Green Beauty Trials: Foundation.

Foundation - it's pretty much the foundation of the face. Ha, see what I did there? Okay, I tried a bunch of clean foundations in order to find the best one for my needs, but I also kept all of you in mind while I was trying the different products. I wanted to be able to share all my findings with you! So in continuing with this green beauty series, here are my picks (and experience) with finding a foundation that works for me.

In terms of what I was looking for - I wanted a foundation that was lightweight enough where it didn't feel like foundation, but with enough coverage to hide my blemishes and scars. I have used mineral powder makeup for years, but lately have been drawn to the ease of beauty balms and color corrective creams. So I focused on sampling foundations that were much like that - a lightweight, moisturizing liquid that dried to a matte finish.

Foundation:
1.) Lily Lolo BB Cream in "Light"
I liked this BB Cream, but didn't fall head over heels with it in terms of treating it as a foundation. It provides a light amount of coverage, kind of like a sheer tint. This is the kind of thing I would put on if I were going to spend the day at the beach, but it's not something I would want for everyday because it didn't provide enough coverage. I have some sun spots and acne scars, and this didn't do anything to hide those. However, if you have really clear skin, this would be a great option for you, because it is a really lightweight option and made with extremely clean, non-toxic ingredients.

2.) Beautycounter Skin Tint in "Honey" & "Sand"
I didn't want to like Beautycounter. I really didn't. But this skin tint is so darn good. I loved both shades - "Honey" being perfect for when I have a little bit of a tan and "Sand" being more of my natural skin color. After sampling both for about a week I purchased the "Sand" shade and have been wearing it ever since. I love this skin tint because it goes on really light, like a BB cream, but it has build-able coverage - I apply a little extra in some areas and it covers my imperfections, while other areas could still have just a very light amount on and it all blends together perfectly. Love this product. A lot. Many thanks to Hannah Tanner for sending me these samples!

3.) Josh Rosebrook Tinted Nutrient Day Cream with SPF 30
I needed to know about the hype of Josh Rosebrook products, so I was excited to try this particular day cream. While I liked the build-able nature of the Beautycounter skin tint, this one was also really compelling because it's sheer and almost gleaming. I wouldn't want that kind of glow everyday because the texture is a little bit like sunscreen, but it really did make my skin extra glowy and felt very fresh. This would be another great lightweight option for spring or summer.

4.) Alima Pure Liquid Silk Foundation in "Echo"
This foundation was a close second for me, and in fact, I will probably purchase this in the future when I need something with heavier coverage. This feels more like a traditional liquid foundation, providing a full face of coverage. It goes on light and creamy and immediately sets into a matte-like finish. I wouldn't want to wear this everyday, just out of a personal preference, because I like wearing something that doesn't feel like heavy makeup. However, like I said, I will probably purchase this for days when I need more coverage, like if I'm filming or photographing something special.

BONUS FIND: Concealer + Setting Powder
I'm including my picks for concealer and setting powder in this post because I only tried one of each and immediately fell in love with both - there was no need to keep trying a bunch of other products! I love when that happens. I've been super impressed with most of the W3LL People cosmetics, and I must not be alone - so many websites are out of stock of these items. Thankfully, The Detox Market seems to keep them in stock so I haven't had any trouble there. And here's a public service announcement - select Target stores carry W3LL People, so you could check out some of the line there! Sadly, my Target does not, and most of the items aren't available to order online, but if you're one of the lucky ones who have them in your local Target, then you can check it out in person! Otherwise, I would happily encourage you to sample these products before purchasing them full-price - The Detox Market offers a sample program where you can try 4 products for $7.99 - one of the best deals I've seen, in terms of sampling luxury, high-end natural products! Okay, PSA over.

W3LL People Bio Correct Multi-Action Concealer in "Light"
This concealer is the bomb. It actually covers my acne scars (of which I have many) and has a brightening affect. I put this under my eyes to cover the dark circles and it acts as a non-shimmery highlighter, brightening up the tired areas under my eyes. I love this stuff.

W3LL People Realist Invisible Setting Powder
I've been using the Bare Minerals Tinted Powder for years, and I was happy to learn on the Think Dirty app that it is actually a pretty clean powder. However, I wanted to find something that was even a bit cleaner, in terms of ingredients, and I only had to try this setting powder by W3LL People to find exactly what I was looking for. Once I am completely finished putting on my makeup, I apply this powder all over my face as the last step.

My Recommendation:
I love the Beautycounter Skin Tint in "Sand" for my everyday look. I pair it with the W3LL People Bio Correct Multi-Action Concealer in "Light" to cover my skin imperfections and use the W3LL People Realist Invisible Setting Powder to finish my makeup and keep everything in place for the day. However, I would happily recommend the Alima Pure Liquid Silk Foundation if you're looking for something with a heavier coverage and super matte finish. And if you're looking for something extremely light with a bit of tint and a glowy finish, then the Josh Rosebrook Tinted Nutrient Day Cream is the right pick for you.

Any green beauty foundations that you have tried and loved? If so, I would love to hear from you!

P.S. - Feel free to take a peek at my natural mascara picks and the reason why I decided to go green with my beauty routine.

Going Green with my Beauty Routine.

My sister has been telling me for years now. She's the queen of trying new products and has been slowly transitioning over to an all-green, non-toxic beauty routine. It's super inspiring but also intimidating. I am almost 30 years old - that means I've been doing this beauty thing for a while now. I've found the products that I like, that seem to work for me, and honestly... it's hard to teach an old dog new tricks. I haven't wanted to embark upon a taxing journey of finding new, cleaner products because, ugh. The expense. The work. The research. I'm a tired woman, yall. My babies exhaust me.

I've done this in other areas of my life - my pantry is stocked with healthy staples and my cleaning products are mostly non-toxic and free of harsh cleaning agents. Though I admit, there is a time and a place for bleach. But my passion for greenery hasn't extended to the beauty-licious part of my life, until now that is.

What changed? Well, there's the aging.

Graying.

The wrinkles, they're appearing.

I've had this epiphany lately. I am living in the time of my life where the most aging occurs. I think that these years of running on lots of adrenaline (and coffee) and very little sleep and taking care of everyone else's needs before my own - I think these are the years where aging begins to take its toll - even if it starts showing up a little later in life. I am doing my best to drink lots of water and exercise regularly and eat (relatively) healthy. Most of my household products, from cleaners to air fresheners and detergents are all composed of non-toxic ingredients. But the next step is cleaning out my bathroom cabinet and makeup bag from the products that are downright bad for my health. At the encouragement of my sister, I've started looking up my tried-and-true products on the EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics Database and the Think Dirty app - these rate the ingredients found in millions of products and offer research, education and guides on how to make cleaner choices.

I'm testing a few new products and I will keep you all updated on what actually works. I am a little apprehensive about this whole trial period but I finally feel the conviction that this is important. I am kissing all over my kids every day - do you know how many toxins are found in regular lipstick? It's appalling that this stuff is allowed on the market. It's appalling that I've spent so much money over the years on chemical crap. So here we go, friends!

Currently testing:
Makeup:
Ilia Multistick in At Last
Ilia Lip Crayon in Red Coral
Loli Lolo Mascara
100% Pure Liquid Eyeliner in Black Tea
Galaxy Milk Illuminating Beauty Oil

Body:
doTERRA Essential Oils (for face, hair and skin - I've been creating my own concoctions)
Aveda Shampure Composition Body Oil
Piperwai Deodorant

Any of you have non-toxic beauty products that are outstanding that you recommend? I would love to hear from you!

P.S. - The Nordstrom Anniversary sale is going on right now and there are some seriously good finds on super sale if you're looking for Fall staples. Just sayin'. :)

Meeting Christopher Gavigan, CPO of The Honest Company!

I've spent years wiping butts.

Some of you haven't had this experience. Good for you. But I am extremely familiar with the whole lower-quadrant body-sanitizing circumstance that I find myself in roughly 12 times a day. Two babies, yall. Two babies in diapers. I have a system, a method for how to get the job done with the least amount of, how do I put it - contamination - and my speed at diaper changing has accelerated vastly due to my recent years of training in the field. These days I can off rip a diaper, purify the state of affairs, and slap on a fresh one probably faster than you can blow your nose and throw it away.

And I know I'm not alone.

We mamas learn how to get things done - efficiently, stupendously and while we are multi-tasking at least 6 other things. While balancing a coffee cup somewhere we probably shouldn't be.

So when Stevie and I had the chance to chat with Christopher Gavigan, CPO of The Honest Company, our favorite and most-used diaper brand, we took that opportunity. Because we had to tell him. About all our years of using his products in the middle of the night (after sleep-walk bumping into a few walls), on airplanes in foreign countries (while being scowled at in what can only be described as German/Italian/French backhanded glares), in the back seat of our SUV while road tripping (to avoid gas station bathroom filth contaminating our precious baby's undercarriage), and you know, the normal way - on the changing table in our kids' bedrooms.

We love these diapers, we told him. We love the diaper rash cream, we said. We love the healing balm, we use it on ourselves. He beamed with the pride of a thousand suns. He's definitely a sunny soul, you can tell.

But.

We told him something else.

We love the Seventh Generation wipes a little better than yours.

His face fell. "You what??"

I hated telling such a nice man the truth, but I secretly loved getting it off my chest. I felt like we had been cheating on our preferred brand for a while now, by buying another brand of wipes. But we do like them better! They're wetter, they come out of the package a little easier, and we told him - we just prefer them to yours.

Luckily, this Christopher Gavigan guy was kinder than you would believe (and also more intense than a football coach during the super bowl) about defending his wipes.

He literally ran across the room, (which drew some attention - everyone was like, what's happening?!), retrieved a fresh pack of wipes, and then gave us an on-the-spot demonstration on why his Honest Company wipes are the best on the market. Not only are they made of completely pure ingredients (you can see the list here), but they are about 25% larger than most other wipes, meaning they can fit in "man hands" (he wasn't being derogatory - he literally meant for them to fit into both a mom and a dad's hands). They are also surprisingly more wet than what meets the eye, but the water is absorbed within instead of sitting on top of the wipe like a raincoat. I didn't understand what he meant by that until he showed us - he pulled out a wipe and literally squeezed it - and I seriously couldn't believe what I was seeing. TONS of fluid came out of the wipe, more than you would ever think it could contain based on just feeling it, and he was I think he was most proud of this. These wipes are specially formulated to be useful in any scenario - not just the butt-wiping that I described above. You can use these to clean toys, wipe counter tops, clean up boo boos and cleanse any cheek you meet ;)

Such a nice guy. And it was really fun getting to meet him and chat a little bit about family life, business ideas (how is it that business school guys always seem to find a way to talk ideas, even at first meeting each other - what is that about??), and hear more about his heart behind The Honest Company. He didn't have to sell us, since we have been long-time users and have subscribed to both the Essentials Bundle and the Diapers & Wipes Bundle. I also love that I can pick up most of these products at Target these days, too.

Did he convince us on the wipes? I'm not going to lie. We are giving them another go.

Kind of like a date night :)

Why don't my flowers ever look this good? Summer garden goals, guys.

My bro + sis-in-law joined us!

I know this is like, the blurriest, most 1996-esque picture of my life, but what's a girl to do when she meets a rad CEO and it's dark outside and you have to take a selfie with terrible lighting? You take the selfie, with absolutely terrible, horrible, rubbish lighting. Also, could this guy and Stevie be brothers or what?? Just sayin. Although I think Stevie has enough brothers.

When we got home from the event, we changed Everett's diaper and showed him the little squeeze-y wipe trick. He got such a kick out of it that now he wants us to squeeze the wipes out every time. It's pretty hilarious.

If you haven't had the opportunity to try The Honest Company, I would truly recommend it. I just honestly believe in these eco-friendly, non-toxic products so much and I would love for as many people as possible to try them. I've linked to my family's most-used and loved products below.

Many, many thanks to the Bump Club & Beyond team and to The Honest Company for inviting us and putting on such a fun event :) Like seriously, we needed that date night out. xx