hair

OUR FAVORITE BEAUTY SOURCES


photos/post/design: Kristin Ess

Over the past decades or so it seems like sources for beauty products (both pro and not-so-pro) have multiplied in a way that’s almost overwhelming. It’s hard to tell which spots have the goods and which ones just have a good facade. As professional hair + makeup artists we search high and low, online and offline, for the best products at all price points and we want to share our resources with you guys. Here we go!

(Click the name to be taken to the source!)

1. Favorite Nail Polish Sources:

  • Beauty.com – great range of polish brands in one spot. They always seem to have the ones that are hard to find.
  • American Apparel – plain + simple, they just have great color options.
  • Wilshire Beauty Supply – fave spot in LA for new trend releases when I want to see them in person. (They also have the best nail tools!)
  • Sephora - an obvious leader in the nail trends game.

2. Favorite Makeup Brush Sources:

  • Hakuhodu – some of the finest brushes in the world.
  • Cozette – Vegan! Love!
  • Make Up For Ever – available at Sephora.com, and Make Up For Ever Boutiques.

3. Favorite Bobby Pin Sources:

4. Best High-end, Middle-end + Affordable Products All In One Place:

  • ULTA- from Frederic Fakkai to Wella to Tresemme they have it all. It’s like hair, makeup, skin + nail heaven. They also stock a large range of Hot Tool curling irons which are our favorite. (BTW- We snag codes from Robot Oatmeal to get discounts + free shipping at Ulta!)

5. Best Fragrance Shop On Earth:

6. Pro Beauty Supplies (All great spots for hair + makeup artists specializing in TV/Film, or anyone who just wants to get in on the goods!):

7. Best Department Stores for Makeup: (We love big department stores because they let you try almost anything before you buy!)

  • Bergdorf’s – in-store + online.
  • Henri Bendel’s - in-store + online.
  • Bloomingdales - - in-store + online.
  • Nordstrom - in-store + online.
  • Macy’s – good source for Clairsonics + Brush sets, often on sale! In-store + online.
  • Neiman Marcus - in-store + online. Love their beauty replenishment service! If you run out of something (like foundation or powder) every month or two, you can set a date and they’ll automatically send you a new one!

8. Best Places To Shop Drug Store Brands:

  • Target - There’s nothing better for drugstore beauty, really. Have you guys checked out the new Target City’s that are popping up??? They. Are. Amazing! We also love that Target it expanding it’s natural lines like Burt’s Bees as well as their products for CURLY HAIRED GIRLS, like Mixed Chicks and Miss Jessies! HOORAY!!
  • CVS/Walgreens
  • Walmart
  • Drugstore.com (go to the drugstore without leaving the house.)

9. Best Place To Find Cool New Trends In Beauty:

  • We’re going with Sephora because they usually lock down the cool new stuff first and make it available to all of us, no matter where we live.
  • Also check out all of the Pro Beauty Supplies listed in #6.

10. Best Place For Hair Chalks:

11. Best Place To Find Hot Tools:

12. Nail Art Wheels (good for practicing your skills before doing them on yourself, and fun to build a collection of nail art wheels!)

13. Best Airbrush Makeup Machine:

14. Best Travel Products:

  • 3floz.com – they carry travel sizes of most of the brands we use and love! No more mess with filling bottles!

15. Best Nail Brands For New Trends:

  • Zoya – pixie dust + gold flakes!
  • Ciate – caviar nails, velvet nails, sequined manis!? Yes please.

Got a secret source you want to add? Please do so below! We want to hear them all, no matter where you live!

obsessions

NAILED IT!

If you’re female and you have a pulse, likelihood is you like a little sparkle. We’re on a mission to keep our holiday bottles of bling current. Most of these colors were released last year around the holidays but we refuse to toss them out. Instead we’re pairing them with softer shades for Springtime. Applying glitter or gold over a plain polish is nothing new but it definitely amps up the fancy factor. Do it on one nail, do it on all your nails. Either way, these are our new favorite combos.

The turquoise polish in the top photo was “Wednesday” by Zoya and the rose color in the bottom is “Petal Pusher” from Sally Hansen. Also– in case you missed it, here’s the tutorial on how to get a good glitter fade.

photos/post/design: Kristin Ess

 

obsessions

FAVORITE DRY SKIN REMEDY

photos/post/graphic design: Kristin Ess

There are tons of products flooding the shelves that promise to moisturize or exfoliate that winter skin– I’ve know because I’ve spent a fortune testing them out. Restorsea is the first product I’ve ever found to be effective in doing both at the same time. (Girl, you know I love a good 2-in-1!!) Between wind, weather + my heater being on so much when it’s cold out, my face gets those little white flakes (dead skin) which makes it hard to apply foundation evenly. No matter how much I scrub, peel or moisturize that dry skin always seemed to come right back. After about 2 weeks of using the new dream cream I had no flakes whatsoever and I’ve now been using it for about 3 months. I won’t get into the deets of the enzyme that’s in it or exactly how it works (it’s fascinating and you can read about it on their website) but I will tell you that it’s helped so much in getting my skin back to normal and restoring a smooth surface. Here are my favorite things to remember when moisturizing my skin:

  • Wash your hands- It’s easy to forget to wash your hands before you wash your face. Do your best to remember because even though you’re washing your face, you can still transfer dirt + bacteria onto your washcloth where it might stay and find it’s way onto your face. Definitely wash your hands first if you’re just applying moisturizer because you don’t want to end up with dirt or bacteria on your face or in the jar. Eek.
  • Warm water + steam- Wash your face with warm water as you normally would. Next plug your sink, draw a super hot bowl of water, put a bath towel over your head and hang out over the sink for 3-5 minutes. That will trap steam and open your pores even more.
  • When to apply- The best time to apply moisturizer is when you’re just getting out of the shower or right after you’ve washed your face. It’s simple– when your pores are more open, the skin will absorb more moisture.
  • Applying makeup- After you apply your moisturizer, blowdry your hair or get dressed. Then come back and do your makeup. You want to give your skin ample time to soak it up!
  • Neck, chest + hands- Sometimes in our daily rush, we forget to moisturize beyond the face. We have delicate skin on our necks, chests and hands which need love, too! I love to exfoliate all 3 at least once a week and I have to say– it makes a huge difference!
  • Ring finger- Some may know this, but some may not– your ring finger is your weakest finger on your hand. Use it to apply moisturizer, concealer and foundation around the eye to avoid pressing too hard. Too much pressure can stretch or scratch the skin if your fingers are rough.

What are your favorite tips + tricks for applying moisturizer to the skin? Tell us what your momma taught ya below! xo

obsessions

OBSESSORIES: LAST MINUTE GIFTS

post: Jaclyn Johnson of SomeNotesOnNapkins.com graphic design: Eunice Chun

To get some genius last minute gift ideas, we went to our trusted gifting guru Jaclyn Johnson of Some Notes on Napkins. Holidays are hard but have no fear, she’s here to help us find baubles and bling that are decently priced!
The Bling:
  • A Merry Mishap– is not only an adorable blog but an adorable etsy shop! I love these cute geo earrings (they come in a bunch of colors) and would pair great with a  perfectly coiffed top knot for a killer holiday look.
  • Also on our radar are these mini bow tie studs from Bauble Bar that are too cute for words. (silence)
The Elements:
The iPhone Addict
The Feet:
The Paper Chaser
The Beauty Addict
You might think getting your beauty-addicted bestie their favorite product would be a win but maybe go outside the box with this Kate Spade Mani/Pedi Folio.
Or this vintage-inspired solid perfume-slash-pin cushion chicness from Anthropologie.

obsessions

GIFT OF THE WEEK

graphic design: Eunice Chun post: Kristin Ess

Clearly we take a whole lot of photos around this place and we often test looks out by shooting them on an iPhone, just to see how they look before we go pro. Our next TBD “Gift of the Week” is this amazing cover! It’s both cute AND functional, which we love. I got one last week while we were in Toronto and I couldn’t wait to share it! Some of you may or may not realize that the “volume up” button on an iPhone can be used to snap a photo when you’re using the camera app. The the shutter button on this camera cover sits right on top of the “volume up” button and that’s how it works. There’s also a button over the “volume down” button, so you can do business as usual while sporting this cover. If you drop your gadget a lot, worry not– it comes with a place for a camera strap. Let’s be real– it’s not like this phone cover actually makes the photo better, it just makes you feel a little more chic while shooting!