As we come to the close of April, I’ve been frantically testing out products I think are worthy of getting the favorite of the month tag. Here are a few I recommend. 

1. FRESH Sugar Sport Treatment Sunscreen SPF 30 ($25 @ fresh.com, sephora.com) – Since it’s in a stick form, you can slide it in your purse and never worry about spillage. Now there’s no excuse for not wearing SPF, right?

2. IT COSMETICS Heavenly Luxe You Sculpted! #18 Contour & Highlight Brush ($34.50 @ itcosmetics.com) - So why don’t I have a brush like this in my collection? I didn’t realize how much I needed one in this shape until I saw this one! Isn’t that always the case? Love this one for (trying) to sculpt my cheeks and to brush under the jaw line. 

3. KISS USA Ruby Kisses Matte Lipstick in Red Mangrove ($2.99 @ kissusa.com) – Wait, did you even know this brand made anything beside lashes and fake nails? I didn’t! I saw a few YouTube videos raving about their matte lipsticks so I had to try them and they are really all that. If you like a little moisture with your matte lippies then these are for you and how about that price?? I picked mine up at my local beauty supply store.

4. BENEFIT COSMETICS Dandelion Shy Beam Liquid Highlighter ($26 @ benefitcosmetics.com) – This is such a nice matte pinky nude highlighter that can be use anywhere on the face. Lately it’s been ruling the tops of my cheeks.

5. CLINIQUE Pep-Start Eye Cream ($26.50 @ clinique.com and sephora.com) – I’ve never needed an eye cream more than in the last few months for some reason. #aging. This one is light on the skin and on the purse strings. It hydrates, depuffs and really seems to wake me up.

6. ELIE SAAB ‘Le Parfum Rose Couture’ Eau de Toilette ($80/1.6oz, $108/3oz only @ nordstrom.com) – Anything rose always welcomes springtime for me and I’ve worn this one non-stop since I got it. Orange flower, jasmine, rose nectar, vetiver, sandalwood, patchouli, mandarin tree blossom, gardenia and warm honey rose. Every note says feminine.

7. TARTE COSMETICS Rainforest of the Sea Wipeout Color-Correcting Palette ($45 @ dermstore.com, sephora.com) – You don’t need to suffer from any kind of discolorations on your skin anymore! Color-correcting is all the rage for a reason. It works! This one has 6 creams shades to get your skin on point.

Disclosure: Some of these items were provided for review purposes. Some I bought.

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Have you heard of THE ESTEE EDIT line yet? It’s a new brand from Estee Lauder aimed at a younger demographic but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t appeal to us older peeps too! I was sent two of their items to try out. So how did they do? Click after the pic to find out!

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I’ve just been living in a liquid lipstick vortex for the past few months but trying out these TARTE COSMETICS Drench Lip Splash Lipsticks ($22/2.4g @ tartecosmetics.com and sephora.com) really brought me down to earth, and nicely I might add. They’re part of the Rainforest of the Sea Collection, which recently came out.

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I’m pretty much obsessed with my brows. Unless I just had them done, they always seem to need a trim or to be reshaped. With all the freakin’ products I own for them (pencils, pomades, combs, spoolies, setting gels, highlighter and more), all you really need are these included in PHYSICIANS FORMULA Eye Booster 4-in-1 Brow Boosting Kit ($14.95 @ ulta.com and physiciansformula.com). Right now it’s only available in Universal Brown (the pencil color is this shade) but I’m maybe they’ll add more options if this sells well.

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided for review purposes.

You can also follow Cybele on Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and Snapchat

There are a few things about myself that I just know. One is that when I take a trip, I never take enough clothes; I’m an underpacker (that’s a subject for another post). Another thing I know is that if I’m in the car driving and I hear the ding of a new text or a call coming in, it takes everything I have not to sneak a peek. And I know that’s bad. We’ve all heard, “don’t text and drive,” and for the most part people probably don’t but now it seems that we have moved onto the next stage which is just looking at the phone. Like a new message or a Facebook feed. This is called distracted driving. And I know just plain looking at the phone like this is going to get me in trouble one of these days.

I know that the different car insurance companies and other sites have done a lot of studies on this topic here, here, and here and there’s even a website dedicated to it here. I even saw one insurance company asking people to put a red piece of tape around their thumb to show their commitment! Really?? Umm, just no to that.

Clearly no one has the answer so I started doing something I do when I buy McDonald’s French Fries. I know I can’t stop my hands from stuffing a few fries in my mouth here and there on the drive home, so a few years ago I started putting the whole bag of food in my truck so I wouldn’t be tempted. So with this action in mind, I recently started putting my whole purse, including the phone, in the trunk so I wouldn’t be tempted.

And since it’s in the trunk I don’t even hear the phone go “ding” anyway!

So I thought I would see if I can get a few of readers to keep from being distracted when behind the wheel and partake in a #TrunkMyPurse campaign. As in, before you get in the car, put the purse in the trunk, and then be on your way.

And as an incentive, I’m attaching a contest to it! There will be 3 winners – 1 big winner and 2 runner-ups. And believe me, the prizes will be pretty amazing! I’m cleaning out the beauty closet to make way for all the spring and summer releases and all the new, unused, mostly (about 95%) full sized products must go!

Here are just some of the brands I'm giving away - 

Dove, St. Ives, Make Up For Ever, Zuca, Nyx, Pelo-Hair, Happy Hands, CoverGirl, Cailyn Cosmetics, Stila, Benefit Cosmetics, Maybelline, Mary Kay, Sephora, We See Beauty, Emani, Wet n Wild, Aroma Crystal, Estee Lauder, Votre Vu, Gleam by Melanie Mills, Beauty Addicts, Zuca, Spornette, Shiseido, KISS, Pixi Beauty, Bare Escentuals, Reese Roberts Beauty, Beauty 360, Urban Decay, Tarte, Flickable, Truth Vitality, Crown Brush, The Body Shop, Teadora, Redken, Physicians Formula, Tazeka, Shiseido, Nivea

~Just enter below and good luck~ and don't forget to remind yourself to #TruckMyPurse before you get behind the wheel!

So it’s officially Spring! Are you ready? I always gravitate towards a lighter everything in these warmer months, especially when it comes to my makeup and what I put on my face.

With the help of Burt’s Bees® and EcoTools®, I wanted to create a Fresh Spring Beauty Look using some of their products.

Here is the breakdown:

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I attended The Makeup Show in Los Angeles a few weeks ago and picked up some products I’m uber excited to try out! Some I had not seen before and some I had on my list to pick up.

Since it’s tax season, I had to really be watchful on my dollars this time around and thankfully the show had a blogger preview so some of the products that were on my list were in the bag the show gave us. Yeah!! I've just started trying some of them out so do you see anything you like?

1. ESUM Pro Finishing Sponges ($20/2 sponges @ musebeauty.com) – here’s a new twist on the makeup sponge – these combines the wedge and oval sponge in one so you can get every inch you’re trying to get to.

2. BÉSAME COSMETICS Boudoir Short Hair Contour Brush ($48 @ sephora.com) – this one is in the same category as those oval brushes that are blowing up everywhere. It feels so nice on the skin and is able to get into all the angles on the face … flawlessly!

3. SENNA COSMETICS Lash Detail Mascara ($20 @ sennacosmetics.com) – I’m really picky about my mascara and don’t like many. I’ve worn this one twice and what I like about it is the super skinny fine brush that seems to be able to maneuver color on ever lash. If you’re looking for natural looking lashes, this might be one to try.

4. NYX COSMETICS Soft Matte Lip Crème in Transylvania ($5.99 @ bedbathandbeyond.com) – I’ve been needing this shade in my life since it came out and has been sold out at my Ulta since it came out.

5. SEPHORA PRO Press Full Coverage Complexion Brush #66 ($36 @ sephora.com) – this seems to be Sephora’s answer to the oval brush craze and I can’t wait to see how it performs!

6. SMASHBOX Photo Finish Primer Water ($32/3.9oz @ smashbox.com and sephora.com) – there’s been quite a buzz on this primer water since it emerged recently. Can’t wait to try this out!

7. VERA MONA Color Switch Duo ($19.99 @ veramona.com) – a genius product! Stroke your brush against the black to remove the color so it’s ready to dip into the next shade. And the white middle part can be soaked in water if you feel like applying shadow with a wet brush.

8. KAT VON D Tattoo Liner in Trooper ($19 @ sephora.com) – from the queen of liner. Need I say more?

9. PUR Browder Perfecting Brow Powder in Medium Brown ($22 @ kohls.com) – this combines a powder with fibers to help fill in sparse areas. Interesting application pointer!

10. MAKE UP FOR EVER Pro Sculpting Lip 2-in-1 Lip Sculpting Pen in #40 Carmine Red ($27 @ sephora.com) – quite a unique twist on giving lips a multi-dimensional look. Can’t wait to try this out!

Ok, we’re hit another trend wave in the category of liquid lipsticks and this one is different finishes and in this case it’s metallic and glitter.

I was at The Makeup Show a few weeks ago (a haul post is coming soon, I promise!) and CAILYN COSMETICS was there with their latest. I bought the Star Wave Glitter Tint in Scorpio and their Star Wave Mattalic Tint in Cassiopeia.

I was really looking forward to try these out. So how did they perform? Click the link after the pictures!

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