Sunday, July 21, 2013

Current faves.

To call this post "June Faves" would be ridiculous at this point...tomorrow begins the 4th (!!!) week of July. Since I already had a few faves set aside for June I figured I'd combine them with my July faves (so far) and do a "current faves" post. Not my preference as I look forward to writing about my monthly faves but work's been unseasonably busy which has led to long hours at the office and it's been HOT AS HADES in NYC for like 2 weeks which has turned my apartment into an oven (I don't have an air conditioner). I think today's the last day of the heat wave so relief is on the way. So without further adieu here's what I've been loving lately and as soon as I figure out how to add live links to my posts I'll include 'em when available so you can purchase away!

ChaLEAN Extreme: Get ready to burn fat, boost your metabolism, and get LEAN with this clinically proven fat loss system that uses cardio and resistance training in a brand-new way to get you better results in less time. I'll do a more in-depth review via a future post but for now here's what I have to say. I'm one week in and I love this program. I'm a P90X/P90X2 "graduate" and was looking for a new program so when one of my favorite YouTubers recommended this program I was sold. Here's the link to her review - I hope it works! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgtqU7El2mA. I ordered my program on Amazon for about $110. Chalene's motto throughout this program is "Go heavy or go home!" and I'm totally up for the challenge of using heavier weights. Again, a more in-depth review of this program will follow in a future post which will include a description of each workout along with the program schedule.

Culligan WSH-C125 Wall-Mount 10,000 Gallon Capacity Filtered Showerhead, Chrome Finish: I've heard quite a bit about how "wonderful" NYC water is. My hair disagrees. Big time. It's been feeling really straw-like for the past few weeks. I haven't changed my hair care routine at all so the cause of the problem's been a mystery to me. Until last weekend when I took a shower at my Dad's place (he lives in Nassau County, Long Island) and realized that maybe my shower water's the culprit. When I wash my hair here at home it feels like I'm showering with chlorinated pool water.  Gross, gross, gross. I ordered this filtered shower head on Amazon along with an extra filter cartridge for around $35. It was a breeze to install (all by myself!) and my hair feels noticeably better now. From here on out I'll be using a shower head filter. Who knew water could be so damaging? Well worth the money spent.

Josie Maran Argan Oil Moisturizer w/SPF 40+: I've been hearing about the JM line for awhile now and was in the market for a new moisturizer so when I read about this one and its high SPF I was sold. A daily-wear sunscreen for the face that helps protect from sunburn with broad spectrum SPF 40. This formula is infused with Josie's signature ingredient, Argan Oil, which moisturizes and hydrates dry skin, fights the signs of aging and improves skin tone by moisturizing for a radiant, renewed looking complexion. Argan Oil Daily Moisturizer with SPF 40+ is lightweight, Paba Free, and for all skin types. It's also Cruelty Free and Vegan. I have the 2 fl oz. bottle which I purchased at Sephora for $32. I've been using this for about 2 months now but since my skin is really oily in warmer temps I have to wait until autumn/winter to really get a feel for how good this moisturizer is. So far so good though. A little product goes a long way so if the price seems steep keep in mind that the bottle will last awhile. Also, if you're looking for this and having difficulty finding it note that a "new and improved" formula is due out soon so don't worry that it's been discontinued.

MAC Mineralize Blush in Simmer: Released via the Tropical Taboo collection this shade is described as a burnt rose with peach/gold pearl. It's gorgeous and will transition well from summer to fall. The best part? You can still order this limited edition blush via MAC's website for $25. Get it now while it's still available!

Wet n Wild Coloricon Bronzer in Reserve Your Cabana: You'd have to be really, really, really pale for this shade to give you a bronze glow. I'm an NC25 with medium toned olive skin so I use this to highlight my cheekbones, bridge of my nose, inner tear ducts and cupid's bow. What I love about it? The formula's a dream to apply and blend out. It's heavily pigmented with a nice sheen (no shimmer/glitter) that looks natural. It's cheap (only a couple of bucks!) and you get a ton of product for your money. It's part of WNW's perm collection. You can pick this up at the drugstore or anywhere else that sells WNW. 'Nuff said.

MAC Paint Pot in Painterly: Part of MAC's perm collection and described as a nude beige. The shade is a straight up cream with no shimmer or frost. I use it as my eye primer. Every single day. It helps my shadow last all day (I have really oily eyelids). This is a holy grail product for me. I hear MAC's increasing the price on paint pots soon so if you've been eyeing any of them now's the time to pull the trigger while they're still $18.50. Bare Study's next on my "to purchase" list.

MAC Custom Palette Eyeshadow X 4: Here are the shades clockwise from top left:
Malt - Soft pinkish-beige (Matte)
Bronze - Gold brown with gold-bronze shimmer (Frost)
Sable - Gold-plum w/bronze pearl (Velvet)
All That Glitters - Beige w/gold pearl (Veluxe Pearl)
Highly pigmented? Check! Long lasting? Check! Beautiful and neutral shades that look great any time and for any occasion? Check! All of these shades are part of MAC's perm collection. I purchased my palette for $57 via MAC's website.

Bath & Body Works Fine Fragrance Mist in Malibu Heat: It's back this year! I totally missed the boat on this one last summer so when it popped up online this year and had rave reviews I picked up a bottle and I LOVE it. Inspired by hot pink sunsets and 27 miles of beautiful beaches, Malibu Heat is the perfect west coast blend of juicy pineapple, California oranges and creamy coconut milk. It's tropical, sweet and perfect for summer. My gripe about all of B&BW's fine fragrance mists is that they don't last very long...at all...(Pure Paradise I'm looking at you!). On days I wear this scent I carry my Malibu Heat travel size FFM w/me to reapply throughout the day as needed.

Pretty Little Liars: You'll come to see that I'm late jumping on the bandwagon quite frequently. Here's a prime example. I have my sister (who's been watching PLL since it first started) to thank for introducing me to Aria, Spencer, Hanna, Emily and Alison etal. though the first time my sister forced me to watch played a random episode I didn't really like it. It wasn't until earlier this year that I decided to see what the hype was about and give the show a second chance. My sister played the pilot episode for me and the rest is history. I caught up to the current episodes last week and while it's great to be current with the show it sucks that I have to wait for new eps now like everyone else. For a few months I had what seemed like an endless number of episodes (sans commercials!) to watch. If you don't watch this show on ABC Family you need to do the following:
1. Join Netflix, etc. so you can watch all of the previous eps. All of them. In proper order.
2. Start watching the current eps like the rest of us on TuesdAys @ 8pm on ABC Family.
"I'm still here bitches. And I know everything". -A
You're welcome.



Sorry that there are no swatches of the makeup reviewed in this post but I wanted to get this up live as quickly as possible and for me editing takes forever and a day due to my OCD tendencies. :) 

PSA: Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale is on! I love Nordies and now's the time to snag some really great deals so check out the website ASAP! I placed 2 orders yesterday for some killer boots, 2 bangles, some makeup and a nail polish set. Score!

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