April 7, 2017

Your period can help young girls in need, Wander Beauty's full-coverage concealer gives you options, Ilike moisturizers that can be used from head to toe and Vita Liberata's self-tanning bronzer.

Help your period make a difference

OK, today’s post is definitely a bit of a departure from my usual skincare, makeup and hair topics, but I think it’s one worth covering. We have all used (or are currently using) feminine care products, and probably have been for DECADES, yet only recently have we become more aware of tampons’ impact on our health and the environment.

Enter Tampon Tribe, a monthly subscription service that sends tampons, pads and/or pantyliners directly to your door so you’re fully stocked when Aunt Flo comes to town. But these aren’t your typical period products… They’re organic, toxin-free, plastic-free and 100% compostable—because who wants chemicals in or around their va-jay-jay? Even better, for every subscription purchased, Tampon Tribe donates a feminine hygiene pack to a homeless woman, a portion of the company’s proceeds are donated to Girls INC (a non-profit that empowers young girls) AND they are committed to giving “second chances” by employing the homeless and ex-felons. Oh, and they’re way less expensive than the tampons and such you buy at the drugstore.

So go ahead and help your period make a difference for someone other than yourself!

You might want to reconsider your concealer…

Part of being a publicist is generating exciting for the product you’re charged with promoting –even if it’s something cringe-worthy like cream for vaginal itching. (Believe me, I get pitches like these regularly and feel so bad for the PR assistant/associate on the sending end.) I always take superfluous gushing with a grain of salt, but last week I got a super-enthusiastic pitch for a concealer, and it seemed so authentic that I had to try it for myself. A few days later Wander Beauty’s Dualist Matte and Illuminating Concealer arrived on my doorstep, and I’m here to tell you the publicist wasn’t lying.

Get ready to put down the Cle de Peau (and save a nice chunk of money while you’re at it), because this full-coverage concealer has a creamy, matte stick on one end and a highlighting liquid on the other. The stick has the power to cover anything you want to keep under wraps, whether dark circles or blemishes, while the illuminating liquid brightens and blurs the appearance of fine lines. You can layer them, use them separately, or even achieve a soft contouring effect.

The formula doesn’t settle into lines or look cakey by mid-day, and you also get skincare benefits courtesy of aloe vera extract, collagen and antioxidant vitamin E. It’s also available in 5 chases, so it’s safe to say there’s one that will work for just about every skin tone.

If you’re one to take blog or magazine product enthusiasm with a grain of salt, too, trust me on this one. It’s a winner (and I mean it).

Organic moisturizers you can use from head to toe

I’m all for natural and organic skincare when it gets the job done, and I’m even more for multitasking products that help streamline my routine. And then, I’m even more for offerings that target specific concerns so I have at least one less thing to think about. That’s why I beyond like Ilike’s robust line of 100+ certified organic products, which are all made in small batches with handpicked herbs, fruits and vegetables for maximum levels of natural active ingredients.  

I have two products sitting on my desk right now, and I’ve been hitting up the Brightening Moisturizer for Face, Hands and Body at least three times a day. Designed to improve the appearance of discoloration and sun damaged skin with a blend of stonecrop, cucumber, bearberry and an amino acid derived from castor seed, it also serves up major hydration and antioxidant protection with sesame seed and castor oils plus a fresh citrus scent courtesy of orange and lemongrass.

The second product I’m totally digging—especially as we get closer to summer—is the Tomato Face & Body Moisturizer for Exposed Skin. Packed with lycopene, an antioxidant powerhouse, this head-to-toe lotion is best used before and after sun exposure to help prevent UV damage as it nourishes and moisturizes skin. And the ingredient list sounds more like a Whole Foods shopping list than any other I’ve seen before… Think tomato, carrot, aloe, shea butter, sesame seed oil and more.

Ilike positions itself as whole, raw, vegetarian “food” for your skin that’s free of all the stuff we (should) try to avoid like GMOs, gluten, nuts, etc. Somehow I feel like using these products makes up for my dietary shortcomings, and I’m all for that, too!

A bronzing powder and self-tanner in one

I did a little spring cleaning in my makeup drawer this past weekend, and cleared some space thanks to a makeup brush edit and tossing the stuff I haven’t used in quite some time. With a bit of newfound extra room I brought a few new products into the rotation, and Vita Liberata’s Trystal Minerals Self Tanning Bronzing Minerals was one of them.

As the name implies, this mineral-based bronzing powder is also a self-tanner, so in addition to an instant sun-kissed glow, you get lasting color after you wash it off at the end of the day. The loose powder comes with a cute little kabuki brush, but I personally prefer a bigger, fluffier bronzer brush since this product is highly pigmented and deposits a lot of color.

You can use it all over for a just-got-back-from-vacation glow, or use it as a contouring powder that leaves you with defined cheekbones and a more chiseled jawline even when you’re not wearing makeup. A light dusting on your chest a neck helps create a seamless result (especially if you’re not using a self-tanner from the neck down) and the shimmer-free powder translates to very natural-looking color.

Self-tanning season is officially here… Have you started yet (and if so, what are you using)?