Organic Skincare : Friend or Faux?

In the past, the mere thought of an organic beauty product made me want to cringe.
The phrase itself made me think of the 'beauty' sections in health food stores which sell/sold items like black tar soap and hemp exfoliator (or something along those lines).
So needless to say, I have stayed far, far away from any 'organic' beauty products for a long time. The only instance I ever came close to using a 'natural' product was when one of my favorite cosmetic companies claimed one of their new products was of '98% natural origin' - what does that even mean? Haha!
However, about a week ago I was lucky (yes, lucky) enough to attend a half-day training seminar on a new-ish line of organic skincare products called KIBIO.
KIBIO is a company that is owned by Clarins, which if you are familiar with any of their products you know that they are F-A-B (and actually MADE in Paris)! The name KIBIO originates from 'KI' which means engergy and 'BIO' which means natural or pure.
The whole idea behind the line is to provide you with the highest percentage of the most top quality ingredients for incredible performance and results on your skin.
And I must say - I believe them.
The main difference that sticks out to me between KIBIO products and all other skin care products is that the majority of cosmetic skincare products that are readily availavble are over 50% water, which is mainly used as a filler. In KIBIO products, the water that makes up most of your cream, is composed of floral waters. Which are providing your skin with extra nutrients, instead of just filling up your jar! How cool is that?
Anyway, KIBIO products have officially won me over in consideration to the fact that a) they actually smell amazing b) the textures are phenommmmeennalll and c) they WORK!
Here are the two that I tried:

KIBIO Fresh Pureness foam and Intemporelle Essentielle Day/Night Cream

Fresh Pureness Foam is really intended for an oily skin, but I am combination dry/dehydrated and I did not find this too drying at all! What shocked me the most is that it actually removed ALL of my make-up! It smells a bit like peppermint but is not too overwhelming. Something a little bit on the odd side - you have to massage the foam into a dry skin or the water will completely dissolve the suds. I must admit, it feels alittle disgusting but your skin will feel sooo soft and smooth afterward that you will forget all about it!

Intemporelle Essentielle Cream : Preventative Aging and Detoxification? SIGN ME UP! That is like my holy mecca of skincare concerns all rolled into one eco-friendly little jar. Now I can't lie, I was temporarily using this cream with Dior One Essential serum which is also a detoxifier, but I know this cream would work on it's own. After the first use, my skin was seriously more hydrated (but not greasy), brighter and softer. I can use this day and night - I absolutely love it and would reccomend it to any dehydrated combination skin!

Double organic certification - very official! This is the real deal!
Several cool facts about KIBIO packaging:
- This jar is made out of completely recycled glass with NO ADDITIVES which means that no harsh chemicals are secretly seeping into your cream. This glass can be recycled and reused a million times without having to add any extra ingredients which is why the packaging is represented by the infinity symbol
- The tin lid is also completely recyclable
- The jar comes in a box which is made of 'origami' packaging - meaning that there is no glue used to hold the box together
- There are no paper pamphlets inside ; absolutely no waste!
- The box is printed with earth-friendly vegetable ink

SERIOUSLY! HOW COOL ARE THESE PRODUCTS?!

Finally! A Perfect Foundation Combo!

I am sure I have mentioned it before, but I will mention it again: foundation is my FAVORITE make-up.

Now, I do take really good and consistent care of my skin, but due to genetics I tend to have acne, dark scarring and alot of redness down the center of my face. Thus, whatever I can not fix with skin care treatments, I "fix" with foundation.

Needless to say I am always looking for full-coverge foundations. The terms "natural" or "sheer" are not in my foundation vocabulary. However, I would also prefer not to look like I am wearing a cakey mask - which is actully a hard thing to find when looking for a full-coverage foundation.

Also, I always look for a luminous finish in my foundation (think Jennifer Lopez skin) which is difficult to find in full coverage.

After about three years of adding luminous products to matte foundations at an attempt to create a "dewy" finish, I believe I have finallly found what I have been looking for!

Beware, this is a serious combination of products but it is absolutely flawless!

First I put one pump of Lancome Teint Miracle Foundation in 'Ivory 2c' (which I actually HATE because it is sooo pink) on my foundation brush, then I add a pump of Makeup Forever HD Foundation in #117 - a super yellow colour - and I apply the combintion of these two colours starting from the t-zone and working to the outer areas of the face.

After I apply liquid foundation, I usually avoid powders because they tend to add a matte finish. However, I have found two powders that when buffed into this liquid foundation actually enhance the luminosity while keeping the foundation in place all day.


The one I use regularly (because it is much less expensive than the next option) is Cliniqe Blended Face Powder in "Transparency #2". This is a semi-translucentloose powder with a slight yellow tone and tiny particles of shimmer.

If I am going out and want an extra beautiful and full coverage luminous look, I will reach for YSL Poudre Sur Mesure in #1.

Here is a picture of the foundations/powder in natural daylight!! Love it!

(Please excuse my puppy's nose in the bottom right corner!)

I will post a new video tomorrow using this foundation and I will provide tips and tricks for a 5-10 minute FLAWLESS face!

Talk to you soon! xo!

Do You Take Care of Your Face?

What's your skin care routine? Do you have one? Or even have any idea what I am talking about?
Well, I will explain just in case you don't!
A skin care routine can be something as simple as using a facial cleanser once a day or it an be something as complex as using a parade of products: make-up remover, facial cleanser, toner, multiple serums, eye creams, creams/lotions, and sunscreens, performed twice a day.
I think that outside of the beauty industry, the skin care routine is not considered to be all that important. However, I personally feel that the source of all natural beauty comes from beautiful, healthy, radiant skin. Some women, of course, are born with this type of skin, having to put little to no effort to make their face appear flawless (my best friend happens to be one of these people - it's so frustrating)! These usually end up being the women who have no idea what a skin care routine is! However, for the rest of us, achieving a balanced and beautiful skin tends to take a little bit - or a lot, depending - of effort.
The best way to begin on a skin outine is to keep it simple. This way, you are more likely to commit and stay consistent to your routine. An example of what I consider to be a simple skin care routine includes three key proucts: cleanser, toner and moisturizer. All of these products would ideally be suited to your skin type/ skin care concerns. For instance my skin type is combination oily. E.g. normal feeling cheeks, shiny (greasy) chin, nose and forehead. My skin care concerns: uneven skin tone and texture. Thus my 'simple' skin care routine would look something like this:
Cleanser - for normal/combination skin
Toner - for normal/combination skin
Moisturizer - for normal combination skin which also evens skin tone

Seems simple enough right?
Something else I might mention is that not everyone has to have a skin care concern. You might be perfectly happy with the appearence of your skin, but are just looking to begin a routine to take care of your face! In this instance, you would just choose your moisturizer based on your skin type! Ideally a skin care routine is to be done twice a day, no less, and definitely NO MORE (oily skin ladies, I am speaking to you). I guarantee if you begin treating your skin with this type of consistent care, no matter how great your skin is to begin with, that you will see an improvement in the texture and radiance of your skin within a couple of weeks! Also, you will be removing all of the icky grime that builds up on your skin throughout the day and throughout the night - who wants a build up of pollution on their face!?
So cleanse on, ladies. Cleanse on.

P.S. Would you really like to know about the complexities of my skin care routine?It's quite scary, actually.
Morning
Cleanser: Lancome Mousse Radiance
Toner: Lancome Tonique Radiance
Serum: Lancome Genefique
Spot Corrector: Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector
Eye Cream: (depends on the day) Elizabeth Arden Prevage SPF15
Moisturizer: Complex 15

Night
Make-up Remover: Lancome BiFacil
Cleanser: Lancome Mousse Radiance
Toner: Lancome Tonique Radiance
Serum: Lancome Visionnaire
Spot Corrector: Clinqie Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector
Eye Cream: (depends on the day) Guerlain Super Aqua Eye
Night Cream: (depends on the day) Lancome Genefique Repair
. . . . Told you it was spooky!

Video Blog Introduction!

Hello Friends!

I have been saying for a long time that I was going to start creating and contributing to a make-up video blog. However, nerves and insecurities got the best of me - until now!
With my new computer (thanks, Bob), and all of the new make-up collections being released for fall, I figured there was no better time to start than now to start.
Here is a link to my firsit video on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v​=PLgijeNppS8

I realize I haven't figured out how to edit the credits yet, haha, but just give me a little bit of time!
The reason I am writing this blog following the first video, is to provide you with information on the products I was wearing.

Starting with foundation:
Lancome Teint Idole Ultra in "Ivorie 1N"

Concealer:
Lancome Effacernes Waterproof Concealer in "Porcelaine"

Powder:
Lancome Ageless Minerals in "Ivorie 20"

Bronzer:
Lancome Star Bronzer in "01 Lumiere"

Eyeshadow:
Lancome Color Design Five Shadow and Liner Palettes in "Taupe Craze"
Lancome Color Design Eyeshadow in "Drape"

Eyeliner:
Elizabeth Arden Smokey Eyes in "01 Black"

Eybrow Pencil:
Lancome Le Crayon Poudre in "Taupe"

Lipstick:
Lancome Color Design Lipstick in "Vintage Rose"

Mascara:
Lancome Hypnose in "Deep Black"


I think that's it!
. . . . Well I hope it is anyway!
Thanks for reading!

A Little Extra Time. . .

I was off work the other day with not much to do, so I decided to play with my make-up!
About two hours later, this is what had happened to my face:

Daily Make Up Photos!

Hello y'all!

Sorry it's been so long since my last post!
I started to lose a little steam, but I promise - it's back!
Here are some photos from the last several weeks!
I hope you enjoy, and please message me with any questions!

Pictures from my latest Photoshoot!

Here are some of the photos from my latest collaboration with Niche Photography!
Hope you enjoy!