june favorites: abbey

Happy July! July is one of my favorite months — fireworks, ice cream cones, my birthday and more. Summer is at its best in July, I think. Warm nights spent outside with friends shouldn’t be taken for granted when the snow rolls in by December!

June was a good month for me for discovering new beauty products and tools that I love, in addition to a few new style favorites and more!

Here are the 10 things I adored in June:

(disclaimer: no links are affiliate links and all products were purchased by myself)

BEAUTY

1. Mac Pro Longwear Paint Pot in Painterly

It took me too long to start using Mac products. I’m a Sephora junkie (mostly just to get that Rouge status) but Mac products surprised me (in a good way) in June. I’ve been using the paint pot in Painterly as an eyeshadow base/primer for my eyes. I like the results so far — it keeps eyeshadow on while limiting creasing or fading, while also acting as a great base color. There are few worse beauty problems than eyeshadow that just looks muddy and the paint pot hasn’t failed me yet!

Eye on right has been primed with Painterly, eye on left has no base.

2. Becca Shimmering Skin Perfecter Pressed in Moonstone

So, strobing. The beauty trend that wasn’t really a trend that has taken the world by storm. Beauty enthusiasts have been ditching the contour and bronzer in favor of an intense highlight for a while, but I enjoy the label for it! Becca’s Shimmering Skin Perfecter Pressed in Moonstone is THE end-all, be-all best highlighter for fair skin. Others I’ve tried, including Benefit’s Watts Up, are too dark and too gold/orange. Becca’s is intense without making you look like a glittery disco ball and feels so unbelievably creamy on the skin for a powder. I have dry skin so I tend to sway more towards cream or liquid highlighters, but this one is different. Apply with a fluffier fan brush on the cheekbones, above the brows, down the bridge/tip of the nose and the cupid’s bow and get your #beccaglow on. Becca. Thank you for giving my pale skin a J-Lo glow.

Wearing the Shimmering Skin Perfector in Moonstone. Photo can be found on instagram: @_makeupandmacarons

Moonstone swatched on the right. On the left is Benefit’s Watts Up.

3. Mac 219 Brush

Another great Mac find in June: the 219 brush. It’s a dense pencil brush that is perfect for defining the outer corner, smudging shadow or liner on the lower lash line, and perfectly placing an inner-corner highlight on the eye. As I start to up my eyeshadow game (talk to my sister about my eyeshadow woes) this brush has helped me tremendously. A classic brush that any girl who loves eyeshadow needs in her kit!

The Mac 219 is great for defining the “outer v” of the eyelid.

4. Sigma E40 Brush

A great companion to my Mac 219, the Sigma E40 brush is a cult-favorite fluffy tapered blending brush that I finally splurged on. It’s perfect for blending out colors in the crease. It gives the perfect diffused, blended look (nobody wants a hard line of black on their eyelids) and feels so soft on the eyes. It’s a cult-favorite for a reason!

The Sigma E40. A best friend to a greatly blended crease shadow.

5. Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Peel Original Formula

Dry-skinned ladies who still get occasional breakouts: listen up. These exfoliating pads are AWESOME. They exfoliate but also leave a cleansed feeling after using. I’ve been looking into chemical exfoliants to buy after I use up my Soap & Glory Face Polish (bye bye microbeads – they are bad for the skin and the earth!) and I had a few samples of these pads from my mom. My skin feels baby soft after I use these. Be sure to use at night (they cause some redness, at least for me) a moisturizer after using to ensure your skin doesn’t get dry from the chemical exfoliant. They are very expensive ($88 for 30 sets of pads or treatments) but they do work well!

Warning: these pads will cause redness for fair skinned chicas. Use these before bed and follow with a serum and night cream for best results!

STYLE

6. Daniel Wellington Classic Bristol Lady Watch in Rose Gold

My boyfriend bought me this beauty for Christmas, and I’ve been loving pairing it with my Coordinates Collection Legend bracelet lately. You know those girls who somehow seem to have it all together? They wear coordinating jewelry every day and stack bracelets effortlessly – they always have a conversation piece on. This combo will make you feel like one of those girls. This watch is impeccably made and simple. The brown leather is light enough to match with practically anything too, and the rose gold is feminine and classy. Love this watch!

7. Coordinates Collection Legend Bracelet

Another Christmas present (this one from my parents) I’ve been loving lately is my Coordinates Collection Legend bracelet. If you haven’t read about these, they’re customizable cuff bracelets that you can have a coordinate to a special location and a message on the inside engraved. My coordinate is to a very special place for my family and the message on the inside reads “my safe place.” I graduated college in December and it feels nostalgic and special to have a piece of home with me wherever I am. Though they haven’t managed to get rid of me just yet, when I move out I think it’ll feel even more special. It’s elegant, understated, and has started many conversations with coworkers and new friends. Thanks, mom & dad!

8. Etiquette Boutique (in Leawood, KS)

Rachel and I have found our favorite little boutique close to home in Leawood, Kansas. Etiquette has it all: cute sundresses, sexy date night frocks, rompers (so. many. rompers), beautiful shoes, Quay sunglasses (the ones worn by so many Instagram celebrities), and more. The pieces are fairly affordable too. I have quite a few dresses and rompers from the boutique and so does Rachel. We haven’t found a thing we don’t love in that store. Our wallets might not love us for it, but that’s okay. We’ve got some amazing clothes to show for it. Below are some of our favorite pieces from the boutique (my black sundress, Rachel’s white flowy top and skirt). If you’re a KC native, you must check out Etiquette!

ENTERTAINMENT

9. 20 Feet From Stardom

My friends Tyler and Brie suggested this last week for our movie night and I was blown away. The movie focuses on the music industry’s best background singers — people who have sung for Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, The Rolling Stones…you know, just some little-known artists ;). I’m a singer myself, and the pain they felt as some of them tried to break through to have solo careers just resonated with me so much. These singers are the reason some of history’s best songs are so catchy and I thought this was an incredibly poignant documentary abou

FOOD

10. Justin’s Almond Butter Packets

These cute little packets have totally revolutionized the way I eat breakfast. As someone who presses the snooze button a few too many times in the morning, I need something that I can grab as I’m sprinting out the door and spread on some toast (I loooove Oatmeal bread) when I get to work. This stuff is DELICIOUS. The classic and vanilla are my favorite flavors. They keep me full until lunchtime (a big deal breaker for my breakfast food choices) and make me love quick breakfasts. I buy mine at Target!

June was a fabulous month for me. Some of these products and items helped make it so. I hope you’ll try at least a few — let me know what your favorite products were this month! Always hunting for the next holy grail…

xoxo

abbey

Yes, I put Greek yogurt on my face

As long as the ingredients aren’t harmful and the product isn’t too smelly, I will try just about anything in the name of beauty and healthier skin. Cosmetics brands are becoming so innovative with ingredients and cute packaging (yes, I’m a sucker for packaging). But sometimes we can be fooled by an intriguing ingredient list or a fancy gold bottle when the product fails to live up to its hype.

Enter Korres. The Greek brand has been a Sephora mainstay for years, but I don’t hear many employees or fellow shoppers discussing the brand’s products.

Rachel and I have Greek ancestors and both of us always love to learn more about this unique part of our heritage. When I visited Greece, I fell in love with the kind people, delicious soutzoukakia and ouzo and the gorgeous landscape and history of the land. Now, however, I’m kicking myself for not visiting Korres’ HQ!

Being a dry-skinned gal, I’ve researched sleeping masks, or masks you simply apply right before bed, and instead of washing them off 20 minutes later, you sleep with the product on your face. Sleeping hydrating and nourishing masks can help people with dry skin get an incredible boost of hydration overnight. Bye, flakiness!

The Korres Greek Yoghurt Advanced Nourishing Sleeping Facial contains “moisturizing Greek Yoghurt, [which] provides a natural source of proteins, minerals, and vitamins to instantly nourish stressed, dry skin. This ultrahydrating facial-in-a-jar contains a Greek Yoghurt concentrate with two and a half times the protein content of regular yogurt, and works overnight to provide skin with intense, long-term moisturization and nourishment to create a smooth, even complexion.”

In short: this stuff packs an ultra-hydrating punch in just eight hours of shut-eye.

The packaging is in a glass jar, which isn’t ideal for travel, but I use it more as a once-a-week treat for my skin, though you can choose to use it daily. The design is simple but feels luxurious.

The product itself is very creamy – thicker than most night creams I own. The smell is fresh, clean and pleasant (it doesn’t reek of sour yogurt or anything!). I take a bit of product, about the size of a nickel, and apply it all over my face, massaging it gently into extra-dry areas. The packaging advises to avoid contact with eyes, so I wash my hands after applying and apply my eye cream as normal (I’ve been using Clinique All About Eyes lately and I love it as a nightly eye treatment but find it makes my makeup too greasy in the daytime).

Overall, I’d rate the Korres Greek Yoghurt Sleeping Facial 5 stars out of 5. A home-run for dry skin in my book and it definitely holds up to its promises. If my wallet agreed with me, I’d be purchasing the entire Greek Yogurt line. Until then, I’ll be dreaming of sunny days in Santorini…

xoxo, abbey

Rachel’s April Favorites

April showers brought along so many more amazing things this month than just flowers. If I could, I’d give you a mile-long list of things I loved this month, but to keep it short I’ve narrowed it down to my top 12 list of skincare, beauty products, foods, tv, and music. So let’s get started!

Skincare
Savannah Bee Co. Royal Jelly Body Butter

Our parents took a trip to Savannah, Georgia early this month to celebrate our dad’s 50th birthday (hbd daddy-yo). While Abbey and I missed them (~partied~), they came back with a sweet array of goodies from Savannah Bee Co. My favorite is the body butter which basically feels like a million angels kissing your skin.

Tarte Maracuja C-Brightener Eye Treatment

I initially got this eye cream as a sample in a Sephora 500-point reward box. I immediately fell in love because, as someone who gets limited sleep and has horrible allergies, my eyes need a little loving. My under-eye puffies are literally completely gone, folks. The magic’s in the Maracuja.

Makeup
Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick

My girl KVD has done it again. I bought this this lipstick to wear to prom in the shade bachelorette and I became obsessed. It doesn’t budge and I only reapplied once at prom for my own peace of mind, not even because it was coming off. It’s a must have for events where you need sassy lips that stay all night.

Stila Magnificent Metals Eye Shadow

The swatch photo for this eyeshadow doesn’t even begin to compare. The sparkles stay all day and are truly breathtaking. There’s a rather bizarre consistency, but worth it for the glam.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder

Hands down my favorite product of the month. A little dusting over the highlight areas of your face and you’re radiant. For some reason I had always skimmed over the Hourglass section of my sephora; huge mistake. Absolutely must have product.

Food
My Asian Dumpling recipe

I’m a sucker for Chinese food, my personal favorite being steamed pork dumplings. I’ve finally mastered a recipe that tastes nearly identical to the good stuff:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 1 tbs scallions
• 1/2 tbs soy sauce
• 1/4 tbs sesame oil
• 1 inch or so shredded ginger
• wonton wrappers

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients except wonton wrappers in a bowl thoroughly.
2. Lay out wonton wrappers on a baking sheet. You may need more than one.
3. Place desired amount of seasoned pork in each wonton and fold, using water with your finger to seal.
4. Heat a large non-stick pan over medium-low heat.
5. Place each wonton on the pan for one minute, then flip. Repeat on other side
6. Pour 1/2-1/3 cup of water in the pan and immediately cover. This is where the steaming happens.
7. Let all the water cook off and cut into one test dumpling to ensure they are cooked thoroughly.
8. Repeat steps 5-7 as needed.
9. Serve with white rice and soy sauce (optional). Enjoy!

Serves 3-4 depending on dumpling size.

Snakeez

This speaks for itself. It’s a drink. And a snack. Perfect for any occasion ever.

Kale Smoothie

It took me long enough but I’ve finally hopped on the kale wagon. My favorite way to eat it is smoothie form with this recipe:

• 1 cup kale
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 1/2 frozen banana
• 1 tbs peanut butter
• 1/8 cup frozen pineapple
• 1/2 tbs honey
• 1/4 cup greek yogurt

Blend and enjoy!

Entertainment

The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Perhaps the funniest show since The Office. Netflix‘s newest series has absolutely captivated me the last month with Pinot Noir and a whole lot of caviar. I can’t keep my eyes off the screen. Perfect if you need a show to get addicted to this summer.

Taking Flight

I don’t read much. Just putting that one out there. So it was a huge deal for me that I read this book in the first place, not to mention in a matter of days. Truly one of the most inspirational stories I’ve ever encountered. I honestly feel bettered after reading this book by ballerina Michaela DePrince and her mother Elaine DePrince about Michaela’s adoption from war-ridden Sierra Leone and her struggles with dance, post-trauatic stress, and her fight to prove herself. Worth every penny to read.

Circuit Animals

New band Circuit Animals is all I’ve listened to this month. Their new album, Home, is on iTunes, GooglePlay, and Spotify. Perfect for just about any occasion, whether that be road tripping, hanging out with friends, or studying. You’ll be hooked as soon as you hear it.

Sheinside.com

This was truly one of my biggest risks in online shopping. The clothes from SheInside are practical and fun, but you have to read a few reviews before you hit the “add to cart” button. 5/7 of the things I ordered were successes and the two that weren’t I was able to work some magic on with my sewing machine.

Thanks so much for checking out my April favorites, I hope you found some fun things to help you have an awesome May! Don’t forget to mark your calendars for Abbey’s May Favorites next month and keep your eyes peeled for more from Makeup and Macarons. If you purchase or use any of these products/resources, let us know on social media with the hashtag #mandmtaughtme!

xoxo,
rachel

makeup & macarons spring series: spring beauty

We love spring. Maybe it’s because we feel less judged chowing down on pastel macarons every day, dancing in puddles and wearing our (shared) denim jacket (Madewell’s our holy grail for denim, y’all).

We also love spring for the beauty trends. Bright, bold colors. Lips that aren’t afraid to shine a little (though we do have a soft spot for matte lipsticks). More occurrences of bare skin, if we’re really feeling brave. We each have our go-to spring looks for when we need to do something a little fancier than a tinted moisturizer, a swipe of mascara and some lip balm. Watch us perform our tried-and-true spring beauty routines and learn about some of our spring favorites!

Music in these videos is by Mark Buergler. No affiliate links are used in this post and all products were purchased by us (with our hard-earned $$$).

spring beauty: abbey

My go-to look for spring keeps it simple on top but rather focuses on a rich, bright lip. I’m loving Urban Decay’s Revolution lipsticks right now — they turned me into a lipstick lover after years of being too nervous to bother with lipstick (applying multiple times daily to my lips: flakes EVERYWHERE). The revolution lipsticks are creamy and reapply like a dream, and Jilted is the perfect blue-based fuchsia for spring!

Another favorite for spring has to be the Cover FX Custom Cover Drops (I wear N10, described as “for porcelain to light skin with neutral undertones.” I get it. I’m pale.). Cover FX is one of the few brands that makes a shade light enough for my skin tone that isn’t too pink or too yellow, but I find their cream foundation too heavy for spring. I can just add one to three drops of this HIGHLY (and I mean highly) concentrated pigment to any of my skincare products and I have a DIY foundation in my perfect shade! I’ve used it with moisturizer, tinted moisturizer, foundation primer and another foundation that’s a little dark for me and the drops haven’t failed me yet. I feel like I’m doing a little science experiment mixing it all on the back of my hand too!

As for the eyes, I like to keep it simple with shimmery nudes (Stila’s Kitten gives me life) and a matte brown defined crease. I prefer to experiment with lip color while Rachel is the resident eyeshadow blending master! I love a good winged liner look as well, and Eyeko’s Skinny Liquid Liner in black stays on ALL DAY and isn’t a total pain to take off at night!

There you have it! My spring beauty favorites. Let’s check out Rachel’s.

spring beauty: rachel

Winter for me generally consists of the same brown-based eyeshadow look nearly every day. So going into spring I decided to experiment with bold colors, one in particular being the aqua color Shattered from the Urban Decay Ammo Palette. I channeled my inner Ariel from the little mermaid with a lavender color from the UD palette called Grifter on the inner corner of my lash line and topped it off with a strong cat eye and some crazy lash action with my Too Faced Size Queen Mascara.

With newly cleared skin with the help of Accutane (pros and cons post to come later), I was able to ditch my Kat Von D full coverage foundation, which I still love with all my heart, and make the switch to a lighter wear foundation for the first spring since I began wearing makeup. I’ve become a big fan of the Lancome Nude Miracle foundation which holds all day and doesn’t transfer onto my hands or phone like some other foundations I’ve tried. I topped it off with my KVD concealer because I couldn’t part with my tattoo queen right away. It helps cover any sign of tiredness, redness as well as my acne scars.

Reverse of Abbey, I went with a neutral lip to compliment my bold eye. Sephora hands out Mini Nars lipsticks on Birthdays and I have been loving my nude lip for days when red is a bit too loud.

If you crave detail (like Abbey), we’ve provided full product details with links (again, not affiliate links) below. If you decide to try out one of these looks (or your own version), we’d love to see it! Post a picture of your look on Twitter or Instagram and use the hashtag #mandmtaughtme and tag us (@makeup_macarons on Twitter, @_makeupandmacarons on Instagram).

Stay tuned for our next spring series post!

xoxo

abbey + rachel

abbey’s spring beauty look:
face:

– CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion (SPF 30)
– Laura Mercier Foundation Primer – Radiance
– Cover FX Custom Cover Drops in N10
– Benefit Boi-ing Concealer in 01 Light
– Make Up For Ever HD Microfinish Powder
– NARS Contour Blush in Paloma
– Benefit Watts Up Highlighter
– Make Up For Ever HD Blush in 210
– Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray

eyes:
– Mac Prep and Prime Eyeshadow Primer
– Stila Eyeshadow in Kitten (on lid)
– Urban Decay Naked2 Basics Palette (Stark + Frisk on crease)
– Urban Decay Naked2 Palette (Bootycall on lid)
– Urban Decay Ammo Palette in Polyester Bride (on brow bone)
– Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner in black
– Clinique Lash Building Primer
– Clinique High Impact Mascara in black

brows:
– Anastasia Beverly Hills DIPBROW Pomade in Chocolate

lips:
– elf Studio Lip Primer & Plumper
– Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in Jilted

rachel’s spring beauty look:
face:

– CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion (SPF 30)
– Benefit The Porefessional Face Primer
– Lancome Nude Miracle in 110 Ivoire (N)
– Kat Von D Tattoo Concealer in Light 18
– Tarte Amazonian Clay Matte Waterproof Bronzer in Park Avenue Princess
– Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Ethereal Light
– BareMinerals READY Blush in The Faux Pas

eyes:
– Mac Prep and Prime Eyeshadow Primer
– Urban Decay Naked2 Basics Palette (Stark on crease, Frisk to add more definition to crease)
– Urban Decay Ammo Palette (Shattered on lid, Grifter on lower lash line, Smog on outer corner)
– Urban Decay Naked Illuminated (on brow bone)
– Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner in black
– Too Faced Size Queen Mascara in Pitch Black
– NYC Eyeliner Pencil in white (on inner corners of eye)

brows:
– Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Soft Brown

lips:
– NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Sex Machine

Stay tuned.

Welcome to makeup & macarons, a beauty and lifestyle blog written by two sisters. No posts in this category yet, but we’re hard at work writing some awesome stuff for you. xoxo abbey & rachel