Happy Friday! I am so ready for the weekend. My little brother Kofi and 4-year old niece are coming to spend the weekend with us from Virginia. My niece is very excited about going to the American Girl doll store. She’s had her eyes set on a certain doll for the longest time and with her fifth birthday about three weeks away, I figured it was time to treat her to something on her wish list. We’re also going to attempt to enter the madness that is the Toys ‘R Us flagship store in Times Square. How sad is it that this mega toy store is closing? I remember going there with my parents to pick up Barbie dolls and LEGO play sets.
This week was such a clusterf*ck with a random snowstorm on the second day of spring. T and I got to spend a nice day together since he ended up working from home. We also cleaned up a bit in preparation for our weekend guests. I had to reorganize our office space aka my makeup room to make room for the queen size air mattress. Note to self: redesign the second bedroom to make it more guest friendly.
It might not feel like spring just yet but I hope you’re getting excited about warmer weather, picnics in the park and outdoor brunches. I’ve been stocking up on perfect outfits for spring and for some reason, I can’t shy away from stripes. I am also a sucker for shirt dresses and this one is a current favorite in my closet.
This week’s Friday Finds is all about beauty. I’ve picked out 13 products on my radar from press pitches I received throughout the week as well as a “quick” trip to Sephora on Monday. I swear that beauty store is like a black hole. I go in for one thing and can never get out because I get lost among all the beauty and skincare products.
1. I went to Sephora to look for the Tarte Shape Tape Concealer but found out it’s exclusively sold at Ulta. Bummer! I did however discover the Violet Voss Rainbow Palette, a vibrant eye shadow collection of spring and summer colors. The formula is rich and highly pigment and infused with jojoba oil to moisturize the eyelids.
2. Kim Kardashian is launching her KKW Beauty Concealer Kits today at 3pm EST. The contour and highlight queen will unveil Liquid Concealers (available in 16 shades), Baking Powder (available in four shades), and Brightening Powder (available in four shades). Her 4-step system to create a red carpet ready face. The entire kit is $80. I’m sure it’s going to sell out as fast as any of her other product launches.
3. I am very much into essential oils and argan oil is one of my workhorse oils. I have loved Moroccanoil hair products for a while. Their hair spray and hair hydrating hair mask are two of my must haves in the summer for healthy hair. I just bought their pure argan oil for body, which is supposed to be a multipurpose oil for face, hair and nails as well.
4. Everyone is raving about the Maybelline Tattoo Studio Brow Gel, which adds pigment to the eyebrows and stays put for up to two days.
5. I’ve loved Rituals Cosmetics foaming shower gels for a few years since learning about the brand at Surf Lodge in the Hamptons. The Ritual of Sakura shower gel evokes the clean scent of spring cherry blossoms. I also love their candles. I just fell in love with one of their fragrance, Nuit a Marrakech. A Night in Marrakech is an eau de parfum with a blend of florals, saffron and cedarwood. It’s exotic, intoxicating and fresh. It can be worn during the day but a lot more alluring when worn at night.
6. It Cosmetics is one of my favorite skincare brands. I have been using their products for several years now with no plans of switching anytime soon. Their Confidence in a Cream, Confidence in a Cleanser and Bye Bye Under Eye cream are three of my all time favorite products. They recently launched makeup wipes. The Bye Bye 3-in-1 Hydrating, Anti-Aging, Makeup Removing Micellar Wipes not only remove your makeup, they also hydrate and soften the skin with an anti-aging serum.
7. I am obsessed with NYX Cosmetics soft matte lip creams so when their Liquid Suede Cream lipstick came onto my radar, I had to get a few colors. I am enamored by ‘Kitten Heels’ a bright red color that goes on soft and dries matte and stays put all day. I also love the NYX Lip Lingerie, which I’m wearing here.
8. I am a creature of habit so I often go back to products I loved and lost. Lubriderm falls in my love and lost category. I used to wear this lotion back in college but it fell off my radar. Winter was not very kind to my body. I had a lot of dry patches on my legs and elbows. I decided to go back to old faithful, the Lubriderm Normal to Dry Skin lotion, which has been saving my skin.
9. I bought a bottle of the Christian Louboutin Beaute nail polish in blue last year during the sample sale and fell in love with the formula. Sure the bottle is a work of art but the color stays put longer than some of my other polishes. I am currently loving the brand’s Loubitag Collection III polish duo in red ‘Edgypopi’ and blue ‘Baraboum’ shades, which would look so cute on this summer.
10. I have never tried any of the Dior skincare products but the Capture Youth Boost Age-Delay Illuminating Serum is on my radar. It’s formulated with Murunga Plum, which is 100 times more concentrated Vitamin C than oranges and AHA to brighten and smooth out skin. It can be mixed with a moisturizer or worn on its own.
11. bareMinerals just launched Gen Nude Patent Lip Lacquer, the newest lipstick addition to the bareMinerals Gen Nude line, with 20 shades of the perfect nude for all skin tones. The duel sided applicator deliver full coverage color with megawatt shine on the lips with just one coat. It’s also formulated with Moisturizing Mineral Complex to keep lips soft, smooth, and hydrated.
12. I wear a plastic shower cap every time I shower. I have to cover my natural hair and not get it soaking we since I only wash it once a week. I am tired of wearing cheap disposable plastic shower caps that don’t last. I love Shhhower Cap, a new brand of chic and modern shower caps. These Shhhower caps are made of premium nanotech fabric that’s 100% waterproof, machine washable and just so adorable. It looks like a classic turban and comes in a variety of prints.
13. Snow Fox Skin Care has been on my radar for some time but I am so excited to try their Day & Night Defense Cream and the Soothing Facial Mousse. I double cleanse a few times a week after wearing heavy makeup all day. I want to incorporate the Snow Fox Soothing Facial Mousse into my cleansing routine after using my beauty balm. I love the ingredients in the Day & Night Defense Cream, which includes ginseng extract, jojoba and macadamia oils. It also has peppermint oil extract, which has antiseptic and anti-microbial properties to help those with oily and acne prone skin.
