All posts filed under: Miscellaneous

Sulfate-Free Shampoo

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I know it’s not the most exciting topic, but I think I’ve spoken about scalp problems before, and to be honest, the only thing that really helped me get rid of them were sulfate-free shampoos. I used to not really pay much attention to hair products, as long as I liked how they smelled, but when I started getting really itchy build-up with worrisome patches of dry, flaky skin, I started to take notice. My first step was to ditch conditioner, just to eliminate the number of products (and therefore, lessen the build-up) I used in my hair. My hair suffered a little, but my main concern was really to get rid of my scalp issues. My next step was to go more natural and pay attention to ingredients. I chose to eliminate SLS or sodium lauryl sulfate, as it’s a common ingredient that has been known to cause some problems for a lot of people. As it turns out, seeking out sulfate-free shampoos was the right step for me. Although I still have occasional …

Updated Skin Care Routine, December 2015

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Okay, I’m about to look like a crazy, and honestly, you don’t need this much shit in your life, probably. I started getting into skin care when I started getting into makeup. My skin wasn’t doing worse necessarily, but I was made more acutely aware of what my skin type was and what it needed. I’ve mainly had pretty good skin for most of my life. I had like a disgusting rash on my cheek in grade 5, but other than that, no acne or very much breakouts except for hormonal ones like when I get my period. My skin got a little more high maintenance as I grew older, though. I honestly used to just let the water run down my face in the shower (lol), didn’t even use soap or any kind of moisturizer. But I think that wearing makeup and probably the stress of like adult life or whatever took a toll. I can’t really say for sure. All I know is that I want to take care of my skin, and …

Coming Out of the Woodwork (plus, a giveaway)

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Before I discovered rings and lapel pins, my main accessories of choice were necklaces and some kind of wristwatch. I love how watches look, especially if they’re either a touch masculine or somewhat minimal. I’ve mainly been wearing a simple watch with a white face, tortoiseshell frame and leather strap from AÃRK Collective for the past few months, but I received a cute watch from JORD a few months ago. JORD creates unique wood watches, with sustainability, efficiency, and experiential living in mind. Their website is pretty cool, too, where they share a lot of information about their watches, in case you’d like to get into the nitty gritty of the types of wood, movements, and glass they use to craft their watches. I currently have the JORD Ely in Green Sandalwood and Maple* which was named after a bunch of historic brick buildings in St. Louis called the Ely Walker Warehouse. I love the sort of patina-toned stain on my wood watch, although of course it’s not a stain, but a natural coloring. It’s …

My Newest Concealer Trick

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This is such a simple thing that I don’t even know if it warrants a whole post, but let me indulge. Because it works really well. I’m not a full coverage foundation person. I don’t even know if I’m a medium coverage foundation person most days. I’ve been really liking spreading a thin layer of foundation or, more often, reverting to my Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint—a product notorious for “pointless” coverage. After using up my much-loved NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer, I decided to dig through my stash and attempt at using up the concealers I do have instead of repurchasing. I’ve been using the Ellis Faas Concealer* which is another favorite formula, but I came across the Le Métier de Beauté Peau Vierge Correcteur, which I’ve inexplicably stashed away after a love affair with the NARS RCC. So, this concealer is amazing and pigmented, but it doesn’t go on as well as the NARS RCC, which has great pigmentation and enough slip to it that it doesn’t look cake-y, ever. I’ve never managed to perfect …

Scrub the Day Away

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I don’t remember the last time I’ve exclusively used bath soap, favoring shower gels and meshy bath sponges in the last couple of years. As such, I have an extensive array of shower gels (another story for another day). Washing away grime doesn’t feel quite complete without a little bit of exfoliation, either. I received the Keekai Charcoal Sponge* in the mail a few weeks ago. I thought it would replace my regular mesh bath sponge, but it doesn’t give the same kind of cleansing grit that I like, so I use it after my normal/regular cleansing. If you don’t like too-rough exfoliation, this might be perfect for you. The charcoal sponge can be used alone or with your cleanser, as it’s a little hard to completely rinse away the cleanser from the sponge. It’s gentle enough to use for the face, too (though I haven’t used it back on my face after using it on my body). The charcoal sponge is great to massage the skin to stimulate blood flow. (Activated) charcoal is also …

Burt’s Bees Holiday 2015 Sets

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My go-to gifts for people whose wishlists I’m not privy to are books and holiday sets. I’m such a sucker for these, so imagine my delight when I came home to a bunch of Burt’s Bees Holiday Sets for 2015*. These didn’t come with any PR information, so I don’t even think they were expecting me to post anything—i.e. this post may or may not be helpful—but like I said. I’m a sucker for efficiency and gift sets—especially when they come so cutely packaged! Beeswax Lip Balm and Moisturizing Lip Balm in Wild Cherry The beeswax lip balm (Php 325) is perhaps what Burt’s Bees is most well-known for. I’m a fan of these myself, as are the rest of my family, even my brother who is kind of wary of most “beauty” products. Everyone could use a bit of lip balm, though, right? The beeswax lip balm comes in a tin, too, which contains more product, but although this incarnation is not as physically appealing, I do prefer not having to dip my fingers …

Softly Sometimes and the Holy Grail: October 2015 Update

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It’s been a while since my last Holy Grail post (July 2013). Although the point of a Holy Grail list is finding the best products for you—which means there shouldn’t be another Holy Grail list—I think I’ve found and whittled down my own list to reflect my very best finds. There are some categories that lack a product, but that just means that I a) like to play around when it comes to that part of my makeup, b) don’t wear it all that much (e.g. mascara), c) have many favorites, but no ULTIMATE. About Base Primer — always and forever the Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer. I’ve tried a shit ton and while I enjoy them all, this is my favorite, go-to, most reliable one. Bases — for foundation, my favorite is the Ellis Faas Skin Veil* which I have in S104L. I think it makes me skin look great, but I rarely wear it to the office because I prefer a lighter base for stress-heavy days. That’s where the Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint comes …