lipsticks because of the dryness factor but I absolutely love these! They have a cushiony gel texture (similar to the Revlon ones) but they dry down almost immediately and are completely transfer-proof. Also, the shade range is so beautiful and very well-done. To see swatches and read more about them, you can see my original blog post here.

Available exclusively at Ulta.com (not in stores).

8. Algenist Elevate Advanced Lift Contouring Cream
$96 for 2 oz. at Sephora and Ulta

This brand new cream from Algenist is my new favorite night moisturizer, and I've been using it for the past 3 weeks or so. It contains alguronic acid and tripeptide-2 "combined in a glycoprotein matrix to help promote and reinforce a firmer skin structure, visibly minimize signs of aging, and rapidly tone skin with proven visible lifting effects".

 It has an interesting whipped cream-like texture that seems like it would be heavy but it sinks in to your skin with a velvety finish that's not greasy or oily at all. After a few minutes, I can't stop touching my face because it feels so soft and smooth, plus it really does seem a bit firmer as well. I'm only 39 and haven't experienced much in the way of sagging skin yet, so I can't really say that I "see" firming results. However, after using this my skin feels a bit more taut and lifted, not to mention really smooth.
I haven't been using it long enough to see long-term anti-aging results but it makes my skin feel so wonderful that it's been my go-to cream every night. I also trust Algenist, as they're one of my favorite skincare brands and have always had great results with them in the past.  If you have dry skin, I think you'll love this one!

Available at Sephora and Ulta
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So those are my recent favorites! I hope you enjoyed this post and found a few new things to try. I'd love to hear your thoughts on any of these products...have you tried them?