July Faves :)

I originally wasn't planning on doing a July favorites post, mainly because i haven't really been wearing a lot of makeup & also because i haven't bought any new products in the entire month of July...crazy to think about, but yeah - i'm absolutely broke!  The times i have worn makeup in the month of July, i usually kept it simple or tried out new things - eg. different color eyeliners, different cheek colors, etc.

I have also been focusing more on taking care of skin this month, as the summer weather has really put a strain on it!  So my July favorites consist of one hair product, a few skin products, and just two makeup items!  I still hope you ladies enjoy this post :)

Dove Heat Defense Therapy Conditioner ♥

Whenever i blow-dry or straighten my hair (which admittedly, isn't too often in the summer!), i like to protect my hair from the heat as much as possible - starting in the shower.  I don't use this conditioner daily as it can cause buildup if used too frequently, but i be sure to use it whenever i know i'm going to use heat on my hair.  It makes my hair super soft & easy to work with!

Vaseline ♥

I think vaseline (or at least petroleum jelly) is a staple in any household, you can use it for so many things!  Every summer, my feet suffer from dryness & even cracking (sorry if you were eating!), so using the right products to help heal them is really important.  Before i go to bed, i slather this stuff on the bottoms of my feet, put on socks, dream for a bit, wake up, & viola!  My feet feel moisturized & the cracks in my feet have started to heal.  This stuff is a lifesaver.

L'Oreal Sublime Bronze Tinted Self-Tanning Lotion in "Deep Natural Tan" ♥

I already did a post kind of reviewing this product (link here), so i won't go too in depth - but i've really been loving this stuff lately.  I don't like exposing my skin to too much sun (i sound like a hermit!), as it is soo damaging, but i still like to have a tan.  This product is a solution to that dilemma!  I think i look so much healthier & even thinner with a tan, so i really love this product.

Lush "Honey, I Washed the Kids" Soap ♥

This soap is one of the more popular soaps at Lush and gets a lot of hype on YouTube & in the blogging community, and i would say it definitely lives up to the hype.  It smells delicious - i actually may need restraint from eating it! - it is also quite moisturizing, and creates a gorgeous lather!  Definitely a product to try out :)

Clinique High Impact Mascara in Black ♥

I did a review on this product a long, long time ago, and i still love it.  I would be my favorite mascara i've ever tried if it wasn't flaky, but i digress!  The effect this mascara has on my lashes is amazing!  It makes them look thick & lengthens them a bit, it looks stunning!  It's also quite dark black, which is always a plus in my book.

Clinique Blush in "Iced Lotus" ♥

I swear this product has been in all of my monthly favorites ever, but i honestly love this stuff!  It's the prettiest color blush i own. I stopped using this for a while, but i've rediscovered it & have fallen for it once more.  It's very pretty & gives a very lovely, fresh look to the cheeks :)

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What have you ladies been loving this month? :)

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Adventures With Self-Tan ♥

My sister bought this L'Oreal Sublime Bronze Self-Tanner a couple days ago, as an alternative to her usual fake-bake (I tell her everyday that it's soo bad for you..she doesn't listen - i refuse to go myself!).  Because she knows how against fake-baking i am, but also that i don't want to look like a ghost, she let me use some of it.

She picked out the darkest stuff on the shelves of Walmart (Deep Natural Tan), and i was a little bit hesitant at first because i am so white, but i slathered some on anyway.

This was the first instant tanner i had tried, and i'm very glad i did try it :)

I'll probably be doing some follow-up posts on how the tan is coming along!

The first thing i noticed was the color, a bronzey shade, which when rubbed into the skin turns into a sheer coat of color.  The tan is supposed to develop within an hour after applying, and it did.  I can honestly say it does not look orange-y at all, it actually looks quite natural - very much a plus.

The next thing i noticed was the excessive amount of glitter!  I basically looked like Ke$ha or Edward Cullen in the sunlight after applying this - not too appealing, but it the glitter washed away in the shower i took the following morning (but the tan did not wash away..yay!).

A positive thing that i did notice is that after applying this, my skin was super soft :)

The directions say to use daily until the desired level of tan is achieved, and then to apply it 1-2 times a week after that.  Honestly, i don't think i'd be able to apply this everyday.  As much as i love the color it's given me so far, i just can't stand the smell.  It has that 'fake tan' smell that so many of us know!  The scent of the lotion smells kind of sweeter at first, but after a few hours, that dreaded smell really does show itself - and lingers for ages after that!

The smell is the one major turnoff of this product.

The tan didn't really go patchy, but i did notice some subtle streaks on my legs & arms where the product wasn't applied evenly.  The color variation - i don't know how else to put it haha - on my wrist (above :O) was about as bad as it got.  Although that's not desired, i can deal with that.

False tan hands!  Although i washed my hands after applying the product all over, i still got orange hands!  Eeeek.

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Overall, i will definitely be using this product again, despite the awful smell.  I love the color it gives, and i would definitely recommend this to you ladies to try out!
What's your favorite self-tanner? :)

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Rediscovered: CHI Silk Infusion :)

I was thinking of doing a post just on products i've rediscovered, or come back to, but instead of throwing all the products out there at once, i thought i'd do separate posts on each.  I think it'd be easier, as i tend to have a lot to say about a single product :).

To start off this series, we have CHI Silk Infusion.

I bought this product a long, long time ago & really loved using it whenever i blow-dried my hair.  During the school year, i started showering at night & letting my hair air-dry overnight, as opposed to showering in the morning & blow-drying my hair, so this bottle started to make its way to the back of the bin.

Since it's the summer, i usually shower in the morning - so if i'm doing something during the day, i don't want to have wet hair, so i've started to blow dry my hair again.

I was quite hesitant to start blow-drying my hair again, as it can really cause some damage - but i went on with it anyway...using Silk Infusion, of course :)

I fell back in love with it right after using it for the first time in ages.

The directions on the back are simply:

"Apply a small amount into palm of hand and work evenly throughout the hair.  Leave in and proceed with styling."

Pretty vague, right?

Well, after doing a bit of research online i found out how other girls use this product, that's where i learned how to use it :)

So..How/when do i use it?

While my hair's a bit damp, i apply a tiny amount to the palm of my hand, rub my palms together, & apply it to my hair - avoiding getting to close to the roots.  I then blow dry my hair.  It acts as a heat protectant - i would never blow-dry my hair without one!

If i straighten my hair after blow-drying, i might apply a tiny bit more after i'm done, to make my hair super soft.

CHI Silk Infusion makes my hair super soft & shiny, and i also noticed that it helps my hair dry significantly faster than without it.

Two aspects of this product that may put people off are the price & the scent.  The price is about $20-$25, but i think it's worth it.  This product lasts such a long time since you need the tiniest amount, and it really does a great job.  The scent of it is really quite masculine & very much cologne-y, which many girls don't seem to like, but i don't really mind.  The scent does linger in your hair as well.

Along with a lot of other hair products, using too much of the Silk Infusion will result in your hair looking greasy & weighed down - so you want to use just the right amount :)

The consistency is soo bizarre - it's more of a serum, but runny & a bit sticky all at once.  It's really easy to work with though :)

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I'm really pleased that i rediscovered this product!  I recommend it to anyone & would definitely repurchase another bottle when i run out (which deff won't be soon!).

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Basically the Sweetest Award Ever :)

So Hannahh over at Beautylishious ♥ recently tagged me in the "My Lovely Follower Award" - read the rules below if you don't know what it is :).  I don't normally do tags or awards, but this one i just had to do!  I already thank Hannahh loads haha, but seriously..thank you soo soooooo sosoooo much sweetie!  It means so much to me that of all your lovely followers you chose me!  It really made my crumby day about a billion times happier :)  Thank you much again dollface!

The rules of this award are:

1. Once you receive this award, you must post a picture on your blog that is special to you & state why it is special.

2. You must post this award on your blog & thank the person who gave you this award.

3. And last of all...Pass this award onto ONE lovely follower of your choice in appreciation of their follow :)

This is the picture i chose that is special to me :).  (I'm the second one from the left, with the peace signs if you're wondering lol).  This is of my friends & i at the beach from earlier this summer.  It's special to me because i absolutely love my friends..i finally found a great group of people to surround myself with & i couldn't be happier ♥.

Now to choose just a single follower to give this award to is actually a super difficult task...it's to the point where i can't just choose one!  Every single person who follows, comments, or even clicks on this blog is someone i appreciate :).  I have met an insane amount of amazingly lovely people through blogging, that choosing one just doesn't seem fair!  You're all soo incredible & supportive of me that i can't thank you all enough.

I know this goes against the rules of this award, but i don't care!  Haha :) If you're reading this right now, post this on your blog if you want!  You all deserve it :) ♥

Thank you all so, sooo much again - especially you Hannahh!  I tag you back by the way hehe :)

xoxoxox

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Signature Scents? ♥

I've been thinking about perfumes quite a lot lately.  It may seem like a silly thing to ponder, but after thinking about them for a while, i realized they can play quite an important role in a woman's life - in her confidence, in her love life (hehe :), etc.

When i was younger, i would always spritz on a bit of "Fantasy" by Britney Spears - a sugary sweet scent, my signature at the time.  After a few years, i grew out of that & turned to a more mature scent.  Now, whenever i pass the perfume counter & see that round, pink bottle with green rhinestones on it, i spray a little bit & it always brings back memories of when i was little & wearing it :)

So many girls i know have experienced the same thing - a certain perfume taking her back to the days she used to wear it & bringing back memories from the past.  This is one of the mains reason i find perfume to be so important, to spark those memories - it's not too bad smelling lovely either ;).

image found on weheartit

My signature scent for the past year & a half has been the famous Vera Wang "Princess".  Princess is absolutely lovely - it's sweet, but not overbearingly so, and it's very original - i haven't smelled anything quite like it.  I've noticed it's quite popular amongst beauty bloggers!

Now that i'm running scarily low on it, i've been contemplating my next move - do i repurchase Princess, or do i take the plunge & find a new signature scent?

I'm leaning more toward finding a new signature to be honest.  The main reason why is because although i absolutely adore how Princess smells, it doesn't seem to last very long on me, probably because it's an eau de toilette - which is less concentrated & therefore less strong than an eau de parfum.

This is where you come in my lovelies!  I would absolutely adore any suggestions you have on what my new signature scent should be!
I guess i should give you a little insight into what i like..i like a nice sweet scent, but not too floral-y (a la YSL Parisienne), and i would like to try something a bit more sexy :).  I'm really open to trying anything though!

What scents bring back memories for you? :)  What's your signature scent?
Remember to please leave suggestions! :)

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