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.

Lipsense Review

I'm here with a review on a lip product that I was so excited to try. If you like makeup there's no way you could have missed the new sensation that is Lipsense. I'm sure you know at least one person, if not more who sells it and have probably been wondering...but does it really work? It claims to be incredibly long-wearing lip color that WILL NOT SMUDGE. A wonderful friend of mine Jessica offered to gift me some Lipsense to try out and give her my thoughts on it which was so kind. Not only is she an amazing and hardworking distributor, but she manages a gym, is a fitness trainer, and does it all while being pregnant with a super lucky little girl. We all know my obsession with lipstick so I am extremely thankful she offered to do this! All of her links will be at the end of this post if you want to try some Lipsense too! 

I chose a color called Napa because it looked like it would be a 'Your lips but better' shade that many skin types could pull off. It has a little bit of shimmer to it when you look at it in the tube but I don't feel like it looks glittery by any means on my lips. The first time you buy Lipsense you have to buy the kit because you need all three products; the color, the gloss, and the Oops remover. After you have your first kit, you can buy new colors or glosses as needed. The gloss is important because it seals in the color to last all day. 

The application process is very detailed, but Jessica provides a wonderful little instruction card in her cute little packaging that explains the whole process to you and even has tips and tricks on the back for you. You have to apply three thin layers and let each dry, while holding your lips taut and open the whole time. It felt a little crazy at first, but I got used to it quickly. I felt much more comfortable applying it the second time. After the three layers, you apply the gloss, which honestly was one of my favorite parts, and I AM NOT A GLOSS PERSON. I live for matte lipsticks and rarely use gloss so I was a little worried about having to seal it with a gloss. I hate the feeling of sticky lips and I loved how smooth the "Glossy" gloss felt on my lips. It never felt sticky but still managed to stay on for hours. Jessica says that the other glosses are even better in her opinion! 

Top Left: My natural lips with nothing on them; Top Right: one coat of Napa; Bottom Left: three coast of Napa; Bottom Right: three coats Napa and one coat Glossy gloss. 

So how did it go? I've worn it probably 4 times now all day, and I've honestly fallen in love with it. I did have some issues in the beginning but Jessica checked up on me and helped me find solutions. When you start off using Lipsense some people go through what they call 'the exfoliation' phase where your lips get super chapped as they're getting rid of all the wax buildup. It definitely started to happen to me, as my lips got pretty dry the first time I tried it. Due to the exfoliation process, I only got about 6 hours of wear out of it at a time. I did notice however that it got better with each use and the last time I wore it, it lasted at least 8 hours, which is AWESOME. Jessica mentioned that wearing even just the gloss helps this process so I did that a few days as well. 

For me the best part about Lipsense is the no smudging. You can kiss, wear a white shirt, etc. and not worry about getting color anywhere! I don't mind if it doesn't last the whole day, since I'm used to having to reapply lipsticks anyways. But to not worry about my lip color getting anywhere is HUGE. I will probably being buying some for my makeup kit because these scream wedding day to me. I am excited to test out other colors, especially the matte shades because I love me some matte lip products. Have you tried any Lipsense products before? If you have, let me know which colors you like and what your thoughts are on the product! If you're wanting to try some here is all of Jessica's information!

Jessica Stemen 'Sweat Proof Face'
SeneGence Independent Distributor #313524
sweatproofface@gmail.com
FB: sweat proof face
IG: @sweatproofface

Many thanks to Jessica again for letting me review this product for Andrea Fontana Beauty! I will be sure to keep you guys updated if I try any new colors in the future and what I think!

Have a beautiful week,

Andrea Fontana Beauty

Dre Does a 5 Minute Fall Transformation

I wanted to create a really simple look that only required a few extra minutes added onto your normal face routine to be fall ready. The focus of any quick look for me will always be my lips because it is the quickest way to add drama and let's be real...fall is all about the drama on the lips. 

When I think of fall makeup I think of warm earth tones; oranges, reds, plums, berries. All of these shades work really well with trying to extend your summer bronze and still look ready for the fall season. Below you'll see that I did my normal face routine (let me know if you want to see exactly what that looks like recently), and then used ONE eyeshadow and ONE lip product to transform my look.

For my eyes I simply applied my normal primer (Benefit's Stay Don't Stray in Light/Medium) and then packed MAC Cosmetics' Amber Lights onto the lid. It's a beautiful metallic orangey bronze color that compliments the warmth of fall so well. The thing that I love about metallic colors like this is that if you just buff out the edges with a blending brush, you look like you have a complete look because the metallic sheen giving so much dimension on your lid. Apply your mascara and you're done!

For the lips I used one of my favorite products ever; the Lorac Pro Matte Lip Color in Merlot. These lipsticks are amazing because they go on so smoothly, are so pigmented, don't require a liner to stay put, and they last forever. I love how this deep shade screams fall. 

There you have it! I took a really basic look from natural to dramatic with the use of only two products. I highly suggest you go through your collection and find duos like this that work well together and take note of them. This way when you're running late in the morning or at night, you can quickly amp up your look in no time at all. You could even wear just the shadow for work and add the lips just in time for happy hour with your friends!

Let me know if you find any great combos! 

Have a beautiful day,

Dre

Dre Does Tinted Lips

Every lipstick obsessed woman knows that spring means saying hello to brighter pinks, corals, and reds on your lips for the upcoming warmer weather. However, for many of us this change in season can bring about changes in our lips. As a woman who loves her lip color, especially in a drier matte finish, I have to make sure that my lips have days where I am taking good care of them by moisturizing well and prepping them for those days I want to make a bold statement with my lips.

That is where this post comes in. Just because we have to have days where we take a break from intense matte lip colors, doesn't mean you have to slap on that cheap, clear chapstick. If that's what you love to do, go you! However, these two tinted lip balms are for my ladies that still want to make sure their lips are looking bright.

If you're someone who is new to lipsticks and slightly intimidated by the bolder and brighter colors, I urge you to try these products as a way to get used to wearing brighter colors on your lips without the full commitment.

 

Enter the It Cosmetics Vitality Lip Flush 4-in-1 Reviver Lipstick Stain in 'Je Na Sais Quoi' and the Fresh Sugar Tinted Lip Treatment in 'Tulip'. These are my go to products for a moisture and tint combo. 

The first by It Cosmetics is a very unique product because it looks a little bit different on everyone. The balm is completely clear and reacts with the pH of your lips to change color. I have swatched it below but it gives a much more obvious pigment on the lips that compliments them so well. On me the color is a bright pink that I love for spring and summer. With Plum & Cherry oil, Shea Butter, Argan & Jojoba, Vitamins A, C, & E, Green & White Tea and Aloe, this tinted balm leaves your lips so moisturized and smooth feeling. It's called the 4-in-1 Reviver Lipstick Stain because it's designed to replace your four typical lip products in one; anti-aging lip balm, lipstick, lip gloss, and lip stain.

 

My other tinted lip balm is one that I have loved for years. The original Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment in the shade Rose was a very popular product that I tried years ago and fell in love with. While it didn't offer that much pigment, I really loved how moisturizing the grapeseed and other oils helped my lips feel. The secret to this product is in it's name! Sugar! Sugar is a natural humectant that helps the lips prevent moisture loss. Fast forward to a few years later and now Fresh has a whole line of shades in this Sugar Lip Treatment line. All with SPF 15 which is extremely important in the warmer months. (Click here to visit Tuesday's post on SPF.) I love how the line now features some that are sheer and some like Tulip that have much more pigment. 

 

Overall, I think it is key for every woman to have a good tinted lip balm or two in her purse at all times that she can count on for color and good moisturization. Both of these products are offered in many other shades as well, if these pinks aren't your favorite! 

*It Cosmetics can be purchased in store at Ulta, but also online at Ulta.com, QVC.com, and Itcosmetics.com. The Vitality Lip Flushes retail for $20.

*Fresh can be purchased in store at Sephora stores, but also online at Sephora.com and Fresh.com. The Sugar Lip Treatment Line ranges in price from $22.50 to $25. 

Have a beautiful day,

Dre

(Both products were purchased with my own money and all opinions are my own)

Dre Does My Current Go-To Makeup Look

For most of December and January so far, I have worn the exact same makeup look, give or take a few products. I have been obsessed with making my skin look flawless and then accentuating my lashes, brows and lips. So basically this look has been about taking natural makeup one step further towards glam. Today I'm sharing what products I use to achieve this natural glam look!

The face: The skin is key in this look. Before I start makeup I have been applying Puff Off, the newest product from Benefit Cosmetics that instantly depuffs and smoothes the undereye area. It also brightens and absorbs super quickly. I then begin the makeup with my Benefit Cosmetics Porefessional primer because it smooths out and helps hide the larger pores in my T-zone. I love how smooth it makes my skin feel, which helps my foundation go on better. Speaking of foundation, I next apply the Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 Hr foundation with a brush and really buff it into my skin. After that is my MAC Pro Longwear Concealer which I apply in my under eye area to conceal my dark circles. I conceal any blemishes if I need to with the Sonia Kashuk Hidden Agenda Palette. To set my undereye concealer I use the Banana powder from the Anastasia Contour Kit in Light, and then I mix the Banana and Vanilla powders to set any blemishes I've concealed. Next I contour my face using a combination of all three bronzers in the bottom row of the Contour Kit. A little bit of matte Tarte blush on the cheeks in a natural peachy pink color and lastly, all I need for the skin is to highlight the cheek bones. First I use my absolute favorite highlighter Watt's Up by Benefit followed by Sand from the Contour Kit. Now the face is done! I know this seems like a lot of products but it really makes my skin look flawless which is one of the main features of this look. I forgot to show my setting spray in the photo above but I never go a day without my Urban Decay Deslick Makeup Setting Spray for oily skin. I spray this once I'm completely don't with my makeup before my mascara. This is because we tend to squint or squeeze our eyes tightly when we spray our faces and this prevents any mascara from getting anywhere we don't want it. 

The brows: You probably know by now how important brows are to me (if not go read my Top 5 brow tips from last week). Even on no makeup days I do my brows with Benefit's Gimme Brow but for this look I love using my Gimme Brow first and then giving them a touch more definition with my angled brush and Benefit's Browzings wax and powder duo. My brows still look natural, they are just a little more intense than normal. 

The eyes: Most days I just apply my primer Benefit's Stay Don't Stray from lash line to brow bone and blend a nude tone (either Fresh or Legend) from either the Amrezy or Tamanna palettes from Anastasia Beverly Hills. Sometimes I blend a little bit of a warmer tone like Bengal or Caramel into the crease and into the bottoms lash line. Then it's simply curl my lashes and apply my absolutely favorite mascara, Benefit's They're Real. Yes you read that right, I haven't been wearing any eyeliner recently! For some reason I've been really loving the look of just my lashes being dark. 

The lips: The last feature of this look is the lips. I've been lining them with either Wiity Pink from Napoleon Perdis or Spice from MAC. Then I'll either go with Cosmo or Kinda Sexy both from MAC. If I want a browner look I go with Spice as a liner, and for a pinker look I use the Witty Pink liner first. In the photo above I'm wearing Witty Pink and Cosmo. 

You probably noticed that a lot of these products are by Benefit, Tarte or Anastasia. I am not sponsored by any of these brands they are just products that I really love and always give me consistent and beautiful results. What products have you been wearing a lot recently? Is there a particular look you've been loving? Let me know in comment below!

Have a beautiful day, 

Dre

Dre Does a Quick Tip

Happy Monday friends! I'm here with a quick tip that involves your lips as we transition into the fall. 

The summer is all about bright lipstick shades like pink and coral, but just because fall is almost here doesn't mean you have to store them away until next spring! Try applying them differently. I love using my finger to apply my bright summer shades to my lips and really pressing them in so that they look more like a stain. They won't be as bright and will give you a lighter wash of color. I especially love pairing this trick with darker and more intense eye looks because it's more fun than a nude lip! 

Have a beautiful week,

Dre

Dre Does a Lorac PRO Matte Lip Color Review

I was going to wait until I picked up some more shades of these before I did a review but I can't wait any longer! I am obsessed with this lip product. I swatch them all the time at work and recommend them to women almost daily haha. If you haven't played with them yet, you need to! I own the shade Mauve and it is amazing. It's basically a darker shade of my natural lip color. As it wears it dries a little darker but I love it just the same. These lip colors go on so smoothly for a matte product. I love that they are in a twistable pencil form because it makes them so easy to apply (like a fat lip liner). They definitely don't feel matte when they go on but after a little while they dry to a nice matte finish. What I love about them though is that they don't dry your lips out or look super cracked and dry as they wear. I feel like they almost make my lips look fuller and more plump because of how they wear. 

Now let's talk about the staying power. They last so incredibly long! The main color and outline will for sure last you all day but I'd say that the only part I had to touch up was the inner part of my lips but that's from eating and drinking throughout the day. I recommend them to women always if they are looking for a matte long wearing lip color. The range of colors is great too; all the way from nude to a deep Merlot shade. I especially love how they have a few rosy shades, like Mauve, that vary in tone so everyone can find a natural lip color that suits them best. 

Overall there are 12 shades in total (I will probably buy most of them for my makeup kit because they are that good!) and they retail for $16 each! Now for some swatches of the shade Mauve!

If you try one out let me know which shade you chose! 

Have a beautiful day,

Dre

Dre Does an Ipsy Review

Long story short, I moved and my Ipsy Glambags got lost and delayed. So we're here now 3 months behind. Whoops. Instead of completely skipping over two months worth of IPSY Glambags, I've decided to include what I got for my May and June bags with the price breakdown and then I'll do my normal July review within the next week! 

To be honest this bag for May was the most underwhelmed I've felt so far with Ipsy. I was surprised to calculate that it was worth $37.67 because I didn't think it would be. If it wasn't for the Pur-lisse hydra-moist face moisturizer sample valued at around $16 though, it wouldn't have been worth as much. I do like to see deluxe sizes of expensive products though so in the end I think it was a smart move for Ipsy if the rest of the products weren't going to be valued at as much. I think for a spring bag it was great to get more skincare related products than makeup because I really like to keep my skin in check with the summer weather changes. Both the Hang Ten SPF 50 sunscreen and Avène Thermal Spring Water are great to keep in your purse for when you need a high SPF or your face deeps some moisture from a facial spray. Click here to read about my pool routine so you can see why I like to keep them on hand! I always love a good cream shadow base, so it was nice to try one from City Color in a pretty gold shimmery shade. Lastly, the full size Nailtini Polish was a nice addition since in May it's time to start making sure those toes are looking good at all times with the upcoming sandal weather! 

My June bag was valued at almost the exact same at $37.36! While I was completely in love with three products, I threw out the Be a Bombshell mascara (because it smelled so terribly of cheap tar) and I'm not a huge fan of perfume samples in a sample pack I'm paying for, so the Real Tree sample wasn't my favorite. A NYX butter gloss that I already love is always a plus in my book, so when paired with a Marc Anthony Beach Spray for your hair that smells like summer and a universal eyebrow pencil from OFRA, I was happy with the month of June. I like that you can get various shades of the product based on how much pressure you apply, so many people can use it! And can we talk about how great the bag was for June, designed by Rebecca Minkoff?! I love the floral print! 

Stay tuned for my July Ipsy Review friends! We will get back to how I normally review the bags with descriptions of each product individually and price breakdowns! I can't wait to show you how great the July bag is! Thanks for hanging tight in the mean time because I know how much you guys love the Ipsy reviews. If any of the products above caught your attention though, please feel free to comment on them and I'll be happy to answer questions or review them further!

And as usual, here are the links to my previous Ipsy Reviews! You can tell just by the numbers the past few months haven't been worth as much as previous months, but I like that I'm getting a larger variety of products so this doesn't bother me. The whole point of a subscription service like this is to try new types and brands of products, so as long as I'm getting a value of over $30 for spending only $10, I'd consider it worth it!

March Ipsy Review ($46.71)

February Ipsy Review ($45.02)

January Ipsy Review ($38.17)

December Ipsy Review ($57.17)

Click here to subscribe to Ipsy yourself!

Have a beautiful day,

Dre

Dre Does Multi Use Summer Essentials

While I love a good full on glam look like the next girl, you will 95% of the time find me with little makeup on in the summer time. As an oily skin type that only gets oilier in the hotter months, I hate having a full face on during the day. So today I bring you the SIX key products to keep in your purse so you can have an easy summer look, not only quickly, but with multiuse products. Each one can be used in multiple ways, which is always a bonus.

Dre's Summer Essentials:

1. Concealer stick: Perfect for multiple reasons, it will help with covering blemishes and under eye circles, evening out skin tone, highlighting your brow bone, and using as a base for eyeshadow! (Covergirl Trueblend shown above)

2. Powder: You can't get around this one this time of the year. Powder will even out your skin tone and help control oil, so it's a must to keep it on hand in the summer. (Mac Studio Fix Powder Foundation shown)

3. Cool toned Bronzer: My favorite is Hoola by Benefit Cosmetics because it isn't too warm toned, which makes it great for contouring your face but also to use as a crease color so you don't have to carry around any eyeshadow. 

4. Champagne highlighter: a face highlighter is great to not only enchnace a summer glow on your cheekbones, but you can also use it as an all over lid color instead of eyeshadow. MAC Cosmetics Extra Dimension Skinfinish in Superb Shown)

5. Cream Blush Stain: Many companies make multiuse cheek and lip products so find a shade you love for both your lips and cheeks. I love a good natural coral that will give your skin a natural summer flush on both your cheeks and lips. (Stila Convertible Color shown)

6. Waterproof Mascara: a waterproof mascara is always good to keep on hand incase you want to intensify your look but if you keep a small eyeliner brush with you too, you can use the mascara as a gel eyeliner in a pinch! (tarte Lights! Camera! Splashes! Waterproof mascara shown)

My favorite thing to do in the summer is keep these 6 products, a travel pack of makeup remover wipes and blush, Bronzer, and eyeliner brushes in my purse as well. This way if I'm out and about with makeup already on or none at all, I can find a bathroom, quickly clean my face and apply these 6 products for a complete and easy summer look! 

Don't be afraid to think outside of the box when it comes to makeup! There are no rules and you can use products however they work best for you! 

Have a beautiful day,

Dre

Dre Does April Favorites

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Can we forget about the fact that I missed March favorites? Great! Let's get to the good stuff! The end of April means tomorrow begins May. Happy May to all of my fellow May babies out there! Isn't it the best month of the year? ;)

Korres Lip Butter and Lip Butter Glaze in Pomegrante: Ok, I try not to buy into the hype of all the products I read about on the internet but when I came across a four-pack of Korres products at my local Marshall's for $12, I figured the universe was sending me magical beauty signs. These two products are full size and retail for at least $12 each. Sadly it looks like the Lip Butter Glazes are discontinued but you can find them on eBay and amazon still. I'm obsessed with these both. They are both extremely smooth and buttery on the lips and I can see why people are so obsessed with them. I love the original Lip Butter for a sheer coral tint and the Glaze gives a slightly more pigmented coral look. The colors are beautiful and the texture is devine. Wish me luck in not buying every shade.

NYX Butter Gloss in Angel Food Cake: Clearly I have a thing for products with the name Butter (Paula Deen would be so proud!) The absolute perfect 'your lips but better' shade for every skin tone. It's like a nude slightly more amped up with a nice mauve undertone. All of these glosses are an amazing smooth texture and the color payoff is great. I own at least 7 of them I believe and I love them all,  I just always make sure to have this shade on hand! 

'The New Classic' by Iggy Azalea: I preordered this album the second I heard Fancy for the first time and the rest of it is nothing short of amazing. I love her attitude, fashion, music, etc. Beyoncé can be the queen but Iggy is most certainly the Goddess. Listen now friends.

La Roche Posay's Thermal Spring Water: I was in Sephora one afternoon picking out a toner and the beauty advisor recommended this thermal water in place of one. Normally I think they're just pushing products but since you cannot buy this in Sephora, I figured it must be a good product and I continued further research at home. I bought a massive bottle on amazon and I'm loooooving it. It has Selenium in it which has natural healing and antioxidant properties. I want to use it a little longer before I do a full review but expect that in the next few weeks.

Amika products and Digital Thermal Styler: Incase you missed my last post, I reviewed four Amika hair products and this styler that I recently picked up at America's Beauty Show in Chicago. It's nothing short of a love affair. Click here to see that post since it goes much more in depth!

Sam & Libby for Target Flats: These are my new go to spring flats. I purchased them months ago in January at Target and I can't get enough of them. The design is super comfortable and they go with everything. The base color is black but there is a metallic gold sheen to them that jazzes them up a bit. I especially love the little spikes on the heels. This is my current favorite cut of flat because the top comes up far enough so they stay on your feet yet don't rub anywhere. I hate having to break in flats and getting blisters but these so far keep me blister-free!

I hope you all had a wonderful April and are ready for my favorite month of the year! Happy May friends!

Have a beautiful day, 

Dre

Dre Does February Favorites

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Happy March friends! We're officially one month closer to spring and warmer weather! While that is one of my favorites I'm here with the things I loved most in the month of February. 

1. tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes! Mascara: In February, tarte sent out a coupon code for valentines day so I took the opportunity to pick up their Christmas gift set I had wanted since it was already marked down. It came with two of these mascaras and I'm obsessed. It lengthens and volumizes so well and I feel like it holds curl really well too. The only con is that it's a little more difficult to get off at night than some of my other favorite mascaras but it's nothing compared to Benefit's They're Real, so that's good. I gave my sister a tarte eye set for Christmas and this came in it and she's obsessed too! While it is $19, I think it's a great mascara to keep on hand even if you use it only for special occasions. 

2. Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Moss Lipstic in 01: I love the finish of these lipsticks. Great pigmentation and they really do stay on for a long time. I love the finish because it's a happy mix of matte and gloss but I'd say they lean more to matte side. Whenever I wear this shade I get compliments and people think it's a really high end lipstick. So if you're daring enough to try something bold, go out to your local drugstore and pick this one up. I haven't tried the matte line by Kate yet, but after such success with the Lasting Finish line, I know it won't be long. 

3. Aveda Botanical Kinetics Liquid Exfoliant: I'm working on a few posts dedicated to my skin care routine so I'll go more in depth about this product there, but I recently added this chemical exfoliant to my night time routine and I think it's helping tremendously with getting rid of the acne and scarring on my chin. If you're new to exfoliation, check out my post on why it's so important here.

4. Bubble baths: We can't rid our lives of stress, but we can work on how we manage it so it doesn't affect our mind, body, skin, and everything inbetween. Bubble baths are one of my favorite stress management techniques. I made a promise to myself that is was going to take more of them in 2014 and so far I'm doing pretty well. If you're having trouble sleeping at night, try a bath beforehand to calm and relax you. 

5. MAC Cosmetics Extra Dimension Skinfinish in Superb: How does one stay away from beautifully packaged Rose Gold products? Don't look at me for the answer because I took one glance at the MAC counter and I was sold. Right now since I'm a little paler, I love using a little of this with a matte blush to give me more of a glow. I think in the summer time though this would make an amazing highlight for bronzed skin. I'll keep you updated on that if we ever see the sun again here in Michigan...

6. Thank You Power by Deborah Norville: My dad gave me this book for Christmas and I absolutely loved it. It's a quick and easy read about focusing more on our gratitude in all aspects of life because situations will not only turn out better for us, but we will be much happier. It's filled with many short stories and examples of how thank you power has helped others in all kinds of problems, big and small. I really recommend reading it. We can't control the things that happen to us, but we can control our attitude while we handle them. Gratitude plays a huge part in making us stronger through the tough times. 

7. Sharpie Pens: I'm not really sure how I survived life before these guys, but they are the only pens I will use. I love how they come in many colors so that my planner can be super organized. Just stay away from the clickable ones because I find those dry out faster. I like the simple skinny ones with the caps.

8. tarte Lipsurgence Lip Cremes: This set of 4 came with that Christmas set I mentioned earlier and I'm obsessed with them. The Lipsurgence line has multiple finishes but this is by far my favorite one so far. Great pigmentation with just enough gloss to keep your lips moisturized. I especially love the shade because it's a dark brown nude that I honestly might never have tried if it hadn't come in this set. It's a great color if you want something besides red to stand out boldly. I'm excited to try more shades like this.

9. Stila's Stay All Day waterproof liquid eye liner in Intense Black: I had been hearing tons of great things about this eyeliner so I decided to pick it up last time I was in Ulta. It has the best staying power I've ever seen in a liquid eyeliner which is exactly what I need when I'm doing more dramatic cat eye looks. I also love how fine the felt tip is so you can get a really precise and thin wing. I'm curious to see how long it lasts before drying up though, so I'll keep you updated on that! 

What were your favorites this month? Leave me a comment below if you're loving something you think I should try. I'm always excited to hear what others are loving at the moment!

Have a beautiful day,

Dre

Dre Does a DIY: Recycling Candle Jars

If you're like me, you're probably stuck in this never ending winter cold. To keep your spirits up, you're probably burning a million candles in all sorts of spring related scents to help you remember that things such as flowers and fruits that require the sun do in fact still exist despite the desolate tundra outside. 

So what do you do with the plethora of used up candle jars once the yumminess of peach, lemon, and lilac is burned away? Find a new use for them of course! I'm going to explain how to remove the left over wax and such, and give you some ideas for using them in beauty related ways!

So what do you need? Used up candles, a sharp pointy knife, a freezer, soap and warm water, and whatever you're going to fill your new jars with!

1. First you have to freeze the old candles. At least an hour works, but I honestly just throw a bunch in and leave them over night, so they're good and frozen!

2. Once frozen, take a sharp knife and just press the pointy tip into the wax trying the crack it all the way to the bottom. Then you should be able to shake out all the broken pieces. 

3. If there's any leftover pieces you can pull them out with your fingers. Then pull out the little wicks that are glued to the bottom of the jars. If you can't get them out don't worry. Just move on to the next step of soaking.

4. Depending on the candle, you might be able to get away with running the glass jar under some hot water and the label could peel right off. If not, soaking it in hot soapy water for a little bit should loosen the glue. Now use the soap and water to wash the glass really well and remove all sticky residues.

5. That's it! Time to fill 'er up! 

Here's some ideas for you on how I like to fill mine up: 

Cotton rounds and Q-Tips by my bathroom sink

Makeup brushes on my vanity (it's good to have multiples for clean and dirty brushes or separating eye and face brushes)

Any makeup products that are better stored standing upright (should I be embarrassed to say these are just my lip stains and lip crayons...?)

Current favorite nail polishes or colors that inspire you for the current season

While these are just some of my favorites you can also use them to store bobby pins, hair ties, jewelry, tea bags, pens or other writing things, post it notes, random do-dads like safety pins or extra buttons, important little trinkets, beauty and perfume samples, etc...the list goes on and on!

The jars you get don't have to be plain either. Sometimes I find clearances candles that are in beautiful decorative jars. Even if I don't really love the scent, I'll still buy them with the intent of burning them up and using them later on for decorative purposes! 

As much as I love my candles, here's to hoping that we experience the scent of real flowers and plants soon!! :) If you do this let me know what you plan on using your old candle jars for! 

Have a beautiful day,

Dre