Hot Weather Staples

Hi, friends! It's the first of the month, and you know what that means: The Beauty & Fashion Blog Community blog hop! This month, we're sweating up a storm (isn't that a lovely image?) so we're sharing tips on how to keep looking fresh-faced. Let's get started!

I have combination skin, so in the summer months I like to switch to a lighter PM moisturizer (for my T-zone's sake). Right now I've been using EVOLOGIE's Stay Clear Cream ($62 for 1oz) to keep the acne at bay, because blackheads are loving me right now and it's just not cool. This is the sample size from their duo pack. It has 2% salicylic acid, and they don't advertise what the pH level is, but it must be somewhere around the right mark because it seems to be working. I use this everywhere else but my cheeks, since my cheeks have enough trouble staying hydrated and I never have a problem with acne there. My dry cheeks are divas and get a separate night cream. Wow, I never thought I would become the person that uses two separate night creams, but combination skin is a pain in the butt. (Read more: April Favorites, May Favorites)

EVOLOGIE's Stay Clear Cream

Something about the sweltering hot weather makes me incredibly lazy, so I use products like SOLSCENTS Angelica SPF 30 Sunscreen ($14.95 for 8oz) to combine steps in my daily routine. This is not only a sunscreen, but also a lotion and fragrance. It smells great, leaves my body feeling nice and soft, and it has SPF 30! It's affordable, too, so it pretty much fills all requirements on the checklist. (Read more: Full Review, Beach & Pool Bag Essentials)

My Favorite Things: July 2014

Hi, friends! It is time for my monthly favorites post! I can't believe next month is August, and I go back to school in less than a month. My next favorites post will be written at school in Boston! Whoa!

Anyway, let's get on to the good stuff~

AQUAPHOR Lip Repair ($5 for .35oz)

This has become my new nighttime lip balm, since I used up my Vaseline Lip Therapy (see Lip Balm Bonanza: Part 1). This got a mention in my Part 2, because it really does provide immediate relief to chapped lips. I'm perpetually dehydrated (oops) so this is really nice to have on hand. I especially like using it before bed, since that's 8+ (we wish) hours spent not drinking water! And for those of you who don't like using lip products with petroleum since you're habitual lip-lickers, have no fear; this is petroleum free!

Review: Adovia Dead Sea Mineral Eye Gel

Hi, friends! I haven't done a legitimate review on this blog in a stupidly long time (I blame the tags -- they're so addicting!) so today I bring you a skincare review. I'm always on the lookout for an affordable eye cream, since whenever I look at department store prices I kind of want to vomit. After testing the Adovia Dead Sea Mineral Eye Gel for two weeks, here are my thoughts on it.

I Love Drugstore Makeup (Tag)

Hi, friends! Today's post is all about drugstore makeup.That's right: the "I <3 Drugstore Makeup Tag"! The girls from the Beauty & Fashion Blog Community and I have taken it upon ourselves to host a mini blog hop mid-month. Because who doesn't love makeup AND affordable prices? Well, my brother Steve, who really couldn't care less (though he reads these posts because he loves me), but enough about that. Let's get on to the good stuff!

1. What is your favorite drugstore makeup brand overall? 

Hmm, that's hard to say. I love Maybelline's face products, e.l.f.'s Studio brushes, Revlon's lip products, and CoverGirl's mascaras. Though, if I had to pick one, I would go with Physician's Formula. They're pricer than the other drugstore brands, probably even a little overpriced (the medical claims are absolute BS), but they're a brand that I would feel comfortable using all over my face. I don't think they make lip products, though, so I guess I'd just have to substitute in a Revlon Lip Butter. ;) Oh, what a tragedy...

Products I've Used Up: July 2014

Hey, friends! This month I may or may not have a novel of empties for you. I've just used up so many products recently, and I didn't want May's Empties post to get too long, but now here we are. Oh well.

Let's get on to the good stuff!

CLEAR SCALP & HAIR THERAPY Ultra Shea Shampoo and Conditioner
(Each bottle: $5 for 12.9oz)

I talked about these freebies in a Mail Time! last year, and after trying them, I know I'm definitely not a fan. This is the Ultra Shea line, but shea butter doesn't appear until halfway down the ingredients list, and I didn't find it moisturizing at all. My hair was dry, both near my roots and at my ends, so I wouldn't repurchase this.

AVEDA Invati Thickening Shampoo and Conditioner 
(Each bottle: $27 for 6.7oz)

I talked about winning these in a sweepstakes in a different Mail Time! post, and also disliked them. Granted, these are for thinning hair (which I don't have), but I thought it would give me some fullness. Well, my hair didn't feel any thicker, didn't look any more voluminous, and frankly, it smells kind of bad. Not bad as in the spoiled/rotten sense, but just overly herbal and unpleasant. Maybe they'll work for someone who has thinning hair and doesn't mind the smell, but I was not a fan. I won't be repurchasing, especially not for that price.

Guest Post: 6 Things You Should Do in the Morning

Hi, friends! Today I'd like to share with you the post I did for Tiffany, a fellow Her Campus blogger, on Endless Bliss. It's part of her Motivated Mondays series, titled "6 Things You Should Do in the Morning." I thought it would be a nice break from the usual makeup and beauty stuff, so check it out if you have the time!

The gorgeous title picture by Tiffany--you go, girl! 

Until next time, stay beautiful! 

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Beauty Profile (Tag)

Hi, friends! My friend Michelle from the Beauty & Fashion Blog Community did a beauty questionnaire post today on her blog, Beautiful Goodies, so I thought I would give it a go. It looked like a lot of fun, so I couldn't resist doing it for myself! I gave it an unofficial name, the "Beauty Profile Tag," just because I could. Let's get started!

What skin type do you have? 
Combination skin (aka unfair/indecisive skin), but on the dry side. Right now I've actually been super dry, and I don't know why. It's summer--why am I still dry?!

How many times do you wash your face daily? 
One a day, at night. I've found that washing my face twice a day is unnecessary, since I'm pretty dry to begin with. I just use a toner in the morning.

What’s your current facial wash? 
Philosophy's Purity Made Simple ($23 for 8oz), which is amazing because it takes off makeup and doesn't contain any sulfates (aka my skin doesn't feel parched after I wash my face). You can see more about it in my June Favorites.

This is the 32oz bottle because go big or go home