Sometimes it’s the little things that can brighten up our day, right? And far be it from me to hide the fact that a new little lipstick can bring me a good amount of joy. It can.

I’ve always loved a good beauty product because it can make any old day feel slightly luxurious. I, of course, have a handful of longtime faves (check them out here), but, today, I want to share a few new additions that I’m using on-the-daily and will definitely purchase again.

3 Everyday Beauty Products I’m Loving

01 / Beauty Counter Tint Skin Hydrating Foundation: I’ve been trying a lot of Beauty Counter Products and liking most of them. This light coverage foundation is a winner! I use the Sand shade, which adds just a wee bit of color to my face (which is totally needed for Midwest winters) without changing the tone of my skin. It is light coverage. I like seeing my freckles, even if it means seeing my sunspots too (Gosh I wish I wouldn’t have went to tanning beds in the ’90s). I pair it with their concealer and that works great for everyday.

02 / Bloomeffects Tulip Tint Lip and Cheek Balm: My mom got me this little wonder for Mother’s Day. She thought I’d love it because it’s made from the Tulips in Holland (I’m a Dutchie) and it turned out to be an amazing product. The color is divine and it can be used on the lips and cheeks. Double duty. It’s a super clean beauty product and it’s been awarded Allure’s Best of Beauty. Bonus, it’s a super pretty blue packaging.

03 / IGK 1-800-Hold-Me No Crunch Flexible Hold Hair Spray: I am hairspray girl. There is no getting away from it, growing up in the ’80s. Also, my hair is really fine and I need it to not fall totally limp on my face, you know? I’ve used Sebestain Shaper for like-ever and it works great, but then I tried Elnett because all of the models use it for like-ever and it is a great price point. It smelled super nostalgic to me…”did my grandma wear this?” Because upon wearing it, I was missing her terribly. Anyhow, my husband kept saying I smelled like an old lady. I was pretty annoyed. Until I figured out . . . it’s the hairspray…that … you know… reminds me of my grandma. So back to this new hairspray. I had a gift card to Ulta and thought I’d give this a try because it smelled amazing and the name is so clever (again, packaging). It’s gre—aa—tt. It smells so good and has such a nice light, but effective hold. I was at my friend’s the other week and walked in and she said… you smell so good. It was the hairspray!

Now tell me, what beauty products are you using everyday?

P.S. Here’s me wearing all 3 products

By Trina

You all know, I love beauty products. Give me all the creams, over clothes, any day.

It’s been quite awhile since I’ve shared some of my favorite products, and if you are anything like me then you are always curious about what others are using and loving. So I thought I’d share what I’m currently using.

When it comes to beauty products I love to try new things–and–I’m, also, a loyalist. I try new things based upon recommendations or need, never refuse a sample, and occasionally, as a blogger, receive new products or lines to try.

Once I find a brand or product I like, I tend to stick with it–and spread the word.

For reference I’m 41-years-old with definite signs of aging (and sun damage) and I have normal to dry skin. I’ve listed the some colors and shades, should anyone inquire, but you may need to adjust accordingly. I have fair skin with pinkish undertones. Also, I should note: in the photo I’m wearing eyelash extensions–I’ve gotten them a few times for special occasions. They are super fun, but in the end I only last a couple of months because they annoy me (and they take time and money).

Now…. here are the products I’ve been using, and la la loving, this past year:
The  *  indicates a forever favorite product that I’ve been using for years or plan to.

Skincare

Eye makeup Remover
*Estēe Lauder Gentle Eye Makeup Remover: Always and forever. Anytime, I stray, I regret it. It truly is gentle, yet can take off long wearing mascara.

Cleanser
Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Botanical Cleansing Oil: I love using this at night. The lavender scent, totally, relaxes me (I actually want to wash my face!). I like that it’s an oil that slightly suds into a milky consistency–keeps your skin soft and supple–no drying out here.

*Most mornings I just simply use a warm wash cloth to wash my face, but a couple of times a week I use *Exfolikate (on my forever faves list).

Serum
*Ole Henriksen Truth Serum: I can tell a major difference when I don’t use this Vitamin C Serum. This right here is the one thing that keeps me from getting flaky.

Toner
Nuxe Eau démaquillante micellaire: Lovely light smell. I use this in the evening, after the cleansing oil. Double Cleansing is a thing and it’s working well for me.

Creams
*Charlotte’s Magic Cream: This cream is luxurious (and spendy which is why I usually get it on my birthday or Christmas and use it sparingly), but it is so so so good. I haven’t found another day cream that I like better, but I’m always looking (any recs?).

Botanics All Bright Day Cream: I’ve been trying this natural drug store find, recently. It’s nice, but I prefer a heavier cream. If you like ones on the lighter side, this one is lovely and a bargain.

Oils
Korres Wild Rose Vitamin C Active Brightening Oil: I used this last winter and really liked it. I’ve since tried another brand of face oil and am not crazy about it. I love using an oil in the evening with a rose quartz GuaSha tool (total fan of these–way more than the face roller).

Eye Cream
Charlotte Tilbury Magic Eye Rescue Cream to Turn Back the Clock: Loving this one at the moment. The texture is divine.

Estēe Lauder Resilience Lift Firming Sculpting Eye Cream: This is a nice one too. Whenever I’m not sure what to buy, I always return to Estee Lauder. The Advanced Night Repair Serum is fabulous and has stood the test of time. My mom has used Estee Lauder for years and she looks amazing (most people think my kid’s are hers–ha!)

Makeup

Concealer
Bobbi Brown Instant Full-Cover Concealer (I use Cool Sand): Love having a wand for quick coverage.
RMS Uncover Up (in 22): A really great natural choice. This works great all over as a light foundation.

Primer
Wonderglow Face Primer: I love this light primer. When I wear this I often get asked how I got that “glowy” look. This is how!

Foundation
Bobbi Brown Intensive Skin Serum (warm sand): This is a new fave. It’s a serum and a foundation. The coverage is a little more full than a tinted moisturizer but not quite as heavy as traditional foundation. For days when I want to go a little lighter I use CT’s Light Wonder.

Bronzer
Glossier Haloscope (Topaz): A dewy bronzer. I also have a powdered bronzer in a palette that I use. Not too fussy when it comes to bronzer.

Highlighter / Shimmer
RMS Magic Luminizer  I also use a Charlotte Tilbury Glow powder that came in a palette. I’d love to try this Bar of Gold Highlighter.

Blush
*Nars Multiple (in Orgasm): Best color ever, whether in powder form or the multiple stick.

Mascara
Estee Lauder Sumptous Knockout Mascara: I’ve been sampling new mascaras. This was sample that my mom gave me and I love it! I’ve never used EL’s mascara but this is a win.

Lancôme Monsieur Big Mascara : Just got this one and love it as well–for the bigger fluffier wand. I recently read someone saying that their secret mascara trick was buying drugstore mascara and throwing it away often (in other words, not letting your mascara get old). I also like the idea of buying travel size and switching.

Eyeshadow
*Eyes to Mesmorize Cream Shadow in Jean: Obsessed with this cream shadow in a pot. I swipe it on with my index finger and go.

Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick in Taupe: Love this basic color. Another product I swipe on in a hurry. Doubles as an eyeliner, for me, too.

Eyebrows
*Charlotte Tilbury Brow Lift: I’ve tried a number of brow pencils. This is my fave.

*Anastasia Brow Gel: I think I prefer a pencil and a clear gel. This gel fab.

Glossier Boy Brow: If you like to skip the pencil and just do a colored gel…this is great one.

Eyeliner
Bobbi Brown Perfectly Defined Gel Eyeliner in Chocolate Truffle: Love how easily this applies.

Hair

Verb Ghost Shampoo and Conditioner : This line was sent to me and I really like it. It’s light weight and lovely.

Kristen Ess Reconstructive Moisture Mask: Favorite hair mask and a Target buy!

*Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray: This one is spendy for hair…but it is soooo sooo good. I try to put it on my birthday wish list and make it last for almost a year (which means I have to hide it from Ella). It is the theeeeee best texturizing spray I’ve ever used…and the smell–divine.

Aveda Shampure Dry Shampoo: This dry shampoo is in powder form and I really like it. I use it right after I wash my hair for texture at the root line.

Philosophy Amazing Grace Dry Shampoo: Love this in the travel size. It smells so good and really zaps the oils.

And, what about you? I’d love to know what products you are using and loving! Leave me a comment!

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By Trina

I often thought that life could only be one or the other. Beautiful or broken.

When my world shifted, and I came to terms with accepting that I had a broken heart, I believed the lie that beauty (goodness, hope, light) were, at best, on the other side of brokenness.

At my lowest,  I found a truth that is a promise (for you, for me, for everyone):

I’ll give you a full life in the emptiest of places—
firm muscles, strong bones.
You’ll be like a well-watered garden,
a gurgling spring that never runs dry.
Isaiah 58:11 (MSG)

I couldn’t quite see how I could have a full life, but I tucked the promise in my pocket and I tried not to close my eyes to life.

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They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Therefore the question I had to answer became:

 “What am I beholding?”

To behold something is to see it and hold it in your attention.

To find beauty in the broken is to behold, “to keep and remember the goodness of God.”

I began to try to notice color– to look for beauty–even though it appeared that everything had gone black and white in my world.

Outside, online, sunrise, sunset, a child’s laughter, a grandmother’s hug, a song, a sunset. A touch, a site, a sound, a scent.

Beauty…I was finding was not beyond the laundry pile, chipped paint, dirty dishes, broken table or broken life. It’s in the center of it.

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Opening our eyes is the beginning of beholding.

There is beauty in your green toile patterned plates crusted over with last night’s spaghetti dinner. There is beauty in the white paint peeling off the side of the house that you can’t afford to have fixed. Yes, there is even beauty to be found in your broken life that shows no promise of being put together again.

__

Beholding is remembering the goodness of God.

And the goodness of God promises us a full life–even in the emptiest of places.

I no longer believe life is either broken or beautiful. It can be both. And, furthermore, I believe that Beauty (God is sheer beauty Psalm 100:5) is the answer to our brokenness, the path to wholeness and healing.

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This post is part of an excerpt taken from La La Lovely: The Art of Finding Beauty in the Everyday.  The book is available for pre-order and releases in less than a  week! Pre-Order your copy here  (and receive a free gift!).

By Trina

A few words on the practice of living with your eyes wide open.

These days, I am finding a new definition of beauty and it looks nothing like the photoshopped squares we feed on each day.

I think beauty gets a bad rap. We seem to either strive for it or believe it to be a frivolous distraction. We think it is beyond us or behind us. We believe it is useless or must be useful.

But what if beauty is not a distraction but rather an answer?

Beauty is our answer because God is our answer. And God, in His great goodness, offered beauty to us at the beginning.

He is still offering beauty today. Some days it just takes noticing.

It’s easy to see all that is wrong, all that is fractured and needs fixing. But, what if we began to turn eyes from our problems, what plagues us, and our broken world and choose to focus in on beauty—the small gifts and unnoticed grand gestures. There are gifts to behold in each and every day. A pink colored sunset after a winter’s day. Your grandmother’s familiar hug. A baby’s giggle. The tiniest pop of color sprouting up amongst the dirt. A favorite meal shared with old friends. A warm cup of tea. The sound of birds singing outside your window, once again. To find beauty within the broken is to behold, “to keep and remember,” the goodness of God.

It’s become a practice to keep my eyes wide open and “behold” God’s offering. I’m learning to pay attention to the majesty of mountain peaks as well as the freckle pattern on my child’s face. Beauty, I’m learning, isn’t found within the lines of perfection—it spills into every space. It’s not in tomorrow—it is present in all days.

I wonder what you might “behold” today?

—

If this post resonates, Lovely One, then I’m certain my book will too (this post was adapted from the book). I’m offering a beautiful gift with pre-order right now–all of the details are here.

By Trina

A few new beauty favorites I found at forty.  Good for a sunkissed face no matter your age or season.

So, I just turned 40. And honestly, I kind of feel like my skin is freaking out a bit. Like my body wants to prove my age. Sun spots I’ve never seen before, this summer. Blemishes to remind me of fleeting youth. Lines not only around my eyes but now on my arms (what?). Some of it happens slowly and some, I swear, appears overnight as if it is a surprise gift (not what was on my wish list).

Maybe you can relate? If, not, enjoy line free-living, Lovely One.

On my birthday, I spent the day in the city (Chicago, if you’re wondering) and inevitably ended up in Nordstrom (It only makes sense when your birthday falls on their Anniversary Sale).

I always meander through the shoe department before I make my way to the beauty counters (which is where I tend to spend the bulk of my time). I’d take makeup and beauty products over clothes any day (I don’t wear a lot of makeup, but I love trying new products and taking care of my skin). And, who doesn’t love getting their makeup done?

So after assessing all the swanky loafers, I wandered over to Charlotte Tilbury because I had been wanting to try more of her products (I’m nuts about her Magic Cream – which is on my Christmas list EVERY year) and had been eyeing her Golden Goddess line for some time.

I let the makeup artist do her thing and then went home with some goodies that I believe are worth sharing. A few that are, in fact, going on my forever rotation.

Firstly, I should tell you that this is not a sponsored post. Just sharing what I’m la la loving at the moment. Second, I’ve been using these products since July, so I feel can actually give a recommendation. Thirdly, I didn’t love everything I purchased (I returned the mascara – which I actually did love, but it ran off my eyelashes too easily).

Ready for a look in my makeup bag?

Here are a few New Beauty Favorites For Glowing Skin at Any Age:

01 /  Brow Lift.  I absolutely LOVE this. Like possibly my fave purchase from that day. I’ve been jumping around on eyebrow pencils for awhile. I’ve found a few that I’ve liked over the years. But I la la LOVE this one! The pencil tip is slanted (triangular) which is great for shaping brows. The brush is generous in size and has soft bristles. And….there is a secret compartment in the center for highlighting under the arch, giving an instant lift–so cool. I chose the shade called Super Model.

02 / Light Wonder Youth-Boosting Perfect Skin Foundation. I didn’t really need a new foundation, but once I saw how light and glowy my skin looked, I didn’t want to leave the counter without it. This is the perfect foundation for summer time because it is not heavy. However, I’m thinking it is likely perfect for winter as well when you’re skin is feeling dull and pale. I have 4 Fair.

03 / Airbrush Flawless Finish.  I had been looking for a compact powder to lightly lift shine. This works great around my nose and forehead. I found this powder to sit so softly on the skin. I have the 2 Medium. I also purchased the powder and sculpt brush. I loved the unique shape. The only powder brush I had was huge and really (like really) old.

04 / Cheek to Chic blush in Ecstasy. I wasn’t planning on a blush. I have a couple and I usually prefer the creme variation (this is my forever fave), but loved the color, feel and look so much. It brightened up my whole face and gave my cheeks a lift.

05 / Golden Goddess Luxury Palette. I don’t have the palette pictured but it’s so pretty. The coverage is light enough for day but can easily be applied for going out. I’m certainly more of the everyday, light look kind of girl when it comes to eyes, but I loved seeing how the makeup artist did the smoky eye look. Now I just need to acquire the skills. I also loved the eye blender and eye smudger brushes the artist used.

06 / Nars Larger than Life eye pencil in  Via Venento (black). I have been using this a few months prior to my 40th. Had been searching for a long lasting eyeliner and someone recommend Nars Larger than life. It’s so good. It glides on like a dream and stays in place. The pigment is rich, which I love. It’s really velvety and feels and looks somewhere between a traditional pencil and a liquid liner. This is definitely on my keeper list.

07 / TenOverTen nail polish in Watts . This was given to me as a gift and the color is so pretty. With my skin tone, it looks almost like a pink-lavender.

08 / Nars Audacious Lipstick in Anna. Another gift from a friend (who clearly knows I love makeup). I usually go for nude lips and stick with gloss these days, so it was actually quite fun to get something I wouldn’t normally purchase. And to my surprise, I really love the darker look. I’ve worn it several times this summer and am sure I’ll be using it even more frequently this fall (you can see me wearing it here-scroll through for pics).

And lastly . . .

09 / Multi-Miracle Glow Cleanser to wash it all off. This stuff is amazing. It is a mask and balm for baby soft skin. (You can watch the tutorial here–that is how I got sucked into Charlotte Tilbury in the first place – by watching her apply these dreamy creams). I let this sit on my skin for awhile and then wash the day away. I sometimes leave it on overnight and it can be used in the morning before makeup to plump up your skin.

And that does it, Lovelies. At least for now.

P.S. I’m wearing most of the makeup in the photo above (applied by me–so no smoky-eye situation going on, just my everyday look).

Do you have any products that you return to again and again?

What’s on your forever list?

I’d love to hear!

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By Trina