An Ode to Flower Giving

A bouquet of flowers is, if thought about for even a little, a very peculiar gift. I don’t think I have ever found a gift so universal. Birthday? Check. Housewarming? Check. Date night? Extra-check. Combination birthday-housewarming-date? You know it!

And yet a gift that requires such minimal thought and knowledge of the individual seems to be a gift everyone genuinely enjoys (people with allergies—I sincerely apologise). So what’s so special about a few plants tied together?

One idea is that impermanence is a necessary part of beauty and flowers are therefore more universally expressive than say, a cool rock you found on the beach one day—it’s exactly because they are so fleeting. A romantic idea, yes, but one I’m inclined to judge for its attitude to impermanence—a fish is also fleeting if you are irresponsible enough, but that doesn’t make it a very universal gift (speaking generally of course. Personally, I would love a fish).

A quick dive into minimalist school of thought and the accompanying research about the influence of experiences as compared to material gifts in relation to happiness leads to a fun idea that flowers are the best of both worlds—you have a thing (for a bit), and also the experience receiving the thing (and posting on your Instagram story about it). Like a DIY kit for people who think they are too cool for DIY kits, it provides an opportunity to do something—watch some flowers bloom, grow and die, as well as have something, which is pretty cool.

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Looking to history, there is also a lot to unpack. Greek mythology seems to have a story for every flower, the vast majority of which centre themes of love. The myth of Clytie and Apollo is an example of this. Clytie the water nymph is in completely love with the Sun god Helios despite his rejection of her, and spends days watching him cross the sky while herself wasting away, to eventually become a sunflower, still watching him for eternity. Maybe it’s something about not being able to stop looking at your crush being relatable, but it is one of my favourite myths. Maybe I just like sunflowers.

Narcissus, more famously, faced a similar predicament where he too couldn’t look away from his Love and turned into a Narcissus (aka the daffodil) . Iconically, the one he couldn’t turn away from was his own reflection. With context of the myth the gods were condemning him for being full of himself, but with 21st century perspective, lazing around a river full of self confidence for a few weeks only to be ‘doomed’ to become a self love icon and continue to do this for all eternity seems like a pretty great punishment to me.

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Unsurprisingly, the Greeks weren’t the only ones to think flowers were myth worthy. In Egyptian mythology, a lotus flower was the beginning of the world at least for people; prior to that the world was an infinite expanse of darkness and water named Nun. Atum (or Ra, depending on translations) emerged from Nun in a lotus flower as a baby through his own willpower by uttering his own name. He then created gods and humans, and here we are. Blue and white lotus went on to carry great meaning in Egypt, with pharaohs tying blue lotuses to their chariots for luck in wars, as well as a symbol of growth and healing.

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In Russia, my home country, flower giving is extremely common. Teachers receive flowers on the first day of school, parents on their children’s’ birthdays and lovers on dates. Flowers, often with little to no occasion or explanation are always around. Here in Chicago, I send flowers remotely to my loved ones. We are connected by this ancient ritual that spans time, place and culture; the desire to give something beautiful to someone we love for no apparent reason. Flowers are one of the oldest gestures of love and, I would argue the most universally effective gestures.

What I’m saying is we need to gift more flowers!

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The Myth of the Glossier Girl: Emily Weiss's Wedding Black Book

I firmly believe that we don’t talk enough about Emily Weiss’s, founder of Glossier and #girlboss, 2015 pre-wedding routine beauty article. In Into the Gloss, Glossier’s blog, Weiss detailed her six-month pre-wedding journey through beauty treatments that were basically the equivalent of poking and prodding her limbs, skin, wanted hair, unwanted hair, nails, muscles, lashes, brows, and digestive tract. Yes, the digestive tract, something I had no idea we were supposed to be insecure about. And according to her, it was a success. She wrote that day that she was a whole 8/10 happy with how she looked. She spent six months, and maybe the average annual American salary, on grueling beauty treatments for an 8/10. 8/10. Not even an A or a high B. An 8/10.  

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Initially, when I read it, I couldn’t pinpoint where I felt the discomfort. Was it my gen-Z ‘eat the rich sensibilities’ that were perturbed by her frivolous recommendations to spend what’s probably my tuition on beauty treatments? Or the practical side of me that highly doubts a colonic will flush out the toxins in your body and is also slightly worried about Weiss’s misleading medical advice? Or the mom friend in me that wishes influencers would stop feeding into toxic diet culture and endorsing detox cleanses? (I really wish I understood what it is with millennials and ‘detoxing’) Yes to all of these, but also, her 8/10 ranking will forever haunt me. 

Weiss built her brand as a CEO and her company, Glossier, on the idea that minimalism and the natural look can also be beautiful. Her products are easy to use, beautifully packaged, and celebrate dewy skin. Glossier’s Instagram is carefully curated with images of models and actors in ‘natural’ makeup. And in the ten minutes it took me to read this article, the idea of the Glossier girl finally cracked.

The same person who sells us on a brand whose entire ethos is based on minimalism is also trying to sell us on colonics, cleanses, and microcurrent treatments. And if you practice what she preaches, maybe one day you too can feel like an 8/10. The glossier girl doesn’t spend ten minutes applying skin tint with a wash of color and maybe a smokey eye and then goes out the door. The glossier girl apparently spends thousands of dollars to emulate a faux minimalist aesthetic to then only feel 80% good about herself.

And I cannot emphasize enough how profoundly disappointing this was for me. Glossier was the brand that pushed me to accept my skin with and without foundation. I fell in love with the idea of a ‘no-makeup’ makeup brand that focused on skincare. Emily Weiss changed the beauty industry forever and turned a beauty blog into a beauty empire through the magic of genius marketing. Glossier has revolutionized the beauty industry. Despite initial blunders, it has made a concerted effort to support social causes and increase the diversity of its models. It’s refreshing to see models in something that isn’t full glam, especially at the time Glossier was founded. With this in mind, it’s so disappointing to see its CEO, who was heralded as revolutionary to changing our relationship to beauty, parroting archaic cliches about ‘toxins’ and cleanses. So much of the beauty industry relies on triggering insecurities or creating whole new ones. We are told to hate ourselves because it sells juice cleanses, colonics, and a million other procedures or products for an ideal that no one will ever be able to reach. Even the brand that marketed themselves as different has fallen into this trap.

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But I believe that self-love can coexist with loving beauty. Beauty can be more than creating insecurities and trying to sell a solution. Beauty can be about care and love for yourself. It can be about the final moments in the day when you unwind or in the morning when you prepare yourself to take on the day. Self-love is profoundly radical when we are constantly told to hate ourselves, our digestive tract, and our bodies. And the brands which capitalize on self-hatred should begin to take note because one day, hopefully, they will be obsolete.

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Consider Becoming a ‘90s Heartthrob in Just One Step

Social distancing has people making drastic grooming decisions in order to reclaim a sliver of control over our lives. From turning to the (dye) bottle for a dramatic color change to shaving one’s head, in times like these nothing seems abnormal. I’d like to take this period of creative freedom and non-judgement to make the case for the return of a much maligned hairstyle: the “butt cut,” or hair curtains look. Named after the way the middle-parted hair in the front allegedly makes one’s head look like a butt, it is the evolutionary peak of the bowl cut’s lineage.

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Most ‘90s heartthrobs of the white male persuasion sported the look. One could go so far as to say that Nick Carter and Devon Sawa’s entire livelihoods rested on the scientific precision with which their hairdos were crafted. For reasons completely unknown to me, the curtains look is often put in the pantheon of hairstyle disasters alongside the mullet or frosted tips.

There are theories floating around that the curtains cut stems from the looks of the long haired princes of the Disney Renaissance like Aladdin and The Little Mermaid’s Eric, who represented the perfect storm of masculinity and sensitivity. Tighter than Kurt Cobain’s shaggy hair, looser than the perfectly groomed looks of Old Hollywood, with more layers than the close-cut bowl crop, this image of the perfect man was pervasive in the ‘90s. Waif-like pretty boy looks reigned supreme in pop culture. Young actors everywhere hinged their early careers on straddling that line between youthful sexuality and wise-beyond-their-years soulfulness.

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The look quickly evolved to cover all the ‘90s/noughties “it-boy” archetypes: Jared Leto had a slightly too-long cut in My So-Called Life, showing that he wasn’t like the other boys, but rather a cool and edgy outsider. Hugh Grant in Notting Hill sported a voluminous, deliberately disheveled head of hair, displaying his “quirky” sensibilities in contrast to the movie star he falls for. Matt Damon in The Talented Mr. Ripley had hair that was a little too coiffed in place, unlike the careful nonchalance required of the ideal curtains look, reflecting the try-hard insecurity of the titular character.

Like all ‘90s trends, curtains have been intermittently returning—but in the form of the longer or more voluminous looks.

If the loose curtain looks are en vogue now (see: Timothée Chalamet, Zayn Malik, Cole Sprouse), why is there still such disdain for its ancestral style? Do the softer cuts of today represent a newfound fluidity and freedom that the increasingly individualized nature of celebrity in the digital age affords young stars? Is there a Pavlovian association between youthful vapidity and tight cuts whereas the looser look is reflective of a more artsy and edgy aesthetic required of cool celebrities in 2020? Research questions just waiting to be taken up.

But in the meantime, a friendly suggestion: you’re stuck at home. No one is around to see if you mess it up. You’ve got bowls, you’ve got scissors, why not?

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The Rise of C-Beauty

Big cosmetics names like Estee Lauder and Dior have held places in the market for a long time and they don’t plan on moving out anytime soon. You’ll see them in any cosmetics section in the US without fail, but their online presence is not as nearly as strong as their staging at the front of every Sephora.

In China, however, you might not see some of the popular names on any shelves because they are digital-native brands; they use networks of influencers to sell their beauty products directly to consumers. With the growth of e-tailers like Alibaba, more and more of these Chinese brands like Hedone are popping up and gaining popularity because brand names are becoming less important to Chinese youth, who instead care about the opinions of celebrities (influencers), country of origin (a growing preference for domestic Chinese brands) and most of all, low prices.

““There’s a cultural difference between Western and Chinese digital-native brands””

These digital-native brands have little American competition to worry about because of price and the fact that it is difficult for American brands to even get their products into China in the first place. With fun, trendy marketing, a focus on effectiveness in things like skin lightening and acne, and low prices, these direct to consumer brands are taking off in China are showing no signs of slowing down in the future.

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Comeback of the Year: Gucci Beauty

Gucci’s Creative Director Alessandro Michele is no stranger to being unconventional and tastefully excessive, and Gucci Beauty is the epitome of both. Using models with smiles that would not conventionally be featured on makeup campaigns, Michele was able to address the issue of changing beauty standards in the fashion industry. Under the direction of English makeup artist Thomas de Kluyver as the brand’s Global Makeup Artist, the aesthetic for the relaunch of Gucci Beauty is completely unexpected. In keeping with Michele’s vision, Kluyver incorporated old-Hollywood glamour into the packaging. By incorporating lead singer of the Brooklyn-based punk band Surfbort, Dani Miller, into the makeup campaign, Gucci’s comeback into the makeup world is anything but ordinary.

Gucci originally launched its makeup collection in 2014. With ex-Creative Director Frida Giannini and famed makeup artist Pat McGrath behind the original collection, the full range of makeup products offered was approved by makeup artists around the world. However, the brand halted its makeup line in 2016, with brands like Glossier, Huda Beauty, and Too Faced swiftly filling in the space that Gucci Beauty had once filled in the makeup world.

However, with a lipstick launch encompassing 58 different shades, Gucci Beauty showed that it is back and better than ever. At $38 a pop, these lipsticks are priced relatively similar to other high fashion brands such as Chanel and Tom Ford. These lipsticks are exclusively available online for now, so check them out here!

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Feature image via artist @jodarte on Instagram. All other images via Gucci’s website.

Grace Beauty Is Opening Doors for All Makeup Lovers

Whether it be the small, swift strokes necessary to apply the right amount of mascara or the precision needed to flick out the perfect winged eyeliner, the steps that are a part of many people’s everyday makeup routines can be much more difficult to achieve for those living with physical disabilities.

This is where Grace Beauty comes in. The U.K.-based brand is offering three different attachments for mascara wands to ease application for persons with physical disabilities. These attachments include the Safe Grip and Ring Grip, which are pictured below.

At only $11 a grip, Grace Beauty is ensuring that all makeup lovers can easily access the necessary tools for application. On their website, their mission statement reads, “Anyone, regardless of ability, should be able to use any beauty product they want to.”

While this brand only offers three attachments currently, they are looking to expand to fulfill their objective of offering a better makeup experience for everyone.

With the emergence of a brand like Grace Beauty, it is refreshing to see startups and outsiders addressing the needs of a larger community that is often overlooked in the beauty industry. Their future launches and innovative products will be a model for future makeup brands to follow.

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All images via Grace Beauty’s Instagram. Feature image via Into the Gloss.

Hungry Yet?

New Year, New Me: a cliche tagline that has most people already nosediving straight back to their old habits by the second or third week of January. This new year, the penultimate year of what I believe is the worst presidency of all time, I pledged myself to sustainability and reducing makeup waste. In that vein, I officially put an embargo on all makeup products and am currently still very much clean. Fortunately for me, the newest releases aren’t really what I’d consider covetable. So I present to you: the Pizza Palette.

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Perhaps you’ve given up on junk food for the new year or just the month of January, but here’s another reason to keep your aversion to this “foodstuff.”

This palette seems to be the favorite child of Glamlite, a small online brand that is currently growing in popularity. Retailing for $40, the Pizza Palette boasts its cruelty-free, vegan, and allergy-tested status while also providing a unique space for artistry in the world of quite square and rectangle beauty products. Compared to a palettes around that price range (think Anastasia, HUDA Beauty, etc.), the Pizza Palette is marginally cheaper and lands a little massive on palette size. The palette contains 18 shadows, with shades that range from your normal warm-tone shades to absurdly green shades inspired by produce items that often don pizza orders.

I certainly applaud Glamlite for its attempt to appeal to the lackadaisical millennials who constantly mention their unending love for pizza and eyeshadow, but I’m not entirely sure the idea was so great in execution. Just by the looks of it, the color story is all over the place and seems a little too experimental for someone like me.

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Despite its questionable take on aesthetic boldness, many reviews of Glamlite’s palette fawn over this product’s intense pigmentation and impressive coverage, so it looks like the product is well worth the hype–even Jeffree Star has given this product his stamp of approval!

Will you be ordering this pizza?

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Glossier Drops a Reformulated Generation G–Is It Worth the Repurchase?

If there is one makeup item I cannot live without, whether I am late to my morning class or heading out for a nice dinner in the city, it’s my Generation G lipstick from Glossier. And when I heard that Glossier came out with a reformulated version of the original cult favorite product, I had to see how they could make this already amazing lipstick even better!

The redesign Gen G was prompted by complaints that the product’s existing packaging often cracked, making it easier for the cap to fall off and dry out the lipstick–or worse, get product all over the inside of your pocket/pencil case/makeup pouch! Gen G has also been reformulated to make it harder for the product to crack or fall out of the tube–a common problem with the older model.

While I was missing my family and wallowing in self-pity on Black Friday, I was immediately cured with the notification that my package had come in from Glossier. I immediately tore open my box and popped open my new Gen G lipstick.

The redesign is so sleek and compact–an effort on Glossier’s behalf to minimize the drying out of the product. It has such a luxurious essence; it feels like you’re not just putting on a tinted lip balm, but a special occasion lipstick. As for how it feels, it is just the same texture that we all know and love, but this time the actual bullet is chunkier for an easier, more effortless application.

For those who are not familiar with Gen G, it gives you that effortless, I woke up like this aesthetic. The buildable product has a matte yet moisturizing finish. If you’re just not feeling an ultra bold lip moment or makeup isn’t really you’re thing, Gen G is the perfect middle ground and allows you to determine just how much color you want to show and just how bold you want to be.

You will definitely catch me in the Quad using my new Gen G lipstick (in shade Crush) every single day until finals.

Use this code for 10% off your first online order! Happy shopping :)

All images via Glossier.

White Teeth... Are Out?

Help… the beauty industry is out of control!

The last time my teeth were a color besides any normal variation of off-white was when I decided to go to Cone Gourmet Ice Cream (which I totally recommend, check out their site and definitely go in person) and had their Cookie Monster ice cream. It was so worth the blue teeth, blue lips, and in general, the messy dye-debacle… but I don’t think I would ever voluntarily want my teeth to look any other color than white.

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Perhaps the vanity of our generation has been responsible for plastering perfect white teeth all over media. There are beauty pens that bleach your teeth white, the outlandish claims for fool-proof whitening tooth paste and mouthwash, and even those pricey mouthpieces that influencers flood your feed with. In a way, any other tooth color besides white has been stigmatized. At the same time, who really cares?

Even so, I was still so shook but I saw Chrom’s Toothpolish release.

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I know. You’re probably thinking, what even is Toothpolish?

The answer to that question is it’s essentially nail polish… but for your teeth.

Yes! Throw away these vapid standards of beauty! wE aRe HeRe FoR iT! (For the record: I am not here for it.)

Chrom, a company I have literally never heard of in my life, seems to be a new (maybe not even up-and-coming consider this heinous antic) brand that wants you to think outside their box. Chrom’s mission statement claims:

LET US INTRODUCE YOU TO 32 LITTLE BLANK CANVASES.

Who said pearly whites had to be white? CHRŌM is a tooth polish, just like nail polish, that can be applied and removed in a matter of seconds, and lasts for up to 24 hours at a time. It doesn’t smudge when you're eating and has no taste, so it won’t mess up your brunch plans. We’ve got lots of different colors and we want you to experiment, so don’t be afraid to mix-and-match. After all, makeup isn’t for fitting in, it’s for standing out.

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With 10 current shades out, Chrom wants you to “SMILE WILD.” I’m glad that the claims say that the polish won’t smudge and has no taste, but I have never been more unsure about a product. I already have enough issues with chipped nail polish. How ridiculous can I look with chipped tooth polish? It’s also a little scary that it can last for 24 hours.

I guess I can appreciate the concept and theory behind the product. Makeup should be used to express yourself and explore all types of art and standing out. But when does it go too far? Is there even a too far?

My concern, for one, is the safety of the product. It’s so new, and I am certainly not brave enough to try it out or pull off a look that resembles 2008 Fundip teeth. While I know I for sure will not be trying this product, I’m curious to hear your takes!

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An Out of This World Collection

Despite the beauty community constantly being up in flames from controversial releases, copyright-questionable mimicking, and general criticisms from the endemic racial insensitivity from influencers and brands alike, Jeffree Star seems to be the one brand and influencer withstanding it all.

His releases of Blood Sugar and Thirsty were as successful as could be, both selling out before I could get my hands on them. And on November 9th, he debuted a highly-anticipated collection: Alien.

As seen below, the concept is absolutely cool and really sticks itself out from the many unicorn, fairy, and cutesy-themed releases.

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The collection itself is a colorful, space-inspired one containing lip scrubs, bullet lipstick, some liquid lips, and a palette. Of course, the packaging takes things to another level, breaking away from the regular rectangular palette shape. Jeffree opted for an alien-head shape (and Estee Laundry, of course, gave him a call out, as it resembles a palette from Hot Topic).

The palette comes with 18 shades, with metallics, mattes, and a color story that beats the boredom of the constant warm-brown nude palettes that are flooding Sephora. The palette retails for $52 and has the same reliable formula of his former palettes. The glittery shades have a duo-chrome shift, which will for sure step up your makeup game.

I’m mostly excited for the lip scrubs, which Jeffree Star Cosmetics has won my heart over. His lip scrubs smell and taste true to their names, and he with this new release he is introducing new lip scrubs such as pumpkin pie and eggnog. It’s the perfect stocking stuffer if you’re looking to holiday gift shop early!

I purchased two products from this line and am currently loving them. The Salted Caramel lip scrub and the liquid lip in “Jeffree Who?” are my most recent obsessions. Both are the highest quality products I’ve used in a while, bold and unique, finally breaking away from my inveterate loyalty to Glossier.

I’d recommend Jeffree’s release video to really get yourself hyped for this collection.

You can purchase this collection on his website or on Beautylish.

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This Week in Absurd Beauty Products: Whitenicious x Blac Chyna

Maybe the court of public opinion is being too hard on former model/stripper/reality star/social media influencer/makeup brand owner/party planner Blac Chyna. Maybe she hasn’t run out of things to monetize and isn’t now looking to make bank on the insecurities and the discrimination of dark skinned women. Maybe the cream is, as she claims, solely to help with dark spots and hyper-pigmentation!

Such defenses would be more believable if she wasn’t partnering with a brand whose name is practically too on the nose to be true: ‘Whitenicious’–the most direct synonym for ‘fetishization of whiteness’ I've ever heard.

Blac Chyna is releasing a new “beauty” product marketed as a luxurious "illuminating and brightening cream," infused with Swarovski crystals and selling at $250. She’s partnered with a company owned by Cameroonian singer Dencia that is known for their skin lightening creams. Dencia herself has received major criticism for years on account of the European beauty standards that are often used to market and sell her products. Blac Chyna received immediate backlash over the collaboration and the cream’s alleged purpose to lighten the complexions of women of color, mainly black women.

Chyna is headed to Nigeria to promote the cream, posting on her Instagram:

Lagos Nigeria, join me at the first official launch of my face cream this Sunday November 25th at the Whitenicious store from 1-5PM. Everyone is invited. @whitenicious

4,296 Likes, 3 Comments - Blac Chyna (@blacchyna) on Instagram: "Lagos Nigeria, join me at the first official launch of my face cream this Sunday November 25th..."

“The debate over skin lightening versus brightening versus bleaching is a long and storied one within the black community, rooted in the even deeper issue of colorism.”

Her “lighter is better” tour opening in Nigeria doesn’t help her case, as the World Health Organization reports that Nigeria has the highest proportion of women using skin lightening in the world. Approximately 77% of women in Nigeria use such products.

The debate over skin lightening versus brightening versus bleaching is a long and storied one within the black community, rooted in the even deeper issue of colorism. Colorism is a status system in which people of color, historically black women, are valued more if they have lighter skin over those with darker skin. This socially conditioned hierarchy has led many dark skinned women to seek skin lightening treatments in order to attain light skinned privilege.

A high profile black woman such as Blac Chyna endorsing a product that directly challenges the beauty and validity of dark skinned women is deeply disturbing. It preys on societally reinforced insecurities to sell an insanely overpriced product.

And come on, no one could think of a name that would be less of a PR disaster than “Whitenicious”?!

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Beauty Brand Review: beautyblender Bounce Foundation

💗 #REVEALED!! 🚨Here is everything u need to know....@beautyblender NEW#BOUNCE - Liquid Whip Long Wear #FOUNDATION In 32 shades 🙌🏻🙌🏼🙌🏽🙌🏾🙌🏿 . Has a Velveteen matte finish, 24 Hour Wear $40 Each . . . Will be available ➡️ JULY 24TH on their website + @sephora ( waiting list starts tomorrow) . . Also July 25-26 there will be a #popup shop in NYC 10am -8pm 10 AM - 8 PM This is the only place where you can get the limited edition 32 blenders that match each shade 🙀💸 . . . I can’t wait!!!!! To try it. The packaging is beautiful!!!!! 😍 Who is ready to try Bounce ?🙋🏼‍♀️ XO #TRENDMOOD #beautyblender #makeupoftheday #motd #makeupoftheday #mua #ilovemakeup #makeup #makeupaddict #makeuplover #makeupblogger #makeuponpoint #onpoint #makeuplook #makeuplove #makeuptalk #makeuptutorial #makeuplover #makeupaddict #makeupaddiction #makeupdolls #onpoint #onfleek

A post shared by TRENDMOOD (@trendmood1) on Jul 18, 2018 at 8:12am PDT

Sometimes you should stick to what you're good at. And in this case, the news that beautyblender was coming out with a foundation had me thinking, "keep making your overpriced egg-shaped sponges that I will keep buying every three months because personal hygiene will be my excuse to feed into consumerism."

Of course, this reaction came warranted, as beautyblender teased the foundation through Trendmood with a picture showing a confusing shade range. You'd think after the Tarte Shape Tape foundation disaster that people would learn... but they really don't.

Here's the rundown: it's called Bounce Liquid Whip Long Wear foundation, is currently available on Sephora, and retails for $40 for a fluid ounce of product. Thankfully, we don't have to be worried about the strange shade names, since beautyblender opted for a number system that strangely minds me of GPAs.

As shown above, there's 32 shades including a whole lotta vanilla and for some reason, a literal orange shade. The CEO of beautyblender spoke out and says she intended on making an inclusive shade range for medium skin tones, as those are often ignored.

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If anything, the few special features of the beautyblender Bounce foundation is its packaging, including a blending reservoir on the back of the foundation resembling a beauty blender.

My experience with the foundation isn't super special. The foundation performs well, though I wouldn't choose it over my new favorites–Fenty and Laura Mercier. I would say it is long-wear, full-coverage, and everything else you want in a foundation, but is this something I want to support? I'm not sure. Inclusivity in the makeup industry doesn't seem to be improving. What do you think?

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Blogger Beauty Routines: Alanna

Curious about a new beauty product on the market or looking to switch up your skincare game? Welcome to our Blogger Beauty Routines series, where our writers take you through their skincare, beauty and haircare regimes and talk favorite products, tips and tricks.

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Skincare

I start my mornings off by receiving my usual morning face cleansing from my dog. Afterwards, I wash my face with CeraVe's Foaming Facial Cleanser and lukewarm water. I have combination skin, and this cleanser doesn't strip away my moisture barrier while also getting rid of any gunk I've accumulated on my face overnight. 

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I pat dry my face and use Milk Makeup's new Watermelon Brightening Serum. Unfortunately, it doesn't actually smell like watermelons but I use this product both in the morning and at night. The stick shape is really convenient and quick to use, and it gives a quick moisture boost to my skin. For SPF protection, I use Neutrogena's Daily Moisturizer with SPF 50. 

At night, my routine is slightly more intense. I use DHC's Deep Cleansing Oil which removes any makeup from my face, and acts as a very gentle daily cleanser. I also use my CeraVe cleanser afterwards for a more thorough cleaning. Afterwards, I use Sunday Riley's C.E.O. Rapid Flash Brightening Serum, which I got from an Allure Beauty Box a few months ago. My skin has been flourishing with it, and a most of my hyper-pigmentation has faded with the serum's help.

Once a week I use The Ordinary's AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution to get slough off whatever my face has accumulated over the week. This definitely has evened out my face's skin tone and texture, which has suffered through years of stress acne. 

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For moisturizer, I use CereVe's Moisturizing Cream. My skin is super reactive to fragrances, so keeping it simple is key for me. I usually wake up with hives on my face if I use anything else, so you'd have to pry this cream out of my cold, dead hands. 

 

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Makeup

Depending on how busy I'll be, I switch between two base products. I prime with Touch in Sol's No Poreblem Primer. The texture is liquid and spreads easily, and fills in all my giant pores, which is what I look for in a primer. Usually I grab my 3CE Fitting Cushion Foundation. I absolutely love how it evens out my entire face to a dewy, flawless finish, eliminating any additional texture my primer can't solve. It can build up to a very high-coverage, so it's good for bad skin days. I set my nose with Laura Mercier's Loose Setting Powder.

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I dab on some of Milk Makeup's Holographic Stick in Stardust for blush. It's a really pretty pearly, iridescent pink that I love using all over my face, which is great for a lazy day or if I want to do a monochrome look. Since it's iridescent I usually also use it as my highlighter, but if I feel like blinding people with my cheekbones, I stick with Becca's Pressed Highlighter in Opal. 

For my eyes, I rotate between an embarrassingly large amount of neutral palettes (I swatched them all and realized I essentially own 60 shades of brown, please don't judge me). Right now, I've been making a small indent in my Kat Von D Shade + Light Contour Palette. It's the perfect blend of matte neutrals for me, and I also use the middle contour shade as eyeliner using a thin brush. 

No day can begin without brows, and I use NYX's Precision Brow Pencil for them. I prefer NYX's pencil over Anastasia's since products look the same on me but the NYX pencil is less than half the price.

On my lips I use Etude House's Dear Darling Tint in a pinky shade. I lick my lips a lot throughout the day, so tints are the only thing that survive throughout the day. 

I set my face with Urban Decay's All Nighter Setting Spray at the end to bring back some moisture the powders took from my face. 

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Haircare

I like using Living Proof's Perfect Hair Day Shampoo and Conditioner. Naturally my hair is pretty wavy and frizzy, and after many years of testing and many bad hair days I've settled on this brand. My hair requires a lot of moisture, so I finish off my hair with OGX's Argan Oil of Morocco Weightless Healing Dry Oil. Beyond that and the occasional blast of Batiste Dry Shampoo, I let my locks have free reign. I've decided not to fight it on whatever hair shape of the day it wants to be. 

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Fragrance

At the end of my entire morning routine, I spritz a cloud of Hermès' Un Jardin sur le Toit, and walk into it whilst pretending to be classy. It has a wonderful fresh scent, floral and fruity just like the garden it's supposed to describe. I also love citrus scents, so I'm hoping to add a full-sized version of Commodity's Mimosa at some point as well. 

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Beauty Brand Review: Karl Lagerfeld x MODELCO

I'm screaming in excitement through my words because there are few things in this world that I cherish more than makeup and Karl Lagerfeld. Naturally, when I found out that Karl was releasing a makeup line in collaboration with Australian brand MODELCO, I lost my shit for a lack of a better term. The collection was released this week, and for some reason, I ended up in Nordstorm and copped half the collection. Wallet, I'm not even sorry.

So around three times as much money I spend from a regular Sephora trip later, I have a lot to say. First of which... 

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The Packaging!!!

Let's be real. Most of the selling point for higher-end brandname makeup is the packaging. No one actually buys Louboutin makeup because it's good. It sucks, but at least it's pretty. 

Karl and ModelCo absolutely killed it on the packaging. It's sleek, cute, and feels and looks expensive. Everything about it screams classic Karl and fun. It explains why it caught my eye so definitively. The Choupette palette with the cat is definitely going to be one of the biggest eye-catching pieces in my collection for a while.

THE BRUSHES

This collab absolutely nailed the brush set. With five brushes in the set as well as a separate collector's kabuki brush, all your face brush needs are covered. The set includes a powder, blush, blending, shadow, and smudge brush.

At the top (or bottom, depending on how you see it) of each brush is a small figurine of Karl's head. It resonates the cool, carefree vibe of the brand. The sleek silver brush comes with a soft tipped black haired end. The texture of the brush hairs are very soft yet dense. They work wonders with blending too. I'd say one of the biggest issues I usually run into when using brushes would be fallout, but these brushes hold product very well and are easy to use for all face products, so even beginners will love this set. The set retails for $54, which is such a reasonable price. 

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The kabuki brush doesn't come with a longer brush body, but works just well as the ones in the set. If you're looking to invest in a good brush set, this is definitely the one to go for. Certainly no failure like Kylie's brush set. This retails for $26.

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The only disappointment? 

Yes, there was one setback to the collection, but I'm not even surprised or mad about it. Like I mentioned earlier, when you're investing in designer makeup where the brand is much better known for being prominent in leather goods or clothing, you're not going to get a Natasha Denona or La Mer quality product for everything. I'm honestly so shocked this collection is as good as it is. 

My only problem I ran into was with the eyeshadow palette, which had tiny pans for the shadows and not that great of pigmentation. I'm more than certain that a good primer or some MAC Fix+ will be able to salvage the pigmentation. 

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The palette comes in two varieties, one being smoky and the other one being warm. I opted with warm, just because it has a lot more shades that I'll use on a regular basis.

Besides the smaller than expected pans and pigmentation, I'm actually really happy with this palette. The colors are beautiful and blend well.

The collection is available here online as well as department stores. Get it now!

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Glossier Is Coming to Chi-Town!

Chicago: we're coming to town this summer!

A post shared by Glossier (@glossier) on Jun 25, 2018 at 7:04am PDT

We know you guys are suckers for any and all things related to Glossier and it just so happens to be one of our go-to beauty brands–just check out one of our many product reviews!

As of this summer, the wait is over for Chicago-based Glossier fans to get an in-person experience of the brand. The company announced over Instagram that it's planning a pop-up in the city this summer. Subscribe to this link for the latest updates!

In the mean time, use this code for 10% off your first online order! Happy shopping :)

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Beauty Brand Review: Fenty Beauty's Match Stix

Ever since Colourpop discontinued their contour sticks and my personal ban against Tarte after its shade range debacle, I've been struggling to find new contour products as well as some sort of concealer to rival Shape Tape. I've been using the drugstore brand Profusion powder contour, but I know I wanted something more. It took me a while (and a lot of self control) to convince myself to invest in new makeup just because I don't want to keep hoarding, but now that I've tried Fenty Beauty's products... I'm here for it.

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Last week, I purchased two Fenty Beauty Match Stix, which can act as highlight, concealer, and contour. These products come in twenty shades ranging from light and dark tones to peachy pink tones. You know Rihanna doesn't play around when it comes to shade range.

The product itself looks a lot like a hybrid between KKW Beauty packaging and Colourpop's stick concealer. The packaging is a little light, which makes it look a little cheaper. However, as an ensemble, the products come together to look a little like a honeycomb. That's pretty neat.

In terms of product quality, it reminds me a lot of the Tarte Face Slenderizer but with more of a dense texture and product rigidity. The product itself has a seemingly high glitter content, so if you're not about shine and want a more matte look, this might not be the product for you.

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The product blends out easily with a damp beauty blender and applies seemlessly. The rigid nature of the crayon-like applicator gives you a lot of control and is generally forgiving for those who might not be familiar with contouring.

The product retails for $25 each. I'd say overall the product rates about a 4.5/5. I haven't run into many issues with it at all. It has longwear power and just the amount of shine you want. 

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Fight Against Trump's Tyranny with Liquid Lipstick

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Anyone that knows me well knows that I love a good liquid lipstick and that there's nothing that gets me going more than some pure advocacy and fighting for something. And when it comes to my unending personal vendetta against Trump? Don't even get me started. So when I was gifted this fine little bottle of lipstick for my birthday, I was more than happy and more than impressed.

With cute Andy Warhol-esque packaging and a surely agreeable message, Lipslut's F*ck Trump matte liquid lip is more than just a perfect addition to a lip collection. It's pretty, but with a cause.

Here's a rundown of what I think about the product.

Stacks on stacks 💄

A post shared by Lipslut Cosmetics (@hello.lipslut) on Mar 7, 2018 at 2:49pm PST

First off, it's cruelty free and vegan, which makes it more admirable than a lot of products and big name brands out there.

In terms of quality? 8/10.

It feels a lot like a Colourpop liquid lip, with good consistency and pigmentation. The product seems to currently only come in one color, but the shade seems pretty universal. It's a darker reddish-pink and stays on for hours. I could potentially see the product having issues with drying out, but it's not something too serious. Basically, it's a solid makeup product. It also retails for $19.95, so it's not crazy expensive either.

But what makes it even more special (besides the rage it will add to my daily makeup routine) is what is stands for. Lipslut, the company behind this beauty, claims the following:

50% of all earnings from F*ck Trump go towards helping a civil rights organization targeted by the Trump administration. This organization is to be chosen by the people, as with every lipstick purchased comes an opportunity to vote.  

50% towards charity, 100% against tyranny. 

Finally, a lipstick as bold as you. 

Now shipping immediately! 💋

A post shared by Lipslut Cosmetics (@hello.lipslut) on Feb 7, 2018 at 9:54am PST

This is something I can definitely get behind.

Lipslut's website currently only holds two lip products - F*ck Hollywood being the other. The earnings from that product go towards groups that are working to help anti-sexual assault organizations. As the website says, we're tired of lip-service for social change. 

Check out Lipslut's Instagram and shop Lipslut here!!!

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How Tati Disappointed Her Following

If you're not big into YouTube beauty bloggers, you may have never heard of Tati Westbrook. But if you had, you know that the mother of makeup reviews is known for her honest reviews and exciting weekly uploads.

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The much anticipated launch of Tati Westbrook's brand in the beginning of March was met with a less than anti-climactic release of not makeup, not skincare, but vitamins.

That's right... vitamins.

Of course, many of her followers remained optimistic about the slightly expensive vitamins. On the other hand, anxious and excited groups were utterly shocked that Tati was releasing what seemed to be another gimmicky SugarBearHair type of product.

The majority of the disappointed reactions were rooted in uncertainty about the actual effect of the vitamins. The product is not FDA approved - though the lab they are produced in meet FDA regulations - and have no solid evidence that confirm their actual benefits. Tati repeatedly claims that it clinically proven that this vitamin works... but what does that even mean?

Here are some claims of the beneficial results of the vitamins.

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My personal reaction was that of confusion, especially considering that if I wanted stronger nails, better skin, and longer hair, I would just let Mother Time take over as I pretend that water is the all-kill silver bullet for all my problems. Personally, I think $39.95 for a month for vitamins seems a little off, even for me, who loves to binge on lots of unnecessary beauty products. You can buy a high-quality foundation and several concealers for the same price, but maybe I should move away from associating Tati with just makeup.

Especially in this age where people are skeptical of gimmicky products, a person who has established a reputation of being truthful and reliable is taking a huge risk when releasing a product that could easily be looped into that family of strange vitamins with large claims and little effect. I hope to see something else from Tati. I was genuinely excited for her launch, but this simply wasn't it.

I'll give it to Tati, though. The packaging is pretty and I'm sure that the longer her brand is around, she will more than likely release amazing products. It's an incredibly inclusive brand so far for those that may encounter ingredient barriers; the vitamins are sugar, soy, preservative, paraben, and gluten free! It's also vegan.

Some unexpected effects, however, began to emerge as people scoured the ingredients and potential side effects. If you're on birth control, maybe be wary about choosing to use this product, since it contains palmetto, which can reduce the efficacy of birth control pills.

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How to Solve All Your Skincare Woes

Candice Swanepoel's Biotherm campaign might just be the ultimate skincare dream come to life. All opinions listed below are based on my personal experience with skincare, years of online research, experimentation, minor selective perception and regularly seeing a dermatologist. Having to work with very sensitive, acne-prone and combination skin, I've somehow always managed to clear up my skin after a couple months work. I find that the following four simple points would apply to every skin type.

Keep your routine simple. Despite the number of exceedingly insistent advertising campaigns, you really don't need to buy that five product skincare pack from Clinique. Ultimately, all anyone needs is a cleanser and a moisturizer. An exception might be a third heavy-duty drying product for partial applications solely targeting acne-prone areas. The goal before going to bed is to make sure that your face is well moisturized, and clean of all the dirt and oil accumulated during the day. It's also important to be flexible. During winter, you'll have to reach for your moisturizer more often, and some mornings you might need to skip cleanser to avoid exhausting your skin. It's best to avoid the mainstream and over-commercialized products as much as possible (i.e. the Neutrogenas, Garniers and L'Oreals of the world), and splurge a little on brands that are approved by medical professionals. When you're merely looking to build a routine and are not working with a medical doctor, instead of paying for a professional opinion, spend some time researching online.

Be gentle with your skin. When washing your face or applying a certain product, be careful not to rub too hard, especially if you have very sensitive skin. You'll easily notice that the product won't lose its effect if you apply it more gently anyways, and you won't have to worry about your skin looking too red in the morning, hence successfully avoiding applying a lot of unnecessary makeup to cover the redness. Similarly, make sure your products are fragrance-free, light and not too thick, as some of the thicker products mostly clog pores and cause unwanted skin damage. Paying close attention to the chemicals included in such products can be extremely helpful in this case. My go-to online resource is /r/skincareaddiction. In addition to many weekly testimony threads, the FAQ listed on this subreddit provides great information about a number of common chemicals.

Know when you need medical assistance. Sometimes piling up a plethora of products or listening to your friends and family's self-assured advice will simply not be enough for your skin to start clearing up. If your skincare efforts have proven to be futile and you are left with incurable acne, overly dry or oily skin, you are in need of professional counsel and perhaps even a strong medication such as Accutane. Remember that these people did not attend med school for nothing, and pick a dermatologist preferably based on a recommendation.

Nutrition (sorry). A fact universally acknowledged, for the enhancement of any body part and basically for an overall healthier life, a balanced diet is a must. Fortunately, thanks to the aesthetic offerings of Instagram acai bowls and obsessive-compulsive fitness gurus, it's easy to love nutrition nowadays. It might take a while to adapt to a new diet that best suits the unique composition of your body, but it's definitely worth the effort once this new lifestyle becomes a habit.

Some concluding remarks. Everyone's skin type is based on their genetics. Yes, you might have had to battle acne for years, but your sister probably had to revert to Accutane, and your mom struggled a lot with it, too. Maybe your friend has never had more than one pimple in her life, but has to put up with overly dry skin. Advice is great, but regularly applying one or two quality products and observing the effects on your skin will always be the most effective. I've found that keeping things as simple as possible, and making conscious decisions will not only uplift your mood knowing that you're taking care of your body, but also remedy any skincare issues you might be having. 

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