Wellness

Beauty, Wellness

I am very specific about my makeup, and I like to use what works best for certain wants and needs – such as covering my rosacea, using products that are cruelty free, and the list goes on. I’m not a one brand kind of person either – I pick and choose from different brands based on what products work best for me.

Recently, Sephora released a section on their website and in their stores called “clean at Sephora“. Of course I knew about natural products before, but I hadn’t given much thought to using natural products.  I stick to my tried and true cruelty free items, but that does not mean those products are natural. It just means they’re not tested on animals. So I looked at what was available in the “clean” section and was intrigued.

The more I thought about putting certain products, specifically foundation and concealer on my face and how it’s absorbed into my bloodstream, I started to do more research on ingredients.

Here is what I have learned so far:

+ The average woman uses 515 synthetic chemicals on her skin every day, without even knowing.

+ The FDA doesn’t require any pre-market testing or approval before beauty products hit shelves. The European Union has banned over 1,300 chemicals found in cosmetics, as scientific studies suggest that they could be linked to cancer, reproductive harm, and neurotoxicity. However, the FDA has only banned eight and restricted three.

{via source}

While I’m not going all out natural all at once, I did just start using two Lawless Beauty face products and I am obsessed. So obsessed that I have to share with you guys. What really caught my attention with Lawless Beauty over some of the other brands I’ve seen is that the packaging is so glam and you can tell that there is so much thought and care behind the brand. Annie Lawless wanted her brand of makeup to reflect luxury and glamour while still being natural. LOVE!

♡ Lawless Beauty Foundation

I’ll start with the description, because it perfectly describes the product:

“This SPF-free, non-comedogenic, skin-nourishing formula won’t clog pores, and wears comfortably throughout the day with a weightless feel that won’t fade or disappear. Lightweight, antioxidant-rich, skin-balancing oils, including abyssinica, camellia, kukui, grape seed, and jojoba oils, help plump and replenish the skin’s moisture barrier for a supple, youthful appearance. Soothing, anti-inflammatory shea butter helps soften and repair skin, while promoting collagen production and protecting against free radicals. With this formula, you can achieve medium to full coverage with a natural, skin-like finish that never looks cakey or dry on the skin.” – LAWLESS

There is so much that I love about this foundation, but most of all, I love the consistency as it is not matte yet it’s not shiny, it has no SPF (which makes it perfect for a wedding!), and it wears very well throughout the day. I’m a huge fan, and I will be wearing this foundation on my wedding day.

♡ Lawless Beauty Seal The Deal Setting Powder

What’s different about this setting powder is that talc is not used. Instead, mica us used as the base. The powder does not add any cakiness, it is very fine and applies like an airbrushed finish.

Are you guys into natural makeup? If so, what have you loved? Please share!

xo, Lynn


 
Real Sh*t, Wellness

Every morning, I drink a smoothie. Plastic straws are a NO-GO due to environmental reasons, and paper straws become so soggy. I ordered metal straws a couple years ago thinking that they were the way to go. They’re reusable, which is what I was looking for.

But then my dentist found out that I was using metal straws every morning and told me to STOP. Why? Because metal can chip your teeth and can lead to metal toxicity.

And then I found glass straws (insert hallelujah music).

At first I was scared that glass straws would be too fragile, especially when it came to washing. But they are so sturdy. And digging deeper into how they serve as a vessel vs. stainless steel, I learned that the resistance of the glass to erosion from acidity from foods is so much higher than with metal straws…this is how stainless steel is prone to heavy metal problems.

The icing on the cake is that since glass straws are clear, you can be sure that they are clean.

Beauty, Real Sh*t, Wellness

Confession: Sometimes I lie and say that I forgot to put on deodorant, but in truth, I just hate it. Specifically the conventional, unhealthy kind.

I just can’t get down with putting those chemicals on my pits.

I have blogged about deodorants before, and I found some that did work. But that wasn’t enough. I’m always testing, always trying new things. I went back to unhealthy deodorant for a long time (shameful) because nothing was rocking my world. I needed something PERFECT, natural, with no BS ingredients.

The entire time I was using these “bad” deodorants in between, I was fully aware that they pose potential health problems such as: breast cancer, Alzheimers, hormone disruption, among others. Some studies say that the aluminum used in “bad” deodorants is not harmful, however I’d like to play it safe, thank you very much.

Here’s the problem with so many alternatives available: they are less reliable and many times, very weak.

Conventional antiperspirants work by reacting with sweat to create a temporary plug in your sweat glands; conventional deodorants work by killing the bacteria that live on skin (the bacteria break the fats and proteins present in sweat down into b.o., essentially) with compounds like triclosan.

That said, plugging sweat glands and depositing elements like fragrance, aluminum, and powerful synthetic antibacterial agents right where so many of the body’s lymph glands, critical to the body’s immune system, seems foolhardy to many. “I don’t want to use anything with aluminum because it mimics estrogen and I’m already estrogen dominant,” says Jena Covello, founder of Agent Nateur. “Western medicine is hesitant to say that aluminum causes breast cancer, but this toxic heavy metal is found in breast cancer tumors.”

Back to the story. A few weeks ago, I discovered Kopari’s Deo (that is what it’s called) and I fell in LOVE. Love at first smell. I love everything coconut oil, and Kopari is best known for their coconut oil based products. This deodorant smells just like coconut milk yet it’s very fresh smelling. I did some reading on the ingredients, read some reviews, and then I tested. I tested after running 4 miles on the treadmill, I tested during blistering hot bay area summer days, I tested when I was sitting at home doing work.

The result? NO B.O. I was shocked.

The magic of Kopari Deo is its perfectly calibrated blend of ingredients: coconut oil, plant derived Triethyl Citrate, Sage Oil, and coconut water. These ingredients provide odor protection while simultaneously warding off the bacteria that causes it in the first place. Did you know that coconut oil is antibacterial? Extra WIN.

The icing on the cake? The deodorant is clear, so no white stains on your clothes.

Have you tried Kopari? Let me know your thoughts!

xo, Lynn

 

Real Sh*t, Wellness

photo credit: Pinterest

Today’s post is brought to you by a recent funk that I had been in, and I was desperate to snap out of it ASAP. I’m sure you’ve had days like this, yeah? Sometimes it happens for what seems like no reason.

I want to share all of the things that I do to snap out of it quickly. Before I get into it, I’m not implying that I am a professional when it comes to therapy or counseling. I don’t have it all together, but these are methods that really help.

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