There really is.  My summer face is definitely different from the winter/fall/spring face.

The face makeup basically gets put away until September rolls in and I opt for a lighter touch for the most part.

The freckles shine through and presently, the red glow that I received from the sun (and I used plenty of sunscreen) hasn’t turned to that bronzed hue of tan.

My summer face. The foundation is gone.  So is the concealer.  And the contour.  And the five lipsticks I layer upon my big mouth!  It’s freckles and lighter makeup!

Mascara is the only cosmetic item that I use with a heavier hand.

There’s just something about the hot weather that makes me want a fresh face.  Maybe it’s due to lighter clothing and sandals and the beach.  Whatever it is, I’m definitely affected by the seasons.

It’s all kightweight.  Clothing down to footwear. Even my feet need a break..ok..I worded that wrong–especially since I broke my toe.  My feet neet a REST from being enclosed for months!  

Anyway, I did do a bit of shopping for some items that I would like to share with you.  All are very summer-friendly and lighter than the winter stuff. So, come along with me and we’ll have a bit of fun!

Sandy Nude Eye Palette by Bobbi Brown—I’m not huge on the Bobbi Brown brand.  The cosmetics are pricey and the foundations are a miss for my skin tone.  They are just too yellow for me.  But when I saw this at TJ Maxx, my interest was piqued.  It wasn’t on a huge discount either. I paid $24 and this retails for $39 in Department stores and online.

It’s a keeper but I question the brush that was included!

What drew me to this was the compacted size.  For traveling and to throw in a purse, it was rather appealing. Add to that the shades are neutrals.

It opens up.  Scroll down to see. It’s a great use of space!

But I’ll start off with a little tidbit that I find so freaking annoying.  The brush that came with the palette.  It is a waste.  The bristles are soft but seriously—you think I’m going to use the same tiny, miniscule brush for all the shadows that are contained in this palette?  No.  But the real clincher is that there is no place to store the brush!!!   Is one expected to just throw the brush in a cosmetic bag, let it fall to the bottom and get filthy?  Personally, I would rather invest in a small set of brushes that come in a case and that will fit into a bag.

Completely useless. It would have been better if there was space in the palette for it but..Nope!

What’s great is the shadows.  They aren’t the most pigmented but they are extremely buildable and give a great finish.  The shadows have no fallout and the lift is good too.  The darkest shade, Rich Caviar works well as a crease shadow and an eyeliner.  This is a great little summer palette but man, that brush is the dopiest addition ever.  Do I think the full retail price of $39 is worth it?  That’s tough because as a travel palette, this is wonderful and will last a long time but for an everyday palette, the shadows aren’t extraordinary and if you are a neutral shadow person, you most likely have similar shades at home already.

Fully opened.  The bottom right-hand shade is Rich Caviar.  It is, hands down, the best shade in the lot.  

I built up the shadows on this look and lined my eyes with the Rich Caviar. Overall, it’s a decent palette and very travel-friendly–especially for summer vacay!

  Benefit Gimme Brow—Mini Sized: There are two sizes of this incredible product.  Full size at $24 and the mini at $12.  In my most humble opinion, the mini is more manageable to work with.  After trying other similar brow products, the larger wands can be cumbersome.  And Benefit has a great range of shades.

Trust me the $12 for the mini-size is all you need!

The shade I use, Number 6 is dark enough without being too harsh or oxidizing. The small wand is perfect and a bit goes a long way.  I use this every day and fill in with my Anastasia Beverly Hills DipBrow.

Don’t let the size fool you. This packs a whollop!

…and the brush is incredibly manageable!

This is a great brow product and stays put through sweat and rain and ocean!

Take a look-see at the brows.  It’s a great product!

Mascara is mascara..right?  Well..some work better than others.  I’m hooked these days on L’Oreal’s Voluminous mascara and the brand’s primer/base.  When I’m not wearing a lot of makeup, I like my lashes to be extra.  And this…this is all you need.  The white base preps the lashes and the mascara–at less than $6.00 at Walmart is the greatest buy ever!

This mascara doesn’t run either. I don’t wear waterproof even in the sweatiest of times.  This stays put but really gives lashes a wonderful thickness..

I’m wearing the mascara in this pic. You can get a good idea of the thickness.  And for the price..it’s a winner!

Even being kissed by the sun,  a bit o’ blush is needed.  What I mainly do with blush in the summer is hit the spots that the sun didn’t get to or the spots that the SPF was applied a bit thicker.  Blush blends into the sun’s color.  I purchased this luminescent blush by Milani at Walmart.  It was around six dollars and I love the color.

Dolce Pink by Milani. It’s very pretty because it gives that light glow and it isn’t matte.. The price is definitely right and this is a great summer shade!

Did I hear that the mature woman should not wear glittery eyeshadow?  Well, I must’ve heard wrong because these glittery babies from Stila are beautiful for that special occasion..wedding…cocktail party…dinner date…or just because.

Glitter and Glow Liquid Eyeshadow.  I happen to be big on Stila and these little shadows are gorgeous.  Just the right amount of glimmery shine. They go on wet and dry to a nice shade.  (I’ll be posting pics over the weekend). I’ve worn these on my lid for that something extra!

Three different glitters–gold, rose gold and  platinum.  And a little swipe across the lid will make those eyes stand out!

Foundation is one of those products that, for me, is very-much needed during three seasons.  When that tan fades, my skin tone is ruddy, blotchy and uneven and I depend on this product to help even out my skin tone.  Be that as it may, during the summer I want my face to be a bit more natural.  Still, there are times when I do need the assistance of a foundation.

You can bet your bippy that I’ll be wearing it for Oona’s wedding–mainly for photo purposes.  But every now and then, a darker and lighter foundation will suffice during the three hot months from July through August.

Cushion foundation fits the bill and although I do have Wet ‘n Wild’s cushion foundation, I picked this up at Marshalls for $3.99

Darker than my other foundations, it looks a bit yellow on the back of my wrist but blends in well to even out my summer skin tone.

I’m wearing this foundation on my face. I wore it to work yesterday and it blended in nicely.  Made the red appear more tanned.  For the price of $3.99 it was well-worth it!

Since the cushion foundations don’t have a ton of product, I am very selective when using them.  But the next cushion foundation I’m adding, I purchased from Amazon and am adding the link:  Misha Cushion Foundation! Missha Cushion Foundation Number 23

Missha is a Korean brand and I have this in the light shade 21.  

Here it is in the shade Number 23.  As you can see, it’s darker and not as yellow as the L’Oreal.  What I love about this brand’s foundations is that the cushion foundation gives off a nice luminosity!  And it’s inexpensive but does the job!

Last of all, I won a wig in a contest!  Back in January, I won Alden.  A brand new head of hair from Estetica.  She wasn’t available for sale back when I won her but she is now and boy is this a great head of hair.  I call it Julia Roberts hair!  She is so incredibly versatile because worn down, she’ll be fantastic three-season hair.  But………

Julia Roberts hair in my favorite shade–Caramel Kiss!

I put her in a low messy bun and wore her two days to work this week.  I received a ton of compliments!! This is a great wig for that messy bun because the fibers are like two-day bio hair. Slightly coarse which is fantastic for pulling hair back!

I’m loving this messy bun.  I know this’ll be worn often this summer!

So that’s about it!  How’s about you?  Do you lighten up the makeup during the summer or keep it the same year round?  Let’s talk about this!