Face of Christmas Day

I hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas Holiday! I spent mine with lots of family all day and it was lovely. Since things got started really early in the morning I kept my morning face pretty easy. 

I used foundation and concealer and then followed it with Tarte Blush in Stellar. It's my go to blush for a nude/pink blush. Then I just applied a wash of Modern Minerals eyeshadow in Uma. It's a nice champagne color with a good bit of sparkle thrown in. Of course I followed with a ton of mascara. I'm using up my Bare Minerals sample I've got but not sure what I'll use when it's out. 

Later that night we headed to a family party and I broke out the smoky eye using my Jane Iredale Mystikol in Smoky Quartz. Then I popped on a not quite nude lip with Bite Beauty's Musk lip cream and was finished. I really don't like the name of that lipstick, but I love the color so I'll survive. 

By the way if you're looking for great lipsticks with an amazing selection of reds check out Bite Beauty. 

Jane Iredale Pencil Eyeliners

Jane Iredale pencil eyeliners are some of my favorite natural liners that I've come across as a makeup artist. They're super smooth and creamy, come in a great range of basic shades and have great durability. Creamy pencils are a must for me as I hate pencils that feel like you're stabbing your eye (then again no one should like that right?). Now these aren't the best for the waterline as far as longevity but they are comfortable to wear on the waterline. 

Below I have the all shades except the white, which I felt like I owned but can't find anywhere. I also included Cocoa, which is technically a lip definer but I use as a warm brown liner. With the training I've had with JI over the years I've found that you can use lipliner on the eye area as they don't use any FD&C dyes and are made with conditioning oils and waxes. Great for me as I love multi-purpose products!

 (top to bottom: basic black, black/grey, midnight blue, basic brown, cocoa, taupe)

 (left to right: basic black, black/grey, midnight blue, basic brown, cocoa, taupe)

 (top to bottom: basic black, black/grey, midnight blue, basic brown, cocoa, taupe)

Jane Iredale pencils can be bought here and run $11USD

Face of the Day

I love my Saturday off. It usually involves me spending time with family or running errands. So I like to be comfortable. And I like my makeup to be kind of comfortable too. It's not really a no makeup look but it's a no-fuss look. Something I can throw on and know that I look put together without trying too hard.

So for skincare I have my current morning routine. I always start with my La Bella Figura barbary fig seed oil and then apply either argan oil or lately I've been trying LBF's barbary fig renewal serum. Eye cream has been by Kahina which I'm testing out and will have a review up in another week or two. My SPF has been the same 100% Pure one I've been using forever. Last but not least we have lips and it's my current favorite LBF la curacio. Not that I'm having a current love affair with LBF or anything...

My makeup for the day was simple and easy. I went with fresh skin thanks to Vapour Luminous Foundation (shade 115), and Illusionist concealer (shade 010). I followed up with Vapour Aura Multi-Use in Torch and a little rms living luminizer. I never leave the house without brows so I use my trusty Jane Iredale Bitty brow kit in blonde. Josie Maran mascara and Bite beauty lipstick in Fig and I was out the door. 

Today was spent baking cookies with my mom and trying on new lipsticks!

Kahina Giving Beauty - Antioxidant Mask

  

I have some serious love for facial masks. Store bought or homemade I think that they are all awesome. They're not only relaxing but a great way to "feed" your skin. This Kahina mask has been a total staple of mine since I received a rather large sample of it earlier this fall. It's described on the website as a multi-tasking mask. One that detoxifies the skin, stimulates collagen, delivers antioxidants and exfoliates. This mask is a powerhouse filled with lovely argan oil, rhassoul clay (this clay is awesome see more info on it here), 

extracts of pomegranate and acai, along with a great essential oil blend.

 For me it's been my go to for when my skin is misbehaving. Particularly when it's breaking out. Seriously zits disappear overnight. 

If something does that for me it's a total keeper. 

The texture of the mask is a nice whipped consistency, with the tiniest amount of scrub texture. And it has a nice earthy minty scent. I pop a thin layer all over and then leave it on anywhere from 10 minutes or longer. And BAM! skin is glowing and breakouts are taking a hike. Take that crazy hormonal skin! 
Since I've been using it regularly I've noticed a great improvement in my skin. It's clearer, brighter and has fewer breakouts. I'll be keeping this in my skincare routine from now until they stop making it. =)

Are masks a part of your skincare routine? What's your favorite?

5 Holiday Red Lipsticks

Seriously to me there is nothing more festive than a red lip. Now granted I love bright lipstick but this time of year there is something extra special about a swipe of red over the lips. Maybe it's the contrast between darker winter colors and the brightness of red but either way I love it. 

So here is a list of a few of my favorite reds that you can try for the holidays. 
I am sorry that one of these is discontinued but it is such a favorite of mine I just couldn't leave it out.

(left to right: Revolution Organics, Ilia Beauty, Jane Iredale Joy, Bite Beauty, and Jane Iredale Carrie)

(top to bottom: Bite Beauty Tannin, Jane Iredale Joy, Ilia Bang Bang, Jane Iredale Carrie and Revolution Organics Freedom)

1. Ilia Beauty Tinted Lip Conditioner in Bang Bang

A great red that is on the sheer side. This can be built up in intensity and looks great over a red lip pencil.

2. Jane Iredale PureMoist Lip Color in Carrie

A classic red lipstick, this is what I wear when I want that 1950s red lip. 

3. Bite Beauty High Pigment Pencil in Tannin

This is a gorgeous deep matte red that has a slight wine undertone. This has excellent wear time.

4. Revolution Organics Lipgloss in Freedom

This packs some serious punch for a lipgloss. If you're a fan of reds you need this in your life. 

5. Jane Iredale PureMoist Lip Color in Joy

*tear* The one that got away. I have one little tube left of this and it was my favorite winter lip color. It's the best of both worlds between berry and red. If you know a dupe for this please share!

And last but not least the one I'm lusting after

rms beauty lip2cheek in rapture

It looks like a fantastic brickish red. As I don't have one I of course need it.

What is your favorite holiday lip color? What kind of makeup do you pair it with?

*all products purchased by me. Reviews are my own opinions. Photos and content copyrighted to Alexis Danielle.*

Winter Lip Care

It's cold, it's hot, it's dry, it's not.
 Your lips this time of year my dears are put through the whole shebang. 
That's why I find lip care especially important when the temperature drops.
For me this trio of balm, treatment and exfoliation works wonders!

(Left to right : LBF La Curacio lip treatment and Suvana Paw Paw & Honey Balm )

I start with exfoliating my lips 1-2 times a week. For me I just use a little organic sugar mixed with a little water to make a paste. Massage lips gently and then wash it off. Pretty easy and most of everyone has it in the house. No fancy lip scrubs needed here. 

The balm I have been carrying with me everywhere is the Suvana Paw Paw and Honey Balm. It's hydrating without being sticky, smells nicely of honey, and leaves lips glossy. 

For night time and first thing upon waking I apply a thicker richer balm. La Bella Figura's La Curacio is  full of amazing emollient oils and butters. I noticed after the first couple nights of using this that my lips are softer and haven't cracked (something they always do in the winter). And it might be my imagination but I swear they are rosier (maybe the bit of ginger in it?). Either way it's a total staple. I just bought a backup and one for a gift too. 

Next up I'll have a post just in time for the holidays on 
my most favorite red lip colors! 



*all products purchased by me. Reviews are my own opinions. Photos and content copyrighted to Alexis Danielle.*

Autumn Skincare Haul

So I picked up just a *few* skin care items from 

La Bella Figura, Olie Biologique and Kahina Giving Beauty. 

I have a review up of the Barbary Fig Seed Oil but reviews of the rest will follow soon as I'm trying them all out. 

For now here's a sneak peek at the goodies. 

Barbary Fig Seed Oil, Lip Treatment, and samples.

Argan Oil, samples of Huile Moderne and oil 006

Argan oil, Antioxidant Mask and Eye Cream

*All products were purchased by me and all reviews are my own opinions as always.

Nourish Organic Body Lotion

On a recent trip to ULTA I scored this Nourish Organic Body Lotion in Almond Vanilla. I'd been looking at the Nourish product line recently and was pleasantly surprised to find it close to home. I was pretty sure I'd have to order it. NW Ohio isn't exactly a green beauty mecca. Anyways back to the lotion. I debated between this and the body butter but decided that I wanted something that would hydrate but absorb quickly. So far this does the trick. It goes on great and leaves my skin hydrated all day without ever feeling oily or sticky. The Almond Vanilla scent is nice and warm without being overpowering. 
I would definitely recommend this if you happen to stumble upon it like I did!

*Purchased by me. Reviews are my own opinions. 

Styling Products

Finding hair products that are natural and won't weigh down my fine hair has been tricky. When I first started going green most products were often heavy with oils and waxes to replace the silicones that mainstream brands use. This left my fine hair feeling flat and greasy. Which is the total opposite of what I want my hair to do. So when I was able to find some products that worked with adding shine and conditioning my hair without weighing it down I rejoiced!

First up is the Feed Your Ends Leave in Conditioner from Yarok. I love this product especially in the summertime. When your hair is feeling just dry and crispy this blend of vitamin water and jojoba, olive, grape seed, apricot and evening primrose will add glossiness and life back into your hair. I find for my hair about 4 sprays on the ends does the trick. Being that it is so oil heavy I tend to keep it on my ends. This also smells deliciously of rosemary and litsea cubeba.

Emtage SILKtage oil is what makes hair sleek and silky. It has an awesome mix of antioxidants and essential fatty acids that leaves my hair fly away free. This is also an excellent heat protectant that I use before curling my hair. It makes my curls so glossy. Just a drop or two of this will do it though. Anymore than that and I'd feel like a cast member of Jersey Shore.

My everyday leave in conditioner tends to be the Intelligent Nutrients Spray-On Detangler. This is the perfect product as it acts for me as a conditioner and has almost a little bit of hold to it as well. The spray function on this isn't my favorite though, it tends to come out in one giant stream. So I spray two to three pumps on my palms and then work though the mid to ends of my hair. The scent is lovely as IN products usually are. It smells nice and earthy, but doesn't linger in your hair.

Next up for me in haircare is to try and find a hair spray that doesn't make me looks as though I've been shellacked. Any recommendations?

What's in my purse?

So over on Pemberly Jones Pam posted a photo a couple days ago of her purse dump.

 I thought it would be totally fun to start a natural beauty tag for what we carry around in our bags day to day. Me, I'm a total lip product hoarder. 

See the photo below for evidence. 

3 lip balms, 2 tinted balms, 2 glosses, 4 lipsticks, 2 stains and 2 matte lip pencils later...

*Ahem* My name is Alexis and I have a lip product problem. 

In my defense I leave the house sans lips (mr.bunny declares them "sticky") so I like to have a variety to choose from once I get to work. 

So what's in your purse? Use hashtag #greenbeautypurse and tell me. 

My Twitter can be found here: @alexjune

Barbary Fig Seed Oil

This product is a total gem! I was lucky enough to receive this sample of La Bella Figura Cold Pressed Barbary Fig Seed Oil* in my recent Goodebox. Originally it was supposed to be the famed Decouverte Under Eye Repair serum but I think fate intervened. My skin has been so in love with since first application. I had read about Barbary Fig Seed Oil for helping with under eye circles and was anxious to try some.  I read more on La Bella Figura's website that Barbary Fig Seed oil is brimming with antioxidants, Omega-3 and Vitamin E. Ingredients that  help to hydrate skin as well as soothe skin that is sensitized or stressed. Pretty much everything I look for this time of year in my skincare. 

So at first I was just applying this twice a day as an eye treatment. Then one night out of desperation for help with my dry tender skin I applied it all over and headed to bed. I woke up with the most beautiful clarity to my skin. It was soft and hydrated and I was just astounded. Argan oils really help with my dryness but often don't take care of my redness/sensitivity. Finding something that takes care of both was kind of amazing.

I've played a lot with this sample since I've gotten it and have found that not only is it great alone but it also pairs well with other oils. (I tried RMS beauty oil and Olie Biologique Argan) 

It also works well under makeup as long as you give it a few minutes between oil, sunscreen and makeup application. 

I've just ordered a full size** of this as I decided my face cannot live without it. 

Also if you have any questions about LBF they have a Twitter @labellafigura10

*sample provided by Goodebox a paid sampling service. All opinions are my own as always. 

**Full size retails at $90 USD

6 Recent Favorites

1. tarte - Amazonian Clay Blush in Magic

I love this blush! This is a really vibrant "I just had a great workout" color. Kind of a pinky coral cool. 

It's super smooth in texture and wears beautifully through my work day. This color is limited in a set I got at Sephora.

2. ILIA - tinted lip conditioner in Arabian Knights

I got a sample of this in my last Spirit Beauty Lounge order. It's a rich berry stain that leaves lips glossy and hydrated. It's been my go-to for fall lip color. I'm getting the full size for sure.

3. Olie Biologiques - 100% Organic Argan Oil

In all seriousness, I think this is my holy grail of Argan Oils. This is the sample size of oil but I know that I have the full size on my wish list. It has an amazing consistency and smells incredible. I don't know what it is about this one but my other argan oils haven't smelled nearly as lovely. Seriously love for this here. 

4. La Bella Figura - Cold-Pressed Barbary Fig Seed oil

Speaking of amazing smelling things this is divine! I got this in my Goodebox last month and it has steadily become a favorite night treatment for my skin.  To me it's slightly richer than my Argan oil making it great for a night oil. It sinks into my skin overnight making me feel glowing and gorgeous in the morning.

5. rms beauty - Karma Cream Shadow

This is a great color! It's blackened brown with a gray tinge. Fantastic longevity for a cream shadow. I mean girls night out longevity. It totally surprised me with that. I love wearing it smudge along my lash line or as a winged liner. 

6. Juice Beauty - Correcting Concealer in Ivory. 

This is my newest find but I love it already. I've been having a few breakouts due to the temperature change and was looking for a lighter weight concealer than my rms or Vapour concealers. This is a very thin almost watery texture but has amazing coverage. I only need the tiniest dot on a blemish to make it disappear.

Finally...

So I'm finally getting life back in order and finding some time to start blogging again. As to where I've been my work has been crazy busy and I had a terrible skin issue that I was trying to work out. Thankfully all that's being settled and I'm back with exciting news.

I've been featured on No More Dirty Looks!!! I am so excited I could hardly stand it. And I was featured on my birthday! How cool is that?!
Here is the link to the post : Alexis's Morning Hair and Skincare Routine...Exposed!

I'll post a review on my new Tata Harper Trio as well as the Kahina Giving Beauty Mask.

Also would you be interested in a video of me doing my normal morning makeup routine? Or video reviews of product? I'm getting a new computer that will have fancy new software for me to play around with so let me know.

Thanks for your patience while I get back up and running!

Bunny

Jane Iredale Pure Pressed Blushes

I have a serious blush problem. I love it. I think it's one of the few things that makes fair-skinned lovelies like myself look alive and awake. I was introduced to Jane Iredale cosmetics over 10 years ago thanks to my wonderful mom. She said that if I was going to use makeup it might as well be good for your skin. I've been pretty hooked ever since. 

I started working with Jane Iredale at my job about 5 years ago. Trust me when you see makeup every single day, you're going to go home with more than you intend from time to time. It started with Parfait- a satiny cool pink that looks like my natural flush. Parfait is my go to blush. I use it all the time as you'll notice from my nearly naked pan of it. Whisper and Cotton Candy are my next frequently used. The 24k gold flakes in them give a bit of sparkle to the skin but doesn't look like you're going to a rave. Mocha and Tawny are my most recent acquires. I tend to use them a little less. Tawny is a barely there peachy tone on my skin. I love it for no makeup days. Mocha is a plummy rose that works beautifully with a smoky eye.  The bronzer I included is great for fair skin. It is not too orange and has a touch of pink to it that makes it so wearable for me. I like the light shimmery part to it as it makes the bronzer a little paler and have a bit of sheen to it.

All in all I love these blushes. They are mineral blushes in a pressed format so they're easy to use. The color spectrum though limited is a very wearable selection. They look natural and blend beautifully on the skin. None of that chalky nonsense I commonly encounter with other brands. Price point isn't terrible either-  $20 USD. 

Enough chatter I'll leave you to the swatches.

 Top Row: Parfait, Tawny, Mocha
Bottom Row: Cotton Candy, Whisper, So Bronze 3

Left Side Top to Bottom: Whisper, So Bronze 3 Dark side, So Bronze 3 Light side, So Bronze 3 Blended
Right Side: Parfait, Tawny, Mocha, Cotton Candy

Thanks!

Okay it's not about skincare or makeup for this little snippet. 

I just wanted to say a big thank you to the lovely people I've encountered on this blog and thank you to all who have been reading. I get so happy when I see comments and new followers.

Up tomorrow: A post on Jane Iredale blushes. I may be slightly obsessed. 

All the best,

Bunny

The Dry Skin Battle

I am dry. Dry enough to be flaky even though it hasn't been terribly cold this winter here in the Midwest. But wait! I'm breaking out too. I have my friends what I call "confused skin". It's not any one thing ; it's a little bit of everything. This time of year I tend to search for a moisturizer that is for dry skin. I break out occasionally but oil-free moisturizers don't have the ability to chill out my flakes.

Argan oil is one of my favorite moisturizers. I tend to use it all year, most often at night as a treatment for those pesky flakes. Most mornings I wake up well hydrated without being too greasy.  Argan oil is said to have tons of antioxidant properties so it helps to neutralize free radicals. It also contains Vitamin E and essential fatty acids that help to soften and hydrate skin. For me it is something that I use constantly. I notice a difference when I'm not using it. My skin just seems ... blah (for lack of a better word). I've tried both Josie Maran as well as Kahina Giving Beauty. Both are nice as they are 100% organic.Kahina's is a touch more expensive but the consistency is divine. I'll be purchasing it when I run out of the Josie Maran.
Josie Maran runs about $48 USD for 1.7 oz and can be found at Sephora stores and online. Kahina Giving Beauty runs about $82 USD for 3.3 oz

Sometimes when I'm feeling as though there is no end to the dryness I reach for something to layer over the argan oil. I've tried a variety of moisturizers this winter but the one that has truly made a diffrence is from a company called SPROUT. I had no idea about SPROUT until I got a grab bag from Lovingeco.com that had a sample of the cream from the SPROUT line. SPROUT makes products that are in their words "truly all-natural sustainable skincare". I love that it doesn't have tons of fillers and other odds and ends. All that this moisturizer contains is - fair trade shea butter, organic coconut oil and organic olive oil. That's it! It's the perfect consistency for me not too heavy and melts right into the skin. I wake up feeling baby soft when I layer argan and the SPROUT cream.
SPROUT cream runs $32 USD for 3.75 oz.

I haven't had a problem with breakouts with this current regimen. But I will keep you posted on it. For now though I am feeling soft and flake-free.