I Like These Products pt. 1

Quarantine has been an interesting time for most of us. I have gone through spurts of absolutely no online shopping and then some weeks I have so many packages coming I have to make a list. Regardless, I’ve had more time to research products, discover new things, and upgrade a few items that I use frequently.

When it comes to shopping my main goal is to shop small, secondhand, and local when I can. Especially with the current worldwide pandemic, I am being extra mindful to shop small and support all of the owners who are struggling. However, like I mentioned, it can be hard to get everything I need this way. Also, some items are gifted to me from companies or from family and friends. Today’s post is reserved for the things I’m loving that aren’t from a small business; those will be saved for their own post soon because they are deserving of special attention.

I don’t usually try enough things to share a monthly favorite post, so I’ve decided to just call these ‘I Like These Products’ and share them every so often when I have enough I’m in love with. I hope that’s good with you!

Fresh Rose Petal-Soft Lip Cream

This product was sent to me for free for review (Thanks Influenster!) and I am absolutely obsessed. I am extremely picky with lip balms due to ingredients but also if they actually hydrate the lips. This one is light and nourishing and feels so good on the lips. Before trying this one, my favorite was the Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask, which I still love but haven’t tried since they reformulated and repackaged it. While I do usually prefer a squeeze tube to a pot, I keep this one in my bathroom and put it on morning and night after I brush my teeth. Kind of debating buying a second one for my purse since it’s that good, but will probably wait until it cools down, since pot balms are not my favorite in the heat in the summer.

PMD Clean - Smart Facial Cleansing Device

I received my PMD Clean in my last Causebox (which is a whole other favorite that I highly recommend if you want a good ethical subscription box. If you want me to get into that more, leave a comment below or DM me so I know you want to hear my opinion on it). Click here to get $10 off your first Causebox

Anyways, while I didn’t pick this out myself, I couldn’t be happier for it. The entire brush is made out of silicone and has a two-sided head. The brush side has tiny little silicone bristles that gently cleanse your skin while the other side has slight divets to help you massage your products in. There are 2 cleansing settings and 2 massage settings and I especially love the massage side. The best part is that the PMD Clean is water resistant and you can use it in the shower. I love to use it once a day after my workouts to get a really good clean! I also love incorporating into my weekly at home facial nights. After my masks, I use it to massage in my serums and oils and it feels so soothing and good.

Welly Face Saver Clear Spot Bandages

I have tried quite a few zit stickers since they came out and these are definitely at the top of my list as far as effectiveness goes. If you’ve never heard of zit patches, they are hydro-colloid bandages that you put on a zit when it’s coming to head. They absorb excess fluid from surface level wounds (i.e. blemishes). This means that they only work on surface level zits, so don’t expect a miracle on anything deep and cystic. I am obsessed with the Welly brand in general because all of their bandages come in cute tins that are perfect to reuse (ex: I love to keep them for travel for small items…well back when I could travel haha). However, these face saver bandages are extra clutch right now with the mask-cne I’ve been struggling with here and there throughout the pandemic. I just pop one of these stickers over my blemish at night and remove it in the morning and it’s way flatter! I definitely recommend keeping a pack of these on hand if you find that you randomly break out!

Morphe Continuous Setting Mist

When it comes to items I use in my makeup kit, I definitely choose performance over ingredients. Unless a client as requested something specific, I use my tried and true products. That being said, I had been using the classic Urban Decay All-Nighter Setting Spray for YEARS. It works well for any skin type and really helps the makeup stay on. However, I’ve always hated the mechanism of the spray bottle because no matter how gentle you try to be, you scare your clients when you spray it. haha Enter the Morphe Continuous Setting Mist. It works just as well as the All Nighter spray, is less than half the price AND has a gentle continuous spray mechanism. Also, whenever I do weddings, at least half of my clients every time tell me how much they love the smell. Highly recommend.

Kristen Ess The One Signature Shampoo & Conditioner

I know I’m probably the last person to try Kristen Ess hair products, but I’m really not a hair person, as you probably know! I don’t do a lot with my hair so I like simple hair products. I randomly picked up this duo over quarantine when Mikey and I were running out of shampoo and we loved it so I’ve already repurchased it in the larger size with pumps. It smells great (Mikey likes it too) and is a great lightly clarifying shampoo for my hair. I have pretty fine and straight hair, but I only wash it every couple of days, so I need a good cleanse when I do.

Fine-Tip Multi Colored Gel Pens

Am I the only one who is obsessed with pens? I always have been, but I hadn’t had a good set of gel pens in a while. When I was little I had every kind and color under the sun! There’s something about writing in fun colors in my planner that makes me happy and more productive. I am a firm believer in making your planner a happy and creative place so that you are more likely to want to use it and accomplish tasks. These are a great dupe for the Muji gel pens. I didn’t realize they weren’t actually Muji brand until I received them, but they are still great. I love the 0.5 mm fine tip and the range of colors is great too!

Meilliner 25 pack of Assorted Dual-Tip Highlighters

On that same note, I bought this huge 25 pack of Dual-Tip Highlighters thinking they were actual Zebra Mildliners (Mental note: ANDREA READ THE FINE PRINT). I like the color range and again, they do a great job of making my planner happier and prettier. I prefer to highlight tasks when they are completed instead of crossing them out, so this wide range of colors allows me to always have the colors I need to coordinate with my different weeks.

Dried Lavender

In May when I turned 30 one of my best friends gave me some dried lavender. I put it on my dining room table in a vase and it is still going strong. I can’t recommend this enough for yourself or when you need a little something for a friend (instead of flowers), because it lasts so much longer and smells amazing too! Plus you don’t have to worry about watering anything because it’s already dried. The only thing I would warn you about is that it is very delicate. If you touch the branches too much, the dried lavender buds will fall off, so keep it out of reach if you have kids or animals so it doesn’t get everywhere! Dried Eucalyptus is also a great one to try.

Amazon House Dress

I discovered this dress from Meredith over at @tinybitsofhappiness_. If you don’t follow her on IG, you need to. Her words are great, her recommendations are great, her dog Stella is so adorable. She’s basically gold and you should be following her. If you saw my studio redesign from about a year ago, she made my beautiful custom Andrea Fontana Beauty doormat! Anyways, back to the dress. She introduced me to this Amazon dress and it has quickly become my go to at least 2 times a week (likely more haha). It is so comfortable, makes you feel like you are way more put together than you are, and comes in SO many colors. I would suggest sizing up if you want that really comfortable flowy fit like I wanted. Also I do not dry because I’m always worried Amazon things will shrink. It’s not the most amazing quality, but it’s pretty damn great for under $30! Pre-COVID, my 2020 goal was to only buy secondhand clothing for the entire year. I’m proud to say that even despite quarantine, I have done a pretty good job at sticking to this goal. I think this is the first time I’ve broken it to buy something new. Well worth it, thanks Mere!

OLLY Sleep Melatonin Gummies

I used to have a solid bath routine as a pre-wedding ritual the night before weddings. I would always make sure that I had a calming evening to ensure good sleep the night before a big day. However, moving from my old apartment means that I no longer have a bathtub so I had to adjust my routine. Now, I take a nice long hot shower, get in bed early to read, and enjoy some OLLY Melatonin Gummies about 30 minutes before I want to go to sleep…haha I only use these a couple times a month, but I love them whenever I do. Obviously, make sure you check with your doctor before adding any new supplements to your routine.

What have you been loving lately? Comment below and let me know!

Best,

Andrea

Disclosure: Some of the above links are Affiliate links meaning that I make a commission off the purchase of the product through my link. This does not affect the price of the product on your end. I would never recommend a product that I didn't love and all opinions are my own. I am thankful for you choosing to purchase through my links, as it helps me create more content for Andrea Fontana Beauty. 

Recent Empties #2

I've found that you guys really like these empties posts because it's nice to see products I didn't like as well. It's been awhile since I did my last one, so I wanted to share with you the products I've used up in the last few months. I think this post will be equally as helpful because I have some products I won't be repurchasing because of the ingredients they contain and that I am finding cleaner alternatives. I've divided them up into categories so it's a little more helpful, and I've included products that I use up in my kit since that might be interesting for you as well! Let's get started:

Makeup Empties:

Most of these products were from my kit which will be helpful for you if you're looking for products I trust and love. First up we have two bottles of the Ulta Beauty Brush & Sponge Cleanser. I go through this stuff like water because it's such a great brush cleanser. It's really effective and you don't need much product. It also dries really quickly, so when I'm doing clients back to back, it's easy to sanitize and clean my brushes fast and move onto my next client. If you don't deep clean your brushes as often as you should, I highly recommend getting a spot cleaner like this to wash them frequently (every other day) in between deep cleansing. I will continue to keep repurchasing this spot cleanser until I find one that I like more or is comparable but more cost effective. 

This next product is also from my kit and I have a love/hate relationship with it. MAC Cosmetics Fix + is a cult favorite and I keep it in my kit for only one reason; to wet my brush for metallic shadows/more color payoff. I do not like it as setting spray for the whole face because I hate the way the container sprays. I'm picky when it comes to spraying a face of makeup that I've just put so much work and love into. I also find that the bottle tends to leak when I'm transporting it from job to job, so after 2 or 3 bottles completely emptying in my kit, I've committed to only buying this little 1 oz bottle of MAC Fix + from now on, so I don't waste money if it leaks again. I will continue to buy it because it is my favorite for really getting a shimmery/metallic shadow to lay beautifully on the eye and stay well. 

Benefit Porefessional Face Primer is my favorite silicone based primer to keep in my kit for almost all of my clients. I love how it smooths out the texture of a client's skin and will always have it in my kit. I've tried other brands' versions and nothing compares to this one for me. Plus most of my clients always say "this smells so good!" and it's nice for clients to have enjoyable situations like this throughout the makeup process. Remember if you are a makeup artist, the experience of doing someone's makeup is just as important as the end result. 

This last makeup empty is a personal one, as I am always trying out mascaras from the drugstore. I have had so many people talk about Covergirl Clump Crusher and decided to try this one out. It's the Covergirl Clump Crushers Extensions Mascara in 'Very Black'. Apparently it's supposed to be like the original clump crusher formula but with buildable fiber extensions in it? I don't think it was anything special and if I remmeber correctly, I bought it by accident when wanting to try the original instead. Mental note: Read fine print better Andrea. 

Skincare Empties:

These two kind of go together because they were my two favorite makeup removers before I went clean with my skincare. I loved this solid Body Shop Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter because it isn't liquid which makes it easier to travel with. It also seemed to last forever. The Garnier SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Water is also great for removing eye and face makeup with a cotton round. If you aren't concerned with clean skincare than I'd recommend them for you, but unfortunately you won't seem in my routine anymore. (In case you are wondering what I have switched to, keep an eye out for my current skincare routine post coming later this week!)

This toner is a repeat and thankfully is clean enough to stay with me through the clean skincare process! It has a few ingredients that register as a 3 but most are 1's which makes this an overall 3 or under product (my goal). There has to be at least a 50% chance that if you are reading this I've either gotten you addicted to this toner or you've heard me talk about it. The Dermadoctor Ain't Misbehavin' Healthy Toner with Glycolic & Lactic Acid is the perfect toner for people who need glycolic and lactic acid in their routine on a daily basis (i.e. many of you especially those who struggle with texture issues, uneven skin tone, breakouts, clogged pores. etc...). It's worth the splurge because it lasts over 6 months and I love that it comes in a glass bottle. I think it's made an appearance in at least 3 empties posts over the years, so you can bet I will continue to purchase it. 

I used up a pack of the CosRX Acne Pimple Master Patches and this things are my SAVIORS. I will always keep them on hand because I pop one on clean and unmoisturized skin over my blemish at night and in the morning it is significantly reduced. It works best if the blemish has come to a head already, but I am always excited to see the oil and impurities on the sticker when I remove it in the morning. It makes me feel like a science experiment and I'm weird like that. If you struggle with acne ever PLEASE do yourself a favor and click on the link and snatch some of these up. 

I got this sample of the Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum and I couldn't even finish it because of the smell. I thought I could tolerate most smells if I knew the product was helping my skin but I just couldn't get over this one. I included it in this because I've heard great things about this serum but I wanted to recommend that you go into Sephora and ask for a sample to see if you can tolerate before you purchase it. 

Next up we have some sheet masks that I used up and this first one was a gift, and thankfully they still sell them on Amazon! The Secret Nature Firming Blueberry Sheet Masks are awesome. I'm happy I received a whole pack of 5 of these because after using the first one, I couldn't believe how plumped and hydrated my skin looked. My fine lines were so minimized and some even gone. It was unreal. While they contain ingredients like fragrance, that I try to stay away from, I will definitely be using up the pack. Again this is a product that I definitely recommend if you aren't as concerned with clean skincare. The other mask I used is from I Dew Care and I bought it in the Let's Get Sheetfaced kit of 14 sheet masks. Unfortunately it is no longer available, but I did like that there were many options in this kit. I definitely recommend getting a kit of different varieties of sheet masks to keep on hand so you always have something for whatever your skin is currently dealing with. 

Other Empties:

This category is for hair and body. So I have an issue with wasting products. I cannot just through products out because I no longer want to use them. I have to figure out a way to use them and this first product was no exception. I haven't bought a Victoria Secret or Bath & Body Works body product in ages, I think this one was a gift, because the quality of ingredients is just simply bad. I had this Amber Romance Victoria's Secret Body Wash and instead used about a tablespoon with my bathes to give a little bit of bubbles. This did make it last forever, but at least it's gone and I don't have to feel bad about wasting products. I'm not even going to link it because I do not recommend buying your body products from either of these places. 

These next two hair products, the Wella Professionals Enrich Shampoo & Conditioner for Fine/Normal Hair were my favorites before I switched to a cleaner option. I went through a few bottles of them and really did love them. They are great quality if you don't necessarily want clean hair care products and made my hair feel more voluminous and healthy (For reference, I have very flat and fine hair but a lot of it). 

The last product I want to share is something I've never talked about on AFB but it has to do with periods so if that bothers you here's your warning. While going clean and toxin free, I swapped out my tampons for organic cotton ones. This was actually one of the first changes I made, probably about 8 or 9 months ago! Through a recommendation of a friend (thanks Mercedes!) I went with This is L and I really do love their organic tampons. I signed up for the subscription on their website which I've linked above and received 20 tampons once a month (10 regular & 10 super) for $7.95 (including shipping). I like that with every purchase they donate to products women in need in high impact areas. So not only are you making a healthier conscious choice for yourself, but you're doing something good for other women at the same time. I will always support companies who have this business model! While I would buy L tampons again, I paused my subscription because I couldn't use them fast enough. Apparently I don't need 20 every month and they were getting backed up in my bathroom. I have also noticed the Cora tampons and decided that once I used up my This is L ones, I would give those a shot. Cora also donates products to women in need and they are organic cotton. I feel like Cora's website is more specific in how your purchase helps those in countries all over the world (including the US) which I really like. I will let you guys know how I like the Cora Tampons when I get to try them. Both companies have subscription options which is really nice so you never have to do a midnight tampon run again (Hello, we've all been there!) I like that Cora is sold on Grove Collaborative which is the online membership service that I use to purchase my natural cleaning products. 

This was definitely a longer post than normal but I hope you enjoyed seeing some of the products I've used up recently. It allows me to give you an honest opinion of the product after using it entirely. I hope you enjoyed and shout out to you if you made it to the end of this post! Comment below if you've tried anything I mentioned today!

Have a beautiful week,

Andrea 

Disclosure:

Unless noted, all products were purchased with my own money and all opinions are my own. 

Amazon links are Amazon Affiliate links meaning that I make a commission off the purchase of the product through my link. I would never recommend a product that I didn't love and all opinions are my own. I am thankful for you choosing to purchase through my links, as it helps me create more content for Andrea Fontana Beauty.

Recent Empties

I filmed another video talking to you all about recent products I have used up. Before I get to talking about whether or not I'd repurchase them I want to get a little personal with you tonight.

As I'm writing this I've had a frustrating night. Actually a frustrating first week of the new year. The reason I'm mentioning it is because I feel like there's a lot of pressure during the new year for some people to 'start strong' and 'be positive' and you may have had an equally terrible week. So know that it is ok if this week sucked. Mine did, but I am not going to let it affect my month or my year. I know my last post was all about self reflection and getting a good start to the new year, but nothing went as planned this week. And that's ok.

Do not let a tough start to a new year affect what will come after. Something that I often struggle with is asking others for help. It makes me so uncomfortable. So I want to tell you it's ok to ask for help when you need it. (I might have written that sentence as a way of convincing myself to believe it). It's ok to rely on your loved ones when you need them. I don't know what I would have done today without that 30 min phone call to my best friend who gave me the advice I needed to get back up. 

I hope this next week is kinder to both of us :) Now back to the beauty products!

How are you guys liking these videos? I'm having fun learning more about editing and creating them so I will probably continue to make them if you guys keep enjoying them! I love empties videos because they are more than a first impression. I've tried the product a whole bottle's worth and have a more accurate idea of how the product performs. The cool thing though is you'll see products that didn't work as well. So I feel like you gain more knowledge than a favorites video. 

As usual, I will list all of the products below so you have the accurate names! Comment below with any suggestions for my next YouTube video and if you want to subscribe to the channel so you're automatically updated, go for it! Thank you always for the love!

Have the best week ever,

Andrea Fontana

1. Enjoy Volumizing Dry Shampoo
2. Aura Cacia Organic Rosehip Oil with Vitamin E and Acure Organics Rosehip Oil
3. Farmacy Eye Dew It All Total Eye Cream
4. Farmacy Honey Potion Mask
5. The Body Shop Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter
6. Belif The True Cream Aqua Bomb
7. Life NK Daily Fix Muscle Relief Bath Soak
8. NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation
9. Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer
10. Sephora Collection Bright Future Gel Serum Concealer
11. Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge
12. NYX Micro Brow Pencil
13. Smashbox Always Sharp Lip Liner in Figgy
14. Lancome Cils Booster XL Vitamin Infused Mascara Primer
15. Benefit They're Real Mascara