August 2017 Favorites | Beauty & Bachelor in Paradise

For this month’s favorites I tried to keep the descriptions short and sweet. These posts are my all time favorite to write so I tend to get carried away raving about all these things…

Beauty 

Lush Honey I Washed the Kids / Bar soap is kind of annoying to use in my opinion, but I make an exception for this one because it smells like caramel.

Bare Minerals Totally Gloss / I like that this lipgloss has pigment, but it’s not a completely opaque color. It has a little bit of stickiness to have lasting power but is not thick and goopy.

Lancome La Vie Est Belle / I forgot I had this rollerball perfume and fell right back in love with it this month. I love how it lasts almost all day on my skin- starting off really strong and fading into a lighter but still intense scent.

Makeup Geek Peach Smoothie & Morphe Butter / These eyeshadows have been what I use every time I do my makeup to get the perfect crease transition shade. I like how I can effortlessly throw them on and do a winged liner for a simple look, or darken up my outer v with another color for a deeper smokey eye.

Maybelline Baby Lips Toasted Taupe / This has been what I throw on my lips whenever I’m out and need a touch up. I love the light peach color that isn’t too pink. It is one of the only shine lipstick formulas that I don’t hate!  They need to come out with more nude shades in this line.

Loreal Brass Knuckles Eyeshadow / I mentioned my complete obsession with bronze shadows after the release of the Desi x Katy Dose of Colors eyeshadow quad release, and this is my newest addition to my collection.  In-store brand eyeshadows are usually crap in my experience- but not this one. It is the perfect metallic bronze pigmented color.

Egyptian Magic / This was in my skincare routine post I think, but lets reiterate how great it is. I almost can’t got to sleep without putting it onto my face every night, and it looks like I have barely made a dent in the tub.  This balm looks like beeswax, but melts into a moisturizing oil once you get it warmed up between your palms.  It has natural ingredients and does not break the bank.

Sally Beauty GVP / I have two new hairspray favorites that are my new staples. I love the “compare to” generic brand at Sally’s and these ones are so great. I bought the matte texture spray (compare to kenra) & shaper spray (compare to sebastian) and cannot rave about them enough. I have had such a hard time finding a good hairspray that doesn’t make me get dry flakes (looking at you Loreal Elnett), and this hairspray is THE ONE.  I haven’t tried the real brands that they are based on, so I’m not sure how similar they are. I always repurchase the “compare to” Paul Mitchel Skinny Serum from this range too.

Bambu Silicon Mix Hair Mask / If you ever just need a week with shiny silky hair, get this. This hair mask comes in a HUGE tub that will last me the next year and makes my comb slide through my dry ass hair like nothing else. It is a silicone formula so it’s mostly just coats the hair cuticle rather than actually moisturizing it, so I would not recommend using this all the time. For one off events or days when you want your hair to SHINE though, it’s great and the only product of it’s kind in my experience of being obsessed with hair products.

Suave Dry Shampoo / I saw a website talking about this dry shampoo and decided to give it a whirl. Batiste is usually my favorite but sometimes it is like $9 and makes my hair coated in powder rather than super fresh. The Suave version might by my new favorite. It smells super strong which I love for dirty hair days and manages to not coat my hair with too much product to make it feel clean rather than powdery.

Other

Warm Vanilla Sugar Candle / This scent from Bath & Body Works is brought up a lot in reference to body lotion and soap, but the candle makes my apartment smell like luscious vanilla that isn’t overly sweet. It is so comforting and mellow.

Leaves Wallflower / After I plugged this in my boyfriend insisted we buy more because of how homey Leaves smells.  You probably heard about this scent nonstop if you were interested in the youtube/ blogosphere the past few years… don’t let that oversaturation deter you because this scent is still AWESOME.  Wallflowers keep my apartment smelling so good with minimal effort.

Hidden Figures / I finally got around to watching this movie and absolutely loved it! There’s nothing action- packed about it, but the story is great and I love Taraji P. Henson. The 60s era fashion, makeup, and cars were so beautifully recreated in it.

Last Chance U / This is one of my favorite shows on Netflix and always gets me so excited for football season! I’m not into sports whatsoever and am the least competitive person you will ever meet, but football games are all about the social aspect, food and drink, cute gameday outfits, and hanging out with my friends so I’m all about that. This show is great if you’re a sports fan or like me and don’t care about the actual game as much as the backstory of players. Give it a watch!

16personalities.com / If you haven’t taken a personality test, it is really interesting insight into why you are the way you are. I am INFP, and it’s cool to read up on strengths and weaknesses of that personality and find out what other people in your life are. …Basically a horoscope but less BS.

Bachelorette / This is such old news, but stop reading if you haven’t seen the Bachelorette finale of Rachel’s season. I was so emotionally stirred watching the hometown visit to Dean’s family- I was exactly as nervous for my boyfriend to meet my parents as Dean was. Now I have Bachelor in Paradise twice a week and I absolutely love it.

Watermelon / Every Sunday I have been getting a watermelon at the grocery store, then cutting it up and putting it in Tupperware for snacks throughout the week. Nothing is better than fresh cold watermelon, and it is perfect for satisfying my sweet tooth without eating a million calories. I will be very sad when it is out of season.

Power of Now / This is a motivational/ self help book.  Honestly I hate reading these kind of books, but I need them to remember to stay present. All the other books in this genre I have read tell you about being present and positive, but this one actually shows you how.  I recommend it and will definitely be reading it a few more times when I am feeling down or out of whack.  Check out my Goodreads profile to see what I’ve been reading lately.

Super Flare Jeans / If you would have told me last year I’d be wearing bell bottoms, I wouldn’t believe you. These are ultra flare high waisted jeans that fit me like a glove. Free People items usually are so overpriced, but these jeans are $78… it’s like finding a mermaid. I sort of feel like a mermaid when I’m wearing them because of the shape and am so surprised at how flattering they are. The wider width of the flare at the bottom makes my legs look thinner somehow- which isn’t a common thing for my large size. These are absolutely awesome and I’m so excited for this trend.

Rosewood Bracelet / Woodies sent me this lovely bracelet and I have been wearing it everyday since it came in the mail.  They are more well known for their sunglasses, which feature wooden temples.  The bracelet matches with everything and is well made.

Le Spec The Prince / My last favorite are a pair of sunglasses. I’ve had these quite awhile now and went through the trauma of losing them for about two weeks. From my entire sunglasses collection, losing these made me realize they are my all time favorite pair. The flat flash lense, khaki color, and classic aviator style go with every outfit and make me feel cooler than I actually am. They are on sale for $68 on Amazon right now!

I am so happy August is coming to an end- it means September is here and all things pumpkin spice are dropping already! I’m a fall fanatic so I will be doing posts dedicated to everything autumnal very soon.

-Kim