Ah, Glossier, the cosmetics and skincare brand that spawned an endless sea of inspiration and fan girls (myself included) all over the world. There's just something about the line that always pulls me in and I'm excited to share, after a year of using these products, my honest opinions on all of the hype.

The brain child of super muse Emily Weiss and an offshoot of her wildly successful website Into The Gloss, Glossier is a range of beauty products created and tested by industry insiders looking to re-frame the focus of the beauty industry. At Glossier "skin is in" and minimalism is the name of the game. With pared down necessities (think light coverage makeup and nourishing cleansers, balms and lotions) Glossier encapsulates its ethos: skin first, makeup second.

the rundown

I've been using Glossier products for more than a year and through tropical climates and big life changes, I've done my fair share of testing them for you. A few of the items are HOLY GRAIL products and a few of them I could honestly do without. Keeping reading for my recommendations and a link for 10% off your first order!

products I've tried - ranked

1. milky jelly cleanser
2. stretch concealer
3. priming moisturizer
4. boy brow
5. generation g
6. balm dot com
7. perfecting skin tint

products I want to try - ranked

1.  cloud paint
2. the supers
3. masks
4. haloscope
5. wowder
6. priming moisturizer rich
7. invisible sheild

milky jelly cleanser & priming moisturizer - These two go hand in hand for me! Milky Jelly Cleanser is one of my all-time favorite face-washes because it's gentle on my skin and leaves me feeling completely clean. It's a great makeup-melter (does that make sense?) and I always feel like I've managed to scrub the day off when I'm done using it. Follow it up with the Priming Moisturizer (a simple, fuss free face lotion that works well but does the same thing as my beloved Embryolisse) and you're ready to go! I'm eager to try the Priming Moisturizer Rich for something a little more nourishing.

stretch concealer - I love this product and wear it every single day (some days in combination with a tinted moisturizer or the Perfecting Skin Tint and sometimes on its own)! While the coverage is light, I find it really illuminating and similar to YSL's Touche Eclat (one of my holy grail products). It's best for under-eyes but works on blemishes in a pinch. I currently have the "light" shade and REALLY need to upgrade to "medium: after our summer in the sun.

boy brow - This product is a cult favorite for a reason. Boy Brow does a great job of grooming eyebrows and giving you a clean look without using a crazy pencil for sculpting. I will say, you have to be confident in your brow shape already to use this product alone. Since my brows are kind of sparse, I often find myself filling in with a pencil and then applying Boy Brow on top.

generation g - I wish I had more of these! Build-able. Easy. Pigmented. This product is a mix between a lip stain and a lip balm. They're super creamy but colorful enough to feel like you're wearing more of a product than chapstick. I have 'Like" and "Cake" in my cart.

perfecting skin tint - Skip it unless you want to feel like you're wearing makeup without much of the coverage of wearing makeup. I think of this product as "twelve year old tries foundation for the first time".

balm dot com - Super fun and nourishing for your lips! "Birthday Balm Dot Com" seems like a flavor I need to get my hands on and overall these balms are perfect for keeping at your desk or throwing in your purse.

three things I'm getting ASAP: cloud paint in haze and beam, the supers & the moisturizing moon mask

"beauty should be fun, easy, imperfect, and personal. Above all, we believe that you give life to products - products don't breathe life into you." - emily weiss

Click here to shop with my link (and see a pretty embarrassing video with a terrible thumbnail).

inspired by glossier

* this post was not sponsored by glossier - all opinions are 100% my own and all products were purchased by me (not PR samples)

photo via

Hello friends! Just popping onto this space to let you know I'm over at the Glitter Guide today sharing all of the things that the last nine months without my mom have taught me about mothering my own little girl. I hope you'll join me and give it a quick read. As always, thank you for supporting everything I'm able to do because of this amazing little community we've created!

Read the article here.

*I originally shared this on my personal Facebook account but I thought it warranted some space here as well. Warning: This post is about sexual assault and may be emotionally triggering.

I’ve been thinking about sharing my #metoo story lately and honestly, it scared me. I was scared to be embarrassed, I was scared to make people that I love (and happen to be Facebook friends with) sad for me, I was scared to offend and then it occurred to me, THAT’S why this is important

Sexual assault and sexual harassment are things that I’ve been pretty publicly vocal about denouncing but I’ve never shared my personal experiences with most of the people in my life (even a few of those closest to me). When I came across #metoo this weekend I was shocked to see the swell of stories from women I know, women I admire, and women I respect flood the internet. While I have always known the scope of sexual violence and how it has touched most of the women in my life, there is something about seeing the numbers that is downright overwhelming. As this trend of sharing spreads, you may see similar posts, tweets or news stories pile up and I urge you to pay close attention. Keep a mental tally of all the women YOU know and love and respect and admire whose lives have been rocked by sexual assault. It will confront you. And it should. Giving a voice to pain and wrong-doing is how we start to change things. Acts of bravery will be the way we move forward.

While this may not be the best avenue for sharing these things, I thought I’d lay bare a few (but nowhere close to all) of my personal experiences with sexual harassment and assault in the hopes that they might arm you with a little truth.

I was once approached by a very aggressive man whilst pumping gas. My daughter was in the car, with the window rolled down, no more than a foot away from me. It was daytime and there were policemen parked at the next pump over. The man came up, tried to initiate an inappropriate conversation and when I refused to engage he exposed his penis to me, in front of my toddler. The police men laughed and did nothing to help as I drove away shaking.

In a foreign country, with my husband walking directly in front of me, a man I hadn’t so much as made eye contact with passed by me in a crowded nightclub and inserted his fingers into my body without my consent.

At a very young age an equally small boy forcibly “played house” with me.

After denying their propositions, I have been tirelessly asked by strange men “You’re not allowed to have friends? Your boyfriend doesn’t let you have friends?” as if the presence of a man in my life is the only thing that would stop their advances.

I have been approached to inquire about my pricing for the night.

I’ve been pressured into doing things I was uncomfortable doing by boys who prey on teenage girls at a time when they’re still learning to exist in their bodies and still figuring out their worth.

I am uncomfortable going most places alone and my pace quickens when I am in a room with men I do not know. Sometimes I call my husband or sister as a precaution to say, “I am here. They are also here. We are alone.” Sometimes I make them stay on the phone. Sometimes I say things out loud like, “You’re outside? Awesome! See you in a minute,” even though it’s not true.

As you read stories like mine from women woven into all aspects of your life, please think about the ways you act out against and speak up for our safety. I hope that it’s often and loudly. I hope that it’s unwavering.

Stop defending predatory language and repackaging it as “locker room” talk. It’s unacceptable.

Stop defending us as your mothers or your sisters or your daughters but protect us as human beings with the same right to safety as you instead.

Stop yelling overtly sexual things at us as we walk down the street like it’s a compliment and we should be grateful to be lusted after by you.

Stop chalking it all up to something that’s normal and banal. The fact that harassment and assault feel normal is the root of the problem.

To all of the women (and men) sharing stories of sexual assault, I see you. I value you. You are brave.

To all of the women (and men) that aren’t yet ready to share their stories, I see you too. You are no less brave. #metoo