We are finally back home in Portland after a wonderful time away! My husband had to go to South Carolina for a business trip, but we turned it into a family vacation as well 🙂 We had a blast visiting friends in Charleston, as well as spending time in Greenville, which is we used to live a few years ago. After that, Cam had to go to Des Moines for two days for work, and Henry and I managed to keep ourselves busy 🙂 (You can see more on Instagram, ICYMI!) It was actually kind of nice because our time in Des Moines helped break up the travel home a little, and Henry did so good the whole trip. (He is seriously a champion traveler and we are so thankful for that!)
But it feels so nice to be home and the weather here in Portland is supposed to be in the 80’s today, so I am super excited about that! Since it seems like spring has sprung, I thought I’d share some of my favorite makeup products from the past few months because they’re all very spring-appropriate 🙂
Milani Everyday Eyes Powder Eyeshadow Collection in Must Have Neutrals
I get a lot of my makeup recommendations from YouTubers and this eye shadow set is no exception! I’ve never had much luck with drugstore eye shadow as I’ve found it to be really chalky and not pigmented. But at the same time, eye shadow isn’t something I wear everyday so it’s hard to justify spending a lot on it. This eye shadow set from Milani is actually really smooth and the pigmentation is great! The neutral colors are perfect for creating a variety of looks and it’s great quality for the price!
FormulaX #ColorCurators Cupcakes and Cashmere Nail Polish in ‘Latte Run’
I’m a big fan of the whole FormulaX system from Sephora and Cupcakes & Cashmere is a blog I’ve read for years. When I heard that they were collaborating on some spring nail polishes, I knew I had to get my hands on one! I actually purchased the color ‘Latte Run’ which is a fantastic nude with a pinky undertone. However, that color is currently sold out online so I couldn’t get a picture of it 🙁 But they may still have it at your local store, so it’s worth checking! (The color pictured is ‘Peach Tea’ from the C&C collection which also looks gorgeous!)
Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder
I’d heard great things about this powder and so I finally decided to check it out. Although I don’t usually like loose powders as much as pressed ones because they’re more of a pain for travel, this one does work really really well! The nice thing is you can buy a travel size (up at the front near the registers in Sephora) so that way you can see if you like it before investing in a full-size.
Cover Girl Oh Sugar! Lip Balm
I posted about these on Instagram a few weeks ago, but I’m obsessed! They are super similar to the Fresh Sugar Lip Treatments (the lemon-y scent is identical and the name seems hardly coincidental) and they’re perfect for spring/summer. The color payoff is on the sheer side, but definitely noticeable for the darker shades. They don’t last too long on the lips as they’re a balm, but are very moisturizing.
Wet n Wild 1 Step Wondergel Nail Color
I usually stick to Essie when it comes to nail polish, but I heard good things about these and given the low price, I couldn’t resist trying them out. The verdict? They actually work surprisingly well! The formula is thin (in a good way) and very easy to apply. The colors are extremely pigmented and they really do last on your nails! (Although I do think they work better if you do apply a top coat) I’ve picked up three colors so far – Coral Support (a bright pinky coral), It’s a Sher-Bert Day! (a bright rosy pink), and Bye Feluschia! (a shimmery magenta purple)
NARS Lipstick in ‘Dolce Vita’
This is one of NARS’s best selling lipstick shades and now I’m hooked too! My sister has been wearing this color for a long time, but I never got around to purchasing it because it always seemed a little ‘meh’ in the tube to me. But I recently purchased the ‘Give Me Some Nude Lip’ kit at Sephora (which is no longer available online but you should totally see if they have it at your local store because it’s a fantastic deal!) and Dolce Vita was one of the included lip products. It’s such a flattering shade that’s very much a ‘your lips but better’ type of color. Perfect for everyday wear, it’s easy to throw on with any type of makeup look (sans mirror, I might add), and it’s just such a classic.
Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Blush Palette
So I know I’m such a marketer’s dream, but this was one of those items I just could not resist buying 🙂 I love Gwen Stefani, I love blushes, and the white and gold polka dot packaging for this palette was absolutely beautiful. But now that I’ve been using it for awhile, I actually really love the blushes too! There is a good variety of colors and some of the shades are really unique and unlike other blushes I’ve seen before. (The color ‘OC’ in particular is one of my favorites, it’s a pink peach duo chrome!) It’s a perfect palette for spring and summer, and for the price, I feel like you do get quite a bit of product.
One other spring purchase that didn’t make the list of favorites is NARS Velvet Matte Skin Tint; while I don’t dislike this product, I also don’t love it as much as I was hoping to. I was super excited to try it because I like NARS regular tinted moisturizers, but it’s a little greasy for my oily skin. This is supposed to have a more matte finish, so I thought it would be perfect. But unfortunately, it’s a little too matte. I feel like the pigment kind of breaks up on the skin throughout the day and it dries down kind of quickly so it’s hard to blend. Part of the reason I probably don’t love it is because I went with a lighter shade and it’s not a great match, so I usually end up mixing it with another foundation. I still wear it quite a bit, it’s just not something I’d necessarily repurchase, especially for the price.
I also didn’t include any mascaras on this list because I have a bunch of new mascaras that I’ve tried recently, so I figured I’d save those for their own separate post!
Have a wonderful weekend!
