December 13, 2012
I wasn’t even really looking for my next great product. I had just ordered a bunch of samples from Spirit Beauty Lounge and so I thought I was good on the beauty front for a long time. But sometimes, when you aren’t looking or expecting anything, you find the one.
I stumbled upon Vapour Organic Beauty‘s Atmosphere Luminous Foundation while getting a blowout at my favorite organic salon – James Corbett Studios. I always find it such a treat to visit JCS because of their extensive natural beauty collection; I’m always a little too excited to play around with their products while I wait. Luckily, playtime paid off big time – hands down, this is the best foundation I have ever used, clean or not-so-clean.
I know that is a pretty bold statement but I literally haven’t had any complaints with it in the month I’ve been using it. It is ridiculously easy to apply, just quickly swipe across your face a few times, rub in and you’re done! Sometimes I can’t even tell if I’ve rubbed it in completely because it literally melts into my skin. Instead of leaving a slight dullness that is usually a foundation giveaway, my skin looks super dewy and fresh. It is so seamless that I often forget I’m wearing foundation whenever I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror throughout the day.
Once I realize I am actually wearing foundation, I’m always pleasantly surprised by its staying power. Thus far, the clean beauty products that I’ve used haven’t always had the best longevity. But they give me so much peace of mind that I really don’t mind another reapplication during the day. With this foundation, I don’t have to worry about reapplying at all – a single application usually lasts me approximately 8-9 hours.
As a caveat, for those of you with more oily / combination complexions, I might try a sample of this foundation out first before committing to a full size. I suspect the dewiness that it gives my skin (normal to normal dry in the winter), runs the risk of generating too much shine for your skin type. Fortunately, Vapour has another foundation that is recommended for oilier skins: Atmosphere Soft Focus Foundation.
Available at Spirit Beauty Lounge.
Categorized Beauty
Tagged Atmosphere Luminous Foundation, foundation, James Corbett Studios, Makeup, Spirit Beauty Lounge, Tester Thursdays, Vapour Organics
December 10, 2012
Of all the confusing things to shop for, I find buying eggs to be near or at the top of my Most Confusing Labels list. Walk into any grocery store and you’ll see eggs labeled with things like “vegetarian feed only” or “cage free.” Do these things even matter? Most of the time, no. Because of all the marketing gimmicks, I usually I prefer to buy my eggs from the local farmers’ market so I can get the low down from the farmers themselves on how they are treating and raising their chickens. Unfortunately I can’t always make it so I do find myself standing in the egg aisle for way too long trying to figure out what I should be buying. While I’m still navigating the world of egg labels myself, these are a few tips I’ve learned thus far about what matters and what really, really doesn’t when it comes to buying (organic) eggs:
Categorized Nutrition
Tagged Eggs, Ingredients, Labels, Pastured Eggs, Soy Free, Vegetarian Feed
December 6, 2012
If your hands, feet, elbows, or [insert body part here] are not happy with you right now, I feel your pain. Colder temperatures generally result in a never ending blast of dry air on your skin from overly aggressive indoor heating. I think we’ve all heard and tried the glove / sock trick – you know, the one where you slather your hands and feet in lotion and sit motionless while you let your skin marinate in gloves or socks. I don’t know about you, but even for someone as beauty obsessed as me, I just don’t have the patience to do that every night. So what now? Just give up and learn to live with flaky or crackly hands and feet? I don’t think so.
Enter Weleda’s cult favorite: Skin Food. Come November, I always have this cream in my bag. It actually attains lip balm status, which is a pretty meaningful commitment – for me, at least. But I have very good reason to go into panic mode when I realize that I didn’t stash any Skin Food in my purse when I made the switch from work tote to cocktail clutch – it never fails me. Skin Food is extremely rich yet my skin absorbs it super quickly, so I don’t have to avoid my phone or keyboard because I’m too scared to cover them in grease. I also love the decidedly unisex, herbal scent – so feel free to share this with the men in your life. You know, the macho types who usually avoid hand creams to avoid smelling “like a girl” for less than 30 seconds (someone please remind me why that is the worst thing in the world?). At 2.5 ounces, it doesn’t sound like it will last you very long, but when you are using a dime size at time, it lasts forever and ever.
Another reason for crackly hands? Frequent hand washing and overuse of hand sanitizer. No, I’m not recommending anyone forgo cleanliness for the sake of soft hands, but instead focus on finding other sanitizers that won’t make your skin even more parched than it already is. For a more moisturizing option, I’ve found myself turning to the Honest Company’s Hand Sanitizer. For a hand sanitizer, it is surprisingly rich and also does its job – keeping you germ free. Not to encourage anyone with OCD (me), but feel free to use it as many times as you want throughout the day. I have a big bottle for my desk and smaller bottles in my gym bag and purses. Suffice to say, I never want to be without it.
Categorized Beauty
Tagged Hand Cream, Hand Sanitizer, Honest Company, Skin Food, Weleda
