How to Properly Introduce New SKINCARE INGREDIENTS

It can be tempting to totally renovate our skincare routine when our skin is not behaving. And for some of us skincare junkies, the arrival of a new active ingredient or miracle treatment can have us rushing to the online checkout and slathering our mugs with the latest buzzworthy potion. But we need to slow our roll. 

Our skin needs time to acclimate to new ingredients, especially intense, effective actives. Otherwise, we risk reactions like dermatitis, peeling, dryness, redness, and breakouts. Here’s how we should go about doing that.

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Read product reviews.

Ok, this may sound either boring or like duh to some, but there is some value to be found in reviews. Look for specifics, like if it made a rash appear, if it did nothing at all, if someone suffered a reaction. Some reviewers will share personal information about their skin so that we can compare. And to the people who do this, thank you so much. Sincerely.

Patch test.

If the product we’re trying out has intense, clinical actives in it, we want to make sure our face isn’t going to explode. Try it on an extra-porous area like the T-zone (opt for chin, near the nose, or on the forehead). This should give an idea, in at least 48 hours, whether the product is a major no-no for us. We can likely skip this step with most super-simple, natural, clean products unless we’re sensitive. In that case, always patch test.

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One thing at a time.

There comes a time when we get fed up and want to try everything, right now. We want to try the new tincture, herbal supplement, face mask, cleanser, and serum all at once. Sometimes, the results are amazing! But other times, we suffer some consequences. In order to understand which products are helping and which are causing problems, we need to pare down how many new products we are using. Just stick to one at a time, and give it at least two weeks of consistent use (unless there is an immediate reaction; then stop immediately).

Don’t do it before a big event.

Just in case our skin will not be pleased with the latest active ingredients we have our sights on, it’s best we don’t get too excited before a date night or big event. The last thing we want is a rash or the beginnings of an inflammatory purge breakout just when we’d hoped to look our very best.

Always ice.

On the occasions that our skin simply is not loving our latest product, of course, stop using it right away, and rinse with cool water. We want to cleanse thoroughly and ice the area to keep inflammation down. When in doubt, always ice. Stay away from steams and hot water, which can make the reaction worse.

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FRAGRANCES TO GIFT YOUR LOVED ONES WITH, PURELY BASED ON PERSONALITY

HEALTHIER WAYS TO USE FRAGRANCE

Yes, You Should Be Cleaning Your Spoolie Brushes — Here’s How

Spoolie brushes are a secret makeup weapon that can be used for everything from de-clumping mascara to brushing up your brows to epic proportions. Whether you’re using a mascara wand, a brow gel or an individual spoolie, like any makeup application tool,  they need to be cleaned every once in a while. Here, we’re sharing how to do it.

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How to Clean Every Type of Spoolie

Before cleaning your spoolie, identify what material it’s made of, says Chanel Temple, Global Makeup Artist at Hourglass Cosmetics. According to Temple, most are made of synthetic nylon, which is easy to clean. 

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How to Clean Synthetic Spoolies

STEP 1: For synthetic spoolies, all you need is a paper towel and a makeup brush cleaning product to sanitize and remove product buildup. Try the NYX Professional Makeup On the Spot Makeup Brush Cleaner. Apply the formula directly onto the spoolie before twisting it in the paper towel — a method that will get your brush squeaky clean.

STEP 2: Next, leave your spoolie out overnight to dry before using it again.

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How to Clean Natural Bristle Spoolies

STEP 1: If your brush is made out of boar hair or natural bristles, Temple recommends opting for a brush shampoo like the Sigma Professional SigMagic Brushampoo Liquid Makeup Brush and Sponge Cleaner that’s free of alcohol to avoid damaging the material. Run your spoolie under water and place a small amount of the shampoo on the palm of your hand. 

STEP 2: Run your spoolie back and forth over the palm of your hand repeatedly. 

STEP 3: Once the spoolie is foamed up, rinse thoroughly under the water until the suds are completely gone.

STEP 4: Pat it dry with a towel, and leave your spoolie out overnight to fully dry.

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How Frequently Should You Clean Your Spoolies?

If you clean your spoolies every one to two weeks,  they can last for years, so consider it an investment into your makeup-loving future. Over time they may lose a few bristles, says Temple, which is a sign you should throw them out.

Our Favorite Makeup Spoolie Products

NYX Professional Makeup Dip, Shape, Go! Brow Pomade

This brow pomade not only comes with a long-lasting, eyebrow maximalist-friendly formula, it also features a handy spoolie tool. Simply apply the pigment with the angled brush, and then blend in the color with the dual-ended spoolie for a natural, bushy finish.

Tweezerman Brow Shaping Scissors & Brush

If we had a dollar for every time we needed a tiny scissor for errant brow hairs or a spoolie to de-clump a mascara, we wouldn’t be rich, but we’d certainly have enough money for a few Urban Decay Naked Palettes. Enter the Tweezerman Brow Shaping Scissors & Brush.

Leegoal Disposable Eyelash Brushes

Whether you’re an aspiring makeup artist or just want to keep a few spoolies in rotation, pick up a pack from your local drugstore or from Amazon. The best part? They’re only $6 a set so you can pick up a few without breaking the bank.

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HEALTHIER WAYS to Use Fragrance

THIS BLOG POST WAS SPONSORED BY DOSSIER! HOWEVER, ALL OPINIONS ARE MINE! I SAID WHAT I SAID!

By now it’s been made woefully clear that some of our old tried and true favorite beauty products might not be the very best for our bodies. Potentially harmful chemicals and synthetics can build up in our systems, cause imbalances, and are generally toxic. So what’s a girl to do when her signature scent isn’t squeaky clean?

We won’t make you throw out a fragrance that makes you feel special. You know what we mean—that nostalgic, warm and fuzzy smell that makes tears spring to your ex’s eyes because you’ve always smelled like that—it’s your special smell. Or, maybe you’ve fallen head over heels for a new fragrance and you just can’t get it out of your mind. Chances are, you’re not finding an exact replica that does the same magical mingling with your body chemistry in a non-toxic brand.

Dossier

Discover quality fragrances inspired by the iconic rich scents you love.

price depends, the fragrance is either $29 or $39. Use code: LEE10 for money off!

Here is the link: https://dossier.co/?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=bloggers&utm_medium=BELLA%E2%80%99S%20BOUTIQUE10

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What you can do is try using your favorite (not-so-clean-beauty) scents in smarter, healthier ways. Instead of dousing your delicate endocrine system, aka spraying directly onto your lymph nodes at your throat, wrist, or other sensitive places, try somewhere else.

Give your hair a spritz after it’s styled. The scent will cling to your fibrous strands in a heavenly cloud around your face, and create a little breeze of your favorite aroma when you whip around town. It doesn’t need to land directly on your scalp or seep into your skin, and you don’t need a lot.

Or, try misting your clothes. You can spritz it on a scarf, a sweater, or your top, all before putting the piece on so your scent lingers without clinging to your sensitive areas all day, or requiring reapplication. You can spritz a cotton kerchief and tuck it into a drawer to have a subtle tinge of your scent last all day on all your foldables as well!

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Most people assume that applying fragrance is easy. One spritz on your neck and another on your wrist, and that’s pretty much it, right? Trust us, there’s so much more to it! And considering the average price point of designer perfume, we don’t want to waste a drop. The good news is, once you’ve read this post, you’ll be ready to make the most of every last gorgeous drop of your fragrance. Here are four common fragrance mistakes and what you should be doing instead.

Storing Fragrances Incorrectly

Storing fragrances incorrectly degrades the fragrance. Hot temperatures affect the chemical bonds in fragrance while if the temperature is too low, that can also alter the fragrance more quickly. Ideally, your perfumes need to be stored in a cool, dark place with a room temperature between 16 to 22 degrees. This means storing perfume in your bathroom or anywhere the temperature fluctuates is a big no-no. Similarly, direct sunlight will also break down fragrance so do not store them on a window or even shelves near a window. Look for bottles with dark or opaque glass packaging, which will help protect the perfume from sunlight.

Applying Fragrance to Dry Skin

Perfume doesn’t wear well on dry skin, which is just another reason to moisturizer daily. Ideally, you should use the accompanying body lotion that comes with your fragrance or an unscented moisturizer to keep your skin hydrated. This will also ensure that there’s no olfactory interference.

Our fave perfume hack: Perfume lasts longer when applied to oily, damp skin, so to lock in the scent, rub vaseline onto your pulse points before application.

Carrying Fragrance in Your Purse

If you carry your fragrance in your purse, you’re not only exposing it to different temperatures, but you’ll also cause the bottle to move around constantly. By shaking the bottle, you’ll expose the perfume to excess air, which will breakdown and disrupt the fragrance over time.

If you do want to carry a scent with you while you’re on the go, we’d recommend the travel scent Dossier gives you when you purchase a 50mL fragrance, $29. You can also buy these Portable Mini Refillable Perfume Spray Bottles, $10, that you can fill with your fave fragrances, which are perfect for when you travel or to keep in your handbag while your perfume is safely stored at home.

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Savoring your Fragrance

As much as we love to savor our beauty products, holding onto your favorite fragrance means that more often than not, by the time you reach the end of the bottle, the fragrance will have altered slightly. The more oxygen into the bottle (like when you’ve used 70% of your perfume), the more the fragrance molecules will break down and modify the fragrance.

This means investing in a large bottle is not always a good idea, in fact, it often better to purchase a smaller bottle to keep the fragrance fresh. If your go-to fragrance is only available in a large bottle, decant the liquid into small vials and store your half-empty bottles in the fridge.

For more fragrance inspo, check out FRAGRANCES TO GIFT YOUR LOVED ONES WITH, PURELY BASED ON PERSONALITY.

THIS BLOG POST WAS SPONSORED BY DOSSIER! HOWEVER, ALL OPINIONS ARE MINE! I SAID WHAT I SAID!

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Fragrances to Gift Your Loved Ones With, Purely Based on Personality

FTC Disclosure: Thank you to Dossier for gifting and sponsoring this post! All opinions are my own and is always honest. Also, be advised my videos and posts contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission (pay) through links and codes that is provided. This does NOT change the quality of the product and this does NOT affect you in any way.

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A signature style, drink, or selfie face—everyone has a certain something that makes them unique, and that often includes a signature scent. But we all know that finding a perfume that reflects all our personality traits is hard, and finding one for others is even harder. Will my free-spirited friend like something youthful or fresh? Would my mother wear something mysterious or timeless? These are the questions that can be too hard to answer on our own, especially when out holiday shopping.

With that in mind, I was happy when Dossier reached out and asked if BeautyLeeBar wanted to do a collab…of course I said yes. What is Dossier? The dossier is a brand that offers affordable fragrances that has the same scents as a luxury brand like Chanel and Tom Ford. Dossier fragrances are also vegan, cruelty-free with 100% clean ingredients as well as a focus on sustainability. At $29 and $39, you can rest easy, knowing you made a smart choice for your skin, your health, and the environment.

grasse, a town on the french riviera

Dossier strives to design scents that exceed expectations. The dossier only sources their fragrances from Grasse, a town on the French Riviera long considered the world’s perfume capital. Using the same scent designers like many of the world’s most celebrated fragrance houses, Dossier strives to craft the best quality, cleanly made, products possible.

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My scents consists of White floral, Jasmine, Lavender and Citrus. With that being said, it can be sometimes difficult to find scents that isn’t overbearing, but still has that classic loving fresh scent. Dossier helps match you to the perfect fragrance(s) by having you answer ONLY 6 easy questions. At the end of the questionnaire, are the scents that best reflect you. Dossier is having up to 25% off and I was gifted a special present for you guys. Dossier and I came up with code: LEE10 so all my BEAUTIES can save more this holiday without emptying the bank. And gentlements, this is for you too! Dossier is for anyone that is looking to smell good. When you smell good you feel good!

Dossier is my new go-to destination for fragrance. With Dossier having all your favorite luxury scents at a affordable cost, it is kinda hard to not share this news with everyone like coworkers, crushes, family and customers….Am I right or am I right! Everyone is cover including yourself. The best part is each fragrance comes with its’ own travel scent as well and if the scent isn’t up to your liking, you have 30-days to send it back and get your money back ( Full refund ). Just consider it our holiday/birthday present to you.

Dossier

Discover quality fragrances inspired by the iconic rich scents you love.

price depends, the fragrance is either $29 or $39. Use code: LEE10 for money off!

Here is the link: https://dossier.co/?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=bloggers&utm_medium=BELLA%E2%80%99S%20BOUTIQUE10

All I’m saying is, I have never had a complaint, ONLY COMPLIMENTS! Head over to Dossier now and purchase quality fragrances with iconic scents, the same scents that Armani and Chanel has just at a affordable price.

dossier.co

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WHAT IS YOUR GO-TO FRAGRANCE SCENT(S)? AND HAS IT CHANGED SINCE WE BEEN IN PADEMIC? COMMENT BELOW!

FTC Disclosure: Thank you to Dossier for gifting and sponsoring this post! All opinions are my own and is always honest. Also, be advised my videos and posts contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission (pay) through links and codes that is provided. This does NOT change the quality of the product and this does NOT affect you in any way.

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