
My husband and I took a fantastic trip to St. Lucia on our recent holiday and it was phenomenal! There is nothing like an island to show you the beauty of God's work, everything is so lush, fragrant and beautiful. It was very relaxing and we were able to recharge which was so needed. It was also a great time for me to try some of the makeup items that I had recently purchased and see what their staying power would be being worn all day in warm island temperatures.
Foundations are a must for me. Whether I want full or light coverage, I always want to put my best face forward and smooth out any discolorations and imperfections. I recently purchased MAC's Pro Longwear Nourishing Waterproof Foundation and let me just say that it exceeded my expectations one hundred fold! Through the heat and water, this foundation stayed in place. If I blotted any sweat or shine in the day, you would see the product on the towel or tissue, but it was still where I put it. I received so many compliments on my skin and makeup and a big part of that was this foundation. Of course with MAC you get the wonderful color range that they are known for so, getting a color match should not be hard. I apply mine with a dense foundation brush and really buff it out which allows me to use less product. It was a great consistency, so you do not feel like you are wearing a heavy thick foundation weighing your skin down. Coverage is buildable allowing you to go as minimal or as heavy as you would like with it. It does give you a matte finish, so if you want to have a dewy look which is what I went for on the island, you can use a bronzer or highlight powder or liquid to give you that J-Lo glow.
Eyebrows are something that I was just not born with a full and lush set of. I have to use products to give me fuller brows which we all know are essential for framing the face. I never thought that I would find another product that I would swear by for my brows outside of Anastasia of Beverly Hills Dipbrow pomade, but I have. Nyx has a Waterproof Eyebrow Gel that is everything. I mean you have to be diligent when applying it as dries very quickly when it the process of doing your brows which is good and bad at the same time. You want a product that sets quickly, but it drys on the back on my hand as I am creating my brows which makes me move more expeditiously than I would like. Even with the drying speed I will take this product any day as it does what it says, it is truly waterproof and for someone like me to has to truly create her brows, it gives me a new confidence which is key. When I workout and sweat or get in the pool, they stay right where I drew them , so thumbs up for me!
Sunscreen is an essential for the summer and even those of us with more pigment in our skin and oily skin have to be sure to utilize this product. Finding one that does its job with a good SPF and does not add too much shine is really hard, but I have found one that I really like. Shiseido has a sunscreen that is SPF 40 that I really like and works well under my makeup. The Urban Environment UV Protection Cream will give you the protection that you need without all of the things that we makeup lovers dislike about sunscreens. For those of us with oily skin this is definitely a product that you will want to try. Even though it is called a creme, it is not heavy and has a really silky texture what works well under your primer and foundation.
The last thing that I want to mention is the summer favorite which is a bright lip. I have turned to MAC once again in the lipstick department as I was in a desperate search for a summer pink lip for me to take to the island. The wonderful MAC consultant wasted no time and knew exactly what color she wanted to put on me and to my surprise, I loved it! She picked out one of their Retro Matte lipsticks in
Flat Out Fabulous with the lip pencil Nightingale and it was just what I was looking for. It is a bright pink, but works very well with my skintone. The lipstick is rich and it I want to really glam it up I can always add a gloss. This is a beautiful shade that can easily transition from day to night.
If you have some summer favorite must haves that you are loving right now, let me know. If you are currently using any of my favorites here, let me know as I love hearing about your personal experiences!
XOXO
Andréa