It’s May, one of my favorite months of the year! Not only is it my birthday month, it’s also the starting gate to June. And June = SUMMER. It was a long winter, and Spring has been a bit of a roller coaster weather-wise, so I’m more than ready for summer this year!
I’ve held pretty well to my use-it-up plan this Spring, but I did discover a few new clean beauty favorites these past few months that I’d love to share with you. I’m particularly excited about one of them (and spoiler alert, if you’ve been on the hunt for a concealer/foundation hybrid, you’re going to want to read on!)!
This spring has definitely been a period of recovery from the winter…my skin was much drier and more dehydrated than usual (too many months of using the heater/furnace). Thank goodness for a new and here-to-stay product in my arsenal, Medicube’s Collagen Night Wrapping Mask. This is a clear gel mask that you apply AFTER you’ve applied all of your skincare, allow it to dry completely, go to sleep and peel off in the morning. And I’m not gonna lie, I was hesitant about sleeping in a peel-off mask, but I have to say that this does an incredible job of hydrating and moisturizing my skin! I can’t really say if it’s the ingredients themselves (which btw, Skinsafe gives it a great rating, and it’s free of all of the big nasties), but I do know that it seals in all of my products, allowing them to sit on and fully absorb into my skin vs getting absorbed by my pillowcase. An incredible tool! In fact I think any negative reviews for this mask might be folks that use it on its own, but it’s meant to be a sealer for your other skincare products.
You can apply this with your fingers, but I find that using a brush provides a more even application (I use the one that came with my Hanacure kit, but this mask brush is almost identical and a steal!). My skin is extremely product-sensitive, and I’ve had absolutely no issues with this. Love it!! Best price is usually at Amazon, but you can also find at Ulta and Target.
You guys. I think I’ve finally found my perfect liquid eyeshadow! Lisa Eldridge’s Liquid Silk Liquid Eyeshadow is described as a “Skin-smoothing, soft-focus, matte liquid eyeshadow with a lightweight texture”, and it is ALL of that. Doesn’t make my lid look crepey, and provides a lovely soft blurred effect. Wears all day, no creasing. Great as a base/primer for powder shadows, too! So far I’ve tried the shades Paige and Silvia. Paige is the lightest shade of the bunch but truly transformative – it’s a lovely brightening base color for me, and covers any redness/darkness/veins – it creates the perfect canvas for other shades/shadows, but also great as a one-and-done! Silvia is Paige’s big sis, slightly darker and a great neutral taupe/brown…great for the crease, but I also love as a quick one-and-done (I like to smudge a bit in the lower lash line too). Can’t wait to try other shades! Great for all ages, but I’m telling you mature-lidded ladies, you have to try this.
I know I’ve mentioned my grief over Rituel de Fille discontinuing the amazing Ethereal Veil Concealer, oh, a few hundred times. Well, you’ll be glad to know that my bitching has officially come to an end, because Tok Beauty has saved the day! I’ve tried several products over the past 6 months that totally missed or were almost there (comment below if you’d like the scoop on those!), and I was beginning to feel like I’d exhausted all of the clean options. I’d come across the Neive Serum Foundation + Concealer a few times (you know I love their mascara, which is being relaunched this month btw!), but since it’s a liquid I really didn’t pay attention to it (I thought I needed the same cream texture as EV to get the finish I love). But then my gal Antigone on IG (I always feel like we’re on the same wavelength re: products, so I trust her reviews!) RAVED about it, and I had to give it a try. The founder, Tara, is amazing – she encourages reaching out for a shade match or any questions, and I’m so glad I did just that! She pointed me to a shade I never would’ve grabbed, and it’s absolute perfection. I mean…it’s like you can’t even see it on my skin, it just melts into it! And the finish is exactly the satin finish I crave, doesn’t enhance my pores, doesn’t make my fine lines worse. And the coverage can be as light or heavy as you like! I only like a wee bit of evening out on my cheeks and chin, but I need fairly decent coverage on my nose to cover up veins/capillaries (thanks, allergies!)…for that I just add a 2nd light coat, and voila! Skins looks and feels great with this, I’m just totally enamored. Oh and I totally dig the bottle itself too – you can use the pump, or twist the top off and there’s a wand applicator. Like, what?! Well done, TOK, well done.
Use code TRYNEIVE to get 40% off your first bottle to try it!!!
If you’re new here, let me introduce myself. My name is Tracey, and I have a small lippie ‘problem’. Yes, I know I’m in use-it-up mode, and I HAVE been using up my lippie stash. But well, you know, Credo had their 1st Friends of Credo sale of the year, and Soshe’s Ceramide Refillable Lip Silk has been on my wishlist for such a looooooong time. So I caved. I’m not proud, but I’m not sad about it either! I just knew this lipstick/lipbalm hybrid would be up my alley, and it so is. Did I mention it’s refillable?! I love the texture of this – it’s cushy and moisturizing, and provides a lovely wash of color (but one that’s definitely buildable…can be as light or as bold as you like). Because it is on the glossier side for a lipstick, the color doesn’t last hours, but what DOES last hours is what I’ll call the foundation of this lipstick – even when the color is gone, your lips still feel balmy and moisturized…amazing! The shade Speakeasy is absolutely gorgeous. Based on the many pics I saw of it on folks, I think it’s a true chameleon shade, which is kind of magical. I was worried it would look too red or too orange or too cool on me based on some images, but it turns out it’s the perfect rosy-brown mauve shade on me. This might be the lippie shade that literally works for everyone! Again I say, magic. (also, something about ‘Silk’ this spring??)
I’m a longtime fan of Nopalera’s Lotion Bar (it’s the perfect travel companion, and smells AMAZING), so when they reached out earlier this spring and offered to send me their Perfume Travel Spray and Cactus Hand Cream, I was stoked! I’m always looking for a great non-toxic hand cream, and I’ve been on a forever hunt for a clean fragrance that I love. If you’re not familiar with the brand, Nopalera is a Latina-owned brand whose products are powered by the oils extracted from the Nopal Cactus’ fruit (plus the rest of the cactus!). I love their vibe, love their products. And speaking of products, the Cactus Hand Cream has taken up permanent residence in my purse! I got this in the Dulce de Cuerpo scent (my personal favorite…smoky and sweet, and dries down to the best skin fragrance ever). Hydrating and not greasy, the sweet spot for hand creams. For the Travel Spray I went with the Flor de Madera, and it’s the perfect spring fragrance! Lasted all day, which doesn’t typically happen with clean fragrance. I was hoping it would lean more citrus, but the florals stood out more on my skin (not to worry, it’s now in my daughter’s stash *insert wry grin here*). I’ve actually tried the Bosque Mistico fragrance as well (got a sample sprayer with a previous order), and it’s truly lovely…fresh and clean, but also warm and sophisticated.
You can purchase a travel set of each, which I’ll link here, but I’ll also link the individuals down below so you can mix and match! They’ve also got a fragrance trio I’ll add below – great way to try all 3 scents!
If you purchase directly from Nopalera, they’re running 15% off through Mother’s Day! After that, use code LIFEINTHEHAPPYMEDIUM10 for 10% off!
So there’s all of my new Spring gems! Comment below if you have any questions about these, and let me know if you try (or have already tried) them!
Disclaimer: This page includes some affiliate links (including Amazon – as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases), and I will earn a commission if you purchase through these links. Please note that I’ve linked to these products purely because I recommend them and they are from companies and brands I trust and have tried myself. There is no additional cost to you.
Tracey is the founder and writer of Life in the Happy Medium. She’s also a freelance graphic designer, Mom to 2 college kids, Wife, and Friend to a tribe she holds dear, who’s prone to some fairly serious car singing and dancing much to her family’s chagrin (old school R&B is where it’s at!).
From cleaner beauty to healthy-ish eating, she’s blogging here to share favorite finds that keep her happy in the middle.
