Well it’s June already, so that means it’s time for my May favorites! I kind of feel like it’s been two different months because it seems like I started out May with one set of favorites and ended it with a whole new set of oft-reached-for products! I guess that make this a two-for-one special?!?! J Let’s just get on to my May favorites, shall we? J
I’m going to start with a sun care product because sun protection is vitally important, especially in the summer. My favorite sunscreen of the month is hands down the Alba Botanica Natural Hawaiian Revitalizing Green Tea SPF 45 Broad Spectrum Sunscreen. That was a mouthful! This sunscreen has a high broad-spectrum SPF of 45, it is Water Resistant (80 minutes), it is recommended by the Skin Cancer Foundation, it carries the Leaping Bunny logo, it contains 100% Vegetarian ingredients (I think it’s Vegan), it has a light but pleasant scent, and it’s not at all greasy or sticky! It’s much thinner than the Badger sunscreen I reviewed earlier this month. I like that one as well, and for an unscented sunscreen, that’s a great choice. However, I feel like the Alba Bontanica Natural Hawaiian Sunscreen is a bit more lotion-like, so it spreads beautifully and absorbs wonderfully. As I said, the scent is quite light and you don’t really notice it while, or after, applying it. It’s a pleasant scent anyway. I have no idea how to describe it, but it’s not a standard sunscreen scent, nor is it a chemical scent. It just smells kind of fresh. Green tea with very faint touch of fruit mixed in might be a way to describe it, but I’m terrible with scents! J Make sure you get the Natural Hawaiian Sunscreen version and not the Very Emollient Sunscreen, as I really do not like the Very Emollient version. So, without a doubt, the Alba Botanica Natural Hawaiian Revitalizing Green Tea SPF 45 Broad Spectrum Sunscreen has been a necessity in my bag of tricks this month!
To protect my face from the sun, I rely on my moisturizer. The Josie Maran Argan Daily Moisturizer SPF 40 is both an amazing moisturizer and has a pretty high SPF to keep my face protected. Plus, because the sunscreen is included in the moisturizer, I never forget to protect my face from the sun! I reviewed this the Josie Maran Daily Moistuizer a while ago (you can read my review here), and I’ve been loyal to it ever since!
I feel I must mention these two items, as they seem to be quite magical for pimples – both the giant cystic ones and your good ole fashion variety. The Drying Lotion and the Buffering Lotion from Mario Badesco are fantastic at helping to clear pimples up quickly! The Buffering Lotion is wonderful for the big ones, aka cystic acne spots. I have felt big pimples making noises and popped at bit of the Buffering Lotion on the spot at night and, though I may still end up with a small pimple, they never make it to giant, painful cystic status! Amazing, amazing stuff! The Drying Lotion is similar, but for regular old pimples. I’ve found that when I put this on pimples, I wake up with a slightly less red splotch and a much smaller pimple than I began with. It also seems to help prevent a pimple from seeking it’s true glory as a giant bump as well! The Buffering Lotion needs to be shaken before applying and is intended specifically for cystic breakouts, while the Drying Lotion contains a solid layer at the bottom with a liquid at the top into which you dip a cotton swab without shaking, and then dot it on a spot. The Mario Badesco Buffering Lotion and the Drying Lotion have been absolute miracle workers when it comes to pimples!!! J
Sticking with skin care, I’ve been testing out the Badger Damascus Rose Antioxidant Face Oil this month and it’s amazing! I’ve tried a number of face oils before and, though they have been nice, I always wake up with an oil slick on my face in the morning. The Badger Face Oil absorbs so well right on contact, and my face wakes up with no more oil than with any other moisturizer. It smells nice, which surprised me because I’m not the biggest fan of rose scents. This is not your grandmother’s rose though – it has a bit more “bite” to it, probably from the chamomile and lavender (I’m also not a huge lavender fan, but I don’t really smell it at all in this and, bonus, lavender is good for helping you relax and sleep!). This is really an amazing face oil for any skin type and I think I feel comfortable finally saying it hasn’t made me break out!!! J Absolutely loving the Badger Damascus Rose Antioxidant Face Oil.
Sticking with the Badger brand, I’ve also been loving the Badger Balm For Hardworking Hands! I won’t go in to much detail because I recently reviewed this wonderful hand treatment here.
On to makeup, there have actually been two different foundations I’ve been loving this month! The first foundation favorite is from Tarte and it is their new Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Powder Airbrush Foundation. This is a powder foundation and it is sooo easy to slap it on and go! I should say that I have tried other powder foundations before, and they always look terrible on me. They sit right in my pores and cling to any dryness. I haven’t noticed the Tarte Airbrush Foundation doing either! I would say it gives a medium coverage that is buildable to full coverage and it helps control oil! Another thing that’s really nice about it, is that it can easily be used over another foundation to add just a little bit more coverage without looking too heavy! The brush it comes with is also really nice for application and I love that the packaging because it prevents any powder from spilling out and making a huge mess, or from making it very difficult to prevent getting too much product on your brush like most other loose powder products. The Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Powder Airbrush Foundation has been a definite favorite this month!
I also picked up the BECCA Matte Skin-Shine Proof Foundation this month. It’s another really wonderful foundation for combo to oily skin! Like the Tarte foundation, I would say it has a buildable medium coverage and it does a great job at preventing oily breakthroughs! It is very comfortable, doesn’t cling to dryness, and does not emphasize uneven texture! I really like this foundation and I also really like it in combination with the Tarte for a little extra coverage! J If you have oily or combination skin, the BECCA Matte Skin-Shine Proof Foundation is definitely worth checking out!
I also have two blush favorites for the month of May! The first blush is Inglot’s Freedom System Blush #68. It’s a beautiful, vibrant coral shade that screams Spring and Summer! It may look bright and scary, but I think, if applied lightly, it's stunning! It’s also long-wearing, highly pigmented, blends easily, and has a nice soft texture. It will kick up a bit of powder when you dip your brush into the pan, but you really only need to gently tap the brush to the blush to get enough product for your cheeks. Love not only the color, but the formula of the Inglot Freedom System Blush!!! J
My second blush favorite I discovered near the end of the month. It is the Josie Maran Coconut Watercolor Cheek Gelee in “Poppy Paradise.” This blush has the coolest texture – it’s kind of like firm gelatin. It creates a gorgeous, long-wearing, translucent stain to the cheeks! When I first swatched it, I was skeptical that it would be pigmented enough to show up on the cheeks, but I bought it anyway because it feels so unusual. I am so glad that I did because it applies really easily (I’ve just used my fingers) and it wears all day! It definitely shows up on the cheeks without much effort as a radiant natural flush that is pigmented, but you can still see skin through the color. It’s really unusual and I love it! Definitely check out the Josie Maran Coconut Watercolor Cheek Gelee if you have a chance! J
I think that’s going to do it for my May Favorites! There are more things I’ve enjoyed, but these are the products at the top of my list! I hope everyone has had a wonderful month, and I hope that June is even better!!! J I love Spring and Summer, so I’m excited that it’s finally here! Anyway, let me know in the comments what your favorites have been this month because I love hearing what other people are loving each month! Have a great June and thanks so much for checking out this post!!! J
xoxo
Disclaimer: The Badger Damascus Rose Antioxidant Facial Oil was sent to me for consideration. All other items were purchased by me.
