My Top Clean Beauty Highlights

Roen Beauty 

I just want to talk about their incredibly pigmented eyeshadow palette, 11:11. I tried this, and let me tell you, I am in love! You don’t need a brush to apply this product. In fact, the shadows stick better when you use your fingers. When applied on the eyes, the shadows give your eyelids a “wet” look; think Kim Kardashian in her Mugler dress serving you The Birth of Venus look. This natural yet attention grabbing eyeshadow quad is what I’ll be using all quarantine and onwards (yes, I’ll be wearing it to the grocery store). They say that the eyes are the windows to the soul, and I can promise you that this is what you need to attract that prince charming you see at Whole Foods in the spice aisle. You can thank me later ;)

Another product that I used on the daily is their Kiss My Liquid Lip Balm. I have been experimenting with makeup for 8 years and let me tell you, this lip product is different from anything that I have used before. The product has the pigment of a liquid lipstick but has the comfort of a lip balm, no stickiness of any sort! It doesn’t dry down and leaves you with a beautiful sheen to your lips, almost like a lip gloss. Words are not enough for this product!

Whal Myung 

There is no question that Asian skincare is generations ahead of Western skincare, that is why I had to write about Whal Myung in this more extensive article. Whal Myung has a 120 year old origin story and the foundation of this skincare line derives from the power of herbal medicine. 

My favorite product out of everything is hands-down the WM5 Rejuvenating Serum. This serum contains ginseng along with 5 other herbs to help provide the skin with antioxidants, which is essential for protecting this skin against sun damage and pollution. If you are like me and you have eczema and acne scars, this product is exactly what you need. I have been consistently using this product for a month and have seen my scars lighten. But more importantly, this product helps with redness — even though scarring is a big issue for people with acne, my opinion is that the redness from acne is more noticeable than the scarring. If you want to try it, get it fast because it seems to be constantly selling out.  

The next product that I recommend from their line is the Whal Myung Skin Elixir. This is a very unique product that I really haven’t seen on the market. It is a toner/serum/oil, all in one. The purpose of this product is to help people simplify their routine by offering the 3 essentials (toner, serum, moisturizer) all in one. This product is designed so that the top layer is the argan oil phase and the bottom layer contains the other ingredients. After trying it I would say if you have dry skin and no other skin concerns, 100% go for this product. 

At the end of the day, I highly recommend this brand because of their focus on using herb extracts. Herb extracts contain a lot of great vitamins and antioxidants that your skin can use to heal itself. Like your body, your skin needs to be fed too. After studying the ingredients lists of their products, I saw that they all contain pretty high levels of herb extracts, meaning that the concentration is high enough to see results (at least in my case). But in general, this beauty brand intrigues me because I don’t often see Western skincare utilize herbs, and when I do, it’s typically sold at outrageous prices.

Finally, I would say that because of their use of herbs, most of their products are non-irritating for sensitive skin. And if you are in the market for new skin care products, definitely check them out!

Wander Beauty 

I have spoken about their products before, but this time I just want to say a few words about my foundation: Nude Illusion Liquid Foundation. I don’t know how they formulated this foundation, but they somehow managed to have it light/thin in consistency and yet full coverage. Like the name suggests, this foundation will leave your face with a very natural skin-like finish. Even with acne and eczema, this foundation does not highlight my textured areas. I would recommend anyone with acne to try this foundation!

Another product, and a recommendation you may have already given or received, is their On-the-Glow Blush and Illuminator Stick — Allure Best of Beauty 2018 Award. Something about the texture of this double ended stick is so fascinating. This illuminator stick has a lighter on one side and a blush on the other. Again, I want to emphasize on the formulation of this product. The texture is smooth and buttery, easily gliding on your skin and leaving you with a very natural flushed look. The highlighter won’t give you that Jeffree Star “glow to the gods” effect, but it most certainly will give you a Victoria’s Secret inner beauty glow! 

Jillian Dempsey

If you couldn’t already tell, I like my everyday makeup to be natural looking. I want my makeup to be able to enhance my features without any cakiness. Almost like no-makeup makeup. 

Two products that I have been reaching for lately are the Jillian Dempsey Cheek Tint and Lid Tint. The cheek tint gives your cheeks a lovely flush of color with a glow. It is very thick and pigmented so a little will go a long way. I know that it is advertised as a cheek tint but honestly I use it all over my face.

A makeup secret that I want to share with you guys is when applying your blush, place the blush across your cheeks (instead of on the apples of your cheeks) and over your nose. This trick gives you that natural flushed look from the sun because the highest points of your face is where you are most exposed to the sun.

Of all the Jillian Dempsey products, I love the lid tint the most for many reasons, one of which is because it is perfect for an editorial makeup look. The lid tint has a very different consistency to its cheek tint counterpart. The cheek tint is more pigmented and creamy, the lid tint is very light and glossy with a sheer wash of color. My favorite shade in the lid tint collection is the shade Dew, which is a clear gloss. I think that Jillian Dempsey did a perfect job creating this lid tint because unlike other clear gloss toppers that I have used, this one doesn’t feel sticky or uncomfortable. When I normally use gloss lid toppers, I am only able to wear them for an hour or two for a photoshoot or else the thickness of the gloss will cause bumps and irritation on my eyes. This lid tint doesn’t do that. I have even worn it outside and nothing has gotten stuck onto my eyelids, which is a miracle.

AHAVA 

You will absolutely see me with this product all year long. I kid you not! With Covid and having to constantly wash your hands and sanitize, my hands have been dryer than the Sahara Desert. I now do not go outside without 1) mask 2) hand sanitizer 3) hand cream, and you should too. 

Hand care is so important and I don’t think that everyone knows this! As you get older, there are two places on your body that will show your true age: your neck and your hands, so you better take care of your hands while you are still young. You want to age like fine wine, and the way to do that is to keep your hands moisturized and nurtured. 

Why specifically AHAVA, you may ask? Not only does it contain 21 essential minerals, but unlike most creams that I have used, it doesn’t have an offensive smell. No shade to Bath and Body Works, but a lot of hand creams on the market have a terrible strong scent that lasts forever. But the AHAVA Mineral Hand Cream has a very gentle and clean scent which most people find pleasing. 

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