Beautycounter Makeup: Must Have's and Maybe's for the Face

I know I've mentioned Beautycounter a few times now - first in my dedicated skin care review post and then again in my summer bronzer round up - and hopefully you liked those posts because I've got a few more in the works!

After my quick, one-week stint with the skin care products (I've since purchased the Cream Cleanser, which I still adore), I was given the opportunity to do a more thorough review of a number of the items in the "color cosmetics" (aka makeup) line. And, to be honest, I've procrastinated on writing this post (and the one that will follow in a few days), because my opinions of the products have changed a lot as I used them! I found myself really liking something one day, only to find a flaw the next, and then, after some additional practice with it, changed my mind again. I wanted to wait and write the posts when I felt like I'd really landed on a firm opinion backed by a few months of putting the products to use.

In today's post, I'm going to cover the "face" range. As always, reviewing face products can be a little tough, because we all have different skin types and concerns, so I've done my best to lay out who each of these products would work best for. If you've tried one or more of them, I encourage you to add your feedback in the comments section below!

1) Dew Skin Tinted Moisturizer - $42

This product is great for a few different kinds of people - women who don't typically like to wear a lot of makeup or women who generally have even, clear skin and just want a tint of coverage, along with protective SPF. It delivers exactly what it says it will - a healthy, glowing, sheer application, with an infusion of moisture and sun protection.

Unfortunately for me, with extensive discoloration, acne scars and active acne, this product really doesn't work for me. That said, I wanted to try it because Beautycounter's foundation does not have SPF and I'm pretty maniacal about protecting my face from sun damage. I was advised that I could layer this product underneath the tint skin foundation, but I'll be frank in saying that the thicker, somewhat sticky texture of the tinted moisturizer was a bit too heavy for me with additional layers of foundation on top.

I'd say go for this if you truly are looking for something minimal. If you just want SPF, you might want to look into something like the Coola mineral sunscreen for face, which doesn't have a color component.

2) Tint Skin Foundation - $38

This is one of the products that I struggled a lot with formulating my impression on, and I realized it's because the product totally changes based on how you apply it. My current holy grail foundation is the Dior Forever Flawless, and that stuff is best applied with just your fingertips because it's thin and very full coverage. Naturally I tried applying the Tint Skin that way at first, and although it didn't turn out horribly, the experience was so markedly different from my Dior (the consistency is a bit thicker so it blends differently), that it gave me a negative impression of the product. The next day, I tried applying it with a flat foundation brush, but I found this to deliver a streaky application that didn't blend well.

Finally, I decided to give it a shot with the retractable kabuki brush ($32) that my consultant had told me was specifically formulated to work with this product. Although I shouldn't have been, I was surprised to see that this advice actually panned out! I couldn't tell you why, exactly, but the moment I tried patting the foundation onto my skin using the kabuki brush, it went on beautifully! I also tried applying this with a damp Beauty Blender and found that to be an effective means, too.

I'd describe this foundation as medium coverage - it can definitely be sheered out, and with a few layers, can deliver a full-coverage look, although honestly, I'm usually too lazy to wait for each layer to settle in for that. Instead, I just know that when I use this foundation, I'll rely a bit more on my concealer to create a flawless finish.

I'd buy this product if you're looking for something with diverse coverage capabilities, although I'd recommend trying to get color matched in person, rather than experimenting when purchasing online. I'm typically the fairest shade in all foundation ranges, but the fairest color here was too light, even for me. Although the Linen shade (what I landed on) goes on a bit yellow for my coloring, it's something I can easily counteract with the appropriate concealer and finishing powder.

3) Touchup Skin Concealer Pen - $28

If you're a beauty fanatic like me, you'll likely recognize this packaging from the very famous Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat concealer pen. I've never tried that product, but I know it's universally well-loved within the beauty community, and the truth is the packaging is gorgeous, so I see why Beautycounter went for a similar vibe.

That said, they say don't judge a book by its cover for a reason, and I have to admit that in execution, I actually think this packaging is horrific. Let me explain why.

You dispense the product through pushing a button on the bottom of the pen. But unlike a squeeze tube where you control exactly how much comes out, with this you don't know how many times to click the pen until you get the amount of concealer you need. I routinely found myself frustrated because I either accidentally dispensed too little or too much product, and therefore spent so much time clicking the back of the pen and dealing with the mess that ensued that I couldn't focus on the actual concealer.

It turns out, the product itself is pretty good for lightweight coverage. Although I don't think it's heavy duty enough for extensive, long-lasting or thick coverage (again something I need based on my skin type), it definitely does get the job done for small areas.

4) Mattify Skin Finishing Power - $34

Of all the products I was given to try, I've used this one the least because I find loose powders to be so incredibly messy! Beautycounter tries to help with this, by putting a sliding stopper in the packaging, but somehow, I still manage to get it all over the counter every time I apply it.

Packaging aside, this stuff really does a great job of mattifying the skin. I have very oily skin, so for me, this is a life saver! Here's the thing: The website recommends using this on top of your makeup, and I think that's ok to do, but you do have to be careful with how much product you use. Although the powder is described as translucent, I found that if I applied it too heavily, it left a definite white cast on my skin (and I'm pretty pale already).

My recommendation is therefore two-fold. Instead of swirling a thick, densely packed brush in the powder and applying it that way (as you might traditionally do), take a clean eyeshadow brush (like a fluffy blending brush) and selectively apply this to your most oily areas ONLY. Go slow, using just a little bit at a time and building up as you need to.

My second suggestion? Try applying this UNDER your foundation. If your skin is really oily, you could apply it on top of your moisturizer and then apply the foundation. You may just find that it helps your foundation stick to your skin better, and therefore last longer throughout the day.

Overall thoughts
I applaud Beautycounter from here until the end of time for their mission. I believe in it, I support it, and I want to do everything I can to bring awareness to the brand in the hope that more and more women will recognize the chemicals in their products and start choosing safer alternatives.

That said, from trying out their face products, I get the impression that these are designed more for the woman who doesn't like to wear a lot of makeup, prefers a very natural look when she does wear makeup or for a woman that already has beautiful skin. These products are formulated to enhance what you already have, but if you're looking for something with the ability to transform, hide or cover, these products are probably not the best choice for you. I would love to see Beautycounter come out with a face line that provides a broader range of coverage options, but understand that they're bound by their ability to do so while sourcing from ingredients that are healthy and sustainable.

Have you tried any of Beautycounter's makeup products? If so, please let me know what you think below!

Review: DryBar's Buttercup Blow Dryer

About two months ago, I laid my beloved CHI Blow Dryer to rest. I had purchased it at ULTA years ago, and out of the blue one day, it just completely stopped blowing hot air. In fairness, it had been doing this intermittently for a while, but then the hot air would only stop functioning for a few seconds, so it was easy to put up with. This time, no matter how much I jiggered the cord, all I got was an icy blast. I even tried to blow dry my hair with just the cold air at first, but after I froze myself for a few minutes and realized my hair was no closer to being dry, I gave up, tossed my hair into a bun and tossed the dryer into the trash.

As luck should have it, just as I sat down to check my email, I saw that Sephora was on their last day of a double points promotion for Beauty Insiders, and I recalled that my best friend had recently purchased and enjoyed the DryBar Buttercup blow dryer. After a quick read-up of the Sephora.com Reviews section, I put on my sandals, walked to Sephora and picked one up.

I'll admit that at first the $195 price point made my jaw drop. Is it just me or do professional blow dryers just get more and more expensive? I had spent a few minutes walking around the store to see what else they offered, but to be frank, there really wasn't much of a selection and everything else I did see was even more expensive than the Buttercup. Thankfully, I know that Sephora has an excellent return policy, so I knew I could try the dryer over a couple of weeks and bring it back for a full refund if it didn't work for me.

So what does DryBar claim this dryer will do? 

First, they claim that it contains Bio Ionic technology, which they say leaves hair smooth, hydrated and shiny. They also claim that the 1875 watt motor will get you a quick dry, that conditioning "nano beads" will seal the cuticle leaving hair silky, smooth and frizz-free, and finally, that it will deodorize your hair, again thanks to the "negative ions."

And how does it perform?

Let's start with the pros: this baby definitely dries your hair fast! It was clearly more powerful than my old CHI dryer, and I feel like it cuts my drying time by at least 25%. I think something you have to deal with in order to get the fast drying time is the noise, because powering that fast of a motor does leave you with a bit of a loud instrument. Personally, that doesn't bother me at all, but it's something you should note, in case you're sensitive.

Now we've got the cons: Honestly, I don't notice a whole heck of a difference in spite of all the Bio Ionic, nano bead, marketing babble. My hair is naturally wavy, and while the individual strands are fine, I have a lot of them. Because my texture is more coarse, the only way I really achieve shine is with a) a professional blow dry at the salon or b) when I flat iron my hair. Although you could argue that this blow dryer made an eensy weeny improvement in the shine or smoothness of my hair, you could also argue that it had more to do with how long I left my conditioner in or what styling products I used on a particular day.

I can certainly say that my hair didn't feel any more "hydrated" after blow drying. This is probably the claim I find the hardest to believe, because I think we all know that heat styling dries out your hair, rather than adding moisture back in.

In truth, I don't knock DryBar specifically for any of these claims, because I feel like ALL blow dryer manufacturers make these crazy statements about how their dryer is going to be so different from all the rest and make your hair look like a model's, when frankly, not a single blow dryer I've ever tried has actually transformed my hair into something it's not. I just don't believe it can happen!

That said, there are some great additional features that DryBar doesn't actively promote on the packaging, but that would sell me on the dryer more than all the ionic b.s.

Firstly, it's lightweight, and these days, that's a hard thing to find! I have no problem holding the dryer over my head for lengthy periods of time. Secondly, it has a "cold blast" button that you don't have to hold down! Just press it in, and it will continue to deliver you cold air until you're ready. Press it again, and you're back to hot in a moment's notice. Finally, the dryer has lots of different settings so you can customize to your preferences - in addition to two power/speed settings (pretty standard), it also has a low, medium and high heat setting. I personally only use the high heat setting because the others really don't feel that hot, but it's nice to have options.

Have we talked yet about the fact that this dryer is yellow?! I kind of love the fun, unexpected pop of color, and I'll admit that it makes me happy every time I pull it out of the cupboard.

The dryer also comes with two nozzles, a wide one and a narrow one, based on the style that you're trying to achieve. The narrow one, in particular, is called out as being great for styling bangs.

Finally, it has a 9-foot cord, which you could consider to be a good thing or a bad thing, based on how far you need it to stretch/how much it gets in the way in a small space.

Overall, do I think it's worth $200? Hard to say at this point. I think the price really comes into play over time. I've purchased cheap blow dryers before and have found that they either don't provide enough power, actually do make my hair more frizzy or just poop out in a matter of months. So as long as I can get a few years out of this baby, I'll consider it a purchase well made.

Have you used the DryBar Buttercup? Do you have another favorite hair dryer? Let me know in the comments section below!