Tag: Clean Beauty

Posted in Beauty, Beauty Blogger, Blogger, Clean Beauty, Cruelty Free, Fragrance, Lifestyle, Organic, Perfume

clean fragrance ft skylar.

Posted on by Brittany Barker

The very first thing I ever bought with my very first pay cheque at my very first job (a cashier at Canadian Tire if you were wondering) was a bottle of perfume; it was the Britney Spears Curious perfume – the one in the blue diamond looking bottle. I have been obsessed with perfume since I was a little girl and I have tried so many over the years that I couldn’t even start to list them here. Perfume has always been something that links me to a memory or a certain moment in time – I could smell a scent I used to wear or that a friend or family member used to wear and be transported right back to a specific moment in my life. For example, I still have a bottle of the perfume my mom used to wear and although I don’t use it, from time to time I will take it out and smell it…and for that moment I feel like she is right there next to me (for those of you who may not know, I lost my mom to breast cancer when I was 7 years old).

I have been working hard over the last year or so to make some clean beauty swaps within my collection. Doing this was a personal choice for me as it is for everyone, I would never tell anyone that they had to make these swaps or judge them for not – I am just sharing my journey. I swapped my skincare, body care, some makeup, and house-hold cleaning products but for whatever reason, the thought never occurred to me to swap my fragrances for a cleaner alternative. I’ll be honest with you, I have a few perfumes that are likely not considered “clean” that I will probably continue to purchase because they have become signatures for me and I truly love them BUT I am super happy to have discovered a line of clean fragrances that I can also work into my beauty routine.

Enter Skylar – all Skylar products are non-toxic, hypoallergenic, and vegan/cruelty-free; they also do not contain parabens or phthalates. Many of Skylar’s customers found their way to them because they have battled allergies, migraines, and even long-term illnesses such as breast cancer (this one is obviously near and dear to my heart) that prevented the opportunity to wear and enjoy perfume. Skylar prides themselves on being a clean beauty brand that consumers can trust and I’d have to say in my experience this has proven to be true. I myself am very “scent sensitive” and often find myself getting headaches from certain scents; this actually happens to me a lot due to certain ingredients or notes in perfume, body care products, candles, air fresheners – you name it.

I will be totally transparent and let you know that the perfumes I have from Skylar were gifted to me in exchange for an honest review (the only way I do things) but I have seen their fragrances at Sephora for years now and have been hearing more and more about the brand as the clean beauty movement grows bigger so they have definitely been on my radar.

So the fragrances that I chose are “Arrow” (described as spicy, warm, and seductive), “Isle” (beachy, dewy, and fresh), and then they also sent over their January 2020 scent club pick, “Fresh Vibes” (energizing, crisp, and bold). My favourite by far of the three scents is Arrow and I would describe it exactly how they did, I absolutely love it – it’s warm without being heavy or overpowering and I would consider it a great date night pick! For reference, some of my favourite fragrances over the years have been Givenchy Hot Couture, YSL Black Opium, Guerlain Mon Geurlain, all of the Nina Ricci apples – so I really like warm, sweet, slightly spicy scents. No wonder I gravitated towards Arrow!

Something to note with these fragrances is that they don’t last quite as long as some of my other traditional fragrances, but they do still have great lasting power! I find that Arrow lasts the longest of the three that I have tried, but from reviews I’ve read the lasting power varies from scent to scent. Honestly, it’s a trade off I’m okay with due to the face that they have 100% clean ingredients! I can feel safe about applying and reapplying these beautiful perfumes.

I think that one of the coolest things about Skylar (aside from their products being clean) is that they have a monthly scent club that you can join yourself or gift to someone special in your life. It is $20 (usd) a month and each month you will receive a brand-new roller ball size perfume on your doorstep. They are al currently offering a special price on their scent duo which is two full size perfumes of your choice for $100 (usd) instead of the regular duo price which is $156 (usd). I should also mention that not only can you wear Skylar scents on their own, but you can also mix, match, and layer them up to create a totally unique fragrance.

You can visit www.skylar.com to check out all of their scents and shop away!

Do you have a signature scent? I think perfume is so personal and I always love to hear what everyone considers to be their signature.

Thanks so much for reading along today beauties, I hope you enjoyed this blog post!

Have the best day,

✨Britt

Posted in Beauty

empties + declutter.

Posted on by Brittany Barker

I know my last empties post was only likeeee…one month ago but YOU GUYS I’ve been working hard to go through my beauty stash and actually use up my products so that I’m not just hoarding them all. This post is a mix of empties as well as some products that I just needed to toss because they are too old; I will admit that most of the ones being tossed I’ve kept more so for nostalgic purposes (looking at you MAC lippies). Did you know that most beauty products do have a “best before” date on them? If you look on the back or bottom you will see what looks like a little jar and it will show “3m” “6m” “12m” etc…this is how many months the product has until it’s no longer considered ideal to use.

Decluttering aka Tossing

MAC Cosmetics Lipsticks (in the shades High Tea, Viva Glam V, Viva Glam Nicki, Creme Cup, and Blankety) – So when I was in high school, MAC was a big thing. Their lipsticks were probably the very first “high end” beauty products that I ever purchased and I was so obsessed with the sleek, black packaging and the wide range of colours and formulas. These five lipsticks have all been well loved and used, but I haven’t worn any of them in years and they are most definitely past their “best before” date. I personally haven’t purchased anything from MAC in years, I feel like they could stand to do some updating to their overall branding and marketing, but that’s just me. The one thing I have repurchased is their lipstick in “Blankety” because it’s just such a good nude, but I likely won’t be purchasing anything else any time soon.

Herbivore Lapis Facial Oil – Okay so I have raved about this oil over the years and will still continue to do so, it does an amazing job at clarifying and balancing the skin while also hydrating – it truly is an amazing product. However, it carries a hefty price tag and I just poured a little less than half the bottle down the sink sooo if I repurchase in the future (which I likely will) I will be getting the travel size because you really use so little of it at a time that the full size (for me) was just too much. Being that it is made with clean, natural ingredients it’s shelf life isn’t long (they say around 12 months if stored out of the sun) and for me that just wasn’t enough time to finish the bottle – still highly recommend this oil though!! You can read more about this oil here My Current Skincare Favourites and here Sephora VIB Sale.

Real Techniques Beauty Sponge – If you love your Beauty Blender but don’t love the price tag, the Real Techniques sponge is an amazing dupe for way less than half the price. This edition however (half pink half orange) was the weirdest thing…it just never gets soft when dampened and does not work well whatsoever. I will definitely be grabbing one of the regular (all orange) ones some time soon though, it works really well and I almost prefer it to the Beauty Blender.

Benefit Cosmetics Boi-ing Industrial Strength Concealer – So this is another product from my stash that is embarrassingly old; I haven’t used it in years but I do love the formula so I’m not sure why I haven’t tossed and replaced it before now. Benefit has reformulated/repackaged their concealers within the last few years so I’m not sure if this specific formula still exists. I really did love this concealer though, it did such a great job at covering everything without looking cakey or thick; I will have to check into their new formulas to see if there’s anything similar!

Eminence Organics Couperose-C Serum – This was one of the first products I tried from Eminence and it was recommended by a salesperson on the site that I ordered it from after I explained my skin type (sensitive, prone to redness, dry cheeks, monthly breakouts). I did use and enjoy most of this serum but I eventually introduced new products to my routine and just kind of forgot about this one. I believe this serum has been discontinued so that’s that!

Empties

Lush Sleepy Hand and Body Lotion – I went through a phase where I bought everything from Lush – skincare, body care, hair care, you name it. While I do still love their products, I actually haven’t bought anything from there in quite awhile. This lotion is something that I will continue to repurchase because it smells unreal; it’s like lavender-vanilla-sleepy-goodness…just absolute dreamy perfection in a jar. If you can’t tell, I really love it.

Tiber River Naturals Citrus Got Real Shower Shake – I have talked about the TR shower shakes a few times before and I definitely recommend them. The ingredients include loofah to exfoliate and oat flour to moisturize and they really do exactly that – plus – they all smell amazing. I have already repurchased in my favourite scent – Coco Cabana.

Eminence Organics Clear Skin Probiotic Cleanser – I absolutely loved this cleanser and will definitely purchase the full size in the future. It does an amazing job at cleansing the skin and clearing up breakouts without causing dryness or tightness; it also has this wonderfully cooling sensation that feels so good.

Kevin Murphy Young.Hands Hand Creme – I have no idea if this stuff exists anymore but it is hands down (see what I did there) the best hand cream I’ve ever used. I realize I did show and talk about this in a previous empties post but I later realized I could still squeeze a few more uses out of it sooo now it is truly empty and I am very sad. It smells like all my favourite Kevin Murphy hair products and is so moisturizing…it’s the only hand cream I’ve used that deeply hydrates without leaving my hands feeling greasy. I love this stuff so much and need to somehow find more of it ASAP.

Grounded Sage Cucumber Refresh Antioxidant Moisturizer – First of all, Grounded Sage is the most amazing Canadian clean beauty company; Jamie (founder) is so wonderful and helpful. Grounded Sage also donates 100% of the earnings from specific products to Lily’s Place Animal Sanctuary which rescues all types of furry and feathered friends (they also donate/support various other animal charities/rescues). ANYWAY so this moisturizer was kindly gifted to me but my review will be honest – I truly enjoyed this product. It has little to no scent and did such a great job at hydrating and balancing my skin without feeling heavy, it also cleared up a lot of the redness in my cheeks that I have been struggling with forever. This moisturizer actually really reminds me texture-wise and performance-wise of the Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Moisturizer and it’s less than half the price of DE’s! I would definitely purchase this for myself in the future (after I work through all my other hoarded products).

Grounded Sage Wild Basil & Cucumber Oil Cleanser – See above to read about how lovely this company is 🙂 This was also kindly gifted to me by Jamie but again, my reviews will always be honest. I used this pretty much every night as a first-cleanse to remove my makeup before cleansing my face. I found that it did a good job of removing my makeup and didn’t leave a film on my face after it was removed; it also has little to no scent so would be good for anyone scent-sensitive. I wouldn’t say this one was better than other oil cleansers I have used, but definitely comparable and worth trying. As we head into winter and cold weather (gross) I prefer to use a cleansing balm as they’re a little heavier and add more hydration back into my skin.

Essence Lash & Brow Gel Mascara – I’ve raved about this stuff before so I won’t go too into detail…basically it’s cheap AF, works great, and you definitely need it in your life. This was probably my 5th or 6th one over the years and I have already repurchased another one!

Essence Superlast 24h Eyebrow Pomade Pencil Waterproof (shade 10 Blonde) – I can’t speak to whether or not this is waterproof, but again it is beyond affordable and is a great quality product. The colour is absolutely perfect for me; it is actually so difficult to find a drugstore brow pencil that matches cool-toned blonde hair…they are all warm toned!! This one is cool toned and matches me so well. I actually purchased two of these when I saw them at Shoppers Drug Mart because Essence likes to do this thing where they release new products every minute so nothing ever seems to stick around for very long – it’s actually highly annoying BUT I love their products so I will continue to purchase (and hoard) them.

Maybelline Fit Me Concealer (shade 10 fair) – I have purchased numerous tubes of this concealer over the years and always really like it. It’s affordable, blends out well, and they have a decent colour selection. Makeup gurus actually claim this concealer is a good dupe for the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer, but I have never used the Nars one so I have no idea about that! When I grabbed this at Shoppers it was on clearance which makes me think that Maybelline may be discontinuing it…but I’m really not sure. I have now bought an ELF concealer that I absolutely hate so I am on the hunt for something else…I would love to try a clean/non-toxic concealer just not sure which one! Any suggestions??

Farmacy Green Clean Makeup Meltaway Cleansing Balm – I have had a few deluxe sized samples of this cleanser from Sephora (which is what this was) and I really enjoy it! It does an amazing job of removing makeup while adding moisture back into your skin but still somehow feels light?? It’s really a great cleansing balm and it’s no wonder people everywhere are so obsessed with it…I think I may have to snag myself a full size one of these days!

Herbivore Rose Hibiscus Coconut Water Hydrating Face Mist – This was another mini that I had a few of in my collection and I have to say I really enjoyed this stuff. It’s hydrating but light on the skin and I loved the smell despite not typically liking rose scents. Since I’ve discovered my Cocokind Rosewater Toner I’m not sure if I would purchase a full size of this one, but you never know!

Well that’s it for today guys, I hope that you enjoyed this post and were able to take something useful from it.

I know I have kind of taken a step back from blogging for the past little while, but I truly do love it and I hope that my passion comes through as you read my posts. I need to figure out a way to find some balance between the blogging and Instagram worlds because right now I find it to be mysterious and overwhelming.

Thank you for taking the time to come here and read my post today loves, it means so much to me!

Until next time,

✨Britt

Posted in Beauty, Clean Beauty, Cruelty Free, Lifestyle, Organic

Bare.Beauty.Blog x Fusion Shop + Salon.

Posted on by Brittany Barker

Last week I was treated to an Eminence Facial + Arctic Berry Peel courtesy of the lovely ladies at Fusion Shop + Salon here in Swift Current, Saskatchewan. Kristin & Katie reached out to me on Instagram and to say I was delighted that they had even heard of my little blog was an understatement. Now I’ll be honest with you, before this I had never had a facial in my entire life. Even though I have always been a lover of all things beauty related, I thought of facials as a luxury service that I didn’t really need in my life; I will tell you with 100% honesty that I was wrong. I realize that may sound dramatic, but this experience was fabulous and it’s now something I would really love to work into my beauty routine. Before we dive into this post, I want to share with you that although this facial was gifted to me, the opinions I have are my own and I am in no way being paid or expected to write anything other than my own thoughts.

When the time came for me to head in for my facial, I was excited but actually a little nervous; I had no idea what to expect and wasn’t even exactly sure what a facial was. Aly (below) greeted me at the door and instantly put me at ease with her warm, welcoming demeanor. I was asked to fill out two forms; a client card and a form asking questions about my skin type, current skin care routine, and preferences.

After my forms were filled out, Aly showed me to this cute little room for my facial; she explained a bit about the process and left me to change into the little spa robe and make myself comfortable under a super cozy blanket on the facial chair. When she returned, she asked me if I wanted to relax or if I wanted her to talk; I chose to have her talk me through the experience because I knew that I was going to be blogging about it and as a newbie to the facial world, I wanted to know what was going on. Now, even though she was talking me through the process I promise you I was beyond relaxed the entire time; if she wasn’t talking to me I actually feel like I may have fallen asleep! There was soft music playing in the background, the lights were dimmed, and it was very easy to relax and let myself enjoy the experience.

If you have never heard of Eminence or maybe don’t know much about the brand, they are a an organic skin care company based out of Hungary. Since their creation in 1958 they have been using sustainable farming and green practices to create natural, organic, and Biodynamic products. Eminence uses hand-picked fresh ingredients to create products that contain potent healing and beautifying properties. Many of these ingredients are combined with pure waters drawn from a thermal hot spring lake containing minerals and trace elements found nowhere else on earth. I started using Eminence products about two years ago now and if you can’t tell from my blog & Instagram posts, I am crazy about their products. Not only do they use the highest quality ingredients, the products are more affordable than a lot of skin care products I have tried and bottom line…they work.

I’m going to jump into the products Aly used for my facial and talk a little bit about each part of the process; I believe the products used are individualized to a certain degree to each person’s skin type but these are the products she used on me. So if you’re a facial newbie like I was or just curious to know what an Eminence facial looks like, keep reading below!

1) First up, Aly double-cleansed my skin using the Clear Skin Probiotic Cleanser + the Acne Advanced Cleansing Foam. At this point, we were only minutes into the facial and I already knew it was something I was going to love. Not only was she meticulously massaging each product into my face & neck to give me a thorough cleanse, she was also applying warm towels to my face between each product and it felt so good.

2) Next up was the Strawberry Rhubarb Dermafoliant (a personal favourite of mine) and just as she did with the cleansers, she massaged this exfoliant into my face and neck and removed it with another warm towel. She then spritzed my face with the Stone Crop Hydrating Mist to seal everything in and get my skin primed for the next step.

3) Now it was time to apply the Arctic Berry Peel which was a 3-step treatment. Aly warned me that due to my skin being super sensitive, I was likely to feel some warmth on the skin while this treatment was on but assured me that it would not hurt in any way (which it didn’t). Below are some benefits of the Arctic Berry Peel:

  • Skin clarity and texture appears improved
  • Complexion appears revitalized, even and luminous
  • The visible signs of aging appear reduced
  • Skin appears dramatically refined and smoothed, uneven skin appears reduced
  • Skin appears firmed and plumped
  • Inflammation and redness appear reduced

After this treatment was on for a few minutes, again it was removed with a wonderfully warm towel and she then applied the Clear Skin Probiotic Masque.

4) While that mask was on, came my favourite part of the whole experience – the massage. I had no idea that a massage was part of a facial so I was very pleasantly surprised at this. Aly massaged my upper body, back, as well as both arms and hands using the Stone Crop Body Lotion & the Apricot body oil. Listen to me when I tell you…It. Felt. Wonderful.

5) Lastly came the products that were to stay on my skin as we finished up the facial. In this order, they were the Marine Flower Peptide Cream (eyes), the Citrus & Kale Potent C + E Serum, the Strawberry Hyaluronic Serum (another personal fav), the Arctic Berry Peptide Radiance Cream, the Lilikoi Light Defence Face Primer SPF 23, and to finish everything off she added a bit of the Organic Sun Defence Minerals Powder in shade Honey Apple #1. I realize that sounds like a ton of products, but as she applied each one she massaged it in and allowed it to settle in before moving on to the next product.

If you have never used or more specifically, smelled Eminence Organics products, you are truly missing out. Every single product Aly used during this facial smelled so light and fresh and each one just added to the overall experience. When my facial was complete I honestly felt like a million bucks; I was so relaxed, my skin was glowing (seriously) and I was convinced that facials needed to become a regular thing for me. The entire experience from start to finish was approximately an hour long.

Below is a picture of my skin with no filter, only a bit of bb cream & bronzer on, three days after my facial. If you aren’t already aware, direct sunlight can show all kinds of bumps & flaws on the skin that most of us aren’t so keen on seeing (if you’ve ever caught a glimpse of your face in the rear view mirror and stared back in horror you’ll know what I’m talking about) but I was beyond impressed with how hydrated and glowy my skin looked after my facial + peel.

Now is the perfect opportunity to try out an Eminence Organics Facial; the girls at Fusion & I have teamed up to run a special promo for my Bare Beauty followers —

**Book in with Aly for a facial & receive 20% off until the end of May; all you have to do is mention this post/my blog to receive the discount!! That means you can get a Facial for $56 or a Signature Facial + Arctic Berry Peel (what I had) for $72…such a great deal!! With Mother’s Day coming up it would make an excellent gift or maybe even just a little gift for yourself (my favourite kind🙊).**

I hope you enjoyed reading all about my experience and that it encourages you to try an Eminence Organics Facial out for yourself!

Thanks for reading along beauties; until next time…

Britt✨

Posted in Beauty

five minute face.

Posted on by Brittany Barker

For the past 6 or so months I have been actively researching “clean beauty” in order to be educated about what I am putting on my skin (highly recommend everyone does this…it is very eye opening). Decades of studies indicate that serious health issues such as asthma, cancer, and infertility {to name a few} are on the rise and are due in some part to our exposure to toxic chemicals. There are over 80,000 chemicals on the market today, many of which have no safety data, and this is particularly true of those used in the skin care and beauty industry.

Clean beauty and skincare products have been popping up all over the place and I for one could not be happier to see this. Sephora even has a category called “Clean at Sephora” where all of the products in the range are guaranteed to be free of the harmful chemicals, toxins, and additives that are so commonly hidden in beauty products. If you find this whole topic of clean beauty to be very overwhelming (as I did when I first started out and still do) I recommend downloading the “Think Dirty” app; you can type in any personal care product and it will come up with a rating of 0-10 – 0 being completely clean and 10 being the product contains toxins that are harmful and may have potential long term health effects.

I will tell you that not every product I currently have it my routine is 100% “clean” because I am still in the process of making those switches myself. For my everyday look I prefer to keep it simple and use as few products as possible [I’d rather spend any extra time in the mornings that I have sleeping] but for special events or going out I do love to get a little more glam. Don’t worry, I will share all about what I use to glam it up in another post!😉

Alright, now onto the products I’ve been using to create a natural, “no fuss” everyday makeup routine.

Pür Cosmetics 4-in-1 Pressed Mineral Foundation with Skincare Ingredients (this is a clean product) in the shade “Light” – This all-in-one foundation, concealer, powder, and SPF 15 has been clinically proven to correct, prevent, and give you flawless mineral coverage. I have been using this foundation on and off for probably 8-10 years now, even before I was ever interested in clean beauty. The no-fuss and user friendly formula has always kept me coming back no matter what other foundations I try along the way. I use the flat-top end of my Sephora brush (you can also buy the Pür Cosmetics kabuki brush that goes with this foundation) to apply it, I swirl my brush in the powder then press it into my skin – it’s as simple as that. This foundation is very buildable and no matter how much I put on it never looks cakey, it just melts right into my skin and looks so natural. I have tried multiple other mineral and powder foundations and none of them even come close to the coverage, wearability, and light-weight feel of this one. You can purchase Pür Cosmetics products at Shoppers Drug Mart.

Pixi Beauty Correction Concentrate in the shade “Brightening Peach” (this is a clean product) – Highly pigmented, this correction concealer instantly erases darkness, softens and blurs lines. This ultimate “good night’s sleep in a jar” camouflage cream is correction perfection in a pot. This is the first thing I apply in my 5 minute face routine; when I wear powder foundation I use all cream/liquid products first before foundation so that the powder will set them once it’s over top. Using my ring finger, I dip it into the pot of concealer and then pat the product gently under both eyes. The peach shade of this corrector does a wonderful job at correcting any blue or dark pigment that may be there (if you have dark circles under your eyes you need this product!!). You can purchase Pixi Beauty products at Shoppers Drug Mart.

Beautycounter Touchup Skin Concealer Pen in the shade “Fair” (this is a clean product) – Dark circles, redness, and other imperfections are no match for this buildable, medium coverage concealer. Formulated with knotgrass extract to help reduce the appearance of fine lines and photoaging – so skin looks brighter, firmer, and instantly more even. I have heard a lot about Beautycounter over the past year or so and have been intrigued to try out their products as people seem to really rave about them. Once I decided to dive full force into making my beauty routine cleaner, I contacted a Beautycounter consultant (Beautycounter with Justine on Facebook) and decided to try out the Tint Skin Foundation as well as well as this concealer. I don’t use this concealer everyday, but when I have any redness around my nose or mouth or need a little extra brightening or coverage under my eyes, this is the product I’ve been reaching for. The brush tip applicator makes it super easy to use; I swipe the product onto my skin and then use a damp beauty sponge to blend it out (you can also use your fingers).

Nude by Nature Contour Palette (this is a clean product) – The 3 matte shades of the Contour Palette add depth and dimension to the face using shadow and light to create perfectly sculpted features in 3 easy steps. I recently picked up this palette at my local Shoppers Drug Mart as I was looking for a bronzer that was talc-free; after researching several products, the beautiful rose gold packaging of this brand sucked me in. If you aren’t big into the whole “contouring & highlighting” trend that has taken over the beauty world, you would still find this palette useful. I do not fully contour and highlight my face everyday but I do like to use a bronzer to warm up my fairer-than-fair completion. I take the big, fluffy end of my Tarte double ended brush and swirl it into the middle shade and then apply in to my face in the “3 formation” (shown below). I also dust the light shade under my eyes after applying my concealer to set the product and hold it in place.

Essence Cosmetics Lash Princess Sculpted Volume Mascara – Sculpt your lashes to perfection with the Essence Lash Princess Sculpted Volume Mascara! With the special shaped sculpting brush, you can easily build up volume and bring out your most stunning and individual lash look. Although this brand is not certified clean, I have used many of their products over the years as they are suuuuuper affordable (this mascara is around $4) and are really great quality. There are 3 mascaras in the Lash Princess line and I love all of them as they give great, defined volume without clumping or flaking off. If you are in the market for a new mascara I definitely recommend trying on of the Lash Princess ones from Essence. You can purchase Essence Cosmetics products at Shoppers Drug Mart.

Milani Easybrow Automatic Pencil in the shade “03 Natural Taupe” – For full and even brows, add the Easybrow Automatic Pencil to your beauty routine. The smooth-glide, water resistant formula fills even the smallest gaps with natural looking volume. I picked up this brow pencil about a month ago when I was browsing around Shoppers Drug Mart (I swear I am not sponsored by them…I just shop there a lot😆) and discovered they had started carrying Milani products. Milani is an affordable, drugstore brand that is hugely touted in the the YouTube beauty world and up until this point I had yet to ever get my hands on any of their products. This pencil is very creamy and glides over the brows easily without any pulling; the colour matches well for me and overall I have found it to be a good drugstore option for a brow pencil (those are few and far between in my opinion. My all-time favourite brow product though has got to be the Benefit Cosmetics Goof Proof Brow Pencil in shade 1 cool light blonde. Do you have a recommendation of a clean/non-toxic brow product? I’ve been on the hunt to find one to add to my routine!

Sephora Collection Double Ended Face Brush – I believe this brush was part of a limited-edition collection from Sephora, so it can no longer be purchased, but Sephora does sell similar options. I use the flat-top end of this brush to apply my mineral foundation; it is dense and flat allowing it to hold onto the product and evenly distribute it on the face. I use the other end of this brush for blush; both ends are super soft and I have had little to no shedding from this brush.

Tarte Cosmetics Double Ended Contour & Highlight Brush – This brush is a part of the limited-edition “Back to School Tools” brush set; it is still available to be purchased online through the Tarte website but doesn’t appear to be available from Sephora anymore. This brush is soooo soft and the small, domed shape traces a perfectly controlled contour/bronze along your face eliminating any harsh lines. The smaller end is perfect to apply highlight in small, controlled strokes so you can get the product exactly where you want it.

Well there you have it, my current most-used makeup products that I use everyday to create a “no makeup makeup look”. If you have any recommendations of things you think I should try, please let me know – I am always on the lookout for new products to fall in love with!

Have a wonderful Sunday beauties,

Britt✨

Posted in Beauty

skincare favourites.

Posted on by Brittany Barker

So before I dive into the products I’ve been loving lately, I am going to tell you a little bit about my skin to give you a better idea which of why I use each product and help you decide if any of them may work for you. I will also share a few more of my “must have” products that are not pictured (my skincare collection is quite extensive🙊)

I started out with my very first skincare routine when I was 14 years old and it consisted of washing my face with a cleanser that was way too harsh for my nearly perfect skin (what I wouldn’t give to have that back!!) and then smearing astringent all over it because I read in Cosmopolitan magazine that I needed it in my routine. Little did I know that I was completely stripping my skin of all it’s natural oils causing it to freak out – who could blame it?! My skin became super oily to the point that foundation would slip right off which in turn made me cake on the powder and double up on my disaster of a skincare routine *facepalm*. For years I was convinced I had the oiliest skin on the planet and it could never be tamed!

I haven’t really dealt with acne much in my life, the odd breakout here and there usually stemming from hormones or stress. However, I have struggled with rosacea on my cheeks for years which causes them to constantly be red/enflamed, dry, and irritated. My skin is also extremely sensitive and reactive to anything and everything; I always joke that everything about me is sensitive – my skin, my feelings, you name it!!

So now that I am ~inching~ towards thirty, I think I have finally started to figure my skin out. It is by no means perfect, but for the most part I know what it needs and what to stay away from. In the winter my skin is sensitive + dry and in the warmer months I tend to be more sensitive + combination. Knowing your skin type is super important in order to pick products that will best suit your needs; that way instead of working against your skin (like I was as a teenager), the products should work with your skin to bring it to a naturally balanced state. NOW without further adieu, let’s dive into some of my current skincare favourites!

Herbivore Lapis Facial Oil – A hydrating face oil to balance skin while improving visible redness and blemishes. This oil is made with 100% natural plant oils and thoroughly hydrates the skin without clogging pores, so that it can stop producing excess oil and find the balance that it needs. Now you may be wondering, should I really be using oil if my skin is already oily? That short answer – YES! If you find that no matter what you do your skin always seems to be oily, it’s likely due to the fact that your skin is actually overproducing oil to make up for the fact that it is lacking in it (either being stripped away due to products you are using, environmental factors, etc). This oil is not a product that I use every day, but when my skin is freaking out and nothing I do seems to help, this is 100% the product I reach for. It does exactly what it claims to do and the deep blue oil in it’s gorgeous weighted glass bottle looks soooo luxurious sitting on my vanity!

Cocokind Organic Rosewater Facial Toner – This rosewater toner softens and soothes skin while also reducing dryness and leaving skin refreshed. I discovered Cocokind products at our local Shoppers Drugmart a few months back when I first started transitioning my skincare & makeup over to the clean/non-toxic side. Their products are 100% natural, affordable, and actually WORK. This was one of the first products I purchased from Cocokind and have since purchased nearly every product that Shoppers carries from their brand. In the morning I spritz this toner on a washable cotton pad and swipe it over my face before I start my makeup routine (I don’t actually “wash” my face in the AM). I also use it at night after cleansing my skin with the Cocokind Cleansing Oil and have even used it to set my makeup. I love a product that has multiple uses and for me this is one product I can’t go without!

CocoKind Organic Chia Facial Oil – Chia is one of the highest sources of omega-3; this regenerative oil provides moisture beyond the surface of your skin. It also helps to reduce inflammation, increase suppleness, and protect your skin from free radical damage. If you’re looking for a daily moisturizer that will defend your skin against everyday stressors, you’ve found it! We recently went on vacation to Jamaica and while we were there my skin was the best it’s been in ages, all thanks to their wonderfully humid climate. Within one day of returning to the “Polar Vortex” known as Saskatchewan, my skin was in the worst condition it had been in years. I was breaking out all over (I’m talking MONSTER zits..you know the ones), oily in places, and had a red, dry, flaky rash all over my entire face. I was desperate to find something that would help and tried multiple things from my own skincare collection to no avail. I decided to do some research and see if Cocokind had anything that would help and that’s when I came across the Chia Facial Oil. I went out and purchased the oil and eagerly applied it to my cleansed skin that night. Now, I promise I am not kidding you when I tell you this; when I woke up the next morning my face looked 90% better than it did just the night before – I was beyond happy and have been singing the praises of this brand and product since!

Eminence Couperose-C Serum – (I think this product has been discontinued, I can’t seem to find it anymore) This serum is for sensitive, reactive, oily, rosacea, dehydrated, and dry skin types. It is intensely moisturizing and supplies high levels of Vitamin C and bioflavonoids. This serum also includes essential oils such as lavender, peppermint, and rose hip to aid in soothing & regeneration. I currently have quite a few Eminence products in my rotation and truly love them all; Eminence Organic skincare products are hand-made with naturally organic ingredients. This serum works wonders on my sensitive, redness prone skin and I love the cooling sensation it has on my skin from the peppermint! After cleansing and toning my skin, I will apply this serum (sometimes I use a different serum or no serum at all) and let it set for a minute or two before applying the Chia Facial Oil over top. Another amazing serum from Eminence that I love is the Strawberry Rhubarb Hyaluronic Serum – it smells ahhh-mazing and is super lightweight but hydrating!

Summer Fridays Jet Lag Mask – A one-of-a-kind hydrating cream face mask featuring proven, skin-loving ingredients that deliver rich hydration and a radiant completion in just one application. If you have not yet heard of this instant cult-classic face mask let me tell you that it definitely lives up to all of the hype surrounding it! I actually do not use this as you would typically use a mask; instead, I use it as my nighttime moisturizer on nights when my skin needs an extra boost of moisture. After cleansing and toning my skin I’ll apply this mask and hop into bed! On nights that I use this mask I do not use the Chia Oil, but if your skin is quite dry you could apply the oil right over top at the end.

A couple of products not pictured that are also staples in my routine are the Eminence Strawberry Rhubarb Dermafoliant (the best facial exfoliator I’ve ever used), Cocokind Cleansing Oil, Cocokind Matcha Stick (multi-use moisture stick), and the Laneige Lip Sleeping mask.

If you’re still with me, congrats…you made it to the end! I would love to hear what your current skincare favourites are; you can message me on here via comment or from my “Contact” page or on instagram @bare.beauty.blog – let me know if there’s any great products you think I should try! If you have any questions about the products mentioned or would like some advice on your own skincare routine, feel free to message me I would be happy to help!

Until next time beauties,

Britt✨