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I’m starting a new tradition here and now: a beauty masterlist recapping my top 10 beauty products from the year before. You know how Oprah does her favorite things of the year? Well, this is mine.

I love doing the work and finding the BEST products for you, so you don’t have to go out and spend money and a lot of time trying and testing. I am pretty picky — my products need to be amazing, they need to work well, and they need to be cruelty free.

None of the items I’m sharing with you today are sponsored, just so you know. So, let’s get into my favorite beauty products of 2019:

Gua Sha: Nothing, and I really do mean nothing, relaxes me like my Gua Sha tool. This stone is rose quartz and man does it do wonders. It relieves tension and pressure (I can actually FEEL it when I do this, especially over my eyelids), and it drains inflammation from the face. Using this tool is a must every single morning, and especially for special events.

Acure Marula Oil: If I had to choose just one oil as my favorite for the year, it’d be Marula Oil. Acure’s Marula oil is rich in proteins and omega fatty acids and is amazing for treating dry skin, healing wounds & scars and reducing redness. “Marula oil packs a huge anti-oxidant power punch to help with anti-aging along with essential fatty acids and proteins to help with firming, anti-inflammatory and anti-swelling support.” Marula is naturally lightweight, meaning it will absorb readily into the skin, leaving it feeling hydrated and smooth.  What’s also cool? Acure’s Marula oil is 100% pure and wildcrafted without pesticides by South African Women as part of an economic empowerment program. I buy mine at Whole Foods (BTW – the Whole Foods Beauty department is pretty amazing if you haven’t checked it out).

Obagi Hydrate Luxe: This moisturizer is my HOLY GRAIL night time moisturizer. So many medical grade products are unfortunately not cruelty free, but this one is and I am so grateful for that because it works wonders. I only use this product at night because it is RICH and luxe, like the name says. The moisturizer works with the circadian rhythm of your skin. Yep, there’s such a thing. The two below ingredients make this moisturizer extra special:

Biomimetic peptides. A technology that complements your skin’s nightly renewal and metabolic functions to support the skin and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles in mature skin.

Hydromanil. A key ingredient in the Hydrate Facial Moisturizer, this technologically advanced ingredient provides not only immediate moisturization, but gradual moisture delivery by retaining water in the layers of your skin and continuously releasing them for 8-hour moisture protection!

Elta MD Sunscreen: Am I telling you to wear sunscreen again? Yep! It doesn’t matter if it’s raining, cloudy, or sunny and hot, you MUST wear sunscreen everywhere, everyday. My absolute favorite is Elta MD’s line. I use the UV Facial Broad Spectrum Sunscreen on my face and the UV Shield Broad Spectrum Sunscreen on my body. I love Elta MD’s sunscreens because they are not chemical sunscreens – meaning shitty chemicals are not going to be absorbed into your bloodstream. Instead, Zinc Oxide sits on the skin to protect it from harmful rays.

Lawless Woke Up Like This 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’s just a ‘your skin but better look’. I love it so much that I wore it on my wedding day.

Sara Happ Dream Lip Slip: The cool thing Lip Slip is that when you put it on before bed, and then when you wake up, it’s still on. And I mean it REALLY stays on. I also use this as a lip gloss during the day.

Charlotte Tilbury Legendary Brow Gel: No one wants super thin, tadpole or sperm brows. You know what I’m talking about. Natural, big brows are IN and I think they’re here to stay. Charlotte Tillbury’s brow gel is a game-changer because it makes your brows look super full and NATURAL& best of all, it doesn’t flake or get crusty. It actually looks best when you brush over and over about 5 times (always brush up).

Charlotte Tilbury Pillowtalk Lipstick: BUT like are you ready for the best lipstick you will ever own? You need this one. Absolutely need it. I own more Chralotte Tilbury lipsticks than any other brand, and it’s because her lippies are just the best. Not sticky, they don’t make your lips look dry and crusty. Just the best consistency.

But this color, guys. It looks good on everyone. Yeah, different skin tones can rock this color.

Fenty Beauty Lavender Loose Powder: I first hear about this loose powder via Jaclyn Hill. She just has the best makeup tips. I was watching one of her favorites videos in late 2018/early 2019, and she mentioned that she’d been using this powder to set her under-eye concealer and that it didn’t cake up. Two seconds later, I was ordering it from Sephora. And she was right. This powder is so cool because it has a lavender tint, so it really brightens under the eyes. It’s so bright that I probably wouldn’t recommend using it anywhere else on your face. I have used this powder every single day that I’ve worn makeup in 2019.

Unite 7 Seconds Detangler: This isn’t only a 2019 fave, I have been using this detangler for over 5 years consecutively. I’ve never met a leave-in detangler SO MUCH. From the time I was a little girl, I always have a rat’s nest when I get out of the shower. No matter what. This stuff saves me from having to harshly comb out my hair after I wash it. It literally works in seconds, like the name says. Even for the most Jew-y fro’s (mine).

Beauty

I know you’ve heard of highlighting and contouring. But today I want to share my newest makeup technique that will make you look sculpted in a more natural way: blush draping.

What is blush draping? It’s kind of similar to contouring in that it exaggerates curves and angles of your face, but instead of contouring sticks and bronzers, all you need is blush. Before we go further, I have to share my favorite blush with you: Charlotte Tilbury’s Cheek to Chic Blush in Love Glow. It’s the perfect pink. Not too brown, not too orange. It’s the perfect Barbie pink without looking fake. If you have fair to medium skin, this blush will be gorgeous on you. I also use the same blush in the color Sex on Fire, which is a darker version of Love Glow. You’ll see why in a second.

How to blush-drape: take your darker blush and buff it on to your temples, bring it beneath your cheekbones, and dust right beneath your brow bone. Then take your lighter shade (for me, it’s Love Glow) and dust it on the apples of your cheeks, down the center of your nose, and a tiny but on your chin. Adding the lighter shade gives you the perfect ombré’d look but it also provides a really pretty and soft chisel to the face.

Blush draping adds a liveliness and a sunkissed look (surprisingly) that bronzer just doesn’t offer.

Real Talk, Wellness

A few months ago I noticed deeper lines on one side of my face versus the other. Has this ever happened to you? Yeah, they were most likely there before, but one day, while looking in the mirror, I thought “what the fuck has happened to my face?!” …And then it was all I saw when looking in the mirror. And yes, the side with deeper lines and more volume loss was the side I slept on.

If you follow me on Instagram, you might have seen my stories a couple of weeks ago where I took you with me to get those lines filled in with hyaluronic acid filler by the most incredible Nurse Practitioner, Shahdi at Luna Skincare Aesthetics in Walnut Creek. Side note: she truly is the best and she is an artist. I saved my stories, so you can go ahead and watch them on my BOTOX AND FILLERS Instagram highlight.

Anyway. Back to sleeping on your back. All of this to say that a few months ago, after discovering those lines, I began training myself to sleep on my back instead of on my side. It’s hard. Like really hard.

First, the benefits, aside from not getting wrinkles on your face:

  1. Better alignment of the spine, which reduces pain.
  2. Minimizes acid reflux
  3. Prevents chest and boob wrinkles
  4. Maintains perky boobs

How to do it?

♡ Keep your head in a slightly raised position with the help of a pillow or two. I personally use two pillows. On the bottom, I use a thin-ish pillow, and on top, where my head lays, I use a Z pillow. I have had this pillow for three years and it is the best pillow I’ve ever used. I originally purchased it after researching a pillow to help alleviate neck pain. For extra credit: Add pillows under your arms to help make you feel supported.  

♡ Add a pillow under the backs of your knees. Adding a pillow under your knees will take some pressure off your back and it kind of makes you feel like you’re floating in the best way possible. I find that adding a pillow under my knees really helps me avoid rolling over to my side in the middle of the night too.

♡ Create a barricade with pillows. This is just an extra precaution but I wouldn’t only do this step. The first two are much more effective if you’re trying to train yourself to sleep on your back. But it’s harder to switch to side sleeping if there is a barricade of pillows around you.

♡ Sleep with the bottoms of your feet touching. If you’re having trouble imagining this, spread your legs so that your knees are out, and touch the bottoms of your feet together. This is super comfortable when sleeping on your back, especially when your knees are supported with pillows.

Training myself to sleep on my back took about 3 months to finally do all through the night. And I have to make sure the conditions are just right. If I don’t have my pillows positioned correctly, all bets are off and I’ll be on my side within an hour.

Cheers to no boob and face wrinkles!

xo Lynn

Beauty, Real Talk

Keratosis pilaris is like that pesky person who just gets under your skin (literally). If you deal with KP, you know what I’m talking about. It’s a nuisance. I’ve dealt with KP since I went through puberty at 10 years old…lucky me! Over the years, I’ve tried creams, exfoliators, diets, and everything else you can imagine to treat it.

While maintaining a healthy gut is the biggest key to the puzzle (we’ll save that for another day), I have a fabulous DIY treatment for you, if you struggle with Keratosis pilaris.

First, WTF is Keratosis Pilaris?

Also nicknamed “chicken skin,” keratosis pilaris is a skin condition that manifests as red patches and bumps. It resembles goosebumps and appears most often on the back of the arms and thighs. They feel rough like sandpaper and are very small, about the size of a salt grain. Sometimes they occur on the face and can be mistaken for acne. There may also be redness around the bumps that varies from light pink to bright red. {source}

Your skin naturally contains keratin, which is a protein. About 50% overproduce this protein. When overproduced, it becomes trapped inside hair follicles which forms a rough, raised, and plugged follicle. These follicles become inflamed, which is why the surrounding skin turns red or pink.

The DIY Treatment

KP is not something that you can make disappear with topical treatments, but exfoliating helps A LOT. You just have to be consistent.

So this brings me to my DIY treatment that helps more than any other lotion or potion I’ve put on my KP. I did hours of research and months of being a guinea pig and this stuff really works. Just call me Antoine Lavoisier. 😉

I started my research with finding out the best anti-inflammatory products, and I mixed and matched until I came up with THE holy grail KP relief.

Before we get to the exact measurements, here is the background on each ingredient: turmeric helps with inflammation when ingested and applied to the body. You’ve probably seen that it’s super trendy right now do order a turmeric latte, right? They taste pretty good, too.

Jojoba oil and lavender oil are also anti-inflammatories. Jojoba oil is known to reduce redness and is very hydrating. Lavender is known to kill bacteria.

♡ 2T Baking Soda

♡ 1.5 t Turmeric Powder

♡ 3T Jojoba Oil

♡ 5-10 drops of pure essential lavender oil

Mix all of the ingredients, and apply to the KP skin. I always do this in the shower, and rinse off with warm water.

Do you deal with keratosis pilaris? Any other tips to deal?

Beauty

Hello! SKIN, SKIN, SKIN. It’s SO in and you know I’m all about taking the best possible care of my skin especially if you follow along on IG Stories.

One product in particular seems to have a really mystifying identity: toners. I didn’t really ‘get it’ until recently myself. However they really are a crucial part of taking care of your skin.

Before, I thought of toner as being super astringent and harsh because that’s how I recall it being back in the day, like when I was 14. Do you guys remember those toners?

The game has changed in a BIG way since then, and now toners are made for every skin type without drying alcohol and stinging ingredients. So, what is it?

To put it simply, toner looks like water and acts like water. But it’s not water. Depending on the toner, it also can contain acids, glycerin, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatories.

“If you want to talk science, a toner is a fast-penetrating liquid that delivers skin a quick hit of hydration and helps remove some dead cells off the surface of the skin. The result: plump, glowy skin. On a makeup-related note, toner is like a primer for the rest of your skincare routine like serums and moisturizer.” {source}

Here’s what toners can do for your skin:

Sops up every last speck of makeup

Toners were initially created to help as an extra step cleaning your face, AKA getting all the shit that might be left on your skin after cleansing. And it’s true: when I use toner, I can see grime on the cotton ball I use just about every time.

It removes excess oil, which leads to less acne

Toners are notorious for removing excess oil, which is what clogs pores and causes blackheads in the first place. If you have oily or acne prone skin, try a toner with glycolic acid or “If you have acne or oil-prone skin, look for a toner that contains glycolic acid or salicylic acid, as it will cut down on oil and shine. {source}

Adds hydration to your skin

Toner serves as the perfect base for oils and moisturizers in addition to cleaning your face. It also restores the pH balance to your skin which equals glowy-ness.

Ok, so here’s when and how I use toner: I use it every single morning before I use anything else on my face. I do not use a cleanser on my face in the morning because I find that they’re too drying to use twice a day…so I only use cleansers at night (I double cleanse). I pack on all of my oils and moisturizers at night after I’ve cleansed, and then in the morning I do a swipe all over my face and neck with Pacifica’s Toner, which is provides a gentle clean to my face and serves as a hydrating base for my AM skincare and then makeup.

xo, Lynn

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