Thursday Favourites: July 16th

Hey friends!

Happy Thursday! I hope everyone is having a productive and positive week — and if not, at least it’s almost Friday! I’ve still been feeling a little low on motivation lately, but the weather has finally started to turn around in Vancouver and feel like summer (which is kind of a huge blessing, but I also don’t have AC in my apartment, so it’s a bit of a curse, too). However, I’m kind of hoping to find some motivation and turn the second half of July around — there’s still time!

This week, I’m returning to more regular content and sharing a brand-new product with you all. I wanted to share a product that I’ve only started using recently, but have quickly fallen in love with. Have you ever stumbled across a product that filled a void in your skincare or makeup routine that you didn’t even know existed? Yeah, that’s this product for me: Milk Makeup’s Hydro Grip Primer.

Not that I wasn’t using primer before — that would be crazy. I just didn’t know how much primers could DO before I tried this product. I honestly just tried it on a bit of a whim — I didn’t really need a new primer just yet at the time, but as this product grew in popularity I began seeing it popping up everywhere and decided I had to try it. I had been feeling just so-so on my old primer for a while — it was fine, but it was more of a moisturizer than something to really keep makeup in place. I already have more than enough moisturizers in my skincare routine, so I felt it was time to branch out and try something new (after all, I can always put down a layer of my everyday moisturizer before my primer to fill the need).

I really didn’t know what to expect when I tried out the Hydro Grip primer — I’d been using my last primer for years, and I honestly didn’t remember what it felt like to USE other primers with my makeup. (I guess Tarte’s Timeless Smoothing Primer would be the exception, which I only used on special occasions — but I still stand by and love). And while it wasn’t like my old primer had no grip to it whatsoever, I definitely did NOT know what grip really felt like until I gave this primer a go.

This primer is almost like a layer of glue that keeps your makeup stuck down on your face once you apply it. That definitely sounds like a bit of a weird way to describe something, because it does sound a little unpleasant, but I swear it’s not. This primer is also super lightweight, and once you’ve applied your makeup you absolutely cannot feel it, so don’t let the whole “glue” thing deter you — it really just means that it’s going to help your makeup stay put all day. (Which it does do an amazing job at — I can’t wait to be able to go out more and really test out what this stuff can do because while I’ve gotten a chance to see it in action, all the reviews say this stuff keeps your makeup in place like no other).

As well, this product does an amazing job of smoothing out skin and adding a little boost of hydration — which are two things I find are really important for a primer to do. There’s nothing I hate more than the look of my makeup when my foundation settles in to every fine line, pore, and bump — it really drives me crazy, as sometimes it actually makes my skin look WORSE than it did without makeup. As well, as someone who’s prone to dry skin, I’ll take any and every moisturizing product I can when it comes to my makeup routine. Overall, this product really helps my skin and makeup look smooth and fresh, while also keeping my makeup locked down all day long.

If this sounds like the primer you’ve been needing in your life, be sure to check it out at Sephora!

Stay tuned for this weekend’s post, where I’m going to be sharing with you all how to have a productive self-care day! It’s hard to carve out time for self-care when you’re feeling overwhelmed with life — but with my day plan, there’s ways to achieve both at once! That way, for those of us feeling little overwhelmed lately (I know I certainly am) you can kill two birds with one stone and relax AND get ahead on your tasks!

Much love,

Meredith

Tuesday Favourites: May 14th

Tarte Timeless Smoothing Primer

Hey guys! Me again! I’m back with another Tuesday Favourites: the Tarte Timeless Smoothing Primer!

I feel like I should preface this by saying I really don’t consider this to be an everyday product — I only use it when I want to look my best. I personally don’t always do my makeup the same way every day, for instance my “just running some errands” makeup is significantly more simple than my “casual” makeup, which is still more simple than when I really want to look my best. However, when I do put in my full effort, this product is a staple. My first time using it, I was kind of turned off by how heavy it felt — I’m sure you can tell by the picture alone that this product is THICK.

But when I went to apply my makeup on top, I was nothing but impressed. Honestly, depending on your skin, this stuff practically eliminates the need for foundation. I myself only use tinted moisturizer, however paired with this it gives the same effect as full-coverage foundation, while also lasting perfectly throughout any situation as well as not feeling too heavy after all your makeup is applied.

This stuff LITERALLY blurs out any flaws on your face, evens your skin tone and soften + smoothes out your skin, all before you even apply foundation. Seriously. On top of that, my makeup always seems to apply WAY more smoothly after I use this — I hardly ever feel like my blush/bronzer/highlighter appears patchy, heavy, unnatural etc after I’ve used this to prime my face. It’s literally like an airbrush effect IRL.

Thought this isn’t my everyday go-to, I love this stuff endlessly. Every time I need to look my best I know I can count on this stuff to make it happen. If you struggle with smooth skin, patchy makeup, or wearing and fading throughout the day, I’d seriously recommend this stuff. Check it out at Sephora here.

Love y’all!

Meredith