It’s time for another monthly roundup of favorites! The weather is warming up and I’m starting to find some new scents for spring through summer. Here’s what I liked the most this month.
Top 3 perfumes
I’ve been exploring more fragrance brands that have caught my eye with several fragrance influencers I’ve started following on YouTube. I feel like a total fragrance newbie watching so many new videos with their detailed descriptions and comprehensive reviews. I ordered some discovery sets from Kilian, Parfums de Marly, Mizensir, Giardini di Toscana and Ex Nihilo to name a few (a few are still on their way to me).
I am new to Parfums de Marly and ordered this Women’s Discovery Set. I ended up loving almost all the scents. My top 3 from the set was Delina La Rosee, Meliora and Valaya. They will send you an eGift card code where the price of the set can go towards a full size purchase. I ended up buying Meliora which is so different for me because it’s fruity and floral. I’m not usually into fruity scents, but this is so bright and summery that I fell in love. You can also find them at Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus.
Top notes Meliora
Spirit of red berries, raspberry, lemon
Heart notes
Rose, Ylang-Ylang, Jasmine Tea
Base notes
Vanilla, Musk, Cedar
I bought it Kilian Discovery Set from Sephora last month. I liked all 3 but it still wasn’t much love. They have some beautiful options, but I’m more into the lighter and brighter scents. I ended up really loving their new one Sunken Goddess which so many have described as very different from what Kilian usually spews. If you love Tom Ford Soleil Blanc of Eau de Soleil Blanc I think you will really like Kilian. It’s a bit more floral compared to the Tom Fords. I really like layering Sunken Goddess and Eau de Soleil Blanc together.
Sunkissed Goddess Notes: Ylang-ylang, Tiare Flower and Coconut.
I pulled out Dioriviera and I forgot how much I liked it. It’s one of the few fig scents I can wear. I love a good at-home fig wax, but wearing it on my skin has never worked well for me. This is a beautiful fresh fig with rose. It smells expensive, rich and like a fancy holiday in a bottle.
Dioriviera Notes: Fig + rose
April makeup favorites
For the skin, I rediscovered mine Armani Luminous Silk Foundation + Concealer combination. Every time I start using it again I forget why I stopped using them. Foundation is a timeless classic for medium coverage, natural glow and a beautiful finish. My concealer has been hit or miss in the past, but my skin is loving it right now. I wear Shade 6.5 in both formulas.
For bases I tried the new one Ilia Skin Rewind Complexion Stick and it’s one of the best foundation sticks I’ve ever tried. It’s like a skin tint in foundation stick form. No other stick glides on the skin as smoothly as this one. It blends really well and is great for a wide range of skin types. I think it’s best for normal to dry skin. It wears well (I have to set with powder). My match is 18W and it fits perfectly. He will be joining me on an upcoming trip. The coverage is pretty good but it still feels like skin but better. The Skin brush it is also very good. Small but surprisingly good.
I worked with them to share a demo here and they gave me a promo code to save 20% off orders Iliabeauty.com with code THEBEAUTYLOOKBOOK20 (valid through 5/10).
Some other skin loves are two bronzers and a highlighter. I have a love/hate relationship with most cream bronzers because so many remove foundation from your face, look too greasy or have unflattering colors. I finally tried it Makeup By Mario SoftSculpt Transforming Skin Enhancer (Medium) and it is very good. I love the color, the texture, the finish and the way it looks on the skin. It’s much better than Sai the Anastasia Beverly Hills ones – Makeup By Mario is easier to use, blends well and is not too heavy.
I got two of the new ones Armani Luminous Silk Bronzing Powders. It’s a HUGE compact and the formula is so beautiful. It has a soft silky texture, subtle shine and a beautiful natural finish. I bought 100 and 110. Right now I like 100 better but I can still wear 110 without it looking too dark. I’ll have a review + swatches up soon, but you can see them in action here.
I got the new one Dior Forever Glow Maximizer in nude (they added this shade after the original release) and I love the color. It’s a champagne that isn’t too pale and the undertone is so beautiful on the skin. I would say that of all the shades for a highlight I like Nude and Peachy the best. Updated my review + swatches in mine original review here if you want to see all the colors sampled.
For lips there have been a lot of new launches this month. So many good formulas to choose from these days! However, my two most used lip colors were previous purchases. I loved it Dior Addict Lip Maximizer the 051 Nude Bloom and NARS Afterglow Sensual Shine in Breathless the most (I also love Orgasm and Voyeur, review + swatches here and here).
That wraps up my April favorites! What did you love this month?
