Honest Beauty Product Review

"Honest Beauty? Isn't that Jessica Alba's makeup line?" I know you're all thinking, "great, another celebrity endorsed makeup line." However, I find Honest Beauty, along with the Honest Company to be so much more than that! Jessica Alba stands by her natural cosmetics and skin care line, working in the office, 9-to-5, just like all of the other employees. She has a whole in-house research team, and has banned 2,500 ingredients from making their way into her products!

(Click on photos for higher quality) 

Chamomile and calendula are the main ingredients in most of these products which help to soothe and calm the skin. 

Refreshingly Clean Gel Cleanser - This cleanser foams up nicely and provides a deep clean for any skin type. It removes dirt and oils without leaving your skin feeling stripped. I love how soft my skin feels after I use this and it has turned into my nightly wash! 

Refreshingly Clean Makeup Removing Wipes - These wiped down all of my makeup, no problem! And trust me, I wear a lot of mascara and liner most days. They leave my skin feeling just as soft as if I had washed with the foaming cleanser. For the price point of $10 you can't beat it!

Even Brighter Every Day Moisturizer - Of the 3 moisturizers available in the Honest Beauty line, this one is good for combo skin. Vitamin C powerhouse is one of the main ingredients to help brighten and even skin tone. I can use this morning or night, as it's not too heavy and it absorbs right into my skin!

 Everything Primer - This yellow primer helps to brighten the skin, tone down redness, and even skin tone. With hyaluronic acid as one of the main ingredients it also helps to moisturize and smooth out the appearance of fine lines. I do love the way this makes my skin glow, however it's not the best fit for my combo skin in the humid environment I live in. I'll save this for evenings out or special events, not an every day wear. I also hope they eventually make this a pump bottle as the squeeze tube is pretty hard! 

Magic Balm - This balm truly is magic and 100% organic! I'm obsessed with it for multiple different reasons. I've used it to tame fly away hairs, moisturize dry patches on my hands, and especially love it as my lip balm during the day and right before I go to bed as it's not greasy or heavy. Jessica Alba loves using the balm as a highlighter, and I'm all for it! I tried it myself and love the mega luminous look it gave my skin! For $18, this balm is a must have! 

Add me on Snapchat! - cheqk -  I post things like this and you can stay ahead of my posts 

I'm obsessing over these few products and already can't wait to pick up a few more items in the line! I've noticed a reduction in breakouts since starting to use the Honest Beauty skin care and would recommend the line to anyone, especially those wanting to take a natural approach to beauty! Have you tried anything from this line? Which products in this post caught your eye? 

xo, Katie

Sugarpill Nurse & Girl Crush Pretty Poison Lipsticks

Sugarpill is expanding their line to include lipsticks! Dubbed the "Pretty Poison" lipsticks, these are long wearing, ultra-pigmented, and matte! I was able to pick these up early for $18 a pop at IMATS NYC. Hopefully we can expect a release date soon!

Girl Crush is the hot pink, magenta and Nurse in the blue-toned, classic red. When I saw the packaging I knew I had to have these before even swatching. Is that bad? That I'm, like, that much of a packaging junkie?! I mean, they're shaped like sparkly pink and white pills with the companies logo on the cap! Another perk about these lipsticks is the slight fragrance. They even smell and taste sweet- like candy! You can tell how much thought went into creating these lipsticks down to the very last detail.

For matte lipsticks, these don't feel stiff and drying. However, as with any matte lipstick, I would still recommend prepping your lips with your favorite balm before applying. You don't have to wear a lip liner with these lipsticks (if you didn't want to) as they don't bleed at all! And the wear time is incredible. Lasting 5-6 hours, I rarely fool with touching up these lipsticks when I wear them.

Top: Wearing Girl Crush, Bottom: Wearing Nurse

Last year, Sugarpill was anticipating to launch these Pretty Poison lipsticks in January 2016.... and here we are in May. I know Sugarpill fell flat a few years back after promising to produce more of their pro palettes, so I'm only hoping this time will be different! These lipsticks are beautiful, pigmented, matte goodness and I only hope to see a launch with more colors in the future! Would you snag either of these Pretty Poison lipsticks?

xo, Katie

I Got Engaged?!

The full eight days Ryan and I were in New York were non-stop. We hit just about all of the main landmarks, walked 10+ miles a day, and took in so many sights and sounds it was hard to recollect everything at the end of each day. There are about 5 minutes from the trip that stand out more than anything else. The moment when Ryan got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife, everything around us in Central Park became a blur and I relished in that incredible moment with my bestfriend.

The whole day we had planned to go walk around Central Park and I was under the impression that Ryan's friend, Karl, would be taking some much needed new coupley photos of us! Two photos in, Ryan started out with, "I know this is something we've talked about....." leading into his proposal and I was completely shocked! He staged it out perfectly and I couldn't believe how much time and effort he put into making this moment perfect. It was a moment from the movies to last a lifetime.

We've ball-parked a date in the fall of 2018, but there isn't any rush. We want to have fun during the planning process and get all of the details just right without all the stress. I can't wait for this next adventure with my best friend!

These amazing photos were taken by Brooklyn based photographer and our friend, Kault Photography! Check out his work, it's dreamy! 

xo, Katie  
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I Went to IMATS NYC 2016!

Hey guys! I just got back from spending a few days in the Big Apple! In New York there's always something to see and a place to be. I was so happy I got to spend my Saturday there at the International Makeup Artist Trade Show, commonly referred to as IMATS.

IMATS is known for having great vendors serving up some incredible deals as well as a range of makeup artistry demo's and displays on stage or at certain booths. I picked up makeup I had anticipated for the weeks leading up the show, enjoyed looking at all of the dramatic and FX makeup, and listening to Lisa Eldridge speak was the highlight of my day.

 My first stop was the Sugarpill table. The pressed and loose eyeshadows were top on my list as I’ve never owned any and have only heard great things! I can already tell you I’m in love with the products I picked up and reviews on the new lipsticks, launched at IMATS, will be coming soon! Amy Doan, the creator of Sugarpill, was there and is just as sweet and genuine in person!

 Lisa Eldridge, a global makeup artist and Lancome’s Creative Director, did an interview on the main stage, and listening to her speak was completely inspiring. I loved listening to her talk about how she budded into the industry and on her different experiences. She did a book signing after her interview and of course I kicked myself after the fact for not grabbing one then! I know I’ll still pick up her book, Face Paint, I’ll just have to get over not having her signature in the front.

 Although I only purchased specific things from a few brands that have been on my list for a while, I made a point to stop by all of the booths! It was amazing seeing all of the pastels Lime Crime has to offer and the new Violet Voss eyeshadow palette in person (yeah, it was pretty dreamy). The Morphe and Anastasia Beverly Hills lines stayed wrapped around the building the majority of the day. And different schools were showcasing their talent by having live makeup applications at their booths.

IMATS had so much going on throughout the whole day that I’d really love to dedicate the weekend next time I decide to go. I’ll definitely have reviews on the products I purchased coming up, but that would have made for an overwhelmingly long post! If cosmetics and this industry is something you’re passionate about, I would say to make the splurge into attending IMATS eventually! You’ll see so many great artists on display, learn more about makeup and the industry, and connect with like-minded people!


xo, Katie