I wonder if you find this experience familiar–you open a bag of your beauty stash and products tumble and spill out every which way. Maybe you unexpectedly locate a long lost tinted lip balm in a jacket from last winter–nice! I have beauty products in every pocket, drawer, cabinet, bag, purse and literally anywhere else. I know I can't be the only one with these experiences. A recent survey found that the average American woman owns 40 beauty products.
And when I look at my makeup bag, or my bathroom skincare shelf I can very quickly point out the products that actually motivate me to dive into a beauty sesh, and then there are the things that tempt me to skip the whole process. You can probably guess that the products that most inspire me aren't the factory made Chanel lipsticks, or that random sheet mask I picked up from Walgreens that one time. It's certainly not the Bioderma Cleanser. Those are fine products, sure, I bought them for a reason. But they don't make me love my beauty routines. They might be effective enough products, but they don't have any stories. They aren't speaking to me in any way.
When I get into doing my morning skincare routine, I am truly excited to pick up and use the Vitamin C serum from Lark Skin Co. The brand is a St. Louis based, woman owned, natural and holistic skincare company that was inspired during a meditation session after learning about her mothers terminal cancer diagnosis. A young mother herself, she funneled all her energy into starting her company and has since become a center for wellness in her community. The founder, Lisa Dolan is on a mission to create a community for women to feel confident in their skin and to provide natural alternatives to traditional beauty products. I think my contribution to her cause every time I use her product.
And then I look into my makeup bag and I'm giddy to find a lipstick to wear from the natural makeup line, Spela Cosmetics. They are another woman owned company that chooses to create their whole line in the United States, making sure the manufacturing process is safe and that workers are paid a fair wage. Also, as a company they hold their products to the much stricter european standards of safety. I'm proud to swipe that on my face and please ask me about it!
I shop products from small brands for many reasons, and mainly because I am happy that my contribution and support is not just going to an executive or a shareholder. It's a vote with the dollar in my pocket to support vibrant communities, worthy causes, a code of ethics and humanity. Let's cheers to that!
