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First Aid Beauty

Hawaii Vacation Beauty Products

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You’re extra beautiful today, Oahu!

Please excuse my paws in these photos. They’re extra t-rex because I was holding these beauty products over a railing with dear life, LOL!

Anywho, I always like seeing the beauty products people bring with them on vacation. Here’s what I’ve been using on this trip!

Sunscreen

Hair

  • Kenra Volume Spray Super Hold Finishing Spray 25
  • Bumble and Bumble Seaweed Air Dry Cream
  • I didn’t bring any shampoo, conditioner or body wash because the place we’re staying at has Malie Organics Mango Nectar hair and body products!

Body

Face

Hope things on your end are great!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Dry Skin & Dark Spots, and Skin Care Hits and Misses From The Ordinary, First Aid Beauty and Biossance

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skin care may 2021 ordinary first aid beauty biossance

I will not add another step to my skin care routine.

Nope.

Not gonna do it. I WILL NOT!

I figure, if I keep up with this mantra, it’ll eventually come to pass…but so far, no dice.

These are the latest additions to my skin care routine — what I’ve been liking, and what I’d characterize as just “eh.”

Just to add a little background, in case you don’t know me from a slice of watermelon, I have combo skin and tend to break out around my mouth, chin and forehead, and I’m in my mid-40s (about to turn 46, as a matter fact). Right now I’m fighting the good fight against the occasional hormone-related breakout, along with, ugh…hyperpigmentation. SUNSCREEN IS MY HOMEGIRL.

With that said, let’s go…

The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5

I recently picked up this hydrating product from Ulta, and I’m lurving it. I’ve read that incorporating a hyaluronic acid serum into your skin care regimen can be great for dry skin, but, apparently, there’s a trick to making this tip truly worth your time, which is that you have to apply the product when your skin is damp, then immediately follow up with a moisturizer to seal in said hydrating yumminess.

the ordinary hyaluronic acid

What’s the deal with hyaluronic acid? Well, it’s a sugar found naturally in our bodies, and its job in the skin is to hold onto water, so it keeps things plump and hydrated. Hyaluronic acid is also found in our joints and eyes as well.

As a skin care ingredient, it’s believed to act as a humectant because of its ability to draw and hold water, keeping your skin hydrated throughout the day!

There are lots of different hyaluronic acid serums at various price points (I’ll link some down below), but I picked up this one because it was only $7 for a 1-oz. bottle, and I’ve been steadily using it for the past month. I’m about a quarter of the way through it now, and my usual dry spots don’t feel as tight as they did before I started, so I’ll happily buy another bottle.

Yes, it’s an extra step…but if your skin’s been feeling parched, it’s totally worth it, IMO.

A few hyaluronic serums

First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Niacinamide Dark Spot Serum

This serum for fading dark spots and hyperpigmentation, among other things, is from First Aid Beauty.

Niacinamide, a.k.a. water-soluble Vitamin B3 is a heroic ingredient that gets mega-love in skin care circles because of how well many people think it works for various skin types (even sensitive), and it seems to do everything and then some, from minimizing large pores, moisturizing and, yes, evening out skin tone. Its rock star status is also due to how well it layers with other active skin care ingredients, like peptides, hyaluronic acid, antioxidants, retinols and acids.

first aid beauty niacinamide serum

This particular serum is lovely. It works well with all of the other things I’ve had in the mix, and also works great under copious layers of sunscreen (you gotta reapply all throughout the day, my love) and makeup.

I’ve been using it for a couple weeks now, and it seems to help with fading post-acne dark spots. It’s pricey, though, at $42 for a 1-oz. bottle, so I’m going to wait a few more weeks to determine whether or not I’m going to keep it in the mix… I do like it so far.

Biossance Squalane + BHA Pore-Minimizing Toner

WHY IS IT SO HARD TO FIND A GOOD BHA TONER?

I know, I know. Everyone loves the Paula’s Choice BHA Toner and talks about it like it’s the one BHA toner to rule them all, but even though I’ve gone through a bunch of bottles and have been desperately wanting to drink the Kool-Aid, I don’t think it does all that much for me.

I recently started exploring other options and stumbled onto the Biossance Squalane + BHA Pore-Minimizing Toner.

With this one, you really have to dig into the ingredient list because it actually doesn’t contain salicylic acid.

biossance bha toner

Instead, it has willow bark extract, which contains salicin, which is where salicylic acid comes from. Biossance says that it’s a natural BHA and acts more as an “anti-inflammatory” ingredient, while also gently exfoliating, tightening pores and balancing oil.

I do feel like it’s very gentle, and it does a decent job of not irritating my skin. It also seems to help calm it down… I had some angry red bumpy patches from overdoing the retinol, and this toner really helped my skin chill-the-eff out.

I like it, but don’t love it. Yes, it’s not super aggro, which I appreciate, but I don’t feel like it’s moving fast enough.

I do have to say, though, that it seems like this bottle will last a long time. I’ve been using three or four drops every morning for a month, and I’ve barely made a dent in it.

Bottom line? If you want a gentle version of a salicylic acid toner, this might be your jam.

I’m going to keep looking for a BHA toner that rocks my socks off… If you have one you love, I’m all ears! So far, these are on my “look into it” list:

  • Typology Purifying Toner 1% Salicylic Acid: This is $24 for 7.2-oz, so it seems like you get a lot of bang for your buck. I like that it contains actual salicylic acid, along with aloe vera (which my skin likes). OMG, DID I JUST HIT “add to cart”! How did that happen? LOL!
  • Naturium BHA Liquid Exfoliant 2%: There’s YouTube drama surrounding this line and its founder. I dunno, but the word “shady” has been thrown around. Anyway, I’m not super enthusiastic about this product, but the ingredient list seems decent, and I could easily pick it up at Target. It’s $20 for a 4-oz bottle. *shrugs*
  • SkinCeuticals LHA Toner: Effin’ SkinCeuticals. Why you gotta be so good? I’ve had more than my share of euphoric moments with their Vitamin C serum, which is the main reason I’m curious about this toner, which is on the pricier end at $40 for 6.8 oz. It contains a blend of lipo hydroxy acid (LHA, which is a derivative of salicylic acid), glycolic acid and salicylic acid. UGH, want!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S.

5 Sheer Foundations to Ace Your WFH Base | Friday Thoughts on Looking Good on the Outside and Feeling Good on the Inside

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5 sheer wfh foundations
Five wonders of the makeup world

If there were ever a time to appreciate the wonders of a sheer, everyday workhorse foundation, this would be that time!

These are my favorites at the moment. What are yours?

5 Sheer Foundations to Ace Your WFH Base

  1. Lancôme Skin Feels Good Hydrating Skin Tint Healthy Glow: Ultra lightweight with a demi-matte finish; looks great in person AND in pics.
  2. MAC Face and Body Foundation: The most natural-looking of all the sheer bases, and it’s long-lasting too. I kid you not, skin still looks like skin when you wear this.
  3. First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Tinted Moisturizer: A beautiful satiny finish with medium coverage! Plus, it blurs pores.
  4. It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better Foundation + Skincare: This one is also medium coverage, but the finish is closer to matte than the others. The barely-there formula practically feels like water.
  5. MAC Studio Fix Soft Matte Foundation Stick: This one is SO easy to blend and has a gentle, soft matte finish. Sometimes I like layering this on top of Face and Body. ?

Thoughts on looking good and feeling good

Most of the time, when we look good, we feel good. I heard something along these lines recently in a fashion video (it was about how not to look “frumpy,” in case you’re curious), and it spoke to me.

At the beginning, Erin, the host of the show, says…

“We’re talking about how the way you look affects the way that you feel, affects everything in your life. When you’re looking good, you will feel better. You will feel great. You will have more to give everybody else.”

This struck a chord with me, because whenever I have something to give — whether it be my time, energy, money, love, etc. — I always give what I have to my friends and family, which I’m always happy to do, but what I hadn’t realized, though, is that the strain of the past year has left me with very little (or rather, zero) leftover “oomph” for myself, and it’s been slowly chipping away at my confidence. My proverbial well is bone dry.

Lately, I can feel myself getting dangerously close to the point where one rolls out of bed one day and stays in the same crusty pajamas for two weeks straight.

I think a part of it is my hair, to be honest. I haven’t had a cut in more than a year, and it’s been bothering me. I haven’t wanted to do anything with it lately, because it’s almost impossible to wrangle it into any sort of workable style. That frustration then leads to me saying, “well, f*ck it,” to everything else. Why bother putting on sunscreen or mascara when none of it feels fun?

ouai pet shampoo
This cat looks like how I feel in the mornings lately…

Oh, and forget about getting properly dressed, because nobody will notice if my shirt is inside out or backwards — not even the people I live with, and I know this because it’s happened several times.

Because I haven’t really talked to anyone in person lately, unless it’s the occasional curt one- or two-minute conversation with the sales associate in the checkout line at Petco, or a brief in-passing conversation at preschool dropoff, I sometimes find myself wondering, “Why do I even keep trying?”

The funny thing is, logically I know that 1) this is all temporary, and 2) what’s mostly bothering me is exterior stuff. It’s all frosting, and not the cake, which is something I tell Connor all the time. I know in the grand scheme of things that the outside stuff is frippery. I’m 100% aware that what’s on the outside does not determine my worth on the inside.

baked sprinkle cake
You know I had to do it.

Yet…when I look in the mirror and see myself looking sloppy or unkept, even when I remind myself that the exterior stuff isn’t everything, and all the best stuff is on the inside, I still feel yucky. ?‍♀️

People often say that the first step to helping yourself is being able to admit that you need help, and watching that video made me realize that I need a little help.

So, here I am, gently reminding myself that doing the things that make me feel good are not a trivial burden. Brushing my hair, putting on sunscreen in the morning, and curling my lashes — these are all good things, and they are worth the effort, because when I look good, I feel good, and I will have more to give.

keep room in your heart

Oh, and another gentle note to self: it really doesn’t have to be hard. The effort does not have to be Herculean.

For the last few nights, right before bed, I’ve been setting out a bottle of one of the sheer bases listed above, along with a lash curler, a mascara, a brow pencil, blush and a lipstick, and I make sure to put on makeup first thing in the morning.

Surprise, surprise! — I’ve been feeling a little better since I started doing this, and my plan for the next few days is to do the same tomorrow, and the next day, and the next….

Oh, and earlier this week I bought myself some clothes for the first time in…I can’t even remember how long.

Also, I found a stylist who does outdoor cuts. Mind you, I haven’t booked an appointment yet because of the virus and whatnot. I’m still nervous about the pandemic, but at least I know that, when I’m ready, she’ll be there, and that’s such a mental relief.

Anyway, that’s what’s been going on with me. Thanks for listening, and on that note…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF!

Product Spotlight: First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Tinted Moisturizer

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first aid beauty ultra repair tinted moisturizer tan
LOVE IT! I wear the shade Tan (I’m an NC42 in MAC and a Honey Bronze in Estée Lauder, for reference).

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Tinted Moisturizer ($28 for a 1-oz. tube) is fantastic tinted moisturizer with a satin finish, especially if you don’t like the sensation of heavy, thick makeup on your face. The fluffy mousse (feels very similar to the NARS Hydrating Glow Tints that came out a few summers back) feels fab and blends away everything with barely a touch — pores, pigmented patches, red areas. If you just want a little something to even out your skin tone, and you want it to be something you can quickly do with your fingers and without a brush, this is it!

From sephora.com:

  • Vegan, cruelty-free, and gluten-free
  • Colloidal Oatmeal: Helps calm and soothe dry or distressed skin.
  • Hyaluronic Acid: Supports skin’s natural moisture content, helps skin appear smoother, and reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
  • Vitamin E: Provides antioxidants, helps condition and soothe skin and stave off environmental aggressors.
  • Micro-Pearls: Finely milled minerals with light-reflecting properties that amplify skin’s natural radiance for a beautifully luminous effect.
  • Avobenzone 3%, Octinoxate 7.5%, Octisalate 5%, Octocrylene 7.5%: Sunscreen.

Ingredients
Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glycerin, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Cetyl Dimethicone, Polysorbate 60, Butylene Glycol, Hexyl Laurate, Colloidal Oatmeal, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Camellia Sinensis (White Tea) Leaf Extract, Carbomer, Tribehenin, Limonene, Tetrasodium EDTA, Aminomethyl Propanol, Citrus Nobilis (Mandarin Orange) Peel Oil, Allantoin, Sodium Ascorbate, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Chrysanthemum Parthenium (Feverfew) Extract. May Contain (+/-): Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Iron Oxides (Ci 77492, Ci 77499, Ci 77491), Mica.

Now, the shade selection is somewhat limited by today’s standards… There are only 10 shades available, but at least there’s a nice variety of undertones represented, including pink, neutral and olive, so it’s a decent selection overall.

It’s made for normal, dry and combination skin types, but it’s supposed to be particularly good for people with sensitive skin. I’m combo oily and dry, with a tendency to break out when “Aunt Flo” visits, and my skin has been great with it so far. I just use it on its own — no primer underneath — and I skip the setting powder.

If you ever find that you need extra coverage with it, just grab a good liquid concealer and mix it in.

I like to apply a thin layer of Tan (First Aid Beauty’s equivalent of a MAC NC42) all over my face, let it dry for a minute or two, and then I’ll place another dollop of Tan on the back of my hand, which I’ll then mix with a little bit of a fuller-coverage liquid concealer, like Kevyn Aucoin Supernatural (works great for this!).

Then I’ll gently buff the tinted moisturizer-concealer mix with a tapered eye brush on specific spots on my cheeks and around my nose and mouth. Together that will stay put and work for the day.

If you’ve tried the tinted moisturizers by Laura Mercier or It Cosmetics and liked everything about them except the coverage (because you wanted more), I think you’ll love it…assuming you can find a shade that works for you!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

First Thoughts on First Aid Beauty

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first aid beauty
It’s FAB

(Psst!) Guess what I heard over by the water cooler? I heard that the First Aid Beauty line is fab for sensitive, moody skin. Spread the word. ?

Initially, I wanted to give the line a go because of what I’ve heard about their Retinol Eye Cream ($44), even though I’m starting to feel like eye creams are one of those useless endeavors. (Sigh) Part of me still wants to believe there IS something out there that works. To that end, retinol is a compound dermatologists cite over and over and over again as one of the most effective skin care ingredients…

I’ve only been using First Aid Beauty’s Retinol Eye Cream for a week so far, but so far? Well, so far I can say that I like that I can use it around the entire eye area, both in the morning and again at night, and I also like how well it layers under makeup.

I haven’t been using it for long yet, but so far…I’m still waiting for an “A-HA!” moment.

I’ve also been using First Aid Beauty’s Face Cleanser ($21). It’s rated for all skin types, foams up into a lush lather, and I like using it after hard workouts because it completely melts away the sweat AND any leftover makeup. After I use it, my face feels squeaky clean.

First Aid Beauty’s $26 Tinted Moisturizer with SPF 30 is also quite good, especially for no-makeup days, because the sheer coverage and matte finish make it like a more affordable version of Laura Mercier’s iconic $46 tinted moisturizer. There’s a decent range of 10 shades to choose from, too.

And then there’s the Bendy Avocadeo Concealer ($22), which steers clear of my under-eye lines and doesn’t look obvious or heavy…unlike another product (ahem, I’m talking to you, Tarte Shape Tape).

It’s on the sheerer end of the concealer spectrum, so if you’re a fan of MAC Mineralize Concealer or MAC Select Moisturecover (RIP), I think you’ll like it.
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