Spring brings buds on trees, daffodils in the parks, and skin-care launches on the shelves of beauty stores.
We perused the natural newcomers, and found four especially fresh-faced options that make us feel renewed and luminous just looking at the labels. (And, during a test-run, they also proved their mettle.)
Here are the spring debuts we’ll be cleansing with, dabbing on, and beautifying with for clear, bright, and healthy-looking skin all season long. And beyond…. Have you tried any new products for spring?
3. TRES PURE
When you have a science background and love beauty products, but go into banking, sometimes your heart calls you back. That was the case with Shahnaz Hussain, the founder of Tres Pure. The pretty (and still ambitious) New Yorker supports cooperatives in Uganda to farms in Tunisia, when sourcing the ethical, clean, and often super-expensive ingredients (we’re not going to lie) that make up her luxe line. (The popular product trio above is $145.) And while Tres Pure is made in New York, it has fans from London to the UAE, and has just started to catch on at home.
The natural products are simple—rice and adzuki bean is used in the scrub, carrot seed in the toner, and a blend of marula, chamomile, and other plant oils hydrate and brighten skin in the face oil (a best-seller). As Hussain says, “The simplicity of quality ingredients is the secret behind beautiful skin. And I think that’s what people really want.”
4. W3LL PEOPLE
Now the entire handcrafted, natural line contains skin-calming organic aloe, which “adds amazing luminosity, and a creamier, more blendable texture,” explains color director, Shirley Pinkson. You can really see the aloe’s magic in the foundations that absorb excess shine without disappearing your glow. (No mannequin skin!)
Spring brings three new multitasking Universalist Colorsticks ($33) for cheeks and lips (we heart the blood-orange No. 6). And we’re not the only one loving the brand reboot: W3LL PEOPLE will have pride of place in H&M’s new luxe retail stores, called & Other Stories, in London, Paris, Milan, and beyond, reaching scores of healthy beauties across the pond.
Meet Sarah—she’s super pale, like her favorite star, but suffers from the sensitive skin that often accompanies a porcelain complexion. Among her woes: looking too young for her age. Hmmm, Sarah, we’re not crying for ya there! But we do want to know your tricks…
Name: Sarah
Age: 28 (with the misfortune [truly!] of looking 18 [I say misfortune because until people hear that I am 28, there is an unfortunate tendency to lecture me as if I have never experienced the "real world."]
Before the bath…
In the bath…
Outside the bath…
Finishing touches…
Wow, great routine (and lifestyle). We’re super intrigued by the DIY sunscreen—anybody else made their own? What else here have you tried?
Go on, get glossy. It’s Friday after all! Got anything special planned for the weekend? We’re thinking yoga, magazines, and a few catch-up phone calls with friends. But to kick it off we have a very special deal from our pals at W3ll People…
When you order either (or both) of their Paganist Lip Glosses, in shimmery gold or perfect pink, you’ll get a 20% discount off these products. But this is extra special because it’s going to last a month. That’s right, a whole entire month. Code is: NMDL.
We’ve been having a bit of a love affair with lip gloss lately. It’s just such a nice break from a matte lip, casual for the day but also a lil sparkly-spark at night. Because these are on the sheer side, they also layer really well and they’re packed with shea for serious hydration, and taste like vanilla. Yum.
Have you tried them? If so, do share, and if not: What have you tested out from the W3ll crew?
As many of you know, W3ll People is one of the *only* natural brands that has managed to make makeup that’s as good, nay better, than the mainstreams. The pigments are rich, the wear lasts, and the products are through and through clean. (Secret: One of the partners used to work for NARS.) They’re not messing around.
In other news, did we mention it’s the weekend? Now go get through those last hours of work, before you can kick your feet up and enjoy. x
Meet Krystal, everybody. Full disclosure: I know this gal! But finding her routine in our inbox was a total surprise. See, a long time ago we worked for the same company, and I actually tried stealing her from another department to come help me with copy. They wouldn’t let her go—so I’m happy to finally be putting her writing skills to use. Plus, it’s a great routine—we’re clearly singing from the same songbook on favorite brands—with some stellar tips. Enjoy!
Name: Krystal
Age: 27
Current Weather: Coming out of California “June gloom.” Cool mornings, hot, dry days, and somewhat sticky nights.
Hair: Extremely fine and silky (with a few skin weft extensions – my one and only dirty secret!)
Skin: Prone to breakouts, larger pores around my nose.
Favourite star or icon from the past: Candice Bergen in the 60s
In the shower…
When I’m not half-asleep, I dry brush first. I use Bronner’s liquid almond soap on the areas that require de-funking, and Skin and Bones oil (smells SO good) on the rest of me. I wash and condition my hair with Acure Organics duo in Pure Mint and Echinacea (the volumizing one). I was on a baking soda, ACV and dry shampoo kick for a while, but even after a few months, my hair always looked wet or greasy, and smelled unpleasant. If I need to shave something, I use coconut oil, which is lovely, but you need to use really hot water when rinsing the razor to melt away any oil and hair caught in between the blades.
Outside the shower…
Before I blow dry or braid my hair, I mix a tiny amount of argan and jojoba oil in my palm to moisturize the ends. I spritz my face with the lovely aloe and rosewater concoction I whipped up after reading this DIY and dab a bit of jojoba oil around my eyes. While that’s soaking in, I spread a little Soapwalla on my pits. I was using Lavanila for many months, and ended up quitting it, not for the controversy, but because it stopped working. Soapwalla is working out quite nicely, though I do miss that super sweet Lavanila scent.
Finishing touches…
What some call finishing touches, I call the main show! I’ve always been one of those gals who likes to wear a lot of makeup, but look like she’s not wearing any at all. I start with some RMS un-cover up (the price tag kept me from trying it for some time, but a sample from Spirit Beauty Lounge persuaded me that the price is well worth it) around my eyes, and in the redder areas around my nose and chin. I then sweep on a light dusting of W3LL People’s altruist foundation, and set it with Lotus Wei’s Infinite Love Energy Mist. I sweep on 100% Pure’s Pot Rouge on my cheeks, their satin eye shadow on my lids (I try to use as few brushes as possible) and, if I’m feeling dramatic, their eye brow powdered gel on my dirty blonde brows. I finish off the eyes with Jane Iredale’s pencil eyeliner and Longest Lash mascara (which does require several passes to get the same volume and lengths as commercial mascaras). For my lips, I use Josie Maran’s Magic Marker Lip Stain with Argan Color Stick (it’s so easy to get nice, sharp lines with the marker end!) Of course, no natural makeup look would be complete without that subtle glow, best achieved with RMS’ Living Luminizer.
When I went clean, the absolute hardest thing to give up was my Burberry London perfume, which I had worn dutifully for years and it had become so identifying that when I stopped wearing it people immediately began telling me I smelled different (“Oh, no, no, no, not bad just…different”). I went through SO many different natural perfumes that just smelled like old ladies or cooking ingredients, I thought I’d never find a new signature scent, forever smelling “different.” Then, I tried out Tsi-la’s Fleur Sauvage. Floral and sweet, but with a woodsy quality that gives it substance and weight, I can’t smell my wrists without closing my eyes and smiling. It’s that good. Trapped-on-a-desert-island-and-can-only-bring-one-thing good.
That’s it! Thanks for letting me share! It’s been a long and crazy journey from dirty to clean, but after finding what product works best for me, I’m happier with the quality and performance of the products I use far more than I ever used to be with conventional junk.
A clean story after our own hearts. Just for fun, are there any readers out there who like their clean products less than the conventionals? Which ones, and why?
Be prettier Candice Bergen. Not possible.
Guys! I have four new favorite makeup items!
I’m going to review them all at once, since they’re all from W3LL People.
1. Universalist 1 and 2 as a duo pot—or as separate sticks. I have the sticks, and I love them. Now, the internet has a serious makeup-color-showing problem (which is why we need more brick and mortars, please, especially in New York), so I’m going to politely ask you to ignore the colors you see on your screen and indulge me as I try to describe them instead.
The colored stick you see here on the left, Universalist 1, looks in person more like a bronzey, dusty rose. It’s got a lot of glow to it without being sparkly, and it has become my go-to everyday blush. It’s literally impossible to mess up, and it’s flattering on every skin color I’ve seen it on. You can dab it on lightly for a super subtle healthy glow or layer it on a little thicker for evening, if you want the color to pop more. Little trick Shirley from W3LL People taught me: Apply a tiny amount under the edge of your eyebrow arch—just a dab, guys—and you won’t really be able to see it, but it makes your eyes really pop!
The 2, meanwhile, is not a solid color at all, as it appears in some pictures. It’s actually a luminizer/highlighter, and it works great on cheekbones, cupids bow, eyelids and even under the outside edge off eye. Just be sure to blend it well. Looks so great! You can see me dorking out about it, and see Shirley explaining how to apply them in the video over here.
(Because we only hawk the stuff we love, you can also currently get both in our little deal. If you want.)
2. The black eyeliner. Also wild about their new eyeliner! Because it’s not technically waterproof I was warned against under eye lash lining but I find it works great and lasts—even at cry-inducing weddings and on hot days. At the same time, it washes off easily with my Kahina cleanser, which is a nice plus. I’ve been into tight-lining my upper lash line and the outside of my lower lash line with it for a nice sharp pop. Fun!
3. The shimmery eyeshadow. I have Elitist 814, which you can see over here. Shirley applied it on me when she did my makeup for that video (confidential to Shirley: Can you do my makeup every day? Thank you) and I’ve since been using it for day and night. For night I layer it with a darker browny bronze. For day I wear it solo when I’m feeling a little less than spiritely, like today! It doesn’t look cakey or teenybopper at all—it’s quite subtle, but makes a huge difference. The color, which is a warm salmony gold, is just so pretty.
Have you tried any new makeup you love?
