It's the first of the month, and you know what that means: the Beauty & Fashion Blog Community Blog Hop! This month we're talking about our favorite beauty products for spring, and I'm so excited to share mine with you! Frankly, I think I'm mostly excited because it means winter will EVENTUALLY END. I'm so over it. In Boston, winter seems to last from October to April, and it's just not fair. So far the only part of spring (which we are just starting to get, by the way) is the rain. Granted, I'm thankful that it is no longer cold enough to snow, but seriously, can we stop with all this rain? I'm over it. I haven't seen the sun in days!
Okay, enough melodramatics. Let's get on to the good stuff~
CORAL
I adore coral for spring! It looks so fresh and it's a nice change from all of the deep reds and plums. I don't tend to wear coral much in the fall and winter, but once spring rolls around, you bet your butt I am pulling out the coral in my stash.
stila Convertible Color in Gerbera
($25 for .15oz)
($25 for .15oz) |
| Do you see my little camera in the mirror on the left? :) |
I recently purchased this from the Birchbox shop when I saved up enough points, and I am obsessed with these cream blushes! I originally got a sample of the color Peony back around Christmas time when I placed a Sephora order for my mother--they came with a free bag of 15 free samples and I had to let myself have at least one (shhh it's fine). I wasn't sure of what color the sample was since it wasn't labeled, so I ordered Gerbera by mistake, but I'm glad I did! It's the perfect cream blush for spring, and I'm excited to have it in my stash. I'm not a big fan of the Stila Convertible Colors on the lips--they make my lips look very dry--but they look so natural on the cheeks. It looks like my cheeks are blushing all on their own! When I actually blush, my whole face gets red and hot and it's just unflattering, so I prefer this method of getting some color onto my pale face. This blush is amazingly pigmented and so easy to use and blend that I can apply it flawlessly while half asleep in the morning.
Similar / Alternative: Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Just Enough Buff (because who said you can't use lipstick as blush?)
($30 on their +Logo.jpg)
I received this cream blush for Christmas, and it's a real time saver! This is supposed to be their High Beam, Posie Tint, and Cha Cha Tint all in one. It's a little pinker than Stila's Gerbera, but the three colors blended together gives off a nice pinky-coral glow. My one gripe with it is that the staying power is only a few hours, which just does not fit into my busy life, so I usually set it with a powder on top. I've been using Physician's Formula's Happy Booster Blush in Natural, since it's pretty sheer and adds just a bit more color. It's just so easy to swipe on; I can't say no.
Similar / Alternatives: I can't think of anything, sorry!
($9)
Google's April Fools joke today was that they're looking for a Pokemon Master to go on Google Maps and collect all the Pokemon. What they really should have done is had a Revlon Lip Butter Master and had ME go collect them all, because I would. I only have two shades of this formula but if I had to propose to one lipstick, it would be these. They're sheerer than most lipsticks, so for those of us that aren't so bold but still want to step outside our comfort zone, these are glorious. The one in Tutti Frutti is definitely on the orange side of things, but when you only do a swipe or two across your lips, it doesn't look so frightening. And the buttery, moisturizing formula is amazing--it's like wearing a super pigmented lip balm. Go buy one, any one. You won't be sorry. (But wait for a sale, there's always a sale).
Similar / Alternatives: This product is permanent and available in the drugstore. What more do you people want from me?
PASTELS
On the opposite side of the spectrum from bright coral, I've been loving pastel colors as a trend for spring. Mainly, I've been incorporating more pale pinks, purples, and blues into my routine. I'm just so tired of dark colors! I happen to really like pink eyeshadow, so here are the two I've been using recently:
bareMinerals Eye Color in Cherish ($14)
I got this during Breast Cancer Awareness Month one year, and a portion of the proceeds when towards the cause with the purchase of this eyeshadow. This is a matte, blue-based pink, which would especially look lovely on pale skintones. In addition, it could make the whites of your eyes seem a little brigher, since it does have that cool undertone
Similar / Alternative: This eyeshadow is no longer available (was just using it as a color example, sorry!) but for extremely similar colors, check out Lime Crime's Palette d'Antoinette or MAC's Sweet Lust.
Revlon Smoky Shadow Stick in Torch ($8)
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I know this was literally just discontinued during the CVS Winter Beauty Sale, but hear me out. I love using these cream eyeshadows as bases for powder in the pink or brown family. If you have oily eyelids, these may not work well without a primer, but if you have relatively dry eyelids like me you should be fine. A downside to this product is that the actual whole sticks of product can just fall out. It happened to the brown side of mine, and I kind of had to stick it back in there, as unsanitary as it was. Even so, I love it dearly, and it still wormed its way into my 2013 Favorites. (and my heart).
Similar / Alternative: I'm happy to tell you that the Maybelline Color Tattoo in Inked In Pink
is a similar option, and there is no stick to fall out. The glass jars also make them seem a little fancy, and I've had my Color Tattoo in Bold Gold for months and it has not dried out on me. Plus, they don't crease either!
is a similar option, and there is no stick to fall out. The glass jars also make them seem a little fancy, and I've had my Color Tattoo in Bold Gold for months and it has not dried out on me. Plus, they don't crease either!
TEAL EYESHADOW
I don't know what it is about spring, but once it rolls around, I love wearing aquamarine/teal eyeshadow on my lower lashline. Always teal, and always on the lower lash line. I don't know. Maybe it reminds me of the ocean. I'm still on a search for the perfect teal, but here are the ones I'm using right now.
e.l.f. Little Black Beauty Book in Warm ($8)
I did a full review of this palette here, and although the eyeshadows were not stellar throughout, the teal eyeshadow was one of my favorites. The colors is beautiful and has a nice amount of shimmer without being too much. The staying power of these are so-so without a primer, so I use my $1 one from E.l.F. and it works just fine at keeping it from fading. E.L.F. sells a variety of these beauty books on their website, and if it's not in stock at the time, you can often find them in TJ Maxx or Marshalls marked down to $5.
MAC Mystic Cools Eyeshadow Palette
This was a limited edition palette from a few years ago, but that's not important. I like to use the top middle shade, Blue Enchantment, for a slightly darker look. I prefer the lighter, slightly more green ELF color, but this one does have better staying power and is a little less powdery.
Other similar / alternative teal eyeshadows: Wet 'n Wild's Blue Had Me At Hello palette, Urban Decay Flipside.
BRIGHT PINK
Turning around and doing a 180, I also love bright pink in the spring and summer. It just helps draw me out of my dark Boston-winter-cave hidey-hole. Here are a few of my favorites:
theBalm How 'Bout Them Apples in Pie ($32 for palette)
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I received this in my Birchbox this last month and I have to say, I really like it! It's not too scary, though it looks a little frightening in the pan, and it provides a lovely flush of color to the cheeks. You can also use these on the lips, but cream blushes like these and the Stila ones always tend to look and feel too heavy for me. I use Benefit's Benetint as a blush a lot in the winter, so I really love changing up my color palette and making things more sunny and warm.
Similar / Alternatives: MAC Cremeblend Blush in Posey, Make Up For Ever blush in Toile
NYX Color Lip Balm in Thank You
($5.33)
($5.33)
This was in my November Favorites, as well as my Lip Balm Bonanza Pt. 2. I love how pigmented this is for a lip balm, since I'm a total lip balm junkie. The staying power isn't incredible, since it does have a more slippery, but I don't have a big problem with that. It's a little bright to wear alone, at least on me, but when I put other makeup on I really like the way this makes my lips stand out. These were recently discontinued, but they are still available on Amazon, because nearly everything is on Amazon (link above).
Similar / Alternative: Maybelline Color Elixir Lip Color in Blush Essence
This was a lip gloss from MAC's Rose Romance collection, so unfortunately it's not available anymore. I would love to go on a rant about how MAC should stop releasing a new collection every month and start amping up their somewhat meager permanent collection, but I digress. This is a very pigmented pink-purple lip gloss with fuchsia undertones. I'm more of a lip gloss girl than a lipstick girl, but this would also be very good at giving a bright lipstick that extra step to being super-awesome.
Similar / Alternative: Maybelline Color Elixir Lip Color in Fuchsia Florish.
I'm a scenic artist, and it's not often that I get a manicure to last more than a few days before getting paint all over it. However, during those few days of glory that my nails stay clean, these are the fun, happy polishes I like to paint them with for spring:
Circus Andrea's Choice in Tightrope ($25 for the nail polish set)
Similar / Alternative: Try OPI All That Jazz-berry for a similar color and better quality nail polish, since this one is limited edition anyway.
Pure Ice Nail Polish in Happy Hour ($2 for .5 oz)
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This polish makes me so happy! Also, I didn't expect much from a Walmart nail polish, but I've had this on my nails for five days so far with only minor chipping (and I use my nails as tools, so that says a lot). The color is so bright and springy and makes me dream of warmer days. The polish wasn't the best quality, but when it dried, it didn't look any different from an OPI polish or anything else of that caliber. One of my very close friends gave me this polish as part of a care package she sent me (from Potsdam! That's eight hours!) when I sprained my ankle. She makes me happy and this polish makes me happy so thank you, Lisa!
Similar / Alternative: China Glaze's summer collection had a lot of bright neon colors, and two of them (Neon & On & On and Shell-o) are the only polishes I can think of being a close fit.
Revlon Colorstay Nail Enamel in Buttercup ($5 for .5oz)
 |
| Shout out to me who took this one year ago and not only took a poor quality photo but also just completely forgot to clean up my cuticles |
This is another spring-happy color! It's just so pretty and light that it makes me smile. It has gotten a little thick on me, so if you plan on owning if for over a year, invest in a cheap bottle of nail polish thinner to freshen it up. Otherwise, it's a definite hit with me: see my review here.
Similar / Alternative: I don't know of any dupes, and this one is pretty inexpensive and accessible.
Sally Hansen Diamond Strength in Forever Lilac ($7 for .5oz)
Similar / Alternative: I don't know of any dupes, and this one is pretty inexpensive and accessible.
Zoya Blu ($9 for .5oz)
I received this in my May Ipsy bag and simply adore this color! It might just be me, but this polish seemed to be a little thicker than Zoya's usual formula, but it wasn't hard to work with. See my full review here.
Similar / Alternative: NARS Kutki is more expensive, but it's the only one I know of.
Similar / Alternative: NARS Kutki is more expensive, but it's the only one I know of.
Check out my fellow bloggers for more beauty and fashion spring picks!
- Michelle at Pretty in the East
- Michelle of Beauty Goodies
- Kristina from The Feminine Files
- Karen at Unpack the Box
- Lisa at Subscription Therapy
- Megan at Polished Portland
- Brittany at The Beauty Deputy
- Anna Belle at The Anna Belle Blog
- Jen at Jen Likes Nail Polish (And Other Things)
- Angela at I Am Your Beauty Whisperer
- Tess at Plastic Bows
What are your favorite products for spring?
Disclaimer: I did not invent spring. I did invent summer, though. (PS: This post is not sponsored or affiliated with any mentioned brands, but there are a few Amazon affiliate links so maybe one day I'll get enough spare change to buy a gumball. Do gumball machines even still exist anymore?)
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