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Alina Avery

A Beauty and Lifestyle Blog

Month: April 2015

Over Indulgence Recovery Routine

April 29, 2015 by Alina Avery

Since I’m leaving NYC and my current job, my coworkers and I went out last night for drinks to celebrate and say goodbye.

And when I say drinks I mean…

Vodka sodas,

and picklebacks,

and fireball shots.

Let’s just say my skin (and the rest of me) was not quite its vibrant glowing self this morning.

Luckily, I’ve developed a routine to get myself back to radiant (or at least fake it!)

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Starting with hair, the Lush Roots treatment is a great way to perk yourself back up. It’s slightly minty and tingly, which feels great on your scalp in the morning. I always feel more put together when my hair looks great, and this pretty much guarantees soft, full, smooth, voluminous locks. I apply it first thing when I get out of bed, and then take some time to relax and wake up while it works before getting in the shower to shampoo it out. It’s a great way to ease back into human-hood.

I always give my face a good cleanse since chances are I either skipped it entirely the night before (guilty) or just used a makeup removing wipe. Obviously, I reach for the Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cleanser. It’s super gentle, so it’s great for when my skin is in a more delicate state, but still really effective at removing dirt, oil, makeup, etc. It doesn’t strip skin either so it’s a win all around. I’ve sang the praises of this cleanser so much that I actually don’t know what more I can say.

Next, a good exfoliating is in order. I love using the Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Peels and since I’ve just stocked up it was the first thing I reached for. It really helps to soothe and smooth skin and unclog and refine pores. I’ll apply step 1, brush my teeth, and then step 2. It’s a great alternative to a harsh or messy scrub when you’re still in a bit of a daze.

A plumping serum is your best friend when you’ve had one too many the night before. Your skin (and, let’s be real, your whole body) is dehydrated, meaning every fine line is exaggerated. I’ve been loving the Kiehl’s Hydro-Plumping Re-Texturizing Serum Concentrate that I picked up in my recent haul. Its serum to liquid texture makes it perfect for layering without feeling heavy and it plumps and hydrates my skin right back up.

The last thing I’ll do to make sure no one can tell I’m functioning on three hours of sleep (at least by looking at me) is to mix a healthy amount of illuminator into my foundation. I already customize my base daily, so this isn’t too far a venture from the norm, but Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector is my go-to on days like today.

There are also things I’ll be sure to skip:

Elaborate eyeshadow. You definitely don’t want to accidentally draw attention to any darkness under your eyes from a lack of sleep, and when you’re going for wide eyed and radiant, a fresh clean eye look is best. Maybe a slick of liner if you’re feeling bold, but I’ll usually just swipe on a satin-y matte light shade, like MAC Brule or Urban Decay ABC Gum, to conceal any veins or darkness in my eyelids.

Heavy powder. Your skin is going to be a bit more dry than usual, and a powder can accentuate that. Definitely set any concealer you’ve applied, but go a bit lighter than you normally would. You want to look dewy and fresh, not flat.

Matte lips. Again, dehydration means dry skin means extra dry lips. Anything matte can make this super obvious and even create flakes and crusts (um, gross). I’d also avoid anything too glossy which can go so far in the opposite direction to draw more attention to any problems. So stick to a moisturizing tinted balm like the Fresh Sugar Lip Treatments or By Terry Tinted Baume de Rose that will give you a hint of color and a huge dose of moisture.

What do you do the morning after to get yourself back into tip top condition?

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Posted in: Beauty, Cleanser, Hair, Makeup, Skincare, Treatment Tagged: beauty, hair, hair treatment, illuminator, peel, recovery, skincare

Spring 2015 Haul (Pt. 1 – Birchbox Friends and Family Sale)

April 24, 2015 by Alina Avery 1 Comment

I have been shopping lately. Between the Sephora VIB Sale, the dwindling days left I’ll be eligible for my Birchbox employee discount, and just general excitement for the spring season, I’ve picked up quite a few bits and pieces here and there. I decided it’s better to break it up a bit instead of having one monster post.

Which is extra bad because soon I’ll have to pack up everything I own, so I’ve also been trying to use up my current stash as much as possible (aka apply self tanner daily). Keep an eye out for an empties post to round out the next few hauls.

Today was the Friends and Family Charity Sale at Birchbox HQ. Meaning that all of the products that were returned or damaged or discontinued or generally unsalable are available for employees and those they know to purchase at heavily discounted prices.

The product sales at work are tricky for a few reasons:

1) Hygiene

You don’t want something that anyone has put their fingers in, mouth on, etc. I tend to grab skin care and hair products that dispense cleanly to avoid any potential contamination or disease spreading.

2) Damages

Some products are returned because the packaging is broken, or the product itself is defective. Each item has to be inspected to make sure it still sprays properly and isn’t leaking or messy.

3) Discounts

Some products will be a better deal than others. For the Birchbox sale, price points are $1, $2, $5, and $10. While a $1 product sounds like a great idea, it’s usually the $10 stuff that’s going to be the best deals. Each of the products I bought were $10, but retail for $40 and up, meaning I got them for at least 75% off!

4) Digging!

There are literally boxes and boxes of product. It helps to know what you’re looking for and recognize products you’ve purchased or used before. I’m pretty good at sussing out things that I like, but it can be trying if you’re not patient, especially as little things tend to sink to the bottom.

 

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During today’s sale, I grabbed:

1) Dr. Brandt Glow Travel Kit ($65)

I’ve purchased this exact set before. It’s two retinol products, one for night and one for day. They smell a bit funky but they work really well to refine skin texture, even tone, smooth and soothe.

2) Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray ($42)

A STAPLE product. Seriously, I have recommended this for anyone that has hair. It adds texture, shine, doesn’t weigh anything, smells amazing, but is pricey and the bottle always seems to run out quickly.

3) By Terry Baume De Rose ($60)

I’ve had the pot version before, which I like, but is risky to pick up during the sale. I inspected it for fingerprints and it appeared untouched, which is good enough for me. It’s a rose scented colorless balm for lips, cuticles, and other dry areas. The packaging is compact but luxe, and this one will replace the one I keep on my bedside table, and that one will head into my purse for on-the-go.

4) Dr Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Peel ($85)

I’m actually kind of upset about this because I just shelled out the cash to buy it full size, but I’m excited to find it anyway! This is an ideal product sale pick because each application is individually wrapped (so sanitary) and at $10 it’s an incredible deal. You use the first wipe, wait 2 minutes, and apply the second one. My skin always feels so soft and clean afterwards. It’s great for mornings when your skin feels congested or dull.

5) Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip Cleanser ($45)

I’ve also used this before, but haven’t repurchased it as the Kiehl’s cleanser is way more cost effective and works well enough for me, but this cleanser is great for minimizing pores and balancing skin. It does give you ceramic or porcelain looking skin, but I have heard people complain about the scent. I don’t mind the fragrance personally, and a cleanser is on your skin for such a short amount of time that it doesn’t bother me at all.

I think I did pretty well at the sale! It can be tricky to dig out the best products, but definitely worth it. It’s for sure one of the things I’ll miss the most about working at Birchbox.

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Posted in: Beauty, Cleanser, Hair, Skincare, Treatment Tagged: cleanser, hair, lip balm, skincare

Exciting Changes

April 23, 2015 by Alina Avery 1 Comment

After four years, three apartments, two jobs, and one crazy cat in NYC, it’s bittersweet to announce that I’m moving!

Matt and I will be packing up and shipping up to Boston starting next month. I came across an amazing opportunity to work at a very early start up (more to come on that later!) and we jumped at the chance for a change of environment.

I’ve had an incredible experience working at Birchbox these past 2+ years and I’m sure they will continue to produce outstanding experiences, content, and products. I’ve learned so much from my time here and made some wonderful friends and connections, but I’m excited for a new challenge!

Three out of 6 of my best friends and bridesmaids are currently in Boston, as well as a number of Matt’s friends (he went to college there way back in the day), so we’re looking forward to getting to spend more time with them, while not venturing too far from our families in New Jersey and DC.

So if you have any tips on living in Boston, leave a comment and let me know. Otherwise, look forward to some interesting posts about moving, packing, finding and decorating an apartment, summer adventures to Martha’s Vineyard and Cape Cod and my new job!

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Posted in: Home, Lifestyle, Work Tagged: boston, life, moving, nyc

Self Tan Rundown

April 6, 2015 by Alina Avery 1 Comment

It’s that time of year, when the temperature surges above 50 degrees and the bare legs are set free.

Except most of those bare legs haven’t seen the sun in literally months and are looking a bit sickly pale.

I never really got into the whole self tanner thing until recently, but now I consider myself fairly well versed in the application, formulation, and other aspects of becoming sunlessly bronzed.

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I’ve only tried a handful of tanners over the past few years, mostly because I didn’t really know what I was doing at first and also because I use it so sparingly that I manage to last a while between replens. The first I tried was the Clarins Delicious Self Tanning Cream. I picked it out at first because it has a bronze tint to it, so it works as a bit of a guide when you apply, and it’s not so scary as something green or purple. I also thought a cream would easy to work with, since that’s what I’m used to applying to my body, and it has the word “delicious” in the title. It smells like chocolate (well, it smells like chocolate scented self tan) and is moisturizing and pretty non threatening. A pretty solid gateway tanner.

From there I branched out to the St. Tropez Bronzing Mousse. Some people swear by this foam, which is why I originally picked it up. I found the greenish tint to be terrifying, but once applied it works out okay. It does leave you with a very natural glow and I found the mousse to be super easy to work with. It’s a lot easier to spread across the skin that a cream and dries much faster, so if you like to tan in the morning before heading out then this could work well for you! I find you really need an applicator mitt to apply it evenly since the foam is even more likely to seep in between your fingers than a lotion or cream, giving you telltale bronze finger webs. Is that what they’re called? You know what I mean.

Another St. Tropez product I’ve given a go is the Self Tan Luxe Dry Oil, which I was drawn to since oils have been so popular lately. What I really wanted out of this product was good moisturization with a dry finish and a nice even glow. I’d say that it delivered fairly well on my expectations. It’s not super moisturizing, but it helps, and it does dry quickly. It smells a little too tropical fruity for my tastes, and it can be difficult to apply because the formula is so thin, but I haven’t seen anything else on the market like it and the it does give skin a really beautiful natural looking tint. It does last a long time too! I think maybe because the oil sinks in deeper? I’m not a scientist though so take that with a grain of salt.

Finally, my most recent foray into tanning has been the Vita Liberata pHenomenal 2-3 Week Tan Mousse. This mousse has more of a purple tint than a green one, and I feel like the tan itself is a bit more yellow? In certain lightings it doesn’t look as great, but in natural sunlight it looks totally fine. This one is supposed to allow you to build up the tan over three applications. I only had a sample size so I only got two layers out of the bottle, but I definitely saw results after each. I think I like the scent of this tanner the best, but having to apply and shower and apply and shower is kind of annoying. I also have a sample of the Rapid Tan Mousse, which you apply and allow to develop, and when it reaches the level of tan you want, you shower to stop the tanning, but that seems like a lot of effort. I’ll give it a shot though!

For face, there are two Clarins products I’ve found effective but fool proof. The first is the Instant Smooth Golden Glow which works as both a primer and a self tan in one. It’s nice under makeup or in the morning on no makeup days just to even out and bronze skin slightly. The results are very subtle which is good, because you don’t want to look in the mirror halfway through the day and realized that your face is a streaky tanned mess. What a nightmare! The other product is the Golden Glow Booster, highly concentrated drops that you can add to your moisturizer to create a custom self tan. So smart! I love incorporating this into my “foundation” mixes or into my SPF in the morning just for a slight boost of color. I find that since I cleanse and exfoliate my face more often than my body, I tend to apply tanner on a more daily basis face in order to keep up the bronze, and these products are great for that (and last forever)!

What tanning products do you like the best? I have my eyes on the James Read Sleep Mask Tan to try next!

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Posted in: Beauty, Body, Self Tan, Skincare Tagged: body, self tan, tanner

April Wishlist

April 2, 2015 by Alina Avery Leave a Comment

It’s March favorites time, but I just posted a Holy Grail list, so instead I’m going to post about the things I’m looking to maaaaybe pick up in April? The Sephora VIB sale is coming up, right? Hmmm…

1) Surratt Artistique Blush
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The who Surratt line is new at Sephora this week. I have heard great things about the collection but it hasn’t really been accessible. Until now. The blush shades I’m looking at are Grisaille, a contour shade, Guimauve, a “marshmallow pink” (pictured above!), and Duchesse, a soft peach. Also maybe I’ll grab the empty palette for them too. WHO KNOWS. 

2) Surratt Relevée Lash Curler

curler

Along the same lines as why I want to pick up the blushes, this curler is an industry favorite and I’m dying to try it. It’s out of stock at the moment but I’m hoping the re-up will coincide with the sale and the stars in the universe will align and it will be mine! I’m okay holding off on this as the lash extensions I got for the wedding are still going pretty strong, which means I don’t really need mascara or a lash curler at the moment, so I might postpone adding this baby to my stash. But I am definitely lusting after it.

3) Rita Hazan Weekly Remedy Treatment

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Guys. This looks awesome. I love hair treatments and have found some super effective ones, but they take SO LONG to do and require SO MUCH effort. I hate having to put it in my hair and then sit there in the shower waiting for it to work. And who wants to plan ahead of their shampoos to do a wash out treatment? Not me! So these back-to-back rinse-immediately products look like they are right up my alley. I imagine them to be so easy and hopefully effective.

4) Sunday Riley Effortless Tinted Primer

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I bought this back in the fall and actually used it all up. I loved using it in the winter, especially when we were skiing and I wanted something on my skin during the day, but also didn’t want to wear foundation or concealer. For the spring and summer, it would be great to layer with an SPF for a beach day where you feel silly wearing a full face of makeup but naked without anything on. It kind of plumps skin and leaves it flawless and gives just a tiny amount of coverage but is totally undetectable. It’s so light and lovely and I definitely want to repurchase. Just gotta save up those Birchbox points!

5) Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare™ Extra Strength Alpha Beta® Peel

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I’ve been buying these in the small packs of 5 because I can’t shell out the big bucks to buy the 30 pack. I love using these wipes in the morning to wake up and treat my skin before putting on makeup. There are two steps: you apply the first one, wait two minutes (this is when I make my Nespresso), and then apply the second one. So easy and effective. I generally prefer chemical exfoliants to physical scrubs because they are easier to use (I HATE rinsing scrubs off my face) and generally more effective.

 

What’s on your shopping list for April?

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Posted in: Beauty, Blush, Foundation, Hair, Makeup, Skincare Tagged: blush, hair, skincare, wishlist
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