Photo: Aldo Shoes

Spring is here and it's time to finally bring out the mules.

I recently picked up a pair of amazing and surprisingly comfortable snake skin mules from Aldo Shoes and it definitely got me on a search for more Spring sandals. The style above Dussa, is only $80 and at the time of this post is 30% off here at Aldo. The mule trend has been picking up steam since last year and looks like it's not going any where soon.

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I'm not much of an accessory wearer, but I am absolutely obsessed with sunglasses.

Facial oils have been all over my Instagram feed for a while now. After years of battling dehydrated dry skin, I spent a few months trying out different facial oils and turns out, they actually do live up to the hype. According to my dermatologist friend, as we age (and I have) our skin stops producing as much natural oil so incorporating an oil into our routine can have tremendous positive effect on the condition of the skin. Oils help to protect the skin from fine lines, wrinkles, acne and also helps with texture issues. Each skin type has oil that specifically benefit that skin type, but today I want to talk about the three oils that have made a huge difference in my skincare routine.

Rose Hip Oil

Rosehip oil is pressed from the seeds of the rosebush and is packed full of vitamins and antioxidants that has worked wonders for my skin. When I tell you for me it has been a game changer for the over all evenness of my skin. Not only has it helped to even out my dark spots, it faded a small scar that I had on my forehead since I was a child. I use this in the morning while I'm getting ready and at night before bed along with a little shea oil and my skin has not been more radiant. The good thing about this oil is that it doesn't leave a super oily residue behind, so I can transition right into applying my makeup without worrying about oil breakthrough later on I actually picked mine up on Amazon here. It's not the cheapest product, but you will not regret purchasing this rosehip oil.

Shea Oil

Ever since moving to Baltimore, my skin has become like literally desert dry. I totally already have dry skin in general, but the lack of moisture in the air coupled with extremely hard water, my skin is a lot more dehydrated and Shea oil is perfect for anyone who needs a dose of hydration. Shea oil, which is a byproduct of Shea butter, has a concentration of fatty acids and vitamins making ultra moisturizing and nourishing. When I was having major skin concerns, this oil not only helped to soothe my skin, but it also help with inflammation and has anti wrinkle properties as well. Personally, I use this shea oil and mix it with my trusty Rosehip oil at night for an extra punch of hydration. In the morning, my skin always feel super soft and radiant.

Jamaican Black Castor Oil

Jamaican Black Castor oil is probably best known for it restorative hair growth properties, but I really love how this feels on my skin as well. Before I get into the how and why of this oil it's important to distinguish between traditional and Jamaican Black Castor oil. Traditional Castor oil is pressed from the raw seed of the Castor oil plant, while Jamaican Castor oil first roasted and then pressed, where as traditional castor oil is pressed using fresh seeds. The roasting of the beans not only causes the oil to have a much darker color than traditional Castor Oil, but it also brings out all of the nutrients from the seeds.

The omega-9 fatty acids in Jamaican black castor oil help to nourish and moisturize the skin. I like to use this oil a few times a week to ensure that my skin stays flawless and moisturized. This oil also has done wonders for my chapped lips. I put this on my lips every night and in the morning, my lips fee really supple and nourished. There are so many great brands for Jamaican Castor Oil, but lately this one has been my go to brand lately. Although Jamaican Mango and Lime Black Castor Oil is also really great for hair use only.

Tips for Facial Oil Application

Here a few ways that I incorporate facial oils into my beauty routine:

1. Mixed with moisturizer for a extra punch of hydration
2. Combine 2 or three drops of oil with the SPF of your choice before heading out for the day
3. After your full skin care routine. It's important to first wash and exfoliate your face and then apply the oil of your choice as the last step in your routine. 

What are some of your go to oils to keep your skin hydrated and clear? I definitely want to try Baobab Oil next.

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Hey beauties! It's definitely been a while since you've heard from me on this blog. My best explanations is that sometime life (and seborrheic dermatitis) happens. I have had a massive break out on my face since November and it has not been fun at all. Sebborheic dermatitis is basically dandruff on the face and really came out of no where as soon as the temperature dropped here in Baltimore. It caused swelling, itching and a huge rash all over my face and I haven't been able to really wear a lot of makeup.

I was finally able to get an appointment with a dermatologist a few weeks ago and my face is all better so It's back to blogging for me.

You would think that having a horrible skin condition would keep me from wanting to try out new drugstore beauty products...but of course it didn't. Today, I want to talk about some of my newest makeup purchases that I've been putting to the test over the past few months.

Most of these were picked up from Ulta or Walmart

Milani Conceal and Perfect Longwear Concealer $8.99

If I am honest, I don't really have a lot of drugstore concealers that work for me and certainly I can't think of any from Milani that work for me. However, this  new concealer had amazing reviews online so I decided to pick it up. After weeks of use I can say t and love how full the coverage is despite the lightness of this formula. Although it wasn't creaseless on my skin (especially on my aging skin), it definitely stayed in place and wore really well all day. I took this on vacation with me to Chicago recently and wore just this concealer with powder and it looked so natural and beautiful. This concealer also wears well on its own.

Milani Amorematte Satin Matte Lip Cream $8.99

The Milani Amorematte Lip Creams are one of my favorite matte liquid lipstick formulas at the drugstore, but they are super drying so I was absolutely thrilled when I saw that Milani released a satin version, at least one shade had to go home with me. The shade Plush is a mauve pink and is my go to lip color for most makeup looks that I do. Are these more comfortable than the original formula? Yes, these have shea butter and soybean oil so my lips definitely felt more hydrated. I did not expect this liquid lipstick to dry down to a lasting finish, but they and I got about 5 hours of wear from this lippie.

Milani Amore Shine Liquid Lip Color $8.99

This lip formula is definitely the MVP of this blog post! The Amore Shine formula isn't exactly new to the Milani line, but it's my first time trying it and I am obsessed with using this as a lip gloss over my lipstick. The formula can best be described as a shiny liquid lipstick that doesn't dry down. Now I'm pretty sure it's meant to be worn on its own because the pigmentation is damn near opaque. I personally prefer to layer mine over liner or another lipstick for a long wear shiny lip color. I seriously have the best lip days when I wear this lipstick lip gloss hybrid. I feel like anyone who enjoys glossy lips will enjoy this lipstick.

Rimmel Stay Matte Concealer $4.97

Rimmel is one of my new faves at the drugstore. Although not a lot people agree, I love their Stay Matte Mousse and Lasting Finish Foundation formulas on my skin. So when I spotted the Stay Matte concealer in a skin tone I snatched it up. Out of the two concealers I mentioned today, this one is my least favorite. It's not that its not good, the Milani concealer just kind of blows this formula out of the water on my skin. Despite the watery formula, this really did a good job of covering the dark circles under my eyes and didn't look cakey. It pairs really well with the Stay matte Mousse foundation, but was too much coverage to be paired with the Lasting Finish formula. I love the price point of this and it lasted really well on my skin. I ended up picking up the shade 512 Amber and found that it was a pretty good match for concealing, but not necessarily brightening.

Black Radiance highlighter palette $9.99

This highlighter palette was a total impulse purchase that I am sooo glad I picked up. Not that I needed anymore highlighters, but the formula of this little palette is everything. It features 3 unique highlighter shades and the pans are huge. Baecation is a golden peach that reminds me a lot of Champagne Pop from Becca ; First Class is like an icy vivid lavender without the ash, and Paradise is like a reddish copper that mimics Blushed Copper blush from Becca. The pigmentation of these highlighters are next level! They pop on dark skin, but definitely can be worn by all skin tones. I also love that this palette is multi purposes. I used this on my face and eyes while I was on vacation recently and the look came out absolutely gorgeous so I definitely recommend this. If it can last all day in the Puerto Rican sun, it's definitely worth paying a little attention to.

Left to Right: Baecation, First Class, Paradise

Wearing First Class

I have definitely cut down on my makeup spending since 2019 started, but I just couldn't resist sharing these recent finds with you. Share some of your favorite recent drugstore makeup finds below in the comments.