five things that changed my skin forevaa

I hardly realized it as a goal when I decided to stop wearing foundation a month or two ago. I’ve always worn some type of all over coverage whether it was a full coverage foundation or something as sheer as a skin tint. For the record, I don’t dislike the stuff. I just found myself dependent on it every time I did my makeup (every morning) and I wanted my everyday makeup to be much more minimal. I still have my favorites tucked away in a drawer, not to mention a short list of skin tints I really want to try in the future, but I have to say it has been really nice to skip the entire step, especially in hot & humid summertime. 

My routine is hardly extreme or revolutionary. There’s even a good chance you have tried at least one of the products I’ve highlighted below. I think it’s just the consistency of a well balanced routine that does the trick. That being said, I am always looking for something new to try, but I have loyal crew of products that I will never let become empty. Here are the five things that changed my skin:

Hydrating Cleansers - I honestly cannot remember what I used before I found the Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser. I did bounce around quite a bit and the issue I found with most cleansers was not being able to remove all of my eye makeup without adding an extra step at night. Now when I wash my face, I just barely dampen it with warm water and then melt away all of the makeup with a couple of pumps of jelly. It really melts it. The best part about this cleanser is that it's formulated with the same ingredients used in contact solution, so it safely and gently takes care of makeup and bacteria. 

Everyday Toners - I happened upon my favorite toner by total accident when I was exchanging an Estee Edit powder that had cracked earlier this year. (RIP Estee Edit.✞ The Flash Photo Powder was the shit.) I guess they had already decided to discontinue the line, so I chose a random Estee Lauder product as my replacement and that just happened to be the Perfectly Clean Balancing Lotion. Obviously it balances the pH of the skin, but it feels super hydrating (for a toner) and leaves me with the baby face feeling like when guys shave their face for the first time in a while and they suddenly look terrifyingly young. It’s the good version of that. I use this after I wash my face every morning and every evening.

Serums - I feel like I’m always going to be introducing new serums to my skincare routine, but there are a few that started me off right: Ole Henriksen Truth Serum and the Glossier Supers. I started using the Truth Serum about a month before my wedding per my best buds recommendation. This shit is amazing. It’s the type of product that makes you glow the instant you put it on and the good news is that it just gets better from there. This teamed up with the Ole Henriksen Invigorating Night Transformation Gel put my skin in the best place I had ever seen it.* Once I was hooked on that serum I wanted to find some more to target other skin issues. Depending on what my skin is showing every morning I pick up either the Truth Serum or one of my Glossier Super Pack Serums. Glossier's are much more light weight than the Ole Henriksen and I can target other issues with them. Super Bounce is probably being used the most these days, but I have had a tender moment with each of them. As for an evening serum, I have only just started using the Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery, so it’s too early to give a solid review, but I will get there eventually.

Exfoliators - When I was 21, I would paint a lot of shitty makeup on my face and down 8 or 9 gin & tonics at a dive bar. Then I would wake up the next morning and wear the same shit show makeup look to devour a bagel and coffee. I know I can’t be the only one who did this. When I realized exactly how haggard my face was looking, I bought a face scrub at a drugstore and used it every single day for a week - clearly I was pretty clueless about skincare and life in general at this point. So when my face broke out into a billion tiny bumps for two weeks after that I swore off exfoliators all together for a few years. Eventually I got a damn clue and have slapped a healthy dose of these on my face once a week since: LUSH Don’t Look At Me and Ole Henriksen Invigorating Night Gel.

Thick Moisturizers - With the exception of the 3 week period during which I drank a gallon of water a day, I’m probably 2% water 99% of the time. I’m a slacker. And all too often on my way to the water I find coffee or wine. I usually wear a lighter moisturizer during the day, but at night I prefer to slather on something rich and pretend it's making up for my habitual dehydration. Enter Priming Moisturizer Rich from Glossier. I got so excited the first time I opened a jar of this. It’s especially nice for evenings (although not restricted to them) because it has a very subtle lavender scent. Before I found the Priming Moisturizer Rich I alternated between LUSH Celestial Facial Moisturizer (this can be a little greasy under makeup, but it’s nice to sleep in) and Belif Moisturizer Bomb.

If you have questions about any of these just hit me up! I'm not the expert, but I am the ever loving fan. Anyone new to Glossier can shop through my link to get 20% off your first order. If you are already acquainted with the brand you can still shop with my link - it's very much appreciated!

Best,

Shan

*The specific bottles of Ole Henriksen products pictured are trial sized bottles purchased during the time that the company was revamping the packaging. When you look for these products online or in a store they will look different! 

june favorites

listened to this a few mornings in a row while making coffee // read this non stop in bed, on the river, and in the yard // new r+co product is your sea salt spray elevated // Glossier Invisible Shield blowing my mind on how little I used to know about sunscreen // Cetaphil cleansing bar was bought in a pinch, but was pleasantly surprised how well it clarifies. I've been using it about once a week and doing a heavy moisturizer after (it's definitely not as soft as my Milky Jelly Cleanser) // honey simple syrup with cold brew from french press //////////////////////////

3 texturizing products | & how to use them

Texturizing products are the short cut to effortless looking hair. There pretty much isn't a single type of texturizing product I don't want to get my hands on, but you may have a preference as far as what works best for you.  To keep things simple, I picked three different kinds of texturizing products and made a quick video demonstrating how to apply and what they do. Written explanations are below!

Here they are in order of lightest to heaviest finish:

SALT SPRAY - "Sea, salt, wind." The R+Co. Salt Spray (Rockaway) is the best salt spray I've ever used. It mists onto your hair as light as water, but it's formulated with nourishing ingredients and even Indonesian sea weed to swell the cuticle and give it a soft grit. You can use this on damp hair before air drying if you like. I prefer to mist it throughout dry hair and tousle it a bit.

SPRAY WAX - If you find spray wax intimidating you need to face this fear. These types of products spray in a very fine mist and pack a ton of flexible hold into a style. If you want your hair looking really wild, or need to bring some life into day two hair, or even hair that is just feeling too soft and slippery, mist a little bit of spray wax in there and shake it out. It's also really great for holding bangs and framing pieces off of your face.

STYLING PASTE - You'll probably notice in my "3 products" video that I actually showed four different things, but two of them are styling pastes. I used Evo's Crop Strutters Construction Cream this time around, but had to give R+Co's Badlands Dry Shampoo Paste a cameo. These two are incredible. Here is the main difference you will find between the two: Evo's is a thick, somewhat tacky cream. R+Co's has a smoother feel when broken down between your hands and has a very fine, gritty finish (it's also a dry shampoo!). To use a styling paste, take a small amount (between a pea and a dime) in your hands, rub them together to distribute onto your palms evenly and scrunch, twist, and separate your hair where you want to create texture. This is a great product you can use when you want to keep the perimeter of your cut looking blunt and "piece-y." 

I'm wearing all Glossier in this post! Cloud Paint in Haze | Generation G in Zip | Stretch Concealer in Medium | Boy Brow in Brown | shop with me on my Glossier Rep Page! Orders $30+ include free shipping. First time orders get 20% off! For the rest of you, a limited time promo code for 2 Cloud Paints for $30 can be entered at checkout: "2BLUSH" Enjoy your face!

Send your hair questions my way! ig: shannon_brigid e-mail: shannonbrigid@icloud.com

lazy hair tutorials || air dried & messy waves

I wish I had a dollar, or a vodka soda, or a damn french fry for every time someone sat down and told me they wanted something "low-maintenance." While that is important information, I can assure you that low-maintenance is assumed until you tell me otherwise. I always tell my clients that no one comes in asking for a high-maintenance routine, and that it's something I can relate to because I prefer to keep things simple myself. My follow up question is usually "What is your current routine and how do you prefer to go about it?" Fifty percent of the time people tell me they just wash it and don't do anything at all. That is absolutely perfect if that is what you like to do, but don't expect your hair to look like anything else ever in that case. Not to sound like a grouch, but I hear it all too often: "I want this style but I don't want to do it."  Unfortunately zero effort does not give us effortless hair (as much as I would love that too). There are so many ways to keep a low-maintenance yet styled hair routine. This one is my favorite this summer:

Step one: 

Wash you hair with good shampoo and conditioner. Find something made for your hair texture and issues that is salon quality. Two out of the three times a week I wash my hair I use R+Co.'s ANALOG Cleansing Conditioner (co-wash, as some call it). It's hydrating and weightless on the hair. 

Step two:

Towel dry, but don't be rough. Squeeze the water out of your hair with a soft towel or even a cotton t-shirt to prevent roughing the cuticle and causing frizz.

Step three:

Comb through your foundation products. Use a moisturizing cream to smooth your cuticle. I use R+Co. HIGH DIVE every single time. It smells incredible, nourishes your hair, and has a heat protectant formulated into it, so you don't need to apply one separately.

Step four:

Softly blow your hair dry about 30% and scrunch while you go to create a wave. Once you've gotten some of the water out, spray R+Co. SAIL throughout your entire head of hair and continue to scrunch. At this point I usually blow dry my hair to about 50-60% and continue to use SAIL as I scrunch and twist texture into my hair. If you prefer and if you have the time, just let it air dry.

Step five:

Once your hair is dry you can define the texture by using a styling paste to create a piecey look. I like to add a few defined curls in with my 1" curling iron. You can do as much or as little as you prefer at this point. (For soft, creamy paste try UNITE's Second Day, but for something with a little more grit and for some root lift, head for R+Co. BADLANDS Dry Shampoo Paste.)

That's all there is to it. Not including your shower products it only takes 3 things to keep your hair healthy and styled. DM me on instagram if you have questions and if you try it and love it send me or tag me in a selfie or something. This works with everyone a little differently, but always looks effortless and cool so I'd love to see what you're doing. 

-I'm wearing Generation G in Zip in this post! Shop Glossier with me: glossier.com/reps/shannonlauritsen 20% your first Glossier order!-

ig: shannon_brigid youtube: shannonbrigid

BYE!

1983

Renaissance of Personal Style

The July 2017 issue of NYLON Magazine has this really cool spread called "Girls On Film," (it starts on page 84). Initially it was the hair in the spread that caught my eye, but as I flipped through I was reminded of this really cool photo series of Madonna shot by photographer Richard Corman in 1983. I first saw these photographs last year when I was online looking for old pictures of the East Village (you know, just a little self-inflicted torture). You can see all of the photographs on Richard Corman's website, including the contact sheets of the black and white series. They're so fucking cool.

The styling in the NYLON spread is no doubt outrageous and a lot less street than dear Madge in those portraits - but I love it. The suits, the embellishments, the insanely deep side part - so good. Now this is something I was sure would never come back. These are the (much more stylized) portrayals of the outfits our moms were wearing in the pictures of Christmas Eve at Aunt Tammy's house in 1985. Teen me looked at those photographs stored away in shoe boxes and was like "lol mom wtf." 

So I'm sitting there with my coffee and my magazine thinking about how it has all come back. There are always going to be trends and always the risk of missing the mark, but so many trends run parallel with each other these days. Case in point, the same NYLON issue has a spread featuring designers like Dior, Osman, and Karen Walker who have tapped into different genres like folk, disco, and country for inspiration - and it's all awesome. Think about that dangerous garbage pit of time known as your Instagram explore page. There are so many looks flying around, and I like to appreciate them all no matter what degree of intention is behind them. 

Then I got to thinking of a conversation I had with a friend a while back about whether or not periods of time could be defined by their look anymore. We couldn't think of how to uniquely describe the trends at this very moment - or how it will be looked back on 40 years from now. I pretty much blame everything on the internet, but between that and the side effects of fast fashion these days, everything is sort of a mashup of everything that came before it. For the longest time I thought that was such a shame - until today. It dawned on me flipping through this insanely eclectic (as they always are) issue of NYLON and started thinking... it's not bad that so many trends are recycled, that nothing feels 100% new anymore, because maybe... maybe we've entered the Renaissance of Personal Style. Now how fucking cool is that? I was excited at the thought and so inspired by the magazine in my lap. It was this realization that was a breath of fresh air. No better time than now for self-expression and a personal renaissance, so best not to waste it, I think -whatever that means for you. 

Check out Richard Corman's book of Madonna portraits. Madonna NYC 83

a Glossier beginners guide (+ discounts)

A simple approach and a ton of options. Since ordering my first sets from Glossier back in November, not only has it become my go to for skincare and makeup, but it has completely balanced my skin issues and refitted my makeup drawer.

Glossier has

1. Nourished my skin
2. Simplified my morning routine
3. Changed my entire approach to "no-makeup makeup" 

If I have peaked your interest, I strongly urge you to get on board, but it's really important for me to make sure you do so in the most favorable way for you. That being said, the following is a simple guide to starting in the right place for your own needs and making the most of the super sweet 20% discount you're going to get by shopping with me through the following link: glossier.com/reps/shannonlauritsen 

One note before we get into it: Determine your top priority - skin? Makeup? Maybe you say to hell with it and dabble in it all the first go around (that was me!). I found it really important to invest in the skincare as much as the [super nourishing and hydrating] make-up because I wanted the full effect. The more and the longer you use Glossier, the better it looks!

T H E    S E T S  phase  1   &   phase  2

These sets were the first things I purchased. They start you up with your skin care and makeup basics.  

Phase 1 includes: Milk Jelly Cleanser, Balm Dot Calm (in the flavor of your choosing), Priming                                 Moisturizer

                            If you bought these items individually: $55

                            If you purchase Phase 1 Set: $45

                            With 20% discount: $36

Phase 2 includes: Stretch Concealer, Boy Brow, Generation G Lip Color - all in the shade of your                              choosing. 

                           Individual products: $52

                           If you purchase them in Phase 2 Set: $40

                           With the 20% discount: $32!

Earlier this year the worlds most incredible, buildable blush, Cloud Paint, was released. You won't find it in the sets, but I do have a special discount for Cloud Paint as well - it's at the bottom of this post!

If you're wanting to extend your skincare routine beyond cleansers and moisturizers, there are a couple more ways to save some money doing so.

T H E  S U P E R  P A C K    For me, the Super Pack is a three serum system for targeting issues with my skin on a daily basis. It includes one of each lovely and light serum made by Glossier. You can buy these individually of course, if you prefer to do so, but I find that I need a rotation of the serums throughout the week depending on what my skin is telling me. There is plenty of information about the serums through my rep link, and I will happily go into detail about them in another post.  

                The Supers Individually: $84

                 The Super Pack: $65

                 With the 20% Discount: $58

T H E  M A S K  D U O    A lot like the Super Pack, I use the masks not according to a schedule, but according to what I'm seeing in my skin. I try to do at least one a week and can usually tell whether I need the detoxifying or the moisturizing mask very easily by the end of the day. Honestly, if you hit the sauce especially hard one evening, the duo is going to be a life saver. I speak from too much experience.

I can't wrap up without talking about my favorite makeup product ever - Cloud Paint. Four shades that suit all skin tones, blend seamlessly, and sit light and dewy on the skin. I even use them as shadow from time to time. I cannot suggest this blush more. It is the best. If you are a returning customer, or decide to wait for you second order to try Cloud Paint, use the code "2BLUSH" while checking out on my rep link. The code will apply a $6 discount at checkout, which gets you two tubes for $30 and free shipping*. (This code is not applicable with your first purchase, because only one promo is valid per order, however it is the same discount as the new customer discount!)

Hopefully this leads you to all the right stuff! As a Rep and as a lover of the brand, I'm always down to answer your questions. Just send me a DM on instagram! ig: shannon_brigid

20% off will be applied at checkout (+free shipping on orders $30 and over):

http://glossier.com/reps/shannonlauritsen

*discount code "2BLUSH" is only available for a limited time. 

Thanks and byeee!

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