All posts tagged: review

Let’s Have A Talk About Ouai Hair Care

Published by lauren

You know, that Kardashian brand you’ve seen EVERYWHERE. I have a nasty habit of hating on super hyped items. When I see it all over the place I just double down on my dubious attitude towards it. I for sure got that way about Ouai haircare: every youtuber, beauty editor and blogger was raving about it. I felt very shilled to. But after the initial launch loads of people were still talking about it, so my curiosity perk up. If people are still into something after the brands newness wears off then there’s gotta be something there… right? This was my thinking behind purchasing The Style Edit Kit around thanksgiving last year (crazy to call that last year). I’ve played with it for a few months now and can finally give an honest assessment- even if I’m still on the fence about a few things. (this particular set is currently out of stock, but here’s one similar.) Let’s talk the negative first, and probably the part you care less about it- The Hair Ties. They are a …

Two Holiday Minis to Give Yourself

Published by lauren

It’s crazy to think we are smack dap in the middle of holiday season already. I feel like it was just last week I was on the hunt for a pair of summer shorts. But here we are, and you know what that means…. lots and lots of shopping. I’m being a little selfish with the theme of this holiday gift post… I think these are two things worth treating yourself too while grinding through your nice list. Don’t worry, I’ve got a couple of awesome gift guides in the works sure to make you everyones favorite giver. Formula X came out with this great travel friendly travel nail polish set this fall. The City Chic set is a mix of great everyday nail colors along with some fun holiday staples. I think I’ve used all the colors by now, and am rocking the glittery shade, Fine Like Einstein, as I type this. The small size is a fun way to test out a bunch of colors, but great for traveling during this time of …

Discover Natural Beauty Brand URB Apothecary

Published by lauren

Since I’m such a big natural beauty lover I get excited when I come across new sources. My latest find came via Instagram. When I was searching down some random skincare hashtag I came across URB Apothecary‘s stunning designs and alluring ingredients lists. The line was started by Leyna Allred in Northern California with the desire to reconnect with simple chemical free ingredients. The line reflects that with being free of parbens, preservatives, and chemical additives. Each product seems carefully crafted to include an ingredient list of powerful herbs and is cruelty free. Leyna was very generous and sent me both the Prickly Pear Elixir and the Cactus Face Polish. I’ve pretty much used them both all up and they are indeed stellar. The Prickly Pear Elixir is a gorgeous blend of Pomegranate, Rosehip and of course Prickly Pear. All three oils have high amounts of skin nourishing antioxidants, something I desperately need here in Los Angeles. I’ve been a huge fan of both Rosehip and Pomegranate oils and can now include Prickly Pear on that list as …

Nourish Your Skin with Brooklyn Based Skincare Line Lyeska

Published by lauren

Recently, I’ve been super lucky to test out a number of amazing brands, one of my favorites has to be Brooklyn Based skincare line Lyeska. Centered around the richness of Siberian Cedar Nut Oil, Lyeska makes responsibly produced, all naturals product out of Brooklyn New York. The brand was founded by Russian born Katya Hegg. Katya grew up around the women in her family utilizing the ingredients found naturally in their gardens and forests to nourish their skin. I’ve been using the Moisturizing Facial Lotion and Facial Cleanser these past two months, and love the gentle hydrating formulas. Both products are packed with Siberian Cedar Nut Oil which contains strong amounts of Vitamin E and lots of essential fatty acids. The Facial Cleanser is rich in Vitamin A from plenty of Apple Extract and Rose Oil making it a great healer for aging or parched skin. It contains lots of antiseptic/anti acne ingredients like Burdock Root, Rosemary, Willow Bark and Blood Orange Extracts. And to calm the skin there is plenty of Aloe Vera and Calendula. This is a very …

Indie Alert: Organic Sheet Masks by Orgaid

Published by lauren

If you’ve been following along with some of my previous posts on here or even my Instagrams, you might have noticed me mention (briefly) that I was doing the #30daysheetmaskchallenge. You haven’t heard TOO much about it from me because, well… It didn’t work out. In hindsight I should have known that trying out dozens of different products for a month straight would go terribly wrong. I think my skin just couldn’t handle the variety I was putting it through. Needless to say- I didn’t make it to 30 full days, probably just over 2 weeks. It wasn’t a completely waste though: I still got to test out some really interesting masks, discover new brands and have dozens stock piled for later occasions and posts. One brand I found pretty interesting is US based Organic sheet mask company Orgaid. Orgaid has three different masks, and I tested out one of each. I found them all to be pretty good, solid sheet masks, that all did a nice job of hydrating my skin. Like I mentioned, Orgaid is a …

Current Favorites | The (mostly) Skincare Edition

Published by lauren

Okay short attention span friends, here is the finale to my Current Favorites. AND, lucky for you, one of my shortest videos yet! (high fives self). I posted my Current Makeup Favorites last week (watch and read it here!) But now here is all the goop skincare wise (mostly) I’ve been slathering onto this body as of late. The video has the scoop, but there’s some sneak peaks and an abbreviated rundown below! I have not used faked tan since I turned myself into a streaked orange mess in grade school (which ultimately resulted in wearing long pants and sleeves in 90 degree weather). Since my wedding was coming up I wanted to add a little bit of color to this strobelight complexion of mine. I found some easy success with St Tropez’s In Shower Tan. A little pricey, but pretty fool proof for the tanning idiot like myself. Hair wise, I’ve been slipping some of Morrocanoil’s famous Hair Treatment on to these tresses of mine. The scent reminds me of walking the Jasmine lined streets …

SU:M 37 Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick (and the rise of twist up soap)

Published by lauren

The K-Beauty scene is really exploding here in the States right now. I’ve been sort of dipping my toe into it over the last year by picking up the occasional sheet mask or essence and sporadically dabbling with a 10 step Korean style skincare routine. But not until this past summer did I really dive in and start picking up on all the cool shit that is out there! I by no means know even the tip of the iceberg (and it’s a big iceberg) but I’ve been steadily educating myself on some of the most beloved products and trends at the moment. One product in-particular that kept popping out at me was the much hyped, cult status face wash: SU:M 37 Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick WHAT IS IT? The Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick has a bit of a craze around it. In part because of it’s low PH, which is great to have in cleanser, but also due to its incredible packaging and excellent ingredients. It’s formulated without parabens, artificial colors or synthetic preservatives, in fact it contains …

Farmacy Clear Day Mask Medley: Soothing, Brightening, and Deep Moisture

Published by lauren

Sheet masks guys. I remember being skeptical of them when I saw them pop up a few year back, but this was long before my interest in beauty and skincare really took flight, when even moisturizer was a bit of a mystery to me. Now a few years later sheet masks have become a staple for myself and the industry. You know something has reached staple status when not only every luxury brand has their own, but places like CVS have dedicated shelfs to them. I’ve tried a good amount by now, but lets be honest, that’s not even scratching the surface. There are probably more types of sheet masks out there then wine at this point. I like picking up sheet masks as my introductory product to a new line. I think it gives a good, low commitment and economical way of testing the waters of a new range. Recently I’ve found myself a new favorite this way. Farmacy, a newer natural brand carried by Sephora that centers it line around a new found strain of Echinacea, has launched …

Shopping List | April Beauty

Published by lauren

All of March I was on a self imposed spending ban, so when the clock finally struck April I went a little crazy. Since I’m getting myself into the youtube scene, I decided to make a Haul vid (typical I KNOW), talking about all the shit I picked up! Love it if you Subscribed! Also, I joined the masses and finally got myself on Snapchat this past month (had to have some one much younger than me give me a tutorial on how to use it… #old) I’m under mytwopence. easy peasy. ~ The Stuff ~ Boots botanics Organic Hot Cloth Cleansing Balm Boots No7 Beautiful Skin Hydration Mask Simple Cleansing Micellar Water Nip + Fab Dragon’s Blood Fix Plumping Mask Revlon Ultra HD Matte Lip Color in Flirt Essie Nail Polish in Sand Tropez Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Invisible Cover Foundation Blossom Jeju Pink Camellia Soombi Blooming Flower Toner Biologique Recherche Lotion P50 Luxe Apothecary Moroccan Clay + Rose Facial Mask If any of you have tried anything I picked up I’d love to know your …

Favorites | March

Published by lauren

March, what happened, did I say something? You just left with no warning, total french exit dude. We did have some good moments, even if they were fleeting. Well, here they are folks, my March Favorites. I’m really trying to up my youtube game, so it would make this idiots day if you could watch and subscribe (like too if you feel so inclined). But as last time, if my voice is too grating, go ahead and just enjoy the words and picture below. (most of it’s all there) This little rollerball from Nest has been in my handbag and on my wrist for the last four weeks. The mix of blood orange and white ginger make Paradise a perfect spring scent. Available at Sephora Oh, and if you haven’t already, check out my Nest perfume guide here. I actually picked up this trio from Fresh back during the holidays but didn’t bust them out until this past month. Rose is a lovely bright pop on the lips and both Nude and Honey make for a gorgeous, …