Part 1 Top 10 Summer Beauty Favourites 2013

Why hello there! If you're reading this then I just want to start off by saying thank you so much for paying a visit to my blog. I'm really excited to be starting this because writing has always been a passion of mine as has makeup and this kind of blogging kind of brings these two things together. This is my first time posting so please bear with me and if you have any questions, comments or requests then I would more than love to hear them. So enough rambling and let's get started, shall we? ;) So today I thought it would be fun to show you guys my current top 10 favourite "summer geared" products. But now I see it's getting very late so I'll split this blog post into 2 and post 5 today and 5 tomorrow. Thank you for reading and I would also love to hear about your favourites in the comment section if you want to share!

Product # 1: Garnier BB Cream Skin Renew Miracle Skin Perfector (75 ml) 

Okay so let me start off by saying that I love using light foundations and BB creams in the summer because the products end up feeling so much lighter on my skin and end up looking much more natural on the face when exposed to natural sunlight. I really really like this Garnier BB cream in particular because it feels like I'm wearing nothing when I apply it and it lasts pretty well all throughout the day despite hot and muggy weather. I also love that despite the fact that it's a BB cream and that BB creams are not typically known to provide the best of coverages, it does a pretty good job of evening out the redness and blemish scars on my face! Usually I mix a bit of moisturizer with a bit of SPF and apply that to my face before putting the cream on and the end result is dewy and healthy looking skin. I usually still need to apply a bit of concealer on some areas but I would have to do that with normal foundation anyway. The cream also claims to renew, brighten, hydrate for 24 hours and even the skin tone. I know there is a newer more liquidy version of this BB cream but this has more of a foundation texture to it which makes for cleaner application.

Product # 2: Alba Botanica Very Emollient Suncreen (SPF 30)

This is the sunscreen I was talking about earlier. The reason I love it so much is because it provides good protection from the sun but also is very non-greasy and has a nice faint florally scent to it. It also feels super moisturizing on my skin and it shines through the BB cream and gives the skin a glowy and very healthy appearance. It's a very healthy and natural formula so it can be found mostly in health food stores or in the health food section in major grocery stores. I believe the price ranges from 8 to 10 dollars so it's affordable for the quality.

Product # 3 : Alba Botanica Very Emollient Golden Tanning Without the Sun

Can you tell that I love Alba Botanica? ;) This natural self tanner costs about the same as the facial sunscreen above and it too is really worth the money. It smells really nice for a self tanner and it has never left any streaks on my skin which is awesome. The cream also feels moisturizing while it's on and usually can be reapplied within three hours of the first application if a darker tan is desired. It really does work and the tan that I get out of one use looks super natural on my pale skin and I don't have to compromise the safety of my skin.

Product # 4: Sephora Bronzer in Los Cabos

It's always been hard for me to find a shade of bronzer that compliments my skin tone. At the beginning of summer I had pretty pale skin and all the bronzers I tried ended up looking too orange on me or just too dark and unnatural looking. I was so happy to find this bronzer in Sephora because it's a good quality product and looks natural on my skin when trying to bring out my cheek bones. This product also comes in handy when I look extra pale and wish to warm my face up a bit. This could also be used in the crease of the eye for makeup minimalists who might just want to warm up and bring out their eyes. A little goes a long way!

Product # 5: Maybelline The Falsies Big Eyes Mascara (Waterproof)

Maybelline, you've done it again! I've always been a HUGE Maybelline mascara fan and their new Big Eyes mascara is another hit with me. The upper lash wand does a great job of bringing great volume to the upper lashes and doesn't smudge at all. The formula does clump a bit though but I think this is okay because it just adds to the dramatic false eyelash effect. The lower lash brush and formula is also really impressive. I love how the wand is so small because it makes it easier to coat every lash. The lower lash formula doesn't clump and doesn't smudge either. I like using his wand combo on my upper lashes when I want a very natural lash. 

Thanks again and may you have a wonderful day, 

Amanda 

xxx