July Beautified

I hate to make another one of those “beauty obsessions” posts (I’m sure you see plenty) but I’ve been trying a lot of new products lately and I haven’t done a beauty post in a while, so I thought I’d give it a go. This isn’t necessarily a summer beauty feature (these products are great now as well as year round) but because it’s July which means summer is in full swing (although that’s questionable in Chicago) it’s time to get your July beautified.

Like I’ve mentioned before, these are just some things I’ve tried lately that have worked out well for me. If you have sensitive skin I’d look into these products a little more before trying. I don’t want you to break out in hives and be like “Jena said this body scrub would change my life!” (although I guess a skin reaction could be life changing?)

So let’s start from the left — the Morgan Marie Beauty Angled Liner Brush. Unfortunately, I’ve never had a talent for applying eye makeup (I can barely apply mascara properly) so you can only imagine how amazing I am at applying eyeliner (#sarcasm). Fortunately, I got this liner brush that makes it incredibly easy. I’ve had the Bobbi Brown gel eyeliner for a while but because I could never get a good line going it’s just been sitting in my drawer. I was skeptical to try a new liner brush because I knew eyeliner just wasn’t my forte…but now I’ve been wearing eyeliner up to once a week. Sometimes twice. This is kind of a big deal.

As much as I love hot weather, I do not love humidity…and neither does my hair. I’m kind of like Karen from Mean Girls except it’s not my breasts that can tell when it’s raining, it’s my hair that can determine the amount of humidity in the air. No joke. But when I have bottle of Fekkai Glossing Cream I can be all like F U FRIZZ. All you need is a pea-size amount (which I wish I knew before I opted for the huge bottle), you can go frizz-free and have a good shine.

I was a big fan of Laura Mercier’s tinted moisturizer…before I got my hands on the Kevyn Aucoin Tinted Balm. I’m not huge on foundation so anything that feels light with skin benefits is my ideal makeup. Although I’m not 100%, I’ve been trying to only use products (especially on my face and body) that’s as natural as possible. This product is both paraben and D5-free but most importantly it makes your skin look and feel AWESOME.

Like I’ve said in the past, lipstick is your best accessory, but now I have a new one to add to the bunch — Wild Child by Ilia. I had been wanting to get this lip color for a while but I have so many lipsticks in the red/orange family, I wasn’t sure if it would be worth it. I gave it another try yesterday and I couldn’t leave space519 without that lipstick. It’s the perfect red/orange shade, it’s hydrating without looking too glossy and it lasts FOREVER. I put it on around 11:30am yesterday, it was still on in full force when I get home at 5. Even after lunch and of course several snacks.

I’ve been very loyal to Sugar Fresh Lip Lip Treatment for years but for some reason the last time I ran out, I was open to something new. Then I came across Jao Lip Balm and I was pleasantly surprised. Not only is it all natural (which I enjoy, especially when I’m practically eating the stuff) it also protects against UVA/UVB rays. Plus, it feels fantastic on your lips and makes them look flawless. Seriously. I don’t know how they do it but I’m sold.

I think it’s pretty obvious from my [very consistent] #manimonday Instagrams that I have a little bit of a nailpolish obsession. I also happen to enjoy a good designer collaboration so cue Pierre Hardy x NARS and I’m in. I especially love the yellow/lavender combo for right now because if you even have the least bit of a tan, these colors are very complimentary. And you know I can’t paint all my nails the same color, so if you too feel that way, go on with your bad self and use both at once!

With my old body scrub, I had to use it 3-4 times a week to get the results I wanted, with the Aesop Geranium Leaf Body Scrub, I only need to bring this baby out once a week. If you’re looking for a super gentle exfoliant to use often, this isn’t your product but if you just want a good scrub down once a week, then I highly suggest trying this. I hate to use the word “invigorating” to describe this a beauty product because I’d probably sound like a 90s Neutrogena commercial…but I don’t care. This stuff is INVIGORATING.

I don’t use tanning beds, I fear spray tans (I’ve seen way too many bad spray tans happen to good people) and I’ve never really used a self-tanning product…until Tan Towels. Because I use those in the winter (or if I’m just feeling a little on the pale side) and I also use the Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta peels once a week, someone suggested I use the Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Glow Pad for body. It saves me an extra step (which is always a good thing) and it does WORK. I’ve only used this twice and both times people asked about my skin the next day. It’s pretty awesome to have a body exfoliator, self tanner, and anti-aging treatment in one product.

Who would have thought there’s another shaving cream besides Skintimate, right? It’s something I’ve been using since I picked up a razor but I never actually loved the stuff. I hate the artificial scents and even the unscented one seems fake. Shaving your legs is annoying (and if you’re lucky enough to have laser, then you can just skip this last paragraph) but when you find something that makes it possible to shave less often, you can’t use anything else…you just can’t. So Cremo Cream is a pretty badass product because you barely have to use any, razor burn just isn’t an option, and you’ll only have to shave once a week (maybe twice). It even says on the bottle “Try it once to believe it. Enjoy it for life. It’s really that good.” All true things.

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If you’re in Chicago, you can find Ilia, Aesop, Jao, Cremo, and Kevyn Aucoin at space519 in the 900 shops. The eyeliner brush is available online only. I get my Dr. Dennis Gross and Fekkai products at Blue Mercury on Halsted. And I’ve seen the NARS nail polishes pretty much everywhere (I got mine at Nordstrom) so any major department store should have it.

And if you’re not in Chicago…