Blush & Freckle

When I watched Tati’s (GlamLifeGuru) video on this concealer, I couldn’t pick one up soon enough. Unfortunately, my experience with Elf’s new-ish (came out in March I believe) ‘16-Hour Camo Concealer’ was slightly disappointing; and, despite regular use, this product is not a favorite that I intend to re-purchase. Camo Concealer lives up to its claims of intense color payoff/pigment, but falls short in coverage and wear; ultimately, Elf’s newest concealer is a great concealer for those with moderate expectations. For those of us who ask the World of our concealer, you may just want to stick with your holy grail.

Brand: Elf Product: 16-Hour Camo Concealer Product Type: Concealer Shade: Light Peach           Shade Number: (None) Tone Family: Cool Brand Description: “Light with rosy peach undertones” Price/Unit Weight: $6/.203 fl. Oz. (6mL) Purchase Link: Purchase here Ingredients: *Ingredients for Light Peach: Water (Aqua), Cyclopentasiloxane, Acrylates Crosspolymer, Butylene Glycol, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Sodium Chloride, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Kaolin, Silica, Dimethicone, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Acrylates/Dimethicone Copolymer, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol MAY CONTAIN: Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499)

Claims Elf’s Camo Concealer makes several claims including 16-hour wear, no creasing, and matte finish. While they deliver on the matte finish, it comes at a price, with a drying formula that won’t work for dry/sensitive skin types; and, may promote oil production/breakouts for oily types.

I have found this product to be both gratifying and frustrating; at times easy to use, others, impossible to make work. Here are some pictures of initial application, one eye with the concealer, the other without (please excuse my eye redness, I have ocular rosacea and it happens to be flaring up).

On one hand - there is so much pigment, on the other hand - it breaks apart easily, making you look diseased and patchy. All that being  said, when the stars do align, the Camo Concealer can give you the retouched highlights of dreams. For $6, it will get the job done; but, if you have your tried and true concealer, you aren’t missing out here.

If you frequent Youtube or Instagram, chances are you've been inundated with morning beauty routines and fancy products. Posts and videos tend to be complex or overwhelming for the skincare newbie; and, to complicate things even more, skincare regimens are incredibly personal and take a lot of trial and error to perfect. The following lists what your basic regimen should include, as well as links to articles/resources on the item.

1. Cleanser

Every routine has to have a cleanser; trouble is, there are a plethora of options on the market and some are not so great for your skin. When choosing a cleanser its important to consider two things: pH and surfactants. Here is why-

pH

In case you can't remember your high school chemistry class, pH refers to a scale specifying how acidic or alkaline (read: opposite of acidic) a solution is. Your skin barrier, or the outer wall of your skin, should have a pH of around 5.5-6.5; and, therefore, skincare products should be around the same. If a product you use is too acidic or alkaline, it could produce catastrophic reactions (aka breakouts, irritation, inflammation). Your skincare should - by rule of thumb - fall in the 5-6.5 pH range, as this is the closest to your skin's natural pH

Surfactants

Surfactants refer to the cleansing elements/chemicals in the product you are using. All cleansing products need surfactants to work, but certain chemicals are better than others. In short, avoid products with harsh surfactants like sodium lauryl sulfate, or anything that looks like 'Sodium _ _ ate' (sodium laurate, sodium cocoate, sodium tallowate, etc.); and, instead, opt for products containing milder surfactants like sodium laureth sulfate (especially when combined with cocamidopropyl betaine), sodium cocoyl isethionate, alkyl sulfosuccinates, etc.

For much more detail about these two, check out the amazing Lab Muffin's post on the matter. Read here for more info.

2. Toner

I used to think I didn't need a toner, that is until I met active acids. There are an extensive amount of toning products on the market, but at minimum, your toner should balance the skin's pH and maintain a happy skin barrier. Active acids like glycolic acid restore skin pH while sloughing off dead skin cells. Other toners with ingredients like niacinamide and ceramide, reinforce the skin barrier - restoring any damage done during the cleansing stage. Here is another Lab Muffin post on how to use toners!

3. Moisturizer

Like toners, the treatments and moisturizers you use should restore the skin barrier (maintain skin pH). Avoid products with fragrance and dyes; and, opt for treatments or moisturizers with ceramides, niacinamides, and fatty/amino acids (note, don't use niacinamide at the same time as active acids, instead use them at separate times of the day to avoid a chemical reaction). While somewhat counterintuitive, moisturizers should be water based, as water based products can permeate the outer wall and absorb. Follow water based moisturizers with oils to lock products in (I recommend squalane).

4. Sunscreen

If you haven't seen the famous sun-exposed trucker picture, here you go: an article about it, and the actual image showing the importance of SPF - 

If this doesn't inspire you to wear SPF, I am not sure what would. Besides reducing your risk of skin cancer, SPF protects the skin from wrinkle-producing radiation. Fight wrinkles with regular use of SPF!

In conclusion

Fruits & Fresh Fruits – Throwback to Japanese Street Style

Rich, bold and completely unique, Shoichi Aoki’s books Fruits and Fresh Fruits – a collection of photos studying street styles in Tokyo- continue to be relevant and addictive despite being around for over a decade. Even after nearly 15 years since its debut, we continue to find ourselves sitting in a sun-lit window, greedily flipping through Aoki’s images taking visual inventory of all the ways…