janie ilona's beauty rants

Opinion: Natural Face Makeup (Natural Base)  A natural face or light base is superior, in my mind. No full-coverage concealer or magic foundation can tear me away from the look of fresh, natural skin. While there is a definite niche in the beauty community that loves a natural look, (God Bless Alexa Chung) I feel as though the general mood is MUA type makeup, with perfect, matte, foundation. I like foundation, don’t get me wrong, but something about a face that’s all perfectly one (usually yellow-toned) shade kinda freaks me out. Just me. I’ve always loved bb/cc creams, but it’s hard to find a good shade in the drugstore and I can’t justify buying a glorified tinted moisturizer for over $10. Don’t even get me started on concealer. I like to wear just concealer on most days, under the eyes. With the ever-present rise of the Kardashian-Kontour (lol) look, concealers are FULL coverage. No amount of blending could disguise the line between the parchment-colored concealer u...

A $28 bottle of nail polish: Ridiculous or Redeemable? I’ve never been one for luxury polishes- I either cheap out on nail products or go to salons where a Chanel or Dior polish wouldn’t even be an option. But it always seemed like the ultimate sign of luxury- an almost $30 bottle of regular nail polish, that could potentially chip in a few days? I thought it as foolish as buying a white t-shirt from a designer brand. As I’ve spread to luxury brands in beauty, however, an unfortunate truth has been realized: You do get what you pay for, and a staple might as well be quality. It started at the Chanel counter in Neiman Marcus. I was with my sister, wandering around, trying samples and pretending I wasn’t broke (Spoiler: I’m about to become even MORE broke lol). I stopped at the shiny glass bottles, eyes passing over the bright and neutral colors of the collection. A really interesting grey-blue caught my eye, unlike any other polish I’ve ever seen before, Chanel or otherwis...

SKINCARE ROUTINE! <3 So people frequently ask me what my skincare routine is. While I’m always very flattered, it's a little hard to compile 20 minutes and too much money into a single sentence for that stranger on the street or response to that instagram comment. (if you don’t believe me, follow me on instagram @janieressa :p )Given that this is my outlet for blabbering (or ranting, hence the name) I thought that I could compile it all here! So here’s my skincare routine! Firstly, we must separate into two main categories: Daily and Supplemental products. The products I use every day/night (cleansers, moisturizers, etc) while the supplemental products make an appearance about 2-3 days a week. Additionally, the Daily category is split into two subcategories: Day and night. Day: -Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser -Son and Park Beauty Water (toner- can be applied with cotton ball/pad or just press into the face using your hands) -Heritage Store Rosewater ...

REVIEW:GLOSSIER BALM DOTCOM (MANGO)  Pop open the tube— and smell paradise. I was super excited when Glossier announced their newest flavor of b alm dotcom. I love ANYTHING mango flavored and EVERYTHING Glossier, so what could go wrong? Nothing, obviously. According to Glossier’s website , balm dotom is “ A hydrating, long-lasting, multipurpose lip balm and skin salve that’s packed with antioxidants and natural emollients to nourish and repair dry, chafed skin.” (Glossier) They’re not joking around either. The balm glides on and makes your lips instantly smoother. When I first got it, it was still a bit cold outside, and my lips were SUPER chapped. I put Mango to the test, and let me tell you, I’m not letting this man go (bad pun, sorry). Call this product crust-be-gone. One use, pea-sized amount, no exfoliation of the lips beforehand. The balm left my lips glossy and silky to the touch. While the balm is greatly layered over another product to keep moisture in, it...