Current Beauty Faves: May 2016

     As a beauty lover, I enjoy trying new products to see if I can find new favorites. For this post, I wanted to share some of the repeat offenders that I've been loving as well as some new things that I've picked up and have been enjoying!

Hair

AG Hair Simply Dry Dry Shampoo

      Part of maintaining long and color-treated hair involves washing your hair less frequently. In order to fight off an oily scalp between washes, I enlist the help of a dry shampoo. Now, I've tried quite a few dry shampoos on the market and they can be hit or miss.  But, this one has to be one of my favorites. It smells lovely and it doesn't leave any residue which is always a concern for me because I have dark roots. Another really cool thing is that I don't have to re-apply every day. If I apply it one day, the next day my hair doesn't really get oily. So, I don't have to keep piling up product in my hair. The brand also offers tinted options within their dry shampoo range, which is also really nice.

Schwarzkopf Color Save Silver Shampoo

     In order to prevent my blonde hair from turning brassy, I've been using a purple shampoo. My sister recommended this one and It's been working really well. It's actually pretty fun to use because it comes out a really deep purple and the suds it creates have a lilac tinge. It smells great and It cleans my hair without stripping my color.

Blondme Keratin Restore Mask

     I've been using this product in place of conditioner as I want something a bit thicker since having blonde hair can be drying on your ends. When I have this in my hair, my hair feels super silky. About every other wash, I'll use it as an actual mask. So, I'll apply it, tie my hair up, leave it in for about 20 minutes and then wash it out. This leaves my hair feeling super soft and conditioned. I know that it is marketed towards blondes, but I'm pretty sure anyone who just needs a deep repair mask can use it as it's not tinted.

Traceless Hair Ring

     One of the perks of having a hairstylist for a sister is being able to find great, inexpensive hair products. One of the most recent hair trends has been the Invisibobble traceless hair ring. When we were picking up some hair supplies, we stumbled upon a knock-off version and it has become my new fave. Having long hair can get hot sometimes and tying up my hair was always a struggle because I didn't always want to commit to the annoying ponytail indent in my hair. Now, that's not an issue. I can put up and take down my hair and it still looks great. I got mine for around 99 cents and the original retails for around $8. If you can find a cheaper version, I say totally go for it. Is the $8 justifiable? I'd say kind of. You'll only need one and if you don't lose it, you will have it for a pretty long time. I love mine because I can use it in the shower and all I have to do is rinse and dry it after, which is something I couldn't do with a traditional ponytail holder.

Skin

Boots Botanics Shine Away Mattifying Day Cream

     I'll be honest, when it comes to skincare, I am not always up on my game. I am pretty lax about moisturizing, but I do know it's really important. So, I made it a goal of mine to try to incorporate it into my routine. I picked up this little guy at Target and it has made it on the repeat offender list ( I am currently on my third jar!). I like it because it's pretty light weight and I've noticed that my skin hasn't gotten as oily. I will say that if you use this with makeup, you do want to give it a second to settle in. But otherwise, it works really well. The price isn't that bad either ($13), when you can easily spend $40+ on a good moisturizer.

Simple Cleansing Face Wipes

   One of my staples for my beauty routine is a good set of face wipes. I like to use them to remove my makeup before washing my face and on the very rare occasion, in place of face washing. I like these because they do a really good job at removing makeup (even waterproof) and they don't sting my eyes, which I have experienced with some other face wipes. They are also available at pretty much any drugstore so they are easy to get ahold of. They've been my go-to face wipes for a couple months now and I believe I'm on my at least 5th or 6th pack.

Makeup

CoverGirl Ready Set Gorgeous Foundation

     I picked up this little guy about a month ago while I was perusing through the beauty aisle at Target. I was rather annoyed with the last foundation I tried (The Ever-Matte Shine Proof Foundation by BECCA) because it didn't work for me at all and it was rather expensive. As I hadn't tried a drugstore one in a while, I figured I'd give this one a go. I'll say, that I am rather impressed. It has been working much better than the BECCA foundation and the price point is really great. I picked mine up for around $7 which is on the lower end of the foundation spectrum (drugstore foundations usually run around the $10-$15 dollar range). I've been currently using this one as my everyday foundation and It lasts pretty well on my skin. The color doesn't oxidize and the color I chose matches my skin rather well. Is it the most amazing foundation I've ever tried? Not exactly. But, for the price, I am pretty content until I find something else higher end I'd like to try. SN: It currently holds up well, but I am interested to see how it performs during warmer weather.

Absolute New York Nano Liner and Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Definer

     I picked up the Anastasia brow definer the day after getting my hair dyed. I was looking for something that would help soften the look of my brows as they are naturally rather dark and I didn't want them to be too overwhelming with my blonde hair. My brows are naturally pretty full, so filling them in can make them look pretty intense sometimes. With this brow product, I don't really have that issue. The color is really great for my hair color (I use the shade soft brown). If you've been looking to try a brow product, this one is pretty great. Also, I went with the brow definer rather than the popular brow wiz because you get twice as much product in the brow definer for the same price.

     I got the Absolute New York Nano Liner in an ipsy bag a couple months ago and I am pretty impressed. I am a huge classic makeup fan, so naturally winged liner is a must-have for me. I tend to struggle with liners, though, because my eyes get watery from time-to-time and it causes my liner to run. Surprisingly, with this liner, I don't have that issue. The formula is pretty great and the tip of the liner is super fine, so it's really easy to use. If you are trying to get into winged liner or an easier application, I'd suggest finding something that has a fine tip like this one.

     So, that was a little glimpse into what I've currently been using. I have a couple other products that I just picked up and after I test them a bit, I'll most likely let you know what I think. I'm trying to streamline my makeup collection, so I'll hopefully be doing a bit of beauty clean up as well. I hope you guys are having a great week and that you enjoy your weekend. I'll talk to you soon!

~ Genesis<3