As a blogger for the past 5 years, I’ve been so lucky to be able to try so many new products, especially in beauty. Lately I’ve tried some really amazing stuff in the beauty department, and there’s a handful that I wanted to include in a round up for some “must trys” as we’re heading into the warmer months.

Below find 10 beauty products to try right now.

Here wearing Chanel’s eyebrow pencil, Kat Von D’s Tattoo Liner, and Charlotte TIlbury’s Magic Away concealer.

1) La Mer The Concentrate

Yes, it’s pricey, but this stuff really lives up to the hype. I’ve adapted to using it every morning under my makeup routine as it gives my skin an added boost of moisture with a matte finish that’s perfect under foundation or tinted moisturizer. I would recommend for all skin types - and a little goes a long way, so you can use a bottle for up to a year!

2) Salt by Hendrix Illuminate Facial Glow Highlighter

This brand is completely clean and this highlighter is made from a base of coconut oil, making it great for dry skin. Gives you moisture and a subtle glow without looking too shiny. A little also goes a long way here! My favorite shade is “showstopper” , the perfect golden glow.

3) Sulwhasoo Essential Lip Serum Stick

This is the lip product I never knew I needed but now I can’t live without. It’s a lipstick, gloss, and hydrating serum all in one. It has such a pretty sheer color you can use any time even if you’re not wearing makeup and I take it every where with me! A must for the summer when you just want to sport a tan and a little pop of color on your lips. My favorite shade is #5, blossom coral!

4) Mamonde Hydrating Beauty Rose Water

I have dry and sensitive skin so I’ve never been huge into toners because they always feel drying. This product changed my mind about that. This rose water not only is great as a toner but also adds moisture to your face and is awesome before you use your serums / moisturizers! It also smells amazing, like roses because it’s 90% comprised of organic rose water from damask roses.

5) Kat Von D Tattoo Liner - Trooper Black

This is my ride or die favorite black liquid liner for the perfect cat eye. I recently strayed and tried some others which made me wonder why I would even try to find a new liquid eyeliner. So many eyeliners give me full blown allergic reactions and this one does not. It goes on black and the applicator is precise. It’s also quite affordable. 10/10 if you’re looking for a new super black liner! It’s also Vegan and cruelty free. I’m wearing it in the photo above!

6) Eve Lom Rescue Mask

If you follow me on Instagram and ever watch my stories, you know I have mentioned this mask A LOT, lol. I discovered this mask over the holidays and have been using it ever since. It’s a one stop shop when your skin just isn’t looking it’s best self. Helps minimize pores, detox your skin, promotes radiance, I could go on and on. The only downside is it kind of smells strong / weird, but since it works so well it’s definitely something I can get past. A must try!

7) Chanel Beauté Crayon Sourcils

This eyebrow pencil is my go-to, and in the summer your brows play an important part of your face if you’re going for a more stripped down look. It has a wax-like texture which is great for shaping, and it’s really a one stop shop for your brows. I usually use/ wear it alone, or with Glossier’s boy brow when I want to do a bolder brow. Color #10 is epic for blondes and one pencil lasts at least 4-6 months even using it every day. I never leave home without this.

8) Charlotte Tilbury Magic Away Concealer

I’m pretty obsessed with everything Charlotte Tilbury lately, and I LOVE this concealer. It has a super cool applicator and just works so well at exact application, doesn’t fall into creases easily, blends amazing with other makeup, and gives your face an overall flawless appearance.

9) Elemis Pro Collagen Oxygenating Night Cream

This night cream is the bomb. I love layering it with my serums and notice a difference in my skin when I’m not using it. It’s certified natural, smells great, and if you need a new night time moisturizer highly recommend giving this one a go.

10) Cover FX Power Play Foundation

This foundation is full coverage but doesn’t feel heavy on your face. It has a matte finish which layers great over your moisturizers and serums and sets a great base for when you’re doing a full face of makeup. It also comes in over 30+ shades which is amazing! Cover FX also makes booster drops you can add to this for added benefits. I use the antioxident one for a vitamin boost! If you’re similar skin to me and wondering what shade, I’m a shade G30. It’s also certified clean so you can trust wearing it all day, which is great.

Hope this is helpful if you’re looking to try some new beauty goods in the next few months and you find something new to be a fan of! Let me know if you do try or purchase any of these what you think! I’d love to hear your thoughts as well!

We also are hosting a little giveaway with a few other bloggers for $400 to Amazon on this post! Check out the details below and good luck.

xx

Genevieve

Time to treat yourself to some of your Amazon favorites this Spring!
I've teamed up with a group of bloggers to give you
a chance to win a $400 Amazon Gift Card!

To enter: complete the steps in the rafflecopter below. The more steps you complete,
the more entries you receive, and the better your chance at winning!
This giveaway runs until Thursday, June 13th at 12am PST

Winner will be announced here. Good Luck!
*this giveaway is in no way sponsored by Amazon.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I’ve always been one of those girls who had pretty good eyebrows, but like, they aren’t the best. I could best describe my brows as having long hairs, but kinda patchy, and the shape of my left and right one aren’t 100% symmetrical. I fill in my brows every single day actually - usually with Chanel’s brow pencil #10, but I’ve tried a smattering of brow products in my quest for the perfect shape, color, etc.

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen my stories for the past couple of weeks, and noticed that I recently went to try microblading on my brows. Something I’ve long wondered about but always been too scared to try, I eventually took the plunge last week because I found Alix of Hairy Little Things on Instagram, and really LOVED her work.

Alix the brow wonder maker of Hairy Little Things

Microblading tends to get a bad rap for making people look not like themselves, like super overly dark or dramatic, or can look just too “done” or Kim Kardashian-like. While that’s totally great if that’s what you’re going for, I’ve always been more into a natural look and makeup. All that aside, I did feel like my eyebrows were a little patchy. What if I could find something in between, I said? A microblading treatment that would simply fill in my imperfect hair gaps, but not change my face completely. Against the recommendations of literally all of my friends and family (lol) I decided to give it a go. While I’m still healing a bit, it’s safe to say at this point I’m happy with the results and would do it again. I can see how this becomes an addictive thing like lash extensions, and I’m not fully sure if I’ll ever be the same, in a good way. Yeah. I’m kinda addicted to microblading. So, read on to hear everything you need to know if you’re considering trying it.

Before and after seeing Hairy Little Things for Microfeathering

1) What IS Microblading / MicroFeathering exactly?

So contrary to popular belief, microblading is not a tattoo. It’s a semi permanent treatment actually, unlike a tattoo, it only goes into the epidermis, not as far into your skin as a tattoo does. So the process is kind of like tiny little skin scrapes or tiny cuts into the top layer of your skin with a dye that is similar to henna. The esthetician takes a tiny blade (hence the name), and does hair-like strokes, and then fills them with the ink that he or she will color match with your hair color. What I did is technically called Micro FEATHERING, and that is more the filling in of the hairs versus completely changing the shape or doing a major restructure.

2) Does it hurt?

So this was my most asked question on social media about the process and the answer for me is no. There is a topical numbing agent that is applied before the technician will be begin which will numb the area, so if anything it just feels like a weird uncomfortable scratching, but I definitely wouldn’t call it pain. Now with that said it WOULD hurt if you don’t do numbing cream, so I highly suggest not opting out on that. I have done tattoos, botox, etc, so I wouldn’t consider myself the most squeamish when it comes to these sorts of treatments, so if you know you could get faint make sure you eat before hand and make sure you can relax. It was no big deal at all for me, but again everyone is different when it comes to pain and pain management.

3) Were you scared?

So, yeah, not really. I went to someone who’s work I familiarized myself with before hand and really liked how natural she made her clients look which made me trust her process. Alix works on a lot of really hot babes in LA, some fellow influencers, celebrities, and even works on tv shows, etc, so I knew she was the one to trust my face with, and I’m so glad I found her! She also has worked on a lot of blondes which I loved because a lot of microblading I’ve seen on the internet was on brunettes or more ethnic girls and it was hard for me to visualize what it would look like for me having lighter hair. That being said, I was actually wayyy more excited than scared to see her! What I’d recommend the most if you’re having second thoughts but really want to try the treatment, is to find testimonials and photos of previous clients they’ve done who’s brows you really like, that will be a good way to gauge if you’ll be happy with their outcome/ finished product. Do a lot of research!

Some of Alix’s before and afters of various clients.

4) How long does the treatment take?

The treatment took an hour total and was really chill. After 10-15 minutes with the numbing cream on, you just lay on a bed similar to getting a facial and she does her thing.

5) How long is the downtime?

So for me it was only a few days, but everyone is different and there are different skin types. Days 1-3 they were really kinda dark darker than I would want them normally, and kind of felt like my eyebrows were really sunburned. By day 5 they were itching a bit because of the healing aspect. I also couldn’t touch them or get them wet for a week which was the hardest part for me because I had to chill on my skin regime and face masks which I’m used to doing every day haha. I ended up working around that my using a washcloth instead my usual lather when I washed, and just laid back on my products that could irritate my skin further i.e. glycolic, vitamin c serums, etc. After day 5-6 everything felt like it was back to normal. Really - it’s a pretty easy healing process, and given I went out the day after with no problems it’s not a big deal at all.

6) How Often do you have to do it?

Microblading / micro feathering lasts 1-2 years usually, but you may need a touch up in between depending on how full you want your brows, and again on what your skin type is/ how thick it is.

7) How much does it cost?

Alix at Hairy Little Things charges $650 for a session. Not bad when you consider all the time and money you can save not doing your brows every morning! Also, this is not the kind of thing you want to get a discount or Groupon for, you get what you pay for with beauty services, and you don’t want to play around when it comes to your face!

8) Would you do it again?

LOL yes. Times 100. I will definitely be going back ! Thank you Alix, aka Hairy Little Things for my dreammm brows, you have a client forever!

Hairy Little Things studio, Arts District, Downtown Los Angeles

If you’re an LA local, or will be here sometime soon and want to book an appointment with Hairy Little Things, you can find all her info below! She’s also taking microblading appointments in NYC January 17th + 18th, 2019 for all you east coasters.

Hairy Little Things

941 East 2nd St. #109
Los Angeles, CA 90012

alix@hairylittlethings.com

 

xx, Genevieve

I'm getting really, really, real today and talking about something most people do (especially in L.A.!) and never mention a word about: botox and fillers. GASP.

First of all, I think the double standard in this country ('Merica) needs to go. The fact that a female should always look beautiful effortlessly and never talk about what they did to get there is so totally ridiculous. I'd really like to change how procedures like Botox is looked down on, and maybe that's a tall order for one blog post, but I hope if you're reading this that it removes even the tiniest bit of stigma about trying something you've been wanting to do in the realm of beauty treatments or plastic surgery. While I've never had plastic surgery, I did recently try botox and fillers for dark circles that have always bothered me. If I needed it, I'd get plastic surgery, too. I believe if something bothers you and you have the means to fix it, by all means DO it! 

For my recent experience I visited SkinByLovely, which is this gorgeous, super nice medi-spa in Santa Monica. Centrally located to the Westside of LA, but also close to Brentwood and Central Los Angeles, I would highly HIGHLY recommend them. Their space is beautiful, clean, and they specialize just in doing these types of treatments so I knew I was in good hands. For my visit I was attended to by the lovely Morgan, who was like a Botox fairy who made me feel SO at ease. Seriously I went in there nervous about the experience, which totally went away after about 5 seconds in their lobby. I literally almost changed my mind about doing this blog and going in for the treatment, but finally grew some and thought it was a great opportunity to get out of my comfort zone and talk aobut something most just won't. 

If you're in your mid 20's - early 30's and wondering about trying Botox, Juvaderm, Restalyn, or any other kind of filler, keep reading for some tips and for some words of wisdom about my experience. 

The rooms are SkinByLovely, clean and bright.

1) Why fillers?

Like I said above, I went in not even sure I'd do the filler under my eyes, cause I was actually scared, even though it's something I've been thinking about trying for a while. Why fillers for dark circles? Well, basically, as you age, your dark circles get worse due to loss of collagen and volume in your under eye skin, which is very thin.  Sometimes people naturally have dark circles under their eyes even at a young age. I've always had them, not terribly bad, but I've noticed lately them being worse with how stressed I've been and because of work. Other than that, I've always been blessed with good skin, which made me really focus on this one thing I didn't like about my face. (OK there's others but we all have flaws, whatever) Anyways, I heard about doing fillers in this area to make dark circles better probably 10 years ago, but I finally bit the bullet and decided to try it this time around.

Here's what the experience was like. First, Morgan took a numbing agent to my upper cheeks above my cheek bones to numb the area under my eyes which is obviously really sensitive. After I was numbed, I basically didn't feel anything except for a little pinch when she put the (very) long needle into my under eye area. This was the hardest part. She asked me if I wanted to see her putting it in and I said yes (stupid), which FREAKED me out. Turns out I don't like the way it looks with a needle 1/2 an inch from my eyeball. That being said, if you're squeemish like me, don't ask to look during the process, LOL! 

2) It doesn't hurt.

As for the botox, it was really mild. I asked her to put it in my forehead where I feel like I furrow my brows a lot, but I was really emphatic about her only using a little bit. I don't want freezer face EVER, and she totally understood - and said she wouldn't have given me a ton even if I asked for it. ha. I think I had something in the 10 units range. Most places charge 5-15 dollars per unit, so really it was just a small amount. You usually don't need a lot in your forehead unless you're older or have a lot of really deep lines. 

3) How does it work?

Botox basically paralyzes the muscles to smooth out the skin that's on top of it, and prevents wrinkles by relaxing the muscles wherever it's placed. It's good to do in small amounts in your 20's to prevent wrinkles, especially if you start to notice them early on. As for the fillers, there are different kinds for different uses and there's too many to try to go into them all here, but basically they can be used to plump up any area - lips, cheeks, filling in lines like around your mouth (called nasolabial folds), or under eyes to help with dark circles. Clearly, I got the filler under my eyes for this purpose. Two of the most popular fillers are Juvaderm (commonly used in the lips), and Restylane.  The one I tried is called Restylane.

4) Do I see a difference?

Yes, but I don't think a lot of other people can tell. It's not drastic, but I never wanted it to be!  It's almost just like I look like a more relaxed, well slept version of myself. I like it. ALOT. Maybe too much! I'm kind of scared for it to wear off because I like the results so much. 

5) How long does it last?

Again, it depends. Botox usually lasts 3-6 months but it depends on the area and strength of the muscle. People even get it in sweat glands or put it in their jaw for teeth grinding, which are really strong areas that have to get treatment usually more frequently. The fillers last longer, up to 2 years, depending on which ones you get.

5) Would I do it again?

Yes!!! Especially the botox. I think I'll keep maintaining it twice a year or something like that to prevent wrinkles, depending on when or if I think I need it. Like I said before I never want to totally freeze my face, though. I think human expression in a face is beautiful and I'd never want to get rid of that.

I hope this blog was useful and informative for any of you interested in trying Botox or fillers in the future, and eases fears for those who have been thinking about trying this! Feel free to message me on social media or leave comments below with questions, I'm always here to answer any you may have! Thank you so much to SkinbyLovely for having me and giving me such a great experience, I'll be back soon! 

x, Genevieve

After the fillers with the marks in my cheeks. No dark circles!

Interested in trying injectables, peels, or other skin rejuvenation? Contact SkinByLovely Los Angeles or Portland by visiting their website here.