FAVORITES! | April 2013

April favorites time!  There were quite a few stand outs this month, so here goes in "ABC order" (that phrase completely takes me back to elementary school!):

Aussie 3 Minute Miracle: I have fine hair, but I have to use conditioner or else I won't be able to get a comb through it after washing.  3 Minute Miracle has been my go-to conditioner for years and I'd say it's definitely my most repurchased beauty item.  It's amazing!  It takes the ends of my hair from a dry, tangled mess into soft, happy, conditioned hair.  It never weighs my hair down, and the tube dispenser is perfection.  Here in Atlanta, I can always find it at local retailers for $3.00 or less!  

The Body Shop Mini Strawberry Body Butter: I love the scent of strawberries, and this little pot of moisturizing dreaminess smells like the real thing.  This body butter lives up to it's claim of absorbing quickly into skin and hydrating for 24 hours.  I'm so happy The Body Shop offers a good selection of their body butters in this smaller size because it's easy to try different scents before committing to the full sized version of the ones you love best.  I'll discuss it more in my full review (soon!), but the customer service I received from The Body Shop was perfection.

Elizabeth Dehn for One Love Organics Vitamin E Active Moisture Eye Balm: Does it get any better than a mega moisturizing balm that lists shea butter as it's first ingredient?  Actually, it does!  This balm also contains fennel, which helps reduce puffiness, along with a variety of vitamins and active antioxidants.  I've used this concentrated balm every morning and every night since I've had it and it's gold!  Full review here.

Huggies Natural Care Wipes Refill:  These packs are the handiest things ever!  Need to quickly clean makeup off your hands?  Huggies!  Need to remove the rest of your eye makeup post-shower?  Huggies!  Need to quickly clean an eyeshadow brush?  Huggies!  The uses are infinite, and their compact size makes them easy to tuck into the shallowest of drawers or cabinets!

Lancome Teint Miracle in shade Buff 4C: Don't let the "Lit-from-Within" descritpion scare you if you have oily skin!  This is my favorite foundation.  It's a truly weightless formula with medium-buildable coverage.  It makes my skin look alive and well without making me look oily.  One of my best friends recently asked me for a foundation rec; she typically wears BB cream but wanted something with a bit more coverage for fancy occasions.  As I went through my mental inventory, this was the first thing that came to mind, and the one I ended up recommending.  It's just SO GOOD.  One tip: shake it up before each use to distribute the bioptic pigments evenly.  

L'Oreal Magic Souffle Blush in Plume:  This blush has the texture of whipped butter in the pot, and it melts into skin like, well...magic.  It goes from a souffle-like cream to a soft powder once you apply it to your cheeks, and the matte color stays locked in place all day like a dream.  Full review and swatches here.

MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural in Medium:  Never before has a makeup item made it into my daily routine faster than this!  I've wanted to try it for forever, but I feared it would leave too much of a sheen on my skin.  I'm so happy I decided to give it a whirl because it's everything I look for in a powder.  It sets my makeup perfectly, doesn't make my skin look oily, and it never cakes.  Full review coming soon!

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium

MUA L1 Lip Brush and F1 Foundation Brush:  These brushes are fantastic!  The lip brush flips back inside it's case to protect the bristles, making it great to toss into your makeup bag.  If you've never used a lip brush, they're great for getting bolder lipsticks (NARS Schiap, I'm looking at you!) in place with more precision than applying them straight from the tube.  The foundation brush is nice and soft, but I'm not a huge fan of using brushes to apply base.  I am, however, quite fond of using this brush to apply face masks!  

Nivea Lip Butter:  AWESOMENESS in an adorable, portable tin!  I love these!  Not too slippery, deeply hydrating, and they never leave that unpleasant buildup on the inside of your lips.

Not Your Mothers Clean Freak Refreshing Dry Shampoo: This stuff smells great and works perfectly to absorb excess oil, allowing me to eek out an extra day between shampoos.  I like to spray a little around my hairline before bed and it really makes a difference the next morning!  It does go on white, but even in my dark brown hair it's completely undetectable after I work it in with my fingers.

Pacifica Lotus Garden Roll-On: The first thing I ever bought from Pacifica was the spray bottle of this perfume, and I loved it so much I later bought the rollerball version so I could keep it in my desk drawer at work.  It smells incredible; like a bushel of madarin oranges and something else I can't quite put my finger on.  It fades fast, like all citrus-based fragrances are prone to do, but this handy (and quite beautiful) rollerball makes for easy touch-ups.

Orly Sec 'N Dry: New favorite top coat!  It really does penetrate the layers of wet polish on your nails to dry them completely within minutes (about two).  It leaves a beautiful, glassy shine without getting gloopy or altering the color on your nails.

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Back to the Fuchsia: As you can tell from the old bottle design, I've had this beaut for a few years.  I love the bright pink with a hint of fuchsia microshimmer any time of the year, but especially in the warmer months!  Two coats to full coverage.  Win!

Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Xtreme Wear in Lacey Lilac: This lovely pastel lilac is just one of those colors that screams spring, and you can't beat the quality and long-wearing toughness of the polishes in this line.

Urban Decay Glinda Palette: Oh, how I've wanted this palette!  I was so excited to pick it up at the Sephora VIB sale, but clearly so were a lot of other folks as it sold out online in record time.  Luckily, I was able to pick it up elsewhere and I'm so glad I did.  Eight beautiful eyeshadows, a travel size 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil, and a Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Color?  Yes, please!  The shadows are of the quality I've come to expect from Urban Decay, the liner stays locked in place all day, and the Super-Saturated Lip Color in Glinda is a wonderful MLBB pink that's very comfortable to wear.  Full review with swatches here.

Wet n Wild Color Icon Bronzer SPF 15 in Bikini Contest:  This is the bronzer I'm wearing when people compliment my "tan" or ask me if I've been spending time outside!  I adore the giant pan; you can really swirl a bronzer brush through it without product flying everywhere, and the color is the perfect shade to add a believable sunny tone to my NW 20 skin.

What were some of your favorite April products?