#xovain

DIY Cheek Tint on xoVain!

Talking pigments with Tata Harper, too!

There's nothing like an adorable cheek flush on any human. Whether soft pink, Benetar red, violet, bronzer or anything in-between, throwing on a little rouge can brighten your day and your look, no matter how often you like to smile (or not).

Lately, I've been into cheek and tint pots for quick daytime looks where I really don't want to use makeup brushes.

Click here to read the full story on xoVain!

Azulene Round Up on xoVain!

A skin lullaby!

It makes perfect sense that a flower known for calming the mind and body for sleep — chamomile — would produce a chemical known as azulene that does the same for your skin.

You probably remember azulene if you've ever tried the abomination that is an at-home wax kit. The little blue bottle was filled with "azulene oil," which magically took away the sting of each rip. It was likely diluted in mineral oil, and still got the job done.

Brands seeking antimicrobial, anti-acne, but non-irritating ingredients have started to employ this blue baby in their formulas, and they're awesome!

Click here to read the full story on xoVain!

#WBW on xoVain: Ricky’s 4x4 Brush: Still Got It

I still use this brush almost every single day!

The brush has staggered, flexible bristles, allowing it to detangle in levels; instead of stroking the same bristles over and over through a tangle, which pulls, the 4x4 gently detangles more than one snag at a time. This means fewer brush strokes and less yanking on your hair, which is great in my book, since I usually shed quite a bit while brushing. So, check yes on the reduced breakage.

When it comes to detangling, I am an authority. I am comfortable styling all hair types, and frequently work with faux hair, which has a tendency to get EXTREMELY tangled, especially after dancing/ruling at life like I tend to to.  

#WBW: Laramie Glen Shares Her Photo Ready Tips For Everyone on xoVain

This was one of my fav articles with xo!

When it comes to makeup, retouching is something that photographers LOATHE. You don't get the chance to retouch photos before they hit social media, but the good news is, with a few simple steps, you can look nearly perfect--and natural to boot.

Thanks to smartphones, you end up with your picture taken far more often than you would have 10 years ago. The same common complaints are present whether you're being professionally photographed or just Instagrammed. You can look gorge in real life, but in photos, stuff you don’t notice, like shininess, redness around your nostrils, and dry lips can turn a good hair day into an I-wish-I-wore-a-paper-bag day faster than you can say CHEESE!

”Blue eyes aren’t technically a color--they’re a lack of color. Eye color is determined by pigments in the part of the iris called the stroma, and if there is a tiny amount of pigment there (or none at all), eyes will appear blue. A bit more pigment gives us green eyes. And if there’s heaps of pigment, eyes are brown.

In fact, scientists currently think that everyone who has blue eyes is descended from a single common individual who lived around the Black Sea six to ten thousand years ago.”

Apparently, I am a mutant. X-men assemble!

#WBW: DIY Hair Refresher Mist on xoVain

When it comes to refreshing my hair, dry shampoo does little to revive third or fourth day looks, and/or sweaty strands after a bath or workout. To deal with this unique problem, I've created a refresher mist for re-blow-drying or re-scrunching greasy or dry hair.  

This DIY is cheap to make, so you can use it generously to add moisture and softness back into your hair before you re-style. Made with glycerin, meadowfoam seed oil, water, and an emulsifier, the mist is suitable for body and hair. You can use it before blow-dry to re-style third or fourth day hair, spritz some on to wake up second day curls, or use a tiny bit to smooth a ponytail dent or cowlick.  

#WaybackWednesday: Darnell and I Drank a Gallon Of Water a Day For One Month

At first it was really hard to adjust to drinking this much water, so I got a system going with recyclable VOSS water bottles (they're made of glass). Rotating three bottles, I filled and drank 10 of those babies every day. After the first two days it was like second nature. I only slipped one day (drinking six bottles instead of 10) out of the whole month. During week two I noticed superhuman elasticity in my face. I don’t know if photos do it justice, but my skin just felt so plump!