Tutorial: Tarte Maracuja Blush and Glow

Today I am going to show you how I apply my Tarte blush and glow! This product is the best if you are traveling or are in a rush in the morning! In the photos I have already applied my foundation, setting powder, and some light bronzer. Get the Blush and Glow HERE! Use this code "FFAUG" through August 6th, 2012 to get 30% all Tarte products for the Friends and Family sale!!


Here is my step by step tutorial for this product:

1. Start by applying the cheek tint directly to the apples of your cheeks

2. Use your ring finger to blend the cheek color

3. A little blurry, but dot the luminizer on top of your cheek bones, then blend

4. And there you have it! Add some mascara and you're done

Hope you all enjoyed this!

xx

e

Skincare Fave: Indie Lee

I am very, very picky about what I put on my skin. I know that everything that goes on our skin gets absorbed into our bloodstream (think about all those chemicals and cancer causing ingredients in your favorite brands like MAC, MUFE, Dior, Chanel etc!). That's why I am so anal about natural cosmetics and natural skin care! It's just about being informed.

Here's where Indie Lee comes in. I read this amazing article almost a year ago and I just had to see what she is about as well as what her brand is about. Here is a snippet of her story from her website:

"I’m Indie lee. On Earth Day 2009, I was given a new life — I awoke from brain surgery to discover that a potentially fatal tumor had been successfully removed. Having learned that environmental toxins may have been the culprit, I began devoting myself to making all natural beauty products from the finest ingredients across the globe. Remember, what you put on your body is just as important as what you put in it. We also need to nurture our soul to let our inner beauty shine through. Life should be lived to its fullest, one moment at a time."


I was inspired by her strength and eagerness to create such an amazing line. I have spoken back and forth with her quite a few times on Twitter and she is truly an inspiration! Now this is a skin care company I would love to work for.


The Products

I purchased each of these on Hautelook about 6 months ago! And I still have a ton in each of them. I am so pleased by the quality and delicious smells!

The Cleanser

I LOVE this cleanser so much! I use it only at night on days I wear makeup to remove the makeup before my other cleanser. Usually, I recommend a creamy cleanser to remove makeup, but this one does it better than other creamy ones I've tried! Now I've used this for many months now and it is still almost half full!

If you have normal/dry skin types you could just use this morning and night, but since I have combo/acne prone I use a different cleanser with salicylic or tea tree in it.

Let's talk about the scent! Oh my it is delicious! The first time I used it I was stunned at how amazing it smelled, like fresh, ripe strawberries! It didn't smell artificial at all, and I hate when products go overboard on nasty artificial ingredients. I will definitely repurchase this when I run out because I love it so much!

Shop all Indie Lee Cleansers HERE!

Ingredients: 

100% Natural: Purified Water, Decyl Glucoside, Disodium, Coco- Glucoside Citrate, Coco-Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Xanthan Gum, Strawberry Oil, Lycopene, Phenoxythenol*, Ethylhexyglycerin * *Derived from natural sources

The Eye Balm

The eye balm is another amazing product I purchased. You can't really beat an eye product with just 4 ingredients! I only use this product at night, I just find that it tends to take a little while to sink in and sometimes I just don't have the time to wait that long in the a.m.! I love the first ingredient Calendula Oil because it is very healing and has an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It soothes dry skin and calms redness. But I also love the scent!! Anyone who knows me knows my favorite scent in the whole world is lavender! This product has definitely helped with under eye circles and puffiness when I wake up.

I apply this product with my ring finger only. I always make sure to wash my hand before touching any potted products like this and before touching my face period. I just swirl my finger around and glide under and around my eyes!

Find the Eye Balm HERE!

It really is a balm!

When warmed up on fingertips it instantly melts!

Ingredients:

100 % Natural: Calendula Oil, Beeswax, Magnifera Indica (mango) Seed Butter and Lavandula Angustifolia (lavender) Oil

Shop all Indie Lee Balms HERE!

All in all, I highly recommend these products. I can't wait to purchase more from Indie!

It always makes me feel better when I purchase product from a small business or a wonderful person such as Indie, rather than some huge "popular" brand that tests on animals in some crazy country (ahem, Estee Lauder, Mary Kay & Avon I'm talking to you!!!).

xx

e

Summer-ize Your Skin Care Routine

Just like we take the layers off in the summer, we need to do the same with our skin care! This is mucho important. In the summer we're sweating more, and usually tend to have oilier skin. I am going to show you some of the products I use on my face in the summertime.

 Cleanser: It's very important in the summer to lighten up your cleanser! Use one with tea tree or salicylic acid to keep your oil at bay. I use this one year round because I have combo/acne prone skin! I got this huge bottle on Vitacost for a very good deal.

Toner: This is a must year round, but a toner with moisturizing and balancing ingredients is great for the summer. Some people forget we need to re-balance our skin after cleansing! And this is how you do it!

Moisturizer: Crucial and very important! One thing I don't understand is why people with oilier skin don't want to use moisturizer!! Oily skin needs moisturizer as much as dry skin, here's why. When people with oily/combo skin don't use a moisturizer, its like telling your oil glands to go into overdrive to produce MORE oil!! But more on that in another post. I just found the amazing organic brand Acure Organics, and let me tell you I'm obsessed! Its organic AND such a good price point! A good oil control facial moisturizer is crucial for a summer skin care routine to keep it all balanced. 

Mechanical Exfoliation

In the summer (and year round too!) exfoliation is key to glowing, beautiful skin! I use my Clarisonic Mia at night to help remove the excess dirt and debris that my cleanser can miss. I also use the sensitive skin head so it does not irritate my skin. If you are more sensitive maybe do this two or three times a week. Once you get a Clarisonic, you can never go back!

Chemical Exfoliation

Also important is chemical exfoliation. It goes deeper into the layers and provides an anti-aging effect too. These extra strength may be too much for some people, they also have a regular one which I used for 3 or so months before I started on the extra strength. It has helped with my post inflammatory hyperpigmentation too. BUT when using this you must pair it with a sunscreen during the day. Also, use this 2 step system at night, not in the morning! Your cells repair and turn over much faster when we are sleeping.

Sunscreen: The MOST important summer skin care staple! I got it for a discount on this website. It is a complete mineral block and it does not smell like sunscreen at all! I put this on before applying my makeup and let it sink in for 5 or so minutes. Using sunscreen everyday for me is a total must year round, but I make sure to never get lazy in the summer. It has the coolest gel like consistency and it semi mattifies after sinking in. This is the best sunblock I've ever used.

If you have any questions do not hesitate to ask!

xx

e

Makeup Musts: My Everyday Look

Day to day, I pretty much wear the same staple makeup items. I am pretty low key when it comes to my makeup look. My philosophy is "quality over quantity". When I watch these girls on YouTube do makeup collection videos, I can't believe how much crap they have (and never use). It was almost appalling! I like to have really good, staple pieces in my collection. Now granted, this is only a few of my favorite everyday items (I don't wear all of them at once!). So here goes the peek into my makeup bag...

{ Kate Spade Makeup Bag- similar }

{ RMS Beauty Living Luminizer- the.best.highlighter.ever.

{ Physicians Formula Bamboo Wear Bronzer- a subtle, natural glow }

{ Tarte Maracuja Blush and Glow- 2 in one! The blush is beautiful as well as the highlight }

{ Vapour Mezmerize Shimmer Eye Color in Sugar- the perfect everyday shade for your lid }

{ Tarte SmolderEyes Liner in brown- super easy to smudge to create a day time smoke out }

{ Youngblood Mineral Radiance Creme Powder Foundation- only on the spots I need it on

{ Jane Iredale Amazing Base- love this on light days & it's SPF 20 }

{ Tarte Lip Tint in Perky- perfect baby pink }

{ Korres Lip Butter in Pomegranate- another perfect, everyday coral }

{ The All Natural Face vegan lip gloss Peppermint Stick- glossy pink lips! }

Like I said before, these are just some of my favorites I regularly reach for. I am very minimalistic when it comes to cosmetics, but I love trying new ones. Especially if they are natural or organic! More beauty to come :)

xx

e

The Vitamix and My Daily Smoothies!

One of my passions in life is living a healthy lifestyle. I finally got back into yoga and I can't believe I ever stopped! Eating healthy is also something I do. Not to say I never eat sweets (cakes, frozen yogurt, ice cream to name a few), but I eat them in moderation which is the key to everything! I plan on going back to finish my Bachelor's degree in Holistic Nutrition as well.
 Recently my mom received a Vitamix from a family member. Now if you don't know what that is, its like the ultimate blender, juicer, ice cream maker, food processor, etc. Pretty much it does everything! I used to make my veggie and fruit smoothies in a blender, but the Vitamix blends everything to perfection! The greens aren't grassy at all and you can even put in the seeds! The Vitamix is a huge investment, but one I know I will make when I leave home. I usually eat a smoothie for breakfast and dinner. I eat a regular meal for lunch. You get all of your daily minerals and nutrients from these fresh fruits and vegetables. Its like a continual detox for your body. A book I read a year or so back hooked me on these "green" smoothies, its called The Beauty Detox Solution. The woman who wrote it is a celebrity Nutritionist, her name is Kimberly Snyder and she has an amazing blog here. Its all about the way you eat, and you eat for your beauty. What you put in your body radiates and shows on your skin! I know this because I am about to become a licensed Esthetician. You get out what you put in your body. There are countless recipes you can find online to eat for whatever condition you may have whether it be acne or joint problems. Your skin is your largest organ and usually if you have a skin problem, the root of it can be found on the inside or in your diet.

A question you may have is, "Since the smoothies are green, do they taste like grass??" NO!! They don't they taste amazing and you don't always have to put greens in them! The fruit you put in cuts out all of that green taste and it is just so refreshing! Down below, I show you a typical breakfast and dinner smoothie that I have daily. The best part about these smoothies is you can use what you have in them. I never follow a recipe, I just throw stuff in! It always ends up tasting amazing!

{ our vitamix here }

{ My breakfast smoothie: frozen strawberries, 1 banana, a dash of cinnamon, some almond milk, and cooked quinoa }

{ Blended strawberry perfection! }

{ Dinner smoothie: cup of pineapple (cubed), 5 or 6 carrots, kale/spinach mixture, 1 peach, 1 apple, 1/2 lemon, 3 large watermelon slices, and 2 tbsp. of ground flax (not shown) }

{ YUM! Look at all those colors! }

{ And there you have it, dinner! }

 This is the best way to get your daily dose of fruits and veggies, it's so easy to drink! Hope you enjoyed a snippet into my daily nutrition routine. If you all want to see more health/fitness posts let me know!

xx

e

DIY: Overnight Hair Mask

Once a week I will do a really good deep conditioning mask on my hair. Since I only wash it once a week with a homemade concoction (another post to come), I like to do an overnight deep condition as well. I use this Dermorganic Masque Intensive Hair Repair. It has so many good, repairing ingredients in it. The argan oil  makes your hair especially soft and shiny! I love it! I got this huge pump bottle 50% off at TJ Maxx and it is going to last forever.

FULL hair care post here!

{ I divided my hair into 2 sections to make it easier to apply the masque. 

I started applying it about 2 inches from my roots }

{ Pin it up to hold it overnight }

{ no makeup!!!! haha }

I love the way this product smells, but remember you can use any treatment mask you want!

Have you tried doing an overnight treatment before? My full hair care routine here!

xx

e

Summer Eco-Beauty Picks

Some of you may or may not know that I use only natural beauty products! A lot of people think that eco beauty products are boring or may not have as many choices as normal products, buuuuut that is so not true anymore! In recent years the organic beauty industry has grown rapidly and there are a lot more choices than there used to be. So here are some of my summer picks. What are some of your summer beauty picks?

- Scotch Naturals nail polish.

- RMS Beauty products.

- Dr. Alkaitis Soothing Gel

- Youngblood Mineral Tint

- Youngblood Lip Gloss

- Youngblood Mineral Radiance 

- Coola Sunblock

- Ilia Lip Care

xo
e