Summer Beauty Essentials

Now that it is officially summer, I thought I'd share with you some products that I love using in the summer and I feel everyone needs in their life this season!

Moisturizer with SPF- This is kind of obvious, but using SPF on your face is important all year round, especially in the summer. There are tons of moisturizers with SPF in them, but the one I use is Olay Complete All Day UV Moisturizer.

Mattifying Primer- If you have oily skin, it only gets worse in the summer. Using a mattifying primer before foundation helps your foundation stay on longer and keeps oil at bay longer. My favorite is the Tarte Clean Slate Poreless 12 Hour Perfecting Primer.

Tinted Moisturizer or BB Cream- I always hate the feeling of a thick, heavy foundation in the summer. I admit that I'm a sweater, so a full coverage foundation and the hot sun is not a good combination for me. My favorite BB cream is the Urban Decay Naked Beauty Balm.

Blending Sponge- Using a sponge is the best way to get flawless foundation application. It will help thin out a thicker foundation for a lighter application. I love the Beauty Blender, but a great, budget friendly version is the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge.

Blotting Sheets- These are important for days that you need to stay matte for a long time without touch ups. I work in an office environment and I use these once a day to soak up the oil around my T-zone. My favorite are the NYX Blemish Control Blotting Paper.

Makeup Setting Spray- I use setting sprays every day, all year round. In my opinion they are the best way to lock in your makeup to help it last all day. My favorite for summer is Urban Decay De-slick because it keeps me matte for hours! I've also been loving the NYX Long Lasting Setting Spray Dewy Finish to give me a dewy look!

Liquid Illuminizer- Glowing skin is the best part of summer. I love mixing liquid illuminizer in with my foundation for a glowing, dewy look! The Josie Maran Argan Illuminizer is amazing!

Powder Highlighter- Contouring and highlighting is so popular these days. Highlighters can give your skin a beautiful summer glow. I have a couple favorites including MAC MSF in Soft and Gentle, Hard Candy Tiki, and the Sephora + Pantone Cheek Sweep.

Flushed Cheeks- I'm always a blush junkie, but summertime is when you can play with bright pink and peach colors on your cheeks! Lately I've been loving the Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Blissful and MAC Peachykeen.

Bright Lippies- Summer is the best time to play up glowing skin and a bright lip. I love wearing bright pinks this time of year! A few great colors are Color Your Smile Lighted Lip Gloss in Fiji, Too Faced Melted Lipstick in Melted Fuchsia, Maybelline Vivids in Hot Plum, and Maybelline Color Whisper in Cherry on Top. Here are some pictures and swatches!

Colorful Nails- My nails are usually some shade of pink, but summer is a time to have fun with your nail color! My go-to summer nail color is a shade by Essie called 'Bikini so Teeny'. It's a beautiful pool blue.

What are your summer beauty essentials?! Comment down below to let me know!

Thanks for reading ♡

XOXO,

Meredith

Drugstore Swap with Candidly Elyse

Million dollar question: who wouldn't want to come home to a package like this??

You may have seen on Instagram that I recently did a drugstore swap with my friend Elyse from candidlyelyse.com! I was so excited when she asked me to do this swap, and I had no idea how fun picking out makeup for someone else could be! Elyse did an amazing job picking out the items she got me. I told her I'm pretty sure she is a mind reader because several products are things I've been wanting to try! I've already dug into some of the products she got me, so I'm just going to run through what is in that beautiful package up there! 

Lots of NYX products! I only have a few NYX products, so I'm so excited to try out these items: the setting spray in dewy finish, lip primer, two eyeshadows in Sex Kitten and Happy Hour, and two "Ultra Pearl Mania" pigments in Nude and Oro. The eye shadows and pigments are seriously such gorgeous colors, and I can't wait to play with them! The setting spray is something I've been wanting to try for a while, and I think it will be a great product for summer!

I was so excited to see this Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge. My Beauty Blender is probably pretty close to retirement, and I've heard that this sponge is a pretty good dupe. I'm excited to try it out and see if I love it as much as the Beauty Blender.

I'm definitely a nail polish junkie and I can never get enough! This is a China Glaze polish in the shade Flip Flop Fantasy. It's a beautiful bright orange color that will be great for summer!

This is another item that Elyse read my mind about. My favorite dry shampoo is the Big Sexy Hair Volumizing Dry Shampoo, but this Batiste Dry Shampoo is one that I've been wanting to try. On a side note, how cute is the pattern on this bottle?! I've used this twice so far and my first impression is that it absorbs oil really well, adds volume, and smells amazing! (Bonus tip: for my fellow blondes who color your hair, dry shampoo is a great way to disguise your roots when you're in need of a touch-up!)

This is a Kate Moss Lipstick by Rimmel in the shade Rosetto. I wore this to work yesterday and it's a beautiful, creamy pink shade. I had to tone it down for the office because it turned out brighter on my lips than in the tube, but it will be a great shade for day and night this summer!

Other products:

• Up & Up nail polish remover pads
• Maybelline Clean Express make up remover- I've used this once and it took my mascara and eyeliner off so easily!
• Maybelline Master Kajal Eyeliner
• Essence I ♡ Extreme mascara- I've used this once and it gave my lashes great volume!

I'm so excited to continue using all my new products from the swap. Check out Elyse's blog at candidlyelyse.com to see what I sent her! You can also follow her on Instagram @candidlyelyse and on Twitter @candidlyelyse ♡

XOXO,

Meredith

Hair Mask Face-Off!

I posted about a month ago on Instagram that I was going to use up the Macadamia Deep Repair Masque and the L'oreal Total Repair 5 Damage Erasing Balm and let you know which was the winner! I've used up both of the treatments, so here goes my comparison!

PS: Forgive me for using a chart, but I'm an accounting so it's in my blood!

Overall, I think both of these products are great. I honestly struggled choosing which one I liked best, because they are so comparable! I kept switching back and forth using them, and neither one pulled very far ahead as a clear winner. Both products made my hair soft, shiny, and moisturized without weighting it down. With that said, I'm going to go with the L'oreal Damage Erasing Balm as the overall winner. Since both products are so comparable, why pay almost 3 times the price for the Macadamia mask?! I'd love to try some other hair masks, so let me know what your favorites are!

Thanks for reading!

XOXO,

Meredith

Empties!

I love watching empties videos and reading empties blogs because I feel like you get the best review of a product when you've used it all the way through. I wanted to share with you some products I've used up, my opinions on them, and if I would repurchase. I have a lot of stuff, so lets get started!

Hair Products

It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In Plus Keratin- I used up a giant bottle of this and a small bottle of the original Miracle Leave-In. The Keratin version is by far my favorite. I love using it right after I get out of the shower to help reduce tangles in my hair. It also makes styling easier and keeps down any broken hairs. I will definitely repurchase!

Big Sexy Hair Volumizing Dry Shampoo- Since I have fine and oily hair I pretty much have to wash my hair every day. But we all have those mornings that we're in a rush and don't have time to wash our hair. On those mornings this dry shampoo is my savior! I also use it to touch-up if I need to re-style or just take out any oil throughout the day. It absorbs the oil really well and definitely amps up the volume! I am on my 3rd or 4th bottle of the product, so I will definitely keep repurchasing!

John Frieda Full Repair Shampoo & Conditioner- I tend to switch back and forth between different shampoos and conditioners, and this is one that I always come back to. It keeps my hair silky smooth and cuts down on the need for a lot of styling products. Repurchase is a yes :) 

Skin Care

Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes- I decided to try these out since I have sensitive skin, which is what they are made for. I thought they did fine taking off my makeup. The only thing I didn't like was the smell, so I think I'll be sticking with my usual wipes (Neutrogena). I will most likely not repurchase these wipes.

Philosophy Purity One-Step Facial Cleansing Cloths- Another pack of wipes I wanted to try out. Jaclyn Hill is so persuasive! I liked these fine, but I'm not a fan of paying $15 for something my Neutrogena ones (which are $7) can do! I won't be spending my money on these ones again.

Boscia Super Charge Overnight Moisture- I loooove this moisturizer! I always like to use a heavier moisturizer at night so my skin doesn't dry out from makeup or any acne treatment products. This one keeps my skin so soft and moisturized. This is my second bottle I've used, so it's safe to say I'll be repurchasing!

Shiseido Advanced Super Revitalizing Cream- This cream is the epitome of luxury. I only had a sample, which I used so sparingly I felt like I was treating it like gold. It feels so great on the skin and is very moisturizing. Unfortunately, the full size bottle is $95, which is definitely out of my price range!

Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Face Cream- This was part of my Fresh 500 point perk from Sephora. I really enjoyed using it at night because it was refreshing but also very moisturizing. Although I really liked it, I don't think I will purchase it just because I have other moisturizers I like better.

Murad Acne Spot Treatment- I've used this product once before, and I remember liking it because it didn't dry out my skin as bad as stronger spot treatments. That being said, I feel like the ones that really work on my acne end up drying up my face. Since I've been out of this I've been using the Mary Kay Clear Proof Acne system, and it works much better at clearing my acne. Since I have another product that works better (and is cheaper) I won't repurchase this one.

Clinique All About Eyes Rich Eye Cream- I have to say Clinique has been on a roll lately! Every product of theirs I've been trying I have loved. This eye cream is no exception. It's moisturizing enough that I can use it at night, but not too thick or oily so I can still use it in the morning under makeup. I might need to make a trip to Sephora ASAP to repurchase!

Makeup

Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer- Maybelline has to be my favorite brand at the drugstore. This highlighting concealer feels so high end when you use it, but you can buy it at Ulta for $7.99. I think it has great coverage and it goes on very easily. This is a definite repurchase for me!

Bare Minerals READY Touch Up Transulcent Veil- I was using this powder for seriously probably 2 years. A little bit goes such a long way, and I really love the consistency of it. It works well to keep my oil levels down, but doesn't make me look chalky. I probably won't repurchase right now just because of how many other powders I have, but I will in the future!

Clinique High Impact Extreme Volume Mascara- Ok I'm not even going to share how long I had this mascara because it's probably unsanitary. But it just shows how much I loved it! It gives my lashes awesome length and volume as well as keeping them curled. This product is a thumbs up and a must have!

Maybelline Great Lash BIG Mascara- This used to be my go-to mascara because I like the big brush. However, this time I used it I wasn't a huge fan because I felt like my lashes were super skinny. I might repurchase in the future for a cheap mascara to use with falsies, but not right now.

Benefit They're Real Mascara- Ok I know everyone and their mother is obsessed with this mascara, but I have to say I am not a fan! I really don't like rubber brushes like this mascara has, and I felt like it made my lashes really hard. I won't be repurchasing this, but I am definitely excited to try the new They're Real Push Up Eyeliner. Hopefully I like that one better!!

I hope you guys liked hearing my thoughts on these products. Let me know if you would like to see more empties blogs in the future!!

XOXO,

Meredith