July Favorites | Beauty | Clothing | Accessories

I can’t say that I was looking forward to this month ending.  With the end of July here, we’re closer to the end of summer, closer to me having to say goodbye to Jake as he leaves to start his new life at Ole Miss, closer to the insanity of the beginning of football season for Shane.  Even so, I still managed to find a few favorites to share with you!!

MAKEUP
There were some new items that quickly became favorites this month, namely the newly released Makeup Forever Water Blend Face & Body Foundation.  If you liked the concept of Mac’s Face + Body but wanted more coverage, you’re going to love this foundation.  I managed to easily build it up to medium coverage and it still felt like I was wearing nothing at all.  I also really enjoyed the new Clinique Uplighting Illuminating Powder.  It gives me great coverage for a powder, but leaves a satin finish on the skin-it’s glowy without the glitter or shine. Some products that have been in my collection for awhile found new life this month.  I’m really starting to get into matte shadows and the It Cosmetics Naturally Pretty Palette is probably one of the best options out there for the price.  Lots of neutral shadows, great texture, and easily blended shadows make this palette a real stand out. I’ve always been a fan of the Too Faced Lip Cremes, but I had never tried the shade Nude Beach.  Why have I waited this long? If you’ve always wanted to try a nude but thought it would wash you out, try this one. It has just enough warm pink in it to add warmth to the face but still look nude.

CLOTHING
Have you heard enough about the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale yet? Can you believe it’s still going on? It is!! As you probably know by now, I placed an order the very first day of the Early Access Sale, and I while I loved everything, there were a few standouts.  I loved the Pleione High/Low V-Neck Blouse so much that I went back and got another one.  I want one in every color! I also really like my new BlankNYC Moto Jacket–I just need the weather to get a little bit cooler…like 40 degrees cooler!!

ACCESSORIES and OTHER STUFF
In case you missed it, I finally revealed that the secret to my new and improved skin has been the Colleen Rothschild Mandelic Acid Radiance Serum.  I’ve been using it since April, but it wasn’t launched to the public until this month, so I had to keep it a secret. It’s a great chemical exfoliant that is gentle enough to use everyday and with sensitive skin.  I’m so glad that it’s now available to everyone! Moving on to accessories, I’ve been wearing my new Kate Spade Square Stud Earrings non-stop since I got them in June. I just wish I knew what size they are–there’s a small pair, a mini-pair…all I know is that the mini-pair happens to be in the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, so if you like them, you can get them at an even more affordable price than they usually are. We’ve been doing a decent amount of traveling and have more planned, so I really love this LED travel makeup mirror.  I packed it in my carry-on luggage so it wouldn’t get smashed up and it worked out great.  I really recommend it if you’re a frequent traveler.  Finally, all my free time has been spent re-reading the Gemma James/Duncan Kincaid mystery series by Deborah Crombie.  It’s a police procedural type series set mostly in London, but quite a few of the books are set either in the countryside or even in Scotland.  I’ve plowed through the first 14 and just getting ready to start number 15!! I know a new one is coming out relatively soon, so if you want to be all caught up, you better start reading!

SHOP MY JULY FAVORITES!