When I was younger, and I had extra cash, one of my favorite things to explore were the drugstore makeup aisles for my favorite blue eyeliner, green mascara, and tinted lipgloss. I would accompany my mom while she did the food shopping or short errands at Stop and Shop and sneak off to Rite Aid on the weekends that I didn’t have any soccer games or track meets. Taking advantage of the fact that mom would be happy to take me to these stores for her more mundane errands, I would sometimes slip my items into her cart or basket. She never minded, and in fact often encouraged me to pick something out for myself, if I was so inclined. The bargain lover in me, still enjoys these modest drugstore finds. For this piece, I am excited to share 5 Summer Beauty Finds which give me simple joy. These affordable beauty, skin and hair care products are perfect for young girls and new moms looking for additions or options in their beauty regimens to achieve their own version of summer skin.
Biotèn
Biotèn Philippines hit our shores last year, and I was privileged to attend the launch with other women while enjoying cocktails and learning from the brand’s founders. This Greek born brand takes the power of natural elements and ingredients, and puts it into the hands of women of all ages by providing sustainable skincare that is affordable and readily available to all. By using innovative technology and science with 100% natural ingredients like quince, saffron, caviar extract, and water lilly, this brand has 6 of their 9 lines available here in the country.
Brand Launches in the time of quarantine. This was definitely an enjoyable evening that proved to be super exciting in our condo!
Each skin care line includes cleansers and daily treatments, as well as moisturizers which address dryness, oily or combination skin, and the effects of aging. From a collagen boosting line, to hyaluronics, and even a body shaping line, there is something for women of all ages who believe that quality beauty products built on the strength of nature do not have to break the bank.
5 Summer Beauty Finds: Even the packaging is well thought out and transparent with everything they are committed to in helping women find beauty products that are right for them.
Things I love about this brand
- It is VEGAN friendly.
- They are transparent about all ingredients and production.
- Their goal is quality skincare that is sustainable and that includes packaging.
- Each line is engineered for a skin type and age range, which makes it easy for us to know what to purchase for our daughters.
- Using nature’s power, they empower women to find the line, or combination of the different products in each line to suit skin issues and needs.
Smiling, feeling good, and counting my blessings in this selfie which was taken during the Biotèn Launch. Looking forward to the time when travel is safe and Nino and I can avail of the raffle prize to visit Greece that I won from this launch!
Wet Brush
I know our summer beach excursions are now far and few in between since we all have been in quarantine for so long. #TeamGellibean was so excited to be able to steal away for two quick beach trips with my sister earlier this year. It was a breath of fresh air (literally and figuratively) to be able to take the sun while listening to the sounds of the ocean, and enjoying the smell of the salt water and watching the little girl play in her happy place.
Image source: @wetbrushph
But, we all know our beach bags usually contain so many different things depending on whether or not we are sun worshippers (does anyone still do this?) or water sport enthusiasts. When we come out of the water there are a few things in my beach bag that are essential, and a hair brush is one of them.
5 Summer Beauty Finds absolutely includes this cute Unicorn Wet Brush that is perfect for the pool or the beach.
I first learned of the Wet Brush from the team over at Mommy Mundo, when they shared a press kit with us a couple of years ago. It included a brush for me and a brush for Gelli. Since receiving these brushes, it has been the brush of choice for all three of the girls in our family because it is gentle on tangles, without tugging or pulling our hair out. It’s all about the Itelliflex bristles which are help glide the brush through our wet hair while promoting less tangles and of course less breakage.
Things I love about this product
- It is easily available and is a quality brush for the price.
- They have different sizes which are perfect for keeping at home or carrying in your or beach bag.
- The fun designs that are compact and colorful.
- These brushes are great for people who have sensitive scalps.
- And brushing Gelli’s hair has never been easier, since finding this product.
Kiss NY
It’s no secret that I love wearing falsies and that I would prefer falsies over make up any day. I have tried eyelash extensions, I have tried a ton of different glues, and all different brands of lashes. I love the Kiss NY Featherlight version, because once I apply the set, I don’t even feel that they are on. Plus they actually have a line of lashes that include magnets, and my new favorite lash adhesive is Kiss NY in black. This is perfect for when I’m wearing my black eyeliner and is also easy to remove.
I get super excited when I am blessed to try new products like this. Trying them once, gives me the ability to come back and purchase them again!
If lashes are love, kilay is life. So because I love life, and I am awful about being able to create eyebrows that are symmetrical and clean looking, I have also been using their eyebrow stamps!!! I’ll admit, when I first saw the stamp, I kept thinking (and giggling) to myself, am I really the type of person that needs to stamp their eyebrows on? And then Gia reminded me of that one time I showed up to a magazine feature after having doing my make in a hurry with two different eyebrows….AND YES, the magazine printed without fixing my make up faux pas.
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Things I love about this brand
- Kiss NY. (DUH) I’m from NY! JOKE! But seriously, Korean skin care and beauty products are almost always awesome. So, that is a plus factor.
- The featherlight lash set lasted for almost two weeks before they started showing wear and tear. That’s twice as long as other lashes that I have purchased and used and abused.
- I am now empowered to do my own eyebrows, even if Gia is not around because the stamp makes me confident. (I can’t believe I just admitted that. Hahahaha.) #empoweredwomenempowerwomen #justsayin
Carmex
I have been loving Carmex about as long as I was asking Mom to go to Rite Aid. Whenever I would go back to the states, I stock up and keep my squeeze tubes hidden away, lest someone else in the house thinks that they can take one and make it their own. I love the original, but the last time I was state side, I scored a three pack from Target in the dollar section that had Spearmint, Strawberry, and Raspberry. I should have picked up two, because I already lost my Raspberry tube to someone else who wanted it for THEIR purse.
Image source: @carmexph
I just recently saw that Carmex Philippines has a few new flavors, too. Will be on the lookout for Mint, Pineapple, and Cherry tubes for the time my stash runs out. For now, I still have quite a few more tubes from my stash and last hoarding excursion.
Things I love about these products
- They provide comfort and remind me of my childhood.
- I prefer this to any other lippie.
- But, they are also great for layering. I have been known to put my Carmex on first and then apply a lipstick or even just a lipliner filled in, if the occasion calls for it.
Zenutrients
This brand was one of my best discoveries from the SoMoms who used this brand ritually. I fell in love with their massage oils for at-home massage service, but have been a loyal customer ever since Gugo came on the market. Being self conscious, as of late, due to what I feel like is hair loss in my older years, I have been alternating between my Zenutrients favorites of Gugo Shampoo and Conditioner, Tea Tree Shampoo and Curlz Conditioner.
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Both Gia and I and I have to change shampoos regularly so that we don’t develop pimples on our sensitive scalps. I have learned that the best shampoo for us, has to be sulfur free, and I like that Zenutrients has different variants also based on the type of hair you have too. They carry the first organic shampoo strictly made for people with curly hair, which is perfect for my Miguel, and they smell delicious and come in large bottles for big families like us, where multiple siblings are sharing a bathroom.
Some of my staples from this last one of my 5 Summer Beauty Finds, besides the Gugo Shampoo and Conditioner include the Stress Relief Massage Oil and the Argan Skin Salve-ation.
Things I love about this LOCAL brand
- Don’t panic, It’s ORGANIC. This tagline is really the essence of this homegrown brand.
- I have chatted with the founder and she did not just bring her years of expertise home to the Philippines for us to enjoy, she made it affordable for us as well.
- Zenutrients is available on Lazada, most drugstores, and many grocery stores nationwide.
I love that even through the pandemic, even if I haven’t been able to visit my favorite drugstores so much, in person, I am able to find products that I love, and even step outside my comfort zone once in a while to do something new. Going LIVE on Lazada for Zenutrients was definitely challenging the first time I did it, and I was super anxious, but what better way to speak about a brand you love, than to people who will be shopping for that brand anyway!
Perhaps that should be another blog post, since I have been so inspired to write in the last two days?
Where and how to purchase all of #TeamGellibean essentials while still staying safe and sane in quarantine…
For now, I’ll ride the wave of inspiration and continue to catch up on backlogged posts and events that I have enjoyed, and I hope you can keep coming back to visit with me…
Most of the products I listed in this post are available on the following sites:
