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Makeup Bag Must-Haves

Makeup Bag Must HavesLast week I shared some beauty discoveries I’m loving.  They’re all fabulous products that work SUPER well.

Today I want to share the makeup discoveries I’m loving.  They’re a combo of recent finds and tried and true favorites.  The items your makeup bag can’t live without.

Bonus points: every single item is green/clean beauty!

Tinted Moisturizer

I got a sample of this and instantly fell in love.  I’m honestly considering replacing my foundation with it because it works THAT well.  It’s buildable, breathable and goes on buttery smooth.  No creasing or caking.  You can barely tell I’m wearing anything when I have it on.  I love that it has SPF 30 and you can buy it at Target!  The only way this product could get any better is if they offered a wider range of colors.

Color: Light

Smokey Eyeshadow

This shimmery powder eyeshadow is soooo pretty.  I have it in Mink (perfect for a smokey eye) and honestly need it in every color.  It also comes in midnight, onyx and blonde.  You can apply it with your finger or with an eye shadow brush – it’s literally foolproof and makes you look like a professional did your makeup.  I wear it from lashes to crease and like to line my lower eyelids with it for a pop.

Color: Mink

Everyday Lipstick

This color – C.R.E.A.M. – is the perfect everyday shade.  I constantly get compliments on it.  Creamy but it stays put.  They’ve updated the packaging to a tried and true lipstick tube and I love how easy it is to apply.  I don’t even need a mirror.

Color: C.R.E.A.M.

The Perfect Red Lip

This lip tint is heaven sent.  I would honestly own it in every color if it weren’t for the packaging.  I’m lazy and don’t like to use a lip brush, but I WILL for this product.  It’s moisturizing, highly pigmented, stays put and fades evenly.  One of my biggest lipstick pet peeves is when color fades only in the center leaving you with very pronounced “lip liner.”  This product won’t do that.  You’ll have beautifully stained lips for hours.

Color: Lover’s Choice.  I really want this deep berry shade too.

Lip Balm

I am a HUGE Burt’s Bees fan.  It’s honestly all I’ll use.  Until I found this lip balm.  Super luxurious and moisturizing.  You don’t need to keep reapplying it.  I love the subtle scent.  I want to try it in mint too.

Highlighting Powder

Full disclosure: I love Charlotte Tilbury’s highlighter.  The only reason I ventured out was because I wanted a green/clean beauty option.  This highlighter blends well and reflects light beautifully.

Color: Backstage Pass

Nail Polish

I’ve talked about this 9-free nail polish before.  It’s hands down the BEST nail polish on the market.  The brush makes application super easy and salon quality.  I have 10 colors and adore this deep green for fall.  This is the only nail polish brand I’ll wear now.

Color: Lagrandiere

Beauty Discoveries I’m Loving

Beauty DiscoveriesIf you follow me on Instagram you know I share new discoveries I’m loving on my Sunday Series.

Recently I’ve discovered quite a few awesome beauty products that I just have to share here on the blog.  I’m going to split them into beauty (today) and makeup (next week) because there are so many!

The great part about these products is not only do they work super well, but some of them are impulse Target finds that turned out to be REALLY good.

Natural Deodorant

I’m probably really late to the game, but I just discovered this deodorant and it’s awesome.  I had been using this and unfortunately it was no longer working for me.  That’s the thing with natural deodorants.  I DO think your body gets used to them and you have to change them up every now and again.

What I Love

  1. It comes in 20 different scents – 20!  I have Jasmine & Cedar.  They even have a Pumpkin Spice but that is way too much for me.
  2. It’s paraben and aluminum free.
  3. It’s a roll-on application (so many natural deodorants aren’t).
  4. It also comes in a plastic-free version made of paperboard.

Facial Mist

This facial mist smells divine and I can see instant results.  It balances my skin so I have an even tone.  It’s moisturizing and super refreshing.  I use it in the morning on days when I don’t shower right after waking up.  It’s also great to refresh midday makeup.

Acne Clearing Blue Light Pen

I was hesitant about this acne clearing blue light pen mostly because of the cost.  Did I really want to spend $150 on something I would only use occasionally?  I ended up pulling the trigger after reading the stellar reviews.  Plus, I am a huge fan and years-long user of another Foreo product, so I figured I’d give it a go.

I’m so glad I did.

If I feel a breakout coming on, I use it.  On those days I use it multiple times to keep fighting acne-causing bacteria.  If you have a pimple that has already come to the surface, it drastically reduces the amount of time you have to deal with it.

Deep Blemish & Dark Spot Correcting Microdarts

If you haven’t heard of Peach & Lilly, get acquainted.  The K-beauty retailer sells its own line plus a range of fabulous K and J-beauty brands.

These deep blemish microdarts work better than any I’ve tried.  I’ve written before about my tips for eliminating cystic acne and I like to use these in combination with these (which are more for healing IMO).

I also love these for dark spot correction.  I put one on overnight for a few nights in a row to really treat post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.

 

DIY Home Manicure That Pops

Ciate London nail art cheat sheets When I discovered these nail art cheat sheets, I squealed out loud.  Not only are they super cute, but they seemed to be foolproof even for someone as novice as me.

Let me be frank.  I’m terrible at doing my own nails.

I don’t have any fancy nail tools.  I don’t push back my cuticles.  I don’t use a tiny makeup brush to clean up the edges.  I just paint my nails.  Plain and simple.

When I want a fun pop, I go for a bold color.  And now, I have these cheat sheets!

Ciate London nail art cheat sheets

Here’s a breakdown of what you get:

  1. 425 stickers for $18.  I love the protection eyes most, but the leopard spots, kiss faces and geometric shapes are awesome too.
  2. Most shapes come in black and white so you can use them with dark or light nail polish colors.
  3. They are SUPER substantial.  i.e. they look like real nail polish.  There’s dimension to them – they’re embossed.

There is an art to applying these for which I learned the hard way.  The first time I tried putting them on, my nails were only 80% dry.  I HATE waiting for my nails to dry and always rely on my topcoat to do the drying for me.  Since you can’t apply a topcoat until after you’ve applied these stickers, I was kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place.

I wish I would have waited for my nails to fully dry.  I wasted 4 stickers because I couldn’t press them on firmly enough with semi-wet nails.

PRO TIP: wait for your nails to FULLY dry before applying.  You need to press each sticker firmly onto your nail and then finish with a topcoat for them to stay put.

I love this 9-free, vegan nail polish brand.  It’s women-owned and their colors are fabulous.  Wearing the color Buff here.

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Step-by-Step Smokey Eye

Smokey EyeshadowSmokey eyeshadow quad // Base eyeshadow // Eyebrow pencil & brow gel // Eyeliner // Lipstick // Mascara

When it comes to doing my makeup, I feel pretty competent.  My skills aren’t YouTuber status, but over the years I’ve mastered two key looks – natural, everyday makeup and a smokey eye.

To be honest, I get tons of compliments and questions about what products I use for my smokey eye.  Since wearing a mask in public is our new reality, I think a lot of women are going to be upping their eyeshadow game.  It’s high time I made this a blog post!

While I’ve done a video tutorial on Instagram Stories before, I wanted to break down the process step by step.  The key is the ingredients.

Base Eyeshadow

The secret to a good smokey eye is a combination of cream and powder eyeshadow.

I use this base to start my smokey eye.  It has a bit of shimmer, but not too much.  Light reflects so beautifully when you use this as your base.

I apply it with my finger and cover my entire eyelid up to the brow bone.

Eyeshadow Quad

Next, I use a sponge applicator eyeshadow brush and this palette.  It’s truly the palette to end all palettes.  It looks good on EVERY skin tone and achieves a natural yet dramatic smokey eye.

Start by applying the bottom-right color to the crease.  I start on the outer corner of my eyelid and blend inwards using the sponge applicator eyeshadow brush.

Then I apply the bottom-left color on top of the previous color.  I focus mainly on applying color to the outer corner of my eyelid.  Since this color has shimmer, you don’t want to go overboard.

If you prefer a classic, grey smokey eye follow the exact same instructions above but use this palette.

The key here is the sponge applicator brush.  It absorbs and distributes color so much better than a standard eyeshadow brush since you’re using a cream eyeshadow base.

Once you’ve applied both colors to the crease, take a standard eyeshadow brush (I like this one) and sweep it back and forth along the crease to finish the look.

Finishing Touches

I adore this black eyeliner (only on the bottom lids) and this mascara.

Pro Tip: using a Kleenex, wipe off the mascara wand before applying.  This sounds counterproductive, but TRUST ME in that it will make your lashes longer and more voluminous.

When a mascara wand has too much product on it, it weighs lashes down and makes them look clumpy.

Brows are a two-part process for me.  First, I fill mine in with this eyebrow pencil.  I focus mostly on the arch and the start of my eyebrows.  Don’t overfill the middle of your brows – you’ll end up looking like Bert from Sesame Street.

Pro Tip: make sure your brow pencil is a true match to your actual brow color.  If you want to lighten the color of your brows, choose a brow gel 1-2 shades lighter than your actual color.

I use this color brow pencil and this color brow gel.

Voila!  The perfect smokey eye.

Skincare Review: Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream

Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream If you’re a beauty junkie you’ve probably heard of Augustinus Bader’s The Rich Cream.  With endorsements from just about every A-list celebrity, it definitely has a cult following.

I’m one of those people who switches up my moisturizer often. Over the years, I haven’t really found anything that truly stuck.  I’ve tried K-beauty and green beauty, and this one is probably the one I’ve gone back to the most.

But since I’ve yet to find the “holy grail” moisturizer, into my cart The Rich Cream went.

There are a few things you need to know about this moisturizer.

  1. Its secret ingredient is called TFC-8 (trigger-factor complex), a proprietary blend of ingredients.
  2. It isn’t 100% green beauty, but it’s close.  Ingredients here.
  3. Augustinus Bader has been making skincare for over 30 years, so there is good R&D behind this product.  Plus, he only makes 3 products (two moisturizers and a body cream).  Talk about a laser-focused mission.

I wasn’t sure which of the two moisturizers would be best for me: The Rich Cream or The Cream.  I ended up buying them both and employed this strategy:

  • I started with The Rich Cream since it’s springtime (cooler/drier temps).
  • I’ll switch to The Cream during summer since my skin doesn’t need as much moisture during the hotter months.

While they’re both deeply hydrating, The Rich Cream is a super hydrator and better for those with dry skin.  If you have oily or combination skin, go for The Cream.

You’re instructed to use the moisturizer – and nothing else – for 28 days.  No serums, no eye creams, no retinol.  NOTHING.

I did obviously use face wash, make-up removing wipes and sunscreen.  Otherwise, I followed directions to the letter.

The Claim

The reason this moisturizer has a cult following is because it actually regenerates your skin.

It’s like Wolverine from X-Men or Isabella Rossellini from Death Becomes Her.  Think wrinkle-reduction, plumpness, brightness, elimination of environmental damage – total cellular rejuvenation thanks to stem-cell technology.

Other reviews have said it eliminated the recurrence of hormonal cystic acne (I haven’t had any cystic acne to validate this claim myself).

Pros
  • Despite its thick consistency, it absorbs quickly.
  • My skin feels plumper, firmer and honestly glows after I apply it.
  • The scent is very subtle (almost non-existent).
  • I can see more evenness of tone after 28 days.
  • Zero irritations or reactions (and I have sensitive skin).
Cons
  • The consistency is so thick it’s like glue.  You can rub it into your skin, but I prefer to rub it in my hands first and then pat it on my face.
  • It’s expensive.
The Verdict

Did The Rich Cream transform my skin to life-altering proportions?  No.  After decades of testing products, I’ve come to realize that shocking, visible, instantaneous results can only be achieved via cosmetic procedures.  You won’t find overnight transformation in a bottle.

Did it make my skin feel amazing and give me visible results after 28 days?  Yes.

Will I be buying another bottle?  Absolutely.

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