Four Favorites: July 2016

Let's give this Monthly Favorites thing a try.

"Monthly Favorites" posts and videos are a big thing in the beauty world. Most beauty bloggers and YouTubers post some variation of these, showcasing the products they have been loving each month. I'll be honest, these are some of my very favorites to read and watch. It's an easy way to get great product recommendations, and it's something to look forward to each month.

So, I plan to jump on the bandwagon.

At the end of each month, I plan to share with y'all four beauty products that I have been trying and loving throughout the month (hence: "Four Favorites"). Sometimes they will be products I bought and tried for the first time that month, while other times I may showcase older products that have been getting a lot of use lately. Either way, hopefully it gives you some good insight on great products to check out!

Without further ado...

Four Favorites: July 2016

1. Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette

$62.00, http://www.sephora.com/ambient-lighting-palette-P382309

This product has to come with a big disclaimer: it's wildly expensive. The price is absurd, and we can all acknowledge that. Thankfully, mine was a gift, and I definitely encourage going that route and asking for this for your birthday!

Once you get past the price, though, you realize what all of the hype is about. The Ambient Lighting Powders from Hourglass are intended to give your skin the effect of being in different types of lighting. I was definitely a little skeptical, thinking there was no way that could actually work. I admit it: I was wrong.

The middle shade, Incandescent Light, is the most beautiful highlighting powder I have ever used. It is ideal for those of us normal girls who want to look lit from within but don't want an intense highlight with tons of shimmer on our cheekbones. I use it daily on the tops of my cheeks and always feel glowy but not glittery. Unfortunately, it is not sold separately as a single, so you'll have to purchase this palette in order to try it.

Dim Light, on the left, has the least amount of shimmer, so it makes a nice setting powder. I like a more mattifying powder to set my face, so I don't use it quite as much as the others. If you have dryer skin, though, you will probably love this as an everyday powder. Radiant Light, on the far right, is a beautiful, warm, shimmery bronze color, and it is gorgeous on top of bronzer to add a little shine. Those with deeper skin tones could use this as a cheekbone highlight as well!

All in all, this is a very hyped up product that lives up to the hype. If only it were cheaper.

2. Wet N Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Single - "Nutty"

$0.99, http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/wet-n-wild-color-icon-eyeshadow-single/ID=prod6206068-product

From the wildly expensive to the WILDLY inexpensive. I didn't plan that "wild" pun, but let's go with it. This single eyeshadow from Wet N Wild is sold for less than one dollar at the drugstore. When I heard others raving about it, I couldn't believe that something so cheap could do such a good job. Eyeshadow is one of the products that I usually feel is worth the splurge on because higher end brands do them so well, but this one could be singlehandedly changing my mind.

I haven't tried the other shadows in this line, but this one ("Nutty") is amazing. It is soft and smooth to the touch, easy to apply and extremely easy to blend. The color is out of this world. In the pan, it looks very taupe, but on the skin it leans a little warmer. It ends up being the most beautiful blend of taupe and bronze ever. RUN, don't walk. You need this in your life!

3. Benefit Rockateur Box o' Powder Blush

$29.00, http://www.sephora.com/rockateur-box-o-powder-blush-P379987

This blush (in the shade "Rockateur") is the first from Benefit's "Box o' Powder Blush" line that I have tried, and wow. It is so beautiful. When I saw it in Sephora, I was a little nervous about the color and the shimmer. It looked a little too dark for me and I wondered if it would show up glittery on the skin. However, I wanted to give the line a try and none of the other colors seemed right for me, so I went for it. I was so pleasantly surprised to be wrong! It is one of the more natural looking blushes I own; it gives that perfect flushed look without looking too much like makeup. The shimmer doesn't really transfer to the skin; it's just enough of a glow to make you look healthy. I'll admit, I don't love the box packaging (it just takes up more space than it needs to, making it less ideal for traveling), but I don't have any other complaints about this gorgeous product!

4. Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupté Shine Oil-In-Stick Lipstick - #9 - "Nude in Private"

$37.00, http://www.sephora.com/rouge-volupte-shine-oil-in-stick-lipstick-P377710?skuId=1484815

When you think of YSL, you may immediately think of their lip products. They are probably most well-known for their lipsticks, and after giving this one a try, I totally understand why. These Oil-In-Stick Lipsticks are crazy moisturizing; you can really feel the oil in them, and my lips always feel better after having worn it. Despite the oil, they still manage to give you great color payoff and they don't feel greasy. They aren't long-lasting, but they don't claim to be. And let's just have a girly moment: the packaging is gorgeous. This color (#9 - "Nude in Private") is a great classic nude with a pink undertone. They have so many shades, but be warned: the numbering system is confusing. I definitely recommend going into the store to take a look at them, as the colors can be hard to decipher online. Trust me, it's worth it!