*Image above from Artis.
EDITORIAL UPDATE: Since the publication of this post, Artis has reached out to me to let me know that Walmart is not an authorized retailer of their makeup brushes, and that they cannot therefore guarantee that any brush purchased there is authentic. They suggested purchasing their brushes from either Sephora or Nordstrom (both authorized retailers). For my part, I did purchase my brush from Walmart and am enthusiastic with the results but wanted to flag for future readers/buyers, as their note left me leery of the price difference. I plan to buy future Artis brushes from authorized retailers.
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This is my third post in a series featuring honest reviews of hyped products: read about the Revlon One Step (and more) here and Billie razors (and more) more here.
Artis Mirror Brush.
Wow wow wow — this makeup brush is a must-own product (<<and it is for some reason a good deal cheaper here than anywhere else on the web). I feel as though I’ve been misapplying and wasting my tinted moisturizer/foundation for my entire life without these! These brushes apply product so smoothly (leaving no track marks/lines) and do not absorb anything, whereas using my fingers or even my BeautyBlender has wasted a lot of product in the past. The key is using short strokes left/right instead of dabbing. I normally hate adding any extra steps to my daily regimen and have for some time applied both tinted moisturizer and concealer using my fingers because of this — but I have made an exception for the Artis brush because it is that good. I bought their branded cleansing wipes to care for it, but I’m pretty sure any makeup brush cleanser would work with it. Of all the products I have tried in the last few weeks, this is my number one pick.
Megababe Deodorant.
I wanted to love this natural and non-toxic deodorant but it just wasn’t for me. It left my underarms tacky and clammy and though its scent is heavenly (sort of like Le Labo Rose), mine while wearing it was not. Several Magpies had warned that it can take a week or two for your body to adjust to a non-aluminum deodorant, and that you kind of have to grin and bear it until your body re-sets and accommodates. I did not have the forbearance! If you are willing to go the distance with it, I do think it smelled great. My sister (a long-time advocate of aluminum-free deodorant and clean beauty products in general) raves about Native if you’re looking for an alternative.
I do, however, love Megababe’s hand sanitizer, and it is one of only a few sanitizers I have been able to find online. It has a much less alcohol-centric scent than most, is not as runny as others (helpful — who else hates when you have gel dripping through your fingers as you quickly try to cap the bottle?), and dries quickly.
Briogeo Volumizing Shampoo and Conditioner.
I liked Briogeo’s shampoo and conditioner — they smell great, lather nicely, and offer noticeable volume. I found that these products left my hair pretty tangly, which is not the end of the world, but explains the “like” instead of “love.” I still believe the absolute best hair products for volumizing are Oribe’s shampoo and conditioner, but they cost twice as much; Briogeo will be a good alternate when I’m feeling guilty about the indulgence.
Laura Napier Wipes.
I really liked these. They are more astringent than my now-beloved Billie Wipes, so I tend to use them more sparingly. I think they’d be perfect as something to throw in a gym bag since they’re individually wrapped and would easily cut through sweat from a workout. On a daily basis, though, I have stuck with my Billie Wonder Wipes (infused with serum) which might just have made my all-time-favorite-product status — they are gentle, effective, nicely scented, and inexpensive. AND they leave vitamin C serum on your skin. Talk about an all-in-one skincare product!
But, I digress. I do like the LN wipes and will probably always keep a few on hand for when I feel I need a deeper cleanse at the end of the day.
Cocofloss.
Loved Cocofloss! It is much thicker than your average floss (almost like SuperFloss) and the material acts like velcro to whatever is between your teeth! It really gets in there — and the coconut scent is fantastic. The dispenser also has a handy little indicator on the back that lets you know how long your spool should be lasting you (sixty days / thirty days / 14 days), which is a helpful motivator to remind me to floss daily. Will definitely be ordering this again.
Feetures Socks.
A Magpie reader recommended these running socks over Bombas and I have to say I love them. They have a cushion on the sole that makes them absolutely dreamy to wear. They never slip/slide around in your shoe and I like the height of the sock — almost no-show but still tall enough to offer a little comfort around the opening of your running shoe. I ordered several more pairs after trying my first.
Glamorous Laundry Detergent.
So many Magpies have raved about this detergent! It seemed to clean linens beautifully but the scent is very powerful — to the extent that Mr. Magpie will not let me use it anymore (!) I used it to wash our sheets after receiving it and our bedroom has smelled of its scent since. A reader wrote to say “a little goes a long way,” and she was right: if you do buy this, you might want to “cut it” with a more neutral-scented detergent.
Klorane Dry Shampoo.
Another standout from this month’s roundup — THIS DRY SHAMPOO IS AMAZING. In fact, we might have a tie between this and the Artis makeup brush this month. I have never had a dry shampoo that really worked wonders for me — I remember people raving about Oscar Blandi’s formula maybe a decade ago and I bought it and thought it was fine although irritating to apply (it’s a powder). I then tried DryBar’s Dry Shampoo which I worked hard to convince myself worked — but the truth is, I liked the scent but it always left my hair looking even dirtier than before, as though I had way too much product in my hair. So I was skeptical about Klorane. BUT MAN DOES IT DELIVER. WOW. You apply this spray to your hair, let it sit for a full few minutes, and then brush out and I kid you not, my hair looks better with it than it does just minutes after I’ve showered and blow-dried my hair! It’s unbelievable! It even offers a little volume and does not leave hair feeling gross/crunchy from too much product.
Billie Shaving Cream.
I am so-so on this shave cream. I’d prefer something that lathers a bit more and think I’ll go back to my drugstore variety cream or possibly upgrade to L’Occitaine’s Almond Cleansing Oil, which one of you strongly recommended (and the reviews seem to concur with your assessment)! Apparently this oil lathers up beautifully, and almond oil is deeply hydrating to begin with.
Davines’ Oi All in One Milk Lotion.
OBSESSED with this hair product. The scent is insane — I cannot stop smelling my hair whenever I use it. I use it as a detangler and heat protectant after I get out of the shower, before I use my Revlon One-Step. It was a great partner to the Briogeo shampoo/conditioner, which left my hair a little tangly.
Items I plan to review in the coming weeks: Drunk Elephant bronzi drops, Hourglass eyebrow gel,* and Hyper’s Skin Brightening Serum.
*I recently polled Magpies on Instagram for the absolute best eyebrow gel, and the most common responses were either Hourglass and Anastasia. There were also a few votes for Glossier’s Boy Brow, which I used to use, but I found that the product dried out super quickly and that the tubes were so tiny (they almost feel like a sample size) that I was reordering constantly. LMK if you have any other brow suggestions before I take the plunge with Hourglass, which I favored over Anastasia because I’m looking for something with color to help fill in a couple of sparse spots (yikes, home grooming disaster!)
I also solicited input on the best undereye cream for dark circles (I have alternated between various eye creams in the past but none seem specifically to target the dark circle problem), and the surprising thing was that there were NO DUPLICATES in the responses, and there were literally dozens of responses! I usually go with whatever one gets the most upvotes, so the absence of multiple entries for the same product was strange and confusing. However, one of you pointed me in the direction of my friend Grace’s post about this exact subject, which I had somehow missed. I am leaning towards trying her recommended First Aid Beauty’s formula though I know a few of you have urged me to try the Olay undereye cream (which Grace also recommends) in the past. Might try them back to back.
P.S. This sweatshirt always sells out in the fall, but is currently fully stocked in all sizes in a range of colors. I own it in the ecru and love it. So cute with skinny jeans!
P.P.S. More under $100 finds here.
P.P.P.S. I went through and updated my Best of Beauty post, which is now an exhaustive list of all of my favorite skincare, beauty, and hair products of all time.
Late to chime in, but YES to L’Occitane’s almond shower oil! It offers such a smooth shave, and as a bonus it feels and smells so luxurious, especially when paired with their almond body cream post-shower.
Re: natural deodorant: ugh I’m sorry what you tried didn’t work for you! It’s not easy when we have to, you know, live our lives 😉 I tried a few different brands too before I settled on Crystal Stick, which I’ve been using for maybe 15 years now and have not looked back. It’s $5 or so and lasts forever. You can find it at Target, CVS, Whole Foods, etc. I would recommend the actual “stick” and not the roll-on nor the spray. I found the roll-on and spray versions sticky and not as effective. The “stick” is like a smooth stone that you dampen with water and rub against your underarms. All this being said… it won’t necessarily keep you *dry*, but I’ve had no adverse reactions from my loved ones about this (and yes I did ask them to tell me honestly!). Crystal Stick is my everyday go-to, but if I need to stay dry for an event or occasion (what is that?!), I use Native. And for that too, interestingly some scents work better for me than others (e.g., the cucumber worked better than the lavender). So much does depend on individual body chemistry though… but this was my experience! Oh, and the Crystal Stick comes in a travel size for under $2 I think. They’re so inexpensive compared to most of the other natural deodorant brands!
Thanks, Mia!! This is super helpful. I think I’m going to pass on the natural deodorant for now (may test at some year in the future) but I know a lot of Magpies live for these rich and helpful comments — appreciate your sharing!!
xx
As far as eye cream, I cannot recommend Sunday Riley Auto Correct enough. I had basically stopped using eye cream altogether as every one I tried either seemed to do nothing, or gave me the dreaded milia, ugh.
Auto Correct has definitely helped with my dark circles (I’ve been using it about 2 months), and the other thing is- it de-puffs and brightens, seriously, instantly. It’s not cheap, but I only need a bit about the size of a grain of rice, so I suspect it will last quite a while! xo
Wow – this is a glowing review! I’m intrigued, especially as you’ve tried so many others prior. Thank you!! xx
Chiming in with another natural deodorant comment! I have tried Agent Nateur, Weleda, Kopari, and possibly others that I’m forgetting. None worked, except for Agent Nateur – but the baking soda in it seemed to irritate my skin. Just last week, though, I may have found a winner! Randomly came across a rec for Little Seed Farms deodorants while reading reviews for the new Kosas deodorant. I ordered samples from Little Seed and OMG it seems to actually prevent odor! The caveat is that it is a cream deodorant, which I know seems weird to some (me included, initially) but after using it I found it’s no different than using your fingers to apply other products, like body lotion or face serum. The quest for natural deodorant does seem to be an individual journey of trial and error, though. Good luck, everyone! Love these review posts, Jen…
So interesting – hadn’t even heard of a cream deodorant but why would that be weird, as you say? Thank you for sharing this!
xx
I always adore your posts, thanks for your honest product feedback!
Re: the glamorous detergent, I always use it with an unscented version… about 3/4 unscented, 1/4 glamorous. It’s plenty aromatic and lasts significantly longer, which is great since it’s rather spendy!
Brilliant!!
So glad you like these posts! So fun for me to scout out new things and see what’s worth it — and I always get so many good recs (and tips, per yours!) in the comments on these posts. xx
My fave eyebrow product: https://www.neimanmarcus.com/p/giorgio-armani-eye-brow-maestro-prod183060008?utm_source=google_shopping&adpos=&scid=scplpsku160590017&sc_intid=sku160590017&ecid=NMCS__GooglePLA&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI5sGLk4Dx6gIVjITICh3DWQi2EAQYAyABEgJxz_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds ALSO – the friend that recommended it to me uses an Artis brush to apply hers. (I haven’t pulled the trigger yet & just use whatever Sephora eyebrow brush but still think it looks great) It stays put ALL DAY.
I haven’t tried any of the other products you wrote about but now am intrigued by Hyper Skin! I’m on a hunt for a good vitamin C serum (Bonus points if it’s less pricey than Skinceuticals).
Hi Natalie! Oo that is intriguing. Now I have like 3 eyebrow products I want to try — will try them back to back most likely and share at the end. Re: HyperSkin, mine just arrived today and I will definitely report back! I already use the Mad Hippie Vitamin C Serum so will be intrigued to see if this has the additional benefits advertised, i.e., treating discoloration/hyperpigmentation. But I DO love the Mad Hippie stuff and you can find it for around $30 on Amazon!!
xx
Amen to the Klorane!!!
The Necessaire deodorant has been the only natural winner for me thus far (I’ve tried many mentioned here!) It has a really lovely eucalyptus scent that lasts me the whole day. That said, if I’m giving a presentation or wearing something I don’t want to risk perspiring on. then I say a prayer and use the aluminum. I haven’t found switching back and forth has changed the effectiveness of the Necessaire!
ps- I always love these posts and the comments xx
Hi hi! Yes, your enthusiastic Klorane commentary pushed me over the edge and I’m so grateful. I even have my sisters hooked on it now! :). Thank you thank you.
Interesting re: deodorant. Between all of these comments, I’m thinking the success of this product category must REALLY depend on individual chemistry.
And thanks for weighing in here in the comments – I love love love the helpful responses on these posts, too. It’s always a great opportunity to discover new products I’d never heard of!
xx
Thank you for the reviews – I am going to try the Davine’s all-in-one milk and the scented detergent! I am all about the little luxuries in life lately.
Here are a couple from me: I love Ouai hair and body oil (I tend to use it on the body more, but love the rose smell). https://www.sephora.com/product/rose-hair-body-oil-P419005?icid2=products%20grid:p419005
I also love the Mario Badescu spry with rosewater:
https://www.ulta.com/facial-spray-with-aloe-herbs-rosewater?productId=xlsImpprod6200727&sku=2504798&cmpid=PS_Non!google!Product_Listing_Ads&cagpspn=pla&CATCI=pla-678106306742&CAAGID=77901468388&CAWELAID=330000200001078137&CATARGETID=330000200001763857&CADevice=c&gclid=CjwKCAjwmf_4BRABEiwAGhDfSeznKIh7LBN0cLocQDq66f6TprGjJzhlxv7-QiA2PXWOIxNlGkYGBRoC6qcQAvD_BwE
Can you tell, I love a rose scent! Also, loving my new Tom Ford Amalfi perfume. My husband and I were lucky enough to visit the Amalfi Coast last October and November and I wanted something to remind me of that trip. I keep kicking myself for not buying some of the perfumes at Le Sirenuse because they all smelled so good and it was such a wondrous place….but I didn’t want to risk shipping during COVID and possible delays, so I searched for an alternative.
https://www.nordstrom.com/s/tom-ford-private-blend-mandarino-di-amalfi-eau-de-parfum/3833127?country=US¤cy=USD&mrkgadid=3313916401&mrkgcl=760&mrkgen=gpla&mrkgbflag=0&mrkgcat=&utm_content=39158150368&utm_term=pla-313859839647&utm_channel=low_nd_shopping_standard&sp_source=google&sp_campaign=662927185&adpos=&creative=145518893923&device=c&matchtype=&network=g&acctid=21700000001689570&dskeywordid=92700049882631474&lid=92700049882631474&ds_s_kwgid=58700005468300903&ds_s_inventory_feed_id=97700000007631122&dsproductgroupid=313859839647&product_id=85345545&merchid=1243147&prodctry=US&prodlang=en&channel=online&storeid=&locationid=9009736&targetid=pla-313859839647&campaignid=662927185&adgroupid=39158150368&gclid=CjwKCAjwmf_4BRABEiwAGhDfSb1nFql0pvHz2646U5cPI20hXEvnVDwyt6xk9RqnUhrP4mUkq0FUbhoCgMIQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
Hi Heather! Welcome! Yay – so many good recs from your comment!
LOVE Ouai products, but had never tried the hair and body oil — I just added it to my Sephora cart. I’m also a rose-scent lover 🙂
That Tom Ford perfume sounds like a dream, and such a special remembrance for you, too!
xx
Also, DERMSTORE is having a limited edition on the KLORANE dry shampoo where you get a travel size one for free when you buy the 3.2 oz.
!! Thank you!!
Although I use several shampoos and conditioners for my long, highlighted, very straight, very fine hair, the one I really like is a drugstore brand: PANTENE PRO V SHEER VOLUME, or RADIANT COLOR VOLUME shampoo and conditioner. I find when I use the conditioner I do not need a detangler, which is such a time and product saver! ORIBE also makes a great volume shampoo and conditioner but much pricier, but again I do not need a detangler when I use the conditioner!
Hi Mom!! I really agree with your assessment — it’s either drugstore Pantene Pro V or Oribe! So odd that they are at the opposite ends of the price spectrum but both very good. I love Pantene Pro V!
xx
Product junkie here and I agree with your opinions about all of these except Megababe deodorant. I have been using it for over a year and while yes, there was a detox period (and I highly recommend a regular bi-weekly underarm detox mask if you’re using any natural deodorant), it works great for me and my body chemistry. And those Artis brushes — OMG game changer! I have a very low maintenance make up routine but those are incredible. If someone is looking to just invest in one, the elite oval 4 is perfect for under eye, and any redness around the nose, and make such a huge difference!
Hi Amy! Oooh so interesting about the deodorant! Thanks for weighing in. Those brushes are amazingggg! I forced my sister and mom to buy them — ha! I am evangelical!
xx
I feel the same about Megababe deodorant! Someone very close to me used it for a month and it STILL never worked … she said she just had rose-tinged BO. Haha! Maybe it’s just not for everyone? I have used Malin + Goetz’s eucalyptus deodorant for years and prefer it to any others I’ve tried — the chemistry just works for me and I love the scent, and of course the fact that it’s aluminum-free.
Also agreed on Cocofloss! I recently tried it out when they had a code to get a Passionfruit roll free with the purchase of a beginner pack. I’ve started with the Passionfruit flavor and I have to say, the flavor is either super subtle or they accidentally gave me a flavor-free pack, because nothing about it is passionfruity! Ha. The other two rolls I got were the Cara Cara Orange flavor, and I can already smell them through the packaging. I have been trying to be better about flossing & having a slightly “luxe” implement certainly helps a bit!
I’ve gotten a few family members hooked on the Davines Oi All-in-One Milk … love it sooo much. Even my partner stops to comment on the scent! That’s when you KNOW it’s really good. Hahaha.
xx
That’s so interesting about Malin vs Megababe. I had thought maybe it was a reaction to all aluminum-free deodorants — intriguing!
xx
Yes, it is interesting! I never had a real detox period when I switched to natural deodorant about 10 years ago. I think that’s partially due to genetics & partially due to diet — I don’t eat a ton of meat or processed foods, which my mom always said helped my case when it came to body chemistry! Not sure how scientific that is, though…
I made the transition by switching to men’s deodorants (I used Baxter of California for a few years before I tried/fell in love with M+G) and have found that men’s deodorants work really well for me, maybe because they’re formulated differently? Not sure. In any case, I recommend experimentation, and I am intrigued by Amy’s suggestion of the underarm detox mask!
xx
Me too – maybe I need to just try a different one (coupled with those detox masks). Thanks!!