Balayage

I have pretty much had any hair color imaginable. Well maybe not hot pink or electric blue but you get the point. The last few years I was pretty blonde and then decided to go brunette and most recently to a darker red. However lately I found the color to be mono-chromatic and I was ready for a change. Off to my stylist I went and we decide balayage would be a great place to test the waters. For any of you balayage virgins out there it simply means they ditch the foils and just paint on the color. The finished product is a more natural splash of color and best of all you don't have to worry about roots since the color is focused on the ends. I must say I am pretty pleased with the results. If you are looking to shake it up, definitely get your paint on!!


Kat

Big Red

I will be the first one to tell you that I have never been a huge fan of vibrant lip color …on myself that is. I have always played up the eye more and kept to a nude lip or a light pink at most. I just always felt it looked weird on me. I have always told others that a quick way to change your look is by a new lip color, should have taken my advice a long time ago.

I recently added some new lip colors to my makeup kit and have tried them out on my clients but never on myself. So this weekend I grabbed the bareMinerals Red Zin..with a disposable lip brush, sanitation is always #1,and started applying. I first used a nude lip liner, by Sonia Kashuk and then applied the lip color. The color goes on very well, it is pretty moisturizing so if you have drier lips, this will help soften them a bit. Step one, the color came out nice but how long will it last?? Naturally a dinner would be a good test.So out I went! A salad, main course, dessert and a few glasses of wine later I returned home…with color still intact! I couldn’t believe it!! I was pleasantly surprised. I even received a compliment or two. I was sold!

With all the lead scare out there in lip colors I did check this product out on www.ewg.org/skin deep/ and it received an overall 3 on the rating scale which made me more apt to continue to use it.

*If you aren't familiar with the rating scale here is a quick overview:
0-2 Low hazard
3-6 Moderate hazard
7-10 High hazard

When I read through the ingredients they all seemed pretty good..another bonus! So I am officially a lip color convert! I may not be wearing my red lips out everyday but I will definitely be rockin’ it more often.


K

Feb. Birchbox Review

I received my Birchbox shipment a few days ago and my sister was kind enough to help me test out some of the products. Here is what I received:

1. beautyblender- a hot pink sponge to help blend foundation
2. Eye Rock Liner- single use stick on eye liner strips
3. Jouer- Luminizing Tint
4. Mineralogie- Cream Concealer

The beauty blender is super soft and very comfortable to use. In terms of applying liquid foundation I have always used my fingers for blending but this sponge hands down is a much better replacement. It blends incredibly well and deposits just the perfect amount of product. A must have for flawless foundation application.

I was a little apprehensive about trying the liner but gave it a whirl. I had to cut the liner a bit to fit my eye appropriately however once on it looked pretty perfect. While this is a convenient option I must say there is nothing like creating your own wing tipped liner which I prefer!

The tint is very lightweight and provides just a hint of color.  For someone like myself with dry skin anything that is oil free doesn't normally perform that well. Unfortunately, I will say this was too light and I needed something a bit more heavier especially during these colder months. This may be a really good option for an oily skin type or simply in the summer months when you may not want to wear as much coverage.

Last but not least the cream concealer. I will say that I am always on the hunt for new products and I really like the cream consistency..especially for that drier skin in the eye area. It also doubles as a great eye lid primer. The eye color lasted brilliantly all day long. I am always a fan of an effective multi-tasker and was extremely impressed by this concealers overall performance.

Thanks for the great samples Birchbox!! I definitely see some purchases in my future and can't wait for my next shipment.

Happy Sampling!

The Big Three

I like to peruse among all kinds of sources when it comes to information on harmful ingredients in everyday beauty products we use. Most recently I came across some information about staying away from 3 main ingredients in nail polish:

1.Formaldehyde
2.Dibutyl Phthalate
3.Toluene

These particular chemicals are known to affect the nervous system, shake up hormones and a culprit of dermatitis aka itchy skin! That is enough to make me want to stay away! So what is a girl to do when she wants to paint her nails???? Turn to some brands that don't include those ingredients but more safer alternatives. 2 I have come across are Zoya which retails for about 8 bucks and Deborah Lippmann which retails for about $16. If you rather not do the work yourself or your nail salon doesn't carry these brands simply take your own color along. Amen to Alternatives!

Happy Polishing!

K

Just add salt..or sugar!

Exfoliation....a key requirement in the winter months if you want to avoid looking like an alligator! Now the issue...which scrub do you use??? Salt, sugar, shea butter...the list goes on and on. Some basic knowledge to start is to understand which one does what. Salt, a natural healer, reduces inflammation,etc. Since the granules are much larger than sugar they can be a real hazard to the face so I would recommend you use the salt for everywhere else but the face. Well almost everywhere :).

Alba Sea Salt Body Scrub is pretty good. It has a nice citrus scent and minimal ingredients which include various oils, Vit. E and Avocado, great for moisture retention. This one will run you around 10 bucks.

Sugar is a natural humectant or in other terms it draws moisture from the environment and back into your skin. The granules are much smaller and less abrasive, meaning easier on sensitive skin and/or face.

Sukiface makes a good exfoliating/foaming cleanser. You can buy this brand at Whole Foods. It's a bit pricier so a cheaper alternative is my faithful performer St.Ives Apricot Scrub. This one actually uses walnut shell powder to exfoliate and it costs a mere few bucks at our local Target and now formulated w/o parabens.

I strive to exfoliate my face 2-3 times a week. If you are a novice, try once a week and increase up to 2-3 times depending how much your face can tolerate because you can over exfoliate. Regular scrubbing will not only help your face glow but all your creams/serums will absorb much better because you will be helping remove all that dead skin off.

Happy Scrubbing!

K

Lip Gloss- Lavera "Magic Red"

Every winter it's the same sad story....dry, chapped lips. Putting on lip gloss or any color for that matter is a waste of time for me. I have to be pretty vigilant  with exfoliating my lips whether that be with my toothbrush or a simple scrub of honey and sugar. Between the scrub sessions I have found a great moisturizing lip gloss where others have failed me:

Lavera Lip Gloss In Magic Red

The color is not so much red as it is a light pink. The gloss actually feels like a lip balm going on and leaves behind a nice pretty color. It doesn't stick around for too long but I am fine re-applying since it feels so soothing every time I apply. As you can see the color is really natural and gets 2 thumbs up from me! If you want to learn more about this natural brand check them out here: www.lavera.com.
Happy Glossing!!

KR

It has begun!

So I am finally launching my blog! Follow me as I test out new products and share my feedback! I hope I can help you find natural and organic winners!

Kat