Instagram Roundup and Weekly Thoughts #2

Alright friends, today I’m bringing you another round of what I’ve been posting on Instagram. I like posting on there often because it allows me to get a little more creative and visual, but I hate typing a huge Instagram caption so I like to recap everything here.

February 25

I enjoy wearing makeup everyday of the week, and I like to use weekends to test out products that might be a bolder shade, or products that I really want to test the wear of without worrying that my makeup will look like a mess halfway through a workday. At the same time, some weekends, I am just really lazy and minimal with my makeup, and I choose low maintenance and natural shades for when I’m running errands.

On this particular Sunday, I was trying out the By Terry Compat-Expert Dual Powder in 3 Apricot Glow. These powders are a fairly new release from By Terry, which is a brand I’ve really fallen in love with in the past year. They can be used as face powders, blushes, bronzers, or highlighters, depending on what shade you buy. The shade that I have, Apricot Glow, is a light peachy shade that I like to use as a blush. It has a darker peach that has a satin finish, and then a lighter nude shade in the middle that’s slightly shimmery. I like to just take a fluffy blush brush and swirl it around so it catches both sides and apply as a blush. I’ve only used it a few times, but I really love how soft and smooth these powders are. I am still dying to get the shade Sun Glow, too!

I found the Burberry Kisses Lip Glosses last year and they became an instant HG. They are sheer, but buildable, moisturizing, and not sticky at all! They are so easy to keep in my bag and put on if I just need a little bit of moisture and shine. I don’t see a lot about these glosses, so I’m planning a future blog post devoted to these so keep an eye out if you’re interested!

I’ve also been wearing the Chanel Ombre Premiere in Memory a lot, and I love that it’s a bronze that doesn’t lean too orange. It’s a great base for a warm neutral look, but doesn’t make my eyes look more tired. I really like the formula of the Ombre Premieres. They’re a little drier than a typical cream shadow, which makes them easier to build up and makes them more long lasting.

 

February 25 (#2)

I have quite a growing skincare collection, but I still like to keep the number of open products to a minimum. This nighttime routine doesn’t vary too much, but sometimes I’ll add in or take out different products depending on how my skin feels. The highlight from this is the May Coop Raw Sauce, a lightly maple-scented essence that really soothes and hydrates my skin, making the products I apply afterward sink in better. I was really skeptical about how much an essence could really add to my skincare routine, but I think this is really boosting the efficacy of my other products! I’m almost finished with the Juice Beauty Blemish Clearing Cleanser, and I probably wouldn’t repurchase again. It was slightly drying on me, although I have been mainly using it in the cold winter months, and I don’t feel like it really helped prevent any breakouts. The main thing that I really like about this is the organic ingredients, but I might just switch to another cleanser in their line. The Thayers Rose Petal Witch Hazel Toner is fairly new to me, so I’m going to keep trying it out. I wanted a toner that had minimal ingredients and kept hearing about this one. In the month or so that I’ve been using it, I haven’t noticed any changes in my skin, and it isn’t particularly drying or hydrating for me. I’m undecided on this one.

 

February 26

In recent weeks, I’ve been really drawn to warm neutrals, so it was time to pull my Urban Decay Naked Heat Palette back out. When this was first released, I was back and forth on it for a couple of months. I thought it would be a little too warm and orange-tone for my warm, but olive-leaning skin. After swatching it a few times in-store and consulting my boyfriend (who actually has a great eye for color, design, and fashion), who reassured me that it would not make me look like a sick and tired person, I bit the bullet. It’s definitely not a palette that I reach for every day, but I really love the looks that I’ve made with this, including this one. Here is what I was wearing for this look:

 

Face:

• Maybelline Water Gel BB Cream (Asia-exclusive) + NARS Laguna Liquid Illuminator
• MAC Emote contour
• Becca Watermelon Cheek Souffle Blush
• By Terry Compat-Expert Dual Powder in 3 Apricot Glow

Eyes:

• Chanel Ombre Premiere in Memory
• UD Naked Heat Palette:
  • Crease and transition: Sauced and Low Blow mixed
  • Lid: Lumbre
  • Outer V: En Fuego

Lips:

• Urban Decay Vice Lipstick in Epigram

 

February 27

These are some of my most used cheek products. My love for the Kjaer Weis Cream Blushes has no end (see my post about my favorite cream blushes!), and the Becca Lowlight/Highlight Perfecting Palette is one of my go-to cream contours. The lowlight shade is cool toned and makes a great base for my powder contours. Both sides are a little on the drier side, which I prefer, and I like to apply with my fingers. I use the highlight side less often, but it is a very subtle and natural highlight that I use often for daytime. I also take the little palette with me most days so I can get some shape back into my face and touch up during the day. I also fell hard for Tom Ford makeup this year, and the Tom Ford Reflects Gilt Sheer Highlighting Duo is absolutely beautiful. They have that gel-powder consistency that can be subtle or built up to be a full-on wet look. Both shades are flattering on my skin tone, so it’s a win on the whole palette. FYI – I bought this at a CCO (Cosmetic Company Outlet) for a slight discount, so definitely check into your CCO’s for Tom Ford products!

 

February 28

More love for the Kjaer Weis Cream Blush compacts. Sorry, not sorry!

 

March 1

I have really been loving Kosas Cosmetics, as referenced in some of my earlier posts, and just kept reaching for the Rosewater shade, which is a rose-pink shade that goes with just about everything.

 

March 2

Empties!

 

March 3

In the beginning of March, we had a slightly warmer week, and it made me eager to transition from winter to spring makeup, starting with adding some bronze glow into my base makeup with the Giorgio Armani Fluid Sheer in #3, a bronze sheen with find gold shimmer. Mixing a little bit with my foundation warms it up just a little bit, making me look slightly less wintry pale. I also have been using the First Aid Beauty Coconut Smoothing Prime, which I also have mentioned a couple times. It’s a great winter primer for me as it is lightly hydrating, but doesn’t make my foundation more oily throughout the day. Now that it’s about to get warmer and I’m almost done with the sample, I probably would wait until next winter to buy it, but I am enjoying it!

The Matcha perfume is also another recent favorite that shows up pretty regularly. It’s a fantastic light spring scent that also matches the ever-slowly warming weather.

 

March 4

It isn’t until I consciously write down I everything I use and pick up that I realize what some of my most used brands and products are, even if they don’t come to mind. Urban Decay is one of those. I don’t love *everything* they release, and there are other brands and releases that I ogle over and lust after more, but everything that I do own from Urban Decay are absolute workhorses. The Naked 3 palette is one of those products, too. The rosy tones create beautiful soft looks when I want a more pinky tone in my makeup. I’m wearing Nooner in the Crease and Buzz on the lid.

Another brand that I don’t always think about is theBalm, even though their Bahama Mama bronzer is my HG bronzer. I have a sample of their liquid lipstick that I really love – it’s a comfortable formula that doesn’t give me butthole lips, and the shade Committed  is a very safe pick for me – a peachy neutral shade.

 

March 4 (#2)

Aah, more makeup staples. When I really want easy makeup, I like to reach for subtle neutrals that work well with anything I wear. Featured here are MAC Constructivist Paint Pot, MAC Patina eyeshadow, and Burberry Beauty Kisses Lip Gloss in Cameo Nude.

 

March 5

 

Stowaway Cosmetics is a fairly recent find for me. I think I first hear of them through Tamira Jarrel (if you don’t know her yet, where have you been??) I was attracted to the brand because they make all their products mini-sized so they’re 1) travel friendly and 2) easier to use up. I was curious about how the products were so I ordered a couple things, the Lipstick in Muted Plum and Lip and Cheek Rouge in Cantaloupe, being a couple of those products. I do like the products I have from them, but they’re not so amazing they blow me away, although I was surprised by how pigmented and stain-like the lip and cheek rouge was. The main draw is that they’re tiny and compact, but the price range is just a teensy bit high than I want to pay for minis. If you find yourself on the go a lot and have trouble finishing up products though, I definitely recommend checking them out. They also bundle a lot of their items into kits, making the price per item significantly lower.

 

March 7

Another close up of The Matcha. Seriously, just try the scents at Urban Outfitters. They’re only $18 and there are so many options.

March 8

For International Women’s Day, I wanted to do something. There is a lot to say on this topic, and working in the social justice field, my thoughts are always on politics, equity, and equality, especially for those who are historically and systematically marginalized and oppressed. I partially created this blog to give me a more fun creative outlet to be just a little frivolous, but an easy mix of some of what I think about all the time and beauty is really about feeling empowered to be simply who you are and express that without shame – whether that means you wear a lot of makeup, or none of it at all. Whether you want to wear bold blue lipstick, or just lip balm. Just own who you are. These are just a few of my bolder lipsticks: Urban Decay Troublemaker, Maybelline Midnight Blue Lipstick, Bite Beauty Aubergine, and Urban Decay Temper Lipstick.

 

March 9

This “look” was just simple makeup for a day I was working from home. I like to put on makeup even if I’m at home all day just to make me feel more like I’m in work mode and not in relax mode! There is another Urban Decay workhorse in here – the Ultimate Basics palette, which I have not been able to stop using in the past couple of weeks. Here are the full details:

Face:

• Maybelline Water Gel BB Cream
• Palladio highlight and contour stick
• Kjaer Weis Above and Beyond
• TF Chocolate Bronzer

Eyes:

• MAC Constructivist Paint Pot
• UD Naked Basics Palette – Lockout in the crease, and Faith on the lid

Lips:

• theBalm liquid lipstick in Committed

 

March 10

So speaking of Ultimate Basics palette…..here is a neutral blush and lip pairing that I find works really well. Urban Decay Afterglow 8-Hour Blush in Video and Smashbox Be Legendary Lipstick in Honey. Smashbox is another really solid brand for lipsticks! They make some of my favorite liquid lipsticks as well, but their regular lipstick formula comes with a huge shade range and a really comfortable and moisturizing formula.

 

March 11

Finally, my cream blush post that I had been working on for weeks!

 

March 12

So that spring weather we had in the beginning of March quickly cooled back down to blustery winter days, meaning I had to double down on moisture in my skincare routine again. The Muji Light Toning Water is a really effective hydrating toner, and a really affordable one, at that. I also got another mini size of the Sunday Riley Good Genes serum, which I tried once when it first came out but wasn’t wildly impressed by. For some reason this time around, my skin has been reacting super well to it! Sometimes I’ll also add in the Ole Henriksen Sheer Transformation moisturizer, which I use mainly in the day time. The Uma Oils Anti Aging Eye Oil is a super pricey but very moisturizing eye oil that I’ll dab onto the eye area if I’m feeling particularly dry. I don’t know if I’d buy the full size, just mainly out of budget, but I am thoroughly and also sparingly enjoying the sample. Lastly, the Jack Black Lip Balm is an absolute HG for me. I’ve been through so many tubes of this and it’s a must for me in the mornings.

 

March 13

Instead of taking a FOTD photo, I took a photo of just the makeup I used for the day. My thoughts are mainly covered in the caption, but I want to emphasize how much I like the L’oreal Dream Lumi Cushion Foundation in W3, especially for the winter. It’s lightweight and dewy, yet still evens out my skintone. I love the finish it provides, and it wears down pretty nicely through the day. I also have been continuing to rotate through my palettes, and chose to wear the Lorac Pro Palette for the majority of the week – just a great basic palette with the mattes and shimmers I need to create a basic look.

 

March 14

An outtake from my cream blush post, I wanted to lift up this Noto Botanics Multi-Bene Tint again, which I’ve done a couple times already!

 

March 15

I talk a little bit about how I do buy uber-hyped products, and the Anastasia Beverly Hills Subculture Palette was one of those. At first, like many people, I was completely baffled by the shade selection, but as I saw more looks being done with it, I was won over by how diverse this palette could be. I truly believe it is one of the more creative palettes released among the sea of neutral palettes – which I do love, but I don’t need 100 version of the same neutrals – but this palette offers shade selections and pairings that I would never put together myself, yet are stunning together. I won’t say much on the formula, but that it works fine for me. I wore Mercury on the Lid, Fudge on the outer V, and Cube on the center of the lid for a cool toned, slightly purple look, and I absolutely love how subtle yet slightly different that this turned out.

 

March 16

You all will probably slowly discover that I am terrible with self-care when it comes to beauty. I don’t really enjoy masking, I hate taking baths, I don’t really like massages, and I definitely don’t usually like lip scrubs. For some reason, I was drawn into buying the French Girl Organics Lip Scrub from Anthropologie a little while ago, and I finally tried it out recently. By some miracle, I actually enjoy this lip scrub. THey are usually all too oily and messy for me, but this one is dry and scrubby enough that it doesn’t feel oily, and it actually gets off all the dead skin. And it smells lightly of roses. It’s a win-win! This is a product that I do intend on making time for.

 

Whew! And another long post! I think I need to try to do these more often so they don’t end up being gigantic recaps. However, I do think that it acts a beauty diary for me, of sorts, where I can record and write down my daily thoughts on what I’m using and what I’m wearing, and I’m excited that I get to share it all with you. I hope you enjoy these little (or large and long) recaps!

As always, thanks for reading.