The Real Face of Beauty.

Anyone who has read any of the posts here for any length of time know I love fashion and beauty. But alas, it is a love/hate relationship. I have posted my thoughts before {here}on the potentially negative effects of the fashion and beauty industries marketing tactics on our collective psyches. These videos, produced by Dove, demonstrate vividly the importance of the awareness of these issues. They also reiterate the importance of conveying the truth about the images and ideals bombarding our children on a daily basis. These videos focus on women, but I recently came across a very insightful video regarding these affects on men {here}. Take a moment to watch these videos... remind yourself of the reality behind the beauty and fashion industries. 

Love yourself, exactly as you are, each and every day. The clothing you put on, the make-up you wear... it only accentuates the true beauty within. The unique perfection of YOU is something to be treasured and to behold with awe and respect.

♥Jen

photo credit: via pinterest.com

Color Inspiration: Winter Garden

Deep plums, frosty silvers, icy whites, and deep greens...

Inspired ~ Beauty 

Dior '5 Couleurs' Eyeshadow Palette Mystic Smokys 004, $59
Lancome 'Hypnose Doll Lashes' Mascara So Black! One Size, $25
Guerlain Perles de Nuit Collectors Meteorites 30g, £33
Amazon.com: Covergirl Natureluxe Silk Foundation Alabaster 305,..., $3.25
Yves Saint Laurent Volupte Sheer Candy in Berry, $30

Inspired ~ Fashion

Milly ruffle shirt, $250
Victoria Beckham skinny leg jeans, $210
Vince Camuto hidden platform pumps, $150
Diane von Fürstenberg snake clutch, $365
Alexis Bittar drop earrings, $200

Inspired ~ Home

Poise Area Rug - Area Rugs - Contemporary Rugs - Floor Coverings |..., $679
THE MORGAN SOFA | sofas | furniture | Jayson Home, $2,995
Arteriors Othello Iron/Mirror Coffee Table, $886
Illusion Tile Print Purple Pillow Pair, $118
Raw Wood Carved Side Table | west elm, $199
Purple Fontella Hand Sewn Felt Rose Pillow - IMAX - 42123 | Compare..., $56
Currey and Company Raintree Oval Chandelier, $1,496

However you choose to incorporate it, this regal palette radiates depth and style. A perfect palette to welcome the cool winter days ahead.

♥Jen

photo credits: 1-3, 4-6

Makeup Memo - the truth about models vs. real women via Truth in Aging

I have a love/hate relationship with fashion magazines. I love them for the overall style inspiration they offer, and I hate them for the shameless promotion of beauty stereotypes. I came across this article today pretty randomly from a Facebook post, and knew I had to share it with you. I know I am guilty of severe self criticism sometimes-- most of which is unwarranted, but fostered by our cultural inclination to somehow meet the unattainable standard of beauty force-fed to our psyche from birth. 

This article, written by international make-up artist Kristen Arnett, thoughtfully expounds on the challenges of placing our self-esteem in jeopardy by considering models and the like as icons of physical beauty. My perspective, thankfully, has grown over the years. I recognize that my worth as an individual is not tied directly to my physical appearance. I'm only human, and I certainly make mistakes. I have good days and bad days-- Days where I wake up and am completely comfortable in my own skin, and days where I can't find a thing I am satisfied with. On those good days, I live in the pure joy and freedom that comes with self-acceptance. On the bad days, I try to "work it out" centering myself in prayer, and giving up my weaknesses to the One who can exchange it for love.

By the grace of God, beauty truly does lie within. We become beautiful through our words, thoughts, and actions. We should take joy, not pride, in our physical appearance. We should exercise to live vibrant, healthy lives-- not to be skinny. We should wear make-up for the pure joy of accenting what God has gifted us with-- not to look like a different person. When you buy an item of clothing, or a lipstick, are you buying it for the joy you will experience in wearing it? Or are you buying it to meet the expectations of, or to impress others? Simply learning to be aware of your motivations can offer a life-altering change in perspectives.

Not only do I think it is important for us to be more self-aware in regards to our perceptions and ideals about beauty for our own self-worth, but it is also vital to the way we will raise the next generation of women. Children will naturally model themselves after their parents, even on things like their subconscious perception of beauty. If you don't learn to love and accept yourself, neither will your children. It is so important that we teach our sons and daughters to treasure themselves as God treasures  us--exactly as we are. To help them to love and embrace their unique differences and personal intricacies. To teach our children about true beauty, joy, and love is one of the greatest gifts we can give future generations. 

I highly recommend reading the full column here: Makeup Memo - the truth about models vs. real women

Have an amazing day!

♥Jen

photo credit: truthinaging.com

Tried it: No Heat Big Curls

It's official, I love Maegan from ...Love Maegan. This is not the first time I've posted about her. See this Tried It post. She has amazing hair and does amazing DIY projects. As I'm still reeling from the cold little one brought home last week, literally the LAST thing I wanted to worry about was my hair. So I tried her tutorial on no heat curls. LOVED it. You MUST try it, now, if possible. Wait probably not right now. Who wants to walk around with tons of little buns on their head. Definitely wait until you get home... but then try it!

♥Jen

photo and video credits: Love Maegan

Green Living: Eco-Friendly Skincare

Carrying on the theme from last weeks Green Living post, today I'm going to share some of the best eco-friendly skincare finds on the market. It can be exceptionally challenging to find effective skincare products period, even more so when shooting for a more natural and organic product. But never fear, natural does not always mean ineffective. Enter these fabulous finds. I've included finds for all skin types, since I'm a product junkie and try all sorts. My skin tends to be extremely sensitive and breakout prone, so I use a combination of products to keep it in check.

Cleanser for Normal to Sensitive Skin

100% Pure Lavender Honey Cleansing Foam

Mild and gentle 100% Pure Lavender Honey Cleansing foam washes away makeup and other impurities while nourishing the skin. Rather than containing harsh detergents that can strip, dehydrate, or irritate, it is a light, Coconut-based cleanser

Cleanser for Normal Skin to Dry Skin 

Dr Hauschka Cleansing Milk 

a velvety smooth, creamy purifier that uses vitamins, minerals, extracts, and clay to soothe and nourish the skin as you clear away clogging makeup and debris.

Cleanser for Acne Prone Skin

Burt's Bees Natural Acne Solutions Cleanser

Salicylic Acid, derived naturally from Willow Bark Extract, penetrates pores to help reduce acne and prevent future breakouts. Evening Primrose and Beet Root Extracts help sooth acne prone skin resulting in clear and healthy-looking skin, naturally.

Best Budget Buy (for all types except dry)

Neutrogena Naturals Purifying Cleanser

No harsh chemical sulfates, parabens, petrochemicals, dyes, phthalates. Gently removes impurities & improves complexion for fresh, clear skin. Willowbark bionutrient rich cleanser detoxifies pores.

Toner (All Skin Types)

Thayer Alcohol-Free Rose Petal & Witch Hazel Toner with Aloe

Rose Thayer’s remarkably soothing Toner is made with rose-petal water, Vitamin E, Witch Hazel extract, Aloe Vera, and Vitamin E. Gentle, natural, and effective. Also a budget buy as the 12oz bottle goes for about $8!

Antioxidant Serum (All skin types)

Juice Beauty Antioxidant Serum

Antioxidants prevent free radical skin cell damage. This is a must have in my skincare routine. This lightweight serum will feed your skin with vitamins and antioxidants from organic juices. Moisturizes with fatty acid-packed plant oils and smoothes fine lines with peptides, alpha lipoic acid and CoQ10. Superlight and perfect for all skin types. Coming in a close second is Ole Henriksons Truth Serum Collagen Booster, also a great buy.

Moisturizer for Normal to Sensitive Skin

Burt's Bees Sensitive Daily Moisturizing Cream

This light, fast absorbing cream is moisturizes, calms and soothes sensitive skin. 99% natural formula made with cotton extract to help improve skin's barrier function to maintain natural moisture, Rice Extract to help combat environmental aggressors which can irritate skin prone to sensitivity, and skin soothing Aloe. Make sure for daytime to top with a physical sunscreen like skinceuticals physical fusion SPF 50 for sun protection!

Moisturizer for Sensitive, Dry Skin

Dr Hauschka Rose Day Cream

A rich, luxurious daily moisturizer. Soothing rose ingredients nurture and renew sensitive, dry and weather-damaged skin. Protects skin against dryness and soothes red, irritated skin and couperose.

Moisturizer for Dry, Aging Skin

Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Repair Moisturizer

 Juice Beauty's proprietary blend of fruit stem cells deeply penetrates the skin to repair DNA damage and encourage new cell growth to aggressively firm and eliminate wrinkles. Antioxidant-rich fruit juices, fat-soluble Vitamin C and plant oils hydrate and improve elasticity.

Moisturizer for Oily Skin

Juice Beauty Oil-Free Moisturizer

Yup, oily skin needs moisture too!  This one from Juice contains purifying botanicals and antioxidants to moisturize, soothe redness, heal breakouts and restore the skin’s natural balance. 

Moisturizer for Acne Prone Skin

Burt's Bee Natural Acne Solutions Daily Moisturizing Lotion

Formulated with lemongrass, witch hazel, goldenseal and hops to help soothe and calm irritation, resulting in clear, smooth, and healthy-looking skin, naturally. Another good option if you are able to fit it in your budget is the combination of two Ole Henrikson products, invigorating night gel and sheer transformation cream. 

Eye Cream (all skin types)

Ole Henriksen Visual Truth Eye Cream

I love this. It works. Made with African red tea and vitamin C, it helps to forms a protective layer that strengthens the skin’s elasticity with its blend of peptides and sodium hyaluronate. Again, love it.

This is a really great round-up of some of the best eco-friendly and natural buys on the market today. In  addition to your cleanser and moisturizer, I think every skincare routine should also include an antioxidant serum, a retinol cream a few days a week {I use a prescription retinol, but there are lots of good OTC options like skinceuticals retinol 1.0 . If you aren't currently using a retinol cream in your routine, add it slowly by starting with a lower strength version and using it every other day. Only use retinol as directed, and only at night as they increase sun sensitivity}, eye cream, and SUNSCREEN. I avoid products that contain sunscreen in the formulation as they tend to be chemical sunscreens, which I am allergic to. So, I wear a physical sunscreen on top of my moisturizer daily. I am fair, but I have also worn sunscreen daily since my early teens. Despite all my efforts, I have had several pre-cancerous lesions removed from my face in the last five years. I cannot stress enough the importance of sunscreen. Wear it daily, not only does your future beauty depend on it, but your life may as well. 

♥ Jen

Green Living: Eco-Friendly Beauty Buys

As I mentioned in my post yesterday, the one thing you will always see in makeup trends is flawless skin. This Fall, the look tends to lean towards satin matte. Not quite dewy, not quite matte. Today I'm going to share with you some of my favorite Eco-Friendly cosmetic finds. In case your not quite up on the green lingo, Eco-Friendly as it pertains to cosmetics typically means something that is friendly to both the environment and your skin. Eco-Friendly products are generally made with naturally derived ingredients, many of which are organic. These products will not be tested on animals. Eco-friendly cosmetic products typically contain higher quantities of beneficial and naturally occurring antioxidants,vitamins, and minerals as well as good for you botanicals, essential oils, and fruit or marine extracts.

Eco-friendly products typically do not include many of the potentially carcinogenic ingredients which are commonly found in commercial cosmetics and skincare products. Some of these potentially harmful ingredients are GMO's (genetically modified organisms), parabens, petrochemicals, phthalates, sulfates, and synthetic dyes and fragrances.

Many of the companies that produce eco-friendly products also tend to be more environmentally conscious in general. They tend to use recycled or biodegradable packaging and manufacturing processes with a lower carbon footprint.

Now that you've got a bit of a background on Eco-friendly products, without further adieu here are some of my personal faves in the beauty category for achieving that flawless skin look:

Primer

Korres Quercetin & Oak Antiageing Primer

Silicone-free, skin-perfecting face primer that helps to smooth the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and instantly provides an even and perfected skin surface for long-lasting make-up wear. 

Tinted Moisturizer

Tarte Smooth Operator

This weightless, oil-free base comes in a variety of shades and blends seamlessly into skin.  It provides light, sheer coverage to hide minor imperfections and discoloration, with an even natural finish.

Concealer

Tarte Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Concealer

This waterproof full-coverage concealer combines the calming properties of vitamins A & E, and the soothing quality of Amazonian clay to nourish while completely masking discolorations and imperfections for better looking skin. Love this!

Powder/Foundation

Alima Pure Satin Matte Mineral Foundation

This mineral foundation is super smooth and very finely milled. Their shade range includes over 60 colors in a variety of undertones. It evens out your skin tone and texture, smoothing right over pores and fine lines. And it is completely natural. Best of all, the Portland based company sells samples sizes of every single powder product in their line {which includes their foundation, color correcting powder, powder primer, finishing powder, concealer, bronzer, blush, and shadow} for $1.50, so you can try before you commit to buying the full size. All of their packaging is recyclable and they ship in eco-friendly biodegradable and recyclable packaging. This product line blows all other mineral foundations out of the water in quality. LOVE.

So there you have it. My personal favorites. All of which I use on a regular, if not daily basis. You can wear just the tinted moisturizer and concealer where needed for a super-natural no make-up look, or finish it with the powder to achieve that satiny matte complexion. These four items are really all you need to beautify your complexion, conscientiously. Of course this post wouldn't be complete without reminding you that you also need to keep a solid skincare routine {more on that to come!} and wear sunscreen daily, as well as take care of your beautiful self on the inside by eating a healthy diet {including lots of leafy greens! They help to alkalize your body which keeps skin clear and glowing- more on the greens later this week} and {sigh} exercise. 

♥Jen

The Sultry Shades of Fall

The Metallic Smokey Eye at Roberto Cavalli...

Dior 5 Couleurs Couture Colour Eyeshadow Palette in Mitzah via Sephora.com

A Bold Red Lip at Pamella Roland...

Laura Mercier Lipstick in Sangria

Deep Wine Polish at Chanel....

Essie Nail Polish in Carry On

Graphic Liner at D&G...

Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liner Pen

Flushed Peach Cheeks and Lips at Jenny Packham...

Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Cabo Coral

Many of you who know me personally know my weakness for make-up. I was a freelance artist for several years before the little one was born. So naturally, along with following the fall runway fashion trends, I'll also keep you up to date on the beauty trends as well. The latest and greatest beauty trends for fall 2011 run the make-up gamut: from bold metallic smokey eyes in shades of gunmetal and bronze to lush bold brows, graphic liner, flawless skin, and deeply coloured nails. The bold looks borne of the 1960's and 1970's are an obvious influence this fall season. Extremes from bold and deep hues for eyes and lips to nude shades for skin, eyes, and lips are all trending for fall.

What I love most about all of these looks though is this: they are all wearable on everyone. {Yes, my dears... that means even you too should gutsy up and pull out that bold lipstick!} My favorite looks are probably the bold lip and nails and the flushed peachy blush and lip. However, if I have an occasion to rock a bold metallic charcoal eye this fall you better believe I'll jump right on it. The one unifyer in all of the looks was this: a satiny, flawless complexion. Not quite matte, definitely not dewy, but flawless nonetheless. So grab your concealer and some perfecting powder, because regardless of what look you choose to wear this fall making sure your complexion looks fresh and even is going to be essential. If your still on the search for your perfect make-up match, I just got my hands on some fantastic new goodies which I'll share with you later this week. 

♥ Jen

Tried it: French Braid Updo

I came across this tutorial last week while searching for a tutorial on french braiding. My mother used to braid my hair as a little girl, and while I could manage a basic braid, the french braid has never been something I'd been able to accomplish on myself as an adult. So I happened upon ...love Maegan, a blog by a fantastically stylish gal named Maegan. While she has a great, distinct personal style, she also happens to possess ridiculously lovely long blonde locks. Perfect for all the hair tutorials she is kind enough to produce. I tried this one, and I highly recommend it! Not only does it cover the basics of the french braid, but it produces a really cute, perfectly bohemian, low side updo in less than 10 minutes. I've tried several different versions of this style over the past week, and they were all great. My vote: Try it now!

Enjoy!

♥ Jen

photo via ...Love Maegan