Current Favorites!

The last month has consisted of me trying product after product to keep the reviews coming and looking forward to what I am going to be buying this summer.  Over the past few weeks, a few winning products have emerged and I am going to be paying tribute to my current favorite products and why I love them.  I have been all about color and skincare the past few weeks, I have been using up most of my current perfumes in order to open some new ones up and the same is going for most of my body products, I can't buy any new bottles until some more space is cleared for the current products that I haven't even opened up yet.  My five favorites therefore are taken from my skincare and color purchases so hopefully the next time that I write a favorites list up, I will have more fragrances in it.

My current favorites!

China Glaze Nail Lacquer in Sea Spray - "Unleash your inner color with China Glaze...your longwearing professional nail lacquer choice!  Longwearing formula with hardeners features great coverage and DBP free.  China Glaze Nail Lacquer makes nails look spectacular and dries in seconds.  China Glaze offers the latest technology in formulas and color selection."  Sea Spray is a shade from their spring Anchors Away collection that was released in early 2011, I was introduced to this collection last year when I purchased White Cap (still a favorite shade) and now I have added Sea Spray and Ahoy! to my collection.  Sea Spray is a lovely pale gray blue shade with a hint of a shimmer finish.  I started wearing this shade in early spring and have been wearing it ever since.  The best way to describe this shade is to tell you to look at the sky right before it begins to rain.  This shade is a new neutral for me.

Stila Sheer Color Tinted Moisturizer Oil-Free SPF 20 in Fair - "A tinted, oil-free moisturizer with a hint of color.  This water-resistant moisturizer is packed with sun protection and just enough color to even skintone.  The light, hydrating formula is ideal for all skin types and comes in natural, see-through shades.  Application is a cinch and the coverage is long lasting, leaving you with a perfect finish every time."  Fair is the lightest shade in this product and it turned out to be a perfect match for my skintone.  I only purchased this product to use when I am in a hurry, since my normal routine doesn't work well for busy morning.  However with me being on vacation from work this week, I have been using it almost everyday for a bit of extra coverage while I run errands and hang out, it is working its way into being a VIP of my traincase.  This product covers better than many tinted moisturizer formulas and lasts throughout most of the day.  It hydrates just enough for my skin to be soft and smooth, even though I have chosen the oil-free formula.  I am really liking this formula and being able to have a bit of coverage when needed but not looking made up.

Origins Gin-Zing Refreshing Eye Cream - "A clinically-proven eye cream that instantly de-puffs and reduces dark circles.  Late night?  Long flight?  Look tired all the time?  This natural, clincially-proven morning-after eye cream instantly reduces dark circles.  Unsightly bags and puffiness virtually disappear.  And Origin's  proprietary complex of caffeine from coffee bean.  Panax ginseng, magnolia extract, and natural optic brighteners rapidly wakes up, refreshes, and and restores radiance to tired eyes.  Best for all skin types."  I use this eye cream at night and the Cliniqe All About Eyes Rollerball during the day to take care of my puffy, allergy eyes.  This product helps to reduce my puffiness and my dark circles.  This is one of the few eye creams that I have worked with recently that actually helps dark circles look better and not just easier to cover up with makeup.  In addition to helping reduce both puffiness and dark circle appearance, this product helps to moisturize and to brighten the entire eye area.  This is simply one of the best all-in-one eye creams that is on the market today and I recommend it to almost anyone that needs help choosing an eye cream formula.

OPI Nail Lacquer in You Callin' Me a Lyre? and Pirouette My Whistle - "The world leader in professional nail care."  Both of these shades came out recently with their New York City Ballet collection released mid spring.  I put both of these together since I prefer to wear both of them together, I have worn each one alone but they pack a huge punch when used together.  You Callin' Me a Lyre? is a pale peach pink cream that is the epitome of the natural nail look and Pirouette My Whistle is a fine silver shimmer suspended in a clear base.  The combination of the two creates a natural nail look with a bit of pizzazz that keeps it from being boring.  I can get three to four full days wear from this combination so I use it at least once a week.  I have really been getting into OPI polishes lately and my shopping shows no signs of stopping...

Illamasqua Lipstick in Test - "Let your lips speak volumes.  Indulge in colour-intense lipstick with a highly pigmented formula, available in a choice of flawless finishes, from creamy matte to iridescent finishes.  Illamasqua Lipstick glides on smoothly and doesn't give up without a fight for the perfect all-night pout.  A must have for professional makeup artists, and those who want to make a statement."  Test is a "soft pink chocolate" with a matte finish.  For those of you who remember my initial review on the Illamasqua Lipstick formula, you will remember that I went on a near-rant about this shade and how it was described on the Sephora website (to sum it up - it looks nothing like what is pictured/described on the Sephora website and use the Illamasqua website for accurate descriptions) and I decided that I never would have purchased it had I known exactly what it looked like.  Application at full strengh produces a warm pink nude mouth with a matte finish, what sets this product apart is that it has a very full pigmentation and is not as subtle as I had been expecting, greatly reducing the amount of ways I could wear it.  I originally wanted a sheer, my-lips-but-better shades when I ordered this and not a shade with strong pigmentation.  However, recently I have been applying this shade with a bit of lip balm underneath, reducing the pigment strength and have been wearing it with all types of colored eye looks.  Even sheered out, this product lasts for several hours and stays color-true the whole time.  I love this lipstick formula and am happy that I have found another way to wear it!

These are my current favorite but I know that they will be changing again within the next few weeks, as I type this I am letting my newest shade of Illamasqua Nail Varnish dry and I just received a big Sephora order two days ago (complete with skincare and the 500 point perk of a Too Faced palette) and I will be working on getting some new fragrances and body products out.

photo courtesy of Sephora