Recent Beauty Obsessions

When I visited Texas at the end of June, I made a total rookie mistake. The kind of mistake that can only be made after you haven’t lived in a place with 100 degree summers for the last 10+ years.

I left my makeup bag in the car. While it baked in a hot, unshaded parking lot. For two hours.

All my lovely cream-based blushes, lip tints, and foundation sticks? Buh bye. There were a couple products I was able to salvage, but the foundation and blushes were definitely dumpable. The silver lining — replacing all these babies meant I got to go beauty shopping! So when we returned to SF, I high-tailed it over to Credo to restock. These are two products I bought during that trip and have been using for the last six weeks. I’m obsessed, and I think you will be too.

First up: Kjaer Weis’s Cream Blush in Desired Glow. 

Kjaer Weis is a super luxe natural beauty brand that I’d been dying to try for years. I tested a few different cream blushes at Credo that day, but I loved the shade and texture of Desired Glow the most. The bad news: Kjaer Weis’ beautiful packaging and stellar products come with a high price tag. When buying one of their products for the first time, you have to buy the silver compact that comes with it. So the price of this blush, all in, was $58. In the future, I’ll just buy refills, which are priced at $32 each.

Can I just say that I think the price is completely worth it? For one thing, the product feels great going on the skin. The formulation is such that there’s no waiting for your skin to warm it up — it glides on so smoothly and is probably the most easily blendable cream blush I’ve ever tried. The color is super sheer at the first pass, but very buildable. This particular color is gorgeous! On my medium-light skin tone, Desired Glow is a warm, peachy shade. It feels really natural and pretty; not too pink, not too dark. And I must admit, using this compact every morning is one of those simple daily pleasures that I love. With its heavy weight and that satisfying “click” when it closes, it feels oddly luxurious. I guess it’s the little things, you know?

Oh, one last thing. How to pronounce Kjaer Weis?!?! It was actually one of the first things I asked the Credo girls, because in my head all these years, I pronounced it “Kah-jer Weiss,” which I knew couldn’t be right. They told me it’s “Ke-yar Wis,” but that they forget too and sometimes refer to it as KW. So if you find yourself in a store and forget, don’t fret, because you’re totally not alone (behind the brand FYI: The name is the last name of founder Kirsten Kjaer Weis!).

You can buy Kjaer Weis online at their website, Credo, Net-a-Porter, Beautylish, Goop, and Le Vert.

Next up: RMS Master Mixer! Remember when I talked about this product earlier in the spring? Well, I used this shopping trip as an excuse to pick up a pot. I LOVE IT. They’re really not kidding when they say it can double your makeup options, simply because of how you use it to layer. I’ve used RMS Living Luminizer in the past and really like that too, but for my skin tone, I think the Master Mixer is a better option. It feels warmer, and I think it looks more natural on me.

So here’s the scoop with it: Master Mixer isn’t a bronzer. It’s a cream (though a pretty solid one) that you can use to dot on as you would a highlighter, or blend in with other makeup products. I like dotting a little along my cheekbones, atop the Kjaer Weis blush, on the arches of the brows, even on the Cupid’s bow. It is NOT glittery in any way, shape or form. It just catches the light and brings a lot of warmth to the face. I’ve been having fun layering it on top of matte lip color, because it brings this glow to the shade that feels really summery. I think when we go to Hawaii in the fall, I’ll be good with these two products, some mascara, and a single lip shade, and will have glowy vacation makeup down pat. Bonus with Master Mixer: after using it every day for 6 weeks (sometimes twice a day, if I’m freshening up in the evening), I’ve barely made a dent in the pot. A little goes a long way, and I’d guess one pot would last me at least 6 months. At $38, I’d say it’s worth it.

You can purchase RMS Master Mixer on their website, or at Credo, Sephora, Nordstrom, and Anthropologie.

Here’s how the colors look on my skin tone. My skin’s a bit dry here, so you can imagine on a freshly moisturized face, the blend is even better!:

So, those are two of my recent beauty favorites! Next time: I need to share an update on a recent change to my skincare routine that’s left me with the best skin of my life. The secret is topical, sure, but also — supplements. More on that soonish.

Any beauty finds you’ve recently tried and are loving? Share them with me below! I always love discovering new products.