Spring Sephora Beauty Faves

Hello Hello!

I don’t know about you but I am feeling all of the Spring vibes recently. I have lots of ‘Spring’ themed posts planned and so I hope you are ready for them! Today I want to chat about Spring beauty buys because the Sephora sale is going on this week! I’m not a huge beauty splurger because I would rather spend my money on quality skincare but I wanted to share some of my fave beauty items from Sephora in case you were taking advantage of their Spring sale going on right now! Use the code: SPRINGSAVE on your order to get 10% off!

PRO TIP: Buy the mini’s! I’m not sure about you but I love to try new brands all of the time for things like mascara, brow items, and eyeliner! i’m always on a continuous hunt for the perfect one. I love that Sephora has so many ‘mini’ options so you pay half the price and you never have to worry about the product expiring before you finish it! This is especially true for mascara’s since you want to replace mascara every 2 months or so.

Lets get to all my faves…

mini’s

hair

makeup/skincare

Let me know if you have any questions about any of these!! xx

Hair tips, Routine, & Current Favorite Products!

Today we're talking all about HAIR! I'm no hair expert by any means but I feel like I've finally come to a place where I am content with my hair routine & I finally found some products that I love! I also get questions all the time about what I use on my hair and how I do it and so I thought I would answer all of those questions here as well! 

My hair has always been a problem for me. Its curly and can be frizzy but it's actually really fine in texture! Hair stylists are always so confused by my hair because it is so fine, I just have ALOT of it. My hair gets super tangly and it either looks good in one of two ways. Either I need to blow dry it straight and then curl it, or I scrunch it after I shower and let it air dry! Since the Hawaiian humidity is no joke and I'm pretty low maintenance, I usually scrunch it and let it air dry. 

It's interesting because when I was younger, I hated my hair! Super straight hair was the in style when I was in middle school and highschool and so I always wished for straight hair. Growing up I pretty much always blowdried and curled or straightened my hair and I would only ever wear it curly if I didn't have enough time. Nowadays, I love my curly hair! Thankfully, "beach waves" became a thing and so now I always get people asking me about how I get my tousled waves! 

I also think I've finally found my "color" that looks good for my hair. I have dyed my hair pretty much every color under the sun. I'll never forget for my thirteenth birthday I had a sleepover with my friends and we snuck out to the grocery store so I could get box dye and dye my hair red! I always have loved doing new and different things with my hair and mixing it up.

In recent years, though, I have been pretty much staying consistent with my hair color. As I've said before, I'm a low maintenance kinda gal when it comes to beauty and so I love balayage because it mixes so well with your natural color and it grows out so nicely! I usually get two balayage's a year, one during the Fall and one in the Spring time! Since I only get my balayage touched up twice a year, I go about twice in between each time to get a toner put on my hair. Toner for your hair is something I've recently started doing and it is a game changer! It keeps the brassy color away and keeps your balayage looking brand new! There's nothing I hate more then my hair starting to turn and orange hue where it's been bleached and so that is why toner is a lifesaver for me! 

I also only cut my hair about twice a year.  I've never been a believer in regular "trims". Maybe that's just me, but I don't really get trims. I honestly think that is the secret to growing your hair out long! Ask anyone with long hair how often they cut it and they will probably tell you that they hardly do! That's pretty much my only secret to hair growth. haha. 

As far as products go, there are a few products I will splurge for but most of my haircare products are super inexpensive! I LOVE the Kristen Ess line from Target and most of my haircare products are from her! I think everything in her line is under $15 and so it is budget-friendly but also super high-quality, which I love. Here are my favorite products from her line...

The One Signature Shampoo : I use her Signature shampoo on most days! I love that it is sulfate free but still lathers and it really does clean the hair! Before I started using this shampoo, I would often deal with product build-up that would cause dandruff. I haven't had that issue though with this shampoo and it's only $10! Can't get getter than that. 

Purple Shampoo : I alternate the signature shampoo with this purple shampoo which I love because it is an at-home toner that you can use to keep the orange/brass color away! I use this about twice a week and Its the only purple shampoo that I can actually tell makes a difference! 

The One Signature Conditioner : Yep, you guessed it, I use the Signature Conditioner too! This is totally not a sponsored post, I just love this line! I love this conditioner because it does its job without leaving build-up in your hair! 

& Last but not least, probably my favorite product from Kristin Ess is this Curl Defining Cream! : Before this product, letting my hair air dry was always risky because I never knew how it would turn out. I use this curl defining cream on my towel-dried hair after I scrunch it and I just put a dime-sized amount and comb it into my hair! It helps my curls stay defined but not crunchy and it also helps calm down the frizz! I honestly LOVE this stuff and cannot go without it! 

My two other MUST-HAVES: There are two other products that I use on a daily basis & love! I get them from Sephora...

Verb Leave-in Mist: I love love LOVE this detangler!! It's the only one I've found that isn't heavy and doesn't leave a residue! Leave-in conditioner is a must for me because my hair can get tangled FAST. This leave-in mist helps to calm the frizz, tangles, yet doesn't leave my hair oily!

Drybar Detox Dry Shampoo: Oh, how I love this dry shampoo! This is my only "splurge" haircare product. Its $23 but in my opinion it is 100% worth it! My hair can get on the oily side and even dry shampoos often add to it but not this one. I love how lightweight this one is and how it really does transform oily hair into voluminous and clean looking har! I don't use dry shampoo a ton when my hair is curly (that's what top knot's are for) but this stuff is a lifesaver when I get blowouts. I actually have a membership with Drybar and so I get two blowouts a month! I also can't travel without this. I just picked up a travel size version to take on my trip to California! 

I hope you found this helpful and that I answered all of your questions about hair! If you have any other questions, comment them down below and I will make sure to answer them! Hope you are having a great week!!

xo,

Lo

5 Best Beauty Buys in 2018

Okay so I know this year isn't close to being over yet but I was looking through my makeup bag the other day and thought, dang, I really love all of the products I have been using. I am not a huge makeup junkie and I definitely do not collect it. I'm the type of gal that throws makeup I don't use away because it grosses me out. I pretty much just keep to my same daily makeup routine (on the days I actually wear makeup) haha. 

But when I was going through my makeup the other day I realized that I really have stumbled on some goldmine products this year and so I wanted to share them with you all!!

If you follow me on Insta stories then you know that most days my hair is in a top knot, I'm wearing workout clothes, and I am NOT wearing makeup. Thats actually something I am trying to get better at because I love the idea of waking up and "getting ready" each morning even though I just work from home. Maybe someday I'll be at the point but as for now, I probably wear makeup twice a week! I have a super simple routine and basically only use these five products I am going to be talking about! 

1. Tarte Amazonian Clay BB cream & Tinted Moisturizer

Okay, I gotta say WOW when it comes to this product. I am not a face makeup type of gal and I usually just use my mineral peptides powder as face makeup but I decided to try this out for those days that I wanted to be just a little more fancy and I am soooo glad I did! I absolutely love this stuff. I put it on just like lotion after I finish my morning skincare routine and it is not thick or goopy and it blends in so well. A problem that I have with so many tinted moisturizers is that they normally make my skin itch a couple hours after I apply it. This one does not do that and it really does stay on all day long! I can't say enough good things about this stuff. It's a winner. I am currently using the shade 'medium-tan' because its Summer but I will be going down a shade in about a month or so!

2. Rodan + Fields Mineral Peptide Powder

If you have been following me for awhile then you have probably heard me talk about this powder a gazillion times. It's pretty much the best mineral powder that is out there! It's lightweight but has amazing coverage, SPF 25, and contains amino acid peptides which help strengthen the skin and protect it from environmental factors and aging! I use the medium shade all over my face and the bronze shade as my bronzer. This mineral powder is also very reasonably priced for what you get. If you are interested in trying this out, connect when my on instagram or shoot me and e-mail and let me know you heard about this powder through this post and I'll give you $5 off! <3 

3. Sigma Eyeshadow Primer Base

I heard about this product about 6 months ago and I am so impressed! I have tried so many eyeshadow primers that have promised to not crease or fade and they have all been disappointing. This one really does hold! I use the 'bubbly' shade which is a pretty champagne color and it just adds a little brightness to my eyes. I don't even put eyeshadow over it! I just apply this base and then mascara and I'm good to go! It's my new every day go-to and its also reasonably priced!

4. Glossier Boy Brow

I feel like this product isn't really a secret and everyone is already using it but I still thought I would talk about it since it really is a favorite of mine! If you couldn't tell already, I am a no fuss type of gal when it comes to makeup and this product is the easiest to apply brow product I have ever tried! It adds a little color and definition to my brows but it isn't noticeable and looks totally natural. I swear whenever I'm feeling a little down, a little brow definition always puts a pep in my step! haha. I have tried a few of Glossier's products but this one is by far my favorite! 

5. Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara

I discovered this mascara right before the Rodan + Fields annual convention last year and I have not tried anything else since! Mascara is probably my most loved beauty product and this is the best I have ever found. Its a little pricy for mascara but it's my splurge makeup item that I don't mind spending more on because it is just THAT GOOD. it gives volume and length, never smears, and lasts all day! If you have not tried this yet, I would highly recommend it!

I hope you love these picks and that they become some of your favorites as well! Now I want to know what YOUR best beauty buys of this year have been?! What is your current must-have?! 

What type of face mask should you use? & My three current favorites!

Recently, I have been loving face masks to give my skin a little extra love to combat all of the sun I've been getting this Summer! Once a week I aim to give myself an at-home facial which helps to remove dead skin cells, unclog pores, and keep my skin hydrated! I've been trying a ton of different face masks recently because, lets be honest, thats my favorite part about an at-home facial! 

It has been hard for me to find good face masks because oftentimes they either leave my skin red and irritated or they completely dry it out and strip it of it's natural oils! There are many really harsh face masks on the market and I would encourage you to really do your research and not just go for the  "popular" ones (if it hurts to take off, it's NOT a mask you should be using) When looking for a good mask, look for one that that cleanses the skin, minimizes pores, and adds moisture instead of stripping moisture! 

I use three different types of face masks and I keep them all on rotation...

1. Detox Mask:

When you think of a face mask, you probably think of this type! Many masks are meant to only be used once a week (or even less) and they are a bit stronger and harsher on the skin. I love using a Bentonite Clay Mask for my back & arms & arm pits (gotta detox those lymph nodes!) and then I use a charcoal mask for my face once a week! Since I have sensitive skin, I have had to try a bunch of different charcoal masks to find one I really love! My current favorite is  Origins Clear Improvement Mask which helps to get all the gunk out of my pores without totally irritating my skin! 

This is the mask I use for my back & body (in my opinion, way too harsh for your face!) and its only $8! 

Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay Deep Pore Cleansing, 1 Poundp>

2. Cleansing & anti-aging mask:

This is the mask that I use every single day to cleanse my skin, give my skin an anti-aging boost, and still preserve all the natural oils that my skin needs to stay hydrated! I use the Redefine Cleansing Mask in the morning as a face scrub and then I use it at night as a two-minute mask! It gently cleanses & exfoliates the skin using kaolin clay which is the best ingredient for purifying the skin but also preserving your skins natural oils. If you are new to the face mask world, I would definitely suggest starting with this one! It is so versatile and you really can't go wrong with it! I have been using this for four years straight and I can't go a day without it! 

3. Hydrating Mask:

This is a newer mask that I've added to my weekly skincare routine. Since I've gone to the beach more often this Summer, my skin needs all the hydration it can get! I call this my "beach mask" because I always use this hydrating mask after a beach day! The Jet Lag mask by Summer Fridays isn't your normal face mask and that actually took me by surprise! This isn't the type of mask that you have to wash off. Its an ultra-hydrating mask with a thick cream-like consistency. Not going to lie, I was a huge skeptic at first! I use it about once a week, though, and absolutely LOVE the glow that it gives my skin! 

Sooo... what type of mask should you be using?!?! Well, I would say that using all three of these is such a great way to address multiple skin concerns (when it comes to face masks at least). But if you can only pick one...

-If you have oily & acne prone skin I would recommend a Charcoal Mask! 

-If you have normal or combination skin and want something for anti-aging I would recommend a Kaolin Clay mask! 

-If you are looking for a hydrating mask then I would recommend Summer Friday's Jet Lag mask! 

I hope that this was helpful for you! Let me know if you have tried any of these masks & your thoughts on them! Oh and If you want help ordering the Redefine Kaolin Clay Mask (save 10% and free shipping) then shoot me and e-mail and I will give you info on how to order! lauren@livewellwithlo.com

xo,

Lo