Monthly favorites: June

Last month was a super busy one for me. Apart from working full time at the office, I traveled on business, attended my childhood friend’s beautiful wedding, and traveled out of the country on a long weekend. Whew! All those occasions were really hot and humid, too. Through it all, I kept my beauty artillery at the ready, because even if one is feeling frazzled, it doesn’t have to be obvious to other people!

Gold mini hair curler

I was honestly not expecting much from this inexpensive curler, thinking I’d be lucky if it could create a curl that would last longer than half an hour. My hair normally doesn’t hold curl very well, and high heat and humidity make most hairstyles go flat faster than you can proclaim you’re “feeling yourself.” However, my hair stayed curly all throughout my friend’s wedding ceremony and reception—and the reception was outdoors. The small size means it’s perfect for girls with shoulder-length hair like mine, which will only wave if you use a large curler. Because this one is light, your arm won’t feel like it’s falling off after you’re done styling. I saw that this curler is available on Lazada, but I bought it for less from @ theainstashop on Instagram.

Tarte Smooth Operator powder

I’ve written about this powder before, and it’s proven itself again even during the most humid of times. This stuff is practically bullet-proof. I have this in a travel size and brought it with me when I went to Singapore, where I walked as much as 17 kilometers in one day of sight-seeing. The weather there was also 30-plus degrees like here. With that much sweating and being outdoors, it’s impossible of course not to get a little oily, but it kept my eye concealer from creasing and limited oil-paper blotting on the nose.

Maybelline Hypersharp Wing liner

I’ve had this product for a while, and I’m pleased to see that the color still goes on jet black. Some liquid eyeliners start to fade over time after too much other makeup sticks on the tip (since I generally apply eyeliner after eyeshadow). I wore this to a construction site on a hot morning for work, and wore it in Singapore. It stayed on without smudging. Wow!