The Dorky Diva

fandom. fashion. fun.

Hello!

Welcome to The Dorky Diva! I'm Savanna, a Star Wars fanatic who tries to sprinkle fandom into every day life. Follow along for new cosplay updates, outfit inspiration, beauty reviews, convention coverage, and more!

Summer Beauty Finds

I love trying out new beauty products. While it can be easy to fall into a downward spiral at Sephora, I've learned to pace myself and try out new products only when I need a change. Summertime means warmer weather, bright colors, and showing off tan skin. Swapping out thick moisturizers for lightweight ones and really slathering on the SPF are just a couple changes I like to make when the sun starts popping out. I've found a some beauty products to put in my rotation this summer that I absolutely love and wanted to share them with you!


Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored or endorsed by any beauty brands, but affiliate links are used, meaning if you purchase through my link I will receive commission at no additional cost to you. I only ever recommend products that I use and LOVE. Affiliate marketing allows me to continue to share free and affordable information and services! Thanks for your support!

Skincare


After eyeing it for a few months, I finally bit the bullet and bought Glossier solution. I've tried tons of physical exfoliators on my face, but I always felt like they were too abrasive on my skin and didn't make a difference on my skin quality. Glossier solution is a chemical exfoliator that wipes away dead skin cells to reveal fresh looking skin. I was nervous about trying it because I've seen mixed reviews, but thankfully it worked wonders on my face and I had no bad reactions at all. I have a couple small acne scars and rough patches on my cheeks from past acne that hasn't gone away after using my holy grail Vitamin C serum. After just a week and a half of using solution, I noticed these dark spots were much lighter and my skin overall was so much softer. I highly recommend this product to anyone with acne or rough skin, but definitely beware of the allergic reaction some ladies are having when trying this product. Try it on a small patch of your skin first before wiping it all over your face just to be safe.


Last month I swapped out my favorite Instanatural face lotion for the Glossier priming moisturizer. After the weather started to warm up, I noticed my Instanatural lotion was almost pilling off my skin when applying makeup. While it gave me a solid layer of moisture, it didn't create a good base for makeup so I decided to stash it away for winter and switched to the Glossier moisturizer. This lotion feels so light on my face and melts into the skin without making me feel oily or sticky. It's also very buildable which lets me apply an extra layer overnight so I wake up with super soft skin. The priming moisturizer is also a perfect base for makeup.


A week ago I was doing my bi-monthly restock on serum and eye cream. Typically when I reorder products on Amazon, I just go to "My Orders" and select the same products I've purchased before. This time around, I spaced out and just searched for the products I needed and bought them. When they came in the mail, I realized I ordered a different type of eye cream than I usually buy. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise! The Instanatural eye gel cream is much more refreshing than the other Instanatural cream I'd been using. It also has a cucumber scent that is very pleasant and the gel feels cool when you apply it to the skin.


After seeing Emilia Clarke at the Solo: A Star Wars Story premiere, I was absolutely enamored by her eyebrows. They were so full, big and bushy yet stunning. I have an obsession (okay maybe it's an addiction) to plucking my eyebrows as soon as one new hair pops up. I decided last month to stop plucking my eyebrows and started using Ardell brow and lash growth accelerator to make them grow faster. This stuff really works! Within just a couple weeks I noticed all of my sparse patches were getting fuller and I had hair growing in places that I've over plucked for years. I'm not up to Emilia Clarke status yet, but I'm really happy with my fuller brows.


In case you're wondering, here's a breakdown of my updated skincare routine:

1) Glossier solution (morning only)
2) InstaNatural Vitamin C serum (morning and night)
3) Ardell brow and lash growth accelerator (morning and night)
4) Glossier priming moisturizer (morning and night)
5) Glossier balm dot com (morning and night on lips)

If I'm not wearing makeup, I apply sunscreen after my moisturizer too. On normal days though, I just wear my tinted moisturizer with SPF as foundation.

Makeup


I know it sounds like I'm a Glossier rep because I talk about them so much, but I swear I'm not. I just really love their products! Glossier launched two new cloud paint shades for summer and I ordered them the moment they went up for sale. Storm is a dark berry shade whereas Dawn is a bright pop of orange. Out of the two, I think the cloud paint in Dawn is my favorite for summer. It's extremely pigmented so you only have to use the tiniest bit on your cheeks, but it gives such a nice sun kissed look. I also wear Storm on my lips when I want a berry pout.


Wearing lipstick in the summer is so fun because there are tons of bright shades you can wear. I hate having dry lips so I'm always on the hunt for a good lipstick or gloss that is really moisturizing. Right now my favorite summer lip color is NYX creamy lipstick in Doll. It's a super soft lipstick that glides right on and makes your lips feel silky smooth. This shade is really beautiful because it's not too bright- just the perfect plum rose hue. If I want it to last longer, I will wear a nude lipliner before applying the lipstick so it doesn't slide around too much. Otherwise, this is a great lip color that will wear off beautifully throughout the day rather than leaving a harsh stain or lines on your lips.


Nails


I rarely go to the nail salon because I'd rather spend that extra money on things that last a little longer than nails that will chip or grow out in less than two weeks. However, I love painting my nails at home. Sally Hansen Insta-Dri nail polish is the longest lasting bang-for-your-buck nail color I've found. I've used several shades and they all last at least a full week before chipping at all. It also performs to the name, it dries almost instantly! Two quick coats, a clear top coat, and a couple minutes to dry leave my nails looking perfect for summer. My favorite shades so far are Espresso (a deep rose color) and Set Sail (a bright sky blue color). They have a really wide range of colors.



Body


When I lived in Florida, I was always outside and had a pretty nice tan. My dad has really tan skin and even though I take after him and get brown really fast when I'm out in the sun, Seattle hasn't been so kind to me. We've had some really sunny days here, but most of the time it's still a little overcast or cloudy- not really the best tanning conditions. While I'm not one of those girls that needs a glowing Malibu tan all the time, I think my skin looks a lot healthier when I have a tan. Rather than baking in the sun and harming my skin, I've been using Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer and I really love it. It's not streaky at all and the scent doesn't bother me. In just a week I've built up a nice healthy tan without having to spend time in the sun. I apply it in the morning after I shower and then use a non-tanning lotion at night before bed.


What are your favorite beauty finds for summer? Share them with me in the comments below!

Comments

  1. I just tried the glossier mascara (based on your recommendation) I love it! I also bought a sample of the moisturizer and I was impressed so I'm going to order a bottle of that as well.

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    Replies
    1. I'm still using the Glossier mascara and love it too! You're going to be obsessed with the priming moisturizer when you start using it every day. I notice my skin is never dry now!

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