Faith's Favorites: July 2012

For the first time since I started blogging and sharing my favorites are all the products from the same brand. That brand is MAC Cosmetics, of course. It seems like no matter how many other beauty and makeup products I sample from other brands I always love the items I've picked up from MAC.

It's summer and I've been going really light with my face routine. It's almost too hot to wear a full face of foundation or tinted moisturizer. In the mornings, I cleanse, moisturize and dab a bit of MAC's Studio Finish Concealer in NW 45 under my eyes to conceal dark circles and that's it for my face. MAC's Studio Finish Concealer has SPF 35 and offers up just enough coverage without being cakey or dry. It's creamy formula blends so well in to my skin. You can opt to set it with powder or wear it on its own.

Next up is MAC's blush in Ambering Rose (muted rose). When I first purchased this blush I said it was a cross between Raisin and Sweet as Cocoa, both of which are from MAC as well. It's a beautiful shade with just a hint of shimmer. Perfect for summer. It's not a very bold color. Ambering Rose just adds a touch of warmth to my face. I still struggle sometimes with matching a blush color to my eye makeup look. In a pinch I just dust a bit of Ambering Rose on my cheeks and I'm good to go.

My last two favorites are from the just released Heavenly Creautres collection. This collection was heavy with mineralized face products. I picked up three items and Stratus and Earthshine made my favorites list this month.

Stratus is a mineralized blush with that has a mixture of plum, gold and copper flecks. You have to swirl your brush really well to get a bit of all the colors mixed together. The color payoff is great and the coverage is buidable. You can go as light or as dark as you chose.

For someone of my complextion Earthshine is beautiful highligther. A splash of gold and copper to give that sunkissed looked to the high points of my cheeks and face. For someone with a more fair complexion, Earthshine, a mineralized skinfinish, could be a bronzer used to add color and sculpt the face. Similar to Stratus, you really have to get in there with your brush to get a good blend of the colors.

The Studio Tech concealer and blush in Ambering Rose are both a part of MAC's permanent collection. Stratus and Earthshine are limited edition items. As of today they're both still  available on MAC's website. Check them out!

What were your favorites from July?