July Favorites

When I think back to the beginning of July--going to a concert with my family, visiting my sister, and learning new jobs at work--it feels like this month has been longer than usual. Then I realize that I only have a month left until school starts! Where has my summer gone?

As always I've been keeping a careful list of the products, books, and shows that I have been loving this month. I have a feeling some of these will end up in my 2017 favorites, too!

Glossier Cloud Paint in Puff

I haven't tried many cream or liquid blushes. I always figured they would be really pigmented, patchy, and hard to blend, but after seeing a few videos of the Cloud Paint at work I decided to try it out. Puff is a light, slightly cool-toned pink that absorbs seamlessly into the skin. Cloud Paint is the perfect name for it--the formula is moussey and light, leaving behind a gorgeous natural tint.

PS: you can use this link for $$$ off your first Glossier order, and I would get some store credit, too! Win-win.

Nyx Wonder Contour Stick

As I'm sure you know, Kim Kardashian launched her contour sticks this month (a few years too late, in my opinion) and I became curious about a cream contour. Much like cream blush, I figured it would look unnatural and hard to blend. I found a Nyx dual-ended contour stick at the drugstore and decided to get it, and I haven't looked back! It blends out really nicely with a damp sponge.

Tocca Simone
Cruelty-free perfumes seem to be hard to come by, but Tocca is one of my most popular high-end ones! I've been loving their scrubs so I really wanted to try one of their fragrances. Simone sounded amazing based off the description, inspired by Sydney's Bondi Beach: "Sparkling notes of the tropical frangipani flower cut through the salt sea air, as Simone unfolds into creamy layers of watermelon, ylang ylang, and blonde woods." This is a more sophisticated fruity scent. One reviewer described it well: if most fruity perfume are sweetened watermelon-flavored Jolly Ranchers, whereas Simone is the real, watered-down watermelon flavor. It took a while to grow on me but now I love it!

Game of Thrones
*insert theme song here* the entire world has been hyped for the seventh season of Game of Thrones, and I'm no exception! The very first scene of the premiere had me thinking this might be the best season yet. I can't wait to see how this series ends, I truly think it's one of the best shows ever made. If you're into fantasy you have to check this out. I recommend studying a family tree or reading the first book or two to help you get into the characters, families, and extensive backstory involved with the show!

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
This is the book that the new Hulu series is based off of and I really wanted to read the book before diving into the show. I haven't quite finished it yet, but I'm definitely far enough to know that I like it! Essentially it revolves around a woman in a post-government takeover America who is a "handmaid", a woman who is given to an older, prestigious man for the purpose of having children. The reader is led to believe that something happened to most of the children, or perhaps something happened to most women to make them unable to repopulate. If she doesn't conceive then she will be sent away to an even more horrible place than where she is currently forced to live. This premise is basically my worst nightmare, so I really feel for the main character and I'm hoping this has a happy ending.

I Hunt Killers series by Barry Lyga
I've mentioned these books on my blog before, but over the last month I finished the trilogy and I really liked them! The books follow Jasper Dent, the only son of Billy Dent, a notorious serial killer. Billy attempted to train Jasper to follow in his footsteps and now that he's on his own, Jasper is trying hard to overcome his childhood. He still has an intricate knowledge of how a serial killer thinks, though he's never killed anyone, and is an asset to the police force when a new serial killer crops up in his town. The first book was good, but it was the second and third that really impressed me. If you're a fan of twisty crime novels, this might be for you.

4Ocean
For donations this month I decided to pick up a bracelet I read about on Facebook! For every bracelet that you buy, one pound of trash is removed from the ocean. The bracelets are each $20 and they also have one that supports shark conservation. My bracelet arrived really quickly and I'm impressed with the quality! The string is made of recycled plastic and the beads are clear and made of recycled glass. A little metal 4 with a wave symbol hangs off of one end. Overall, a really pretty bracelet and a great cause! I also donated to a friend's pit bull charity. In case you're wondering, I include this section in every favorites post to keep with my New Year's resolution!

What have you been loving this month?

Xx Katie