July Beauty Favorites!

I’m sure I’m only jumping on the bandwagon of those who can’t believe this month is almost over. How did the summer go by this quickly? I’ve barely even finished writing my to-do list for July and now I’m out of time. Despite not accomplishing much this month - it’s been so dang hot - I have had plenty of time to shop and try out a few products that have now become my favorites.

From top left to bottom:

Boscia BB Cream with SPF 27 PA++

Harvey Prince “Hello” Perfume

Benefit BrowZings Brow Shaping Kit

Maybelline New York Dream Bouncy Blush in No. 5 Fresh Pink

BeautyBlender Makeup Sponge

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How do I love thee, Boscia BB Cream? Let me count the ways. Firstly, you’re oil-free. This is such a dramatic step up from the Garnier Skin Renew BB Cream that I can’t believe I bought that oil slick in the first place. Secondly, even though you look dark in the bottle, you melt effortlessly and smoothly into my skin, taking the tone of whatever color I have that day. Seriously, though, this BB cream is so much better than the Garnier that it’s worth the $38.00 price tag. I happened to get a sample of this in my July Birchbox and loved it so much I bought the full size (or, okay, two full size versions). If you like BB Creams and hate oily messes, buy this one. You won’t regret it.

The Harvey Prince collection of perfumes has been one that I’ve received multiple times in my Birchbox this year. I enjoyed the Lavender Pumpkin scent that I sampled last fall and I love this summer perfume. The combination of lemon, mandarin, forsythia and plumeria provides such a lovely and happy floral/citrus experience. It’s light enough to be an everyday scent yet has enough of the floral to translate to fall.

I’ve recently become a bit of an eyebrow snob. Or, a snob in the sense that now I can’t leave my house without making sure my brows are filled in. I got this kit at Ulta after the Benefit Brow Bar lady gave me a tutorial in brow maintenance. Perhaps a bit expensive for what it is, but I do love it for the natural yet polished look it gives my eyebrows. I look and feel like a legitimate lady when I do my brows with this kit.

Towards the end of the month I picked up the Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush at Target. I’ve been trying to find drug store gems that I can easily repurchase when I’m back on campus, and this blush is going to become a new staple for me. It feels like a powder despite its cream texture in the package and it glides on so naturally. The sheer wash of bright pink on my cheeks (which is No. 5, Fresh Pink, to be specific) is so lovely and distracts from any natural redness I might get towards the bottom of my face. It instantly perks up my complexion and looks amazing with the Boscia BB cream as a base.

I’ve had the BeautyBlender sponge for a long long time. I received it in an early Birchbox (are you seeing a trend here?) and thought that since I never use sponges for my makeup -being previously a powder person - it was a useless find. Not so anymore. When I finally realized that I needed to stop fighting myself and accept that my dry skin needs a liquid foundation, I picked up the BeautyBlender and, following the directions to wet it and ring out the excess water first, felt the makeup melt into my skin. This sponge gives such a great, flawless finish to my Benefit foundation and the water barrier it creates stops the sponge from soaking up all of the makeup. There are days when it’s just quicker for me to use a brush but when I have some extra time to really enjoy putting on my face, I reach for the BeautyBlender.

Those are my favorites this month! What are yours? Leave us a comment!

With love, Kristin.

(Source: thecrownlessblog.wordpress.com)

Haul: Ulta & Bobbi Brown

Yesterday, I spent a “girls’ bonding day” with my mom, which basically always adds up to spending a lot of money on hair, clothes or beauty products. Sometimes a combination of those three. Our latest expedition led us to Ulta, Estee Lauder (for my mother) and Bobbi Brown. Here’s a look at what I rounded up: 

Products from left to right (for the most part): 

1. Bio Oil Specialist Moisturizer

2. Benefit Cosmetics Browzings Brow Shaping Kit

3. L’Oreal Paris Sublime Bronze Airbrush Self-Tanning Mist

4. Real Techniques Travel Essentials brush kit

5. Estee Lauder Lip Gloss Holder (free gift with purchase)

6. Benefit Cosmetics Angled Brush

7. Benefit Cosmetics Sleep Mask (free gift with purchase)

8. Formula 10.0.6 So Totally Clean Cleanser + Toner

9. Essie Nail Polishes in Shifting Power - currently on my toes - and Steel-ing the Scene

10. The Body Shop Strawberry Polish Exfoliation Body Wash

11. Exfoliating Loofah

12. Benefit Cosmetics Stay Don’t Stray Eyeshadow Primer (free gift with purchase)

13. Garnier Skin Renew BB Cream in Light/Medium (I did a post on my review of this)

14. Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer Kit in Cool Sand

15. Bobbi Brown Corrector in Porcelain Bisque

16. Yes to Cucumbers Soothing Facial Towelettes

There you have it! I’m planning to do reviews on a few of these bad boys, so keep your eyes out for them! Here’s a link to my post reviewing the Garnier BB Cream: http://thecrownless.tumblr.com/post/26592229371/product-review-garnier-skin-renew-bb-cream

See you soon!

Love, Kristin

Product Review: Garnier Skin Renew BB Cream

The Product: Garnier BB Cream Skin Renew Miracle Skin Perfector in Light/Medium

The Claim: To instantly renew, brighten, even and hydrate your skin with an added SPF 15. “Skin concerns, such as discoloration, dullness, blotchiness and dryness can come from a number of different sources. It’s hard to find just one product that addresses all these concerns at once. Solution: Garnier introduces Skin Renew Miracle Skin Perfector that immediately and effectively fulfills your skincare expectations.” - The box.

The Statistics: After one application - “90% of users had a more even complexion, 93% saw a more healthy glow and 96% saw smoother skin.” - The box. 

The Price: $12.99, varies based on seller.

The Online Reviews:  

“ I love the BB cream. It has the right moisturizing effect for my skin, which is dry. I love how I have the luminosity glow on my skin. I like the dewy look. It does not look oily. I am so glad that I tried this skincare line of products, they do work.”- Garnier.com user review

“I was so excited to try this cream because I like Garnier and read about it in O Magazine, but was completely disappointed. I have clear skin and this product made me break out like no other! It also has a bad smell.” -Ulta.com user review

“I HATE this because I have super oily skin and this does absolutely nothing for it. I look insanely shiny within an hour and this is with a setting powder. I LOVE this product because it honestly has made a difference in my skins appearance. I can already see my skin color evening out, some of the redness is gone and I’ve only used this about 3 times.” -Makeup Alley user review

The Test: I removed the dirt and oil from my face using my Yes to Cucumbers Facial Wipes. Then I applied a dime size amount of the BB cream using my fingers (I held it in between my finger tips for a few seconds to warm it up so it would go on more smoothly) and blended into my entire face. My first reaction was that the cream was a bit sticky and a bit darker than I was expecting. After giving it a few minutes though, I did see a difference in my skin tone. The redness in my cheeks was less apparent yet didn’t look like I tried too hard to cover it up like it does with foundation. Overall, my skin did look more even - and the color matched well - and I could actually go out of the house with just that BB cream on…if I applied a bit of concealer under my eyes first. After a few hours, the sticky feeling lessened though my oily areas like my forehead and chin still felt sticky. I never noticed a bad smell -just a slight spray tan type smell- or the cream running off with sweat, though I didn’t sweat much while testing it. Next time I plan to wear it, I’ll be sure to dust a powder over it (I use the BareEscentuals Mineral Veil) to make sure it stays. 

The Final Word: I would recommend this product! It does even out my skin tone and it gives a light coverage that looks like you aren’t wearing makeup - you just have good skin and confidence.  It’s not what I’d call a miracle product, though it is possible that my skin tone will become naturally more even after a few more uses. I love the summery look it gives me (I’d maybe tone down the darkness of the color by putting a few drops of the BB cream in your daily moisturizer for Fall and Winter) and I’ll definitely continue to use it as long as it doesn’t cause breakouts. Renews? We’ll see. Hydrates? I don’t think so. Brightens? Yes. Evens skin tone? Yes. Not bad, Garnier. 

The Grade: B… (B cream)

Let me know what your opinion is on this product! Love it? Hate it? Share it! 

Love, Kristin