Favorites: Spring 2015

Hello everyone, and welcome back! Can you believe it’s already June?! It’s insane how fast the year is flying by; I can’t believe we’re half way through the year! Since summer is practically here, I thought now would be an appropriate time to go back and review some of my favorite products that I loved for the spring season. So, without further ado, let’s get started!

Ps: I tried out a different format for my favorites this go around. What do you think? Leave a comment below!

Makeup Favorites:

1. Colourpop Lippie Stix in I Heart This– I adore this lip color and I have even used it in two tutorials, my Spring Lookbook and Birthday Makeup. It’s a beautiful cool toned bright magenta shade. The formula is matte, but still moisturizing and it is pretty longwearing as well. It is just so vibrant and rich and probably one of my favorite statement lips. The color is also super versatile and can be worn both day or night.  My only thing is that the packaging isn’t super handbag friendly, and I’ve had the cap fall off a few times in my purse. Nonetheless, it’s a spectacular product.
2. Maybelline The Rocket Mascara in Very Black– I used this in my Makeup Starter Kit from my Basics Series, last month. To be honest, I tried a few drugstore mascaras before and was never impressed, until this one. I have super difficult, straight, short, lashes and this mascara is excellent at lengthening and volumizing every single lash. The brush is plastic as opposed to a natural fiber, which I prefer, so the brush is not my favorite. It’s good on it’s own, or I like to layer is with the Maybelline Pumped Up which creates a more full, fanned out look.
3. Anastasia Contour Kit in Light to Medium– I picked this up during the Sephora VIB Sale, which is one of my favorite parts of spring. I mix the cooler toned Java and Fawn powders to create a wonderful contour shade. Everyone raves about the Banana shade which is a yellow toned creamy powder that is perfect for color correcting dark circles under the eyes. However, I don’t really have much darkness under my eyes, but this is a nice setting powder. I don’t really tend to use the shimmery Sand highlight but I like the light Vanilla matte shade for putting under my contour to clean it up and help carve it out. The packaging isn’t my favorite as I don’t really like cardboard,  it gets dirty fast, and it’s not too slim making it a bit difficult to travel with, however the magnetic closure is very secure and I like that I can replace the powders as needed in case I use up one faster than the others.
4. Tanya Burr Nail Polish in Little Duck– I’ve been watching Tanya Burr on Youtube for a while now, and when she announced her cosmetic range I remember it being one of the first collabs with a company that was hyped up. Tanya has a very classic and elegant style, which I love, but does not necessarily reflect where I am personally with my style, so within the range I found it hard to find something fun and colorful that I would appreciate, except for this polish. I easily gravitated towards this shade as it falls within the range of my favorite blue-green colors. The formula is so smooth and creamy and it applies super opaque. The color is much brighter on the nails than in the bottle, which I forgot about until I rewore it in my Spring Lookbook and was pleasantly surprised. I had my best friend pick this up for me when she traveled abroad last summer, but I think that this should be available from feelunique in the US.
5. Smashbox Primer Water– Everybody and their mother was raving about this product on Youtube and since I found the mini version during the Sephora VIB sale I thought I would give it a go. I am a big fan of this stuff for day to day use. It’s easy to use and goes on quickly, making it no fuss, no muss and gets you to get your makeup started fast. The mist is fine but sometimes I have I have trouble getting ti to apply evenly to the skin because the radius of the spray is small, but I think that is only due to the size of this mini. The product leaves the skin slightly sticky, but in a good way so that makeup adheres easily. It doesn’t have great oil control, but it is hydrating and is fine for everyday use. For long days or events, this is not the primer I would recommend, but it is a lovely everyday product.
6. Maybelline Fit Me Matte Foundation in 230– In last week’s post about Empties, I had used up a good deal of the original dewy formula of the Maybelline Fit Me but mentioned how I preferred this version. The dewy formula is nice, however it is too light for my liking so I often mix it with Revlon Colorstay to sheer it out and create a nice medium-full coverage. However, this matte formula is the already that perfect consistency, or even a touch lighter, which is perfect for everyday use. It has SPF 15 which is nice for day to day as well, but I wouldn’t recommend this formula for photography, as there is flashback.
7. Beauty Blender– This is actually the Beauty Blender pure which I got in a limited edition set from the Sephora VIB sale (see a reoccuring theme?), and it really is only pictured because my pink Beauty Blender original is insanely dirty. Anyhow, I have been loving using this to use along with my foundation as it makes things incredibly easy. Foundation can be blended and distributed among the face with one tool and it fits into the nooks and crannies so easily. It can also be used with concealer, powder, and even blush, however I really only use this with foundation.

https://instagram.com/p/1wseTGD9Xn/?taken-by=chroniclesofmegan

Skincare Favorites:

1. J.R. Watkins Mango Shea Butter Hand Cream–  I got this handcream actually at a Cracker Barrel in Tennessee two years ago. Random, right? Anyhow, this scent has been since discontinued, but this formula is wonderful. It’s nice and creamy and super moisturizing, but not too heavy and absorbs well. The scents are reminiscent of The Body Shop, where they are simple with only one or notes and just super concentrated.
2. First Aid Beauty Skin Rescue Deep Cleanser With Red Clay–  This deluxe sample size of this product has been an absolute lifesaver! It lasts so freaking long, which I uber appreciate. I originally got it as a 100 point perk from Sephora, but it was also available in a mini skincare set which I purchased earlier this year. I love this product for travel as it is a small size but doesn’t get used up right away, and is also a quality formula. This suits my oily skin well and absorbs excess grease at the end of the day, but is not too stripping. It’s effective, yet gentle and never breaks me out and a little goes a long way with this product. When I ran out of my Michael Todd Charcoal Cleanser last month, I turned to this product.
3. Avène Eau Thermale Spring Water– When I first got this product, I underestimated the versatility of this. At first, I really only used it occasionally to spritz down my face as a refresher. However, I have come to find this is a great toner of sorts to follow up my facial moisturizer and is also really helpful in helping with razor burn and ingrown hairs. The pH balance technology in this helps soothe skin irritated from shaving and helps prevent bumps. This stuff is absolutely magic water and I stand by it. It will not relieve any of the aforementioned problems, but it is a good prevention product.
4. Julep Elixir– This has been a skincare miracle. In the three months that I have used this, my skin has done some serious recovering. I have at least 80% less blemishes and my scarring and hyperpigmentation has been significantly faded. I use this pure argan oil to moisturize my face after washing and it’s seriously a miracle worker. I love the combination of this with the previous product, plus increasing water intake, my skin has been so good lately!

Hair Favorites:

1. Style Sexy Hair Spray Clay– This mini size of Spray Clay is the perfect dual purpose product. I recently traveled to LA with only a carry on bag and had to limit the amount of liquids I took. This product provided texture and light hold so that I could style my hair only using this. I remember this being a recommendation from Kayley Melissa on Youtube, and I’m so glad I took her advice, despite having a completely different hair texture to hers.
2. Bumble and Bumble Prêt-à-Powder– This was the only other hair product I took on my trip to LA. Since it is a small travel size powder, it didn’t take up much room and didn’t need to be put in the liquids bag. I used it mostly for volumizing my roots and as a dry shampoo, although this product does also provide texture. This was the last product I picked up from the Sephora VIB sale, per Ingrid Nilsen’s recommendation from when she first cut her hair short. When I did the same, I contemplated picking this up, but couldn’t bring myself to buy the full size. This travel mini is absolutely perfect.

 Fashion:

These photos and the header were actually taken by my good friend, Kyle Shawn. Thanks, Kyle! Check out his work here!

1. Painted Threads Cardigan– I got this cardigan last summer from Nordstrom so it is no longer available, but I linked a similar style. The stylist at BP actually picked this out for me and I’m so glad she did. She really understood my style. I love short sleeve cardigans as they are the perfect pieces for transitional seasons. It’s been a bit of a cool spring here, and this cardigan is the perfect layering piece and it’s super versatile. It has an all over pattern, but it is subtle enough that it just adds a bit of visual texture. The neutral color makes it easy to pair with virtually anything. I wear this with almost every outfit, jeans, dresses, and get ups like this. I love it so so much.
   • Outfit details: Vintage Camera shirt- Forever 21, High waisted, Distressed Denim black shorts– Nordstrom (similar), Oversized Butterfly sunglasses– Plastictail
2. Gloria Sandals– These have been my go to sandals for the warmer months and I love, love, love them. they go with anything. However, believe it or not, these are kid’s sandals! (Shock, horror!) Yes, I have insanely small feet. These are a size 5 US Women’s but are considered a children’s size. Whatever. If you have small feet like me, these are the sandals for you! They are a bit narrow and I tend to have a wider foot, but these do have a bit of give to them and the straps stretch a little. If you are still interested in this style of sandal, but do not have freakishly tiny feet, this pair is similar and available in adult sizes: Women’s Lavinia Style

Random Favorites:

1. Favorite TV Show- In order to avoid rewatching Friends for the umpteenth time, I decided to turn to a similar sitcom- How I Met Your Mother. I finished this series last year, but decided to come back to it because it has the same sort of vibe that Friends has. I love this TV show minus the controversial series finale, although I applaud the writers for trying to please a bunch of different of fans. It can get slightly repetitive, but overall I would definitely recommend. The characters have similar archetypes to those in Friends, but the plot is very unique and the running gags and inside jokes are delightful.
2. Favorite Blog- One of the first blogs I ever read was keikolynn.com. She has such a unique, retro, and colorful style plus I love her photography. Her designs are cohesive and her pieces are such a pleasure to read. I also love her Instagram feed. She’s such a wonderful blogger, you should definitely check her out!

   View this post on Instagram

   A post shared by Keiko Lynn (@keikolynn)

3. Favorite Instagram- @bowsandpleats is such a lovely Instagrammer and blogger as well! I always love interacting with her in the comments on her pictures and she has such great product photos! Definitely give her a follow!https://instagram.com/p/2rnS70jHR6/?taken-by=bowsandpleats
4. Favorite Youtube Channel- Jaclyn Hill is such a talented artist and has such wonderful videos. I’m not even a fan of warm neutrals, which she is the queen of, but homegirl could get me to try anything. If you are a beauty junkie and haven’t heard of her, where have you been? Jaclyn has such a lovely camera presence and looks absolutely gorgeous! Also, another pretty fierce Instagram feed.

   View this post on Instagram

   A post shared by JACLYN TORREY💍 (@jaclynhill)

5. Favorite Moment- This probably sounds like a cheap plug, but honestly this moment has brought me so much happiness and it wouldn’t have been possible without readers like you! These past few months my Product Comparison on Bioderma vs. Simple vs. Sephora Micellar Waters has not only become my most popular blog post, but also is on the first page of Google. WHAT?! If you literally search “Bioderma vs. Simple micellar water” my blog comes up, first thing. That’s insane and I want to take this time to thank those of you who made this possible!

Alrighty, I hope that this Favorites post was enjoyable for you. I love getting to share my most well loved products with you guys. It’s almost like chit chatting with girlfriends and giving each other recommendations. Anyhow, I would love to know what your favorites have been recently, so leave me a comment below! Also, don’t forget to give my friend Kyle a follow, because he did an amazing job with the photos! That’s it for this week.

All my love,

Megan

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