Beautycounter – Page 6

Holiday Gift Guide 2017: Hostess Gifts

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2017: HOSTESS GIFTS

‘Tis the season for holiday parties! And any good Southern girl knows that she needs to take the hostess a little token of her appreciation for inviting her to such a festive occasion. Here are a few gift ideas for the hostesses of your holiday soirées.

Kate Spade Things We Love Coffee Table Book– I actually have this book and love it. It’s such a fun book to look at, and guests love to flip through it too. It’s delightfully cheery and perfect for the color-loving hostess in your life.
Lux Candle in Fraser Fir– This is hands down my favorite candle ever. And I’m a lover of Leaves from Bath and Body Works and most Tyler Candles, but this one…it’s the best. It is so festive and so fragrant. Bonus for the locals- The Pineapple sells these and in these cute gift boxes too! I took the topper off the box and made an ornament out of it this year.
William Sonoma Peppermint Bark– I remember the first time I ever tried this stuff. And every Christmas I’ve found a way to go in and sample it or get a tin. It’s a great hostess gift because she can stash it away for herself or open it up to serve at the party. Can’t go wrong with this one.
Kate Spade Deco Dot Round Baker– I think this would be a great gift to give if you had to bring a dish for a pot luck dinner. Bring your pie, quiche, or whatever you make in this adorable baker and tell the hostess she gets to keep the dish too! I would be delighted. Kate Spade is one of my favorites and can be found often at TJ Maxx and Home Goods at a bit of a discount.
Plaid Cooking Apron from Hearth and Hand at Target– I couldn’t not add something from Hearth and Hand. I think this apron is so festive and would be perfect to pull out every Christmas. It’s also really cute, and I wouldn’t mind wearing it in front of my guests as I finished cooking.
Laura in the Kitchen Cookbook– Laura Vitale is one of the first YouTubers I watched. She still posts cooking videos on her YouTube channel, and trust me, you want to check her out. I made Croque Madame from following her videos. That’s saying something, y’all. The cookbook is beautiful and has wonderful Italian-American recipes that make you want to have Sunday dinner with your whole family whether you’re Italian or not.
Faux Fur Wine Bag– The wine bag in the picture and in this link is to Restoration Hardware. They have a great selection, but another perk for the locals- Vesta Taylor had them in her store downtown a few weeks ago, and I thought they were luxuriously soft. If you’re going to get one, get one from her! It’s such an on-trend way to gift a bottle of vino to your hostess.
Cer Blue Flower Vase from At Home– You can’t go wrong with a fresh bouquet of flowers for your hostess, and this vase takes it to the next level. And it’s on clearance for $2.49 right now!! Yes! Under $3! This one’s a no-brainer.
Holiday Soap Trio from Beautycounter– With guests in and out of her house and bathrooms, what hostess doesn’t need a nice set of hand soaps? The best thing about this soap is it’s toxin-free and safe for her and all of her guests to use.

Happy Shopping, y’all!

XO,

Elizabeth

Holiday Gift Guide 2017: My Personal Wish List

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2017: MY PERSONAL WISH LIST

I used to make a list of what I wanted for Christmas. I’m talking well into my 20s, I still made a list. I don’t do that anymore…mostly because Paul thought I was being ridiculous. So now, I just send him links of things I want randomly and drop hints here and there. But now that I’m in the blogging world, I get to make my list again. Take that, Paul! 🙂 He knows I’m kidding, and probably knows everything that I’m going to tell you about.

In all seriousness, I share this list not to receive gifts but to share some things that I would like to have, things that I already have, and things that I’m planning to give to others. Hopefully this will give you an idea for a few people that are on your list to buy for this Christmas.

Sony Alpha a6000 Mirrorless Digital Camera– I cannot stop thinking about this camera. It is on my Gifts for Him gift guide coming soon, and I’m putting it here again. I NEED a camera with my blog. Running on an iPhone with photo editing apps only takes you so far. Amazon says they only have 3 left! They’re on sale right now, and when they come back, who knows what they’ll cost?! SANTA, PLEASE!!
Mophie Charging Case– I run through my cell phone battery so quickly. I use it a lot in the mornings to binge watch Downton Abbey while I’m getting ready, so by the time I get to school I’m down to 50%. I charge it when I get there, but I do a lot of other things on my phone, as we all do, in the evenings, and I would like to not be in the red all the time. I think this would be a great investment for those of us on our phones a lot (for work or play).
Ikea Ribba Frame– I’ve been thinking about making some changes to my gallery wall in my living room (see it here), and I’m liking more of a grid layout. These frames have a thick mat and clean lines for the look I’m hoping to create.
Shark Steam Mop– Truth is, I need a mop. I have had a Shark before, but it finally wore out. They have come down significantly in price since we got married seven years ago which is a major bonus.
Hearth and Hand Salt and Pepper Cellars– Clearly I’m obsessed with Hearth and Hand by Chip and Joanna Gaines, but I’ve long ago been a fan of these little cellars. Giada always had them and now I can get my hands on some really cute ones for an amazing price.
Montmartre Art Print at Minted– I am on the lookout for a large print to go on the other wall of our dining nook, and I think I just found it. Minted has countless options for beautiful artwork and frames it for you too. I love everything about this print (especially that striped awning).
Zoya Nail Polish in Marnie– Fun fact: This nail polish is named for one of my favorite YouTubers, Ms. Goldgirl. I have this color and have been wearing it a lot this fall season. It looks good on my fair skin and some darker colors are kind of harsh for that reason. This would be a great gift for a girlfriend, daughter, sister, mother, mother-in-law, pretty much any woman. I use Zoya nail polish because it has removed toxic ingredients such as toluene, camphor, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin and DBP (dibutyl phthalate) from its formulation. There are other safe nail polish options out there, but I have only used Zoya. Excellent, long-wearing, and endless color choices to choose from. Also, Zoya has great sales throughout the year. I’ve ordered from them before a lot. I can also find a limited selection of some of their products at Ulta in Montgomery-for you local folks.
L.L. Bean Winter Loft Fleece Jacket– I need an everyday jacket that I can throw on. The one I have now is from college! I’m a little ashamed to admit that. We all know L.L. Bean is excellent quality and super warm. I would love this jacket but in the Cool Silver color.
Steve Madden Mules from Macy’s– I don’t have these exact shoes, but I do have some mules that I found at TJ Maxx. I am obsessed with them and am getting a taupe pair for Christmas. Mine are a velvet material that makes them so warm and cozy looking for the winter months. These are the perfect gift for the fashionista in your life.
Flat Booties– These flat booties are from my favorite boutique in Baton Rouge, Simply Chic Baton Rouge. I linked their Instagram there for you to follow. The absolute nicest girls in the world work there; the owner is just the best, and they will help out your fella when he wants to surprise you with something nice. I miss this store so much! Here’s another picture of how they styled them. And look at those jeans with the pearl detail. Seriously, go check them out.
Howlite Jewelry– I just think this marble-like jewelry is beautiful. I love how it goes with everything and would look great with white for a monochromatic look or really pop against a black outfit. The bracelet here is really cute, but the necklaces can totally be showstoppers.
Ultimate Nudes Palette from Beautycounter– This palette has been on my radar for a while, but I got “the look” from Paul when I mentioned all the things on my Beautycounter wish list. The look that says, “Have you actually seen the credit card bill?” So I have refrained from buying anything else that isn’t a necessity just yet. There are 18 shades to create countless looks. This is the PERFECT gift for the teenage girl on your list. Not only are you giving her something she will love using, but it is the perfect way to introduce her to the world of safer beauty.
Stackable Rings from Everly– I love the look of a stack of sparkly rings. This company produces some of the most gorgeous jewelry. They are mostly simulated stones so the price is excellent. And the Black Friday deal going on right now is Buy 2, Get 4 FREE! What?! You won’t be disappointed looking around this site. Load up your cart and send to your significant other for an extra sparkly present under the tree. I did!
Color Intense Lip Set by Beautycounter– I almost didn’t put this on here because it’s unavailable until December 8th, but these lipsticks are so fantastic, y’all. I was supposed to buy them, share them with my clients, and then put them away for Christmas. But I can’t. They are that good. I highly recommend these for yourself or for the beauty lover in your life.

Happy Shopping, y’all!

XO,

Elizabeth

Holiday Gift Guide 2017: Beauty Lover

Happy Holidays! Well, almost…Thanksgiving is just around the corner and Christmas too, so I feel like it’s ok if I say that.

Today I’m sharing with you some incredible gift ideas for the beauty lover in your life.

Because I’ve joined the mission to get safer products into the hands of everyone,the products in my beauty guide are going to come from Beautycounter. And why not give those that you love something that they can feel good about putting on their bodies. Right now Beautycounter has a great Holiday Collection. I’ve mentioned before how easy it is to break these up and give as gifts to different people. Or, hey, maybe you need a gift for yourself. It is holiday party season after all, and who doesn’t need high-performing, long-wearing beauty products to get us through?

I will say that some of these gift sets have sold out, but have no fear! Almost all of them are coming back!! HOORAY! (That’s all listed under each picture on the Beautycounter website.)

I am here to tell you, I wish I had all of them. That Ultimate Nudes Palette is at the top of my list!

And I’ve really been loving liquid eyeliner lately, so I’ve got my eye on the Nude Eye Trio…let’s be honest, I want the Smokey Eye Trio too, but the nude one would get more use. And if we’re being REALLY honest, I want everything.

I’m a makeup girl. I always have been. Blue eyeshadow up to my eyebrows, pink blush, and red lipstick. That was my go-to look when I played in makeup as a kid. I wanted to be like Dolly.

Heck, I still want to be like Dolly. But now it’s more of the look Dolly has here that I’d like to imitate. 🙂 Gorgeous.

Moving on…

Any of these would make great gifts! And again, breaking them up would be so easy. Just a little something for a friend or coworker, babysitter or teacher, mom or mother-in-law, the list can go on. Unfortunately we aren’t able to restock the Holiday Hand Cream Trio. And trust me, you aren’t the only one upset about that. It was favored by everyone.

The Glow & Go Mini Oils is a shop one, share one special. With any purchase of the Glow & Go Mini Oils set Beautycounter will gift a set to a patient at UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center (JCCC)—a trailblazing destination for research, education, and patient care. What a great thing you’re doing! And not only would this make a great gift for yourself 🙂 but you could also break these up as an indulgent gift for your closest girlfriends without breaking the bank!

There are, of course, so many other options at the Beautycounter website if you don’t see something you like here. You can purchase single lip sheers and lip glosses (which I love), and eye shadow duos and all in a great selection of colors for everyone.

That is the mission after all!

*And here’s some insider info- well just a teaser really- stay tuned for some exciting things to come! You won’t want to miss out!*

If you’re new to the whole Beautycounter thing, please read why I joined this company here.

Then head over to my website and peruse the products. And please contact me if you have any questions. I’d love to help you find a way to get safer products into your hands for you and your family.

Happy Shopping, y’all!

XO,

Elizabeth

Currently Loving- October 2017

CURRENTLY LOVING- OCTOBER 2017

Hi everyone! October is coming to a close and it’s officially holiday season! Hooray! It really is the most wonderful time of the year.

I have to take a minute to talk about that front stoop up there. Isn’t it dreamy? As much as I love the Christmas season and decor, this fall decor is giving me all the feels. It’s from one of my favorite bloggers, Alaina Kaczmarski of The Elizabeth Street Post. I’ll talk more about her later in this post.

But we’re not here to talk about the holidays, we’re here to talk about October. I’d like to share some of the things that came across my path that I loved during this gorgeous month.

Some Cooler Weather

Time for more of those outfits, amiright? About midway through the month it got a little chilly, left for a bit, then on the 28th there was that glorious cold front that came through. It was rainy and cold, and I stayed in and watched Hallmark Christmas movies all day while I worked on Beautycounter business and wrote several blog posts. It was one of those perfect fall days. Only thing that would have made it better was an unnecessary fire in a fireplace I don’t have. Ha! 🙂

I’m a Beautycounter Consultant

That brings me to my second favorite thing about October- Beautycounter. I’ve shared with you some of the products that I’d been using from them before, but this was the month that I signed on to become a consultant. I have a full post on why I joined that I’d love for you to read here. Here are some of my favorite products that I’ve been using from the very beginning of my journey with this wonderful company.

These were the original products that I started with from the brand, and I’ve not turned back. I love them so much, and they’re a safer option for your skin care routine. For more of my favorites read the original post here. You can also check out my right sidebar and choose the Safer Beauty tab to learn more. You can also visit my website with Beautycounter directly right here.

Tip Time

I was listening to Young House Love has a Podcast a while back, and Sherry was saying that one way they keep paper clutter out of their house was to take pictures on your phone of the pages that you like in a magazine and then upload them to a secret Pinterest board so that you don’t have a million magazines lying around your house. And I was like, duh!!! Why didn’t I think of that?! Thanks, Sherry! I just wanted to share that with y’all because it really is that easy! I got rid of SO MANY magazines because I did this and was able to pass the magazines along to friends and the local hospital waiting rooms.

Lighting

As always, I’m trying to find ways to improve my home and make it more “me”. Well, I’ve recently discovered the wonder of the world of lighting. Light fixtures are some of the most brilliant works of art out there. Although, I’m more of a traditionalist when it comes to lighting, there are some really fun and funky options that could totally make your space. Here’s a few that I really love.

Antique Whitewashed Wood Bead Chandelier- World Market

I’ve saved the best for last. The is a photo of one of my very favorite bloggers that lives in one of my very favorite homes I’ve ever seen. Her style is impeccable, and I find myself wanting to copy her decor every time I see a new photo of her home. Look at this chandelier. Look at her whole apartment! It’s seriously one of the most beautiful homes. Remember the front stoop at the top of this post? Same blogger. Her style…ah! I love it! Check out her full home tour here. Trust me, you want to! And then you’ll be mad at me because you’ll immediately want to change everything about your home because her home is perfection.

Music

Every morning when I have my quiet time I listen to instrumental praise music. That’s the name of the Pandora station I listen to, actually. It has introduced me to so many new artists that I wouldn’t have known because I typically don’t listen to instrumental music. But in the mornings with Jesus, it’s nice. This song stopped me in my tracks the first time I heard it, and it still does even though I’ve heard it probably 30 times. I posted about it on my Instagram a while back, but I’m going to share it again here. Have a listen, won’t you?

One more, and DON’T judge ok? I am a big fan of Leslie Odom Jr. He plays Aaron Burr in Hamilton and is starring in the upcoming Murder on the Orient Express. The man has a beautiful voice, and it’s very unique. Last year he came out with a Christmas album, but I didn’t get it for whatever reason. Well, this year he announced he’s re-releasing a deluxe edition of the album. And, well, I caved. And I’m so glad I did! It’s SO GOOD! It was worth the $10 on itunes and will be great to play when I put up the tree. I’m more of a Rat Pack Christmas kind of girl than a Mariah Carey Christmas kind of girl anyway, so Leslie Odom Jr. fits right in with what I like.

Countdown to Christmas

The only other thing I’m loving during October is the Hallmark Channel. The harvest movies were fantastic, of course, and October was the kick-off for Countdown to Christmas. Like I said, it’s the most wonderful time of the year!

I hope everyone has had a lovely October, and I wish you a very Happy November!

XO,

Elizabeth

Leaving my Beauty Mark

Hello my friends. It’s been a long time since I’ve blogged. I guess I’ve been in a creativity rut. Also, work is keeping me pretty busy, so projects have been put on the backburner. I don’t remember there being this much paperwork in Louisiana public schools. Maybe it was because I didn’t really have papers to grade. Who knows? However, school work is taking up a lot of my time, so weekday projects are pretty much non-existent, and when the weekends roll around, we have plans a lot of the time. These sound a lot like excuses, but the truth is, this blog is one of my favorite things I do because it’s just for me. I love this outlet to share things that I love (whether anyone reads it or not), and it just makes me feel good to write. So when I have to put it to the side, I miss it terribly.

So, yes, I blog for me. And I’m so happy that you come back time and time again to read it. But I’ve recently come across something that I’m not only doing for me; I’m doing it for you as well.

Enter Beautycounter

I learned about this company from a random Facebook message from my Beautycounter mentor, Kelly. She reached out to me, probably expecting a negative result since I didn’t live near her anymore. But for whatever reason, I took interest. I started looking into the company and learned that these products are made with safer ingredients than what I’ve been using on my skin for about 31 years. I knew pretty instantly after exploring the Beautycounter website that I wanted to try something. I decided to go with the Charcoal Bar and the Charcoal Mask. I loved them and haven’t looked back yet.

Why Beautycounter?

I’m not one to do something drastic without doing my research, so… I did my research and a lot of it. I started following Beautycounter and its founder, Gregg Renfrew, on social media. I read the tab on the Beautycounter website called Our Story. It’s chock full of information about how Beautycounter got started and why they’re doing what they’re doing. I looked up videos on talks that Gregg did, found some reviews on the products on Youtube. There was surprisingly a wealth of info out there about this relatively new company.

S0, why Beautycounter? I am 31 years old. I have some healthy habits in my life, but I also have plenty of unhealthy ones to counteract them. As I’ve become a 30-something I’ve really started to learn who I am and what I want out of my life. And with that reckoning came a desire for change. It’s a process, as anything is, but I am working on myself to develop a more healthy lifestyle. I know I need to exercise more, eat more veggies, use safer cleaning products, and get my yearly checkups so that I am keeping track of my overall health. Well, Beautycounter seemed like a great addition to a healthier lifestyle. Look, I’m a girly girl. I love makeup and beauty products. And, y’all, this is a fun lifestyle change! I actually feel good about the things that I put on my body every day, and I look forward to acquiring even more safer skincare and beauty products.

Safer Beauty

One of the reasons Beautycounter is so safe is because of The Never List. The Never List is a list of ingredients that are often used in beauty and personal care products but are never used in products at Beautycounter. Follow the link above to see the list.

In the United States, we only have roughly 30 restricted or banned cosmetic ingredients. If we look to our friends in the European Union we will find over 1,400 banned ingredients. The last time congress did any major regulating to the cosmetics industry was in 1938. Almost 80 years ago guys. 80.

This is one of my favorite things about Beautycounter, they are trying to change this. They are in D.C. actually lobbying to get congress to pay attention and make these changes. I am not a mother yet, but I want to be. And I want my future children to have safe personal care products to use. Sure, I want them for myself too, but to know that if I have a daughter, she could have all safe skin care and makeup is a big why for me.

So, I joined the mission to get safer products into the hands of everyone. Mine and yours. I’m still learning about all of the products, but I’m loving every minute of it. I’d love to share with you in person about this amazing company and the potentially life-saving mission of this company. Cancer caused by environmental elements is a real thing. I believe they are trying to make things safer for us so that our risk of cancer due to some of our lifestyle choices is at a lesser risk than it is now. I believe in these products and in the mission of this company.

Like I said, I’d love to tell you more. There’s all sorts of ways we can do that. I can have you over to play in some of the products. I can host you and few of your friends at my house. You can host friends at your house and I’ll bring all of my goodies for you to try. You can learn more about this stand-out company and how you, too, can switch to safer beauty.

Okay, here are a few of my favorite products. Like I said before, I started with the charcoal bar.

My Favorite Products

My skin is very oily and acne-prone, and I have big pores, so anything with charcoal has always been recommended to me. I couldn’t get just one thing so I decided to try the Charcoal Mask as well.

I ordered these two products way back in March and I’m still using the same tube of the mask and am just now finishing up my second charcoal bar. These products last so long because a little goes a long way.

I ended up diving into the cosmetics side of the brand with the Tint Skin Foundation. It is extremely high-performing and long-wearing.

This makeup is very comparable to a high end brand of makeup that I was wearing before. It was honestly a no-brainer for me to repurchase this makeup after I fell in love with it and knew that it was so much safer.

Here’s a few more products that I love and use daily.

This concealer is everything. It hides all imperfections and is in this wonderful pen, which I didn’t like at first, but now I think it’s genius! This sunscreen is a face stick. I have such fair skin, and though I knew I needed sunscreen on my face everyday, I hated how thick and goopy it made my skin feel. And then I had to put makeup on top of it. I just wasn’t feeling it. This is amazing. I know I’m getting great sun protection, and I’m not getting the sticky feeling I normally get from other sunscreens I’ve used. Bonus- it smells a little like Tootsie Rolls. 🙂 Double bonus- It’s a safe sunscreen!This is the volumizing mascara. I honestly wasn’t so sure about this because I had found my holy grail mascara a long time ago. And anytime I strayed from it to try the next best thing, I always came crawling back. But then I tried Beautycounter. And I literally threw the other stuff away. This performed better than the other mascara and it’s safer for me.
Last, and not really last but last on this list, is the Lip Conditioner Peppermint Balm. It’s cooling, hydrating, and feels great. Also, you know, with lip products, we are constantly licking our lips, drinking our coffee and eating and transferring our lipstick all in the process. Turns out, we actually consume our lip products. Yes, like eat them. Of course we’re unaware that we’re doing this, but we are, and a lot of the ingredients in our lipsticks are toxic. So, I feel better knowing that my lip products that I wear from Beautycounter are safer for me to actually wear and sometimes consume. I sure hope you’ve stuck around until now. Please feel free to message me, leave a comment here on this post, join my Facebook group, and visit my website to learn even more and to shop with me. You can also check out the right sidebar right here on my blog. It’s a page labeled Safer Beauty, and you’ll always find a direct link to my website there without having to search for this post.

I can’t wait to introduce you to these truly wonderful products that you’re sure to love.

XO,

Elizabeth