Tag: PRIMP

VERSED SKINCARE – WHAT’S WORTH THE MONEY

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We feel like Versed Skincare has taken over social media. We see so many posts about their products. One of our favorite parts of this brand is they have affordable skincare! All of their products are very reasonably priced! We have recently had the chance to try out a few of their products, and we are here to give you our opinion on what’s worth your money!

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Acne Calming Cream Cleanser | $16.99

We feel that cleansers are mostly all the same. It’s on your skin for such a short amount of time that they aren’t going to make a drastic change to your skin. But since we started using this cleanser, we have noticed a difference in breakouts. We have been breaking out a lot less since we used this every night. If you struggle with acne, you’re going to love this cleanser! We also have found this does a good job of taking off your makeup as well!

This face wash is made with 1.5% Salicylic Acid which will help you get rid of any breakouts. The other main ingredients are Blue Tansy and Apple Fruit Extract. The Apple Fruit Extract is a very gentle exfoliant, and the Blue Tansy has anti-inflammatory properties and gives it the blue color!

Originally some of us editors were using Cerave Hydrating Facial Cleanser, but we found that it was drying our skin and irritating it which was causing us to break out more. We switched to this cleanser and will never go back. The formula leaves the skin feeling fresh, and we can see noticeable improvement! We use this product every so often to address minor breakouts we have. At the first sight of a pimple, we will use this product morning and night to treat and stop the breakout from getting worse! This product is so gentle yet effective! We love using it with a facial brush tool as well!

If you have acne-prone skin and are looking for a new face wash, we recommend picking this up. We love how it makes our skin feel, and how it helps with our breakouts, and we love that it is on the affordable end!

Weekend Glow Daily Brightening Toner | $17.99

This is the perfect toner for anyone that is struggling with dark spots or pesky marks left from breakouts. The weekend glow toner is made with a four-acid complex including Lactic Acid, Glycolic Acid, Azelaic Acid, and Kojic Acid. It also has bearberry extract and Vitamin C to help brighten your skin. We love that it is gentle enough to be used daily! We rotate this with other chemical exfoliants throughout the week, so we use it about 3 nights a week. We think this is our favorite out of everything we have tried from Versed.

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Be careful with this toner since it is similar to witch hazel and a lot of customers have said this caused them to break out even worse than before. It has a slight smell for a second then it disappears once dried down.

Using this after the Acne Calming Cream Cleanser is the perfect combo! So, if you are someone that struggles with hyperpigmentation or dark spots this is going to be the toner for you!

The Shortcut Overnight Facial | $19.99

This overnight facial cream is made with Lactic and Glycolic Acid and Vitamin A to help exfoliate and brighten your skin. You apply this on your face 1-3 times a week at night and leave it on all night. It absorbs right into your skin, so you don’t feel like you are sleeping with a sticky mask on all night. We truly love the idea of this product, because it is kind of a two-in-one. You get your chemical exfoliant and your moisturizer all in one.

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The blend of lactic and glycolic acid works together to break down dead skin cells. Vitamin A is one of the most powerful and proven ingredients for aging skin. Vitamin A exfoliates, brightens, and hydrates while skin-conditioning allantoin, rosehip, and vitamin E keep the skin calm. It’s pH-balanced, non-drying, and non-irritating—basically, it’s a non-scary treatment that won’t leave you red or flaky (just bright and refreshed). It’s even gentle enough to use on back-to-back nights, and it absorbs into your skin just like a lotion, residue-free so your pillows are safe too.

This overnight facial works on sensitive skin as well. It does make your skin feel soft the next day, but this is a product you’ll have to use consistently for a few months to notice a difference.

Mood Lighting Luminizing Glow Drops | $17.99

This was by far the product we were most excited to try out because we love anything that is going to give us a glow. But we honestly weren’t super impressed by these. It is supposed to give you a natural glow, something that can be great for summer bare face or use with makeup!

We did give the LUMINIZING GLOW DROPS to our friends, and they love it. However, we do like that this is a serum, so it has ingredients like Peptides, Blackberry Extract, and Vitamin E. We just found we didn’t get the glow we were expecting from this, we had to use quite a bit of product to notice a difference. We started to break out and that is a no-no for us! It does feel nice on the skin and does give a very subtle glow, but we still find ourselves reaching for the Glow Recipe Dew Drops more.

Virtually weightless, each glow drop pumps up hydration levels and plumps up elasticity for noticeably smoother skin. How? The peptide polyglutamic acid—a.k.a. hyaluronic acid‘s more powerful relative that can hold 4000x its weight in moisture—works alongside antioxidant-rich blackberry extract to strengthen skin’s barrier.

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This comes in two different shades – Sheer Bronzed and Sheer Golden. We did get both shades since we all are not the same skin color.

You can use these by mixing them with your foundation, wearing them as the last step in your skincare routine, or mixing it in with your moisturizer. Our favorite way is using it as a highlighter on our cheekbones!

Just because we didn’t love these doesn’t mean that they won’t work for you. We are just someone that loves a more noticeable dewy finish. So, if you are more on the subtle side.

Silk Slip Lip Oil | $9.99

We thought this was going to be tied with the Acne Calming Cream Cleanser as one of our favorite products! First off, the pink packaging just gets us! Second, it is the most hydrating lip oil, and it makes your lips look amazing! We wanted this to be one of the main beauty essentials that we always keep on us!

We honestly did enjoy this product for the most part. Our lips were always hydrated when applying, but the only thing we did not like was that they would dry a bit sticky. Also, after a while, the product produced this awful odor which was odd. We even repurchased because we thought maybe we got a bad batch. Very disappointing and a waste of money. Looking online we are not the only one with this issue, so they seem to have a problem with the formula going bad quickly. Hopefully, they fix this ASAP!

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They chose ingredients that will help hydrate your lips instead of leaving them feeling dry a few minutes later like most lip balms. They said your lips will stay soft and hydrated with a subtle, healthy sheen (not a glossy shine). Most important, you can still feel the moisture on your lips even after the oil is fully absorbed. 

SILK SLIP CONDITIONING LIP OIL contains Camellia Oil, Jojoba Oil, Vitamin E, Sunflower Seed Oil, and Sesame Oil. And I feel that this does live up to the hydrating claim completely. It has a great smell and doesn’t leave a weird taste in your mouth.

They also have tinted lip oils that we dying to try along with other products that we already ordered to try!

Have you tried anything from Versed Skincare? If so let us know your favorites in the comments! Some were better than others, but that is how it’s going to be with skincare. But overall, we are genuinely so impressed with their skincare, and we will be picking up some more to test out!

THE BEST PERFUME DUPES – DOSSIER PERFUME

Published on by Lee4 Comments

Today we are introducing you to Dossier, a fragrance company that creates clean, non-toxic, and ethical fragrances inspired by designer favorites, starting at only $29. They believe that everyone should be able to afford luxury perfumes. They make their perfumes affordable by removing the designer label.

All their perfumes are Colorant & UV Filter Free, vegan, cruelty-free, Paraben & Phthalate-free, and made with 100% clean ingredients that are made in Grasse, France (the perfume capital of the world). The company itself is based in New York City.

We have been using Dossier perfumes for years now and can honestly attest to the high quality of their fragrances and packaging which is why we are confident that you’ll love this brand too. 

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WHAT IS A DOSSIER?

“Dossier was founded out of a desire to make premium fragrances accessible to everyone. As scent enthusiasts ourselves, it became impossible for us to turn a blind eye to the price markups traditionally seen in the industry. Whether it be marking up scents because of celebrity endorsement fees or pricey packaging, we realized perfumes were being sold for way more than they cost to make.”

So basically, Dossier is a company that uses the same scent notes as high-end perfumes, without any price markups. So, anyone can smell amazing and feel great because you didn’t break the bank.

They have fragrances, for women and men. The dossier has unisex perfumes as well.

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HOW IT WORKS.

You can go to the Dossier website and take a quiz; this quiz will help pick the perfect scent for you after you answer a few questions that only takes 1 minute. Or if you have a luxury scent that you know you love, but don’t want to pay the high price, you can search the name of that scent on the website’s search bar. If they have a scent that is inspired by your search, they will show you.

PACKAGING.

The packaging for Dossier perfumes is very simplistic and modern. It is a simple clear bottle with a white-label, the label has the name of the fragrance as well as the fragrance notes. It has a simple spray nozzle with a magnetic cap. Part of how they can keep their prices so low is the cost of packaging is much less than luxury perfumes.

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Each scent comes in a cute little box that has a card with all the information about the perfume, along with the sample and the bottle. We know that it seems risky to buy perfumes online, so they send you a sample size perfume with each one you order. You can use that to make your final decision on whether you like the scent or not. You can return any unopened perfume for 30 days no questions asked. Customer service is amazing, and we never have any issues with them.

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Our EXPERIENCE.

We were very impressed with the quality of these perfumes. Normally when we use our more expensive perfumes, we have to reapply throughout the day but with Dossier, the perfumes last longer. We gifted our subscribers with some dossier perfume, and they said they lasted all day as well! They said they couldn’t stop getting compliments which made us very happy with our choices. The original and the DUPES of Dossier fragrances are 100% the same, the only difference is you are not spending $200 on one perfume when it comes to Dossier.

The only thing we don’t love is the spray nozzle because if it breaks you can’t replace the nozzle part or open the bottle to transfer the scented liquid into another container which is upsetting. But that doesn’t stop us from buying them. We just wanted to add that little note because we know a lot of people come to us for our honest reviews.

FRAGRANCES WE ARE LOVING NOW.

Musky Musk // This is inspired by Juliette Has a Gun, Not a Perfume. (Retails for $135)

Top Notes: /

Middle Notes: Cetalox, Iso E Super

Base Notes: Habanolide, Musks

Ambery Saffron // Inspired by MFK’s Baccarat Rouge 540 (Retails for $325)

Top Notes: Saffron, Orange Blossom

Middle Notes: Jasmine, Plum, Cedarwood

Base Notes: Oakmoss, Fir Balsam, Amber

Woody Sandalwood // Inspired by Le Labo Fragrances’ Santal 33 (Retails for $198)

Top Notes: Violet Leaves, Cardamom

Middle Notes: Orris, Ambrox, Cedarwood, Cypriol

Base Notes: Musk, Sandalwood, Amber

Ambery Cherry // Inspired by Tom Fords Lost Cherry (Retails for $375)

Top Notes: Cherry, Almond, Cinnamon

Middle Notes: Cloves, Rose, Jasmine, Plum

Base Notes: Peru Balsam, Tonka Bean, Vanilla

Floral Honeysuckle // Inspired by Gucci’s Bloom perfume (Retails for $108)

Top Notes: Green Leaves, Orange, Honeysuckle

Middle Notes: Jasmine Sambac, Tuberose

Base Notes: Orris, Sandalwood, Vanilla

Woody Oakmoss // Inspired by Iconic Coco CHANEL Mademoiselle perfume (Retails for $116)

Top Notes: Bergamot, Orange, Peach

Middle Notes: Jasmine, Rose, Patchouli

Base Notes: Oakmoss, Vanilla, Vetiver

Woody Sage // Inspired by Jo Malone Wood Sage & Sea Salt cologne (Retails for $100)

Top Notes: Fig Tree, Grapefruit

Middle Notes: Marine Notes, Ambrette

Base Notes: Clary Sage, Amberwood

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FINAL THOUGHTS. 

This is a no-brainer to us! The dossier website is amazing, and the scents are amazing. They are so spot on to original scents without the hefty price tag, so you can buy up a bunch of these and switch up your scent all the time. The website is easy to use, and they always seem to be running some kind of deal. When you click on one scent, they suggest fragrances that can create your dreamy blends. Seriously get yourself some of these with our code Lee10, you won’t regret it!

Have you tried Dossier? If so, what are your thoughts on their products? Let us know your answers in the comments section of this blog post below.

Zendaya Swears by 5 Wellness Hacks—And We Tried Them All

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She continues to slay it on the red carpet and on top best-dressed lists while starring on the big and small screens. We all know her as the wild child aka Rue, who marches to the beat of her drum in Euphoria, for which she nabbed an Emmy Award, might we add. Of course, we are referring to none other than Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman (AKA Zendaya).

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Courtesy of Vogue, we took a deep dive into Zendaya’s life: a Disney star turned full-fledged celeb, singer, self-proclaimed workaholic, and (Virgo) perfectionist, Auntie Daya to her nieces, painter, homebody, and true-crime podcast junkie. Between her many talents and interests, leading role in Euphoria, and starring in cinematic roles, it left us wondering how she finds the time to stay healthy. Thanks to an interview with Cosmopolitan and various other sources, we got the inside scoop. Read on for five healthy habits Zendaya swears by and our experience taking a stab at them. 

1. Find a workout that’s fun for you

Let’s be real: We know all too well that if a workout doesn’t bring the fun factor, we’re not sticking with it, and Zendaya agrees (we knew we loved her!). In a YouTube interview with Justine Magazine, Zendaya confessed to being gym-averse, so she gets her workouts in by doing activities she loves dancing and choreography. When she does hit the gym, you better believe she’s making it entertaining. Case in point: Zendaya doing plank variations on a medicine ball and killer Pilates movements.

Our experience: Until a few months ago, you could say we were gym rats, and lifting heavy weights was not our happy place. But we found that we had to continue digging deep to keep it up, and the motivation waned—it just wasn’t fun anymore. Taking a cue from Zendaya, we switched it up with some at-home workouts that deliver the perfect combo of sweat and joy (cycling and yoga classes FTW) and found our second wind. 

2. Discover what motivates you to exercise 

Believe it or not, celebrities sometimes need a little push to work out too. Zendaya shared her unconventional way of keeping herself accountable on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: wearing various wigs she had collected from her red-carpet appearances and showing up to her gym as a different character. OK, so most of us don’t have wigs lying around, but you get the idea. Identify what helps you stay consistent with your workouts and get to it. Whether it’s a ride-or-die sweat buddy, your satisfying post-workout smoothie, or booking a non-refundable fitness class, use it to your advantage to work out on the reg.

Our experience: This was a no-brainer for us—there’s nothing like a new, flattering workout set to pull us away from a binge-watching marathon and get the body moving. While we can’t get a fresh ‘fit for every workout, we use the next must-have waiting in our shopping cart as an incentive (and, trust us, there are enough to keep me going for months). 

3. Practice body positivity 

A body positivity advocate through and through, Zendaya is all about self-love and being authentic. “There is no such thing as ugly—that’s a word that doesn’t enter my vocabulary,” she said in an interview with New You. “It’s important to find out who you are and love who you are … It’s very freeing when you’re just like, ‘Yo, I’m just going to do me!’” And she does just that—and with style, no less! Zendaya called out Modeliste Magazine for retouching her photos to make her hips and torso appear slimmer than IRL. The magazine later released the issue with the original, unedited images from her cover shoot (now that’s a happy ending if there ever was one). 

Our experience: TBH, we have a lot to learn from Zendaya. We still working on loving ourselves as we are and not chasing an idea of perfection, we have lingering in our heads every day. Our go-to practice? Catching ourselves when we are nit-picking our body and flipping the script by being grateful for what our body provides: the gift to exercise, a canvas for our latest fashion finds, and the ability to enjoy (mostly) all the delicious foods. 

4. Make your meals balanced and eat what you’re craving

Zendaya has been a vegetarian since she was 9 years old, and she gets creative about fitting veggies into her diet. Enter: the summer rice salad recipe she shared with Seventeen that is built around a healthy mix of fats, protein, vegetables, and carbohydrates. But don’t be fooled by the rice salad recipe—she’s also VIP status with Postmates (I am not exaggerating, just read Postmates’ blog). She admitted to Harper’s Bazaar that she doesn’t cook out of laziness and dislike for following directions (that’s the kind of relatable celeb we love!). “I can have anything I want; that’s the beauty of ordering food,” she said.

Our experience: Zendaya’s diet reminded us that it is all about balance. We tend to fall into the all-or-nothing trap, so we channeled our inner Zendaya, alongside the rice salads we made. We would rate it an 8/10 for flavor and ease and finish off our lunches with DEUX Cookie Dough (the latest obsession) or a couple of chocolate peanut butter cups. We are keeping Zendaya’s rice salad in our summer meal rotation, but when laziness strikes and the chopping of vegetables is just too much to wrap our head around, door dash it is—no guilt or shame here.   

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5. Opt for matcha over other caffeinated beverages

It’s no secret that The BeautyLeeBar beauties are obsessed with Starbucks, and it turns out Zendaya is too. Her go-to Starbucks order? A Venti iced matcha green tea latte with coconut milk. And that’s her only source of caffeine—she told Harper’s Bazaar that she goes sans coffee, soda, and energy drinks. Zendaya may be onto something: Matcha boosts your energy at a slower pace than coffee and contains L-theanine, an amino acid found in the green tea plant that can reduce stress.

Our experience: We will admit that we are a bit of a matcha snob, so we were hesitant to give what’s been dubbed “The Zendaya” a go. While it was too sweet for some of us and we usually take our matcha with Oat milk, we like the coconut twist and would order it again to appease a post-meal sugar craving. But if there’s one main takeaway from Zendaya and her workout and diet tried-and-true, it is to do what works for you.  

4 Ways to GENTLY WAKE UP

Published on by Lee2 Comments

Waking up in the morning is rarely pleasant. (Unless you’re one of those weird morning people, —how??) The transition from sleep to awake is often jarring a brief moment of confusion before the realization hits: it is time, yet again, to cosplay as an adult human who has their sh*t together. Studies have shown that stress anticipation first thing in the morning can negatively affect our entire day. So, to help make mornings (and the other hours we are awake) a little easier, we have rounded up our favorite tips for waking up gently.

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TRY A SLEEP-TRACKING APP

We like ShutEye, an app that tracks sleep quality, record sounds such as snoring, talking, walking, and time spent in each phase of sleep, and wakes us up in our lightest sleep phase. It also has a mix of sleep sounds and stories for the ones who have trouble falling asleep. Another good similar sleep tracking apps are Sleep Tracker (there are 2 Sleep Tracker apps with that same name, and both are amazing)

USE A SUNRISE ALARM

These alarms mimic the sunrise to help us wake up naturally, without a noisy alarm sound. Brookstone is one such alarm. It has many cool features that help improve sleep, including gentle white noise/radio stations, customizable light colors, and a wind-down routine. Since we can’t figure out where we got the Brookstone sunrise alarm, below are four similar ones:

CHANGE THE TEMPERATURE

Getting out of bed feels even more challenging when it’s too hot or too cold. A smart thermostat can automatically change the temperature at a set time to help us fall asleep and wake up better. Or try the Eight Sleep Pod Pro Cover, a smart device that goes over your mattress and automatically adjusts the bed’s temperature.

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Do a quick yoga flow

Take a moment to go through a few yoga poses that can be done without getting out of bed, like happy baby, pigeon pose, and butterfly, to help calm anxiety and practice mindfulness.

The content provided in this article is provided for information purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice and consultation, including professional medical advice and consultation; it is provided with the understanding that BeautyLeeBar, LLC (“BLB”) is not engaged in the provision or rendering of medical advice or services. You understand and agree that BeautyLeeBar shall not be liable for any claim, loss, or damage arising out of the use of, or reliance upon any content or information in the article.