Recent Favorites and a Fail

I am happy to be back to blogging consistently and figured we’d start things off with a bang and share some recent product favorites and a fail! I am actually surprised how many products I have recently tried and loved because I don’t feel like I’ve tried that many. I guess I’m just having good luck.

Laura Mercier Caviar Volume Panoramic Mascara:

If you’ve been following me for awhile you know that I am generally a drugstore mascara lady! While I do have some high end favorites, I typically do not purchase high end mascara because I think drugstore mascara is just as great. That being said, I received a travel sized version of this Laura Mercier Mascara in a free gift from a purchase at Ulta. I didn’t have high expectations, but I am obsessed with this mascara. It applies so beautifully, separates and lengthens my lashes, AND most importantly, doesn’t get clumpy and spidery when I add multiple coats.

BYBI Bukachiol Booster Facial Treatment:

I picked this booster up over a year ago, to test out as a Retionoid alternative and never ended up opening it until recently! I am obsessed. I currently am not using a retinol oil like I normally do, so I figured it was perfect to add into my routine to test out. I have to say, I have been loving the results. It is much gentler than retinol and a ‘more natural’ alternative to retinols. I simply add a few drops into my night time moisturizer and that’s it!

Native Almond & Shea Butter Strengthening Hair Mask:

I picked up this hair mask on whim on a recent Target trip because I have been needed a hair mask. For some reason, I’ve been having a really difficult time keeping my hair tangle free and I think it’s because it has been drier than normal. I even thought a hair cut would solve the issue, which is did help a little, but ultimately I knew I needed to get a mask. I love Native deodorants so I figured I’d give this one a shot and I noticed a different after just one use. I use it about 2 times a week (when I wash my hair) and let it sit for 5 minutes before rinsing out. I am happy to have found an affordable solution to this hair problem because I am not super hair savvy!

Indie Lee Brightening Cleanser:

I cannot say enough great things about this cleanser. I love the packaging and pump. I love the scent. I love the texture and consistency for cleansing. I just absolutely love this cleanser. You need so little product, so don’t be put off by the price. I had been wanting to try this one for over and year and when Ulta had a sale, I bit the bullet and got it and I’m so grateful I did. I really think it’s contributing nicely to my overall much more even skin tone. Also hooray for cleaner ingredients!

Essie Expressie Nail Polishes:

These polishes are not new to AFB but I recently brought them back out after not painting my nails for almost a year and I fell in love with them all over again. (Let’s just say getting engaged and having a ring on my finger had something to do with it….haha). I have so many shades and these are all I use for my nails now. I love the staying power most because that is the hardest part for me about nail polish. I have super oily nail beds and gel nails peel off after a couple days no matter what I try (even professional)! I can easily get a week out of this polish with very minimal chipping. Highly recommend!

Fetch App:

I had been hearing about Fetch Rewards for a little while and finally decided to try it out when I saw a friend post her referral link. I am obsessed haha. You simply take pictures of ANY receipts no matter how much you spend (I even do my prescriptions) and you get points that can be redeemed for gift cards. There’s so many to choose from but I am always saving for Amazon gift cards. haha I also have it linked to my Amazon account and email so that when I make purchases there, they will sync with the app! Click the link here if you’d like to sign up and you’ll get a bonus 2,000!!

AND A FAIL…

Maybelline Cheek Heat Gel-Cream Blush:

I had such high hopes for these cream blushes because they reminded me so much of the Cloud Paint from Glossier and Maybelline usually does no wrong for me!! I was really hoping for a more affordable dupe. At the end of the day, they just don’t have enough pigment and are not buildable. At first not having a ton of pigment isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as long as I can build up to the level I want. However, when I tried to start building it up, it got patchy and messed up with foundation underneath and I normally don’t have this issue with cream blushes. Sadly, I’d say pick up the Cloud Paint from Glossier if you’re really wanting this type of product.

What have you been loving recently? Any fails for you? Let me know in a comment below and I’ll see you next time here at Andrea Fontana Beauty!

Sending love,

Andrea

Disclosure: Some of the above links are Affiliate links meaning that I make a commission off the purchase of the product through my link. This does not affect the price of the product on your end. I would never recommend a product that I didn't love and all opinions are my own. I am thankful for you choosing to purchase through my links, as it helps me create more content for Andrea Fontana Beauty

My Recent Favorite Products

It’s been a little while since I’ve talked about some favorite products on here, so today I thought I’d share what I have been loving recently. I’ve discovered some new to me products and also re-fallen in love with some products I already owned. Have you discovered anything good lately?

Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask in Smashed

After hearing so many talk about how amazing this is, I finally picked up my own while in Chicago last month. Since then, it hasn’t left my purse and gets applied almost every day. I love the slight red tinge because it wakes my lips up and enhances their natural color. This is the best lip moisturizer I’ve ever used, as it doesn’t contain petroleum!

Mac Extra Dimension Skinfinish in Superb

When I moved at the end of August, I went through my entire personal makeup collection and got rid of about 75% of it! I only kept things I knew I wanted to continue to use, which is when I rediscovered how much I love this Skinfinish as an every day blush and eyeshadow shade. It’s so easy to swipe on and gives you a nice sheen too, so you can totally skip the highlighter too on days when you’re in a rush!

Laura Mercier Foundation Primer Radiance

This product was sent to me by Influenster for free for reviewing purposes and I fell in love with it! It reminds me a lot of Loreals Glotion, except if it was a primer. I love using it for days when I don’t wear full coverage foundation because it makes my skin super glowy and healthy looking.

Kaja Beauty Moon Crystal Sparkling Eye Pigment in Rose Quartz

My best friend Margaret and I discovered this brand in a Sephora in Madison, Wisconsin in November and both picked up a few products from them. These Moon Crystal sparkling eye pigments are amazing as quick and easy eyeshadows for day to day use! I love the Rose Quartz shade because it’s super warm and reminds me of when I wear blush on my eyelids. I can’t wait to pick up more shades. The formula is easy to apply with your fingers and blend out. Then it sets well and lasts all day. I also love that it is the perfect amount of glitter for daily use; not too much.

Hydroflask 40 oz.

I’ve had my Hydroflask for awhile now, but I haven’t talked about it on the blog yet, so I figured I’d throw it in too. There is no greater feeling than waking up in the morning super thirsty and having ice still in your water bottle from the night before. I love the straw top because I drink more water with straws. I take this water bottle EVERYWHERE I go. The only thing I would warn you about is if you want yours to fit in your car’s cup holder, you may want the skinnier bottle shape. It doesn’t bother me because I put it on the passenger front seat when I’m driving.

Kitsch Spiral Hair ties 8 pk for Brunettes

These are my new favorite hair ties. I love how they simultaneously hold my hair in so tightly, yet don’t feel tight at all. They are tight enough from running which is a must for me too. I also love how comfortable they are when they are on your wrist. Bonus, my niece loves them so they are a great baby entertainer when you’re in a pinch! hahaha

Quip Rosegold Toothbrush

I have been using this toothbrush for over 6 months now and I LOVE it. I love that it’s a subscription, so every 3 months a new tube of toothpaste and a replacement head comes in the mail without me every having to think about picking them up from the store. I love the rose gold handle because it looks beautiful in the bathroom. Even though I sometimes feel like a kid, I secretly love that when you turn on the vibration, it does a special buzz every 30 seconds, and turns off when you’ve brushed for long enough. One less thing I have to think about!

Weleda Skin food Light

I received this as a birthday present from my friends last May and I have fallen in love with it. I will do an updated skincare routine soon because I’ve discovered some new products, but I wanted to let you know that if you have loved the Original Weleda Skin Food in the past, you have to try this one out too. I keep them both on hand and use whichever one is more necessary for my skin, that day. I will always keep both the Original and the Light on hand now because they mix well with other skincare products and are awesome on their own as well!

Have you discovered anything great lately? Let me know in a comment below!

Have a beautiful day,

Andrea

Disclosure: Amazon links are Amazon Affiliate links meaning that I make a small commission off the purchase of the product through my link. This does not affect the price of the product. I would never recommend a product that I didn't love and all opinions are my own. I am thankful for you choosing to purchase through my links, as it helps me create more content for Andrea Fontana Beauty.

First Impressions Video (Ulta/Sephora Haul Proucts)

Last Monday I shared the products I picked up from the Ulta and Sephora spring sales and thought it'd be fun if I filmed a video trying the products I picked up for myself (not my kit). I really loved the look that came out of it! You'll have to watch below to see which products I loved!

I was honestly a little shocked that I picked so many products that I LOVED! I will say though this probably comes from years of experience swatching products and testing things. I can pretty much tell by a formula or shade if I'm going to like it. Sometimes I'm still surprised though and some things might not work out as well as I expect. 

Comment below which palette you want me to do 10 looks with!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Products Mentioned:
Weleda Skin Food *** https://amzn.to/2I4tSXS
IT Cosmetics CC Cream in Light
Maybelline Master Liquid Strobe Cream in Light/Iridescent
MAC Cosmetics Pro Longwear Concealer
Laura Mercier Universal Setting Powder
Fenty Beauty Matchstix in Amber
Benefit Hoola Bronzer Sephora Collection Blush in Too Hot!
Milk Makeup Holographic Stick in Mars
MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot in Soft Ochre
Glossier Boy Brow in Black *** (10% off your first order) http://bff.glossier.com/hWksm 
Fenty Beauty Mini Matchstix in Sinamon
Morphe 9B Bronzed Babe Palette
Loreal Voluminous Lash Paradies Mascara
NARS Powermatte Lip Pigment in Walk This Way

Dre Does Ipsy Favorites

Happy May! My favorite month of the year because not only is it my birthday month but it's when it really starts to warm up and feel like summer is on it's way!! It's no secret that I haven't been doing my monthly Ipsy Glam Bag reviews but I am still receiving them. I decided a good way to catch up would be to share some of the products that I have loved recently that I would recommend to you. If you have never heard about Ipsy and curious to know more, look to the tool bar on the right and under favorites click the word 'Ipsy' to see all of my previous posts on the subscription service! (Hint: you can do this with any word you see to filter posts!)

1. Laura Mercier Invisible Loose Setting Powder: If you made me choose one product as the best thing I've ever received in an Ipsy bag, this would be it. I cannot tell you how much I love this powder. I don't normally use powders so the fact that I love this that much is saying something. I started using the new NARS Weightless foundation and I found that with the luminous finish I needed a setting powder so that it was easier to contour and blend my blush, highlighter, etc. I reached for this powder because it was in my collection and oh my word. This powder truly gives you the most flawless, airbrushed look without changing the finish of my foundation. I absolutely love it and will be purchasing it as as soon as my little guy is done. The full size retails at $37 for 0.4 oz, while the mini they sent me in my glam bag was 0.03 oz (a $2.78 value). I love to do the math when it comes to small samples like this because what it shows me is that if that sample lasted me a month, I can only imagine how long that larger one is going to last me! So worth the money! (Stay tuned to why this intrigues me more!


2. Dr. Brandt 'pores no more' anti-aging mattifying lotion: I can't tell you how excited I was to try out this sample because first off I LOVE Dr. Brandt products and second, as an oily girl, I have a really hard time finding anti-aging products that don't break me out. Generally, aging and more mature skin lacks the sebum (oil) production which disarms the protective nature of the acid barrier of your skin, so anti-aging products will try to boost that amount of oil. However, us oily girls can't handle more oil, but we still want to prevent aging! Luckily this product does just that. Provides anti-aging benefits (hello apple stem cells!) while still keeping our skin from breaking out and having too much oil. I love how quickly this absorbs into the skin and mattifies without feeling like you didn't put any moisturizer on in the first place. A full size retails at $60 for 1.7 oz. and the sample I received was 0.25 oz. (a $8.82 value).

3. Malin + Goetz Mojito Lip Balm: The second I opened the glam bag this came in, I put this on my lips and I've never looked back. I'm aware that sounds dramatic but this stuff is like heaven for your lips. It is the smoothest, most buttery lip balm I have ever tried and I will most certainly be buying this once it's gone. If you want it for the scent, I wouldn't get too excited though because I can't really smell or taste anything. This doesn't bother me however because I wear lip balms for the moisturizing factor not the scent. This one was a full size lip balm which retails for $12 on their site. I love keeping it in my purse because it's so easy to apply as well.

4. Crown Brush Infinity Shadow/Crease Duet Brush: I was really excited to see a Crown Brush come in my glam bag one month because I had heard great things about the company before but never had tried any brushes before. I'm always looking for great pencil/smudge brushes because I love a good smoked out lower lash line, so I was excited to give this duo brush a try. I do have to say I prefer the pencil side to the flat shader side but overall the brush is a great addition to my collection. The pencil brush is nice and precise! At a value of $17.50 online, you know it's a great deal to get in your glam bag!

5. Elizabeth Mott All Over Shadow Brush: While I have received Elizabeth Mott makeup products in my glam bag before I was excited to see a brush one month. I love when you get to try a diverse amount of products from a line to see how it is as a whole. This brush is pink and white so it's really cute as well. It is exactly what you would want from an all over shadow brush. It is soft and does a great job of picking up and packing on shadow to the lid. It is worth $9.99 which again is a great value to receive in a glam bag since it is a full size item.

What do you think of posts like this? I feel like posting every month can get a bit repetitive if I haven't really gotten the chance to review products, so I'd rather show you a quick snapshot of everything I got right when it comes in the mail and then every so often share favorites from multiple months. What are your thoughts?

Have  a beautiful Monday,

Dre

Dre Does Current Favorites

Since it's been awhile since I have posted a monthly favorites, I figured I would kick things off with a post dedicated to the products I have been loving recently. As usual, it involves some items that are not beauty related but I like to share these items none the less. This post gets me thinking about how my go to products for day to day use change as the seasons do, so if you're interested in me sharing what changes I've been making, comment below and I can do that soon.

So let's get to it!

1- Aveda Comforting Tea: This was a favorite of mine when I was in Esthiology school. I drank it almost every night I was there. I recently went in to pick up some favorite Aveda products and had completely forgotten that they sold this tea in a loose form. I obviously picked it up and have been loving it recently. I will say that I would recommend getting the tea bags instead of the loose tea because some of the tea particles are so small that they go through my tea strainer. It doesn't bother me enough to stop using it this way, but for some people it might be gross. haha Maybe I just love this tea too much...It is 100% certified organic and caffeine free, so I like to have a cup before bed. The strongest notes are licorice root and peppermint, but it also has basil and sweet fennel in it. I personally hate all forms of licorice so I was shocked that I loved this so much the first time I tried it. Regardless, if you've never experienced it, I recommend picking some up!

2- Carol's Daughter Monoi Repairing Hair Mask:  I received a small sample of this mask as a free gift at Ulta when I purchased my favorite shampoo and conditioner and I absolutely love it. While I don't have much damage in my hair, I first started using it a lot when I was recently in Puerto Rico because I knew my hair would be dryer than normal. It makes my hair so ridiculously smooth and I love it. I don't feel like it weighs my hair down at all. I typically will use it every other wash or if I've used any heat to style my hair.

3- 'Turquoise Summer' by Escada: When I worked at Ulta I would always spray the new perfumes as they came in and I couldn't stop wearing this one when we got it in. I call it the adult version of Pink Sugar because it's light and sweet but doesn't make you feel like a teeny-bopper. I get so many compliments on it when I wear it, so if you like sweet scents, head to Ulta to smell it.

4- Laura Mercier Universal Invisible Loose Setting Powder: I had always heard really nice things about this setting powder but had never tried it before. I hadn't been using a setting powder with my foundation I used to use (the Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hr Foundation) because it was clay based and left a powder finish. I was really excited to see it come in my Ipsy bag a few months ago, but sadly it ended up in my powder drawer of my massive makeup storage system (aka forgotten about). Fast foward to switching foundations and now needing a setting powder, I decided to give it a go and I couldn't be happier. I love how it airbrushes the look of my skin while still maintaining the finish of the foundation underneath. I also love how it makes my contour, blush and highlighting blend seamlessly after!

5-NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation: Speaking of new foundation, here it is! My new absolute favorite foundation. When they say all day, luminous, and weightless, they couldn't be more correct! I love how full coverage this foundation is while still feeling like I don't have any makeup on. The consistency is like water, so you definitely have to shake it well before you apply it and you don't need much product which is nice. It was one of those products that I got a sample of at Sephora and prayed that I didn't love it because of the hefty price tag. I was dying to know if as an oily girl I could pull off a luminous glow and it worked! If you'd like to know more about it, please let me know and I can do a more in depth review of it soon.

6- MAC Soft and Gentle Mineralized Skin Finish: You know when you hear nonstop amazing reviews of a product but you're reluctant to hop on the bandwagon because EVERYONE is obsessed with it? Sounds silly to type out but that's how I felt about Soft and Gentle. Everyone and their mom is obsessed with it so I never tried it, but finally gave in. Now I'm obsessed like all the others but seriously...Most beautiful warm highlight to the cheeks and it's what deserves the credit for the beautiful skin compliments I've been receiving lately. (Insert foot in mouth now)

7-Makeup Geek Eyeshadow in Peach Smoothie: This favorite is thanks to an amazing client of mine (Hi Jodi!) who gifted me some beautiful MUG products when I did her brows. Peach Smoothie has become my absolute holy grail eyeshadow. I use it in every single look because it seriously makes everything look better. It's not quite as dark as this picture shows but it is seriously a must have transition color. I personally prefer warmer looks on my eyes, and I love how it adds just the right about of warmth no matter what I put over it. Thanks again Jodi!

8-Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Rose Gold: During the most recent 21 days of Beauty Event at Ulta, there was a Becca Cosmetics 4 piece kit that I snagged. It featured mini sizes of 4 of their most popular products and I can't get enough of this little guy. I love to use it on my cheekbones to after my blush and before my highlight to blend everything seamlessly. I can't wait to use it strictly as a highlight in the summer. I love how if you're in a hurry it can easily be used as a highlight and blush since it's warmer and darker than your typical highlight. Can you tell I've been loving highlighters recently?

Well that is a small sample of some items I've been loving recently. What have you been loving? As usual if you have any requests of what you would like to see on Dre Does, please email me or comment below!

Have a beautiful week,

Dre