Hourglass Primer

Happy Wednesday, you made it halfway through the week! Mine is super busy and filled with exciting business meetings and parties! If you haven't read, I joined Beautycounter to spread the word for safer skincare. You can read all about it here.

One thing I am obsessed with and literally can’t live without in my makeup routine is a good primer. Beautycounter offers a mist that can be used as a makeup primer but I love a cream I can physically rub in. My tried and true has been my Becca Backlight primer. I’ve used this for probably going on two years and I recommend it to everyone. It gives an amazing glow, makes your makeup last all day, and minimizes those pores. I love this stuff so much that if someone were to tell me I couldn’t use it, I would have a full blown adult hissy fit. So why is this post called Hourglass primer then? Remember how I said I’m spreading the word about safer skincare - I bet you can guess where this is going.

So I did some research on my beloved primer. I dug deep into the ingredients and cross checked them with the Never List provided by Beautycounter and the EWG cosmetic database just to be accurate. Well ladies the results are in and I feel like I’ve been cheated on; you know that gut wrenching feeling of betrayal? And by my own makeup!! Five of the 13 ingredients are moderate to severe health hazards, some of which have been linked to cancer. I don't know about you but I’m just not willing to expose my skin to that now that I know the facts.

That brings me to today’s product the Hourglass No. 28 Primer Serum. I stumbled upon this by accident while mindlessly browsing all the pretty packages at Sephora and I was immediately drawn to it based on the packaging alone. I am a sucker for anything with essential oils and this product is no exception. It’s formulated with 14 essential oils, 10 lipid-rich plant oils, and four vitamins. It is formulated WITHOUT: Parabens, Sulfates, Synthetic Fragrances, Synthetic Dyes, Phthalates, GMOs, Triclosan. Needless to say I was sold on the product and bought it.

Let’s get down to what you’re really wondering, does it work? The answer is yes!! I actually love it more than my Becca primer! I opted for the mini size because one it is expensive and two a little bit goes a long way with this product. I use about a pea size amount and it is plenty for my full face. I love that this primer is very hydrating and the skin really absorbs it. I let it sit on my face for a few minutes before applying my foundation because it does sit on the skin upon application. My makeup still stays all day and I have that glow from within look that I love. If you have oily skin this product probably isn't the best for you but the Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer is made without those harmful ingredients and is oil free.

I love to top off my makeup with this setting spray. It helps to seal in the makeup and it smells amazing. I am obsessed with anything peony scented, candles, room sprays, flowers you name it, so this is right up my ally! This is also a great mist to use right after the gym or when you need a quick refresh.

I hope this helps on your journey to safer skincare. If you can switch just one thing from your everyday skincare or makeup routine you’re helping your skin! Need help? Ask away!! Stay beautiful and healthy! Xoxo

Beauty Must Haves for Teachers

How is the week almost over already? I feel like it was just Monday, but by no means am I complaining. Jay and I are going to stick around our town this weekend and enjoy a local fair and an air show. I always feel so blessed to live in a town full of beauty and community activities. Being a teacher in the town where I live has so many positives. It’s so fun to be able to talk with my students about local things happening in the community and to support sports, local family farms, and fundraisers. The families are incredibly sweet and I honestly feel like I am a celebrity whenever I see my students around town. I always laugh because the kids have two reactions: either they are so excited to see me they come up and give me a hug, or they are so shy they cling to their parents and wave from afar. Second grade is such a sweet and pure age. So when I say I’m blessed, I truly mean it.

Getting ready and dressing for my job is much different than if I were working in an office. In a perfect world my hair would be flawlessly curled and my makeup extra glamorous. Everyday I would wear dresses or pencil skirts, heels, big statement earrings, chunky jewelry, and have impeccably manicured nails. That being said, I am a teacher so that is not my everyday. Sure I wear heels sometimes but by the end of the day I am kicking myself for it. Of course I wear jewelry but more often than not big earrings and bracelets are such a distraction for 7 year olds. And yes I still do my makeup, but I am not rolling into second grade with a smokey eye! Which leads me to today’s topic: beauty items that I think every teacher should own.

All my friends know I use a million products a day but today I wanted to show you the absolute things you should be using, even if you don’t wear makeup or have much of a morning get ready routine.

Beautycounter Countermatch Adaptive Moisture Lotion. Every morning I wash and lotion my face. I started using this face lotion recently and I am obsessed. This moisturizer actually adjusts hydration levels throughout the day to keep your skin hydrated and radiant. I know it sounds crazy but they have mimicked the life giving properties of plants to match the structure of skin to give it exactly what it needs, nothing more and nothing less. This is perfect for me because the temperature in my classroom can go from 95% humidity one day to 0% and dry the next.

Native Deodorant. I have been a long time user of Suave deodorant. I didn’t like any other brands and had no intention of switching to a natural deodorant until I learned how dangerous it could be for your body. Many deodorants are full of parabens and aluminum and you’re putting that right on your skin, right near your lymph nodes! Not good. I made the switch, but was skeptical, to Native and I haven’t looked back since. First of all it smells amazing, I have the vanilla coconut, and second it actually works. If you started school in August you know that we had some excruciating days. It was hot, there was no AC, and every single body was radiating heat. But guess whose body was not radiating smell? This gals! I highly recommend it!

Living Proof instant de-frizzer. This is great for second and third day old hair. I love to use it on the top of my head near my part because this is where I tend to get the most frizz. I’m usually running late in the morning (thanks to my snooze button) and I often throw my hair up in a quick messy bun. When I do my hair I like to use this on my ends because it instantly smoothes them right out. It smells so fresh and it does not weigh my hair down at all. I usually get my living proof hair products from Nordstrom because the shipping is free!

Bow Hair Ties. These are currently out of stock at Old Navy online but I found similar ones here. I bought them in the store so I am sure you can find them there. These are the perfect way to dress up a ponytail.

Buxom Lip Cream. I always have chapstick at my desk but I like a little gloss now and then. This gloss tingles like mint chapstick but adds a nice shine without the glitter. It really plumps up the lips and makes you feel glamorous without being too extra in the classroom.

What are you teacher favorites? Not a teacher? Tell me the beauty things you can’t live without on a daily basis! Stay beautiful! Xoxo

Why I Joined Beautycounter

If you haven't already figured it out, I have joined Beautycounter as a consultant! I am super excited for this opportunity for so many different reasons. I love teaching and I absolutely love what I do but I always wished I could be doing something in the makeup or skincare industry. I love to try new products, talk about products, and push anything I am loving on anyone that will listen - sorry (but not really sorry) to my BFFs that constantly hear me raving about any product that I’ve tried and loved. When I started to learn about Beautycounter I was really intrigued but nervous to start my own business not knowing what the outcome would be. Finally I took the plunge, thanks to the help of my mentor, and I am so glad I did. I haven't felt this excited or motivated to do work after a full day of teaching in a while!

Being a part of Beautycounter means more than just talking about skincare and makeup. They are a business that is changing the beauty industry by making safer products. Everyday I am learning more and more about this company that tests all their ingredients rigorously before putting it in a product with the Beautycounter label. Not many other companies in the US can say that they are putting in this much effort to produce high quality products with safer and cleaner ingredients.

As I’ve gotten older I have become less naive about food, products, and my body. At the grocery store I am seeing more and more produce and meats with organic stickers and even processed foods in organic packaging. It is scary to know that all the produce without those organic stickers are grown in fertilizer with chemicals, sprayed with insecticides, and use growth hormones. You might be thinking okay great but how does that affect me? While the organic food does not necessarily taste better why spend more money for something that tastes pretty much the same? But let me ask you, do you want all of the residual chemicals entering your body while you’re eating the produce? The answer is probably no. If you already take care of what is going into your body, do you also think about what you’re putting on your skin? Our skin absorbs more than 60% of anything that we put on it. Let me share with you a few very scary statistics:

• There are more than 85,000 chemicals registered for use, with thousands more hitting the market every year
• In the United States, more than 4 billion pounds of toxic chemicals are released into the environment each year, including 72 million pounds of recognized carcinogens. Of the top 20 chemicals discharged to the environment, nearly 75% are known or suspected to be toxic to the developing human brain
• More than 200 synthetic chemicals—many of them known to be toxic—were found in the bodies of nearly all Americans, including newborn infants, who are exposed to these chemicals in utero
• Difficulty in conceiving and maintaining a pregnancy affected 40% more women in 2002 than in 1982. From 1982 to 1995, the incidence of reported difficulty almost doubled in younger women ages 18-25.
• One in eight women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime; 40 years ago, it was one in 10.37. Only half of these cases can be tied to traditional risk factors like genetic inheritance, diet, and reproductive history. That’s hundreds of thousands of women diagnosed with no known risk factors

Often times I say ignorance is bliss but this should not be ignored. YOU can control what goes into your body and on your body so why aren't you doing it? Please don’t think I am pushing Beautycounter on you, I’m really not. I am just one girlfriend sharing to another girlfriend about the hazards that we are facing in pretty packaging and glittery lip gloss. Believe me, it was so hard to give up some of my favorite skincare products but the Beautycounter products are now becoming my favorites. They are such high quality and work even better than most of my tried and true products. Honestly, I haven't given up everything but you have to start somewhere, even if you swap out your face or body wash it is a step.

If I am no longer in the bliss of ignorance with skincare and beauty products, you better believe I am going to spread the word. If you feel impassioned by this post, please reach out to me and we can take this journey together! Stay healthy! Xoxo

*All statistics from fda.gov

*Quote in picture: Tony Robbins

Fall Favorites

Happy Monday! I had a fantastic weekend celebrating the launch of my Beautycounter business and gathering with friends. It went by much too fast but I am looking forward to a busy week ahead. The weather has been gorgeous here in CT! The crisp air reminded me that Fall is soon approaching. I thought I would share some fall favorites with you as we enter this glorious season!

Bath and Body Candle: Vanilla Birch - This is my favorite fall scent! They stopped selling it in the store about halfway through the winter season last year but this year it is back! I was so excited to see it in Bath and Body Works. I had to stop myself from buying 10!

Starbucks: Iced Pumpkin Spice Chai Tea - This. Is. Everything. OMG! I have been craving this everyday since the first time I tried it. I’m sure it is delicious hot, but since it is still slightly warm outside here in CT the iced version is perfect.

Old Navy: Camel Sweater , Activewear Jacket - This camel sweater has been on my mind since last fall. I bought it this summer and have been dying to wear it! The activewear jacket is so cozy and will be a staple piece in my workout wardrobe. There’s nothing worse than wearing a bulky jacket to the gym and then having to put it back on after a sweaty workout.

Aerie: Move Leggings - My friend suggested these to me this summer and I think I wore them for a week straight after I purchased them. I love that they are high rise and they stretch like no other leggings I’ve ever worn. These are THE comfiest! I want them in every color.

Beautycounter: Color Intense Lip in Shade 9 to 5 - This color is such a versatile shade because it can be worn on many skin tones. It has a peppermint tingle which I love and it is very long wear.

The Styled Collection: Bracelets Lexi, Beckham, Ansley Cuff - I just ordered these bracelets and they should be arriving this week! I love the look of stacked bracelets and I’ve been wanting something a little more chunky than what I already have.

What are you crushing on this fall? Stay beautiful. Xoxo

Splurge vs. Steal Moisturizer Edition

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday weekend. I did a little too much shopping at The Loft and Sephora, but I can’t resist a good sale! I went through my winter clothes the other day and realized that I absolutely hate all of my sweaters from last year. A bit dramatic? Yes. True? YES! But I digress. With the cool weather approaching I’ve got moisturizer on my mind. During the winter my skin gets so dry and I need to amp up my night cream game. Today I’ve rounded up my favorite creams in both steal and splurge price points.  

Tula Hydrating Day and Night Cream $52 There hasn’t been a Tula product that I’ve tried I haven't liked. I like this cream because it can be used for both day and night. It is an expensive cream; however, it doesn’t clog pores, it doesn’t feel thick or greasy, and the product lasts a while. A little goes a long way with this product, I actually used the product that was left on the lid about 4 times before I actually dug into the jar.

Beautycounter Nourishing Night Cream $49 If you are looking for a product that works and is made with safer ingredients, this is the one for you. This night cream is thick, but again without feeling greasy like the Tula cream. Packed with amazing ingredients like aloe, coconut oil, and geranium and green tea this product is sure to hydrate your skin while you sleep!

Clinique Moisture Surge $19-$52 I put this product in the middle because the smaller jar is more of a steal but the bigger jars can get quite pricey! I initially liked this product because it is a gel cream so it feels much thinner than a traditional hydrating cream. I liked how my skin really soaked this product up, but on the flip side I went through the container very quickly. I did like the results that this gel provided just be aware that it won’t last as long if you tend to use a heavy hand with your night cream.

Clean and Clear Dual Action Moisturizer $5 This was my go to moisturizer for years! When I was a teen I started using this and I would say I stopped when I was about 21. I love that this product is very inexpensive, made with salicylic acid, and helps to prevent pimples. I was so oily and acne prone in my late teens to early twenties and this stuff really helped stop my acne without really drying out my skin.

Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion $10 Prior to marrying me, my husband was a chronic lack of lotion user. His face was always dry after a shower but he showed no initiative of getting a face lotion and taking the time to put it on. Once we got married, I said enough! I got him this lotion and his world was changed forever! I kid - but seriously having a hydrated face is actually life changing! I’ve used this a few times in a pinch and I love it as well. It doesn’t really have a scent, which is nice for men or people who are sensitive to perfumes. I also like how much product comes in a bottle and that it lasts a long while.

I hope this helps as we begin to enter the cold and dry months of the year. What are your favorite moisturizers? Leave a comment below! Stay beautiful! Xoxo