August 2021 Favorites

August has been the most summery months so far. I had a short getaway to the sea, spend most of my time in summery dresses and simple summer makeup as well as had some family time and expanded my knowledge of beauty treatments. Here are some of products that I loved in this summer heat.

Uriage Eau Thermale Uriage Thermal Water

Uriage is known for its Thermal Water from French Alps and it's more than just a regular water in can with spray. This water contains lots of mineral salts like calcium and magnesium so it's great for moisturizing, soothing in reinforcing skin's barrier. I received this, because I normally don't buy such waters myself, but I've been loving it especially for those hotter days. I sort of treat it like a toner, apply it first all over the skin to give it some moisture and slip and then apply other skin care ingredients on top. It feels sort of soothing and refreshing. I also believe it helps with moisture as it sort of gives water to the skin that I can lock in with other skin care products on top. It's a nice treat, but definitely not necessary.

Caudalie Vinosource-Hydra S.O.S. Thirst-Quenching Serum

Caudalie Vinosource range in general feels so lightweight on the skin which is the main reason I like it so much as someone that has combination skin and hates heavy products especially in the summer. Caudali is known for its grape water as the main ingredient and this is a very lightweight, almost watery gel like serum with squalane and hyaluronic acid. It's moisturizing formula that glides on like a dream and offers some softening of the skin as well as antioxidants. I love it on its own on hot days or under moisturizer. It has subtle fruity green scent to it.

Caudalie Vinosource-Hydra Grape Water Gel Moisturizer

If you hate heavy moisturizers and want something that absorbs into the skin, feels super light, but still gives you that moisturizing layer on the skin without any greasiness, you would love this formula. It's a proper gel moisturizer with gylcerin, squalane, hyaluronic acid and aloe vera, so it feels very fresh on the skin, but moisturizes it. I absolutely love this formula, because it never feels heavy. Squalane in it must be the one that gives you that very smooth texture and feel on the skin that gives you moisturizing layer without stickiness or greasiness. This one also has that herbal faint scent. 

DM Sun Dance Teint Selbstbräuner Konzentrat Gesicht & Dekolette

Even though I have fairly light skin tone all through the year and I am pretty pale in the winter, I seem to have more of a Mediterranean olive skin tone in the summer as I catch tan fast without sunburn and I tend to get quite a few shades darker than I am in the winter. I always use SPF on my body when I am working outside or on the beach, but obviously I don't apply too much, so I get tanned. My face on the other hand is always applied with heavy amounts of SPF 50+, so I usually look very pale in my face even in the summer. These self tanning drops of serum for face and decollate are the best thing to even my skin tone on the face to match my body. It's almost gel like serum that I always mix in with moisturizer as it helps me to spread it more evenly and the next day I always look great. You have to use very little and build it up slow, otherwise it can look patchy, but the color matches well with my warm olive undertone. It doesn't look orange.

MAC Face & Body in C1 and C5

I depoted this in small plastic bottles, because I have full sized products in my makeup kit. This is by far the best transfer proof foundation I have ever tried. It has liquid texture that is best applied with fingers. Once you start to massage it into the skin, it sort of creates that grip that sticks to the skin well and it doesn't move through the day. I notice this is the only foundation that doesn't transfer on the frames of my glasses and it's definitely the most long wearing and transfer proof for hot weather. However, I am not a huge fan of the finish, as it's natural with a bit of sheen and on my oily T zone it can get quite shiny. I always set this foundation with lots of loose powder and this way I can ensure that it will look natural through the day without becoming greasy on me. It's also one of the best foundations for mature skin as it doesn't settle into fine lines, gives light coverage, but can be build up to medium and holds in place. It was obviously meant for the body as well.

Catrice Liquid Camouflage High Coverage Concealer in 020 Light Beige and 036 Hazelnut Beige

I have used up my old darker concealers and I when I was deciding which one to get to match my tan, Catrice was the obvious choice. This is probably the best drugstore concealer formula I have tried. It has medium coverage, is just thick enough, spreads well and doesn't look too matte on the skin. I bought it in two shades to mix and match as my tan fade. 020 is my usual summer shade and 036 is for darkening, when I have some tan as it has that nice yellow warm undertone to it that matches my skin tone well. I always set my concealer with powder to prevent any creasing and prolong the wear.

Avon True Euphoric Volume & Length Mascara in Blackest Black

This is still one of my favorite mascaras to date. It has natural bristles wand and the formula is a bit drier than usual for non-waterproof formula. It gives the lashes volume as well as definition and a bit of length. It's all I can ask from a mascara, that makes my lashes look like there is more, that they are thicker, but don't look clumpy or spidery. I have repurchased multiple tubes of it and probably will in the future, hoping that they don't discontinue it.

Colourpop Super Shock Shadow in Mycelium

I am very basic with my makeup in the summer and this year was no different. My usual makeup routine looked like that - a bit of bronzer in the crease and shiny creamy eyeshadow on the lid with lots of mascara. Mycelium was probably part of LE made with Raw Beauty by Kristi and I think it's no longer available anymore, but it's the perfect light peachy golden shade with pink, gold and silver shimmer that gives the lid that sparkle that is very wearable, but looks so good. I have been using it a ton this month.

Revlon Ultra HD Gel Lipcolor in 710 HD Desert

This is a very recent discovery, I think I got it last week when it was 40% off in one of the drugstores and I loved the feel of the formula in the store plus I could finally find a shade for me. This is one of those ultra comforting creamy formulas that feel like a good lip balm on the lips, but gives you quite intense color payoff. It's one of those formula you chuck into the bag and apply it on the go plus it makes the lips look so sheeny and juicy. I chose shade 710 HD Desert which is the perfect warm nude as it has a bit of brown, a bit of peach as well as pink tone to it. I can see this is one of those lip products that I will love. Revlon has amazing lip products anyway, I just miss more of the nude shades and warm tones in their collection, they always have lots of pinks and reds, not so much bricky brown shades. 

Afrodita Cosmetics Feel...Joyful Beauty Body Milk

I received this as a gift, I think last year, it was probably limited edition, but I just came around to actually using it. For some reason I was sure this would smell floral, but it has such an amazing scent. It's very lightweight body milk which almost feels like thicker serum or gel. It quickly soaks into the skin, doesn't feel heavy or greasy, but is moisturizing enough. It's the perfect moisturizer for summer and fall. I am most excited by the scent of it, it's such a powdery classy fragrance that almost reminds me of expensive spa scent. I wish Afrodita would make more scents like this in their permanent ranges. 

Avon Attraction Desire Eau de Parfum Mini

At first I wasn't sure this will be my new favorite as I had so much love for the previous version Attraction Sensation, but it quickly grew on me so much that I am seriously contemplating buying it. I think it has more character and sweetness than Sensation version. It has notes of cherry, saffron, mandarin orange, iris, jasmine sambac, lily, amber, tolu balsam and sandalwood. First birst is that sweet cherry which quickly becomes faintly floral, but it dries down to that sweet amber and oriental sandalwood that make it almost a bit powdery. For me this is the perfect mix of fruity sweetness with elegant powdery sweet oriental vibes of amber and sandalwood that is just perfect for this weather now when we are transitioning into fall. 

Lash Filler and Brow Lamination

I believe I haven't mentioned on my blog yet, but I have a beauty studio where I do makeup on clients and I have expanded my portfolio by offering lash filler and brow lamination as two new beauty treatments. I am one of those people that would never get into a treatment unless I believed in it and I was so happy to see beauty trend leaning more towards "natural" treatments with just enhancing what you already have instead of adding "fake" stuff on top. I was very glad that I could expand my knowledge and work by doing treatments that I myself also love.

So let's talk about lash filler. It's treatment that sort of acts like lash perm as it breaks the bond in your lashes and reinforces it back in a curved shape so you get curled lashes that last you 5 to 6 weeks sort of like with lash perm, the difference being product that lash filler has gentler formulation, so it's gentler on your lashes. There is also treatment serum that is applied at the end which is made of peptides like those expensive lash growth serums and it nourishes the lashes and makes them grow thicker through several uses. I've noticed this on my clients. You can also dye your hair with black color. At the end of the treatment lashes look nicely lifted, curved, defined, thicker because of the color and in general they look longer, because they are curled up and not growing down. I love lash filler on me as well, because I can forget lash curler and my lashes look thicker, because they are colored.

Brow lamination is one of those treatment that you either love or hate. I have come to realized that brows are a very personal thing and everyone has opinion on what is pretty and what is not. It's all biased obviously. Brow lamination came along the "soap brows" trend where everyone started to look bushy, upward brushed thicker looking brows. Brow lamination is sort of similar to lash filler as it also breaks down your natural brow shape and softens it so you can manipulate the shape of it. With brown lamination brows are fixed into a position that is brushed up so the individual brow hair is laid flat on the skin, sits next to each other instead of over each other which gives this look of naturally thicker brows without adding anything. Brows can also be dyed. Misconception is that you have to have those extreme upward brushed brows, when in fact after brow lamination brows are easier to manipulate. You can brush them upward or more in a straight line and they don't sit flat on the skin, this is just for one to two days after the treatment and then they become fluffy again. It lasts 4 to 6 weeks. I love brow lamination on myself because I have fairly straight brows, they are light in color and I don't have a lot of hair. Brow lamination makes my brows stand up which naturally gives a lift to my entire eye (as someone with hooded eyes this is great), my brows look thicker in general which makes me look younger and it looks like I have more brows than I actually have. I can also manipulate my hair in a way to hide bold parts, plus dye saved me time in the morning as I only fill in certain spots. I just love this look that it gives to my other poor brows, but I know it's not everyone's cup of tea. Some just prefer thinner and straighter looking brows. 

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