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Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Monthly Favorites: July 2013

Wow, can I just say that July flew by? Seriously. Was it the same for you?

Anyway, it is the last day of the month, meaning that it's time for my monthly favorites! To be honest, I pretty much used a lot of the same products this month, since I didn't have much time to experiment and go shopping. Next month's will be much more interesting, with my intense mail haul last week. By then I'll have time to play around with my new products and see if I found anything really awesome. For now, here are my favorites from the month of July!

Skincare:

Victoria's Secret Drenched in Pink Body Lotion in Sweet & Tart (about $8 ~ 3.4 fl oz)



This deliciously-scented body lotion was also in last month's favorites. This has been my go-to summer fragrance these past two months. It smells like pink grapefruit and I absolutely love it. I'm sad that I'm almost out of it, because Victoria's Secret doesn't seem to make it anymore. I go through scented lotions kind of slowly, since I switch up my "signature fragrance" each season, so this last me all through last summer as well. However, I'm not so upset about it, because Victoria's Secret's Sweet & Flirty scent also has pink grapefruit as a major note. When I run out and miss this lotion, I might go out and purchase that lotion instead. 



I love this lotion even more than my Cetaphil. It's a little thicker in consistency and more moisturizing, so I think it will come in handy moreso in the winter. However, I will say that this definitely saved my skin after an unfortunate sunburning incident on the fourth of July. Even though I reapplied sunscreen on multiple occasions, I seemed to have missed a spot at some point, because I came back from the beach with a bright red upper back. Between this and aloe vera, my skin never peeled and eventually healed from its overly dry texture. This lotion was my saving grace this month! 



This is a new favorite this month, although it's not a product new to the market. I've loved Pacifica since I received their Blood Orange Body Butter in an Ipsy bag months ago, but I never tried this before. This has the same grapefruit undercurrent as the Victoria's Secret lotion above, so I like to pair them together on most days. I brought it with me when I went away for my internship, because it is so easy to travel with--no need to worry about glass bottles or spillage! The smells isn't overpowering and doesn't given me a headache, yet it lasts for a good amount of time. I'm really happy with this product! 



Normally around "that time of the month," I always get a few break-outs. However, my trusty ol' Clarisonic has come in handy to prevent that, as usual. Even my mother remarked that this is the clearest my skin has ever looked, and I owe that this baby. It gets deep into my pores and really cleans out all of the gunk that I miss while washing my face with my hands. It's my most expensive beauty tool, but I find it way worth the price (as seen in last month's favorites). I've written a full review on this, so you can check that out for more information. 

Hair: 

Conair Blonde Bobby Pins ($3.50 ~ 90 bobby pins)


This month I've been obsessed with side braids. I don't know what it is, but after almost every time I wash my hair, I've been putting it in a side braid. These babys help my summer boho-chic messy braid from looking sloppy. I always stick one or two in near the nape of my neck to tame the shorter layers that are sticking out on the other side. The brand doesn't really matter; they're just magical if you have blonde hair! If not, literally any bobby pin will work. 



After trying out so many different shampoos this month, I wanted to have a good conditioner to get my hair back under control. If a shampoo was particularly drying, I didn't have to be so worried that I'd go out looking like I got electrocuted. This cleansing conditioner is a product I use differently than intended, but it works so well in the way I've discovered it. I plan to do a full post on it in the future, but for now, just know that it is a Holy Grail product that I can't see myself living without. 

Makeup:



I mentioned this product back in my Lip Balm Bonanza post earlier this month. It's very moisturizing and, unlike some other lip balms, does not merely place a waxy film over my lips to "seal in the moisture." Out of the first five ingredients, four of them are oils, and none of them are petroleum. As I've discovered this month, petroleum is not the best of lip moisturizers, but rather just sits there over the lips. I'm currently trying to find more lip balms like this one, because I am a lip balm junkie and will not settle for anything less than the best! The only thing I dislike about this balm is the artificial melon scent, but I've gotten used to it. I just wish they would make an unscented version for those of us with sensitive noses. 



This is a product I've heard great things about, and just had to give it a try I got a Nivea coupon at CVS. Like the Yes To Carrots listed above, it does not contain petroleum. It does not list as many oils in the ingredients list as the Yes To does, but it has a similar texture/consistency. Also, when you remove it from its packaging, it looks a little like a glue stick!

Music: 

"Dangerous Girl" and other songs by Jay Loftus. I recently discovered his channel on YouTube and I am obsessed. Apparently he's in the process of making an album, and let me tell you that I will be all over that when it's released. I don't know what it is, but his style is like a mix of John Mayer and something else, and I just love it. His music always put me in a good mood when I was commuting to work in the mornings, and I am not a morning person. 

These were my essentials for this month. Next month will be filled with more fun products that I got a chance to experiment with (so definitely more makeup!). Thanks for reading!

What were your favorite products this month?



Disclaimer: I purchased all of these products myself. I am affiliated with Beauty Store Depot (a seller of the Clarisonic) but that's really it. 

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