July Beauty Favorites.

As we usher in the month of August, yes, the "last" official month of summer, let's review what I was loving for all of July...

L'Occitane Hibiscus Flower Ultra Rich Body Cream
Oh, this body cream. I am NOT a floral scent fanatic by any means, so I reached for the tester of this cream on a whim. It is a pretty complex scent, so the hibiscus is not overwhelming by any means. I definitely smelled a little bit of the shea butter scent that is part of L'Occitane's permanent line (you know, that sweet, powdery shea scent? yum!), but it also has a stronger layer of magic that I can only sum up as: this body cream smells like the beach, like ocean, salt, sand, sun, and sunscreen. The scent does a good job of transporting me to some beach paradise without the risk of sun burn or sand fleas or shark bites (Happy Shark Week, by the way!). Thanks, L'Occitane! Obviously, it does a great job of hydrating the skin. I usually put this on my body before I go to sleep because it's a little too thick for me to use as a standard day time moisturizer. I am sorry to include a limited edition product (I bought this at a duty free recently, so not sure where you can even get this anymore. Maybe a L'Occitane outlet?) but I had to talk about how great this is. 

LUSH Mint Julips Lip Scrub
I am a long-time fan of this scrub, but I have found myself reaching for it a lot this month. I was instantly hooked by the uber cute name of this product (mint juleps are so delicious!) and even more delighted to discover that the product had a mint chocolate scent (sorry, no bourbon). The associate at LUSH told me that because the ingredients of this scrub are essentially sugar and natural extracts and oils it was okay if you got a sweet little taste of the product while you were scrubbing away at your pucker. I wouldn't recommend eating Mint Julips (go make yourself a real mint julep!) but this is a very cutesy product. I tend to be overly concerned with preventing chapped lips, but when my lips do get drier I love how gently this scrub exfoliates while still leaving my lips feeling hydrated.

Revlon Grow Luscious Lash Potion Mascara
This bad boy gives me a lot of volume and very black lashes. I tend to like rubberized brushes better than bristle brushes, but this bristle brush feels more sturdy than other bristle brush I have used. And I can't talk about this mascara any more without mentioning the packaging. I love how colorful and whimsical the tube is and it is a beautiful addition to any make up bag. I have the waterproof formula, which is considerably drier than the original, but it will absolutely last you all (work) day and doesn't put up that much of a fight if you take it off with your standard make up remover.

MAC Amplified Creme Lipstick in Cosmo + Lipglass in Underage
This has been my go-to lipstick + lipgloss combo this month and I came across it totally by chance. I have been hunting for MAC's Patisserie lipstick for a while and it's unclear as to whether or not it is even still available. Most of the counter MUAs look at me like I'm from Mars when I ask them about Patisserie, but it is apparently available online? Maybe at Pro stores? Either way, a very nice MUA suggested I try looking for a dupe using other MAC products so she recommended the glorious combo that is Cosmo and Underage. The Amplified Creme has become my favorite MAC lipstick formulation because it feels insanely soft and creamy when it applies. What's a better metaphor I could use to really convey it's softness? Lemme think. While I think, here is a photo.

Okay, I am lucky enough to have 5 beautiful and exciting nephews and nieces. 5! Unbelievable! I have had the honor of watching them grow, but I will always remember what awesome babies they were (/are, the littlest one is only 8 months!). If you've been around a lot of babies, you'll know that they smell like angels pretty much all the time and they have the softest, most pristine skin! I remember when my (currently) 3-year-old nephew was a few months old, I use to love nuzzling him and tickling his little cheek. THAT is what this lipstick feels like. It feels like you are kissing a deliciously soft baby on the cheek. Maybe a tad silkier if that's even possible. As for the lipglass, I like that it is not heavily scented and is not too thin, not too thick.

MAC Wedge
This matte shade is described as a "soft muted beige taupe." Sometimes I feel like the phrase "beige taupe" is a shorter way of saying "I can't really name this color but it has brown and grey so we'll just call it beige taupe." This shadow is actually a warm tan color in my eyes, but color argument aside, this is a great shade! I had originally purchased this as part of the eye make up look for my cousin's wedding in June, but now I generously work this into my crease for a subtle, every day look.

Swatches!

L-R: Hibiscus Flower, Mint Julips, Lash Potion, Cosmo, Underage, Cosmo + Underage, Wedge.

And for a non-beauty favorite...

Ray-Ban Wayfarer Sunglasses
I have never owned a fancy pair of sunglasses so I thought I'd treat myself (and my eyes! seriously, the sun hurts!) to a pair of Ray Bans. Honestly, the sun glare has been unbearable during my daily commute as of late. My best friend, Annie, has worn some seriously cool shades for a couple of years so I would have to say she is my inspiration for trying out Ray Bans at all. I tried on 3 styles of Wayfarers at my local mall: Original, New, and Folding. The Original frames are the iconic large and angled (and angular) ones. The New frames sit straight on the face and are generally smaller and have rounder edges. As logic would have it, the Folding glasses collapse into the size of one eyeglass (so cute!) and are also pretty square in shape. I originally intended to buy the ones Annie had (The New Frames), but because I have a rounder face, they didn't look as fly on me as they do on her (they look SUPERfly on her, no joke). 

Proof of Cool.

While I really liked the folding ones, I am not a big fan of collapsible things so I ended up choosing the Original Wayfarers. I tried on several colors in the Original Wayfarers and I went crazy for the tortoiseshell frames with dark lenses. Since wearing these, my eyes are no longer in pain! I love 'em!

Happy August!

All my lovin',
V.

Bonus Bits

• I'm more than half-way through Paper Towns by John Green and I think the story is glorious. I would definitely recommend it!
• My coworker went to Sephora in my place and picked up a MAJOR goodie for me! Can you guess what it is?
• It's Friday. It's Friday! What are you up to this weekend?