New Beauty I've Tried and Liked
All of the makeup, skincare and fragrances I've been obsessed with lately
Over the past few months, I’ve gotten back to my roots as a beauty lover. Way back in the day, it was the first thing I blogged about that wasn’t like a journal entry or an essay. I had horrible acne in high school and most of college, so when I finally had my own money to spend, I obsessed over fixing my skin and trying to look like a beauty queen.
Over time, I realized that I stopped experimenting with my beauty routine because I found products that I truly loved and stuck with, which isn’t a bad thing. If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it. However, it made me stagnant. I wasn’t even remotely aware of advancements in product formulations or aware of the latest beauty trends, which will certainly save money, but it’s not fun and didn’t make me feel like my most confident self.
I cut my teeth in the era of the YouTube beauty guru, so I learned how to make perfect winged eyeliner, how to do a cut crease a drag queen would envy, and how to contour and entirely different face structure from the best of them. I didn’t know how to do an everyday makeup look that didn’t take at least 45 minutes for many years. Now that the trends have changed and I’ve retired my ABH Brow Pomade, my beauty and makeup routines look vastly different.
In the past few years, I dabbled with picking up my brushes and doing something beyond applying tinted moisturizer and some powder, but it wasn’t doing it for me. I felt bland and ordinary. Lately, I’ve not only been itching to try new makeup, but I’ve wanted to shake up my skincare routine and expand my fragrance collection too. You’ve seen glimpses of most of what I’ve been trying if you’ve been a subscriber for more than a few months, but these products deserve the spotlight. They have helped reignite my love for beauty and have me smirking at my reflection.
MAKEUP
Maybelline Teddy Lip Tints
With the days of matte liquid lipsticks in our rearview mirror, I struggled for a bit to find a matte lip product that I could ease myself back into wearing lipstick with. I think I will always love matte lipstick because it was so popular when I first got into makeup, so going back to something comfortable but updated felt right.
I happened upon the Maybelline Teddy Lip Tints and decided to try them out. They seemed like they’d be a more subtle version of Nyx soft matte lip creams and I was right! They’re semi-sheer, so I felt like I didn’t have to do a full face of full-coverage makeup for it to look right. Add some lip liner before applying and you’ll have a beautiful sheer wash of color for a few hours.
L’Oreal Panorama Mascara
I used to wear false lashes and even dabbled in eyelash extensions, but I never could quite master applying falsies. The maintenance schedule of lash extensions was too much for me. I knew I couldn’t get a true false eyelash look from mascara, but I wanted something that would give me at least a little bit of the cat-eye lash that I love so much. YSL Lash Clash Mascara is still a favorite of mine, but I wanted to find something a little less pricey.
I bought L’Oreal Panorama Mascara, hoping that it would come close to the lashes YSL gave me and it does! Dare I say I like it more than the YSL since it’s half the price? Yes, I do. I’m not averse to spending money on a great product, but I’m always going to see if I can get the same effect for less. Plus, the L’Oreal wand keeps my lashes from clumping a lot easier than the YSL.
Danessa Myricks Concealer Brush
My beauty blenders have basically been retired. I hated cleaning them. They blend beautifully, but when I know I’m going to have to go through the struggle of cleaning them, I’ll reach for literally anything else. I was using a synthetic eyeshadow brush to blend my concealer over, using a beauty blender. That was less than ideal so I figured I should try out a concealer brush. It’s the perfect size and blends seamlessly in seconds. Plus, I can clean it with the Cinema Secrets Brush Cleaner I use for my other makeup brushes.
Ami Colē Foundation Stick
I mentioned this beauty in my last monthly favorites post, and I absolutely had to include it here too. I wanted a medium coverage foundation to wear in the summertime that wouldn’t slide right off my face in the heat. The shade match I got is immaculate and the finish is like my skin but better. I couldn’t ask for more. Oh wait! The packaging is the minimal perfection that I love to see and the product lasts at least 8 hours when I use a setting powder and spray. I hope my skin loves this in the winter too, since applying it and blending are so easy.
Danessa Myricks Setting Powder
I bought this setting powder in the shade Deep Peach, thinking that I could use it to set my concealer. While it’s too dark for that, it’s perfect for the rest of my face. It looks stunning! It blurs and controls oil for hours. I think I’ll grab Pure White/Universal when the Sephora Sale comes back around in a few months. I still need a new under-eye setting powder.
L’Oreal Setting Spray
One of the reasons I stopped wearing makeup for a while was because I was annoyed at how often I had to blot oil, and even still, the look wouldn’t last more than 6 hours. I had accepted that my oily skin was going to be the bane of my existence, but this setting spray—in conjunction with better skincare and other makeup products—flipped that on its head. Spraying a copious amount of this right after my mascara dries keeps my face looking flawless for half of the day. After that, I look a little dewy and even better than when the makeup was first applied.
This is another product I mentioned in my monthly favorites because it’s just that good! You don’t always have to go designer or prestige to get good makeup. The drugstore will have you looking amazing for a fraction of the price.
SKINCARE
The Inkey List Eye Cream
I don’t need my eye cream to do a lot, so I don’t ask a lot from it. I just need something to keep my eye area hydrated at the moment. I don’t know what it would take for me to love an eye cream, but I like this one because of the packaging. It comes in a tube, not a tub, so I feel like it’s more hygienic. Plus, it’s super affordable.
Tatcha Rice Polish Deep
I know I don’t exfoliate nearly often enough. I don’t mind a chemical exfoliant, but there’s something about manually scrubbing your skin that’s oddly satisfying. I decided to try Rice Polish Deep because I’ve never met a Tatcha product that I didn’t like. They weren’t lying when they said you’d see smoother skin after one use. The texture on my cheeks was gone, and so were the blackheads on my nose. This is now a staple product that I can never run out of.
BODYCARE
Shea Moisture Deoderant
I tried to be an aluminum-free girlie, but this Texas heat wouldn’t let me. I may try to go aluminum-free again in the winter, but something has to stop this sweat. I reached for Shea Moisture Even Tone Deodorant since I’ve been winning the battle against dark underarms for years now and I don’t plan on ever losing. This antiperspirant goes on smoothly, never feels sticky, and smells wonderful.
Salt & Stone Hand Creams
This hand cream smells so good! It feels great, too. It’s yet another item that I mentioned in my latest round-up of monthly favorites that I need to mention here, too. I’ve tried many hand creams in the last few months and this is the only one that I’ve considered repurchasing. I’m 99.99% sure I will once I run out. I also have it in Santal & Vetiver, but I haven’t smelled that one yet. If it’s anything like the Bergamot & Hinoki I have now, I’m going to love it.
Touchland Hand Sanitizers
I thought these were overhyped, but I wanted a scented hand sanitizer that wasn’t from Bath & Body Works. Nothing against them, but the scents are a bit much sometimes. I want my fragrance to be what I smell for hours, not my hand sanitizer. I love the slim design of this packaging. It fits in any bag I want to carry super easily, and I love that it’s a mist and not a gel. The smell is pleasant, but doesn’t linger more than a minute or so, as it should be. The Mister™ also has one of his own that he takes to work.
FRAGRANCE
Define Me Nearly Noon
I can’t say enough wonderful things about this fragrance! It’s calming and smells like toasted coconuts and rice pudding. They sell sample sizes now, so you don’t have to blind buy the 100ml like I did.
Define Me Sofia Isabel
This was love at first sniff. Sofia Isabel smells like tangerine and sunshine with jasmine and brown sugar. It reminds me of happiness.
Skinpotion Costa Del Sol
Sometimes I like to glisten and smell wonderful and body oils make that happen. The newest one in my collection is Costa Del Sol. I grabbed this one because Kama Sutra isn’t one I reach for in the summertime and I wanted something that smelled tropical. Passion fruit, coconut water, jasmine, and pineapple make this the perfect scent to set the summer vibe.
Glasshouse Fragrances Sunsets in Capri
I’ve raved about this one for a few weeks, but I’d be remiss not to mention it here too. Sunsets in Capri smell like zesty citrus, but also clean and fresh. It’s a great everyday scent that sits close to the skin but lasts for hours.
Cirque Du Soleil L’eau De Parfum
I still only have an 8ml of this, but I’ll be getting a 100 ml soon enough. Cirque Du Soleil L’eau De Parfum smells like a day at the circus. I wasn’t sure about Cirque Du Soleil releasing s fragrance, but they did it right. Buttered popcorn, apple, caramel, bergamot, iris, and vanilla bean?! I’m tempted to go spray this right now.
HAIRCARE
Shea Moisture Hair Mousse
I haven’t cared to try anything new with my hair because I actually hate doing it. It’s my least favorite thing to maintain—hence why I chose to loc my hair. Maintenance is a million times easier. The only thing I’ve still had to battle is frizz. I got the bright idea to use a frizz-minimizing curl mousse and I’ve never looked back! All I have to do is run this through my hair, tie down my roots, let it dry and I’m virtually frizz-free for hours with minimal effort and no product buildup. Y’all might never see my loose hair ever again.
Carol’s Daughter Black Vanilla Leave-In Conditioner
This leave-in conditioner isn’t exactly new, but revisited. I used this when I had loose natural hair to have a leave-in conditioner that didn’t weigh my hair down. I loved the smell then, but not how it made my stretched out styles revert. Now that I’m loc’d, we’re best friends again. It’s like hair perfume that also hydrates. I transfer it to a continuous spray bottle for easier use.
I’m nowhere close to being done trying new things. There are a couple of new products en route to my doorstep right now that I’ll tell you all about if I love them. I’m happy to be back in my beauty bag and feeling like I’m taking even better care of myself externally. Call it whatever you want, but it makes me feel amazing, and that’s really all that matters.
Have you used any of these products?
What’s your favorite perfume?
Do you have a good primer suggestion for oily skin?
Do you know of any invisible SPF that doesn’t make your eyes burn?
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