Unneccessary Essentials

How New York City feels...

I’m pretty sure that January is the worst month of the calendar year for basically everyone. Not only are you exhausted and broke from the holidays, but you also freeze half to death on your way to and from work daily. The shopping assortment is also awful. Everything from fall that you didn’t want is on sale, while spring clothes have yet to arrive. Sure, you can purchase “resort”, but unless you are one of the lucky few that get to jet off to Palm Beach, those clothes will just sit on your shelves for a good two or three months. Plus there are no holidays to look forward to. On the whole, it’s just horrid.

So, to make January a bit better for you all, especially the unlucky few who may have January birthdays and are clueless on what to tell your friends and family you want, I’ve curated a list of “unnecessary essentials” – products you never knew you needed that will change your life once you start using them. Put those gift cards from X-Mas to good use (if you are one of the conservative few who have yet to spend them) and start shoppin’.

Nuxe Reve de Miel

I’m the first to admit that I am a lip balm whore. From the cherry chapstick to the $50+ By Terry rose balm, I’ve got them all. The first thing I do when in a foreign country is check out their assortment of lip balms. Why? I’m not really sure. But I always feel like in some obscure corner of the world I’ll discover the miracle treatment.

As soon as a tinge of chill hits the air, my lips become cracking, peeling, bleeding disasters. Any lip product with color looks horrendous on top of dry skin. Sure, you can exfoliate your lips (I recommend tarte’s maracuja lip scrub), but sometimes, they are so dry that scrubbing is horribly painful. So its back to the balm stash.

My newest addition? Nuxe’s Reve de Miel Ultra Nourishing Lip Balm. The French always get me. This lovely honey-chocolate-yum (I know, I’m so good at describing fragrance) treat melts onto lips leaving a matte finish and makes the perfect base for color. It’s ideal for men who are terrified of looking like they are wearing gloss for this reason as well as possibly getting girls to want to kiss you (that I can’t promise). Sure, it’s expensive ($19.00 for a pot) but you get a ton. I’ve been keeping the pot next to my bed and my lips are looking pretty pouty and well nourished right now.

Do you need expensive “Parisian pharmacy” lip balm? No. But once you’ve experienced it, I don’t think you’ll want to be without it.

Foundation Primer

Foundation primer is sort of a ridiculous product. You don’t really “need” one if you are already applying moisturizer before foundation or tinted moisturizer and properly powdering any areas that tend to get oily through the day. However, there is something about a primer that just seems so luxurious. And it does have its benefits – additional SPF, pore minimization, additional moisture, and even skincare benefits.

Right now, my love is alternating between two primers, two that do entirely different things. I'm kind of a playa. The first, Hourglass No. 28 PrimerSerum, a cocktail of essential oils, smells absolutely divine. I actually wish I could wear this lavender-y, herbal-y serum as a fragrance. But more importantly, it does beautiful things for those of you with dry skin. It makes an ideal base for a more matte foundation, as it will give it a dewy sheen, and provides an environment shield.

The second obsession of mine is tarte’s BB tinted treatment 12-hourprimer SPF 30. At this point, everyone and their mom wants a BB cream. The South Korean (by way of Germany) miracle tinted moisturizer/treatment/sunscreen/etc. has swept the makeup world by storm. Well tarte’s new BB is different, since it is a primer, not just a one color fits all cream. It comes in four shades, applies like a dream, and leaves skin feeling like silk with redness and imperfections diffused and sheerly covered. This works for all skin types, as it will help mattify oil but also keeps skin looking healthy and moisturized. If you tend to be drier, I would put a moisturizer, or even the Hourglass No.28 mentioned above, beneath it. I love buffing it in with their buffer airbrush finish bamboo foundation brush, putting a touch of maracuja creaseless concealer under my eyes, and being done with my skin for that “no makeup” look. When topped with my usual foundation (Nars Sheer Glow), I look like I’m walking around yielding special Instagram skin blur filter powers.

Rodin by Recine Olio Lusso Hair Oil

I’ve previously discussed my obsession with hair serums and oils – Kerastase Elixir Ultime and Moroccan Oil Light turn the parched bottle blonde sass growing out of my head into tamed, shiny locks. So you ask, “well Charlotte, if you already love those products, why try another one?” Because I’m a product addict, damnit!

My wonderful stepbrother gave me an Amazon.com gift card for Christmas (um, basically the best gift ever. You can find ANYTHING on Amazon) and I went buckwild purchasing products I probably would not have spent money on otherwise. Okay, that is totally a lie because I spend lots of money on products, but whatever, I think it’s a decent explanation.

So onto Rodin Olio Lusso. Started  by legendary stylist Linda Rodin, this pricy line has won rave reviews from the who’s who of the glitterati. Since I obviously want to be a part of the aforementioned exclusive clan, I have to try it too.

Turns out, this oil is a dream. After I shampoo and condition with Alterna’s Caviar Moisturizing Shampoo & Conditioner (new favorite), I brush out my hair (I know, I really should comb it) and apply the smallest dab of this stuff to the ends. Seriously, the smallest amount you can get out of the dropper, because there were several days when I applied far too much and I looked sort of expensively dirty. It smells essential-oily and awesome, and leaves frizz flattened, ends smoothed, and a gleam of health behind.

SOS: Save Our Skin





           It’s that time of year again – the air is brisker, the coats are essential, and unfortunately, your skin is suffering. Well, mine is at least. As soon as that snap of cold hits, I suddenly transform into something quite similar to a snake – the skin on my cheeks and forehead is so dry it begins to flake, my lips crack, my hands ache from dryness, and my body is as soft as sandpaper. Lovely, right? Thankfully, in my years of beauty product obsession, I have found some incredible healers that prevent the dramatic molting from occurring.

Contrary to the look of this slightly spooky black and white photo, oils are not to be feared.

          I have very dry, sensitive skin, but I get an oily t-zone. In a humid climate, such as India or NYC, my skin does fairly well in the spring and summer – it appears moisturized, and even has a slight glow. In a dry climate, like California, or basically anywhere during the fall and winter, I look like I’ve aged more than a few years. Thankfully, I’ve found a magic combination that seems to keep my skin supple and healthy-looking rather than dehydrated and parched. I only cleanse at nighttime in the shower – I first remove my makeup (pre-shower) with Amore Pacific Cleansing Oil, which is a splurge and a half but absolutely amazing, and afterwards, cleanse with Mario Badescu’s Acne Facial Cleanser. I finish my routine by mixing several drops of tarte’s pure maracuja oil with Sanre Organic’s Siesta Sunset face cream, which contains avocado and seabuckthorn oils. I religiously wear eye cream (currently tarte’s C-brighter maracuja eye treatment) for its “preventative aging” properties. I wake up with the soft, redness-free and dewy skin that I have always dreamed of. In the morning, instead of cleansing, which I find dries me out immensely, I simply tone with Thayer’s Rose Petal Toner, to get rid of oilies on my t-zone, and smooth on a light layer of whatever day cream I’m using; at the moment it is Mario Badescu’s A.H.A. and Ceramide Moisturizer. I follow with my makeup application. If I happen to get a breakout, I spot treat, rather than using an all-over acne serum, which I find dries me out. I use the classic Mario Badescu Drying Lotion. The lesson here? To “winterize” your favorite cream, add facial oil, like the aforementioned tarte product. Don’t believe the common misconception that oil will break you out. In fact, it will help acne. Facial cleansing oils (R.I.P. Shu in America) are some of my favorite products to try on the planet.

Are my lips chapped?!

          Lip balm is essential for everyone – men, women, and children. I probably have enough to supply them all. I think my lips are the first thing to feel the cold, as they go from kissable (or so I’d like to think) to pathetically dry in a matter of minutes in the brisk air. I can’t deny my love for classic Spearmint Chapstick, but if you want something a little more special, and much more pricey, By Terry and Sara Happ both make incredible products that smell divine. If it’s color I’m after and I will be walking for miles on the chilly streets and braving the windy gusts in Manhattan, I go for tarte’s LipSurgences, since I’m partial to matte lips if I wear a bright and basically every other matte dries me out to the max. Lively, a deep bright pink shade, flatters seriously everyone. The peppermint scent and tingle of these is quite addicting as well.

 I am almost as picky with body creams as I am with my foundation. There are only a handful of products that I’ve found that actually bestow immense moisture, don’t cause sensitive skin breakouts and flare-ups, and do not offend my nasal passage to the highest degree. Kiehls Crème de Corps Body Butter is my ultimate, but the high price tag can be a bit off-putting, so in a penny-pinching move,  Aveeno’s Skin Relief Moisture Repair Cream does the trick.

While this hair looks awesome in editorials, the same cannot be said for it in real life.

         Friends, I’ve recently discovered a miracle for my seriously fried hair. What is it, you ask? Shea Moisture Restorative Conditioner. I’m fairly certain it is not intended for my lame white girl hair, but boy does it penetrate and leave my strands soft and silky. Preceded by Oribe Moisture Shampoo and followed by one pump of Kerastase Elixir Ultime, I can actually see light bounce off my hair, which is a feat that I have been unable to complete since going blonde.

Obviously, I glow this much, if not more

          Last but not least, a product that helps you fake it (til you make it): RMS Beauty’s Living Luminizer. Formulated without any harmful chemicals and choc full of coconut oil, this super organic highlighter is a god-send for skin that has been pelted by the elements. Worn on the tops of cheekbones, beneath the brow bone, on the cupid’s bow of the lips and the tip of the nose, people will never guess you’ve basically been suffering from pneumonia since October 1^st hit. It’s not obviously shimmery, either, so guys, feel free to apply and get compliments.  

It goes without saying that a healthy diet will help your skin as well. Right now I'm loving Green Monsters - Spinach/banana/cocoa/flax/protein smoothies that I make daily in my beloved Vitamix and look quite putrid but taste delicious and are full of nutrients to heal you from the inside out.

P.S.: I would have done a proper product photoshoot for this, but I have been beyond busy between moving, work, and school. I'm quite pleased with the shelving I've installed in my bathroom. Here are some instagram photos; official shots to follow soon.

 

Change: The Only Constant

Image via Pinterest

           If there is anything I’ve learned in the 21 years of my life, it is that the only thing constant in life is change. One minute you think you have everything planned to a T, and suddenly, your plans go up in smoke and everything does a 180.

           I just arrived from San Francisco to NYC two Saturdays ago, and I just signed the lease on my first apartment – in SoHo, one of my favorite parts of Manhattan. Along with the move came the start of a new job, as marketing coordinator, at tarte cosmetics, where I will help to plan in-store promotional events and company video shoots, work on makeup artist education and training, and help with marketing copy. It is a perfect position for me because it takes both my writing skills and makeup artistry into account, allowing me to help create facecharts and looks to correspond with upcoming products, while giving me the security you have in an office environment as opposed to freelancing. So to say that I have been busy is an understatement.

          If you aren’t yet familiar with tarte cosmetics, you should get in-the-know now. Started by Maureen Kelly in her one-bedroom NYC apartment not too long ago, the brand has an amazing line of “high performance naturals” – products that are free of many of the harmful preservatives, irritants, and other icky things we see in many cosmetics lines. Many of the products are vegan and all are cruelty free. tarte’s products are fun and trendy, but they also seriously work. The company has won a plethora of beauty awards from Allure, Elle, and many other publications.

          I covered my favorite tarte products in the past, but I want to introduce a new fall launch that I absolutely adore: the Call of the Wild palette and eye liner, only available at Ulta. Not only is the black and leopard packaging super-chic, but the eye shadows inside really work. Most are bronzy neutrals, but I love the navy shade – “roar” – which is an unexpected pairing with the shimmering burgundy, “wild”.

          I’m so, so excited to start working seriously for a line that I love, and while this fall will be plenty busy, I can’t wait for the chaos! I find that I am the type of person that does much better on a regular schedule. Between tarte, my last few credits in college, enjoying what New York has to offer, and of course, blogging, I may suffer from a severe lack of sleep but I’m fairly certain it will all be worth it.   

Top Five: Tarte

This past summer, I had the opportunity to intern at Tarte Cosmetics, and worked as a freelance makeup artist for the line. Before this, I kept several Tarte products in my kit, but did not get to try the whole line. I’m so glad I had the chance to! Tarte is a fabulous, all-natural line available at Sephora and Ulta stores, as well as on QVC, in the U.S., and will soon be available in the U.K. Besides the amazing fact that the products are free of many of the harmful ingredients that show up in most cosmetics, the colors are incredibly pigmented and long-wearing, and are growing more and more popular with pro makeup artists. Without further ado, here are my top five favorite Tarte products:

You know what my least favorite question is? “If you were stranded on a desert island, what three makeup items would you bring?” Since I don’t really plan on trying out for Survivor anytime soon, I don’t think that I need to think about this, or even choose, because I just love too many products! Plus, if I was stranded on a desert island, I’m sure I wouldn’t need any makeup as I’d become quite beautiful with all of the coconut milk I’d be drinking and the omega-3’s from the fish I’d be catching. But IF I did really have to choose, I’d say Tarte’s Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Illuminating Serum would be in that top three. It is an absolute multitasker; I use it as foundation base, tinted moisturizer (I mix it with a foundation), highlighter, even body illuminator. But my favorite, top secret makeup artist trick for it? To add extra oomph to a smokey eye. After applying your eye makeup, simple apply a tiny amount with a domed concealer brush beneath the eye. It will catch any dark shadow fallout as well as give a clean, polished look and illuminate dark circles. I use this product every day, without fail. It doesn’t contain any chunky glitter, but instead imparts a soft, candlelit glimmer. Perfect.

2.     There are many days when I simply don’t feel like putting on makeup, but I need something to perk up my face. The solution to this age-old dilemma is Tarte’s LipSurgence Matte Lip Tint in Lively. The color is so unique; I’m a major fan of both YSL and MAC’s hot pinks and nothing in their lines come close. Deep, electric-but-not-neon pink that looks fabulous on every skintone, from ivory to the deepest chesnut. With a touch of mascara and concealer, you are out the door. Caution: don’t wear this color if you don’t want people asking what you are wearing.

3.     The next product is one that looks awful on me, but incredible on those with deep skintones: Tarte for True Blood Cheekstain. It’s a stunning, candy-apple red infused with gold shimmer that gives an amazing, glowing from within look. I’ve sold this miraculous product to women from age thirteen all the way up to eighty – it’s just that good. If you haven’t tried Tarte’s cheek stains yet, you must. Besides the addicting clean, lemongrass scent (which I keep begging the Tarte gals to make into a perfume or candle), the formula is unlike anything else – a smooth, almost-opaque gel that blends with fingertips or stippling brush and lasts for hours. While this cheek stain is no longer available in stores, you can still get it on the Tarte website – take the chance.

4.     If you read beauty blogs, I’m sure you’ve heard of Cle de Peau’s amazing concealer – and its hefty price tag. Yes, it is worth it, but if its just not in your price range, give Tarte’s Amazonian Clay Waterproof Concealer a try. The formula is wonderfully thick, to cover basically anything, from blemishes to undereye circles to hickeys, but doesn’t crease at all. It even covers dark spots or deeply pigmented rosacea. And at $22, it’s a total beauty steal!

5.     This last product such an on-set staple, I keep at least two in my makeup kit and one in my brush belt for instant touch ups – Tarte’s Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Finishing Powder. I guess I just can’t get enough of Amazonian Clay – but it really is a miracle ingredient! If you’ve tried Bare Minerals Mineral Veil or Makeup Forever HD Powder, this puts those to shame – it sets makeup without ever getting cakey, and keeps the oilies at bay for hours. If you’ve never tried a loose powder, consider one if your skin tends to shine several hours after foundation application. This powder also comes in a Bronze shade, so those with deeper skin tones, or anyone looking for a subtle (faux) tan, can get a flawless, poreless complexion as well.