I can’t believe it’s only a week until Cosmoprof in Vegas! Earlier in the month Cosmoprof hosted a preview party at EZ Studios in NYC for a sneak peek at some of the hair, nail, skin, and makeup. We got to mingle with the brands and play with some of the products (pictured above). I’m very much looking forward to the event next week, especially since I was one of the judges of the ICMAD CITY beauty awards, which were announcing the winners during the show!
A little background info about Cosmoprof North America (CPNA), for all you beauty lovers! This is the leading beauty trade show and a industry go-to for finding the newest and most exciting brands launching into the market. This three day event is held in Vegas and boasts over 33,000 attendees and 1,154 exhibitors from 38 different countries. Those attending CPNA can expect to discover unique brand launches, product innovations, new channels for distribution, and form key relationships with top industry professionals and retailers. So basically, it’s a mecca for people in the beauty industry.
From the NYC preview party here are a few brands to have on your radar:
Mullein & Sparrow
Based out of Brooklyn, Mullein & Sparrow is a luxury vegan beauty line created by founder Anit Hora. Her brand offers a variety of skin and hair care products as well as candles and gift sets. Her skin-firming and hydrating body oil, which is packed with antioxidants and organic essential oils is formulated with lemongrass mint, which gives off a very distinctive and citrus-y smell. I really loved the way this product felt on my skin, it was super smooth and not too oily, but the smell was intense.
















This is what’s so cool about the new
You know the age-old notion that expensive skin care is the only way to achieve impeccable skin? Which by the way, I’ve always found completely annoying. In my 9 years of beauty blogging and 12 years in the beauty industry, I’ve tried a lot of expensive skincare products that were duds and inexpensive ones that we’re amazing, and vice versa. A lot of people look at marketing and packaging when it’s really the formulas and clinical testing that should drive our purchasing decisions. Olay for me is the leading example of this. Their 
OMG I’m getting some serious feels for 
What’s better on a hot summer day than indulging in ice cream and playing with makeup? We joined the Elizabeth Arden team at
Definitely the rockstar of the group, these super pigmented lipliners and boosted with peptides to plump! And they actually do! The smooth and creamy formula is great to shape and defines lips or use all over lips as a base to lock in color for long-wear. Seriously, this liner stays on so well and I definitely felt the plumping effect!
If there’s one thing you’ve probably gathered about me over the years it’s that I love a robust skincare routine but I’m always on the go. Marrying the two doesn’t always leave me the amount of time I want to get ready in the morning or the amount of time I would like to get ready for bed. As is the case with many of you, and several members of my family, going beyond washing their face and maybe a moisturizer is a struggle, which is why the new
Setting a higher standard in facial cleansing, these textured wipes nourish skin and are designed to be a cleanser (removing all dirt, oil and makeup), toner, mask and exfoliating scrub all in one. Unlike standard face wipes, you add water to these which I prefer since a lot of my face wipes that come pre-moistened dry out over time once opened. These come dry so you don’t have that issue.
For those who missed it, I recently went on an incredible
So what makes this water and skincare line so incredible for your skin? The secret is in it’s amazing natural active ingredients: silica, algae, and a unique blend of pure minerals. All of these ingredients are incredible for your body, and while in Iceland I was treated to a private tour with my friend and fellow blogger, 
As we toured the facility we saw how the silica is harvested and the lava is made from the area. I broke down the iconic masks from the Blue Lagoon Shop (which you can check out for yourself
There seems to be a lot of bad in the world right now that there isn’t much we can do about but one thing I would LOVE to see an end to is animal testing. All animal cruelty in fact. Charlie was hugely abused when I rescued him and granted he wasn’t tested on but we’re so far beyond a point of needing to test on our animal friends. I really applaud The 
It doesn’t matter if you like them arched, feathered, straight or bold: eyebrows are arguably the most important facial feature and with the semi-permanent eyebrow tattoo process known as microblading dream brows are just scrapes away. While you can work some magic with your favorite brow pencil and a nifty little angled brush, there’s a very natural option that delivers semi-permanent results and substantially less effort. Unlike the sometimes unfortunate Sharpie-esque effects of permanent makeup, microblading is more of an intricate embroidery of trompe l’œil strokes that mimics the look of natural hairs.
WHAT IS MICROBLADING:
The other day I grabbed my curling iron on the wrong end. It’s all white, and I was distracted in the mirror fixing a curl. Smart, I know. I immediately rinsed under cool (not cold water as instructed by the internet).Once my burn healed, I reached for my
I’m usually more into oils in the winter but this one is great year round, and is not greasy or heavy like other oils or moisturizers. In fact, I like it as a first layer after the shower and then will put a moisturizer over it if I need more hydration. Looking at the ingredient list, it has a really strong formula comprised of mostly natural ingredients. It features sunflower and coconut oil for fast absorption and to seal in moisture, rose hip oil which is rich in Vitamin C for brighter skin, sweet almond oil to help moisturize, and chamomile and ginger extract to help reduce redness and uneven skin tone. It’s also rich in Vitamins A, E and Omega 3 and the only oil that combines Cepalin® with natural botanicals in a fast-absorbing formula free of parabens, fragrance, dye and mineral oil, making it ideal for sensitive skin.
Overall my skin is definitely more even and smoother and my scars are lightening but not at the lightning speed of my hands since I waited longer than I should have to start using it on them. Plus flip flop scars in the desert where direct sun is hitting it day in and day out means it’s going to take some time but I’m on my way and they have considerably lightened. The discoloration in my knees is practically all gone and is only really noticeable in one of my ankles now.