What kind of deodorant are YOU wearing?!

Hello lovelies! We all know it's finally officially summer time and with that comes the hot weather. Us girls constantly need to shave constantly, lather up the lotion, and of course, wear deodorant! Ya'll may know by now that the skin on my body is sensitive to the products I slather on it. I mostly use Lush lotions and nothing that contains "parfum" or non-natural fragrance. You have to remember, your body absorbs EVERYTHING that is in your lotion, and if you cannot pronounce the ingredient, it shouldn't go in your body. The reason I switched over is because I had some crazy skin reaction where I got a rash that discolored my skin and freaked me the heck out. My doctor told me it was an allergic reaction to something and now, it might be a form of dermatitis. We shall find out more of that later. Needless to say, I like to use safe and natural ingredients on my body to ensure I do not absorb anything that may harm me. So thank you to my sweet friend Miranda who recently jumped on the more "natural" cosmetic train and inspired me to share my finds with ya'll!
I stumbled upon these items while surfing the web for random makeup-junkie-obsessions and I knew I had to give them a go. I found both in my local Sephora and they are also both available online on eBay and Amazon.

I first purchased LAVANILA The Healthy Deodorant. $8-14 Its description: "Get superior odor protection with this 100 percent natural, freshly scented deodorant. Soothing essential oils blend with beta-glucan technology fight odor effectively while soothing, conditioning, and nourishing the delicate underarm area. It goes on clean, with no sticky wetness, and delivers long-lasting, luxurious results." But does it live up to the claims? 
Natural? Yes. I love that this contains 100% natural ingredients and nothing that is bad for my skin. 
Freshly Scented? YES. I have purchased two Vanilla scented ones and they smell like perfection. They also have vanilla grapefruit, vanilla lavender, and….. vanilla lemon. If you can hunt one of these babies down, GET IT. I have tried so many times to purchase the lemon one and they sell out like hot cakes. 
Non sticky? Definitely. This is very dry and creamy and feels great. 
Long Lasting? Depends. I find that if this is for everyday wear in 85 degree heat, I'm totally fine. But once it gets hot to where I am starting to really sweat (volleyball, working out, shopping in 100 degree weather) this does NOT keep me dry and tends to wear off faster. This deodorant does not contain aluminum, which is what is used as an antiperspirant, which blocks the moisture from coming out of your pores. This is my go-to every day deodorant.
Then, I found the Fresh Sugar Deodorant Antiperspirant. $18 What it's formulated to do: "Glide on the delicious aroma of fresh sugar every morning and let the sweetener's natural botanicals double as skin-soothing and deodorizing agents. The alcohol-free formula helps to inhibit bacteria as it keeps you dry, revived, and refreshed." This one literally smells like nothing when I wear it. Which is a good thing! It blocks any scent and doesn't perfume one out either. If I know I am going to be really sweating, I reach for this one. It is formulated without sulfates, synthetic dyes, phthalates,GMO's, and triclosa. I dig it! It does contain aluminum, but none of the other crap commonly found in drugstore deodorants so I use this one on days I really need to stay dry. It doesn't irritate my skin and wears extremely well through the day. This is a VERY wet formula when you first apply it, so let it dry  a few seconds before putting on your top. 
If you want something a little safer for your skin and body, I would highly recommend giving these deodorants a try! Let me know if you have any recommendations for me to try out as well! 
xo's
tyler

The Intriguing "Beauty Blender"

Hey beauty babes! I was cleaning my Beauty Blender this afternoon and thought, "Hey, I should put up a review of this little guy!" A lot of people jumped on the BB train when they first launched but now I notice that most people think it's just a regular ol' makeup sponge and don't bother to scope it out. Fear not, I have all the deets.

First off, it's pink. Obviously I wanted it. Now that we got the obvious out of the way, this little sponge is so… neat. It starts off small, like the picture, but once you get it wet it doubles in size and becomes so spongy and memory-foam like and applies your foundation like a dream.

Left is a damp BB, right is a dry one. Crazy!

How to use: (keep in mind you can use this sponge dry for powders and wet to blend anything!) I primarily use it for applying foundation and blending out concealer. I place it under cool running water and squeeze it about three or four times to get it to expand and then give it one good squeeze to get any extra water out. I lightly press a paper towel or a hand towel on it just to get any drips off. You want the BB to be damp, but not wet. I then place dots of my foundation all over my face and then "bump" or pat the round end of the BB all over to blend it all in! It is so incredibly easy and blends out foundation like a dream. I use it with thick, and very liquid-y foundation and it works well with both. It doesn't absorb the foundation (since it already absorbed water), but it does aid in applying an even amount so it will pick up any excess and distribute it evenly. When I apply my under eye concealer, I dab on the product with my ring finger to the pesky dark circles, flip over my BB to the pointy side pointing up towards my eye and blend it out. I may use a brush to apply my foundation every so often, but I ALWAYS use my BB to blend out my concealer. Every time.

Most foundations work amazingly well with this little guy but if you decide to use it with a foundation or tinted moisturizer with high SPF, make sure to wash it after using it a few times because the SPF will tend to gunk up the sponge quicker than a regular foundation.
To wash, I use a mild soap or brush cleaner, but mostly my Purity face wash. It gets all the makeup out and keeps it smelling great. I typically wash mine once a week if I use it every day. You can use Dawn dish detergent occasionally to get any bacteria out or microwave it in a little dish with a few tablespoons of water for 30 seconds to completely kill all possible bacteria. Squeeze out all the soap and let dry and you are good to go!
This baby is $19 bucks at Sephora, but you can get killer deals on Amazon or Ebay by buying a pack of two for $20-$25.

This Real Techniques sponge is dry, it gets about a half size bigger when wet.

A cheaper alternative is the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge ($5.99 at Ulta or some Target stores). This sponge looks a lot different than the BB but when wet, is almost exactly the same. It is a little more dense and a lot more "memory foam" like in a way that it doesn't spring back as fast as the BB. I really like how it applies and I do use both of them. I don't care for the slanted shape of the MCS because I can't really "bump" my foundation like I do using the BB, I almost have to pat/roll it on my skin. It applies a flawless even finish all the same.
*Warning* if you choose to purchase a Beauty Blender online, make SURE it states that it is a BEAUTY BLENDER and not some random "sponge" name. They have a lot of dupes out there but the real deal is the Beauty Blender. Or the Real Techniques sponge ;)
That's all for now bookworms!
Have a safe and wonderful 4th of July!!!
xo's
tyler

Battle of the Setting Sprays

Helllloooooo Summer! It's getting pretty darn warm out, and setting sprays are becoming one of my new best friends. I didn't have a clue how handy having a bottle (or three) in my collection would be until I was completely over the constant battle of having a "powdery" face. I thought to myself, "I wish I could just spray my face with a water bottle without my makeup running off." Lo and behold, they actually make a product that does that. Who knew?! Here's some of my faves.

as you can see, Urban Decay's packaging gets dirty quite easily!

MAC Fix+. This sh!t is bananas. It's so multi purpose and probably my all time favorite. It runs $21 for a 3.4 ounce bottle which is a total steal. It smells so fresh and crisp and when I spritz it on my face after I'm done applying my makeup it sets my blush, bronzer and foundation and just blends it together flawlessly. I don't even know if that makes sense but it does wonders to my makeup. Also, when I feel like I put too much setting powder or powder foundation on, a little spritz of this baby and BOOM. No cake face. It takes away all powderyness. Aside from makeup use, when it is really hot out Mr. Man will come in my room and search for this stuff to spray on his own face. I quote: "I like it, it feels nice and cool and refreshing. Can we put it in the fridge?" Ha. And yes, some people do. It's like smart water on crack for your face. AND if you have a powdery, glittery eyeshadow that you really want to make "pop" on your eyes, spray your shadow brush with this and dip it in the shadow, spray again and press on your lids. It adds so much more pigment to the shadow and intensifies it, making it look stunning.
Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray. $14 for 1oz bottle. This is my second fave. It's main purpose is to set your makeup and make it last all day, and supposedly "lowers the temperature" of your makeup to assist in all day wear. I'm not too sure about that one but I do know I love to use this when I know I am going to be out and about all day. It really does work. The one bummer about this product is that it has alcohol in it (absorbs oil and helps keep makeup in place) and can tend to dry my skin a little and make it feel tight. That feeling goes away after about an hour or so when my makeup fully sets. I LOVE to use two squirts of this after using MAC Fix+…. the two together is like a match made in heaven.
Makeup Forever Mist & Fix. $12 for 1.01oz bottle. This one is literally like MAC's and Urban's had a baby. It doesn't deliver the exact same results as using the two together, but very very close. It doesn't contain alcohol so there isn't a really "set in place not budding anywhere" feeling, but it still aids in keeping my makeup flawless through the day. I love to travel with this one so I don't have to decide which of the other two I want to bring. This is great for setting, mid-day touch ups, or just to add a little more moisture back to your face. No alcohol, and no complaints!
Urban Decay B6 Vitamin-Infused Complexion Prep Spray. $15 for 1oz bottle. (I have the baby sample size) This stuff isn't life changing, nor do I find it something I would need to repurchase when I run out. It is supposed to be a skin prepping primer type spray, minimize redness, reduce pore size, awaken skin, and refresh. It does feel rather nice to spray on before my makeup, but it doesn't really do much for me. It isn't supposed to help my makeup last longer or look fresher, so I would have to pass on this one only because I don't really see it doing anything to make me really want to purchase it.
I hope this was informative for ya'll!
oodles of xo's
tyler