January Favorites

1. Favorite Movie: The Greatest Showman. This is a musical about the life of P.T. Barnum. He is the man who invented a circus. The songs are really good. I really recommend this movie.

2. Favorite TV Show: The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. This is a reality show on Bravo I like to watch. It is interesting to me to watch how the ladies get along with each other. I think I like to study people.

3. Favorite Book: The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler. I love Anne Tyler books. Her characters are so funny and relatable. In this book Macon Leary writes travel books for business people that would rather stay home than travel, but since they have to travel he shows them how to do it without feeling like you are actually traveling. His son has died and his wife has left him. Then he breaks his leg. His dog is acting up. He meets a dog trainer. I've read this book more than once.

1. Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Cucumber, and Green Tea. I spray this on my face first thing before I do my makeup. It hydrates my face, and it smells good. It is refreshing. I also like the rose water spray, but I wanted to try the green tea one. I heard there is a lavender spray out now too. I got this at Ulta.

2. CeraVe Moisturizing Cream: I put this on my face before doing my makeup. This makes sure my face is moisturized. I went to a dermatologist several years ago and this is the cream she recommended for me to use, and I've been using it ever since.

3. Dr. Brandt Pores No More Face Primer: I have been using this as a face primer. I think it does a good job of smoothing over pores, and is a good base for foundation. I got this deluxe sample from Ulta. It smells like medicine.

4. Covergirl Vitalist Healthy Elixir Foundation: I am still using this foundation. I think it looks really nice on my face. I have normal to dry skin I would say. I think this foundation is full coverage, but it doesn't look like a mask. I don't know why I don't hear more people talk about this foundation. I think it's really good.

5. Wet 'n Wild Photo Focus Concealer: This is my favorite concealer. It is full coverage. I wear it under my eyes and pimples or red spots like around my nose. It is inexpensive and does the job.

6. Maybelline Fit Me! Powder: This is in translucent. I put this all over my face. It helps set my makeup. It doesn't make me look cakey. And takes care of any shine.

7. Benefit Hoola Bronzer: I use this to contour my face. It is a natural shade for my fair skin. It is also matte. I got this deluxe sample from a Benefit Advent Calendar several years ago. When this runs out I think I will buy the full size. The sample has lasted a long time.

8. The Balm Rockstar Palette: I have been using this palette for the highlight called Disco Disco Solid Gold. It is the same thing as the Mary Lou Manizer I have been using for years. It's a pretty gold highlight.

9. Milani Eye Shadow Primer: I have been using this for years also. It is cheap and does a good job of priming my eyelids. It helps the shadows last a long time on my eyes and not crease. I get this at Fred Meyers.

10. Lorac Pro Palette: I have reached for this palette the most out of all my eye shadow palettes. It's a great basic, neutral palette. The matte shades are on the top row. The shimmers are on the bottom.

11. NYX Matte Liquid Liner: This is a matte, black liquid liner I use whenever I give myself a wing or flick. This is inexpensive as well. It has a brush applicator.

12. L'oreal Voluminous Lash Paradise in Black: I get this in the waterproof kind. I have been using this mascara for months now. I keep repurchasing it. I think it does a good job of volumizing, lengthening, separating, and curling my lashes. It is supposed to be a dupe for Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara. The packaging is similar. But I think it is better than that mascara.

13. Jordana Lip Liner in Tawny: This is a good, inexpensive nude lip liner. I've been using this for a long time too. I like Jordana lip liners.

I hope you had a good month, and have a wonderful new year!

July Favorites

Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood

It has been so long since I've watched this movie. It is so good! My mom rented it from Netflix and we had a sort of slumber party watching it. I love these movies from my teenage years that are so heartfelt and have such a great story. I think I got something from it seeing it again as an adult compared to what I loved about it as a teen, but the movie is still amazing. It makes me want to rent other movies like this I used to love back in the 90's. I really related to Naomi Judd's character as a woman who also has mental health issues.

Valerian and the 1000 Planets

This movie was so fun and so cool! I loved it! I felt like it was the perfect summer movie to see in the theaters. I guess it didn't get good reviews, and it didn't get as much viewing as they had anticipated, but I didn't read the reviews. I saw it got sort of an average amount of stars, but I thought I would like it anyway. It had AMAZING graphics! I saw the regular version, not the 3D one. And the story was fun. I love it when there is a strong female lead. This movie is based off of a graphic novel that takes place in the future where they are sort of fighting crime I guess and they are partners relying on each other and doing the right thing. It's sort of a mystery because they don't know what exactly is going on, but we as the audience know more. I feel like I'm doing a terrible job describing this movie. It's a science fiction type with different kinds of aliens. It really appealed to my imagination and I felt like I went soaring off into the galaxy.

Karena + Katrina Beach Waves Sea Salt Texture Spray: This is made by the Tone It Up girls. They make exercise videos on Youtube. This makes my hair really curly. I just spray a little bit into my hands and scrunch my hair. I can't spray it onto my hair or else it will be too much product since my hair is really fine. It smells really good too like coconuts.

The Balm Mary-Lou Manizer: This is my favorite golden highlighter.

Maybelline Master Strobing Liquid Illuminating Highlighter in Light/Iridescent. This is a pretty liquid highlighter that looks really natural on the skin.

Benefit Hoola Bronzer: Here is my little sample of it. I have the original one and it looks like a natural bronze on my skin.

Even though I see all these videos of people trying out different highlighters and bronzers, I feel like I only need my Mary-Lou Manizer and Hoola bronzer. 

Covergirl True Naked Goldens Palette: If I want to do a simple eye look this palette is really easy to create a look with. I like the 2nd and 4th color as shimmery lid colors and the 3rd one for the crease. This is also handy for traveling.

Koreas Greek Yoghurt Nourishing Moisturizer: I went to Sephora and asked for recommendations and the woman working in the skin care section gave me a sample of this. The ingredients are very good for you.

Erborian Yuza Sorbet Night Reinforced Nighttime Emulsion: This night cream works so well. I can tell that it helps nourish my skin because it looks better in the morning. It feels good and smells good. 

June Favorites

My mom and I rented this a few days ago. It is so good. The music, the acting, the story, the way everything looks. It is a piece of art in my opinion. I really recommend it. I feel like this will be a classic in the future.

I really loved Wonder Woman. I remember when I was really little in the early 80's watching Wonder Woman. For Halloween when I was 3 years old I dressed up as her. This movie inspired me, and made me feel empowered. I know not everyone liked it for different reasons, but I thought it was really beautiful. It also reminded me of my grandpa who fought in WWII. In this movie Wonder Woman fights the nazis and ultimately she fights the god of war, Ares.

These are all my favorite things that I'm currently using that exist in the bathroom. 

1. Shampoo and Conditioner by Garner Fructis Full & Plush Paragon-free Fortifying with Pomegranate for fine or flat hair for visibly fuller hair. And it is supposed to make your hair stronger.

2. Skintimate Island Berry Breeze Shave Gel for moisturizing. It has vitamin e and olive butter. I like the way it smells too.

3. Dial Coconut Water. This is a great hydrating body wash that smells like coconut. I use a loofah with it. It is really refreshing to me.

4. Philosophy Purity One-Step Facial Cleanser. It's a nice, simple face wash.

5. Clean & Clear Morning Burst Facial Cleanser. Sometimes I use this it has little scrubby beads in it and cucumber extracts. It is also oil-free. I use my wash cloth to help exfoliate my skin.

6. Freeman Facial Exfoliating Scrub in Pink Grapefruit. It exfoliates, smooths, and renews your face. It smells really good too.

7. Up & Up Eye Makeup Remover Liquid. This is a dupe for Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover. I get this at Target. You shake it up and remove your eye makeup gently.

8. Adapalene Gel. I got this from a dermatologist. You just need a little bit to put on pimples.

9. Sensodyne Pronamel Toothpaste. This is a little baby sample from my dentist.

10. Oral-B Satin Floss. I like this floss because it fits between my teeth well.

1. Body Fantasies Signature in Cotton Candy: This is a fragrance body spray you can get at Walgreens. It smells so sweet. 

2. Vera Wang Princess: I think I got this from a drugstore like Rite Aid. It has cute packaging it is a glass bottle in the shape of a heart and the lid is a jeweled crown and a ring underneath it. It smells sweet, fruity, vanilla, cacao, and white floral. 

3. Viva La Juicy from Juicy Couture: I got this from Sephora. It has a sweet and fruity smell to it too. I like the packaging on it also. I've had these perfumes for a long time.

1. Beauty Secrets Non-Acetone Nail Polish Remover. This is a gentle professional formula that is safe for natural or artificial nails. I got this from Sally's Beauty Store. It works really well and you get a lot.

2. Seche Clear Base Coat. I also got this from Sally's. 

3. China Glaze Nail Polish in Flip Flop Fantasy. I currently am wearing this on my fingers and toes. It's a bright almost neon coral polish. 

4. Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear Nail Color in 420 Pacific Blue. This is a regular blue polish that I think looks cool in the summertime.

These are some of the brushes I've been using a lot. (From left to right)

1. Sigma Large Angled Contour F40 Brush. I use this to apply blush. The bristles are soft.

2. Sigma Large Powder F30 Brush. I use this to apply powder all over face.

3. Real Techniques Base Shadow Brush. This is an excellent brush to apply crease eye shadow. I think Stephanie Ledda uses it also in her videos I've noticed her use it.

4. The Balm Give Crease A Chance Brush: This is a two sided brush. The brushes are very large, so they are great for blending stuff out.

5. Elf Small Tapered Brush: I like this for highlighting and you can use it with powder to gently set under eyes. It is inexpensive and a good quality brush that has lasted a long time.

6. Real Techniques Buffing Brush: You can apply foundation with this or powder. These brushes are all good quality and soft on the skin. They have lasted me awhile.

7. Real Techniques Contour Brush: I use this to apply bronzer or I contour with it.

8. Sigma Flat Kabuki F80 Brush: I use this to buff in foundation and concealer. And I also use my fingers if there are any brush strokes. I can make it look more natural.

9. Real Techniques Sponge: I sometimes use this to blend out foundation and concealer. It sort of depends on how I'm feeling. I have had the beauty blender and I feel like this works just as well, and it is an inexpensive alternative. 

*I'm not sponsored by any of these brands. I have purchased all this stuff, they were not pr packages sent to me for free.

1. First, I cleanse my hands with a hand sanitizer. This is Magic Mirror OCD Hand Sanitizer from Fortune Cookie.

2. Mario Badescu Facial Spray with aloe, herbs, and rosewater. This is a refreshing spray to put on face before you put on any lotion or makeup. It makes your skin moist, so everything goes on better. This is sold at Ulta now.

3. Dr. Brandt Pores No More. This is a face primer. It minimizes the look of pores, absorbs oil, and mattifies shine. I put this on all the parts of my face that have noticeable pores, and where I don't want it to be shiny.  I got a baby sample from Ulta.

4. Revlon Colorstay Foundation for Normal/Dry Skin. I love this foundation for matching my skin color well, feels good on my type of skin, and it lasts a long time. It covers what I want to be covered, and it is from the drugstore.

5. Wet 'n Wild Photo Focus Concealer. I like this because it feels good under the eye, and it works well. It doesn't everything you want a concealer to do. It was inexpensive, and Wet 'n Wild is cruelty free.

6. Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in 001 Transparent. I have used this powder for a long time. I keep buying the same one. It is a simple, good powder that does it's job. It never makes you look cakey. It is good to set your face with powder because if you use a powder bronzer/blush it will go on better.

These are some of my favorite eye shadows and palettes. I use Milani Eye Shadow Primer as a primer for my lids. You just need a little bit and gently put on with your ring finger to not cause wrinkles. It just needs to be a little bit tacky. This works better for me than the more expensive primers.

1. Lorac Pro Palette: This has 8 mattes and 8 shimmery eye shadows all in nice colors.

2. Too Faced Chocolate Bar: My favorite shades are Salted Caramel, Marzipan, Semi-Sweet, Milk Chocolate, Creme Brûlée, and Champagne Truffle.

3. Semi Sweet Chocolate Bar by Too Faced: My favorite shades in this palette is Peanut Butter and Mousse.

4. Anastasia of Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance Palette. This is a great palette for the warm reds, oranges, golds, and dark browns. My favorite shades are Raw Sienna, Burnt Orange, Vermeer, Primavera, Realgar, and Cyprus Umber. A lot of the names of the eye shadow is based on what was used in the renaissance to make paints for the beautiful renaissance paintings. 

5. Stila's Kitten. It's a pretty shimmery color for the lid.

6. L'Oreal Infallible Eye Shadow in Amber Rush. This is a pretty coppery/rose gold shade for the lid.

This is one of my favorite songs right now. It's called Hope In Front of Me by Danny Gokey.

Interesting. Another song I loved this song called "I Have This Hope" by Tenth Avenue North.

I hope you liked going through my current favorites. What was your favorite in June? What are you grateful for?