Current Beauty Favorites + Thoughts on 'Luna' by Sunday Riley
10:16 PM
I have not posted on the blog in awhile (or at least not as consistent as I have been posting on Instagram) so I thought I would make a post on my current beauty favorites. I am so excited to be talking about my all-time favorite contour/highlight palette by BECCA and my newest skincare product by Sunday Riley.
• BECCA Lowlight/Highlight Perfecting Palette Pressed ($42.00)
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| Top: lowlight/contour shade Bottom: highlight shade |
Hands down, this is my all-time favorite contour/highlight palette. I was shown this when I was getting a makeover at Sephora and immediately fell in love with it. The warmth in my skin tone is so similar to many contour shades that I have trouble finding one that gives me the "just right" definition. Many shades are either too orange on my skin or too similar. This shade has the perfect ash to it, which contrasts with my skin tone, creating the perfect contour. In addition, the shimmers in the highlight shade is so fine that once applied, you get this gorgeous glow. No words can describe my love for this palette unless you try it! I highly recommend this palette to those who have tan/olive skin tone.
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| After blending: far away/talking distance |
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| After blending: close-up |
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| Left: with foundation Right: no foundation |
I recently discovered this foundation when I received a sample from a NARS event at Nordstrom. Ever since I was given the sample, I couldn't stop using it. As shown in the pictures above, the foundation is so close to my shade that it looks like my own skin except my skin now looks flawless. The foundation is lightweight and is full coverage; one drop can already provide enough coverage. Also, the finish is perfect for oily/combination skin - not too matte to the point in which dry patches are visible and not too dewy that it looks greasy.
• NARS 'Larger Than Life' Volumizing Mascara
So, I am just now realizing that NARS is discontinuing this mascara as I am typing this post and doing additional research... Luckily I have one more back stock.
Anyways, what I love about this mascara is the formula. My lashes are pretty long but have no volume or curl to it. This mascara is dry but the dryness allows the product to get in between each eyelash without leaving clumps. Also, the dryness seems to help with creating/holding a curl. Wet mascaras tend to leave clumps that end up being too heavy to hold a curl, resulting in straight lashes throughout the day.
I tend to skip the moisturizing part because I feel like every moisturizer I come across (including oil-free ones) just leaves me greasy and irritates my breakouts even more. I have been recommended gel moisturizers a ton of times but I am not a fan of its texture. Gel moisturizers feel sticky on the skin and doesn't seem to blend well with foundation when you try to prep your skin. This "aqua bomb" by Belif, on the other hand is the solution to all the problems I just mentioned. At first it feels sticky but after allowing the moisturizer to set, my skin feels plumped and hydrated without looking greasy.
• Sunday Riley 'Luna' Sleeping Night Oil ($105.00)
This. Right. Here. Is. The. Ultimate. Magic. Potion. For. Troubled. Skin.
The five-star, positive reviews on this oil are 100% true. I have spent so much money on products for acne scars/large pores and none of those products worked as fast as this one. On the first night I used this, I started to see some changes within the first two hours. I thought I was just "seeing things" so I slept it off. The following morning, after I washed my face, I noticed how some of my smaller, textured acne scars looked more like regular pores. As for my larger acne scars, the dents no longer look as deep as they once were. Today will only be my third use and I cannot wait to see how my skin looks in the following weeks.
I like to apply one thin layer and allow my skin to absorb all the oil (about one to two drops). Then I add more oil so my skin can absorb the rest during my sleep (another two drops).
Overall, I highly recommend this product to anyone suffering from acne or has troubled skin.
Not pictured:
• Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer ($44.00)
The truest tinted moisturizer of them all. I have tried a couple of tinted moisturizers from different brands but most end up feeling like a greasy, light-coverage foundation. I like using this whenever my skin has fully recovered from recent breakouts and only need some color.
• Surratt Beauty 'Relevée' Lash Curler ($30.00)
It is about time I retire my Shu Uemura eyelash curler. This lash curler by Surratt feels almost similar but the grip is a lot firmer, which creates a more defined curl. There are mixed reviews online due to the difference in people's eye shape but it's currently working out for me!
• Marc Jacobs Compact Mirror from 'The Nude(ist)' set ($28.00)
I love how this mirror is a different take on the usual compact mirror. I have been looking for a (nice, pretty) compact mirror but I couldn't believe one can cost $30 (Kate Spade, to be exact). When I saw this within a set (includes a miniature eyeliner and lipstick), I thought it was a deal. The mirror is inside a leather pouch that looks like a card case, which is slim enough to allow you to store more things in your makeup bag.
This concludes my current beauty favorites. I hope this post was helpful, especially for those who are interested in the 'Luna' Sleeping Night Oil. Please leave me any questions you have on these products and I will try to answer.
Thank you for reading!
–Jesf.
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