June Favorites.

Apparently I must be the last person to post my monthly favorites this time, I'm sorry I know, I've been so lazy the past few days, it must be the summer's heat.

I'm so happy that this time in my monthly favorites post I can show you some new stuff that I've been really enjoying using these past few weeks!

Revlon Nearly Naked foundation + powder

I got these two a little over a month ago when I was in London, and I've been loving them since. The foundation is very lightweight, with sheer to medium coverage, which i think it's perfect for summertime. It can be a little oily sometimes, especially now that it's summer and here in Greece it's super hot, it gets oily mostly around my nose and chin, but I always blot with a powder or blotting papers. I'm pretty sure a primer would help but I don't own any primers right now, it's something I really want to invest to in the near future. The powder really compliments the foundation, it gives a really beautiful dewy look, I love that it makes my cheeks look flawless. The best part is that the powder is a little darker than the foundation and more beige toned, which neutralizes the yellow shade of the foundation.

Benefit Hello Flawless powder

Last summer this powder foundation was the only thing I was using the whole time, and as you can see I'm almost done, but I got a back up last fall while it was on sale. Now whenever it's super hot and I can't stand anything on my face, I skip the Revlon Nearly Naked foundation and I only wear this with some concealer underneath. It provides amazing coverage, it's super easy to use, I apply it with ELF's Powder Brush, which is a flat top kabuki brush but not with synthetic hair, this powder doesn't apply well when you do it with a synthetic brush. I only wish I had the next-darker shade, just because I find this shade to be a little too light and yellow for me right now, this one is in the shade Champagne.

Benefit Dallas

Dallas is a versalite face powder, it can be used  as a bronzer and as a blush. Right now I've been using it as a bronzer, it's not my favorite bronzer but it looks good, I really like the soft texture it has. I prefer my bronzers to have strong brown undertones, they look better with my skintone, Dallas has more of a plum-rose undertone, and that's what makes it good as a bronzer and as a blush too.

Benefit Coralista

I got Coralista in a mini size as a part of the Go TropiCoral make up set last summer, and I haven't used it that much, just because it's too sheer, for some weird reason Coralista doesn't show up on my cheeks at all, and I'm only a NC25. But I tried to layer it on top of other peachy blushes and it works really good, it adds a very beautiful peachy sheen to them, so that's why I have been using it as a subtle highlighter. Plus it has an amazing smell, very fruity, like mangoes.

Artdeco Blusher in #05

A true peachy blush in summer for me it's an essential! One of the best peachy blushes I've tried is Artdeco's 05, it has an orange-peachy shade with matte texture and it costs only 7 euros, what more could I ask? I don't know if it's in their permanent line because I got it last summer with their summer collection, but if you can find it, grab it!

Here are swatches for all three products:

from left to right: Benefit Dallas, Artdeco #05, Benefit Coralista

Benefit Coralista Ultra Plush lipgloss

I have the mini size of this lipgloss, I also got this in the Go TropiCoral make up set. For almost a year I rarely wear lipglosses, I like glossy balms, glossy lipsticks but glosses....no, not so much. But this one is just perfect, it's like a balm, super smooth on the lips and not sticky at all. I love using it under bright lipsticks to make them look more sheer, the shade is a very sheer coral one. I'm really considering trying more of their Ultra Plush glosses in the future, especially Hoola.

L'oreal Glam Shine Balmy Gloss in 910 Bite The Maracuja

I got this a few weeks ago, and it's already been my HG lip product for this summer. It's an orangey-coral, glossy-balmy lipstick (I hope I didn't confuse you with this description) with some gold glitters. The shade it's perfect for summertime, and it's super easy to use. 

Here are swatches of both:

from left to right: Benefit Coralista, L'oreal Balmy Gloss in 910 Bite The Maracuja

Sunsilk Nourishing Oil Spray with Moroccan, Argan and Almond Oils

This is propably the one product that I enjoyed using the most this month, and I'm still loving it. It's a duo-phase hair oil and conditioner, I'm using it right before I comb my hair as a detangler, and then I do a few more spritzes all over the hair and using it as I do with a hair oil. It makes my hair incredibly soft, and helps with the whole process of blow drying. If it's available to you, because I know Sunsilk is not available in many countries, please try it!

Non Beauty Favorites

Even though Awkward is a teen TV series, for some weird reason (as if I don't watch Teen Wolf already) I was hooked on this show. I started watching at the beginning of June, and within 2 weeks I watched all 3 seasons. I really like it, it's funny and I think it's a really good choice for the summer. But now I have to wait until next summer for the fourth season.

And for my music choice this month, I've been loving Rihanna's Unapologetic album. I know this album was out in November, but I just started listening it to it, and I'm so hooked, propably my HG album for this year, along with Justin Timberlake's the 20/20 Experience. My favorites songs are: Loveeeeeee Song , Nobody's Business, Get It Over With and Jump.

So these were my beauty and non beauty favorites for June. What were your favorites? Beauty and non beauty related. I wanna know!

July/August Favorites.

 

I wasn't able to do my July favorites post within August because I was away on vacation the first 10 days of the month, so I decided to do a combined post with my July and August faves, and as you can see they are a lot, but they're my faves pretty much for the whole summer!

  

Hair 

L'oreal Professionnel Play Ball Beach Fizz

 The perfect hair product for beach waves!! I've tried Bumble & Bumble's Salt spray in the past but it doesn't compare with this one from L'oreal at all, it was horrible, it made my hair super sticky and it didn't enhance my waves at all! The L'oreal Play Ball Beach Fizz creates that super thin beach type of curls, not scrunchy at all, the only problem is that it makes my hair a little frizzy, and here is when the next product comes to help!

Sunsilk Sensational Curls Leave In Cream

This product is for sure godsend for girls like me, with natural wavy and curly hair! OMG I couldn't believe how a 2.5 euros hair product could do such an amazing job at curl enhancing and managing the frizziness! And it works really well with the L'oreal's Salt spray, creating beach type of waves! There are no words for this product, you have to try it!

Skincare

Korres Sunscreen Face Cream Yoghurt SPF50 for Sensitive Skin

This face sunscreen is the only one of all the sunscreens I've tried this summer that hasn't break me out, and I've tried a lot! And it's weird that it didn't because it's not formulated specifically for oily or acne prone skins, but hey since it works that's fine with me! I love the smell of the yoghurt, it's hydrating without being greasy, I use it as my morning moisturizer, there's no need to use a seperate one. It can be a little oily when the weather it's super hot and humid but it doesn't bother me too much, I always blot. For us here in Greece and for every country that is quite sunny and hot, this is a great sunscreen to wear all year round.

La Roche Posay Hydraphase Intense Serum

A new La Roche Posay product that it was sent to me by the company, I will do a full review for this product in the near future. I'm using it for half of the month of August as my night time moisturizer by itself, and it does a very good job on it's own, since I'm oily and it's summer I didn't need to use any other moisturizer on top of it, and the good news is that  it hasn't broke me out! It has a gel texture, that makes it super light and it feels very refreshing on my face!

Apivita Moisturizing After Sun Cream-Gel

I did a whole review about this product here. It was my HG body product when I was in vacation, it saved me when I got a light sunburnt on my shoulders. It has a light and very refreshing texture and I absolutely love the fig smell!

Make Up

Benefit Hello Flawless Custom Powder Cover Up SPF15

The only foundation I've been wearing the whole summer, it was also in my June favorites post, and I've already hit pan! It covers like a liquid foundation, and the best thing about it is that it's so easy to use, I just put a little concealer and then I apply this powder with a flat top kabuki brush and that's it, no more steps! I absolutely love it, especially for summertime when you find that a liquid foundation is too heavy to use!

Korres Monoi Oil Bronzing Powder in 02 Sunglow Warm

This is my second favorite bronzer, after Estee Lauder's Bronze Goddess Soft Matte, because it's super smooth and it's peachy toned, which is very flattering on warm skintones. It's not completely matte, it has golden microshimmes in but they do not show up on my face at all, that's why I consider it to be a matte bronzer. A very good bronzer for anyone that is between NC20 and NC30.

Benefit Dallas

I have it since June but I start using it in August. It can be used as a bronzer or as a blush, I like using it as a blush, and combined with the Korres Monoi Oil bronzer it creates that super peachy bronzey look on my face! It's not very noticable as a blush right now because I'm a little darker, but it blends really well with the bronzer. I'm sure in the winter when I'm paler it will be more noticable.

Artdeco Blusher in #05

I used this blush whenever I wanted a more peachy look on my face instead of a just bronzey one. I have lots of peachy blushes but I quite enjoyed this one within August! For 8 euros I can say it's an amazing peachy blush, and it's very hard to find a pigmented peachy blush under 10 euros here! I love its texture as much as I love Mac's, I will try more Artdeco blushes in the future for sure!

Seventeen Silky Shadow in #300 Exotic Brown

This is a unique shade of eyeshadow, I still haven't manage to find a similar shade, not even at Mac, and it's super cheap, it costs only 8 or 9 euros! It's an amazing olive-brown eyeshadow, more brown than olive, with golden shimmers, a shade that compliments brown and hazel eyes. It's also super soft and blendable. I like using it on the outer half and on the crease. If you can find it, go and grab one, it's amazing!

Maybelline Mega Plush Volum' Express Mascara

I rarely mention mascaras in my monthly favorites posts because with most of the ones I try I'm never satisfied with them, L'oreal's Lash Architect 4D was an exception, I really loved that mascara. And this one from Maybelline, it's propably the best of all the Maybelline mascara's I've used. It has a unique super soft mousse formula, and it doesn't feel heavy at all, in fact there have been times where I forgot I was wearing mascara at all! It's been opened for a whole month and it's still super smooth, most mascaras are not like that. It's not super volumizing but it gives some volume, and it seperates lshes really well. In my opinion the best everyday mascara!

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Cherish

The first lip product that I really enjoyed using this month, was one of the new Revlon's Just Bitten lip stains. It stains the lips for hours, and it's super pigmented, I have to be careful when I'm applying it, I only use a little. Cherish is a cool toned medium pink, kind of a barbie pink I would say, but it looked so fresh on my lips It's a great pop of color for the summer. 

Dior Addict Lipstick in 343 Miss Dior

I've mentioned this lipstick in a previous monthly favorites post, I enjoy using it every summer. The texture is like butter, it's perfect for those who like me have dry and chapped lips even at summertime! The shade is a beige toned peach with silver and gold shimmers.

Essence I'm Sailing lipstick

The last lippie I enjoyed using a lot this past 2 months, is a limited edition one from a collection that Essence released last year. It's a true tangerine peach shade. I really like the fact that it's super glossy and it has no shimmers at all, my favorite type of lipstick! If you like to see swatches I've done a review for this lipstick and the Dior one here .

Erre Due Neon Fluo Nail Lacquer in 03

A nail varnish that I enjoyed using at my vacation, was this new one from Erre Due. It's a gorgeous neon pink, with some hints of purple. On the back it says to use it on artificial nails though, I'm not sure if they mean that you can use it on both or only in artificial nails. I have to find out.

What were your favorites for July and August? Have you try any of the products that I mentioned? 

Let me know!

Sophia

xoxo

July Collective Haul ( Mac, Revlon, L'oreal, Artdeco, Maybelline, etc).

 This is my last post before I leave for my vacation, it's a haul I did within the whole month of July, which is also my birthday month, some of these I got them on my birthday.

Vera Wang Princess Eau de toilette

Such a cute and light fragrance, I wanted to buy it for such a long time! I think it's perfect for summer and wintertime as an everyday perfume.

L'oreal Professionnel Play Ball Beach Fizz

I wanted to try a salt spray for the summer, so I can enhance my curls (I have naturally wavy hair) and it does a pretty good job, way better than Bumble and Bumble's Surf spray which I've tried years ago and I really hated it!

Sephora Lemon Verbena Eau de toilette

I love lemon and citrus beased perfumes for summer and it was hard to find one that smells exactly like lemons, but this one does and it's so refreshing! I only wish it lasted longer.

Maybelline Mega Plush Volum' Express Mascara

This is the newest mascara from Maybelline, which isn't yet released in Greece so I ordered it through Ebay. I've tried lots of  Maybelline mascaras but most of them dissapointed me, but this one is something else! It has such a light unique formula, like a mousse, and it gives me amazing length and volume!

Mac Bronzing Powder in Refined Golden

A very famous bronzer, I wanted to try a new bronzer and I decided to go with Mac this time since I've never tried any of their bronzers all those years I'm into make up. The shade is really good for my NC25 skintone, it has a few golden shimmers but they're unnoticeable on my face. I'm still not sure if I like this bronzer or not.

Mac Cleanse Off Oil

I got the mini version because I wanted to try it first before I buy the full bottle. I used to be into cleansing oils as a face make up remover a few years ago, but now I use only micellar lotions. The Cleanse Off Oil has a very different texture from the ones that I've tried, it's a little too thick, but I haven't really tested it so I can have a full opinion yet.

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Cherish

I really wanted to try these new Revlon stains but we don'thave them in Greece so I ordered it through the Ebay. I don't know why I picked up this color because it's so not me, I never buy these kind of pinks, I thought it would look awful on me but I was clearly wrong! Yes it's cool toned but somehow it works well with my warm skintone, and it looks amazing with summer looks. I love the texure, it's not drying at all and it stays for a long time.

Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream

I was in the hunt for a good cuticle cream for a long time, and I saw that this one is very famous in the beauty community so I decided to order it from feelunique. It has a very different texture from an actual cream, it's a balm, and it really works, much better than cuticle oils.

Artdeco Blusher in #05

I haven't bought an Artdeco blush in ages, and I don't know why since they're very affordable! When I saw this shade at the counter it reminded me so much of Mac's Peaches, and when I swatched I was right, it's an exact dupe with only 8 euros, I had to get it! I just love it, the perfect matte tangerine blush for the summer! I'm not sure but I think it's a limited edition shade.

Chine Glaze Beach Cruise-R

From this year's China Glaze's neons I wanted to try a neon shade that I didn't have before, so I got this one which is a straight purple. I'm not sure if I like it yet, but for sure I prefer it as a manicure shade rather as a pedicure one.

Essie Off The Shoulder

From the whole Essie 2012 summer collection, this shade was the only one that really caught my eye. It's such a pretty light to medium cream pink. I'm not sure if it's warm toned or a cool toned pink, I would say something in between.

L'oreal Color Riche  in #106 Versailles Gold

This is a sandy-gold nail polish, a shade that I was looking for a long time. A little too metallic for my taste though, but with an amazng texture. I think I'll be getting more of these Color Riche polishes in the future!

Poshe Fast Drying Top Coat

I'm not sure how many bottles I've used from this stuff, but it's the best fast drying top coat in the market, for me it's better than Seche Vite.

Mac Lingering Eye Brow pencil

The best brow pencil for light brunettes hands down! It's a neutral brown, not too cool toned and ashy neither too red (which I absolutely hate at brow pencils). The only negative thing is that it lasts me only for a couple of months.

Mac lipsticks in Venus and Pleasureseeker

Both of these shades were released with Mac's Heavenly Creatures collection, and I B2M for both of them. Pleasureseeker it's actually a repromote from the Neo Sci Fi collection back in the summer of 2008, I had it but for some reason it turned bad really quick, I don't know why. Pleasureseeker it's a very sheer light peach shade, great for everyday use. Venus is a medium pink with cool and warm undertones. I'm actually really surprised on how much I like this lipstick.

So tell me, have you try any of these products?? Do you like them?

And since I'm going to be away for a while, I want to wish a happy summer to all of you!!!

Sophia

xoxo