Monthly Archives: April 2015

Beauty

Product Smackdown: Bioderma Micellar Water vs. Sephora Cleansing Water

April 27, 2015

Product smackdown-micellar-water

Micellar waters have been generating a lot of buzz recently in the beauty blogging community. Hailed as the best and fastest way to remove makeup and cleanse skin, micellar waters have been used at runway shows by makeup artists for years. The waters clear all product off the skin in a matter of seconds and don’t leave behind any oily residue or leave the skin feeling tight and dry. How are micellar waters different from typical foam, gel, or cream cleansers? Instead of using soap and alcohol like most other cleansers, micellar waters contain tiny micelles (clusters of fatty acid esters) that help dissolve impurities on the skin like makeup, dirt, and oil — similar to how dish detergent breaks down grease. I decided to take two of the best-selling micellar waters on the market and see how they stacked up. Check out my thoughts below and see which micellar water made the cut!

Bioderma Crealine H2O Micellaire Cleansing WaterThis is the micellar water that started it all! It was very difficult (and expensive) for me to get my hands on a bottle of this cleanser, because it’s not yet sold in the US. I ordered mine through Amazon and probably paid double or triple of what the actual cost is in France – in the name of science! I really, really loved this micellar water. It took off every stitch of makeup on my face at the end of the day, including my very stubborn waterproof mascara and eyeliner. The formula was super gentle and fragrance-free. It actually felt like I was cleansing my face with nothing other than water, and my skin was not left tight or dry.

Sephora Triple Action Cleansing Water: I assure you, this micellar water is a lot easier to track down than the Bioderma, which may be enough to tip the scales in its favor. Stocked on the shelves (and online) at every US Sephora, the large size of this micellar water rings in at $20. I also really loved the clever pump feature on the 13.5 oz size of this cleanser. This micellar water did a comparable job removing makeup as Bioderma, even with stubborn eye makeup. However, this formula is scented, and I found the fragrance to be off-putting. I would’ve preferred no fragrance, as my skin is sensitive and fragrances can irritate it.

The verdict? As difficult as it can be to snag a bottle, I preferred the Bioderma Micellar Cleansing Water. In a pinch, the Sephora Triple Action Cleansing Water would do, but I was not a fan of the fragrance. For now, I will continue to order my beloved Bioderma through Amazon – all the while keeping my fingers crossed for its eventual entrée into the US!

Have you ever tried these products? Do you agree with my choice? Let me know in the comments section below!

XO, J

Hair

How To: Style Your Bangs

April 6, 2015

HOW-TO-STYLE-YOUR-BANGSFor a lot of women, the thought of getting bangs brings back flashbacks of bad childhood haircuts. Luckily, bangs as an adult aren’t scary if you know how to style them! No poufy 80s bangs in sight!
STEP-1Apply a drop of smoothing serum (I like Kerastase Elixir Ultime) to soaking wet bangs. It’s important to blow dry your bangs when they are still extremely wet to lock in the style.
STEP-2Set your blow dryer to warm and attach the nozzle. Using a paddle brush, blow dry your bangs across your forehead for about a minute in each direction. Really get into the roots of your bangs to eliminate growth patterns and cowlicks.STEP-3Split your bangs in half horizontally and pin back the top layer. STEP-4Set the blow dryer to the hottest setting. Using a 1.75″ ceramic round brush, blow dry the bottom layer and side pieces. The closer you keep the brush to your forehead and the less curling under you do, the less volume they will have. The more you lift the bangs and the more you curl under, the more volume they will have.STEP-5To eliminate the round brush puffiness, blast with high heat and smooth the bottom layer with the paddle brush.STEP-6Unpin the top layer of your bangs and repeat step 4, blow drying with high heat.STEP-7Repeat step 5, blasting the top layer with high heat and smoothing with the paddle brush. Finish with a quick blast of cold air to seal the cuticle. If there are any unruly pieces, feel free to tame with a flat iron.FINISHEDKinda makes you want to cut bangs again, huh?

XO, J

Style

Komorebi

April 4, 2015

9The best time of year is when the long, dark winter is over and it stays light until well past the end of a long work day. Komorebi may be temporarily blinding, but it’s most definitely beautiful. There is something wonderfully evocative and uniquely magical about sunlight filtered through green foliage.

I love this look for a casual weeknight date. It’s so easy to dress up a basic black slip dress and leather jacket with a gauzy scarf. I’m obsessed with this yellow and blue Aztec printed one from MoonCats. I can’t get enough Aztec print lately! It’s definitely a favorite for spring.
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Scarf: MoonCats, c/o | Jacket: ASOS | Dress: H&M

MoonCats would also like to offer you 30% off all scarves by using promo code WINKBLOG30OFF. Click here to buy the Aztec Temple scarf featured in the post!

Photos by Melissa of MelSanV

XO, J

Style

8 Tips for Saving Money and Staying Stylish

April 1, 2015

8-tips-for-saving-$-staying-stylishLet’s be real for a sec. As twenty-somethings on a tight budget, it can be hard to keep our closets fresh without maxing out our credit cards. Over the years, I’ve learned how to become a savvy shopper without sacrificing quality or style – and now I want to share my wisdom with you! ;) Read on for my best tips on saving money and staying stylish!

1. Promo codes: I never order anything online without first looking on RetailMeNot for promo codes. Even if it’s just free shipping, this trick has saved me SO much money!

2. Poshmark: My love for Poshmark has been well-documented on this blog. Poshmark is my go-to for not only selling my old clothing, but buying as well! Poshmark has SO MANY items new with tags from my favorite places to shop like Madewell, ASOS, and Anthropologie. Download the app and use code BTKDD for $5 off your first order!

3. Wait until something goes on sale: Stores like J.Crew and LOFT have a high turnover rate and most of their new items go on sale within a few weeks. Be patient and wait until the item you love goes on sale or they have a sitewide sale (LOFT always has sitewide sales).

4. Cost-per-wear: When purchasing an item, try to think of the cost-per-wear. As in, if a piece is $50 and you’ve worn it 10 times, the cost-per-wear is $5. I recently splurged on a leather jacket that was definitely more than I usually spend. But I’ve worn it almost every day since, making it one of the cheapest cost-per-wear pieces I own. This rule of thumb especially applies to seasonal items, like scarves or bathing suits.

5. Abandon your cart: When shopping online, log into your account and add a few things to your cart. Then close the window and wait. Usually in a day or two you’ll receive an email with a reminder about the items and (if you’re lucky) they’ll throw in a promo code or free shipping to entice you to buy. Cart abandonment is online retailers’ biggest fear, so use it to your advantage!

6. The Target trick: Target clearance is insanely addictive, so here’s a few tricks to save even more money. If the price ends in 8, it will be marked down again. If it ends in 4, it’s the lowest it will be. Target’s markdown schedule: Monday – kids’ clothing, office supplies, electronics; Tuesday – women’s clothing and domestics; Wednesday – men’s clothing, toys, and health & beauty; Thursday – lingerie, shoes, and housewares; Friday – cosmetics.

7. Go thrifting: Some of my favorite pieces in my closet I’ve found when thrifting. If you live in the SF area, Crossroads Trading, Out of the Closet, and Pretty Penny are all great options. I also really love Goodwill and Salvation Army. My favorite thrifting find to date: a knee-length wool peacoat from J.Crew for $20!

8. Amazon Prime subscription: With the amount of things available on Amazon for cheap, I order everything from quinoa in bulk to makeup brushes. Our Amazon Prime subscription has paid for itself!

What are some of your tricks for saving $ and staying stylish?

XO, J