Today will kickoff a 3-week Friday series of beauty favorites for summer 2019. I’ll be posting my most loved items in beauty, including makeup, hair and nails, as well as skin and body.

Makeup is among those things that never ceases to exist in the world. It’s celebrated in just about every culture, and from generation to generation, it just transforms itself into another amazing expression of beauty and art.

My love for cosmetics and began when I was a little girl. My mom would often paint my nails to match my clothes. I remember some of my most cherished outfits. I adored one style in particular which was black-and-white houndstooth patterned leggings with a coordinating top and silver sparkle jelly shoes. The top had an appliqué with a bright yellow sun on it. I was always so excited to wear it because it meant matching yellow polish, which of course also complimented my yellow four hole button earrings. Gosh, I had to have been like, what, 6-7 years old and I felt so put together!

Growing up, it was such a treat to pick out my beauty wishes for Christmas stocking stuffers from catalogues. Surprises of chapsticks, bubble bath, and hand cream. Scents of lilac and cherry yogurt. And my mom’s Avon lipstick samples, they were made just for me. I do wish those little treasures would come back, they’d be perfect for my purse and for travel.

Things haven’t changed much nowadays. The joy in makeup remains, though I’ve actually been on a product no-buy for about 2 years now and I’m still working through all the lovely beauty items I have collected. Soon I will be making one exception though.

With that I am excited to share my joy you, so let’s begin with makeup favorites.

IT Cosmetics Brow Power Universal Eyebrow Pencil

This eyebrow pencil has been a serial repurchase for me. The shade is natural, not too red, not to grey, and as it says, universal, suiting multiple types of hair and skin tones. It’s dual-ended with a spoolie brush on the opposite end, making it ideal for travel and convenience.

Marsk Mineral Eyeshadow in Mudcake

I received this one in an Ipsy glam bag. If you’re not familiar with Ipsy, it’s a monthly beauty subscription and introduces you to a wide arrange of popular as well as lesser known new and upcoming products to try. I like surprises and it provides a lot of products in travel-size. This mineral eyeshadow is a chocolate brown with shifts of copper and green. It’s a loose pigment so it can be a bit messy upon opening the jar, but I love the color and colorshifting shimmer nonetheless.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Riviera Eyeshadow Palette

I am excited to have won this palette in a giveaway from the YouTube channel Kendy Jane Beauty. Kendy and I started our channels around the same time, she has a fun beauty channel so be sure to check it out! I have enjoyed this palette dearly! I love the smooth and pigmented texture which includes a mix of mattes, shimmers, and glitters. It has perfect color combination for the summer season, whether you are looking for a neutral look or something fun, vibrant, and colorful.

MAC Fresh Honey Mineralize Blush

This blush is a warm, soft, deep apricot color with a very faint hint of shimmer. It brings a lot of life to my face in a way that is different from pinky shades. Unfortunately this one looks like it has been discontinued, but I have linked a blush called Love Joy by MAC which is similar. ColourPop and Makeup Geek also have some peachy-toned blushes that are stunning. I have a few from their collections, but I don’t have them with me at the moment to show comparison swatches. These orange-toned shades add a natural, fresh, energizing, sun-kissed glow that is perfect for this time of year.

Make Up For Ever 304 Lip Brush

This brush is amazing for applying lipstick with precision, whether outlining or blending. I have both the square 300 and the rounded 304 and like them both. It has a protective metal cap which stays on very securely to ensure that lipstick doesn’t get all over your handbag after use. The size is small when capped, making it perfect for travel.

Plush Lip Matte in Plain Jane by Makeup Geek

I love the color, texture, and wear of this one! It’s a pinky-berry shade that really perks up my face. Unfortunately I’m now seeing this color has been discontinued, so I’m going to use it very sparingly. This entire line is so pigmented though, so a little goes a long way.

I hope you enjoyed exploring some of my makeup favorites. Be sure to let me know what you have been loving lately in the comments below. And next week’s favorites? Hair and nail products!