Loving Lately (July – September 2017)

LOVES

American Eagle Nylon Mini Backpack

I never knew how convenient a mini backpack could be before I picked this one up!  I absolutely love it for travel, specifically as a carry-on.  It holds everything I need for the plane including my packed-full liquids bag, iPhone and iPad, eReader, snacks and a bottle of water and more, if I want.  I can stuff a lot in here but it’s still compact, lightweight and comfortable to wear. I love it!

American Eagle Baseball Cap

I’ve been on a bit of an American Eagle kick lately if you couldn’t tell; this Summer was a hot one here in Calgary, which meant I wore more sunscreen than usual and hats too. I’m not always a huge fan of baseball caps and how they look on me, but I thought this one was cute with the peace symbol on it (it also says Chill Out on the back) and it was comfortable to wear.  I reached for it quite a bit over the Summer so I figured it deserved a spot on my list. 🙂

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Cleansing Gel

This is my new favourite cleanser!  Not only does it remove my makeup well (I’ve been using a lot less micellar water since I started using this!), it leaves my skin feeling super soft and hydrated, which is kind of a rare end result for me after using a cleanser, especially one that actually cleanses my skin!

Neostrata Acne Clear Blemish Spot Gel

I went through a real rough patch with my skin over the Spring/Summer months and since then, I’ve completely changed my skincare routine.  It’s helped a lot but I still have some acne scaring that I needed some help with and this product has been amazing for just that.  While it’s meant as a spot treatment (which it also works really well for by the way!), it has really helped with fading my scars and evening out my skintone.  It’s powerful stuff (5% glycolic acid & 2% salicylic acid) so I recommend gradually introducing it to your skin but I’ve just been so pleased with the results I’ve seen since I’ve started using this.

Smashbox Photo Finish Hydrating Undereye Primer

This has been sitting in my makeup drawer for a while – mostly because I was highly skeptical that it could actually work.  I decided to give it a try one day and I was pleasantly surprised – it really does hydrate my undereye area!  I also have quite a few fine lines under my eyes and I find this helps my concealer not settle into them as badly as it would without it.  Definitely considering a full-sized version of this once I run out of this little tube!

Hard Candy So Baked Bronzer (Tiki)

This “bronzer” has been in my collection for a while, so please excuse it’s ragged state.  I don’t really know how this could work as a bronzer for anyone but I can tell you it’s a beautiful, champagne highlight.  I wore it quite a bit over the Summer because I love the natural glow it gave my skin; it’s really buildable so you can make it more natural or more intense, depending on your preference.  It’s definitely become one of my go-to highlighters.

Clinique Pretty Easy Liquid Eyelining Pen

Initially I didn’t really like this liquid eyeliner as it had more of a liquidy consistency than what I thought I liked.  After using it for a while I went back to my favourite Kat Von D Tattoo Liquid liner and I actually realized how much I liked this.  While it’s liquidy it does glide on really nicely and easily – much easier than the Kat Von D.  In addition this thing has lasted forever; I’ve used it regularly since I bought it back in December and it’s still going strong!

Maison Jacynthe Illuminator (02 Lune Rose)

I received some products to try out from Maison Jacynthe this Summer and the standout was this highlighter; again, it’s a more natural-looking highlight than can be built up, which is exactly what I like.  You can read my review on it here.

LETDOWNS

Wet n Wild photofocus foundation (Soft Ivory)

This foundation has been raved about by basically ever You-Tuber I watch so when I saw the full line in Wal-Mart this Summer I quickly scooped one up.  Unfortunately this was just a big fail for me; this set into my pores, looked cakey and clinged to dry patches.  I also had problems with it not wanting to set, even though I did set it with powder (which just added to the cakey look).  It does have a very strong paint-like smell too, although that didn’t bother me too much.

L’Oreal Voluminious Lash Paradise

Another product that was just raved about by so many You-Tubers and Bloggers and another one that sadly, just didn’t work for me.  I had such high hopes for this!  I think it’s a nice mascara – in my opinion it offers a lot of length and separation, with a little volume.  However, it dries out really quickly (within a week for me) and it flakes like crazy on me.  I won’t be repurchasing this.

It’s Skin Macaron Lip Balm (Grape)

This is the second Korean lip product I’ve tried that has dried the heck out of my lips (the other was Laniege’s Lip Sleeping Mask).  While I love how this smells (like something in my childhood – Grape Jello maybe), it took me a while and process of elimination to discover that this completely drying my lips out – once I stopped using it, the problem went away.  I’ll probably keep it around just to sniff once a while. 😉

Essie Grow Stronger Base Coat

I had a really weird reaction to this base coat – it turned my nails white!  I don’t know what the heck is in here but rest assured it’s going straight in the garbage!

What have you been loving lately?