Tag Archives: sample

Washing Your Face Will Never Be The Same

January 27, 2014

I’m not sure how it happened, but suddenly washing my face is one of the most exciting parts of my day. We all do it, but do you ever stop and think about it? Of course not. Washing your face is a necessary utility, and one that more often or not leaves your face feeling dry and stripped. If anything gives me that feeling now, it’s a total red flag. One that is usually followed by multiple breakouts. The absolute worst. Good news, you don’t have to scrub your face off for it to truly be clean. I predict this year will be the year of the face wash. It’s a changing, people, all for the good. Forget about soap and water, and get excited about the new guard.

Vitamin B and fruit enzymes. The Elizabeth Dehn for One Love Organics oil cleanser is not just a “first step” like so many other oil cleansers. It’s the only one you need and you’ll savor every moment you spend massaging this onto skin. Marvel at how easily it takes off your makeup and how soft and moisturized your skin feels after.

Oil meets gel. Now, this one is a pre-release sample but I couldn’t NOT include La Bella Figura’s incredible cleanser. I’m pretty sure they made it for me, since it smells of rose and pink grapefruit. Apply 1-2 pumps onto dry skin and then soak a hot muslin cloth over skin to remove. I am impressed with how well this removes makeup and love the fluffy gel texture. Coming soon!

Grains. Washing your face with clay and oats results in baby smooth skin. Hana Organics added some poppy seeds and lavender and created a dry mix you blend with water to create a paste. Thicken the mixture if you fancy a mask. Bonus: it exfoliates as well!

Mud. It looks and tastes like chocolate pudding. That alone is all I need but of course May created much more than dessert with Honey Mud. Honey is a natural antibacterial and witch hazel, frankincense and myrrh do their part as well (no breakouts, promise!)

Plant fibers. Sensitive skin types, listen up. Dr. Sponge can be used on you, and also babies. It’s soft like jello and can be used day or night. It removes makeup (if a heavy makeup day, you may need backup), dirt, oil and absolutely demolishes blackheads. I’m a convert.

Sweet Dreams are Made of MUN

January 15, 2014

I’ve always heard that your skin does most of its healing at night in the evening hours and that you shouldn’t wait to wash your face until right before you go to sleep. FOMO got the best of me — I don’t want to miss that window! Plus, if you let yourself get too tired, you might skip altogether. Now, I pretty much wash my face after getting home from work if I can. I also get in comfy clothes almost immediately. It’s my ritual and I love layering on my serums and treatments earlier instead of hurrying into it and crashing into bed. I feel like it’s made a difference in my skin and it also helps me relax. Sometimes a little too relaxed – a.k.a. falling asleep on the couch at 8pm. Almost always the case when I use MUN No. 1 Aknari Nighttime Dream Youth Serum. It’s the silkiest blend of argan oil, Bulgarian rose oil (oh my HEAVEN!) and prickly pear (a.k.a. Barbary fig seed oil) that balances and brightens skin. MUN was developed by Munemi Imai, the international makeup artist. She designed this beautiful organic serum around the prickly pear oil, which she discovered on a trip to Morocco. It has so many skin benefits and is why this serum is so effective and brightening. I love the way this feels on my skin and there’s something to be said for the simplicity of the ingredient list. Less is more in this case. By the time I snuggle up in my polka dot sheets, I feel like I’ve already got a few hours of beauty sleep in!

2014 Beauty is Coming up Roses

January 2, 2014

Happy 2014! How did everyone ring in the New Year? After a meat and potato-filled dinner date with my husband, we settled in at home. Partially because of the snow and cold – PJs sounded so cozy! – but also because we wanted to binge on the last few episodes of Breaking Bad. I watched entirely too many episodes over the holidays and it was heavy. I’m pretty sad it’s all over.

I spent much of New Year’s Day doing some much-needed organizing and spa-ing at home. Nothing like a detoxifying mask to kick start your year! And, I’m starting my 2014 beauty routine off on a rosy note. Literally.

If you were to sneak into my skin care shelf, you’d see that rose oil is a common ingredient in my favorites. Rose is the most valuable of all essential oils — it takes more than 5,000 petals to even produce a single drop! At the top of my list is Tammy Fender Quintessential Serum, a highly concentrated anti-aging serum that feeds skin and gives immediate radiance. This stuff is no joke! It is perfect for the winter months as it acts like a blanket for the skin (in a good way). The ingredients are powerful enough to undo many a skin care sins. I rarely use facial lotions these days, but really like Weleda Rose Smoothing Lotion. The texture is light and it layers well over serums and other treatments. The price is fantastic and it just smells so incredible that I just can’t help but breathe it in.

I’ve also been slathering my lips in R.L. Linden & Co’s La Balmba Rosa balm. The ingredient list is stellar — Bulgarian rose, meadowfoam, avocado and coconut oil, and more. I don’t wear lipstick without slathering this on first. Also, it’s thanks to the Linden Beauty ladies that I heard about this rose shampoo! I must try.

Sonia Kashuk did it again with this floral printed brush set. I can’t even believe the quality of each of the five brushes for under $15. The blush brush is the perfect density and size and I love the angled foundation brush with my Kjaer Weis foundation. Also, the perfect brightening lip color? Look no further than the rosy-hued Laqa & Co Lil’ Lip Duo. These chubby little lip crayons are the cutest things ever and super moisturizing on lips (shea butter, baby!

Must Have or Must Gift?

November 26, 2013

The holidays hit me like a ton of bricks today. There’s snow on the ground – the pretty and sparkling kind! – and I’m getting ready to make my Thanksgiving stuffing. Among the star ingredients? Butter, lots of butter. In the vein of one holiday at a time, I have every intention of waiting until after Thanksgiving to get all holiday gift guide up in here. But, close enough. There’s a subscription box for just about everything, including my monthly fav for the past three years and counting. The POPSUGAR Must Have Box, though, it’s on another level. It’s like a mini Oprah’s favorite thing show (gosh, I miss that!) in a box. A variety of full-sized products, everything from home décor, jewelry, yummy treats and beauty products – all bundled up in a pretty pink and white box that conveniently lands in your doorstop. The surprise and delight of it is just so much fun. Rather than stressing over that one perfect gift, how about a few months (or 12 if you’re a really good friend!) of dozens of treats? My kind of holiday treat!

P.S. The sweet folks over at POPSUGAR are also offering $10 off any 3-month subscriptions through Dec. 11. Just add NOVSELECT at checkout.

Benefit Gimme Brow

November 12, 2013

It’s usually one of my favorite birthday treats, a complimentary brow shaping from Benefit, but this year I skipped. For months, I’ve been leaving my brows just be. Resisting the urge to pluck and letting them grow to the point of unruly. At first, it’s really hard to do but with a little time (in my case – almost two months!) and patience you actually start to see results. My brows are sparse and cowlicky, so patience is hard to come by.

I was using this pencil until the folks at Birchbox majorly upped my brow game with Benefit Gimme Brow. If we’re verbing it — they wowed my brows. I’ve tried pretty much every type of brow filler there is with varying results. Wax, powder, gel, pencil, pen…but Gimme Brow is unlike any of them. It’s like brow extensions. You brush on – very conveniently with a tiny brush, I might add – gel fibers that resemble the look of actual hair. Brows don’t just look even, but full. Start at the inner corner and comb through the entire brow. So simple! I concentrate on the inner area towards my nose as that’s where my brows are at their most pathetic state. Your MO may differ.

Is there nothing more satisfying than watching a brow transformation — or as Benefit calls it, a browtification? You win with puns, Benefit. Also, these videos rock. After I watched four of them back to back, I realized the only thing missing from my makeup bag is High Brow.

Note: Birchbox provided a sample of Gimme Brow. The two cents here is all my own!

Back to (S.W.) Basics + 312 Beauty Discount!

November 6, 2013

When you consider the number of ingredients in the average bottle of lotion—go on, take a closer look at the label—it’s eye opening when you come across an entire line of skin care that collectively uses less ingredients in probably all its products than that one bottle contains. S.W. Basics is the real deal. Every single product is made from scratch at the company’s Brooklyn HQ with five ingredients or less, all of which you can easily pronounce and even add to your next grocery list. I think S.W. Basics founder Adina Grigore is the darling of the realness movement happening with personal care. She’s not your typical CEO and her authenticity is refreshing. She built a brand with no frills, in part because her own skin is uber-sensitive. But trust, no frills does not equate to ineffective or boring. In the case of S.W. Basics, fewer ingredients means higher concentrations — what’s there is working hard.

Take the Exfoliant, made with organic oats, almonds and Maine sea salt (she’s got a guy…) that satisfies my urge to scrub and my need to glow. Conveniently packaged dry so all you have to do is add a splash of water. Or the Toner, which is helping balance my skin right now even though it so wants to freak out because the weather is changing like every day. I know the addition of the Hibiscus Mask is also contributing to some good skin moments thanks to the high concentration of hibiscus (nature’s botox!), French green clay and organic lavender. The Cream is divine in the simplest of ways. You won’t find water in this formula – just shea butter and organic extra-virgin coconut and olive oils – which means it will sink deep into the skin to moisturize. And there’s the Body Scrub that’s responsible for giving me the softest skin I’ve had since the year 2000. The shreds of organic coconut are an especially nice touch versus products that try to simulate the smell of coconut. Ain’t nothing like the real thing, girlfriends.

Now comes the best part: S.W. Basics is offering 312 Beauty readers a 15% discount starting today, Wednesday, November 6 through Saturday, November 9 (11:59 p.m. eastern).

To take advantage, just head on over to S.W. Basics online, shop til you drop and enter code 312BEAU15 at checkout. May I recommend the minis as a great way to try the line? What are you waiting for?!

Strawberry Field, Forever

October 28, 2013

When I met butter LONDON’s Global Colour Ambassador Katie Hughes in Chicago a few months ago, she raved to me about the new Lippy Tinted Balm, especially the Strawberry Field shade which she deemed the best red ever. Now, I get it. At face value, they’re very unassuming. They look like an ordinary tube of lipstick. The colors even seem a little extreme within their respective palettes. The deepest wine, for example, and the palest nude. Even the red was not wowing me. That is, until I put it on my lips. One by one, they’ve quickly become the lip colors I reach for every day. Dare I say they are perfect? The creamy and hydrating formula— a combo of avocado, mango seed, cocoa and shea butters— feels phenomenal on the lips. The color transformation from tube to lip is an impressive one. Take Strawberry Field, which looks like a brick red with a hint of brown in the tube, but turns into a soft cherry tint. Or Black Cherry, which I imagine gets overlooked on the shelf due to its deep burgundy hue (acquired color – I get it.) In reality, it’s a sheer berry that you can feel comfortable wearing all day at work. And Toasted Marshmallow, the scary pale nude? It’s super flattering and gives my lips a natural dewy look. Plus, no mirror required.

For When You Need ‘Mi’ Time

October 22, 2013

Ever since I read this HBR piece, “Please Stop Complaining About How Busy You Are,” I’m really aware of how I respond when people ask me how I’m doing or what I’ve been up to. When I characterize my days as busy, it’s not at all a humble brag. If anything, it’s a cry for help! Though I know that is the last thing people want to hear. Myself included. The truth is while I may be stuck in the “busy” trap, there’s some really good stuff happening along the way. I’m trying to appreciate it rather than mask complaints. And I know how to keep myself from being completely overwhlemed –usually some form of me time. A bath before bed, binge-watching Orange is the New Black (finally!) and squeezing in moments during the day to just breathe and not let my inbox or calendar own me. I’ve even discovered a delightful new “mi” time — that is, MIYU Beauty. The brand, which just launched in August, pairs skincare with beauty teas for an “inside out” complexion treatment. It’s all so smart and every detail in MIYU’s products is a treat. Even the tea sachets themselves are little luxuries.

There’s the ‘de-stress mi’ beauty essence and tea to calm down a stressed mind or the ‘hydrate mi’ duo for a literal fresh drink of water. The icy cool peppermint in ‘de-stress mi’ really does help bring a sense of calm. My afternoon Rx? Spritz the mist, which is formulated with peppermint, dandelion, licorice and honeysuckle, in between meetings and sip the tea later in the afternoon while checking off at least two items off the to-do list. The tea also has peppermint to release tension but is balanced with chamomile blossom to soothe from within. And to make a good thing great, MIYU offers minis, including the Prettea Little Quartet which gives you a sampling of all four products. It’s too good to pass up!

OSEA Blemish Balm

October 17, 2013

I binge BB’d this past year, trying pretty much any and all that came my way. Some were incredible (3Lab’s is top notch) and others were just glorified tinted moisturizers that just left my skin oily and sad. Testing has its perils. When OSEA’s Blemish Balm landed on my doorstep, I wasn’t sure I was ready for any more BB. Except that this is really a blemish balm. There’s no tint or coverage – it’s a straight up antiseptic moisturizer intended to make blemishes go away. And it doesn’t do so with anything chemical, rather, a blend of oils. There’s a ton of essentials in the mix – rosemary, cypress, juniper, lavender, tea tree, thyme and grapefruit – and a blend of seaweeds, which helps minimize acne scars.

Considering the success I had with this tiny blemish buster, I had a feeling OSEA’s BB would be good. I was right. The idea you need to dry out your skin to get rid of pimples is not a school of thought I subscribe to anymore. Massaging this on skin under makeup is that daytime blemish treatment I’ve been looking for. I like to pump some on the back of my hand and apply with a flat foundation brush to my forehead and chin. It is lightweight and absorbs all those healing oils and vitamins into the skin quickly. The bonus is that it also works as a primer for makeup and reduces shine. I love a dewy glow, but need to tame it down just a tad in the t-zone. I assure you, this BB is on a whole different level.

Travel Skincare Diaries

October 15, 2013

I love skincare minis for travel. Sometimes I’ll even order full-size from certain places just so I can get those minis (Spirit Beauty Lounge, you complete me). Anyone else hoarding minis in a bin under the sink? I find travel can be a great way to test products. Here’s the discoveries I made this past weekend in DC.

I started testing the S.W. Basics Cleanser last week and couldn’t bear to leave it at home for four days. I knew that it would save my skin from any travel breakouts. It’s actually sold in a 1 oz. version so you can bring it with you. The formula is so simple and effective, just three ingredients: organic rosewater, glycerin and tea tree oil. Shake it up, dab it on a cotton pad, spread it over your face and then rinse with warm water. It’s incredibly gentle and is really making me rethink how I cleanse my face.

I had a mini sample of Kahina Giving Beauty Eye Serum that I’d been saving for just the right trip. Two days would have been too short and I would have ended up throwing part of it away. There is surprisingly a lot of product in those tear away samples! Kahina’s Eye Serum is beyond — I need to upgrade to a full-size stat. It is lightweight, which is great for day and night, but seriously powerful. We’re talking peptides to restore collagen, argan oil and sodium hyaluronate to plump skin, alfalfa to soothe and a botanical complex to depuff and lighten up dark circles. It has a cooling effect on skin, too, which feels so good in the morning.

I just can’t with hotel body wash. I need that touch of home in the shower, so prefer to bring my own. I’m hooked on Molton Brown and the Patchouli & Saffron Body Wash smells insanely good. Intoxicatingly good. There’s a leather note in there that is so sexy. Plus, my husband could use it, too. The mini was cute, but how adorable is the full-size bottle?

I am a body oil convert, but they can be tricky to pack. Plus, I was excited to try the CV Skinlabs Body Repair lotion. I literally squeezed every last drop from the sample I packed. If you have any type of skin irritation—eczema, dry skin, etc. – this is for you. Every ingredient serves a healing purpose. The founder created this line when her dad was fighting cancer to help him with the side effects on his hair, skin and nails. It’s completely non-toxic and feels wonderful on skin. Dry hotel air did not get the best of me.

Up next? A long weekend in Minneapolis.

bareMinerals READY to Go Complexion Palette

October 9, 2013

A few things I’m never without: my iPhone and a tube of lip balm. Now I may as well add this bareMinerals complexion kit to the list because I’ve never seen a more useful palette. It’s all very incognito in its slick nylon case, but inside is not another tech device. Rather, it’s everything you need for great face. Flawless face, really. And I do mean everything.

There’s a full suite of bareMinerals READY products – the foundation (obvs), Touch-Up Veil, Bronzer, Luminizer, Concealer and mini Precision and Tapered face brushes. If you’ve ever been a BE girl, you know how important those brushes are. They pick up the product just right and make it so you feel like you’re not wearing any makeup. They really thought of everything when making this kit – there’s even a spot in the fold to pack a lip gloss or mascara. I’m on functional overload, which is so satisfying to my Type A personality. To really stretch this guy, you can use the Bronzer and Highlighter as eyeshadow. Or, for a fleshy colored shadow, try the Ready Foundation. That’s a tip I got from a fab bareMinerals artist at the Macy’s on State (her name is Jodi, go say hello!) I’m prepping my bags for an upcoming trip, so consider this already packed.

Davines More Inside

October 7, 2013

This Is A Sea Salt Spray. This Is An Invisible Serum. This Is A Medium Hairspray. And THOSE are the actual names of three products in the new 16-piece Davines More Inside styling line. We’ve all been there. We’ve left the salon with products that we don’t know what to do with when we get home. More Inside lets the product explain itself from the start. What’s even better is that most of the styling products are hand-wrapped in graphic printed paper with a sweet and oh-so meta message + how-to tip.

You guys, it’s like a present in itself! One you carefully want to unwrap so you can use the paper again. Didn’t everyone’s grandma teach them how to open gifts that way?

I previewed the line at salon blonde in Bucktown last week, which is participating in Davines third annual Sustainable Beauty Day, today, October 7. Each October, Davines enlists its salon partners to dedicate a Monday to help fundraise for The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation. The salons offer haircuts and blowouts free of charge, encouraging clients to make a make a donation. All proceeds are given directly to the cause and in the spring, Davines volunteer helps plant the trees. There really is More Inside and behind this brand, which I love.

More Inside will be launching in full later this month. A tip that I got from the team at salon blonde? Spritz This Is A Sea Salt Spray on dry hair before curling, section by section before you curl as you might do with a hair spray. It helps set the curl and gives it a nice texture.

The List: October 2013

October 4, 2013

I think we’re all pretty jazzed that it’s October. I’ve seen this quote from the Anne of Green Gables author no fewer than a dozen times this week in my Instagram and Pinterest feeds. October is pretty magical, though. What’s not to love about the first real chill of fall and leaves changing colors? Here’s everything I’m loving for the month ahead!

Feminine fragrance. Once September wraps, it’s time to retire my summer scent. I’ve been looking for an ultra-feminine fragrance for fall, in part to balance out the “boyfriend” style wardrobe I love in the fall. Oversized everything is just so cozy! When I was previewing the new beauty floor at Macy’s a few weeks ago, I spritzed on the new Estee Lauder Modern Muse. The ladies at the counter explained to me how there are two different scent profiles that you may pick up, depending on your body chemistry. There’s the woodsy vanilla and amber musk side or jasmine and dewy citrus. The jasmine hit me right away and I’ve been wearing it every day since.

Glittery nails. I’m obsessed with the butter LONDON “Rock Your Colour” glitters for fall, especially Indigo Punk and the rust-colored Brown Sugar. Just look at this color! When the sun hits them, they glisten like crazy.

Balms, butters and more balms. With the cooler temps, I’m all in with balms. After a steamy bath, I slather my entire body in them. Ellovi Butter, rich in coconut, macadamia, marula, hemp and shea (those are the only five ingredients!), melts into skin like, well…butter. It’s not heavy at all, making it the perfect October balm. I’ve started to test the Tammy Fender Intensive Repair Balm and so far, it lives up to all the praise it has earned. And I’ve discovered the perfect alternative to Aquaphor with CV SkinLabs Restorative Balm. It’s packed with anti-histamine, -oxidants and -inflammatories so it actually heals and soothes!

Cherry lips. Just a tint of red is what you’ll get from Fresh Sugar Cherry. Add a messy bun and a chambray shirt and it’s like you walked out of a J. Crew catalog.

Exfoliation. My cleansing ritual is getting a major upgrade this month. I’ve started to use May Lindstrom The Clean Dirt, a blend of cleansing clays, spices and salts that you blend with water to activate. It’s like microderm at home but your skin is soft and plump afterward instead of “scrubbed.”

Boy shirts. I love men’s flannel shirts and am counting down the days until I can wear them on the regular. The more fem version from Madewell is majorly inspiring me. And, I spy a budget version of that skirt at Target. How cute would this outfit be with tights and boots?

The Must-Have Travel Mate for Bauble Addicts

September 26, 2013

I’ve really come to terms with the fact that I am an overpacker. I’m almost better off if I’m flying somewhere since I avoid checking bags at all costs. But a weekend trip to Wisconsin? I’m bag lady central. And within those bags? More bags. Sometimes of the plastic zippie variety. No more, friends. Stephanie Johnson is saving me from myself. Her MARLIEN Round Jewel Case is perfect for bringing two (or 10) necklaces to wherever your travels take you.

There’s a ring roll, tiny pockets for earrings and a silk drawstring pouch that holds an unbelievable amount of jewels. So much so that I have never reached my max. And I’ve made several attempts. How does it hold so much and stay so tiny?! Really, can YOU resist those BaubleBar email blasts? This tortoise crystal necklace somehow made its way into my shopping cart today and I think my mailman knows exactly what a Buried Bauble is thanks to me.

CARGO Essential Lip Color for Fall

September 23, 2013

It’s officially fall. You’re now free to indulge in as much pumpkin as you like. While I can’t deny that the first PSL of the season is really special – and yes, I too seized that moment a few weeks ago – I’ve been more excited about the discovery of the perfect fall lipstick. The sleeper hit of all the fall makeup I’ve tested is definitely CARGO Essential Lip Color. That semi-matte finish I’ve been looking for? CARGO hit it right on the money. It’s smooth and creamy and full of color that wears for hours and hours. The addition of olive oil, jojoba, shea butter extract and peptides make for one cozy lipstick that isn’t the least bit high-maintenance. No mirror, no problem. Touch-ups are hardly needed since it wears way past my morning coffee/tea/modified-PSL (soy misto with two pumps pumpkin – TRY IT!) I’ve been alternating four of the 12 shades. There’s the deep Bordeaux, which screams fall, and the bright fuchsia Punta Cana which is crazy good. Oh, and the pale nude Las Vegas that manages to mute my lip color without totally washing me out. Even better, mixing Las Vegas with another color for a custom lipstick. I like it with the pinky coral Palm Beach.

While doing some Emmy’s red carpet beauty research last night, I found that Allison Williams was also wearing a custom Cargo Essential Lip Color: Las Vegas blended with Dubai, a caramel nude. I loved her makeup – all by Cargo, but really, her hair stole the entire show, don’t you think?