Just Browsing
The best brow tint I've tried, a faster working retinal, some snail mucin, and a Mediterranean cookbook, all make the end of week roundup
Hello Gorgeous!
Oh, it’s been a week. Last Saturday our main fridge erupted into pools of water that turned into a very unpleasant flood. It ended up shorting out the dishwasher and requiring four visits from the plumber. All is well now and I’ve learned to take a very gently fatalistic approach to some of life’s unpleasant moments.
Here is a pic of a cute puppy in case the talk of flooding is stressing you out:
The Japanese have a saying Shikata ga nai (仕方が無い), which loosely translates to it can’t be helped. Or a more polite way of saying sh*t happens. It does. And then we move on.
Here’s a quick PSA- if you do not use the ice cube or cold water functions in your fridge, turn off the water supply post-haste. You’ll save yourself a flood of trouble later on!
On to the beauty and weekending parts.
An incredible brow tint kit
Brow Code: At Home Brow Tint Kit is the best brow tinting product I’ve tried in ages.
Back when I was a celeb makeup artist I was interviewed for a schmancy magazine to discuss what it was like being backstage at Fashion Week. They described me as having “the best brows in NYC.” It’s an honor I take very seriously til this day. That’s not to say that I haven’t been neglecting my famous brows. Worse, I’ve been relying on Just for Men Mustache and Beard color (please don’t do this) to get rid of the pesky white eyebrows that make me feel like Wilford Brimley.
Brow Code is mostly a brand for aestheticians and other beauty pros. Their brow tint kit allows you to almost effortlessly recreate the salon experience at home.
Here’s what you need to know:
Everything you need is in the Brow Code: At Home Brow Tint Kit. From the tiny sizes of tint and developer, to an itty bitty mixing cup, application brush, and nourishing growth oil.
Do not be alarmed if your brows look oversized and really dark immediately after application. Even the most careful application will change color and leave you looking like Groucho Marx.
The instructions say to use a pea-sized amount of the tint and of the activator. Both have a different texture and weight, so you’ll have to eyeball the amounts you decide to mix.
It says to use a cotton bud to wipe off product, but I found that left me with cotton fibers in my brows. Instead I used a flat cotton makeup remover pad saturated with water.
Interestingly enough, the instructions also advise not washing your brow area for about a day. I did and the tint still stayed perfectly.
It’s expensive. The kit costs $50.00, but if you factor in the fact that a salon tint might cost about the same, that the the tint lasts for up to a month, and that you’ll get at least eight applications, it’s actually a great deal.
🐌I’m not sure if I’m going to try this one 🐌
Snail mucin —the mucus that snails secrete— has been a popular skin care ingredient for quite some time now. According to the Mayo Clinic, “certain types of snail mucin have moisturizing and protective qualities that are good for your skin. Snail mucin contains antioxidants that may help reduce signs of aging like wrinkles, uneven skin tone and sagging.” And yet I’m still skeeved by the idea of putting some on my face.
That said, baebody, a company that consistently gets a ridiculous amount of Amazon raves (23,000 positive reviews last time I checked) just released Baebody Advanced Snail Mucin Under Eye Masks. They’re meant to help with puffy eyes and fine lines. I’m just not sure if I’m going to use them to tackle my puffy eyes or fine lines.
Faster-working retinal
Summer sun damage is no fun, and now is a great time to use products that tackle some of the lines and ages spots that might have popped up. Clinical skincare brand, Medik8, just dropped a new addition to their Crystal Retinal collection, a product they claim is the industry’s strongest over-the-counter retinal/retinol – Crystal Retinal 24 ($135.00). Apparently the product uses Retinaldehyde (a newer form of Vitamin A) through encapsulation technology, which makes it work up to 11x faster than traditional retinol products. My favorite part is that you can choose the strength that works best on your skin type. So for instance, because of my super sensitive skin I started with a 6, but you can work your way up to 24.
The Mediterranean Dish cookbook
I’m always experimenting with healthier meal options over the weekend. (Also with chocolate babka for breakfast, but I digress).
I’m beyond excited to try out some of the recipes in Suzy Karadsheh’s new cookbook The Mediterranean Dish Simply Dinner cookbook. There are over 120 mouthwatering pics and a section called Throw It Together, with ideas for easy weeknight meals. If you do end up ordering this cookbook (it’s out on 9/24/24) check out page 210 which has easy aways to make Mediterranean dinner bowls followed by an explanation on grains and flavorings to punch up the flavor. Karadsheh, whose earlier cookbook is on sale now also offers ideas for a Med style snack board (page 64). I’m going to try out the chickpea marinara (page 68) over the weekend.
So what are you up to this weekend? And yea or nay to snail mucin?
Rachel, Your beauty concierge 💋
Wilford Brimley LOL 😆