Back in my 20s, I didn't really think twice about buying drugstore makeup. It was inexpensive, it worked, and at the time, I wasn't really paying much attention to what it was or was not doing to my skin. My 30s are a different story. For starters, my skin has changed (seriously, WTF is up with that?!), gravity is real, I'm further along in my career, and I decided that I just wasn't going to compromise with anything that I was putting on my face. Enter, my Sephora addiction.
I'm at VIB status, and lets just say that Rouge is not too far away (for the uninitiated, its the Sephora rewards program: Beauty Insider, VIB, VIB Rouge-- as you move from left to right, you receive more exclusive access and rewards.) And. I've also now passed a tiny bit of this love for high end skincare onto Nick. True story: Nick and I were traveling and he forgot to bring his face wash (he's pretty low maintenance like that: face wash is the only skincare product he uses regularly, not counting sunblock in the summer) so I invited him to use mine. I've now ordered him his own $22 face wash.
Anyway, as part of my weekly round up this week, I thought I'd share some recent beauty buys that I'm loving so far in 2016!
1. Marc Jacobs Beauty Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara: full disclosure, I didn't technically buy this mascara. I received it as part of the Influenster program, and I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE it. I've actually stopped using the Dior mascara that was my go to because this is so awesome. It is super black and inky and really leaves your lashes with loads of volume. And rest assured, when the time comes for me to buy more mascara, this is the one I will be buying.
2. Sonic Airbrush Sponge: Best $11 beauty buy. Its a foundation sponge and it really does a great job blending the foundation in so it looks like your face has been gently buffed. I love this product, although there is one downside-- you end up using more product than if you're using a foundation brush.
3. Marc Jacobs #Instamarc Light Filtering Contour Powder: I have a round face. And all those crazy youtube contour makeup videos got me thinking I could fake some cheekbones. And I have to say, this lets me do a subtle fakeout. I've also discovered I really like highlighter, so there's that.
4. Veil Mineral Primer: I love this primer. I've used so many primers over the past few years, and this one is my absolute favorite. It goes on super smooth and even, and I swear it makes my makeup last longer. The super sleek packaging doesn't hurt either.
5. Tangle Teaser: If you've been following me on Instagram (and if you haven't, why aren't you?) then you will notice that I've been wearing my hair curly (its natural texture) more often. The problem with my curly look is that I still hate washing my hair, but the curls really do tangle my hair. This tangle teaser hairbrush is a lifesaver. No more ripping out hair from the root -- detangling is easy and painless!
I hope you enjoyed this roundup of my favorite beauty products! I'll do another in a few months, because after all, I am a Sephora addict, but in the mean time, leave me a note in the comments if there are beauty product you think I should try!
XO