Monthly Favorites-May

Here is a little inspiration for all things spring; my May Favorites list is composed of items that may have changed the course of my life forever!

1 | Lippy Love

floral, makeup, lifestyle, green tea, too faced, matte

Liquid lipstick. I may have jumped on the train a little later than most girls, but once I did I was “full-speed-ahead” in love! I have been on the quest for the perfect liquid lipstick that doesn’t make my dry skin look like death warmed over and deep fried, and at last I may have found my holy grail!

The formula is creamy, but dries fairly matte. The staying power is incredible. I usually get an hour or two of wear out of any lip product (apparently I press my lips together a lot), but this has stayed glued on with minimal fading, even with drinking, for at least 5 or 6 hours!

When it comes to beauty products, there are two main boxes that must be checked. First, it has to be cruelty-free! I don’t believe it is necessary to test on animals, especially for cosmetics use, so why would I support a brand that does? Secondly, I try to use products that are as natural as possible, however, “as possible” is a tricky thing. With some products, I am willing to lean slightly away from “100% organic and healthy ingredients,” if it is absolutely paramount for the product to function. I wholeheartedly hope that someday science will not make us choose between chemicals and functionality…but that is often the reality we face as consumers in this day and age.

Will all that being said, the Too Faced Melted Matte lipstick was introduced to me by makeup queen @harayaba (seriously go follow her!) when getting ready for a photo-shoot. I was instantly hooked! My go-to nude shade right now is “cool-girl,” but I am very tempted to purchase the entire collection.

2 | Drink Up
lifestyle, green tea, matcha, workflow

Matcha. This green tea drink has been around for a while, but as an avid coffee drinker, I felt no need to participate in its green glory. Boy was I wrong! It has quickly become an obsession (thank’s Starbucks 🙁 ) and has me on the hunt for the perfect at-home latte mix. I enjoy mine with dairy-free soy-milk on ice for the perfect spring pick me up!

3 | Floral Fever
style, floral, matcha, green tea, liquid lipstick, makeup, lifestyle

I will be doing a style post on the subject soon, but I am so in love that it couldn’t not make my top favorite for the month. My passion for all things floral print escalated quickly from one piece to oh so many (you guys, I may have a real problem), but it just seemed to be exactly what my mostly black wardrobe needed for a spring flare. It is feminine without being too “girly” for a pair of black lace-up booties and a studded bag. It is the perfect timeless trend to take your wardrobe from spring to summer!

floral, style, photographer, makeup

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10-Minute Spring Makeup Tutorial

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During the change of season from winter to spring, I’ve been wanting to infuse some color into my makeup look. But, with dry winter skin, I want to go as minimal as possible with just a hint of fun to it.

makeup, vegan, cruelty-free
This “10 minute” look will get you out the door quickly in the morning with a hint of spring color and enough neutral tones that it can pair with any outfit. I also only use cruelty-free products and vegan, when possible (I will make another post on this topic in the future!).

 

I always start out with freshly washed and moisturized skin and then apply concealer in a triangle shape underneath my eyes. My go-to concealer for quick makeup application is the Illusionist in shade 010 by Vapour.  It comes in a metal tube for easy, on-the-go application.

makeup, vegan, organic

Next step is the eyes; the secret to this look is so simple and one of the star products, in my opinion, from the brand E.L.F.  I used the Smudge Pot, in the shade “Wine Not,” and lightly tapped the cream onto my eyelids and “smoked” it out slightly with my fingertips. It is a slightly shimmery cream eye-shadow that glides on a nice light wash of color and is surprisingly affordable at $3.00 a pot (I’ll take one in every color, please!).

makeup, vegan, organic, green

green, cruelty-free, makeup

With this look, a coat of mulled berry toned mascara is the light touch of color that I was looking for. The 100% Pure Maracuja Mascara has a soft blackberry/plum color with a gentle formula which separates the lashes nicely for a causal look. It is packaged in a nice, silver tube and it smells amazing!

vegan, 100%pure, cruelty-free

100% pure, vegan, green beauty

Next, I just run some light reflecting powder eye-shadow along the brow bone and inner eye corner. I used the Physician’s Formula “Natural Nude” palette.

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It’s time for cheeks! A very light contour with my Lily-Lolo “Contour Duo” blended with a small fluffy brush and then it’s blush time.

Lily-Lolo, makeup, vegan

My new blush obsession is the product of collaboration of Aspyn Ovard and Pixi by Petra. When she promo’d the product on her YouTube channel, I knew I needed to have it (she being about as fair-skinned as I am). This blush blew me out of the water! I got the shade “Rome Rose” and it is a highly pigmented, sparkling rose gold-pink. I never wear sparkle, but this is subtle enough for daytime looks with a natural flush of color. Plus, the bright lime and gold packaging is adorable and the formula is perfect for my Lily Lolo Blush Brush!

Aspun Ovard, Pixie, YouTube, Makeup , Vegan

Aspyn Ovard, Pixi, YouTube, cruelty-free

Next up is brows.  I do a simple sweep of brown with the E.L.F eyebrow powder set in “Medium” and smooth them out with an old mascara spoolie.

e.l.f, Cruelty-free, makeup

e.l.f , makeup, vegan

Finally, the Piece De Resistance of this look: Liquid Lipstick. I may have a slight (ok, not so slight) addiction to finding the perfect liquid lipstick and this one comes pretty darn close!

Too Faced, liquid lipstick,cruelty-free ,

I used the Melted Matte by Too Faced in the shade “Cool Girl” and a lip liner by Afterglow Cosmetics. This is almost the perfect nude lip, in my opinion; not too peachy with a subtle hint of rose pink tones.

Afterglow Cosmetics, makeup, Vegan

Just line the outer part of the lip line (I promise it won’t look strait out of the 90’s) and fill it in with one coat of the liquid lipstick! That is all!

Too Faced, Makeup, cruelty-free

This completed look is “glam,” without being weighed down by a ton of foundation or heavy products, and can get you from fresh-faced to out-the-door in ten minutes!  Please be kind to animals when purchasing makeup (keep an eye out for a leaping bunny logo!).

makeup, spring , cruelty-free

Springtime never looked so good!

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Brand Spotlight- Lily Lolo

brand spotlightlily Lolo

Let’s talk makeup.

I have always been attracted to wearing makeup; it is such a fun way to express your personality and the mood you want to emote to the world. Since my early teens, makeup has been a daily part of my morning ritual, but as a conscious consumer, what I have in my makeup bag has drastically changed since the days of wearing the infamous little pink tube of mascara.

vegan, makeup , green beauty

Non-toxic, cruelty-free and vegan beauty products have changed my life, and my skin (but that is a story for another day). Today, I wanted to shine the light on a clean beauty brand that I have tested out, to save you from the hassle and expenses of trying a new product without any real review to help you make an informed decision.

Lily Lolo Mineral cosmetics is a London based company that specializes in mineral-based cosmetics. They are a cruelty-free company and are Leaping Bunny Certified. I have yet to try all the products from their line, but I will review for you the ones that I have gotten my hands on.

vegan, makeup, green beauty

My first overall reaction to the brand is positive. They have chic black and white packaging and one of the most notable features they have is mirrored tops to their compacts (which is surprisingly uncommon in the green beauty community). They also have a number of pressed powders, which I find extremely convenient.

vega, makeup , green beauty

vegan, makeup, green beauty

The first product that I ordered was the Sculpt and Glow Contour Duo ($26). I was soooo ecstatic to find a pressed-powder highlighter and bronzer in travel-ready packaging, but sadly, it didn’t live up to my expectations. The packaging is great; it comes with a mirrored top and two pressed-powders. The thing that I was the most disappointed by was the more ashy-tone to the otherwise warm looking palette. The highlight color is a matte cream shade for a subtle look.

Brand Spotlight- Lily Lolo-1015

The contour shade looks like a warm, chocolate brown, but came across really ashy on my pale skin. I think, for someone with a more tan complexion, this would be a winner of a product, but unfortunately, even though I liked the consistency of the pressed powders, the color was not flattering on my skin tone.

vegan, makeup, green beauty

The next item that I was very excited to get my hands on was their Eyebrow Duo ($15). I ordered it in the shade Medium. This one comes with a creamy wax and a matte brown powder. I have used this product much more, since it is a great on-the-go brow kit.

Brand Spotlight- Lily Lolo-1017

The problem that I had with this product was the same as with the contour color.  The brown just came across muddy and ashy on my skin tone. Between the Lily Lolo eyebrow kit and my trusty E.L.F eyebrow kit, I’d rather save a few dollars and go with the latter.

vegan, makeup, green beauty

The third item I ordered , was actually a mistake. I had planned on purchasing the mascara, but accidentally ordered the Natural Eye Pencil in Black.

vegan, makeup, green beauty

This was a pleasant surprise. It is a creamy formula in a true black wooden pencil and it comes with a sturdy plastic cap. It can create a thick or thin line with ease and is so much more convenient for traveling than my everyday powdered mineral eyeliner.

vegan, makeup, green beauty

The next two items are from their vegan brush line. I ordered their Blush Brush ($21), which is a super soft-angled brush. I honestly prefer brushes with shorter handles than the Lily Lolo brushes, but they have soft and easy to clean bristles.

vegan, makeup, green beauty

The other brush I picked up was the Angled Brow Spoolie ($11), which has a thick spoolie end and an angled brush tip on the other end. The spoolie is great, but the brow end is too thick for my taste and doesn’t stand up to the brush’s price point.

Brand Spotlight- Lily Lolo-1016

Brand Spotlight- Lily Lolo-1004

Overall, as a brand, I would rate it 3 1/2 stars out of 5. I love the branding, packaging and travel-ready nature of the line. The flaws for me were mainly the color selection and formulation being unflattering on my light skin tone.

Have you tried Lily Lolo? If so, what are your favorite products from the line that I’ve got to try?

xoxo,
Hepburn Hippie

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DIY-Tarte Lip Scrub Dupe

diy, dupe, tarte,

Winter is the season of wind-whipped and chapped lips.

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One of my favorite lip scrubs is by Tarte.  It works great but it is definitely on the pricey side.

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Here is a DIY version that I have used for years when I was on a budget or didn’t need a travel-ready lip scrub.

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This dupe is super affordable, non-toxic, and takes less than 10 minutes! It is such an easy way to pamper yourself!

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Ingredients

  • Sugar
  • jojoba, coconut or Avocado Oil
  • Vanilla Extract
  • Mixing Bowl
  • Spoon

That is it.

diy. lip scrub, tarte, dupe

Step 1) In a small bowl, scoop in two tablespoons of sugar

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Step 2) Add to the sugar: 2 tablespoons of your oil of choice (I used avocado). The texture should be a thick paste.

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Step 3) Spoon in about 3 drops of Vanilla extract (if you wanted a minty version, use diluted peppermint essential oil or peppermint extract!)

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Step 4) Give it a quick mix and scrub onto your lips for a quick refresher to remove dried skin and moisturize those kissable lips!

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Step 5) This recipe makes two scrubs, so  you can store the extra scrub in a small container in the fridge for a few days or share it with a friend

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Don’t let the cold weather get you down, just top with your favorite natural chap stick and you are ready to go!

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xoxo,
Hepburn Hippie

 

 

 

 

 

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