This Is the Best (Cruelty-Free!) Brow Pencil for Blondes
Sometime last year, I decided to switch my beauty routine to cruelty-free products only. It's been simultaneously easy and hard — easy because there are a lot more cruelty-free beauty brands than I initially realized, hard because it takes trial and error to find products that are worth finishing. (I'm probably one transaction away from being on the no-fly list of Sephora's return policy.)
The hardest product to replace was my trusty brow pencil. Cool blondes know that a natural-looking, ashy blond brow pencil is a near-impossible find; most blond pencils have a strangely warm, red tinge. But Kat Von D's Signature Brow Precision Pencil in Light Brown, $21, is a winner. This cruelty-free pencil has the perfect grayish undertone and lasts all day. And the tip is a game-changer: It's shaped like a little dash, so adding hairlike strokes to brows has never been easier. — Katie McCarthy
Cover image via Imaxtree
The Mascara That Gives Me Crazy-Thick Lashes
I haven't had lash extensions in a few years now, and I totally miss them! I'm thinking about getting them again, but until I do, I'm relying on great mascaras like this one: Urban Decay Perversion Mascara, $24. The big bushy brush deposits a hefty amount of product (but still manages to never clump!), and leaves my lashes long, super thick, and intensely black. It basically gives me the lashes I wish I was born with in just a few swipes. Hmm. Maybe I can put off those lash extensions for a little longer... — Alyssa Hertzig
Cover image via @urbandecaycosmetics
The Lip Balm I'll Be Taking Everywhere This Summer
I'm what you would call a lipstick junkie... lip products are definitely my favorite type of beauty product to test! Sweeping on a new lip color can totally switch up you look, make you appear put-together and lend an instant confidence boost. I have drawers of colorful lippies — and I love them all (each, for their unique qualities). But recently, I discovered a lip product that checks so many boxes for me and I just can't put it down.
Kosasport Lipfuel, $18, is that product: It's part of the new capsule collection by Kosas Cosmetics, which produces chic, minimalist products with comfy formulas, excellent shades and beautiful pigmentation. The first thing I noticed when I picked up the balm was the mod, oblong tube in the brand's signature black and white (think an elevated, ultraglam chapstick).
Lipfuel comes in clear, plus two your-lips-but-better hues. My fave is Rush, a cool, sheer rosy shade that gives me the perfect pop of color! What's more, the formula feels absolutely decadent when I swipe it on. It contains soothing vitamin E, naturally emollient and occlusive konjac root (the same that's used to make konjac sponges!) and hero hydrator/plumping agent, hyaluronic acid. It also has the faintest kiss of mint, which I love since it's very refreshing in the sun, the pool or in a killer spin class.
Typically when I go on vacation, I return with parched lips. I just took this with me to Puerto Vallarta for a long weekend and wore it every day — and my lips feel amazing. If you're looking for the perfect summer balm that feels like buttah and gives you a hint of tint, I highly recommend you give this one a go! — Hannah Savin
To see more of my summer beauty must-haves, follow me on Instagram @the_beauty_whoreder
Cover image via @kosascosmetics
I Never Skip a Day Without This Clean Sunscreen
It's sunscreen season, and no one's happy about it! Just kidding, kind of. If you're like me, you grew up with sunscreens that burned your eyes, made you break out, and left an oppressive white film on your skin. Not comfortable, not cute.
Now, in 2019, there are many more sunscreen alternatives that almost feel like you're wearing nothing at all. I swore by Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence until I found out it wasn't cruelty-free, which is unfortunately the case with most of those amazing sunscreens available in the Asian market.
Enter Coola Classic Body Sunscreen SPF 30, $32. It cools your skin when applied and isn't greasy, sticky, or irritating. Yeah, it's spend-y, but I consider a cruelty-free sunscreen (that I actually want to wear every day) well worth the money. Try the plumeria-scented sunscreen when you're feeling fancy and the unscented version when you want a sunscreen that won't compete with your perfume. — Katie McCarthy
Cover image via @coola
The Aluminum-Free Deodorant That Actually Works
I switched to aluminum-free deodorant about two years ago, and I've never looked back. It was a journey though! I had to kiss a lot of frogs (or rather, I had to swipe a lot of duds under my arms) until I found The One. But this is it: Love Beauty and Planet Argan Oil & Lavender Relaxing Deodorant, $6.99, is amazing. It's aluminum-free, it glides on super smooth, it smells incredible (literally like a field of fresh lavender!), and — most importantly — it actually works. It keeps me stink-free for hours, even on hot days and even when I work out. I've recommended it to so many people now, and I haven't heard a single complaint yet. — Alyssa Hertzig
Cover image via @lovebeautyandplanet
