Hey, babe.

"Hey, babe" is a simple phrase that has become the slogan of Frank Body and the nucleus of a pretty smart marketing plan. Frank Body is a company offering just two products, both of which are natural, coffee scrubs packaged in a simple brown paper bag.

The whole website is very cheeky.

See what I mean? I have never seen an advertisement for the scrub, but Instagram is buzzing. I decided to try frank for myself, and was pleasantly surprised to find that the product was even better than the sassy marketing.

What I Liked 

1. The ingredients
Coffee, orange essence, sweet almond oil...all stuff I feel good about putting on my skin.

2. The frank effect
After rinsing the scrub off, I was left with super smooth, moisturized skin. Totally perfect for spring weather and showing more skin!

3. The smell
Mmmmm, coffee. Combined with the orange essence, the smell of the scrub totally woke me up before I even neared the coffee pot.

4. The customer service
I purchased frank with PayPal, and they automatically sent the confirmation email to an old email address (PayPal's fault) and an old mailing address (my fault for not completely deleting?). I emailed customer service to inquire about my order, and they were so helpful - and stayed in "frank" character the entire time.

What I Didn't

1. The wait

After jumping in the shower, turning off the water, and scrubbing up...you get to wait around for 10 minutes to let frank work some magic. I generally like my showers to be more efficient. Considering how much I love everything else about this company though, I can work on cultivating patience. 

Of course, I had to join the rest of Instagram with a little #frankeffect love...

.

Have you tried frank?

xx,

Rachel

Spotlight On: fresh® Beauty

On my latest Sephora trip, it became obvious just how enamored I am with the fresh ® products. Here are my picks for spring beauty:

Soy face cleanser
Normally, I'm fairly practical when it comes to cleansers. After all, you just wash it off after a minute, right? Wrong. This stuff is amazing, and worth every penny. I don't normally classify my skin as sensitive, but after using this gentle formula for a couple days, my skin was noticeably smoother and more even. I'm sold.

Sugar lip treatment

Something between a stain and a balm, these little guys are my addiction. As I'm wishing for warmer weather, I appreciate the fun and totally wearable shades (and the SPF!). 

Brown sugar body polish

I'd be happy to receive this for any birthday, Valentine's Day, Christmas, Columbus Day...whatever. Luxurious and gentle, it made this list for its ability to transform not-so-attractive ghostly winter skin into stuff that you actually want to show as the temperature climbs. 

Do you have a favorite fresh® product I need to know about?

xx,

Rachel

Taming the Mane

I have a lot of hair. I frequently break hair ties because it's so thick, and my ponytails are constantly being compared to horse tails (not nice, friends). I've always bounced around from stylist to stylist, because it's  pretty hard to mess up long layers, you know? I am super excited about my latest appointment though. It's at Jim Brofft Salon Central, and I have only heard wonderful things about this salon. Or maybe I'm just reminded of my recent trip to London every time I look at their logo...

I've been searching for pictures of haircuts I love. While I will not be cutting my hair short again (I have PTSD from the post-breakup disaster of 2009), I want to be more specific than just saying "long layers" when I'm in the salon chair tomorrow.

 I can't decide! Which is your favorite?

xo,

Rachel

Drugstore Makeup Haul

Normally, I can be a little bit of a makeup snob. Presentation is half the shopping experience, and it is really hard to choose the harshly lit and haphazardly arranged aisles of a drugstore over the perfection that is Sephora or a department store cosmetics counter. After watching several of Jaclyn Hill's amazingly helpful makeup tutorials, I decided to see if I could find any hidden treasures at the drugstore. Here's what I left with:

(clockwise from top)

 

Physician's Formula highlighting powder

This has been popping up on my Pinterest feed like crazy. After trying it, I totally understand why! It highlights your cheekbones as well as any of the expensive highlighting powders, and even comes with a perfectly sized brush.

Revlon 24 hour foundation

I have been using BB cream for the last few months. Backpacking Europe doesn't really require a full face of makeup. However, with more events and nights out now, I wanted to find a new foundation. This one came recommended by the aforementioned Jaclyn Hill. It feels silky smooth, and comes in a ton of shades. I'm also loving the weighty container and simple packaging (again, presentation scores big with me).

Sonia Kashuk Super Sheer Liquid Tint (in Poppy)

My makeup pet peeve is the muddy bronzer look that inevitably shows up on at least one person in every bar. I get the love of contouring and the attraction of a sunkissed glow, but seriously - you are not naturally that tan (read: orange). Choosing a bronzer without shimmer helps prevent the muddy look, but so does using a blush along with your bronzer. This color looks pretty intimidating at first, but blends into your skin beautifully! I'm sold.

Maybelline SuperStay 10 Hr Stain Gloss (in Pink Flush)

I generally am not that enthusiastic about lip products. Give me Smith's Rosebud Salve and the occasional gloss and I'm a happy girl. I want to start experimenting with brighter shades though, and I thought a cheap one would be a good place to start. My only complaint is the super weird applicator shape. I just used a lip brush to apply it.

e.l.f stipple brush

Until recently I hadn't tried applying foundation with anything but a plain old makeup sponge, but consider me a converted woman. Stippling on your base gives the lightest, most natural coverage. This one was super cheap ($3), but it works just fine for me.

 

Any other hidden gems I should know about?

 

Cheers,

Rachel

 

Best. Concealer. Ever

As much as I love cosmetics, I'm not usually a shout-it-from-the-mountaintops kind of girl when it comes to specific products. However, something this great needs to be shared. I recently purchased this adorable product after I ran out of my usual Laura Mercier cover up.

I have stubborn dark circles under my eyes (thanks, genetics) and the occasional blemish I'd rather not show the world. Benefit's Erase Paste is perfect. It is super creamy and concentrated, so you get a lot for the price. While it only comes in three shades (fair, medium, and dark), it is blendable enough that my friends of all skin tones agree it can work for virtually anyone.

I really like that it is a brightening formula, which helps erase any signs of eye fatigue. It also creases minimally, and only after about 8 hours of wear. Erase Paste also seems fairly water resistant - great for pool days! You seriously need the tiniest amount - too much and it will look "cakey" since it is such a concentrated formula. I apply mine with a concealer brush when I have time, but simply pat some on with my ring finger most days. I would definitely recommend it!


*The opinions in this review are my own. I have not been compensated by Benefit in any way.

Cheers,

Rachel