We’re pretty jazzed, y’all! Starting today on OpenSky we have the W3LL People Universalist Duo again!

We also have a video up where Siobhan is talking about the line, and we have W3LL’s cofounder and in-house makeup artist and guru explaining how to apply it.

We had it a few weeks ago as a deal and many of you seemed bummed you missed it—so we found another way to get it out there. Here’s the deal with these two colors:

They’re perfect for summer because the colors are sheer enough to look like you don’t have any makeup on; they look good on every complexion (even super pale people!); and you can apply them without looking, when no one’s looking, on the go.

We love the color on the left (which is a lot tamer than it looks in the picture) for a sun kissed look—essential now that we’re all wearing natural sunscreen and have sworn off our sunless tanners (ahem!). And the shimmery highlighter is sparkle free, adding a nice touch of light to your cheekbones, eyelids, cupid’s bow, and wherever else you feel like putting it.

You can get the duo over here, now!

Mouah.

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Meet Charlotte, everybody! She channels Diana Ross and has a really kick-ass routine. Check out her tips for caring for curls!

Name: Charlotte
Age: 26
Current weather: around 15C/59F, moderately humid, mild breeze, clear skies
Hair: 3b/c (very curly), darkest brown with auburn ends caused by the sun, between shoulder and armpit length, fine but lots of it
Skin: Acne-prone if I eat things that don’t agree with me (dairy, soy, refined sugar, wheat). When it’s behaving, my skin is even toned with non-visible pores. I get dull skin if I don’t keep hydrated by drinking water and taking my daily supplements (flaxseed, cod liver oil, MSM). I love that my skin is still very young and fresh looking with no wrinkles and that it has a natural “glow” about it. The only thing that bothers me about my skin is my acne and that’s only because it really affects my confidence. I don’t cover blemishes with make up because I think it makes everything look worse so I just suffer through it.

In the shower…

I wash with water only. If my armpits are particularly stinky, I use some Bee-mine rhassoul clay shampoo bar on them. Occasionally I use a body brush/exfoliating gloves. I use Darcy’s Botanicals coconut shampoo bar to wash my hair once a week and only comb my hair out in the shower when it’s wet. I don’t use a conditioner – my hair gets over-moisturized extremely easily and when that happens I get a lot of breakage and split ends.

Outside the shower…

I wash my face with a soft flannel and cold water. After that I tone with rose water and a cotton pad, spray my face again with rose water to make it damp and apply 3 drops of jojoba oil with a smidge of neem oil (it’s very stinky) as my moisturizer/hydrator. I apply Soapwalla deodorant to my armpits. I also apply crown pride ceramide protein hair treatment (I leave it in all week; my hair loves protein much more than moisture) and then towel-dry my hair with my Curls Like Us Curl Cloth (makes my hair very coily and nice).  I don’t really moisturize my body. I find that because I don’t use soap, my skin never dries out anymore. On the very rare occasions I feel like I need a bit of moisturizer, I use a bit of babassu oil (its a hard oil like coconut oil and quite rich) or some shea butter.

Finishing touches…

For make up, I use Honeybee Gardens mascara in black, Afterglow concealer in toffee or RMS Beauty un-cover up in 33, Alima Pure eyeliner powder in espresso on my eyebrows, Inika eyeliner pencil in black on the inside of my upper eyelashes, W3ll People universalist highlighter on the inner corners of my eyes and usually a little bit of Alima Pure freja blush or Alima Pure trinidad bronzer. Sometimes a bit of OCC lip tar in clear or nsfw, mac lipstick in russian red or girl about town, or nars lipstick in cruella. Lipsticks are the only “dirty” product i still use :(
No fragrance as I’m struggling to find anything I like thats also ‘clean’!

Thanks, Charlotte! Anyone have some new fragrance tips? You know we are big Lotus Wei fans ’round these parts. But there are more out there, too!

P.S. I couldn’t resist…..

Image via

Good morning, everybody! Meet Dawn, a bayou belle from Louisiana who isn’t afraid of using Apple Cider Vinegar on her face, has her own natural toothpaste recipe (Weleda + peppermint drops = genius!), and who is a self-taught hair diva. Check her out!

Name: Dawn

Age: 22

Current weather: Hot, sticky, mosquito-ridden, and generally pretty unpleasant (Sup, Louisiana?)

Hair: Fine and somehow surprisingly thick, wavy, boob length [Ed.: is that a technical term? :)], dark brown.

Skin: I have combination skin, with the oilier parts being my nose and forehead and the dryer ones being my cheeks and chin. For months at a time, my skin temporarily chooses to act right. Blemishes are the furthest thing from my mind, and my cheeks even manage to be rosy without the help of blush. Then, there are other times when one side of my face will turn against me and violently break out with little or no warning. It’s usually stress-related, and it almost always takes at least two weeks to run its course.

In the shower…

Thanks to Siobhan’s review, I’ve been successfully washing/conditioning my hair twice a week or so with Acure Organics Pure Mint + Echinacea Stem Cell Shampoo and Conditioner. For my body, I use whatever scent of liquid Dr. Bronner’s I happen to have (currently, it’s citrus). I wash my face with either Karen’s Botanicals Gentle Cleansing Lotion or Stark Skincare Grapefruit Cleanse + Hydrate Balm. I love them both, but the latter is ideal for the days when my skin is feeling a little dry and/or dull.

Outside the shower…

Just after getting out of the shower, I pour a little Bragg Organic Apple Cider Vinegar into the palm of my hand with a bit of cool water. I splash this on my face and allow to sit for around 15 seconds before moisturizing. To moisturize my face, I use Karen’s Botanicals Perfect Lotion on the days I cleanse with this brand and Stark Skincare Cypress Purity + Defense Oil when I’ve used the Grapefruit Balm. Regardless of which moisturizer I use on my face, I use the perfect lotion under my eyes because it tends to work best under eye makeup. I moisturize my body with Watts Beauty Organic Argan Oil, and occasionally I’ll add a drop or two to the ends of my hair as well. I brush my teeth with Weleda Calendula Toothpaste, to which I add a drop or two of peppermint essential oil. Without this extra step, my breath isn’t quite as fresh as I’d like (which is to say not at all). I’m still on the hunt for a toothpaste that manages to be both safe and a match for my morning breath. For my armpits, I use a Thai Crystal Deodorant Stone. Crystal stones are some of the only products I’ve found that I can use under my arms daily without developing a rash.

Finishing touches…

I tend to avoid most styling products simply because I don’t know the first thing about applying them, but I do regularly sleep with my hair sectioned and wrapped around a headband to achieve more defined waves ( (I used this video to teach myself)). It’s super simple, and I don’t experience the inexplicable guilt that I often do when I resort to heat-styling. I have a pretty sensitive nose, so I have to be careful when it comes to perfume. There are certain Pacifica scents that I can and do use in solid form regularly; Lotus Garden is my absolute favorite. Also, I’ve been trying my best to make my sample of Captain Blankenship’s Lila Perfume last, and I might’ve shed a tear when I used the last drop a couple of days ago. As for makeup, I always use 100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Mascara in Dark Chocolate or Blackberry on my lashes (depending on my mood), Vapour Organic Beauty Atmosphere Luminous Foundation under my eyes, W3ll People Universalist Matte Multi-Use Stick on my lips and cheeks (number 5), and Honeybee Gardens JobaColors Eye Liner in Smoking Gum on the outer corners of my eyes.

Thanks for allowing me to share! :)

Thank you, Dawn! Does anyone else splash their face with ACV to good results? Do you smell like an orchard after? Is it worthwhile?

Elle Magazine has named five newish beautry trends that they believe are here to stay, or in their words:

“Looks that hadn’t been invented—or weren’t possible—25 years ago are now part of today’s beauty lexicon”

I love this idea! But more than that I love the challenge of finding ways to do these looks without breaking the bank or busting out the chemicals. So here are my clean-girl takes on these new modern classics.

Beachy Hair: Easy. This is basically the Summer Hair Challenge. The best way to achieve this look is not by crunching your hair with some chemy spray, but by using a natural shampoo and conditioner (or no shampoo at all) and letter your hair air dry. Not always the easiest thing to pull off in the winter, to be sure, but I guess that’s why they call it Beach Hair.

The Stained Lip: Beets, beets, beets. If you want to be an extra clean girl, revisit the book and discover that beets are nature’s answer to Benetint. A little juice from a beet (rubbed right off a sliver) makes a great lip and cheek tint, and you can control the intensity with the amount.

Metallic Makeup: Our friends at W3ll People offer a really awesome selection of metallic eye shadows, as does Alima Pure.

Colorful Smokey Eye: The two aforementioned brands above have this down, or if you’re feeling extra crunchy you can use beautiful spirulina powder as well.

Flatironed Hair: Did you notice they didn’t mention the Brazilian Blowout here? We did! Flatironed hair is always a good look, one that’s easier to achieve when you don’t use sulfates on your hair and can work with your natural oils (a little argan doesn’t hurt either). We love to maintain straight hair with natural dry shampoos.

Which of these looks do you do like to do?

This is a super fun (and funny) one, you guys. Mairin is the right hand woman over at Kahina Giving Beauty, so yes, expect some Kahina listed here. But before anyone gets their panties in a pinch, Mairin has ALL kinds of recs here: from hair to makeup to DIY and some internal tricks too. Not to mention a few dirty secrets!

Name: Mairin Cipolla

Age: 24

Current Weather: Beautiful, sunny, crisp NYC morning

Hair: Long, wavy, dense, thick

Skin: Been a roller coaster ever since moving to New York two years ago. Things are finally balanced now, which I credit mostly to fish oil/omega supplements, multivitamins, probiotics, and being happier.  Taking good care of skin is essential (no sleeping in makeup, please!) but topicals can take you only so far, depending on the (many!) causes of your breakouts.

Before the shower…

My mornings are rushed- I like sleeping way too much, especially in the winter.  Coffee (espresso, French press, whatever) is a must; I’ll take it black and I’ll take it immediately.  I’m so bad about that “drink one glass of water immediately upon waking” thing. New Year’s resolution, perhaps?

In the shower…

If I have time to shower (usually I shower at night because my hair takes forever to dry), I use bar soap for body washing. I came across these two small brands at Brooklyn’s Renegade Craft Fair & love them: Possum Hollow Farm Soap and Volta Organics.  I also really like The Beer Soap Co.  That soap lasts forever.

Face wash alternates between Kahina Giving Beauty Cleanser or Simply Divine Botanicals You Can’t Zit Here. The Simply Divine smells, uh, different, and it’s this muddy black/brown liquid that semi-stains your sink, but I am convinced it really helps to keep breakouts at bay.

I use coconut oil to shave my legs—it’s the best, and so inexpensive. In a pinch, jojoba or olive oil work too. When I use a body scrub, I make my own out of coffee grounds, olive oil, cinnamon, and vanilla extract.  Sometimes I’ll add sugar. It smells sort of amazing; you should try it.

Just recently I’ve been introduced to Essence of Vali aromatherapy—thanks NMDL!—and I use their Relief massage oil on the back of my neck and massage it in during my shower. It helps to relieve tension and muscle tightness.

Outside the shower…

I really dislike applying body lotion or anything after a shower. There’s no time! There’s never any time! If I’ve shaved, then the coconut oil stays on my legs and voila. I will however apply a spritz of Essence of Vali, depending on how I’m feeling that day. Calm smells amazing.  I also like Uplift.

Perfume, like coffee, is a must; I have some “clean” (EOV by Essence of Vali—I know, I went a little nuts on that Friday deal), some less clean… like D.S. & Durga in Coriander.  Deodorant is either Tom’s of Maine (unscented, though I hear Lemongrass is great) or Soapwalla.  Soapwalla, please make a stick so I don’t have to get my fingers dirty. Please! Pretty please!

Finishing Touches…

Next up is makeup and skincare.  I use a mist every single morning.  It’s non-negotiable. I switch it up between Kahina Giving Beauty Toning Mist and Evan Healy mists (Immortelle and Rose Geranium).  I dab on eye treatment of choice—either Kahina Eye Serum or Kahina Eye Cream—Eye Cream if I’m dry, Eye Serum if I have serious dark circles or bags. I never use eye products from another brand: Kahina’s are perfection.

After that I blend liquid foundation (mine’s not clean: Lancome Teint Idole) with a facial oil or moisturizer.  I use anything from aloe vera gel (cheapcheapcheap!) to Evan Healy pomegranate or rose hip to Kahina Argan Oil or Lotion… sort of depends on how I feel and what the weather is like. I swipe RMS unCoverup (either 11 or 22) on any blemishes or scars and set with Alima Pure powder if I need extra coverage.

My makeup routine is mostly clean.  I’ve yet to try or buy a clean mascara. I use Julie Hewett liner in Smudge. I put different things on my lids: RMS Living Luminizer, RMS Cream Eye Shadow in Magnetic, Alima Pure Luminous Shimmer in Stone (smokey eye!) or even W3LL People mineral shadow in this light gold tone. If I’m super lazy (often), I’ll just use my blush as eye shadow, or go without.

Blush or bronzer is another must for definition and some color. I have Vapour in Spicy or Torch, Alima Pure in Lotus (sheer, lovely pink!), a pink W3LL People stick, or, most often, Nvey Eco powder compact in Natural. (Is this discontinued? It gives flawless coverage!) My brush was given to me by my mom probably eight years ago; it’s from the Body Shop and it has held up amazingly. I also have a half moon brush from Alima Pure that I am liking.

The only thing I’ll put on my lips is moisturizer—whatever I just put on my face.

I wash my hair at night, so in the morning I just style the front layers with a flatiron and put in a little product if I feel like it.  I’ll use whatever moisturizer (aloe vera gel, for instance) or Kahina Argan Oil on the tips. Two decidedly unclean yet fantastic hair products are Sachajuan Volume Powder for when I’ve gone 2 or, um, 4 days without washing my hair, and also Moroccanoil Hydratings Styling Cream to smooth frizz and define waves.  I also sometimes use SkinnySkinny Hair Powder in Jasmine to refresh oily roots.