Finding clean beauty products to use in lieu of other more toxic ones can be scary. Scary enough to make you want to just not. But, Follain makes buying healthier makeup easy.
They have really helped me.
After attending a summer beach day ready makeup event at their Beacon Hill location, I decided I wanted to also do a better job of sharing some of my favorite Follain finds with all of you!
I’d only heard of Farmaesthetics because I’d received a sample in the swag bag from attending the Lady Project Summit. I didn’t think anything of it, until I’d used the Herbal Hydration Complex mask a few times. Not sure where to get it when I ran out. Then I saw it at Follain.
I also sampled the lavender lotion, which can be used for body and face. The description on the website says that they’d probably bathe in it if they could.
When it comes to hair, I can do a ponytail and that’s pretty much it.
That being said, my hair isn’t long enough for me to really do anything with, so I wear clip-in extensions 99.9% of the time.
It’s not that I have any problem with short hair. After all, I loved how I looked when I shaved all my hair off. And, when it grew back a little, I sported a super cute pixie. Right now though, my it’s just at this kind of awkward length, that I don’t know how to deal with.
This is my ponytail before:
This is my ponytail after:
On the other hand, clip-ins can be expensive, so after my sister (who can actually do hair) gave me a set of clip-ins that she’d made (yes, made!), believe me, I was PUMPED.
Then summer came.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the summer.
But, the sun changes my hair color and the extensions no longer matched. I needed a slightly lighter color and figured I could try my hand at making them myself.
I was able to grab all the supplies I needed (and then some) from Sally Beauty Supply for under $75!
Making clip-ins requires basic sewing skills. Other than that the steps are pretty simple.
Measure.
Cut.
Attach clips. (This is where the sewing comes in.)
If you are using any type of hair other than 100% virgin, you can NOT bleach it. I found this out the hard way. No mermaid ombre hair for me…
This may only be my second ever Play! by Sephora box, but I am SUPER impressed! I liked my first box a lot, but I really really love the July 2016 Play! by Sephora box, you guys.
I honestly thought I would just be testing it out for a couple of boxes or so. I don’t think I have ever been SO wrong!
I am so close to running out of my current favorite primer (which is the Smashbox Photo Finish Oil Free Foundation Primer Hydrating) that it hurts a little. It’s almost to the point where I need to cut the top off. I need to buy more, but now I’m thinking that maybe next time I’ll have to get the pore minimizing one. I was once told that I didn’t have big pores. But, in the summer, my face begs to differ.
After getting a NEST candle that was more on the strong side than I care for, I was hesitant to spray this perfume. I, however, took one for the team, and it’s still strong, but in a nice way. That being said, if you like lighter, less musky smells, I wouldn’t recommend.
Ouai is a brand that I’m only starting to see around, and I really want to try their hair oil. Settling for the wave spray, isn’t so bad. I have no idea if I’m using it right, or rather, what the outcome on my hair texture is supposed to be, but I LOVE the way it smells, so frankly, I don’t even care!
Bronzer is one of the reasons I have trust issues. More specifically, Too Faced’s bronzers. I have it and never use it as a bronzer, because it’s too light. Then, they finally come out with a “dark chocolate” shade. Prayers answered, right? Nope. It looks darker online, but in person it’s basically the same. The shade I got as a sample wasn’t even the dark chocolate one…
Spending $20 on a makeup sponge sounded absurd to me. My $5 e.l.f. Cosmetics one works just fine. The idea of a sponge for blotting was even more preposterous. But I now see the error of my ways. Mostly because blotting paper feels kind of wasteful. I’m also glad the blotterazzi came with a liquid cleanser sample, although almost everyone I know who is into makeup (including myself) uses Dr. Bronner’s.
I’ve been using a different face mask each week, but next week I’m going to take a break to give the First Aid Beauty cleanser a try. I haven’t used anything with red clay in it yet. Should be interesting!
Even though I won’t be sharing a photo of the product on me, or any swatches quite just yet. I have worn it. What I like most about it is how smoothly it blends into my skin.
Seriously smooth.
Like butter.
I wrote a review on the Sephora website, where I mention wanting them to come out with a warmer shade. That’s more of a preference thing, but if they do, I’ll be AWESOME!
Also, I’m starting to think that I just may have to try that full face highlighter makeup challenge. Thoughts?
Even though I am still crazy about Birchbox, I thought it was time to give another beauty subscription box a try. Due to my love affair with Sephora, Play! by Sephora seemed like the only valid option. Plus, I had just got the email to claim my spot after being waitlisted.
I’ve used They’re Real! mascara well over a dozen times. It may be the unpopular opinion, but it’s not my favorite. But, I also don’t hate it. I like it for when I’m just going to run out real quick for a bit. Buying a full size version isn’t in my plans, but the sample size is just the right amount.
Tocca makes some of the best fragrances. I would wear this for an anniversary or a summer wedding, but it’s a little heavier than what I’m used to.
After sharing my top three highlighters, I admitted that there were still some brands that I wanted to try. One such brand being BECCA. While this is a primer and not an illuminator per se, I am still pumped (pun very much so intended, because the sample is in a container that you pump) to try something by them. And a little dab after apply your foundation, helps creates a dewey look.
Very similarly, I’m happy to try another bronzer. I haven’t shared about my favorite bronzers yet, because finding bronzers that compliment darker skin tones isn’t as easy as one would think. I really like how this bareMineral serum bronzer blends in.
Perfect for the days when I don’t want to heat style my hair, which has been a lot lately. I haven’t tried using Don’t Blow It after washing my hair yet, but as a general hair styling product it’s not bad!
I don’t think Sephora’s is that much better than Birchbox’s, but it did have six samples instead of five and two products that I don’t think I’d ever have found waiting for me inside my Birchbox.
There’s no need to write off Birchbox just yet, but I’m not sure that if I had to pick one, that I could wholeheartedly say that I wouldn’t go with Sephora.
Have you tried both boxes? Which would you choose?
With makeup trends changing all the time (did you hear that the no makeup makeup look is now back in?), I’ve pretty much given up on doing what is said to be popular.
So, forgive me if I’m a little late on this, but right now I’m all about strobing.
Creating a natural look that leaves me looking radiant enough to have been gently touched by King Midas, himself? All day, every day!
There are tons of different highlighters out there, I have yet to use most of them, but I don’t need to. I have ones that really help me get glowing.
I have tried a number of different skincare products, but I have to say that When Face Masks are some of the best. So, I was beyond thrill to partner with When to share about my experience with their face masks.
After trying, I found that each of the masks felt and worked pretty similarly. Not surprising, since the main ingredients are essentially the same. Opening a packet and taking out the mask inside initially makes you think what have you gotten yourself into. These masks are thick! But after you remove the paper and whatnot, you are left with what is still a pretty thick but completely manageable product.
This is no 10 minute mask, so I highly recommend using these when you have some serious downtime. Like most masks, these feel a little cold on your face. And this is where I found the masks started to vary. I found that 10:00 PM stayed cool and left my face looking younger. Not years younger, but definitely less tired. Whereas, Snow Magic seemed to warm up a bit. It made my skin feel kind of tight and let my face with more of a healthy glow.
I am a little bit of a bronzer junkie. Probably because I associate it with summer. A matte bronzer is the best for contouring, but I have yet to find a stand alone bronzer for me to use that way. When there’s a shimmer to it, I use it all over, otherwise I use it like a setting powder. I knew Benefit Hoola Matte Bronzer wouldn’t be dark enough, but because of the hype I wanted it anyways.
COOLA is a brand I like for sunscreen in general, I’ve sampled their products through Birchbox a couple of times, but never a makeup setting spray. I’ve been looking for a natural alternative to Urban Decay’s All Nighter and I’m really happy to have found this, even if the full size does cost a little bit more.
Honestly, I’m not a huge fan of the color, but the ModelCo Lip Lacquer feels like a pretty good gloss. I would love to try it in a shade like Morocco instead. Birchbox carries their sample sized trio for $16, it includes both Crème Brulee and Morocco, in addition to Viva.
Perfumes, shampoos and conditioners are not my favorite samples to get, but I don’t mind so much when I get all three for a total of six samples this month. Sure the conditioner is a small packet, but I really wanted to try the Davines LOVE set. It’s for course or frizzy hair. I have both. (Apparently, Davines changed the formula, and the new didn’t exactly get rave reviews. I still have yet to use it, but am choosing to remain optimistic since I didn’t see any reviews from anyone with course hair.)
The perfume is a heavy floral. Which I did not love and made the mistake of spraying in on myself rather than in the air or on a piece of paper to smell it for the first time. And it’s strong.
Despite my feelings towards the fragrance sample, this month’s box was still one of my faves.
It seems like whenever I tell myself that I’m not going to select the featured box the next month, I end up doing the opposite. Maybe it’s me, maybe it’s that I was that unimpressed with the sample choices. Either way, I went with the April 2016 Birchbox featured box.
I don’t want to pretend that I loved or even wanted everything in my box this month. However, I was very pleased with the Laura Geller Baked Blush-n-Brighten. I can use it as blush with a highlighter or as a highlighter with a blush, or alone.
TOCCA Hand Cream is one of my favorites and it is my goal to eventually try them all, I really like the scent I got, it’s fruity and floral, which to me is perfection!
Surprisingly, I liked the Marcelle Micellar Solution, but not nearly as much as I’d expected to. Especially since it costs as much as it does, but the drugstore versions work just as well.
Liftra Contour Cream kind of confuses me. Since I don’t 100% get how it works or what exactly it’s supposed to do, I have yet to touch it.
As for the PALOR, I raved about the blowout spray, but the volumizing spray isn’t a product I cared all that much for. Not because it doesn’t work, but volume isn’t really something my hair lacks.
Which product would make this box worth it for you? If you’re interested in signing up for Birchbox, you can use my refer a friend link here!
There is so much that I’ve learned from my mother. I am thankful for her and the lessons she taught me. I probably should have listened when she told me not to touch my eyebrows.
When it comes to makeup, she taught me that less is plenty. And although I hoard makeup, like she does kitchenware, I know to make sure to have my few essentials on hand at all times. We probably define essentials differently, but I’m way more into makeup than she is.
My mother’s makeup bag is a minimalist’s dream. Even though she almost always takes forever to get ready, she does her makeup last and can do that in less than five!
