My Favorite Winter Lipsticks.

I tend to wear more lipstick in the fall and winter months - I don’t know why?! My summer skin just wants to be bare while my winter skin craves more pigment. My mom has always been a lipstick lover - I recall so vividly that she always gravitated toward brick red/burgundy shades, and I always feel a sense of nostalgia for her when I put on a similar color. Isn’t that funny?

As many of you know, I have spent a lot of time over the years researching green beauty brands and here are a few that I LOVE along with different shades that work best.

My favorite “neutral” winter lipstick is Axiology organic lipstick in “Devotion” - it’s a peachy-copper shade with the slightest hint of shimmer, and I just love how it feels really neutral but still really put together. This looks really good if you want to wear a smokier eye and just need something simple for your lips.

Wearing Axiology organic lipstick in “Devotion”

---

Wearing Axiology organic lip crayon in “Enduring”

My favorite pop-of-color winter lipstick is Axiology organic lip crayon in “Enduring”. It’s a berry/brick matte formula and I just love this color - it makes me feel like my best self even if I’m not wearing any other makeup.

I didn’t mean for my two favorites to both be Axiology, I just have really been gravitating towards these shades because I feel like they just work for me with my skin tone. I also LOVE that this brand is completely non-toxic, cruelty-free, and comes in super flattering shades for every skin tone. I super geek out on the packaging, too (it’s SO PRETTY), which makes it all the more fun and special. Girl stuff.

My runner-up choices are the Ilia Multistick in “A Fine Romance” (a cranberry pink/red shade that doubles as a cheek stain!), Honeybee Gardens in “Desire” (a subtle red, if there ever was such a thing!), and RMS Lip2Cheek stain in “Illusive” (I love using this on my cheeks, too!)

These lip colors make really sweet gifts for friends and family (I am gifting several of these this Christmas), but you also want to make sure you pick up 1 (or 2) for yourself!

P.S. - Great green beauty gifts for under $30 from one of my favorite non-toxic beauty retailers!
P.P.S - My Green Beauty cheat sheet if you’re interested in learning more about beauty brands I love and use!

My Date Night (GREEN) Makeup Routine.

Valentines week is upon us! I'm by NO MEANS any kind of makeup expert, but since I've been experimenting with so many new natural beauty products, I thought I would share my little date night makeup routine! As you know, I've been on a mission to swap all my conventional makeup with cleaner, greener products. I have loved discovering so many GOOD for you brands of makeup - especially since I don't feel like I'm sacrificing performance for better ingredients.

Okay, let's get into this date night makeup deal.

I start with a clean face. I've been toying around with different moisturizers and face oils, but mostly, I just make sure my skin is hydrated and not too flaky/dry before applying foundation.

Skin.
First up, I apply Beautycounter Tint Skin in "Sand". This is a good option for those of you who like to use BB or CC creams in lieu of thicker foundation. I love using this every day, but on date night, I put on 2 layers for a bit more coverage. I love that this formula is buildable - WIN.

Then I apply W3LL People Bio-Correct Multi-Action Concealer in "Light" under my eyes, around my nose, on my dark spots and on my eye lids. It helps conceal and brighten my skin. And believe me, these eyes could use some brightening magic.

Eyes.
Next up, I focus on my eyes. First I fill in my brows with Plume Brow Pomade in "Chesnut Decadence". I LOVE this pomade because it fills in my sparse brow spots, helps define and also stimulates growth in the areas that I apply it - such a multi-tasking product!

I don't usually wear eye shadow, but on date night I usually get really wild and throw some color on my lids. SO CRAZY. My sister got me this beautiful Lily Lolo Laid Bare eye palette and the shade I'm wearing in these photos is "Shy Away" - also, I just put it on my lids and blend it a little bit into the crease of my eye. But not too much. Because too much shadow makes me look like I have the plague.

Then I line my eyes with W3LL People Hypnotist liner in "Black" - thicker along the top lash line and smudged underneath my lashes. With the tiniest hint of a wing. P.S. - I'm really pretty terrible at liquid liner and it's one of the things I want to attempt to get good at in 2018. Recommendations are welcome!!

The latest mascara I've been testing is Hynt Beauty Nocturne Mascara in "Black", which is what I applied here. (More of my mascara reviews here).

Cheeks.
Cheek color is very important for yellow skinned humans like myself. I have found so much love in the ILIA multisticks, and I'm wearing the shade "A Fine Romance" here. I apply it just under my cheekbones, where you would normally contour. Hahahah I thought I could get away with saying "where you normally contour" as if that's a normal thing. I NEVER CONTOUR. But I aspire to. But I aspire to sleep in later more than I aspire to learn how to contour. So yeah.

Then I dust on just a tiny bit of The Honest Company Luminizing Powder in the shade "Dusk Reflection" around the edges of my face - in a sweeping motion from my forehead down to my chin. Suddenly it looks like the sun came out in my bathroom ;)

Then I like to add a bit of RMS Beauty Living Luminizer highlighter, because it makes me feel like some kind of moonlit mermaid. I put it ever so slightly on the tops of my cheekbones, on the ridge of my nose and on the cupid's bow of my upper lip. It just adds a hint of magical-ness.

Lips.
Lastly, I apply the ILIA multistick in "A Fine Romance" again, this time to my lips! This is such a rosy delicious color and I love the pop of watermelon-y pink, especially in the winter when I feel kind of drab. This color makes me feel confident!

Then I finish by dusting my face with the W3LL People Realist Invisible Setting Powder to set everything and keep my makeup from sliding around.

There you have it! This is my date night go-to look and the products that I've been playing around with lately.

Why Date Nights MATTER.
One of our New Years resolutions for the year is to be really consistent with weekly date nights. That doesn't always look like getting dressed up and going out - often times it just means setting aside our to-do lists and settling in for an evening of spending time together. We forgo checking our phones and getting on our laptops and instead spend time eating dinner, watching a movie and TALKING.

Truthfully, lately we have been in a really busy stage of life - he's traveling and commuting with his job and I have taken on this new venture with DoTERRA along with my freelance writing and this blog! (!), so doing anything outside of raising our kids takes some serious intention. Planning. And commitment. Taking time to date is SO special and necessary to remaining connected, and I'm grateful that Stevie is as committed to our date nights as I am. Just tonight he came to me about our upcoming Valentines date (which I planned this year!), to confirm our plans. It means so much that he cares to make us a priority, even after 10 years of marriage and two kids! Whew. Our life is busy but I seriously wouldn't trade this life of mine for anything or anyone else's life.

I hope this little makeup chat is helpful to you as you investigate natural beauty options and plan ahead for a romantic date night! I hope everyone has the happiest Valentines Day, whether you're spending it with your significant other or your girls or your mom!! P.S. - My mom and I have some wicked good V-Day plans. Just sayin. xx

The Body Oil I'm Using Everyday (+ a Giveaway for you!)

As many of you know, I've been on a green beauty journey over the past 6 months or so. I've been testing everything from mascara and shampoo to serums and toners. It's a lot to take on at once! But I've just gotten to the point where I want to decrease the toxic load in my home (and on my body!), so the research and trial-and-error is all worth it. While I've found some face oils that I am loving lately (which I will include in a separate post, because I didn't want to overwhelm with too much information here), I kept striking out when I was looking for a premium body oil. I wanted it to smell good (duh), be super moisturizing but not greasy, free of toxic ingredients and instead made with safe botanicals and essential oils. You all know how much I love my Doterra oils... so, the bar for a stellar-performing body oil was set rather high.

Which brings me to Little Barn Apothecary.

The Discovery.
I discovered Little Barn when I was celebrating my 30th birthday at Serenbe this past September. They have locations at Serenbe, Westside Provisions in Atlanta and down in Watersound, Florida at The Hub on 30A. Shannon took great care of me in the store, explaining the LBA philosophy (which totally resounds with me) and proceeded to load me up with some incredible samples. I went home to try the body oil and I was honestly overwhelmed. I had found the one! I ran out of this remarkable sample oil in like 3 days because I couldn't stop basically bathing in it. Even Stevie came home from work and said, "Whoa, you smell really good. Like really, really good... what is that?" I tried to pass it off as my naturally alluring scent, but we've known each other far too long for that to work on him. He was like, "no for real - what is that??"

So let me just tell you a little about this heavenly Honeysuckle + Grapefruit Body Oil. Formulated for all skin types, this oil is best used just after you get out of the shower, when your skin is still damp. It is a daily moisturizer that is non-greasy and quickly absorbs into the skin to give you an all-day glow. It also smells super indulgent, like you've been bathing inside the nectar of a flower and then spritzed with a squeeze of citrus juice. Which is #lifegoals, am I right? I imagine this is what Tinker Bell smelled like, that lucky lass.

I love that Little Barn Apothecary believes in the power and healing of all-natural ingredients, centering each of their products around the simple focus of being a safe, pure alternative to the chemical-laden self care products in today’s market. This has been my mission with my Green Beauty Trials, to find companies just like this one! Score!

The Story Behind the Brand.
Little Barn Apothecary founders Joshua and Brad started the brand in their kitchen after realizing there was a void in the market for handmade, uncomplicated self-care products. The beauty market is flooded with chemical-laden products that wreak havoc on the body, and they were passionate about creating alternatives. After sharing some of the items with friends and family, they were met with enthusiastic requests for more and decided to expand their line. In 2015, Little Barn Apothecary was debuted to the public with the promise that the product line is “simply simple”, meaning that the botanical ingredients in each product is 100% natural and selected by hand. All products are hand crafted in small-batch apothecary tradition and sold in recycled glass bottles with minimal packaging. Every product is 100% vegan and organic, containing wild-harvested ingredients whenever possible. All the products are free of synthetic ingredients, artificial colors, parabens or any sort of “fillers”. Little Barn takes inspiration from the earth to provide hand made formulations designed to evoke a simple feeling of well-being.

Discount for YOU!
Well, whatever they're doing, it's working. Stevie keeps trying to steal my body oil, that rascal. If you want to snag your own, you can shop here and receive 15% off any purchase by using the code KRISTENH at checkout. Stock up on Christmas gifts, my friends! I am also a huge fan of the Ginger + Rosemary Hand and Body Wash and the Lavender + Frankincense Original Oil (amazing essential oils for supporting overall skin health!) I love dropping an extra drop or two of my Doterra essential oils in these products for added potency. Hurray for all the oils!

Giveaway!
I'm super excited to partner with LBA to give away a "Glow For It" kit to one of you! This amazing set contains contains my beloved Honeysuckle + Grapefruit Body Oil, the Sweetgrass + Lavender soap and the Jasmine + Geranium Polishing Scrub. Jump over to my Instagram (@oykristen) for your chance to enter! Winner will be selected and notified on 11/22, Thanksgiving eve!

More about the Kit:
The “Glow For It” Body Kit comes in a limited edition box, complete with three items to help you achieve a natural, healthy glow, even in the dead of winter. First, cleanse skin with the Sweetgrass + Lavender Soap Bar, an organic, gentle soap made for all over body cleansing with essential oils to create the perfect aroma in your shower. Next, exfoliate with the Jasmine + Geranium Polishing Body Scrub, perfect for dry skin. This scrub uses pure, organic cane sugar and organic, skin loving oils to scrub away dead skin and reveal a softer, more youthful glow. After stepping out of the shower, pump a small amount of the Honeysuckle + Grapefruit Body Oil, and massage over still damp skin. This luxurious daily moisturizer is non-greasy and formulated for all skin types. It quickly absorbs deep into the skin to give you an all-day, glistening glow while sending you on an indulgent journey of sun-drenched blossoms, lightly kissed by delicate pink citrus. The “Glow For It” Body Kit is priced at $70 with a retail value of $80 and is available online at littlebarnapothecary.com and at select retailers.

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'. :)

The Must-Haves in My Summer Makeup Bag.

I love keeping a minimal beauty routine in the summer, especially since I'm usually slicked in sweat and carting a toddler around from pool to picnic to park. Most week days I don't wear makeup, but if I'm going somewhere or have a meeting, I will take a few extra minutes to pull myself together. Today I'm sharing a few of the supplies in my makeup bag that I love and use all the time on those makeup days, especially in these summer months.

Skin:
Concealer
Hello, I'm a mom, and I am chronically under slept. I am actually trying to do a better job with my sleep schedule, but I still have those dark undereye circles that just won't quit. I love the Bare Minerals Stroke of Light Eye Brightener in the shade Luminous 2. It takes away those eye bags and dark circles with a sweep of the wand. Literal magic.

Powder
To save time, (and also because I like to minimize the amount of face makeup I wear in the summer) and I just use this Bare Minerals Tinted Mineral Veil over my concealer.

Bronzer + Blush
Bronzer can be really intimidating (always so orange, ah!), but I like to use Bare Minerals Warmth to add a little cheekbone definition and color. I almost use this as a contour, just focusing in a diagonal from my ear to my lips. Sometimes, if I want to add some pink to the apples of my cheeks, I'll brush on a tiny bit of Bare Minerals READY Blush in the color The Aphrodisiac.

Eyes:
Brows
I have dark brows, but they tend to be a bit patchy. I have started using Maybelline Brow Drama Palette in Deep Brown and I love the effect. You first apply a dark wax to define, then fill in the gaps with a powder. It's perfect for anyone wanting to define their brows but not actually needing to pencil them in.

Mascara
I have been using Clinique High Impact Mascara in the color Black for 10+ years. I have tried other mascaras but I always come back, because this mascara is the bomb. It lengthens and thickens without making my lashes clumpy. A tried-and-true winner in my book.

Shadow
I don't routinely wear eye shadow in the summer, because I like my skin to breathe as much as possible. But if I'm going on a date and want to amp things up a bit, I've been reaching for this Bare Minerals Shadow in the shade Queen Tiffany because it strikes the right balance of sophisticated and youthful without getting too vampy. P.S. - I apply it with this contour shadow brush. P.P.S. - I am wearing this shade here, so you can get a feel for what it looks like. I think it works well on my olive skin tone.

Lips:
Lip Liner
I have been getting into lip liner lately, because I like defining my lips and then filling them in with the color, treating it almost like a stain. It stays put longer than a gloss and it just makes me feel put together, especially because I usually have pool hair and I'm wearing gym shorts. Lip liner somehow makes me feel like a lady in those moments. I have been wearing this Sonia Kashuk Lip Definer in Nude, and I just ordered a few more shades/brands from Sephora and I'm excited to try some with a bit more color :)

Balm
I am a big fan of the Eos Lip Balms (you can usually get a big pack of them at Costco, score!), and I especially love the passionfruit and summerfruit flavors.

And there you have it! All the tricks in my summertime makeup bag. I tend to wear more makeup in the fall and winter months, because I like to play with colors and, honestly, my skin usually needs a little oomph once I lose that sun-kissed glow. But I especially love how minimal my summertime makeup + beauty routine is, because that leaves more time for fun at the pool!

---

For those of you who have been reading this blog for a while, I'd love to hear from you about this kind of content. I've started to incorporate more fashion & beauty posts, and I would love to get some feedback about what you like to read and would like to see more of here in this space! Leave a comment below and tell me what you think! Thanks friends!