Monthly Favorites: June 2016

Hi everyone!

We're officially past the middle mark of the year, so I thought I'd shake things up a bit on the blog! I made a new header, revamped the layout, changed the fonts, and made everything more organized - I even included a subscribe button! You can stay updated on my blog by subscribing via email or following me on Bloglovin', and receive notifications whenever a new post comes up. And speaking of post, today will be all about my favorites for the month of June! I haven't done one of these for a while, and I've tried so many products to share, so let's get into it!

SKINCARE

Nivea 3-in-1 Gentle Facial Cleansing Wipes: I used these back in 2014 I believe, but stopped repurchasing after I experienced an allergic reaction to the exfoliating variant and discovered the amazing power of cleansing oils. However, I decided to buy a pack of this last month to take with me to an out of town trip, and I remembered how convenient it was to have makeup removing wipes. Since I still have quite a but of my Biore Cleansing Oil, I've only used the Nivea makeup wipes on days when I'm too lazy or tired to remove my makeup my usual way, and it helps me save time and effort when getting ready for bed.

iWhite Korea Facial Wash Whitening Vita: This brand is so popular locally, and I can see why. While I think the bb cream and moisturizer from the line is just so-so, I have thoroughly enjoyed the facial wash. In comparison to my HG Safeguard Derma Sense (which I reviewed here), I find this does not leave any sort of residue on my skin and instead gives me that squeaky clean feel. I also noticed that my breakouts didn't become more frequent when I switched to this cleanser, so maybe it works well with my acne-prone skin. However, I sometimes notice a little tightness after washing my face with this, so I still use a moisturizer afterwards.

St. Ives Fresh Skin Apricot Scrub: Another rediscovered product! I also used this way back when I had really bad acne, but I found that more abrasive exfoliants actually did more harm than good to my then very fresh pimples. When I discovered the Cure Natural Aqua Gel, I switched to the gentler gel-type exfoliators that I used every day until my acne went away. Nowadays, I still get the occasional breakout when it's that time of the month or when I take horrible care of myself, so I decided to give this another try and I've been loving it so far. My skin always feels so soft, smooth and supple after every wash, and I alternate this with my bottle of Cure every other day.

NOTE: Daily or very frequent exfoliation is generally not advised. My experience in regularly exfoliating my skin works well to keep it clear from acne, so please proceed with caution should you attempt to practice the same.

FACE

Fashion21 Ultimate Cover BB Cream + Concealer in Shade 1: With the rainy season ushering new levels of heat and humidity, my sweat and oil production has gone through the roof in the past month, and this has withstood my constant blotting while still looking decent by the end of the day. It’s probably my new HG bb cream replacing the 4U2 dreamGirl Faith BB Cream which I still do love, but 4U2 is more difficult to procure here in the south, and I don’t want to travel all the way to SM MOA just for it. And I’m only talking about the bb cream part of the product, since I prefer liquid concealers over the stick concealer that comes with this product. It works in a pinch, but it's not the best. You can read more of my thoughts on it in this review.

Ever Bilena Liquid Concealers in Light and Medium: Speaking of concealers, these ones I do like! At first I thought the shade range was a little off since they looked rather peach/orange, but I think these shades can cater to all the common undertones in the skin - yellow, pink or olive (but I know little about color theory, so please don’t quote me on that!). Compared to my favorite Maybelline Fit Me Concealer, these have a thinner consistency so they offer less coverage, but I find they work well when layered on top of my bb cream. I highly recommend applying them in thin layers and waiting a few seconds for each layer to set I’ve experienced them settling and creasing in the fine lines of my under-eyes. I use the shade Medium first to somewhat color correct the darkness under my eyes, then after I apply my bb cream, I use the shade Light to add brightness to the areas of my face that need a little life.

L’Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte Powder in Porcelain: Although this is the first time I’m featuring it on the blog, I’ve loved this powder for a while, and you can tell by how much is left in the pan! This powder is amazing at mattifying and adding more coverage to my skin whether I use it to set my makeup in the morning or touch up later on in the day. The sponge that comes with it is also very nice! I usually hate cosmetic sponges, but this is an exception. It can seem rather pricey at PHP 450, but this one compact has lasted me since for several months now even with daily use (I bought it in March) and it performs so well. Definitely worth the money!

Nichido Pressed Powder in Tan: This is the next best thing if your budget can’t accommodate the previous powder. For only PHP 100, this also works great at mattifying my skin for most of the day, and it layers on nicely when I touch up. The product itself is not as finely milled and can cause quite a bit of powder kick-up whenever I use it, but it’s teeny-tiny issue for me when it works great for my oily skin.

EYES

Nicka K Perfect Nudes Eyeshadow Palette: Probably in my top three favorites for this month. Before I got my hands on the Morphe 35O (review on that here), this was my go-to palette when I wanted to create warm eyeshadow looks and it’s AMAZING! And though these shadows are not the most pigmented, they are blendable, layer nicely, and stay vibrant throughout most of the day. The mattes work surprisingly well, although I have to pack them on quite a bit, but they give me the depth in my crease just as any of my pricier palettes. And the shimmer shades in here are beautiful! I've brought this out of town with me on several occasions and I love how such a variety of finishes and colors can be found in one small, compact palette. For PHP 149, I am very pleased with the quality, and you can see it in all its glory in my Full Face Under 1000 post.

Covergirl The Super Sizer Waterproof Mascara: This received so much hype in the US beauty community so when I spent last Christmas vacation in Utah, I just had to buy a tube and find out for myself. I generally hate Covergirl mascaras because they tend to undo the curl of my lashes, weigh them down, and smudge and transfer all over the place. But not this time! The Super Sizer does exceptionally well in keeping my lashes curled all day - even better than my favorite L'Oreal waterproof mascaras do. I don't find it adds any notable volume or length because my lashes are already pretty long to begin with, but I'm quite happy with the definition and curl it gives, so I'll take it!

L’Oreal Infallible Lacquer Liner in Blackest Black: All three of my Maybelline liquid liners (in the yellow, pink and red packaging) have dried up after owning them for only a month, with one of them still unused, so I’m passing up on buying any more of those for now. That led me to rediscover how nice gel liners are when I started using this L'Oreal one in. Funny enough, I also prefer this over the Maybelline gel liner as this seems creamier and more pigmented making my eyeliner apply smoothly and intensely. However, that texture can cause it to transfer a bit on my lower lashline when I start to oil up, so I always remember to set it with black eyeshadow and I'm good.

Colourpop Super Shock Shadow in Supermodel: While the beauty world is still going gaga over Colourpop, I’ve kept my purchases rather conservative because although the eyeshadow formula is very unique, I find it difficult to work with when I use brushes. However, the shade Supermodel is a beautiful champagne shade with a pearlized finish that I use solely as an inner-corner or center-lid highlight, so technique hasn't been too tricky with this one.

Maybelline Color Tattoo Bad To The Bronze: IMHO, this is the best shade from the line. It’s such a beautiful metallic bronze shade that can be worn alone or as a base under another eyeshadow. Not much needs to be said. It's just too pretty!

CHEEKS

City Color Natural Glow in Red Carpet Diva: I bought this on a whim and I've been in love with it since then. The shade is a peachy-coral (a bit more peach) with some silver micro-sparkles thrown in, and the staying power on this is phenomenal! I've never needed to retouch my blush when I have this on, but I still do because I just love the color. One thing to take note of is that it's exceptionally pigmented, so one dip into the powder and a couple taps off the brush is all you need for beautiful, healthy, glowing flushed cheeks.

Maybelline Cheeky Glow Blush in Creamy Cinnamon: An oldie but a goody! I've had this blush for so long; I don't even remember when I got it, but it's still as good as it was then. The shade is a lot more subtle - it's a soft peachy-mauve with a touch of silver micro-sparkles too. I thought I'd shy away from the sparkles, but it actually gives my skin a very pretty glow without looking overtly shimmery or shiny. This is a great every day blush for people who want to add color to their cheeks without going over the top, and I love pairing this with darker eye looks or bolder lip colors.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Achiote: This is my only high-end blush and I sort of want to buy more from this line. Achiote was my go-to summer blush because it stays on my cheeks all day even with my problems with oil and sweat, that it was the only cheek color I brought with me to Boracay for two weeks, and it's transitioned as a favorite this rainy season as well. The color it gives on my skin is a healthy-looking flush of pink-peach-coral - even Tarte doesn't have a description for it so who am I to say what it really looks like?

LIPS

City Color Creamy Lips in Hibiscus Martini: First, these are labeled as "lip glosses", but they're most definitely lip creams. Second, I am in love with this shade! This creamy berry red is my current obsession and I have been pairing it with the the blush Red Carpet Diva to get a fresh "Snow White" kinda look with the rosy cheeks and lips. A doe foot sponge applies the product which has a creamy and mousse-y consistency, sort of like the NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams but without the matte finish. Unlike other liquid lipsticks, however, this does not set or stay put, so it has a tendency to transfer onto anything it touches. I prefer to blot in between two layers and wear it as a stain. The Creamy Lips line also has a rather distinct fragrance and taste to them, so I would recommend completely taking the lip product off before meals... unless you like your food tasting like lipstick.

Jordana Twist and Shine Balm Stain in Terra Crave: Matte lips have been all the rage since the past year, but I have been thoroughly enjoying this moisturizing lippie whenever I use it. And the shade is gorgeous! It's a beautiful terracotta upon initial application that develops into a long-lasting vibrant pink stain which I thought I wouldn't like, but a second application of the balm just gives the terracotta shade a rosier undertone. Besides the color, the smell is also so divine - like fruity chewy candy! Yummy!

Maybelline Lip Gradation in Mauve 1: It wouldn't be a monthly favorites without a brown shade. Mauve 1 is a brown-leaning mauve lipstick / lip pencil with the smoothest formula I've ever tried that it literally glides on my lips like butter with a very plush and velvety finish - if there is such a thing. The wear is very comfortable despite being neither hydrating nor drying, but it's not the most long-lasting lip product so reapplication is a must. I didn't notice that it smelled or tasted like anything out of the ordinary, so this is a great product for people who prefer their lip products unscented and unflavored.

L'Oreal Moist Matte Lipstick in Maple Mocha: This was an elusive one! I borrowed my friend's lippie back in May and I fell in love with the rosy brown MLBB shade. But when I went to get myself a tube, I couldn't find it anywhere, not even online! I had circled three malls here in the south to hunt it down, but I was able to get one in the super far away Market! Market! department store AND IT WAS ALL WORTH IT! For a matte lipstick, it feels super comfortable and hydrating when worn, and though it doesn't last long either, it leaves a subtle stain behind. And I don't really mind reapplying because it looks and feels so good on the lips. I looooooove itttttt.

And that's it for my June favorites! It's been an awesome month for new beauty finds and rediscoveries, and I look forward to more. What have you been loving this past month? Let me know in the comments down below, and maybe I'll check them out soon. Also, you can stay updated with my latest blog posts by subscribing with your email or following me on Bloglovin'. Thank you so much for dropping by. Till next time! Take care! :)

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