Coquette

September Beauty Favorites

 

Fall just started and sometimes that notes a start of a new beauty routine. As some of you may know, I was a beauty writer for many years on this blog and for the now defunct Racked SF and Glam Networks. I no longer get free samples and I honestly don't request them anymore. I've included a list of some of the beauty both skincare and makeup that I have purchased with my own money and that I think they are worth the investment. Fee free to ask me any questions. I'm still very passionate about clean skincare products! I'm bringing back my monthly favorites, this one more beauty and skincare centered. Next month, I'll have a variety of goodies to share.

 

 

1. True Botanicals Renew Facial Oil ($110 at True Botanicals)

I love to try new things so it took me a couple years to get back to the facial oil that I really love. I recently took a visit to the True Botanicals Boutique in SF (522 Washington St) and was able to find the right facial oil for my skin type and immediately purchased. This facial oil is not too light (Beauty Counter) and not to thick (Honest Beauty) either. I love the soft herbal smell and that it really absorbs into my skin. After two weeks of wear, I can feel that my skin is completely hydrated. I wear facial oil only at night but you can use this night and day with just a few drops each time. This small bottle can really last you!

2. C.Lavie Essentielle Day Cream .19 ($85 at Gazette)

In the day, I can't live with out my C.Lavie! This is a French clean skincare brand that I really love. The cream is so hydrating and there are no harmful chemicals at all. The key ingredients are: rose distillate, jojoba oil, prickly pear oil and 2 Hyaluronic acids from vegetal origin. I LOVE this so much! I love the glass pump bottle and it does last a while too. My bottle I purchased earlier this spring is still going strong. I purchase this at the Gazette boutique in SF ( which recently opened up a new online shop. You can see all the C.Lavie skincare products  they sell.

3. Dior Backstage Glow Face Palette ($45 at Sephora), Dior Backstage Lip Palette ($49 at Sephora), Dior Backstage Eyeshadow Palette in Cool Neutrals ($49 at Sephora)

I have three palettes from the Dior Backstage makeup collection that I have been using almost daily since xmas 2018. It was my gift to myself for the holidays and these 3 palettes have been well worth it. I get a really natural look and they are so compact and easy for travel. I have the lip palette, eyeshadow palette in and the highlighter/blush palette which is LIFE!! I sometimes just put some powder on my face and put that Glow palette on to make me look refreshed and awake. I use the Dior Contour Lip Liner which has a lip brush on the other end for all of the lip colors and glosses in the lip palette. It's great to mix colors and I am surprised at how I have used it so much since it's not a lipstick bullet. The eyeshadow palettes are so compact. It comes with a cream primer and 8 colors! For the Paris runway shows, there's a new Dior Backstage Custom Eye Palette that's got a primer, shimmer topper and shadow to liner gel. Preorder for $49 on dior.com.

4. PMD Personal Microderm Pro ($179.26 on Amazon)

I follow Sophie Shohet on You Tube and she introduced me to this device. (I can't remember which video it was but it was one of her vlogs and she shows you how she uses it. I really like her honesty with products and her skin is amazing!) I got it earlier this spring and I use it once a week. She recommended getting the pro version and I'm so happy I did. I started slowly with the finer nibs and worked my way up. It's got a vacuum too so it sucks up all the dead skin cells while you move it across your face. I like sucking up the pores around my nose. You really have to read the directions before you start and it take practice to be able to get the hang of it going across your cheeks. One important rule: Don't go back to a place you moved the device over your skin. If you do it twice over an area, your skin will burn a little. Start slowly with the less harsh head attachment and move yourself up as you go. They are aluminum oxide crystals that are hypoallergenic and antibacterial. I never broke out using this and my skin is pretty sensitive. On Amazon, sometimes depending on the color you can get a cheaper one. Currently its the blush one but when I was purchasing it, the teal one was the cheapest. It's the cost of a facial at a nice salon so to me, it seemed like a good investment. 

5. Chanel Water-Fresh Tint in Medium Light ($65 at Chanel.com)

I don't wear foundation each day but I love this new Chanel Water-Fresh Tint. I have it in the Medium Light tint. it feels so refreshing on my face and makes my skin look so nice and even. I know people complain about the little brush but I love it because when I get a new bottle, I'll get a new brush to use because the reality is these kinds of brushes are really hard to clean out all the fluid. I use about 2 pumps for my face and pump it on the top of my hands and swirl the brush around to activate the little pigmented "micro-droplets". It feels hydrating on the face and so light on!

 

 

Erin Condren Friends & Family Sale 25% Off - Some of My Sale Picks

The Erin Condren Friends & Family Sale starts today! Get 25% off everything on the site so if you've been eyeing that planner or sticker book, now's your chance. They have a whole new set of stylish office supplies that are perfect for your desk or home. 

Here are some ideas on new products you can pick up from the sale:

My daughter Chloe started middle school and I knew it would be a new thing for her to have different classes and teachers to manage her schedule and workload. This Erin Condren Wall Organization Center (reg $74, now $55) is perfect for her. I love that you can customize it. She chose her favorite color Teal and we listed out all her classes with room for 2 boxes to be notes or for her elective classes that change periodically throughout the school year. You can swap out the board to do a calendar view, daily to-do list, hourly schedule or choose to have the Kaleidoscope pattern in colorful or neutral. I also added the Wall Organization Magnet Accessory Set (reg $30, now $22.50) to give her a place to put her eraser/pens and add in notes later if she wants. She is using an Erin Condren Academic Planner (reg $37, now $27.75) for school but this visual overview above her desk has been the best back to school purchase I have made.

Have you tried the Petite Planner Folio System yet? I am using mine for my work stuff and have 3 booklets inside: lined paper notebook, monthly planner and plain white sketch paper (an Amy Tangerine collab that is not on the site anymore). I have the lagoon color but now that it's fall, I can't decide if I want a new folio either the new wine color or the Starry Sky version. Each planner cover is reg $20 but now $15 each. Each Petite Planner is now $10.50 each (reg $14) or buy 4 or more and save 20%. You should check out the new wellness, medical treatment, gratitude and self care ones. There's a notebook for just about anything!

 

I picked up the Erin Condren Planner Tote this summer and I've been using it a lot this fall for hauling my work stuff. I'm a creative so for me, having a place to put my folio, pen pouches, folders, as well as my laptop is essential. The wide strap is soooooo comforable. I splurged on the suede one (now on sale for $90, was $120) and it was so worth it. It looks even better in person. It has a shimmer to it and works well with dressed up or casual outfits. The canvas versions are now just $45 and the black leather version is the same price as the suede.

For writing, I basically migrated this summer to using these Classic Dual-Tip Markers. I use the black and teal color the most that I needed to get a new 6 pack (reg $15.50, now $11.62). They are my must have essential! I keep them in an acrylic pencil holder on my desk and I have to keep my daughter from snatching them!

I'm going to assume you already have a Life Planner but if you don't, or if you are like me and realized you had the wrong style of planner, now is your chance to get one with this sale. The are now on sale for around $41.25 to $45. I recently decided to bite the bullet last month and switch to an EC hourly planner from a horizontal. I have way more flexibility with creating to-do lists and sometimes I do block things by the hour. It's helpful to see it all visually there so I can figure out the hours to block for me to design and do my work. I hope to do a post about this soon and I'll show you some of my layouts. I've been finding it fun to just go all out on stickers and decorate. Also, I nervously uncoiled it using JenPlans' video but this is life to me now! I moved my notes section to the front and brought in some note pages from my previously monthly planner that I used last year. I also took out some months so the planner so now it's less bulky!

So hurry up and shop the Erin Condren Friends & Family sale today! I am not sure when this ends as it doesn't seem to say on the site, but do it today and you won't be sorry!

 

 

Get $10 Off!

If you are new to planning and looking to try out Erin Condren's planners and accessories, use my referral link on the Erin Condren site. Click on "sign up" in the top right navigation bar to create an account and you will be emailed a $10 off coupon for your first order.