Peaches & Honey: Summer Makeup Bag

You'd probably never guess it since I'm rarely clean in my day-to-day life, but I am a total makeup girly-girl. I love makeup. Always have. I love reading Allure and In Style magazines to find out about the latest beauty products; a dream day includes a little shopping spree at Sephora; and I'm always fascinated to learn what products my friends keep in their makeup bags.
I love knowing what people love, whether it's a cult favorite from an upscale brand or something from the corner drugstore. There are a few items that I could not live without, and I have come across most of them from friends or magazines.

Many items are year-round staples for me, but I do tend to gravitate toward nudes, golds, peach, and bronzes during the summer. There are some amazing things out there, especially for the summertime. So since I love hearing about what my friends love keeping in their makeup bags, I thought I'd share some of my summer favorites.

Smashbox Photo Finish- This is not a product I use in my everyday life, but it's a great base coat to put under your foundation for a special event. It helps smooth your skin and fill in lines and creases, plus, it helps keep makeup staying put for many hours.
Jergen's Natural Glow Face Moisturizer- I start with this everyday. It gives your face just a subtle bit of warm color if you use it for a few days in a row. I've been using it for years now, and I'm still really fond of it.
Garnier BB Cream- BB creams are all the rage now, and I've tried plenty. This one is surprisingly great, and it can be found at Walmart or CVS. I honestly think it is just as good as any of the more expensive brands that I've found at Sephora. When I'm putting on casual everyday makeup, I mix a squirt of the BB cream with a squirt of the self-tanning moisturizer and then apply. It's light and feels just like you're putting on lotion, but it does a nice job of covering imperfections.
Dior AirFlash- This is the BEST foundation for when you want to step things up a notch. It gives great coverage, looks airbrused, and feels light as a feather. It's a bit pricey, but I use it so rarely that it lasts me a while.
Lancome Long Lasting Concealer- If I were stuck on a deserted island and could only pick one makeup product, it would be concealer. I was cursed with dark circles under my eyes, and having two little kids don't help the matter. I literally look like a different person before and after applying concealer. This one is a good one; believe me, I've tried them all.
La Bella Donna Loose Mineral Powder My beauty-product-junkie aunt introduced me to this powder, and I haven't looked back. It's light and effective and lasts forever.
Laura Mercier Invisible Loose Setting Powder I didn't know this until my wedding makeup artist informed me, but regular powder is terrible for under your eyes. It cakes and shows your lines, plus it can make your under-eye circles even darker. She recommended using this loose setting powder, and I do use it when I'm going out and applying "real" makeup. It goes on basically clear and sets your under-eye concealer up to avoid cakiness.
Too Faced French Riviera Bronzing Set- I ran across this set in Japan, where shopping is limited, and I fell in love with it. It comes with cards to show you different methods and effects of application; you can do a really simple everyday look, or you can do a black-tie affair look all from the same set.
Nars Blush in Orgasm- This is one of those colors that looks great on everybody. Hands-down my favorite color in Sephora, and I haven't used another blush in years. The only thing I hate is having to whisper the word "orgasm" to a salesperson in public. But I've since gotten over that.
La Bella Donna Moonlight Cream- This is a multipurpose cream that can work for highlighting cheekbones and/or on the eyes. It's a creamy consistency, and I smudge my eyeliner with it when I'm wearing everyday makeup. It gives a lovely dewy look which is great for summer.

MAC Kohl Eye Pencil- My requirements of an eyeliner seem unfair; I like a pencil that is able to smudge but won't smear all over your face in the heat. This is my favorite one, and I buy it in a dark brown so that it's a little softer than the harsh black.
Bobbi Brown Brow Pencil- Eyebrows are a feature that you don't really think about unless somebody's are bad. Mousy eyebrows are a pet peeve of mine, but my eyebrows aren't heavy (and they look really foolish if they're over-drawn or over-plucked). It's a fine line. Plus, they're grey eyebrows; who has grey eyebrows? I used to have a brown eyebrow pencil that just never seemed quite right and it didn't seem to match perfectly. But then I came across this Bobbi Brown eyebrow pencil in Grey, and it works like a charm. This pencil is part of my everyday repertoire because bad eyebrows are tres tragic.
Too Faced Shadow Insurance- I only use this if I'm putting on actual eye shadow, which is usually only for a night out. This is an eyelid primer that helps keep your eyeshadow and liner on your actual eyelid and not all over the side of your face.
Too Faced Natural Eye Shadow Palette- I don't wear tons of eyeshadow on an everyday basis. It's usually something that I reserve for evenings or special day events. Definitely not grocery shopping. I'm very into golds/browns/bronze colors, and this little palette is my favorite. I'm almost out of the "pushup" pod and am close to re-investing. Brown smoky eyes are so much more flattering than black, especially in the summer!
Diorshow Iconic Overcurl Mascara My favorite mascara. All the Dior mascaras are good, but this one is my personal favorite due to the wand. The color is the blackest black, the wand is curved and works almost like an eyelash curler, and 2 coats provide plenty of volume. I haven't tried that Younique mascara that people seem to love (although I am dying to know if it really works as well as people claim), but this is the best mascara I've found.

MAC Lipglass in Oyster Girl- I normally go for rosy/peachy/nude colors, but this has been a favorite of mine since college, and I still bust it out from time to time. It's a pearlescent pink that isn't cheesy!
Nars Lip Gloss in Orgasm- Again with the Nars Orgasm. Seriously, whoever came up with this color is a woman-loving genius. One of my very favorite lip glosses.
Sephora Lip Gloss in Fresh Peach Shimmer - This is a color I picked up in Sephora when they were out of Nars Orgasm one day. It's really similar for a few dollars less, but it has a hit more gold shimmer to it. Great for summer!
Buxom Lip Gloss in Mud Slide- This is a plumping lipgloss that has a creamy sheen instead of a sparkle. It gives a nice, rosy, glossy shine and makes your lips tingle. This "mudslide" color is a new favorite of mine.
Too Faced Lip Insurance- This is a lip primer that I only use when I'm wearing lipstick (which is usually only for nights out on the town...which is almost never these days). It really helps lipstick stay on your lips, although I have also used concealer topped with powder as a substitute, and it works quite similarly.
Revlon Matte Lipstick in Mauve it Over- This is my favorite summer lipstick, although I rarely wear actual lipstick in my day-to-day routine. This color is a warm rosy nude; not too drab like a true nude, and it gives a nice hint of color. True nude lipsticks are tricky to pull off because they can wash you out. This doesn't. I'm a matte lipstick fan; I prefer it to shimmery lipsticks. The whole matte line of Revlon is good (Really Red is one of my favorites for fall/winter).

Hot Couture by Givenchy- This is my favorite perfume of all time. It elicits comments frequently, and I suppose because it's distinct. I can smell it on someone from a mile away, although I don't sniff it on others very often. That's another reason I love it--it's uncommon. It's classy and sophisticated, and it just has a certain je ne sais quois that you can't quite put your finger on.
Born in Paradise by Escada- This is one of the only other perfumes I allow into my lair, but only for the summer. Escada comes out with a different summer perfume every year, and this is one of the best ones.
Aveeno Baby Eczema Therapy- I genuinely loathe lotion and will probably shrivel up to be an old hag. It's something about getting slimy fingers that I just can't get on board with. I'm doing my best to nip this in the bud and convince myself to use it before it's too late. This is the lotion I use on the babies, and it's a great one. Nothing fancy, but it is thick and creamy and not greasy at all.
Clarins Auto-Bronzante Express Self Tanning Instant Gel- Okay, this may seem a little loopy since I just said I hate having lotion on my fingers, but that's the beauty of this stuff--it's not a lotion. It's a bronzing gel, and it's the best thing since sliced bread. It dries quickly and is incredibly effective. Just one use elicited a few comments on my tan the other day. I can assure you I haven't laid out in 9 months at least, so it's completely a bottled tan. And it's a nice, bronze tan instead of that cringe-worthy orange self tanner. I promise, This. Stuff. Works.
Gelous Advanced Nail Gel Base Coat- I used to think that base coat nail polishes were useless until my friend gave me this one. It extends the life of a manicure, and I don't paint my nails without it.
Essie Polish in Marshmallow, Barefoot & Topless, and Tart Deco- I'm digging whites and nudes so far this summer. "Marshmallow" is my favorite white because it's not stark white; it's ever-so-slightly ivory. "Barefoot & Topless" is the best nude I've found for my skin tone, but nudes are tricky and vary from person to person. And "Tart Deco" is just a fun, bright summer staple that won't ever go out of style.
Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat- I don't know how many times I have raved about this on this blog, but this is the bees knees. I never painted my nails before I was introduced to this stuff, and now I give myself a manicure every week. It dries your nails in 30 seconds flat and gives a nice, thick, high-glossy finish that rivals any salon manicure. Totally worth the $8.

Pureology Pure Volume Shampoo- I try to rotate shampoos pretty frequently, so I rarely buy the same thing back-to-back. This is a favorite of mine, though. I don't know how well it actually works for volumizing because my hair is hopelessly thin, but I always feel so clean after using it.
Bumble & Bumble Mending Shampoo and Conditioner- B&B can be pretty pricey, so I don't use this all the time or every day, but it is my absolute favorite shampoo and conditioner set. It's for damaged, colored hair, and you can literally feel it making your over-processed hair healthier.
It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In Product- OH MY GOD, I could not live without this stuff. My hair is impossible to comb without this after showering. I rarely even use conditioner in the shower. Instead, I wash my hair and then spray this on my head when I get out. It feels like lotion for your hair, minus the disgusting greasy mess that would come from actually putting lotion on your hair. I marvel at how easily I comb my wet hair out after spraying this on. I think I would just give up on showering altogether if this didn't exist. Life wouldn't be worth living.
Tangle Teezer- Combined with the leave-in product above, this tangle teezer is the only way I'm not bald. It's really soft and flexible, yet apparently strong enough to comb through the nappiest of wet hair. I don't know who came up with this, but she deserves a trophy on behalf of women everywhere.
Babyliss Hair Dryer - My sweet aunt gave me this blowdryer for Christmas one year. It has a Ferarri-made engine in it. No, really. That's all I have to say about that.
Bumble & Bumble Tonic- I don't use this everyday, but this is one of my favorite smells in the world. It smells herbal-y and clean, so I feel like I'm in an old-fashioned barber shop whenever I use it. Sprayed on wet hair, it primes your hair and scalp for styling...and it makes your hair smell like you rolled in peppermint.
Bumble & Bumble Thickening Spray- I have to use this because I have tragically thin hair. Volumizers can be tricky, and they can make your hair feel sticky and gross. This is a spray that helps thicken without volumizing, if that make sense. It doesn't leave me with sticky roots at all.
Kenra Blow-Dry Fast Spray- I love this stuff. I spray it on damp hair, and I swear it cuts down on blowdrying time. I thought at first that it may be a placebo kind of mind game I was playing with myself, but I really tested it out and timed myself, and it did take off a few minutes of drying time. I don't know what kind of black magic goes into the production of this, but it's got my support.
Rockaholic Dirty Secret Dry Shampoo- I may or may not have mentioned how much I loathe washing my hair, so I've tried every dry shampoo on the market. And there are a lot. This is hands-down my favorite. It volumizes, soaks up oil, and can help cover dark roots. It's the trifecta for me. A little pricey at nearly $20 a can, but 100% worth it.
Bumble & Bumble Does-It-All- I almost never use hair spray. This is a great alternative to firm hair sprays.