Ask an Aesthie: Athina

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Happy July, Benebabes! We hope you’re thoroughly enjoying summertime. After we popped into our Fillmore boutique last week for a little brow break, we ran into one aesthie who’s been with our company for 25 years! Can you believe that!? Talk about an original Benebabe! There was no other choice than to pick her brain about makeup & how far she’s come. Read her interview below…

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First of all, congrats on 25 years at Benefit! What made you want to be a beauty artist & why Benefit in the first place? 

Having the privilege to work with founders Jean & Jane Ford, I was able to learn a lot from the very beginning. The early days really taught me about how important it is to treat the customer & my co-workers with not only trust, but mutual respect. It may seem like a party from the outside, but customer service comes first!

Any popular trends with your clients these days?

I’m not kidding—every customer that sits in my chair wants full brows and long lashes.

What are your favorite tips & tricks to avoid dry skin in the summer? 

Hydration is essential! Exfoliate with refined finish facial polish, follow with ultra radiance facial re-hydrating mist, then finish with total moisture. It’s also important to keep your face protected with dream screen, our new silky-matte broad spectrum SPF 45 sunscreen. Outside of skincare—opt for water instead of soda. Your body (& skin) will thank you later!

Any summer beauty essentials you can’t live without?

A hat & my favorite pair of sunglasses are a must. I also always keep an aloe vera plant in my kitchen—it’s perfect for sunburns. Just snip a stem, slice it down the middle & push with your thumb to release the gel.

What are you favorite Benefit products? 

Total moisture, fakeup, they’re real!, gimme brow & the new hydrating tinted benebalm. Can’t live without them!

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Any special tips or tricks for getting the perfect wing with they’re real! push-up liner? 

For the perfect wing, I start by aligning the pen to the outer corner of your nose. With a light hand, dab a small line, then take your pen and fill in your wing. Repeat on the other side. The best part about this trick is that you get an even wing on both sides!

Best or favorite makeup tip of all time? 

It may sound cliché but a little concealer & foundation go a long way. Add a little self-confidence, and you’re good to go!

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There you have it, ladies! Any other questions for Athina? Ask away below! xo

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The Ultimate Guide to Natural + Vegan Deodorant.

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Need some new deodorant in this heatwave??

Vegan deodorant is not that difficult to find and neither is deodorant that uses clean natural ingredients. But when you combine the two you narrow your search pool even further as a lot of natural deo’s are balms that use beeswax. I was worried there wouldn’t be too many options on the market, but to my surprise there are loads! So many in fact that I struggled to narrow this guide down to just 6. I easily could have bought 10 more to try and include, but with 6 deodorants on the go this past couple of months things were getting out of hand!


The Roll-On’s 

Neal’s Yard Peppermint & Lime Roll-On Deodorant / £8


One of my most used simply because of the ease! It’s a roll on! No melting a solid stick or sticking your fingers into a pot. The scent I chose isn’t my favourite, the lime & mint combination smells a little like citronella. I would choose the rose & geranium if I could go back in time.


In terms of doing its job? It promises 24hr protection but I think it begins to falter before a full morning to evening’s wear time is up. And obviously, it’s not an antiperspirant so you will sweat (which is healthy and normal!), but it does contain some moisture absorbing ingredients, not that I’ve ever noted them working.. 6/10

Benecos Apricot & Elderflower Roll-On Deodorant / £5.95


The least expensive and my least favourite, unfortunately. The scent is delicious and so fruity and fresh, it’s a real shame that the scent doesn’t linger and the deodorant really doesn’t work that well, especially in this summer heat. Reapplication is needed, but even then, you just sort of feel tacky and body odor lingers. Lovely. 2/10

The Unusual One & The Plastic Free One

Pacifica Deodorant Wipes / £7.99


I bought these oh so many moons ago to take with me to the hospital when I had Oliver. My thoughts were if I ended up stuck in bed for some time, these could freshen me up! And I actually did use them, just once, but still. I’ve used them a couple of times since then, they’re just handy for sweaty moments that catch you off guard, but they’re not essential, and you can’t really keep them in your bag or anything because the pack is pretty large! 5/10

Ben & Anna Natural Soda Deodorant – Vanilla Orchid / £9.95


Deodorant in a card tube! I love that it means there’s no waste at all, the packaging does get grubby and greasy over time but it’s deodorant, it’s not a fancy bottle of perfume you keep on display. This is the most expensive but does work quite well to keep you dry for awhile thanks to the arrowroot and starch combo. My one dislike is that the stick isn’t the easiest to use – it doesn’t really melt into the skin, you have to rub it under your arms to deposit some of the cream and then rub it into the skin yourself as it’s so thick (winter application would be a pain I imagine!). I do love the vanilla scent and it lingers for quite a while, but there’s a whole host of other scents if you’re interested. 7/10


The Charcoal Ones

Native Unearthed Activated Charcoal Natural Deodorant Balm / £6.99


My new favourite! The balm is really creamy and easy to use, it melts between your fingers and under your arms really easily and I love the scent – it’s fresh and a little lavender-y. Like every other, it doesn’t really stop you sweating, but after walking to and from work, a day in the office and then cooking tea in a kitchen that gets the evening sun and quickly turns into a furnace in this mega heatwave, I was hot and bothered, sure, but not a hint of any stink could be detected. (Also worth noting that mine is a smaller size pot!). I don’t like deo’s in pots, but this is a good ‘un! Does charcoal make it better, though? I really couldn’t say… 8/10

Kaia Naturals The Takesumi Detox Charcoal Deodorant  / $10


I really wanted to like this deodorant, and I tried really hard as I’ve used it for aaaaaages (this is a sample size that just won’t quit) but the scent is meh and it doesn’t last very long in terms of B.O. and sweat suppression. Luckily you can’t get this in the UK as there are better out there. It’s one redeeming quality? The solid stick melts quite easily into the skin so you don’t have to wait around holding it under your arms. Oh and, it’s baking soda free. 3/10

Got any recommendations for me once I finish all of these? 


xo

The Ultimate Guide to Natural + Vegan Deodorant.

  ,
Comments Off on The Ultimate Guide to Natural + Vegan Deodorant.

Need some new deodorant in this heatwave??

Vegan deodorant is not that difficult to find and neither is deodorant that uses clean + natural ingredients. But when you combine the two you narrow your search pool even further as a lot of natural deo’s are balms that use beeswax. I was worried there wouldn’t be too many options on the market, but to my surprise there are loads! So many in fact that I struggled to narrow this guide down to just 6. I easily could have bought 10 more to try and include, but with 6 deodorants on the go this past couple of months things were getting out of hand!

The Roll-On’s

Neal’s Yard Peppermint & Lime Roll-On Deodorant / £8
One of my most used simply because of the ease! It’s a roll on! No melting a solid stick or sticking your fingers into a pot. The scent I chose isn’t my favourite, the lime & mint combination smells a little like citronella. I would choose the rose & geranium if I could go back in time.
In terms of doing its job? It promises 24hr protection but I think it begins to falter before a full morning to evening’s wear time is up. And obviously, it’s not an antiperspirant so you will sweat (which is healthy and normal!), but it does contain some moisture absorbing ingredients, not that I’ve ever noted them working.. 6/10

Benecos Apricot & Elderflower Roll-On Deodorant / £5.95
The least expensive and my least favourite, unfortunately. The scent is delicious and so fruity and fresh, it’s a real shame that the scent doesn’t linger and the deodorant really doesn’t work that well, especially in this summer heat. Reapplication is needed, but even then, you just sort of feel tacky and body odor lingers. Lovely. 2/10

The Unusual One & The Plastic Free One

Pacifica Deodorant Wipes / £7.99
I bought these oh so many moons ago to take with me to the hospital when I had Oliver. My thoughts were if I ended up stuck in bed for some time, these could freshen me up! And I actually did use them, just once, but still. I’ve used them a couple of times since then, they’re just handy for sweaty moments that catch you off guard, but they’re not essential, and you can’t really keep them in your bag or anything because the pack is pretty large! 5/10

Ben & Anna Natural Soda Deodorant – Vanilla Orchid / £9.95
Deodorant in a card tube! I love that it means there’s no waste at all, the packaging does get grubby and greasy over time but it’s deodorant, it’s not a fancy bottle of perfume you keep on display. This is the most expensive but does work quite well to keep you dry for awhile thanks to the arrowroot and starch combo. My one dislike is that the stick isn’t the easiest to use – it doesn’t really melt into the skin, you have to rub it under your arms to deposit some of the cream and then rub it into the skin yourself as it’s so thick (winter application would be a pain I imagine!). I do love the vanilla scent and it lingers for quite a while, but there’s a whole host of other scents if you’re interested. 7/10

The Charcoal Ones

Native Unearthed Activated Charcoal Natural Deodorant Balm / £6.99
My new favourite! The balm is really creamy and easy to use, it melts between your fingers and under your arms really easily and I love the scent – it’s fresh and a little lavender-y. Like every other, it doesn’t really stop you sweating, but after walking to and from work, a day in the office and then cooking tea in a kitchen that gets the evening sun and quickly turns into a furnace in this mega heatwave, I was hot and bothered, sure, but not a hint of any stink could be detected. (Also worth noting that mine is a smaller size pot!). I don’t like deo’s in pots, but this is a good ‘un! Does charcoal make it better, though? I really couldn’t say… 8/10

Kaia Naturals The Takesumi Detox Charcoal Deodorant / $10
I really wanted to like this deodorant, and I tried really hard as I’ve used it for aaaaaages (this is a sample size that just won’t quit) but the scent is meh and it doesn’t last very long in terms of B.O. and sweat suppression. Luckily you can’t get this in the UK as there are better out there. It’s one redeeming quality? The solid stick melts quite easily into the skin so you don’t have to wait around holding it under your arms. Oh and, it’s baking soda free. 3/10

Got any recommendations for me once I finish all of these?
xo

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Channel Your Inner Wonder Woman With Wilkinson Sword This Summer (HotPants Not Essential!)

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GET YOUR FREE LIPSTICK WITH EVERY PURCHASE
SPONSORED FEATURE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH WILKINSON SWORD

We’ve all grown up with the iconic image of Wonder Woman, the ultimate representation of female empowerment and feminism. She was created deliberately to counteract the negativity around comics in the 1940’s, to get women on board with this form of media and to embody the ideals of the suffragettes that had filled the pages of newspapers in the decades previous. Designed to be ‘superior to men’ and ‘fight for equality’, she’s a feminist icon that has stood the test of time while looking pretty hot in blue pants. (If you’re interested in more of the back story, this article in the Guardian is fascinating.) This summer she’s getting an outing once again; with a Hollywood blockbuster due to hit cinemas it will no doubt bring her back to the forefront of our minds and provide a whole new generation of girls with a superhero that proves nothing is impossible if you’re wearing hotpants…

To celebrate the release of Wonder Woman this June, Wilkinson Sword has teamed up with the franchise to offer a range of limited edition lipsticks so that every one of us can channel our inner super hero (with or without the hotpants.) The four long-lasting lip colours are super nourishing and vitamin enriched (containing the highest amount of Shea Butter possible within a lipstick formulation,) providing a luxuriously soft and highly moisturising matte finish in super sleek black casing. What’s great, is that the collection includes shades to suit every look and inner super hero: Wonder is a gorgeous pink-beige lipstick, Grace is a stunning soft coral, Power is a classic red that definitely shows the world who’s boss, while Wisdom is a deep merlot that works beautifully with every skin tone.

If you want to get your hands on one then they’re hitting shelves right now, and the limited-edition lipsticks are FREE with any purchase of a Wilkinson Sword system handle (whoop!) Yep, totes 100% free and worth £10.00 each – all you have to do is buy the specially marked packs and claim your chosen lipstick online using the unique code. You can use your Wilkinson Sword Intuition to create super smooth and nourished legs (coz you know, hotpants) and then apply your lipstick shade to turn up the levels of sass to ‘ultimate sexpot.’ If you want to know a bit more about the razors themselves, my personal favourite is the Intuition which features a block of moisturising Shea Butter enriched shaving cream that lathers gently when used with water; choose from Ultra Moisture or Sensitive Care depending upon your skin’s needs (with all-new pro vitamin B5 plus Aloe and Vitamin E) to keep your pins in check and fuzz free all summer… Because when you’ve got shiz to do, we don’t have time to be faffing around with shaving foam and all that.

To celebrate the launch of the film, Wilkinson Sword asked me to create my own Wonder Woman look in my chosen shade… I’ve opted for the coral ‘Grace’ as it’s perfect for when the sun is shining, and a tone that looks good on every skin colour. Combined with a touch of bronzer buffed into the skin, a tonne of highlighter on the tops of cheekbones to get that effortless ‘superhero’ glow, a powerful brow and a feline flick, it’s a look that says: “I’m effortlessly heroic, a bit of a babe and I don’t even need hotpants to be fabulous.” Team it with a tonne of volume in your hair (tiara optional) and a flash of something black, white, red or blue and you can strut down that street knowing you’re looking hawt.

Will you be channeling your inner Wonder Woman this summer? Which shade would you choose?

Find out more about Wilkinson Sword on their website: wilkinsonsword.co.uk
Have a look at the Wonder Woman trailer here: wonderwomanfilm.com

This is a sponsored feature in partnership with Wilkinson Sword; all opinions are my own.

Features PR samples unless otherwise stated. To read my full disclaimer, click here.

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