May Favorites

Happy Friday my friends!

We made it to the weekend. I say that deserves a beverage. Diet coke, anyone?

Today I'm sharing with you my top favorite products from the month of May! I meant to post this during the last week of May but things got a little cray so the beginning of June will have to do. I've used all of these items throughout the entire month of May so my reviews on them are tested and true, I promise.

bareMinerals Complexion Rescue + Smoothing Face Brush

As you guys know I'm a huge bareMinerals fan. Their matte powder foundation is the only all-day cover that has ever worked for me and trust me, I've tried many kind of foundations--from other powders to liquids to mousses. So when I saw that they had a new product, I was a little skeptical because it was a liquid form of foundation, but I decided to give it a try anyway. Lo and behold, I was actually surprised by how much I liked it! The thing with most liquid foundations I try is that throughout the day it begins to set into every fine line on my face so I look really cakey. But because the Complexion Rescue is actually a gel cream, it didn't do that at all! It's super easy to apply (you can use you fingers or the Smoothing Face Brush--next to it in the picture) and although it does give you a little bit of a dewy look, it doesn't make you look oily. The bonus: The more you wear it, the more healthier your skin gets. Yep, it heals your skin while it evens out your skin. The thing I love most about bareMinerals is that they cater to people with yellow undertones, like me, and actually offer shades that doesn't make me look super pale or super rosy. If you're on the lookout for a lightweight, healthy tinted cream this summer, I'd highly recommend bareMinerals Complexion Rescue.

Real Techniques 200 Oval Shadow Brush

Even though this is a "shadow" brush, I actually use it as a concealer brush. I'm always going through different smaller brushes for concealer because nothing I've used really works quite well. So far this brush has been my favorite because of how soft the bristles are. The brush before this one--I kid you not--literally felt like I was poking myself with a million tiny needles every time I used it because of how stiff and sharp the bristles were! It was no bueno. This brush is also pretty thick for a smaller brush so it can hold a lot of powder!

SkinAgain Clear

My face HATES, and I mean HAAATES lotions. No matter which ones I use it always makes my skin just super super oily! Even the "oil-free" lotions makes my skin even oilier throughout the day which is super ironic. Since finally accepting that my face is anti-lotion, I've looked for other options to keep my skin hydrated and healthy. I've found that gels work wonders for me. And by gels I mean face lotions that have a very light/thin consistency and/or are clear (I clarify that because sometimes the "gels" I use are labeled as "lotions" so I get confused all the time). Anyway, I've been using this specific brand, SkinAgain Clear, for a month now and I seriously LOVE it. This product is specifically aimed to help clear blemishes and reduce oily skin and that's exactly what it does. I don't break out very often but when I do, they are the MONSTER pimples that you can feel coming days before (you know which ones I'm talking about). They also choose to appear in the most inconvenient places ever that no matter how much concealer I wear, people talk to my forehead instead of my eyes. Usually it takes like a full week for these pimples to go away which sucks and they sometimes leave a nasty scar but the day after I used SkinAgain Clear on my volcano pimple, it shrank two sizes. And in two days (yes, TWO), it was almost gone completely. I've never seen anything work as effectively as this product!!

Not Your Mother's Clean Freak Dry Shampoo

The first time I ever bought dry shampoo was my junior year of college (I know I was totally late to the game) and I was really excited to use it. I popped the can open, pressed down on the nozzle, and POP. The nozzle broke. It was so anti-climatic and I was so bummed that I never used another bottle of dry shampoo since then. Until my friend Lauren introduced me to this specific brand of dry shampoo one day. I thought the name was funny so I decided to give it a try and man, had I been missing out on the world of dry shampoo. It's a bummer that one tiny experience with something can ruin your taste for it in the long run, but it's always eye-opening when second chances actually change opinions. I've been using this brand ever since and trust me, it's a life-saver for those with lots (and lots and lots) of hair like me who don't have time to style their hair every day. A couple sprays of this and a little tousling of the hair and I'm good to go for the day.

S'well Bottle

I have this problem and my husband will attest to it 100%: I drink beverages very, very, verrrry slowly. Like I'll grab a can of coke at noon and only half of it will be gone by 6pm. I don't know why I do this but I just happen to take very small sips and take long breaks in between those sips! The big problem with my slow drinking habit is that because I take so long to drink something, my beverage gets warmer and warmer every time I take a sip. Which leads me to give up entirely on drinking that beverage because I don't like drinking lukewarm things (it's okay though cus Connor ends up finishing up the drink for me which he enjoys). This S'well Bottle is perfect for people like me because it keeps whatever liquid you put in there, cold for 24 hours (or hot for 12 hours). It's super insulated and the best part is that it doesn't sweat so you don't have to worry about it leaving a pool of water wherever you place it. I fill it with ice and water in the morning and even at 9 o'clock at night, I'm still sipping on cold water. On Memorial Day I brought it with me to a family pool party/BBQ and my brother in law kept teasing me saying it looked like I brought a bottle of milk (which, I'll admit, it kind of does look like a bottle of milk) but I had the last laugh when I was the only one drinking cold water on a blazing hot day. ;)

Peace of Paradise Coasters

My friend Keri makes these amazing coasters along with a ton of other products like mugs, decals, and posters and she creates ALL the designs on them herself! She's an incredibly talented artist and graphic designer who deserves the world to know of her gift! I love having these coasters around the house because it reminds me of home. It's like having my own little "peace of paradise" with me in Utah. Check out her Instagram for more of her designs and this post for her rates! Shoot her an email at getyourpeaceofparadise@gmail.com to get your own peace of paradise. ;)

I hope you folks try some of these products out! I swear you won't be disappointed.

What are some of your favorite products of May?

Be sure to look out for my June Favorites later this month :)

Have a great weekend!

Cheers.