I was looking for products that worked for the changing needs of my skin. This clean beauty line was just the ticket.
Since the onset of the whole clean beauty movement, I've been curious if the products actually work and if they work on mature skin. In the past, I've tried the natural route with very little success. Enter BeautyCounter in 2013. Of course I had seen their ads on Insta, but it wasn’t until recently that their founder, Gregg Renfrew, was featured demoing her Flawless in 5, that I took notice. I was curious for a couple of reasons: I'm all about a streamlined routine; I don’t wear a lot of make-up nor do I want to. I've been obsessed with finding a lightweight tinted moisturizer that works on the changing needs of my skin but doesn't look cakey or come off on my clothes. I also think there is something to the whole clean beauty movement. The cost was $150, which might seem expensive, but I thought, to try 6 products, it was worth it. So, I ended up ordering the exact set that Gregg used in her demo. I have combination, mature skin with some age/brown spots. I wanted products that were light, evened out my skin tone, brightened it up, and helped me look less tired. The set came with a tinted moisturizer, concealer, blush, mascara, brow gel, and lip gloss.
I have to say, I had very low expectations for the product quality. Many of the brands I've tried have been a bust, so when this arrived in the mail, I was definitely skeptical.
Fortunately, most of these products surpassed my expectations. Here’s a rundown of what I bought and what I thought:
Dew Skin Tinted Moisturizer No. 2: on a scale of 1 to 10, I would give it a solid 9. It’s probably the best one I’ve tried so far and believe me, I've tried a lot. There are five shades to choose from. The coverage is great, it’s light, doesn’t feel sticky or oily, doesn’t run, looks natural and gives you a nice dewy glow.
TouchUp Skin Concealer Pen - Light: this was another winner in my book. In fact, I would give this concealer a 10. Again, its light has good coverage and doesn’t get stuck in the creases. I love this product.
Satin Powder Blush - Nectar: this reminded me a lot of the NARs Orgasm stick. I would give it an 8.5. I love the subtle color, but I felt like it fades a bit and needs to be reapplied frequently.
Brow Gel - Medium: I didn’t really think I needed a brow gel, but I have to say, I liked it. I do use it to fill in a few spots. I haven’t tried other brow gels, so I have nothing to compare it to, but I would give this a solid 9.
Lengthening Mascara: on a scale of 1 to 10, it's a 2. The mascara was the most disappointing. Not only does it not lengthen, the wand is flimsy and the coverage was cakey and dried out after the first few times I used it. Hopefully BeautyCounter is working on improved formulations.
Lip Gloss - Peony: I have to be honest, I’m not a lip gloss gal because it's usually sticky and makes my lips dehydrated. However, this is a keeper. This gloss, like everything else in this set, is light, has a hint of color which I layer on with a pencil and my lips stay hydrated. I would give this a solid 9.
Since trying Flawless in 5, I've also tried their hydrating body lotion and body butter. Both products are fab. More importantly, I have taken a greater interest in the clean beauty movement and what BeautyCounter is trying to do to improve the safety of personal care. If you haven’t tried BeautyCounter, you might want to give them a try. #mosslife #agepositive #beautycounter #flawlessin5