CC Cream

Many of my friends and clients are always asking me about the different types of foundation, especially if they don’t want to wear a heavy foundation every day. For years, I’ve been using tinted moisturizer as a light, daily foundation. When Arbonne came out with the CC Cream, I felt like I had just discovered gold. While the tinted moisturizers are a great way to even out your skin tone without wearing a full coverage foundation, the CC Cream offers a 10-in-1 product that does what a tinted moisturizer does and improves your complexion at the same time! (CC stands for Complexion Control)

 

Here are the benefits of the Arbonne Intelligence CC Cream based on a study of a group of women:

1.       Primer
97.2% of women agreed the product provided skin with an even and smooth texture.

2. Protector
92% of women agreed the product protected skin's moisture barrier, giving a healthier, dewy-looking complexion.

3. Concealer
86% of women agreed the product concealed skin discoloration and imperfections.

4. Hydrator
92% of women agreed the product moisturized the skin.

5. Mattifier
92% of women agreed the product helped minimize shine.

6. Brightener
92% of women agreed the product made skin look brighter.

7. Blemish Cover
83% of women agreed the product covered skin imperfections.

8. Pore Refiner
95% of women agreed the product helped minimize the appearance of pores.

9. Comforter
92% of women agreed the product soothed skin through moisturization.

10. Complexion Controller
94% of women agreed the product helped perfect the look of skin complexion.

I read these study results when the product came out but waited to make my own judgment. I LOVE it and my clients love it. My good friend, Michelle, said she gets so many compliments about how flawless and beautiful her skin looks!  She really came to me looking for a new foundation and I recommended the CC Cream for her instead. I’m glad she loves it as much as I do!!

This is my new #1 recommendation for an everyday foundation. The coverage is buildable which means you can wear a couple layers if you feel like you need a little extra coverage one day.

Another great thing about Arbonne is they list all their key ingredients, nothing to hide!!

Here are some before and after photos that Arbonne has shared!

 

 

Andrea Alaownis
Arbonne Independent Consultant
Makeup Artist

*If you want to purchase any of the products I mention in my blog or to become a preferred customer and received a 20% discount, go to Arbonne.com and use my Arbonne ID #: 14439426

Adventures in Bridal Land

This weekend I braved the brutal cold and attended a bridal show at the Seaport World Trade Center in Boston. I recently moved back to Massachusetts and have no connection to the beauty industry here. Since I spent my entire weekends in Washington DC doing hair and makeup for mostly weddings, I am feeling extremely out of touch! I convinced my friend, Deirdre, who is getting into wedding planning to come with me to the show to check things out.  (I secretly also wanted to have a Sunday Funday in the Seaport area of Boston that I’ve heard my friends here talking about).

 

So here we are, two single girls, wandering around a bridal show… people asking us which one of us was the bride and or if we wanted to enter a raffle to win things like: a night’s stay at a hotel from a wedding venue, a free bridal photography shoot, or a bridal birdhouse from a real estate company.. Needless to say it got a little awkward explaining to people that neither of us were getting married.

The first thing we did when we got there… went and got some free cake from a bakery booth. (Deirdre also makes wedding cakes so we were scoping out the competition and critiquing).  The venue was great! There was a band and a DJ, there was a fashion show and a whole room of vendors. I was surprised at how small the show was and how lacking in diversity the vendors were. The majority of the vendors were photographers and wedding venues.

There was one salon present. ONE SALON!! I may be a bit biased but I thought wedding day hair and makeup was extremely important! The salon that was there had a whole team of people there and looks like they have a lot of experience doing weddings. They had a little demonstration going on at their booth doing all the hair and makeup for the fashion show models.  I’m not sure if they had some kind of deal with the organizers that they be the only salon if they did the hair and makeup for the show but it’s a little unfair to the brides to run an event that way. They expect to come to these shows to see their options.. Hair and makeup is definitely not one-size or one-wallet fits all.

Besides those observations, I loved the atmosphere of the bridal show. So much excitement! The band and DJ were really fun! I met some really great people from all different businesses that I wasn’t expecting. This is definitely something I want to be involved with in the future whether it’s as a makeup artist or as an Arbonne representative. Next time I’ll take some photos for you of the events I attend. I wasn’t sure what the photo taking etiquette was at one of these things!

 

Andrea Alaownis
Arbonne Independent Consultant
Makeup Artist

 

 

 

*If you want to purchase any of the products I mention in my blog or to become a preferred customer and received a 20% discount, go to Arbonne.com and use my Arbonne ID #: 14439426

 

Calm

When I tell people I am a makeup artist, their first response is usually: “you don’t even wear that much makeup!!”  While I have never been the type of person to wear a ton of makeup, most of the reason I don’t is because my skin is so sensitive. If I wear heavy foundation all day, my face will break out. If I wear layers of eye shadow, my eye lids get red and irritated the next day. I also haven’t been able to find a great cleanser that removes all the makeup and doesn’t irritate my skin even more. I have tried some really great, “natural” cleansers, and my skin is still irritated or even burns from them!

Our natural instinct is to want to scrub makeup off with exfoliators but if you are using an exfoliator every day, STOP, it is way too harsh for your skin. Exfoliators should be used once or twice a week to remove dead skin. If you use them once a day or more, it keeps your pores exposed to more dirt and strips your natural oils. When you’re a teenager and your skin is producing a ton of oil, it’s not such a big deal to lose a little extra from your cleanser drying it out. When you get older and your skin doesn’t produce as much of its own oil, you need to retain as much of your own natural oil while cleaning your skin. (I hate getting old).

Last week, I started using the Arbonne Calm Skin Care set as my facial cleanser and daily moisturizer. My skin has been extremely “active” lately and I needed a change.  I don’t know why I was so skeptical since I’ve heard nothing but awesome things about Arbonne products, but it definitely exceeded my expectations! My skin cleared up in two days and feels amazing! (It’s not even dry.. even though it’s winter in Boston!)

I’m not sure what ingredients in the products I’ve used in the past have irritated my skin… I actually have no idea what most of the ingredients even are.  And I’m not sure what it is about Arbonne Calm that is NOT irritating my skin.. whether it’s the fact that it’s non-comedogenic, fragrance-free, colorant-free, or gluten-free – or if it’s a combination of all these things… I don’t really care. As long as I am using a safe product that works!  

 

Andrea Alaownis
Arbonne Independent Consultant
Makeup Artist

 

 

*If you want to purchase any of the products I mention in my blog or to become a preferred customer and received a 20% discount, go to Arbonne.com and use my Arbonne ID #: 14439426

 

 

New Adventures

I was recently introduced to a new company, who, for 33 years has been producing vegan and gluten-free products. THIRTY THREE YEARS!! I feel like I’ve been lied to my entire life about the products I use on my body. If these skincare, makeup, nutrition, and other beauty products are vegan and gluten-free, what the heck have I been using??

My good friend, Lauren (shout out!), introduced the company Arbonne to me a few weeks ago. I’ve been sponging up information about the company ever since. They are most known for their anti-aging skincare line like this awesome product the RE9 Advanced. People RAVE about this product.

RE9 Advanced Skincare

After learning more about the products and the company, I quickly signed up as an Independent Consultant. The discount alone was enough to convince me! As a makeup artist, I've struggled to recommend great skin and makeup products to my friends and clients that I find the prices are reasonable. It made me feel great to know that I will be able to recommend safe products. They have a great makeup line, an extensive skincare line for all skin types and age groups, a bath and body line, a hair care line, a sun care line, fragrances, nutrition products from vitamins to protein shakes to detox and cleansing products, and product lines specifically for babies and men.

Here are a few of the awesome things I learned about Arbonne:

1.       They do not test on animals (you would be shocked at the number of well-known companies still doing this!!)

2.       Everything is made in the U.S. and shipped directly to your home or to your consultant.

3.       The products are made WITHOUT animal products or animal bi-products, formaldehyde-donating preservatives, petroleum based ingredients (benzene, mineral oils, petrolatum, phthalates, toluene), parabens, or dyes or chemical fragrances.

4.       All Arbonne products are botanically based (nothing synthetic), PH correct, Vegan approved, Hypoallergenic, and dermatologist tested.

I just received a huge order of all different types of products so I’ll keep you all posted on my favorite ones!  I can’t wait to share my experience and knowledge with you. 

Andrea Alaownis
Arbonne Independent Consultant
Makeup Artist

 

Please let me know if you want to order any products or become a preferred customer. Preferred customers get 20% off every single order with only a $20 yearly registration fee. If you want to sign up for this benefit, please use my Arbonne ID# in order to sign up: 14439426.

 

Coming Soon!

PHOTOS AND POSTS COMING SOON!!!

email me to book an appointment:

andrea.alaownis@gmail.com