Things I'm Loving Tuesday 8.4

Happy Things I’m Loving Tuesday dolls!! I don’t know about you, but Monday kicked my butt in a “I’m an emotional wreck today” kind of way. However, I’m determined to make today better and only a few things make me happier than talking makeup, yummy candles, and Jesus with you! Let's get started!

{On a side note, I have THREE interviews this week so please say a prayer that at least one will result in a job offer!!}

L'Oreal True Match Lumi Foundation

The first product I’m loving this week is the L'Oreal True Match Lumi Healthy Luminous Foundation (what a long name!). Yall, to be completely honest, I hate wearing foundation. There is something about it that makes my skin feel cake-y and heavy all day long. In fact,  I didn’t start wearing foundation at all until college and even then, I mostly wore only powder. That is, until my girl Jaclyn Hill introduced me to the True Match Lumi foundation! If you missed last week’s TILT, you can read all about my love/obsession with Jaclyn here. Once I actually learned how to properly wear and apply makeup (like two years ago…) I started trying out different foundations. The list of contenders would be as follows:

-Mary Kay TimeWise Luminous Wear Liquid Foundation
 -L'Oreal True Match Super-Blendable Makeup

-Mary Kay Tinted Moisturizer

-Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation

-Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow! Brightening Makeup

-Benefit Big Easy Multi-Balancing Complexion Perfector 

-and a handful of others I tossed before our move!

Out of ALL of these liquid foundations, the only one I still use is the True Match Lumi by L'Oreal! This foundation is so lightweight and creamy yet it still provides a good amount of coverage. Perfect for the girls like me that don’t like to “feel” their makeup all day long! It also smooths so easily that I usually just dab it all over my face then I go to town with my beauty blender. Giving me the perfect amount of coverage and flawless looking skin in about 30 seconds! This foundation is perfect for dry/normal skin because it creates a nice dewy, glow that leaves you looking kissed by the sun all day long. It also has an SPF of 20 which is absolute crucial in the sunshine state! (If you're not currently protecting your skin every singe day, I urge you to start doing so!)  True Match Lumi comes in 15 different shades ranging from cool to warm to neutral tones. I’m currently using the shade W3 though I love this foundation because the shade always seems to match my skin regardless of how tan I am! So, I know you're wondering what this bottle of greatness cost and I’m so excited to tell you that it is generally about $13! Go get some today and let me know what you think!!

Mac Pro Long Wear Concealer

I can’t talk about foundation without mentioning my all-time favorite concealer! Unfortunately, my genetics have blessed me with pretty noticeable dark circles under my eyes. Regardless of how much sleep I get or how much water I drink, it’s always been a struggle for me to hide the purple/blue discoloration. The list of concealers I have tried is even longer than the list of foundations. For years, I have searched high and low for the perfect way to disguise my under-eye area but every concealer fell short. The list of competitors for this job are as follows:

-NYX HD Concealer

-Pur Disappearing Act

-Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles

-Maybelline Master Concealer by FaceStudio

-Benefit Boi-ing

-L'Oreal Paris True Match Super-Blendable Concealer

-Maybelline Fit Me! Concealer

-NYX Dark Circle Concealer

Though I loved the consistency/feel of some of those listed above, none can compare to what I use now. I am now (and forever will be) obsessed with the Mac Pro Longwear Concealer. I know, those with dark circles are probably saying “duh! Why didn’t you try that in the first place!” But yall, this stuff is seriously amazing. The teeniest, tiniest amount goes the longest way and this concealer lasts for hours! I’m talking 12 hours with no creasing, no moving, no drying out, NOTHING! This is huge for me considering almost every other concealer I have used would dry out during the day and leave a flaky, unattractive under-eye mess in its wake. Though this product is on the higher-end ($21 a bottle), you get a ton of product (I only use about half a pump a day)! If you haven’t noticed the pattern, I always try to seek out the cheaper, drug store option but it never fails that you truly do pay for quality! Of course, there are always some exceptions (like the foundation above) :) The Mac Pro Longwear Concealer provides the perfect amount of coverage and acts as a flawless under-eye highlight if you can get the shading right and luckily, there’s 16 shades to choose from! I’m currently using NW20 though it is a little darker than I would prefer for my under-eye area. The only drawback to this product? The packaging. I had to learn the hard way that glass containers and tiled floors do not mix :(. All my girls looking for a better concealer, definitely give this one a try!! I promise you will NOT be disappointed! Also, if you are interested in my exact concealer routine, let me know! I will be glad to do a post explaining the awesome method I swear by.

Bath and Body Works Candles

So, this past week, we had a leak in our air conditioning unit so we called to have someone come look at it. The repair man was able to fix it and he also kindly informed us that Dakota had put something in the wrong way so all our air was coming from our garage! Not a big deal, except for the fact that our garage was super smelly because we forgot to take the trashcan to the curb the week before. Therefore, 2 weeks of smelly, yucky, overheated trash was stinking up our house and up until then, I could not figure out why!! My solution to the stank was to burn yummy smelly candles to cover it up. :) It may sound silly, but it actually worked! My absolute favorite candles are the ones from Bath and Body Works! Oh my gosh, they are magnificent. I usually only burn candles during the fall (yesss to Pumpkin Pecan Waffles!), however, I decided to give the summer scents a try this year. I bought Sangria Berry Freeze and Limoncello Poptail and they smell absolutely delicious! The Sangria one smells just like blue jello and reminds me of 4^th of July cookouts and the red, white, and blue jello parfait my mom always made! Dakota isn’t a huge fan of the Limoncello one but I love it because it smells so fresh and clean. I love using a candle warmer rather than actually burning the candle because I like to smell them all day long! Using a candle warmer will also make the candle itself last much longer! These candles are normally $22.50 each but Bath and Body Works always has a great special or coupon out so check online before rushing to a store. The last reason I love these candles? They make great gifts! With 67 scents, there’s one that is perfect for anyone and everyone! :) I’ll keep you posted on which ones I bring out for fall but for now I’m loving having my house filled with scents of summer!

"How Can It Be"

You know when you hear a song and it instantly speaks to your soul? That’s exactly what happened the first time I heard “How Can It Be” by Lauren Daigle. If you haven’t heard it, check it out below! This song is one that immediately brings me to reality and hits me in the face with just how undeserving I am of the love and grace of my great Lord. It is honestly so surreal to think of God being on our side, of Him pleading for us, and of Him giving His life for us. It’s also so encouraging to know that He is there for us regardless of our circumstance and situation and no “wrong” can ever take that away. That He has broken our chains of guilt and shame and sin to free us into a life filled with forgiveness and grace and a love like no other. I encourage you to sit in stillness and really listen to the lyrics of this song and let the Lord speak to you through it. I promise the song will speak for itself as I could never do it justice!