Category: Beauty

Vitamin C is an essential vitamin because it is one of the vitamins that are not synthesized by the human body. We consume it from our fruits and vegetables, supplements, and also apply it topically for skin health benefits.

VITAMIN C SKIN BENEFITS:

1. Boosts skin collagen production: plump and firm skin, smooths wrinkles
2. Antioxidant properties: fights sun damage
3. Wound Healing: heals scars
4. Fights dry skin

Oranges have been the most celebrated as the source of vitamin C, but did you know that there is a fruit that has more vitamin c than the orange?

STRAWBERRIES! 

Did you know that strawberries contain 14% more vitamin C than oranges? Vitamin C serums are important in skincare, but they can be costly. I usually use IS Clinical Vitamin C Pro Heal Serum, it works great, but it costs an arm and a leg.

Volition Beauty came up with a Vitamin C serum derived from strawberries–half the price of most serums with more to offer! It’s beautifully packaged with a frosted glass bottle and glass dropper.

VOLITION STRAWBERRY C SERUM

1. CRUELTY FREE!
2. STRAWBERRY SEED EXTRACT: nourishes & moisturizes
3. STRAWBERRY FRUIT EXTRACT: brighten & unclogs pores
4. HYALURONIC ACID: reduce inflammation, firms skin
5. KAKADU PLUM: reduce appearance of wrinkles & redness
6. SEA WATER: protects against inflammation, reduce appearance of pores
7. ETHYL ASCORBIC ACID: more stable form, longer shelf life
8. You only need a pea size to cover entire face
9. VERY light weight
10. Layers well under make up, no patching!

What I’m most excited for about this product is the amount of vitamin c you get for half the price of my favorite vitamin c serum. Not only do you get more of the product, but it lasts longer due to the more stable type of vitamin c–ethyl ascorbic acid—although not the MOST potent type, it still does the job.

GIVEAWAY for your own customized system for free!
Click here

For many centuries, hair has always been part of our culture to express class and personality. Every beauty routine always incorporates hair–either styling or care. I’ve always had issues finding the right shampoo/conditioner. I have sensitive scalp and my hair–although straight–still very hard to manage. My hair can get very dry to very oily, so it’s always hard to find the product that can maintain my hair and scalp. Another thing I look for in a hair product is the scent. Sometimes something that’s good for your hair can smell like medicine, and sometimes something that smells really good can be as good as WORTHLESS.

FORMULATE:
I have had the opportunity to collaborate with Forumulate to try their hair care products. Formulate creates products customized to your haircare needs and goals. What I love about this company is that their products are paraben free, sulfate free, preservative free, and cruelty free!

QUICK FACTS ABOUT THE COMPANY
They customize shampoo based on your hair and environment–styling, routines, and surrounding environment. Their products are not by subscription, but just pay as you go.

4 oz bottles costs $14.95
14 oz $44

What’s great about this is that if you’re not satisfied with their product, they will work with you as long as they need to perfect your formulation–at no extra charge.

Their app is easy to use, and a great way to track your progress and update your hair profile to revise your product. You can also send friends referral codes, and if someone you referred purchases the product, you earn reward points that can be put towards more product!

EXPERIENCE

I was working with Caroline, a PR rep from Formulate. She reached out to me and was very professional, informative, and made sure I was familiar with the product.

To get started, you build a profile of your hair to help their chemists “formulate” a shampoo that can target your issues and goals. I love this because it not only tries to eliminate problems, it also can achieve your hair goals at the same time!

Here is my profile:

Day 1-3: The scent I chose initially smelled nice, (at dawn) but it was too strong and it smelled more like a lotion than a shampoo. The first day, my hair felt weighted and stiff–almost like the texture of when you have day old hairspray and it’s starting to wear off and feel powdery. I thought it was just because it was the first day and my hair needed to adjust to the formulation. Day 3 came, but it still felt the same. I reached out to Caroline, and she recommended a scent (Green with Envy) and adjusted my formulation.

My new formulation came in a few days. It smelled a LOT better–even better, my hair felt great! After day 1, my hair felt silky smooth. A huge obstacle for my hair is my scalp. Of course, healthy hair needs a healthy scalp. I have scalp psoriasis, so I’ve always had a problem finding shampoos that work, and I really didn’t want to spend hundreds of dollars to see a dermatologist. I’m so glad Formulate was able to address my scalp problem, because it was my most concerning issue.

I’ve been using for a little over a month now. My hair and scalp feels absolutely amazing! If you haven’t checked Formulate yet, you should! Head over to their website, very informative and aesthetically pleasing.

CHECK THEM OUT!
FORMULATE

Head over to my Instagram Highlights under “Formulate” for a video review!
LATEBYLATTES

Hair—short or long, straight or curly–it has always reflected the cultural zeitgeist. Over the centuries, hair has depicted status and also presented as a fashion statement. Whatever we do with our hair, it’s something that we manage, whether it be for fashion or health.

We’ve all heard the craze with castor oil and its beauty benefits. What exactly does it do?

What is Castor Oil?
Castor oil (Ricinus communis) is composed of Ricinoleic acid, 18 fatty acids–including omega 6 and 9, vitamin E, and other minerals, all of which which are essential beauty ingredients.

Why cold-pressed?
There are actually different methods to extract castor oil from its seed, but the cold-pressed method is more beneficial to achieve healthy hair. The oil is extracted with no heat, which preserves a lot of nutrients in the seeds. You will know it is organically cold-pressed due to the pale yellow color of the oil.

How does it help with hair growth?
There are a number of factors that ensures health hair growth, with the most important is the health of your scalp–healthy scalp means a healthy environment for your hair. The ricinoleic acid and fatty acids improves circulation in scalp. Castor oil also naturally moisturizes and conditions hair. Another added benefit of castor oil is that it has powerful anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties that can helps fight scalp problems like folliculities, dandruff, and scalp infections.

Now, will it INDUCE hair growth? No. It doesn’t have any effect on the actual growth in the follicle, but it will HELP hair grow longer and thicker because hair will be less prone to breakage and prevent premature shedding.

Live Fraîche
I have naturally very fine hair, so I put a lot of mascara. Although mascara enhances your eyelashes, it can also dehydrate and affect the health of your eyelashes, especially when removing–which can easily strip your lashes.

I’ve tried other eyelash serums, and they were messy. I’m assuming cold-pressed castor oil have all the same benefits, no matter the brand due to the process of extracting, but what I love about Live Fraîche eye lash serum is its packaging–chic, no mess, and easy to use. Since castor oil helps moisturize and condition my eyelashes, mascara also applies a lot smoother and cleaner on the lashes. When I remove my mascara with make up remover, it doesn’t feel like it’s too aggressive because the mascara comes off easily–which is great because I don’t feel like i’m pulling lashes.

Live Fraîche eye lash serum is “certified organic” with the USDA Organic seal, so you know it is truly 100% cold-pressed organic castor oil. 

You can use my code 20BYTrish for a 20% discount on their eyelash serum and other products!

SOURCES

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2908398/
2. https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/castor-oil-hair-growth#1