The (Year Round) Importance of Sunscreen!

Most people now know that too much sun exposure is bad!  But at the same time.....  the sun is not the enemy and a small amount of exposure to the sun is healthy and necessary to get adequate vitamin D!

Turns out in most areas 10 minutes in the direct sunlight is enough to reach adequate vitamin D levels!  So what is an outdoors lover to do?! SUNSCREEN!  Responsible sun exposure is key, which includes AVOIDING sunscreens with dangerous, deceptive or ineffective ingredients and choosing sun barriers when needed instead (clothing + shade).  In situations when you don't want to cover up, like in intense heat, or beach days when you know you will be getting sun, a safe sunscreen is absolutely necessary.

This is ESPECIALLY important for ACNE-PRONE skin and for protection AGAINST PHOTODAMAGE. Overexposure can damage the skin’s fragile oils and make photodamage, acne and irritation WORSE, so even if you hate sunscreen, get some safe stuff for your beautiful face.
 

Sunscreens that provide a physical protection from the sun (zinc based) also are providing a physical barrier or protection for your skin from the outside world as well. I have read several articles about the benefits of zinc based sunscreens for rosacea. As a sufferer of rosacea myself, I have found a significant improvement to my skin since I started using zinc based sunscreen. This is a good motivator to use sunscreen year round (which you should be doing anyway!) Sunscreens also work as a good primer for makeup!

Here’s what’s fascinating: I always thought that the “safest” kinds of sun protection, besides clothes and shade, were “sunblocks” – white, creamy, zinc-based lotions that don’t totally rub in.

Turns out, those aren’t ACTUALLY sunblocks at all. No lotion or stick product can be called “sunblock” any more, because “sunBLOCK” suggests something that doesn’t need to be reapplied. And you should ALWAYS reapply any sun protection product.

Your choices are really between chemical sunscreens (not good) and physical zinc-based sunscreens, which are safer, but you need to choose wisely.
 
Most chemical-based sunscreens on the market (anything WITHOUT zinc oxide - these use “-benzone” ingredients like avobenzone and oxybenzone – avoid!), which includes Neutrogena, Coppertone and Banana Boat, not only basically lie about their SPF (anything over 50 is pretty much hooey, as SPF maxes out between 30 and 50).... but even worse... the chemicals in these sunscreens often contain ingredients that may become MORE dangerous when exposed to UV light!







The safest sunscreen you can use is a physical (zinc-based)sunscreen.   (Titanium dioxide is also considered a physical sunscreen but might also undergo changes during light expose so stick to zinc-oxide only!) Please NEVER use spray sunscreens, which have both separation and inhalation risks.

Beautycounter’s sunscreen was created with the entire family in mind, this lightweight, water-resistant sunscreen is formulated with non-nano zinc oxide to blend seamlessly into skin without leaving white streaks, protecting you against both UVA and UVB rays. Aloe helps hydrate skin, while antioxidant-rich green tea and blood orange extracts fight free radicals.  This is my favorite for adult skin. (I have sensitive, occasionally acne-prone skin that I’m trying to protect from photodamage as much as possible). BeautyCounter has two stick sunscreens (smaller one for face, larger for body) a liquid sunscreen (what I use everyday) SPF lip balm, and Dew Skin Tinted Moisturizer. 

 Here is more info from the BeautyCounter blog!


"Who knew that trying to keep our families safer could be so dangerous? We’ve been educated to protect our skin from harmful UVA and UVB rays during outdoor summer activies. What we didn’t know as consumers is that sun protection is oftentimes veiled behind false claims. Many chemical-based sunscreens aren’t actually blocking dangerous UVA and UVB rays at all. In fact, they contain chemicals to simply prevent a burn so that we’re mistakenly led to think that we’re being protected. No burn, no problem, right? Wrong.

The Environmental Working Group, a consumer protection agency and one of our Trusted Non-Profits, has released their incredibly well-researched Sun Safety Campaign that rights the ship for many sunscreen myths that the general consumer deserves access to. Sections of the report include “The Problem with High SPF“, “Nanoparticles in Sunscreen“, and “Getting Enough Vitamin D“.
It was such a labor of love for us to launch Protect All Over. Our formulas are made with broad spectrum, mineral blocking, non-nano zinc oxide and titanium dioxide to create a physical barrier from UVA and UVB rays – no toxic chemicals. We think this is the safest protection under the sun. The EWG thinks so, too: Protect has been selected as one of 2014’s safest sunscreens. Read on for an ingredient-by-ingredient look at some of the super-hero ingredients we love in Protect."


So remember to take care of your family and youself and stay protected from the sun!


Check out BeautyCounter products here!

Everything you need to know about Charcoal!

Everything You Need to Know About Charcoal Soap!

There has been a wave of products with charcoal lately! I've seen soaps, masks, those pore strips, you name it!  And for good reason, charcoal is amazing! Charcoal is great for acne, psoriasis, rosacea, and eczema. It's used in the medical field for detoxification, and works similarly on the skin. Charcoal boasts beauty benefits for skin by drawing oil, dirt and other harmful substances from clogged pores due to its adsorption powers. It can hold up to a 100 times its weight in impurities.

The key ingredients in the BeautyCounter charcoal cleansing bar are Charcoal Powder (drawing detoxifying), Coconut Oil (bacteria fighting), Witch Hazel ( astringent/bacteria fighting), and Green Tea ( bacteria fighting and energizing). The other beauty of this product is that is contains coconut oil and sunflower oil making it soothing to the skin

The Charcoal Cleansing Bar detoxifies and absorbs impurities in your skin without drying it out, resulting in a smoother, brighter complexion. Made with antioxidant-rich, organic green tea and hydrating organic coconut oil, the gentle formula can be used daily on your face and body.

 This product is not only great for the face but also your back, the back of your arms where many people struggle with keratosis pilaris, as well as and diaper rash.

Here are BeautyCounter's list of 7 reasons you should try the Charcoal Cleansing Bar!

If the idea of cleansing your face with charcoal sounds a little counterintuitive, we’re here to clear up (pun intended) any doubts. Our new Charcoal Face Bar works to clarify and detoxify your skin without drying it out. Read on for seven reasons this charcoal soap is the product you never knew you needed—until now.

1. Safety first: Soaps are often made with harsh surfactants such as sulfates that are overly drying and irritating to the skin. In addition, soaps may contain parabens as well as synthetic dyes, antioxidants, and fragrances that can act as hormone-disrupting chemicals. Our face bar doesn’t come with any of that.

2. Charcoal has gained a lot of attention lately as a buzzy skincare ingredient. Our bar contains a special type of charcoal powder called Binchotan, which helps to thoroughly cleanse skin and draw out dirt, oil, and impurities.

3. The fear with any deeply cleansing, detoxifying product is that it will also dry out your skin. Thanks to hydrating organic coconut and sunflower seed oils, our formula doesn’t.

4. Other noteworthy ingredients include antioxidant-rich organic green tea extract as well as organic witch hazel, an astringent that works to refine pores and balance skin.

5. Our formula works well for all skin types—not simply combination skin—and for men, women, and teens. It’s gentle enough to use daily on both your face and body.

6. Nothing looks cooler on your bathroom counter than a bar of black soap (plus, it’s a great conversation starter).

7. It’s designed to help give you a smoother, brighter, healthier-looking complexion—and who doesn’t want that?

Check it out here!
 

Megs Wedding Makeup

Megan's Wedding Makeup!

My sister informed me about two weeks ahead of time, that she wanted ME to do her makeup for her wedding! Cue instant panic and freakouts on my part!   Megan generally wears minimal makeup, and had felt to overdone and "pageanty" at the trials she had gone to.  While I understood what she meant, I was very nervous to undertake such a massive responsibility for her wedding (and without significant time to practice since she lives in Ohio and I live in New Jersey)

We were able to practice a few days before the wedding and get a feel of what Megan wanted, which was basically to look like herself but better! She wanted a bit of shimmer on her eyes, as well as the color purple, and a nude lip. 

 

Below are listed ALL the products I used. I'm sure many will be surprised as to how many products are used for such a natural look!

Before makeup-

I used BeautyCounter Skin balancing facial oil - I find this moisturizes and balances oil production preventing late day shininess, I don't think I reapplied powder to Megan at all. 

Primer - I used Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer which I have found to be the best photographed primer I have ever used. It smooths out skin and minimizes pores and fine lines. 

Foundation - Mac Face and Body foundation in C3 on the face. - I really like this because its light and natural looking and also photographs well. 

Concealer - I used BeautyCounter Concealer pen in light under eyes and around the nose. I love this concealer because it is just the right amount of color and highlight to diminish under eye darkness without caking in any fine lines (not that Megan has any of course).  * this item is not included in the picture because I gave the concealer to Megan and am awaiting another to come in!

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Cannelle - heavier concealer used on any discoloration

Contour - Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Cream Kit.

I used the peach shade for highlight under Megan's eyes, up cheekbone, down nose, and on cupids bow.  I used the lightest of the dark shades for under cheekbone, under jawline and down sides of nose. 

Bronzer - Nars Laguna bronzer on cheekbones, chin, and hairline. 

Blush - Nars Deep Throat (peach with shimmer) on apple of cheek

Highlight - Nars liquid Illuminator in Hot sand (Peach Champagne) on cheekbone

Highlight - Nars The Multiple in Copacabana (glistening pearl) on cheekbone,cupids bow.

Bronzer - Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Radiant light (golden beige) - used over what previously mentioned just adds a bit if shimmer.
Highlight - Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Luminous light (champagne pearl)

Powder Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk powder in Shade 4 and set with Mac Fix+ spray.  (this is in the black powder container because it cracked and I transferred it into that container, I am not sure if you can still buy this powder but its a beautiful powder that photographs so well)

On lips -

Liner-  MAC Cremestick Liner in Beurre (plum/pinkish)

Lipstick - Burberry Lip Cover in Tulip Pink # 27 (rosey beige)

Lip Gloss - Nars Baby Doll lip gloss (shimmering candy pink) LOVE THIS!

Eyebrows - 
Brow Pencil - Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wix in Taupe
Brow color/highlight - Becca Shadow & Light Brow Contour Mousse in Cocoa - I used this highlight color below the brow.
Benefit Gimme Brow Voluminous Fiber Gel in Light - this gives brows thicker appearance.

On Eyes -

Primer - Urban Decay Primer Potion to start (great primer keeps eye shadow on and crease-free all day)

Eyeshadows -
Nars Single Eyeshadow in Ashes to Ashes (shimmering violet based brown) used all over lid and crease
Nars Duo Eyeshadow in Bellisima (shimmering beige/grey-brown) - used the darker shade in crease
Nars Dual Intensity Eye Shadow in Himalia (shimmering topaz)- used on center of lid for shimmer
Nars Single Eyeshadow in Lulu (bright eggplant) in outer corner of eye and in crease
Nars Single Eyeshadow in Night Bird (dark grey with violent/plum shimmer)- Smudged as liner on top eyelid and outer bottom.
Nars Eye Paint (liner)  in Tatar (black with purple shimmer) - Liner and winged out
Nars Audacious mascara
Eyeslashes from Target (cant remember make, but bought most natural looking ones I saw)
Nars The Multiple in Copacabana on inner corner of eye.




I will add more pictures as I receive them from the photographer!




*I do want to add a little disclaimer to explain to anyone that has seen my posts about my love of BeautyCounter products. I do use Beauty Counter products (skincare and makeup) everyday. I exclusively use their skincare. I use their foundation and concealer every day. I am still expanding my collection of Beauty Counter color makeup. I had considered using their products on Megan for her wedding, but did not as I owned a limited amount of Beauty Counter makeup and only had a few days to practice.   Since this makeup was for one day, i did not worry about the ingredients and focused on products I had used for years and could predict their wear and longevity.  So while I know the primers  and MAC products WORK. I would never use them regularly due to their ingredients. Hope that makes sense!   I will always be honest about the products and how I feel about them. I do not doubt that the BeautyCounter products could have produced just as beautiful of a result, but since I did not have enough time to test them myself, I did not feel comfortable testing them on Megan for her wedding and photographs. As i get more Beauty Counter makeup I will post more about them!

Holiday Gift Ideas!

BEAUTYCOUNTER Holiday!

 

Holiday shopping for your loved ones can often be a daunting task. If your significant other enjoys makeup or skincare products like I do, BeautyCounter has some awesome deals for the holidays.  Below I shared my favorites!  

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Makeup palettes are ALWAYS a good choice. They combine eye shadow, bronzer, blush and highlight all in one spot!

 

Winter Dream Palette 
This palette mixes best sellers and new cool-toned shades for just the right balance of casual and glamorous. It’s the perfect one-stop-compact you can easily throw in your bag. 
 I find myself reaching for this palette often, and was even surprised that i liked the periwinkle shade which is very sheer and blends well with the navy shadow as liner. 

Palette Includes:

• Marine (true navy) — New
• Bellflower (vibrant periwinkle) — New
• Opal (opalescent pink) — New
• Dove (dusty lavender) — New
• Pinot (satiny plum) — New
• Night (soft charcoal black)
• Matte Bronzer No. 1 (medium tan) 
• Feather (opalescent sheen highlight) — New
• Bloom (cool pink)

Winter Warmth Palette

One palette… Endless options. We’ve curated our most popular warm-toned shades, plus two new shades for eyes, cheeks and highlights. Mix, match, and take the guesswork out of creating beautiful looks. 

The bronze and golds in this palette are gorgeous!

Palette includes:

• Bronze (warm, golden metallic)
• Malt (medium brown with a hint of sheen)
• Goldleaf (rich, golden sheen) —New
• Pearl (opalescent white)
• Amethyst (warm purple)
• Slate (grey sheen)
• Tawny (warm tan with a hint of peach)
• Feather (opalescent sheen highlight) — New
• Whisper (soft peach with a hint of pink)

 
Luminous Nudes Gift Set

For a striking, yet understated look, go for nude lips this holiday season. Our best-selling Sheer Lipstick in Twig has met its match: New Lip Gloss in Bare Shimmer gives glistening sheen to accentuate any look. Jojoba esters and vitamin E are excellent for balancing and conditioning skin for the silkiest pout. Plus, it’s gift ready and wrapped in our exclusive holiday red box.

Set includes:

• Sheer Lipstick in Twig 
• Lip Gloss in Bare Shimmer — New
  
    
  
  Love & Luster Gift Set
  
  
  Just in the time for the holidays, this wishlist-worthy collection of four Glosses includes two NEW festive colors — Blossom, a pearly pink, and Sunshine, a sparkly gold — to add high-wattage luster to any look. Made with carnauba wax, a Brazilian plant that promotes long-lasting shine and vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant with hydrating and skin-conditioning properties. Plus, it all comes beautifully wrapped in our exclusive holiday box.
  
  
  Set includes:
  

  • Lip Gloss in Ruby 
  • Lip Gloss in Dahlia 
  • Lip Gloss in Sunshine — New
  • Lip Gloss in Blossom — New

Naughty to Nice Gift Set

Created without harsh ingredients that can be overly drying to skin, these little ‘lumps’ of coal are pretty much the best gift you can give your skin this season. Charcoal absorbs impurities and purifies congestion without drying out skin. Use these staples as part of your beauty routine for smoother, brighter, younger-looking skin in less than 15 minutes. This giftable duo comes in special holiday sizing and is packaged inside a limited edition red box.

Those products are two of my favorites!

Set includes:

• Charcoal Cleansing Bar
• Purifying Charcoal Mask

To see these items as well as many other great gift options click here!

My Favorite BeautyCounter Products - Balancing Facial Oil

I’ve been using BeautyCounter products for several months now and LOVE LOVE LOVE them. My favorites are shown here and are: the Charcoal Cleansing Bar, Charcoal Mask, Balancing Facial Oil, and Sunscreen. 

This past week I traveled to Ohio for my sister’s wedding (I was maid of honor!) and I had many people comment that my skin looked great and I agreed! I did my sister and my makeup for the wedding and used the facial oil on both of us before applying any makeup. I’ve found that using the right facial oil helps balance my own oil production and prevents me from getting oily or shiny throughout the day. I included a picture of my sister and I and I think it shows well the balance in our skin, giving a glow without being shiny (the picture was taken approximately 5 hours after makeup application)

The research-supported facts about what plant oils can do for skin is quite fascinating. They're not miracles, but the right plant oil (or, even better, a blend of oils) can make a significant difference for dry, flaky, or dehydrated skin. Facial oils are for anyone whose skin could use a boost of nourishing, smoothing rejuvenation, especially when seasonal cold or drier climates disturb your skin.

Facial oils are right for you if you struggle with occasional (think seasonal or climate-related dryness) or persistent dry, flaky, or dehydrated skin and your moisturizer just isn't doing enough no matter how enriched and emollient it is.

Instead of continually searching for a new moisturizer, you can easily add facial oil to your routine and see a striking difference. Your skin will feel smoother, softer, and more resilient, not to mention taking on a natural-looking glow.

The ingredients in the BeautyCounter Balancing Face Oil are:

Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Rosa Canina (Rosehip) Fruit Oil, Sclerocarya Birrea (Marula) Oil, Argania Spinosa (Argan) Kernel Oil*, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Hippophae Rhamnoides (Sea Buckthorn) Oil, Rosa Damascena (Rose) Flower Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Peel Oil, Cananga Odorata (Ylang Ylang) Flower Oil, Anthemis Nobilis (Chamomile) Flower Oil.

This oil has a fantastic ingredient lineup, with antioxidant-rich and emollient oils like rosehip, grapeseed, and sea buckthorn.

• Rosehip oil is widely used in various skin care products. It helps fight the signs of aging and assists in diminishing photo aging.
• Oral and topical applications of sea buckthorn oil both have benefits on skin problems. It promotes skin hydration, elasticity, and skin regeneration, and even helps treat and prevent acne. 
• Sea buckthorn oil may also be beneficial for rosacea, a chronic inflammatory condition that causes small red bumps on the face. 
• Research has shown that marula oil can improve hyper-pigmentation. 
• Ylang ylang oil has been proven to help regulate the production of sebum, an oily substance secreted by the sebaceous glands, to protect your hair and skin from drying out. It has many cosmetic uses, including: maintaining skin moisture, clearing and healing acne, as well as antimicrobial properties that can help reduce skin irritation and redness. 
• Chamomile  oil can help calm or treat acne, rashes, eczema, wounds, dermatitis, and dry and itchy skin

You would use the facial oil under your moisturizer or on its own. I adore this face oil and used it day and night.  I use three drops after washing morning and night. In the morning I follow it with sunscreen and I use it alone at night.

Those still afraid of breakouts, listen up: “Oils can help stabilize and regulate the overproduction of sebum, and actually help get rid of acne,” says France born facialist Isabelle Bellis, It’s essential not to “over-exfoliate,” she says, adding that an appropriate oil will balance out “your skin’s ecosystem and protect it from the external environment.” (Vogue, April 2016)

I started using facial oils several years ago and had never found one I was sold on. The balancing face oil changed that. I am curious to try the other two oils, hydrating and soothing, but have so enjoyed the balancing face oil that I have yet to do so. 

The difference between the oils are the last ingredients listed.  The added ingredients that make the Balancing Face oil are Ylang Ylang and Chamomile

• The Hydrating Face Oil also has Jasmine Oil.  Jasmine Oil is traditionally used to restore skin, the essential oils and botanical extracts of jasmine increase skin’s elasticity and help balance moisture in the skin to naturally reduce dryness.  Jasmine oil is a cicatrizer, meaning it helps fade scars left in the wake of acne, skin wounds, eruptions, and stretch marks.
• The Soothing  Face Oil also has Calendula  Oil which has great anti-inflammatory and healing properties. It helps soothe sore, inflamed, and itchy skin conditions.

If you feel your skin could use that extra boost especially in this coming winter,  consider trying a BeautyCounter Face Oil!

www.beautycounter.com/kimberlybrown

BeautyCounter OBSESSED!

I am so excited to share this amazing company that I LOVE.

For those that know me, you know I have always been very into fitness and health. I’ve always been active, always belonging to a gym, running, talking Pilates reformer classes, and in the past few years have become one of those crazy CrossFit people! I have always felt that your body is the only thing you truly own in life. I try to take care of myself the best I can. While fitness has always been important to me I have only more recently taken care with what I eat. In 2013 I went “paleo”, eating only meat, eggs, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds. I saw significant health benefits (and positive changes to my cholesterol even eating eggs every day). While I still eat mostly paleo, I have definitely become slightly more easygoing and include some dairy, and gluten free carbs (and lets be serious, if an amazing dessert in front of me I am going to eat it!) I have always found fitness and health so interesting, I found myself reading journal articles about health especially in regards to health issues that have seemed to be increasing in my lifetime: dementia, Alzheimer’s, autism as well as so many other health issues. While I do not claim that I know any certain answers, all the reading did lead me to eating paleo. I do believe many modern day heath issues have to do with so many of the artificial foods we eat nowadays. I make the vast majority of the food I eat myself from real whole food ingredients.

It was only this year that I had a lightbulb moment….. I take so much care with my food and fitness, but I really never thought about the products I use on my body’s largest organ, my skin!

I have always been a self-proclaimed makeup/beauty junkie. I LOVE makeup. My OBSESSION started at age 18 when I went to NYC and had my makeup done by a Nars makeup artist named Gianni. It was pure art on my face!  I have always enjoyed buying and wearing all kids of makeup (with Nars being my number one since age 18!) Along with that I have also tried MANY different skin care brands, always looking for the next big thing, new ingredient, new product that claims to make you glow, reduce wrinkles, etc. I NEVER considered the ingredients in these products other than the claims the company made stating how great they were. When I had this lightbulb moment I realized I had no idea what was in any of these expensive products I had been buying.

I then heard about a company called Beauty Counter on a paleo podcast I listen to called Balanced Bites with Diane SanFilippo and Liz Wolfe. I had listened to this podcast since 2013 and neither person had EVER pushed a product, so when they both praised BeautyCounter for its all natural products, I listened. I also was starting to notice friends posting about their love for these products and this company!  I looked into the company and was instantly impressed.

The mission of BeautyCounter is to get safer products into the hands of everyone. “Decades of research indicate that serious health issues (including but not limited to asthma, cancer, and infertility) are on the rise and are due in some part to our ongoing exposure to toxic chemicals—whether it’s in the shower, on our commute, while we eat lunch at a local restaurant, or when we clean our kitchens at home.

The United States has not passed a major federal law to regulate the safety of ingredients used in personal care products since 1938. Over the past two decades, the European Union has banned more than 1,300 chemicals in the product formulas of personal care products and restricted the levels of over 250 more in such products. The United States has only partially banned 11 to date.
BeautyCounter is committed to a health and safety standard that goes well beyond what’s required by U.S. law: They have banned the use of more than 1,500 questionable or harmful chemicals through their "Never List”—all while ensuring our products perform and that they’re as indulgent as any other luxe shampoo, lipstick, or oil in the market.”

This leads me to one of the most important parts of this post…. These products do PERFORM! started using the products as soon as they arrived and was OBSESSED! The first products I bought and fell in love with were the charcoal cleaning bar, charcoal mask, and facial oil! As I read about the products I just wanted to try more and more!

Once I used these products for a short time, and loved them, like any beauty junkie, I wanted more! I ordered a few makeup products and was so excited when they arrived! Again, I was blown away but the quality of these products. So when you add the amazing performance of these products to their high quality ingredients I absolutely fell in love!

I am so excited to share these amazing products! Consider making the switch! Below is my link that will take you to the BeautyCounter website that clearly shows the ingredients to all products. You can also click on the ingredients to go to a master list and explanation of ingredients. There are currently holiday sets available that are a great way to try out some smaller size products if you are interested!

 I plan to try to restart this blog with the BeautyCounter products I am loving as well as any other products!  My work schedule is crazy as always but I just love these products so much that I cant help but want to share them!

CLICK HERE!!!