makeup monday: current july faves

Happy Monday, friends! Today I am posting an update to my current makeup favorites. During my stay in New York, I visited a fabulous mall that had tons of upscale stores which were great to browse in but nothing could prepare me for the excitement I felt when I found the E.L.F. Cosmetics Store! I use a ton of e.l.f products and I was beyond thrilled to shop in an actual store full of things I had only ever seen online! I picked up quite a few things and these are two of my favorites right now. 

The Blush/Bronzing Duo was a steal at $6 {definitely a dupe for the Benefit ‘Hoola’ bronzer and the Coralista blush because I own those two products and find similar results}. During my vacation I didn’t want to pack my bronzers + blushes because I have them in a large Christmas set so I decided to try this duo out and used it every day! The pay off for both products is great. I do recommend applying the shades in natural light so you don’t go crazy, as I found myself applying more than necessary for a healthy glow!

The True Match Lumi Blush + Highlight in Rose was a purchase on a whim in Ulta that I made on vacation. Does everyone shop on vacation as much I do!? Maybe not. But somehow I manage to let myself buy items that I wouldn’t usually buy back home. I tried this out because I had just bought a blush/bronzer but I wanted to have even more glow to my face! The $12 wasn’t exactly a bargain to me but I said, ‘Why not?’ and gave it a whirl. I did end up liking the overall glow it gave to my face, but with this I would suggest adding more for a full effect. I will also try to find a better was to apply it because my stipple brush did not work well for me! Despite all this I do like the color mix of light pink and a bright white highlight to wear just on top of my cheeks during the summer for a little extra glow.

Revlon is my favorite for matte balms, and the Elusive shade {$7} is just the right amount of purple/pink for me! For my lip colors, I usually stray away from the super glossy look because it wears off so fast and distracts people when I talk to them! I love the matte balms like this one because they glide on smooth, give great color pay off, and don’t need to be re-applied as often as other {cheaper} balms that I’ve tried. 

Concealing my dark circles is something I have to do every day, so I keep using the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Under Eye Concealer/Brightener to keep my face looking fresh and ready for the day. The product is only $6 and is a purchase I make again and again because the results are always what I want to see. My only trouble with this product is that it is difficult to remove at night! Other than that I give it a high rating and have no other complaints. 

If I could afford to buy really nice makeup brushes I would invest in some of those Sigma ones, but until then I will continue to hunt for great alternatives! I  think I scored when I picked up the e.l.f. ultimate blending brush. I wear Bareminerals foundation alone or on top of my liquid foundation, and this brush makes it so I don’t need to use as much product! That way I am saving product and preventing the unfortunate cakey look from occurring. I would compare this brush to the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush {$7} because they have a similar look with an “ultra firm and broad” brush.

That’s it for today’s edition of Monday Makeup Favorites! Thanks so much for stopping by & make sure to check me out on other social medias below! 

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