With 2013 ending and for my last blog post of 2013, I thought it would be fun to post my favorite eye/face looks of 2013 that I've done. 2013 was the year I got very much into makeup, so this was the year of blending practice and exploring colors! I got my DSLR camera in March, so most of the photos are from after March. These are some of the looks I've worn over and over again.
If available, see the products I used for each look by clicking on the links beneath the photos!
1. I love this look so much, I wore it to IMATS 2013!
(Great memory of when I got my wisdom teeth out, haha)
2. This may not be everyones cup of tea, but I wore this ALL the time through the summer. I love orange and blue together. This photo isn't the best example of my blending skills.
I created this look for the first time for Aaron and I's Anniversary, but I thought it could be a great look for New Years Eve if you go out! Even if you don't go out, try this look for Valentine's Day! I will be home on NYE in my PJs watching a movie.
Aaron and I are packing up to head to NYC for our annual Christmas day trip on Friday and I didn't have a chance to film a video on my empties, so I thought I would do a post!
Pangea Organics Soap - This stuff smells AMAZING - like a sexy man! It has a super creamy lather. I had half a bar left in my collection. It does go pretty fast because it starts to melt, and it is expensive, but I would buy it again for the scent alone.
Sweet Creek Herbal Care 'Eucalyptus Mint' Shampoo Bar - This is my favorite hair product of all time. I've been using it for about a year. Leaves my hair SO soft, and I follow it up with an ACV toner. I've already purchased two more bars! Kathleen is having a free shipping sale, so make sure to check out her items! This is my Hair Care Routine video.
Nourish Organics Deodorant - I love this deodorant for the Winter and it's really affordable. It doesn't work as well in Summer, but now that it's colder, it works well. I ordered the Fresh Fig scent and can't wait to smell it.
George's Aloe Spray - I use this on a cotton pad in the morning instead of washing my face. It's refreshing and soothing!
Rainwater Botanicals Intensive Repair Cream - I used to use this on both my face, hands, and body, but when I realized it has soy, which I'm trying to avoid, I decided to finish it up on my hands at night. It's a thinner formula and it smells good! Basin Lime Lip Scrub - I got this at a bath and body store in Downtown Disney this past January I think. It's natural and just has some oils and sugar. I used it in the shower, and I really liked it! I'll probably try a new brand or do a DIY now though.
Twinings Rooibos Tea - I bought this when I was in Vermont over Thanksgiving, so I finished it super fast! Tastes a little sweet - I would repurchase.
Stash Pumpkin Spice Tea - I realize I photographed the non-English side, woops! I actually wasn't a huge fan of this tea at first, but now I miss it! I'm trying to limit my caffeine, and this is a black tea, so I only had it once every few days. I would definitely repurchase!
Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar - I use this after every time I use my shampoo bar. The combination makes my hair incredibly soft. This is my DIY ACV Conditioner Rinse.
So, I attempted to make a pressed bronzer with these little sample sizes I had of some bronzers and the Alima highlight. Total fail, but I do talk about the three bronzers in my first bronzer video. I don't think I'll repurchase any of them soon, since I have quite a decent collection of other bronzers now. Would you like to see a video/post?
I was tagged by the amazing Mary of Pure Makeup to do this tag! Normally I do tags on my Youtube channel, but I thought this one would be fun to type out! I tag Andrea (Shoudra Stargleam) and anyone else that wants to do it.
On my nightstand you’ll find: Deep Steep Body Butter in Brown Sugar Vanilla (amazing!!), Nourish Organics Body Butter, various lip balms including the brands Love & Toast, Sweet Creek Herbal Care, and Rooted. I also have the book 'The Plan" on my nightstand and I stayed up until 5am reading it this morning. If you like nutrition and learning about how food effects the body and weight - READ IT.
The literary character I’m most like is (take this quiz to find your answer): Haha Juliet from Romeo and Juliet. Interesting!
I’m currently obsessed with: Bronzers, for the last month. And trying to find a cream cleanser for my super sensitive skin. (What is your favorite of either?!)
My favorite superhero is: Definitely Batman. My boyfriend Aaron is obsessed with Batman, so I've automatically become a huge fan too.
Favorite beauty product of 2013: Oh gosh. 2013 was a hard year for my skin in general because I developed dermatitis on my face. In general though, I would probably have to say facial oils, specifically Sea Buckthorn oil.
If I could have dinner with anyone dead or alive: I would really like to have dinner with my Dad's mom. She died right before I was born, and meeting her would be amazing.
Winter is coming, how do you prep your skin for battle?: Oils, shea butter, and super light exfoliation! I also apply coconut oil on my arms and legs after showering.
My go-to skin-beautifying snack/drink is: Water, and rooibos tea, lately! Rooibos tea is great for inflammation, so I've been drinking a ton of it over the last few months.
My TV boyfriend is: Benedict Cumberbatch or Joshua Jackson. From the TV shows Sherlock and Fringe, respectively. Freaking love them, and highly recommend watching both shows if you haven't already seen them.
If my evening clutch could hold only one beauty item it would be: I never ever touch up anything other than my lips when I'm out and about, so definitely a tinted lip balm or gloss.
One beauty tip I would pass on to my fictional daughter is: Always use sunscreen!
The most nostalgic item from my childhood is: My blanket!
My favorite show of the moment is: I finished Fringe last week, so that is definitely a current favorite. I also quickly went through 'Under the Dome' in the past few days, which seems to be really popular right now. The first half of the season was pretty good - it was a decent watch overall. Other all-time-favorites include One Tree Hill, Charmed, LOST, and Sherlock! Aaron and I also love watching Downton Abbey and Mr. Selfridge together.
My favorite quote is: The one that always comes to mind is - "No tears in the write, no tears in the reader." by Robert Frost. I have it tattooed on my right side.
I hope you guys enjoyed reading and are having a great day. It's snowing outside and I'm drinking tea - yum!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope you're having a great day with family and friends! Brija Cosmetics
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I just did a post (and video) talking about my 2 month Gluten/Dairy free experience in regards to my diet change and supplements I added. This is a collective list of all of the skincare products I've tried in the last 3 months. It may seem like a lot, and normally you should give products at least 2 weeks to see if they work for your skin, but I knew within 3 days if these products were working for my SD. I wanted to simplify my skincare routine heavily and use very natural products.
This was the first actual cleansing product I started using for my SD. It did make it better initially, but then gradually started being less effective. However, aside from my SD, it was breaking the rest of my face out.
Oatmeal Powder (Early September)
-I ground oats down to a powder, but it was still too rough and exfoliated my skin too much.
Apple Cider Vinegar Toner – ¼
ACV with filtered water
-Even watered down, this was too strong for my SD. I love ACV for my hair routine (LINK), but it did not help my face and really made me break out.
-Plumped the
skin at night and made my SD feel like real skin, but I didn't see a difference over the week I used it. Also started getting ‘Pilly’ during the day.
I thought this really would have been a difference in my SD because of the Sea Buckthorn, Tamanu, etc. It's not that this didn't work, but I did notice my itching started to increase a little bit. I'll still use this sometimes periodically. I LOVE the packaging.
Dr. Bronner's Peppermint + Tea Tree Castile Soap - (Early November)
-Peppermint and Tea Tree are natural antifungals, so I decided to try them. They are much too harsh for my skin, and the Tea Tree especially made my skin so incredibly itchy. I think my skin is too sensitive for TT.
-I think this was harboring bacteria and it was much too much exfoliation for my SD on a daily basis. I threw it out recently.
Homemade Jojoba Oil blend with Oregano + Tea Tree
-I made this blend myself, and I think the addition of the tea tree prevented it from helping my SD. Oregano is supposed to be great for it because of its antifungal properties.
Now, I'm Currently Using;
I went back to using Raw Honeyon all parts of my face aside from the SD. I've read that honey has worked amazingly for some people's SD, but for mine is doesn't. When I was using the Sibu Bar Soap, my skin was constantly broken out for months. Honey is the only thing that keeps my acne at bay.
Fage 2% Greek
Yogurt – 30 minutes
I read a blog post on how greek yogurt helped his dermatitis and decided to try it out. First time,
right after – redness went done a lot. I'm still a little conflicted. It has been very calming on my skin, but I'm confused as to why I can put yogurt on my face but eating dairy makes my SD worse.
Trust Nature Oil for SD - (Early November) This made a huge difference in the first week I used it, but now I feel it's working less and less. I still highly recommend it.
My skin started getting better immediately when I started using this. Before, I was just using oils to moisturize, including my well loved Sibu Sea Buckthorn Oil. I think my skin really needed moisture. I still haven't found a miracle product, but I do think my skin largely depends on my diet and what I eat. Do you have sensitive skin? What are your favorite products for eczema or dermatitis?
