Who would have thought we would be living in a time when CBD is an active ingredient in the usage of beauty products? Perhaps we can consider this a Not So Stoned Age. Now you can celebrate 4/20 without actually getting high. Hemp to the CBD!!
Cannabidiol or cannabinoids was first discovered in 1940. A chemical of over 80 compounds found in the Cannabis sativa plant, also known as cannabis or hemp. Not including THC, which are strains contained to get high. It is predicted that the American CBD market could reach $16 billion by 2025.
It is commonly used for epilepsy, anxiety, insomnia, chronic pain, arthritis, a muscle disorder called dystonia, Parkinson disease, Crohn disease, and many other conditions. Although there is no scientific evidence to support its benefit, it has been known to help those suffering from medical conditions and even help kick an addiction.
CBD was illegal until 2018 when it became legal to sell hemp and hemp products in the US. It doesn’t mean that all CBD products made from hemp are legal. Because CBD usage is allowed with prescription only, it is not legal to sell in foods or dietary supplements, even though there are still CBD products labeled as dietary supplements. Keep in mind that the FDA does not regulate the safety and purity of dietary supplements. Most of the time, these products can be mislabeled and not contain the actual amount of CBD in the products as stated. CBD can only be legally sold as an active ingredient for cosmetic products containing less than 0.3% THC, whether in the form of a topical CBD-infused oil, lotion, or cream – or even as a bath soak. CBD in cosmetic products is primarily made to help reduce inflammation and relieve muscle and joint pain. Studies show it can help treat dry skin, psoriasis, eczema…. and even acne!
According to Hemp Business Journal, the market for CBD products has been outstanding, reaching about $190 million in 2017, and will grow to $646 million by 2022. The beauty industry began with limited CBD brand products for skin and has expanded to lips and hair. The best part is that most CBD beauty products available are vegan, cruelty-free with all-natural, and organic ingredients.
I occasionally suffer from minor muscle inflammation and hate having to depend on pain-reliever OTC meds, so I began applying lotion that will help ease the pain and discomfort. I tried Sagely Naturals — Relief & Recovery CBD Cream, packed with 250mg of CBD per bottle. Although I haven’t experienced perfect results, it has helped soothe the pain.
Here is another one of my favorite CBD products, this is only sold in Sephora.
As a first-generation Latina, I was taught to embrace and accept who I am and be proud of where I come from. Merriam-Webster defines heritage as the traditions, achievements, beliefs, etc., that are part of the history of a group or nation. It is what makes us all unique, having different heritages. Although a century ago, Hispanic/Latino culture may not have been celebrated or accepted the way it is now. Let’s go back in time for more history on how this event came to be. Hispanic Heritage Month was first introduced in June of 1968 by California Congressman George E. Brown, who represented a heavy Hispanic population area. The celebration actually lasted for a week but later gained attention throughout the peak of the civil rights movement as well as growth awareness of the United States’ multicultural identities. On September 17, 1968, Congress passed Public Law 90-48, officially authorizing and requesting the president to issue annual proclamations declaring beginning of National Hispanic Heritage Week to be observed with appropriate ceremonies and activities. President Lyndon B. Johnson issued the first Hispanic Heritage Week presidential proclamation the same day. In 1987 U.S. Representative Esteban E. Torres of California proposed expanding this observance to “properly observe and coordinate events and activities to celebrate Hispanic culture and achievement.” On September 14, 1989, President George H.W. Bush became the first president to declare the monthly period from September 15 to October 15 as National Hispanic Heritage Month.
Celebrating and honoring those who continue to impact the Hispanic community to show the value of their success and conquering the obstacles they faced to make a difference in the world today.
Since this is a blog about beauty, I will be sharing the development of the Beautyblender and highlights of its founder and CEO, Rea Ann Silva, a Latina veteran makeup-artist-turned-businesswoman who demonstrated the struggles women of color endured to make their mark in the world of beauty. The iconic pink egg-shaped Beautyblender sponge has become popular among makeup professionals and makeup enthusiasts no matter their background, a brand sold globally, winning 10 Allure Best of Beauty Awards and projected to do $215 million in retail sales this year alone. It began when the hand-cut, egg-shaped sponges were invented while working as a television makeup artist in the early 2000s to help give her clients a perfect complexion, becoming an expertise in working with women of color. Brushes wouldn’t work because they caused streaks, and powder products didn’t mix well with liquid makeup. She started by taking standard triangular wedges and cutting the edges off to give them a round shape. She experimented with various shapes and sizes, but nothing worked as seamlessly as the egg shape. From that moment, actors began “stealing’ the sponges during set; she then realized the attention it had gained from that small creation. “I thought, well, there must be a retail possibility for this product,” she said in Know Your Value, an MSNBC empowering community helping women to grow their career. After the little egg-shaped sponge, it inspired her to create a beauty startup named Beautyblender, forming an LLC in 2003. However, it wasn’t until ten years later when the company went nationwide in Sephora where sales skyrocketed. The Los Angeles native didn’t plan to pursue a career in makeup artistry. Her mind was drawn to fashion illustration, enrolling as a student at The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, ”I wanted to become a designer until I realized that my favorite part of my fashion studies by far was sketching,” she told Spotlyte. Soon, she saw herself in a tough situation after an unexpected breakup and becoming a single parent. After leaving school to make ends meet, with “no job, no money and no skills,” she began working as a perfume seller at a local department store, later transitioning to the cosmetics counter which opened up a new direction for her life as a makeup artist. Being a Latina in the predominantly white beauty industry also had its up and down, Silva experienced discrimination due to her ethnic background where directors refused to work with her. By the early 2000s, her makeup artistry challenge began while working for the UPN series “Girlfriends” where actors were under high-def. “Suddenly, in HD, you were able to see every pore, you were able to see every bump. You saw everything on the skin, as opposed to film, where you blast a lot of light and you, you know, you wear 5,000 pounds of makeup” said Silva. Airbrushing was the most natural way to correct makeup but to avoid the hassle of carrying the entire airbrush compressor, she needed to find an alternative way to be able to touch up makeup hence, the Beautyblender was born.
A sketch of Beautyblender
Working with people of color allowed her to gain more awareness in emphasizing diversity in the industry. Actors and actresses of color have expressed that makeup artists and stylists hired in the industry have no idea how to work with different hair textures and skin colors. “I am Mexican, Portuguese, Spanish, and Irish. My children are black. My career has been centered around women of color, and I became known in Hollywood, and really around the world, as one of the first makeup artists that really understood ethnic skins, learned how to really match those skins, be creative in ways to create the colors that just didn’t exist. I’ve been in the union for over 20 years, so there weren’t people that really specialized in those areas, whether it’s hair, whether it’s makeup, and I’m happy to say that I think there’s a little more diversity happening now, so it’s good, yeah,” said Silva in an interview with Business Insider.
The release of Bounce Foundation and other makeup products
Due to the Beautyblender’s massive success, it enabled Silva to launch her own foundation line in 2018, Bounce. The line initially released 32 shades, now comes in 40 shades, far more than the limited shades offered for people of color back from when she worked as a makeup artist two decades ago.
“The biggest fail for makeup applications for many years is that there weren’t enough shades for women of color to actually look natural with makeup on, so you had to learn to become like a mixologist,” Silva said. She remembered blending lipsticks and blushes into the foundation to get the right undertones, and even heard stories of makeup artists using shoe polish to darken shades. “They would all be from light to a little bit darker, not really going into other ethnicities, the Latin colors, or African American colors or Asian colors,” she recalled.
In April 2020, Silva was one of eight women featured in a new Smithsonian, National Museum of American History exhibit called The Only One in the Room, to celebrate female game-changers in different industries like manufacturing, finance, marketing, and beauty in a time when women were prohibited from taking leadership roles within companies and relegated them to positions with low status and little decision-making power.
Today, she has a variety of makeup products and sponge cleaners available as well as different sized blender sponges proudly Made in the USA.
Silva credits her Hispanic heritage with giving her an eye for color while acknowledging her own work ethic “I always try to do the most and not the least….Being Latina, we are a very colorful people. We are not afraid of color. We embrace color. And we celebrate color,” says Silva. Hispanic Heritage Month runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 but Silva says her family honors their heritage every day.
“I live and breathe beauty, but when I look at my life, it’s more than just the industry and my business.”
-Rae Ann Silva
Did you know? September 15th was the chosen date to begin the celebratory week due to the Independence Day of five nations or as President Johnson would call, “Central American neighbors,”—Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua whom declared their independence from Spain on September 15, 1821. Coincidently, Mexico also declared its independence from Spain on September 16, 1810. Chile also celebrates its independence from Spain on September 18, 1810, and Belize declared its independence from Great Britain on September 21, 1981.
The European Parliament just voted for an action plan to end animal testing, replacing them with efficient, human-relevant technologies. This is a win for the animals!!
The use of animal testing for cosmetics has been banned in the EU since 2009 but there were still 12 million animals bred and killed as test animals in 2017, mainly in scientific research.
“Parliament recognises that previous animal testing has contributed to research and medical advances, as well as safe vaccines including COVID-19 vaccines. MEPs understand that there are cases where animal experiments are still needed to gain scientific insights for certain diseases due to the current unavailability of non-animal methods,” as stated in press release.
You’ve probably been wondering why Marc Jacobs beauty is on sale for up to 50% off in all Sephora stores including JCPenny Sephora locations and marcjacobsbeauty.com. The first thing consumers assume is the makeup line is going out of business. But is it really? A Reddit user shared that according to a Sephora beauty advisor, MJ Beauty is closing its doors but will still have their fragrances available. This statement hasn’t been officially released by Marc Jacobs himself nor has it been shared throughout the company’s site or social media accounts. Notice their response in the FAQ’s section:
Kendo Holdings, Inc formerly known as Sephora Originals launched Marc Jacobs beauty in 2013. The Enamored Hi-Shine Lip lacquer won Allure Best of Beauty Award in 2015.
I went to Sephora and found a few products remaining in shelves. My favorite so far is the Accomplice Instant Blurring Beauty Powder, Brow Wow Duo Brow Powder Pencil and Tinted Gel + Pencil Refill, Accomplice Concealer & Touch-Up Stick and of course gotta have the Eye-Conic Multi-Finish Eyeshadow Palette in Scandalust 740 Rust and Warmed with Starlet. The items are available at a local Sephora while supplies last, you can also find them in the MJBeauty website.
I contacted Marc Jacobs Beauty customer service about restocking out of stock items in their site and this was their response:
I’m wondering why they’re being so secretive about this, maybe MJ Beauty is updating their products and releasing a limit amount in their line only. Rumor has it that the line is going completely vegan and/or changing its packaging. Guess one way to find out is if we follow their updates. They already have new products listed on their site and Sephora. The harsh reality is that Marc Jacobs along with other fashion brands was very much impacted by covid-19. The company had to lay off roughly 60 employees beginning June of 2020 but that was for retail itself.
Whether the rumors are true or false, the prices are unbeatable and the good quality products are cruelty-free so get yours know while you can.
It’s July and the brand is promoting its Cherry Collection.
Flesh is a cruelty free cosmetic brand. Their products are not tested on animals nor sold in countries where animal testing is required.
Award winning Pure Flesh Liquid Foundation is on sale at Ulta for $8 ($32.00), that’s right $8!!! a few shades remain so get yours while they last. This foundation is suitable for all skin types from dry to oily. It’s infused with aloe vera to soothe and hydrate skin; glycerin, squalane and sodium hyluronat to help skin feel smooth and moisturized, and pomegranate extract for soft, lightweight texture and a velvety finish.
I purchased a few, can’t go wrong with that amazing price.
There’s also other items available at a great price. They are going fast.
Meet Flesh: as personal as a fingerprint, as intimate as your flesh. To us, inclusivity informs everything we do. It lives in our soul. We want people to find themselves in ways that are right for their flesh, personally, intimately. That’s why we make nudes in every shade of nude, but we also punctuate this fleshy world with vivid color, shimmer, cool new textures, and everything you could want for style and self-expression. Because we believe that beauty is about how you imagine yourself and how you bring that vision to life. It’s some kind of magic.
Here are some reasons to choose cruelty-free products (in my opinion):
1. You’ll feel glad you didn’t spend money on a product that caused the life of a living being. 🐁 🐀 🐇🐕🐈 That body, bath or cosmetic product will make you feel guilt free.
2. Affordable, well some not all. Depending on the awesome brand of course. 💲
3. Believe it or not, you saved an animal’s life by choosing compassion over cruelty. 🐁
4. Decreased the sales of companies that continue to test on animals 🚫
5. Better results!
6. Smell. Natural smell ahh 😌
7. If don’t mind spending a few cents more, your body will thank you for the natural ingredients too.
8. Animal testing harms the environment 🌎 yes it’s bad for our planet.
Sephora is having a sale on a selection of Kat Von D beauty products as well as the KVD site. They are cutting down on certain collections to make room for new ones at Sephora retail stores. KVD beauty made it clear on their Instagram that they’re not going anywhere so they’ll remain in business.
Say goodbye forever to their Everlasting Liquid Lipstick that will be discontinued in:
In celebration, here’s a little history on lipstick:
According to the book “Read My Lips: A Cultural History of Lipstick,” Queen Schub-ad of Mesopotamia made a paste from white lead and crushed red rocks to color her lips, from there she created a lipstick. It made its way to the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans. Somehow it survived through the Middle Ages and Italian Renaissance.
In 1927, French Chemist, Paul Baudercroux invented a formula he called ‘Rouge Baiser’ considered to be the first kiss-proof lipstick. Ironically, Rouge Baiser was long-lasting that it was banned from purchasing after being considered too hard to remove.
In the 1930’s another element of lipstick formulas’ was invented by cosmetic company Max Factor. The lip gloss!
By the 1950s, chemist Helen Bishop invented a new version of long-lasting lipstick called ‘No-Smear Lipstick‘.
In 1973 Bonnie Bell introduced, ‘Lip Smackers’, flavored lipstick. These became an instant hit for the younger consumers.
In modern times, the variety of colors and formulas of lipsticks available are outstanding. According to a survey, on an average, women in U.S. spend more than $3500 dollars on lipstick in their lifetime.
National Lipstick Day is an annual event that falls on July 29th. As of 2016, award-winning beauty blogger, entrepreneur and International Businesswoman, Huda Kattan was named the modern-day founder of National Lipstick Day. Lipstick wearers like to celebrate this day by purchasing a new shade of lipstick or just wear an old favorite.
Certain stores and brands are giving away free lipstick or offering great deals such as Urban Decay, Huda Beauty, Anastasia Beverley Hills, ColourPop, Target and Macy’s.
“If you’re sad, add more lipstick and attack.” -Coco Chanel 💋
Live, Love Cruelty-Free 