Sunday, October 30, 2016

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!!!

Saturday, November 1, 2014

Nars Makeover - Makeup Event at Blue Mercury

Nars Event at Blue Mercury

I attended a beauty event at my local Blue Mercury today. I actually had made the appointment over a month ago when I found out a Nars artist would be coming in today. The town I live in has a Blue Mercury THREE blocks from where I live which is very dangerous for me. I try to limit my trips to events such as today or if I refill on something because otherwise I would be there way to often and buying ALL the Nars! I was excited to try out the new Dual Intensity Eyeshadows and see the Holiday gift sets.  I was very impressed with the Dual Intensity eyeshadow and their consistency and staying power. These pictures are from 8 hours later.






The MUA used a cream pencil as a base which I did not think would last like this.  My only experiance is with nars cream eyeshadows and they crease like crazy. I thought it was a really interesting blend of colors.  I had always been intimidated by Pandora which is a duo eyeshadow that looks black/white.  The black side blends out to the nice silvery/grey you see.

Here is what she used

Brightening serum on my face before anything
the Luminous Mouisturizer and replenish eye cream

for my makeup she used
Light Optimizing Primer
Alaska Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer - light with neutral balance of pink and yellow undertones
Vanilla Radiant Creamy concealer - tiny cast of pink for fair complexions

Eyes
Goddess soft touch pencil as a base - pink champagne
Callisto eyeshadow on my lid  - Icy Pink Silver
Subra Dual Intensity Eyeshadow on bridge - Black Orchid
Pandora Duo (black side) to add dimension - Sheer White Shimmer/Matte Black (shows grey when blended)
Black Valley eye paint as liner  - Black
Via Venuto Larger than Life Long Wear eyeliner on waterline - Black
Black volumizing mascara
Blondie eyeshadow for brows - neutral soft matte
Laguna Bronzer - diffused brown powder with golden shimmer
Orgasm blush - peach pink with golden shimmer
Copacabana liquid illuminator - glistening pearl

Biscayne Park Satin Lip Pencil - guava pink

Turkish Delight Lipgloss - pink sherbert


I really liked the new palette out for Christmas- the Laser cut eye/cheek/lip palette. It is beautiful!  I figured I spent enough and could add this to my Christmas list!


A futuristic vision for eyes, cheeks, and lips in a tech-chic double layer compact. Enter a continuum of cutting-edge color, coded for endless beauty.
Set Includes:
  • 3 shades of Hardwired Eyeshadow, a new formulation in limited edition shades, created exclusively for the NARS Laced with Edge Holiday Collection
  • Day Dream Blush
  • Laguna Bronzing Powder
  • Dolce Vita Lip Gloss
I would definitely consider Nars gift sets for any makeup lover!


Sunday, January 13, 2013

I'm Back!

Hello to any readers left to this blog!  I took a little hiatus from blogging, but will be coming back soon with new blogs! 

Here is whats coming
- current favorites
- new skin are! (Sunday Riley, Le metier de beaute, cle de peau)
- collection post
- Nars 2013 collection
- review of juice cleanse I am doing

any suggestions or requests?





Friday, April 6, 2012

Nars 2012 Collection is coming!

I always love the spring/summer collections the most! I am more into the nartural look with maybe a few brights thrown in!  This collection looks like its going to be amazing! It will be available online April 15th!

This is what Nars had to say about the collection,
"Summer brings with it a cocktail of warm earth tones and brazen shimmers. Eyes glisten in icy peach and matte apricot, or shine in iridescent orchid and blue. Lips are subtle in a glossy nude beige pink, or bold in a matte strawberry red. A delicate seashell pink lends nails a flattering hue for an overall look that's sizzling, sophisticated and -like so many summery moments - simply unforgettable."

This collection includes:
Blush,  $27 - Liberté
Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil, $24 -Buenos Aires
Velvet Matte Lip Pencil, $24 -Never Say Never
Soft Touch Shadow Pencil, $24 -Calabria
Nail Polish, $17 -Trouville
 Lipstick, $24 -Vendanges
Pure Matte Lipstick, $25 -Moscow
Trio Eyeshadow, $45 -Ramatuelle
 Duo Eyeshadow, $33 -Marie Galante

I will definitely be picking up the eyeshadows, nail polish, and the velvet gloss pencils (love them!)
What are you interested in?

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Burberry Makover!

Happy St. Patricks Day everyone!
Sorry I've been MIA lately!  Ive just been so busy I haven't been doing anything exciting with my makeup so I havent had much to share. Today I went to the Burberry counter today after seeing Sandra's post about Pale Barley eyeshadow.  Oh boy did I end up getting more than that! I had one of those great makeup artists, that is so talented and knows exactly what you want!  I had asked about Pale Barley and she put this look together with the following items.

 


(pardon my unruly brows)

Sheer Foundation in Trench No06
Fresh Glow illuminator- on eyelids and cheekbones
Nude Bronzer
Blossom #5 blush

Pale Barley eyeshadow No22
Rosewood eyeshadow No09
Midnight Brown eyeshadow (in outer corners) No21
Golden Brown eyeliner no 6 (she used this under my eye and in my waterline)
Midnight Brown eyeliner No02
black mascara
Tulip Pink No27 lipstick


I LOVED the golden eyeliner on my waterline! I have tried white and beige eyeliners and always thought it looked a little odd.  The golden color takes away from any redness I have and just looks nice and soft and smokey!  I bought all the eye products, the lipstick, and another brighter lipstick.  The MUA was nice enough to give me samples of the foundation and fresh glow, which I may go back and get!

If anyone lives near Paramus definitely check out Araceli at the Burberry Counter!

Saturday, November 19, 2011

HUGE NEWS! Urban Decay Naked Pallete 2!

I just read online that Urban Decay will be coming out with a NEW naked palette!  I have the first one (I was one of the lucky people that got it online before it sold out)  and while I like it, I don't LOVE it.  The shades are a little too glittery for me.  I have to say thought, that even though I do not use it all that much, I still think its worth it for the money.  You get a lot of eye shadows, all together in one convenient palette.  I will definitely be checking out the new version when it comes out in February! How about you?



These are the eyeshadows
Foxy, Half Baked, Bootycall, Chopper, Tease, Snakebite, Suspect, Pistol, Verve, YDK, Busted, Blackout

and it looks like it comes with a mini lip gloss (I'd prefer the mini primer since the UD primer is so great)

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Nars One Day Sale!

I have Friday off so I am VERY tempted to go hit up this sale! What would YOU get?