The holidays are over, the ground is starting to thaw, and it looks like there’s some warmth on the horizon. This can be an exciting time for many as we put away heavy coats and sweaters to make room for lighter fabrics and pastel tones. There’s nothing better than that first warm day of opening all the windows and looking outside to see the greenery coming through. The transition from winter to spring can be a lovely time to reevaluate our skincare and makeup wardrobe as well, and experiment with new spring makeup looks. A temperatures rise, our skin will typically experience things like more perspiration, higher sebum production and a greater need for SPF. The truth is keeping our skin regimen in sync with the seasons just makes good sense. Let’s look at some ways we can prepare for warmer weather. The Clean Start: Swap Your Makeup Remover in Spring During the cold winter months, we often switch to creamy cleansers and balms to remove makeup. Some people choose to return to soaps or foaming cleansers during the warmer months. While this change can be lighter on the skin than heavy cleansing balms, keep in mind that foaming cleansers and soaps can sometimes strip and even dry out the skin.  A great moisturizing face cleanser duo is jane iredale Beauty Prep Face Cleanserand Magic Mitt. The Beauty Prep Face Cleanser is an excellent alternative to traditional cleansers because it is a Micellar Water cleanser rather than soap based. Made from nourishing ingredients like Cucumber and Aloe, it won’t dry the skin, yet you’ll find its just as effective. Micellar Water lifts dirt and impurities from skin gently and leaves a layer of soothing hydration that absorbs right in.  The Magic Mitt is made from microfibers that are smaller than a human hair. They mimic the action of emulsification dissolving makeup and residue to get skin incredibly clean without upsetting the pH or drying the skin. When combined with the Beauty Prep Face Cleanser, the results of this face cleanser duo are amazing! Warm up the Magic Mitt under warm water and apply a few drops of Beauty Prep Face Cleanser on top. Then gently scrub in a circular direction all over the face, including around the eyes and on the lips. Keep your Magic Mitt clean by washing it with soap after using and letting it air dry. Prime Before You Paint: What Finish Do You Want Your Spring Makeup To Have? During the winter, you may have been using one of our Smooth Affair Primers to keep makeup looking smooth and hydrated. This isn’t a practice that you should quit when weather gets warm. Just keep in mind what kind of finish you want your skin to have. Here are two face primers we highly recommend for seasonal transitions: Smooth Affair Brightening Face Primer is still our most popular face primer, famous for giving the skin a healthy, hydrated appearance. During transitional times, it will ensure that your makeup stays smooth and hydrated-looking regardless of the temperature.  Smooth Affair Mattifying Face Primer is a great way to compensate if your skin tends to easily get shiny in warmer weather, making it the perfect base for spring makeup looks. But know, even though it mattifies, it won’t dry out your skin. Rather it calibrates the sebum and moisture balance of your skin for excellent makeup longevity and an even looking complexion.  Built On The Right Foundation: Go for Sheer Coverage Spring Makeup Because our skin tends to get blotchy and red in the winter, many people choose makeup with more coverage. Spring is an excellent time to go for more sheer makeup looks and let your skin breathe. At jane iredale, breathable foundations are what we’re known for. Here are some of our most popular formulas: HydroPure Tinted Serum – Even though this is one of our most hydrating foundations and favorite for winter, most people find that it takes them well into warmer months because it is so lightweight. The nourishing ingredients and liposome technology also help the skin to continue recovering from the long winter dehydration that might have occurred. Just remember to apply an SPF over or under it to keep your skin protected. Dream Tint Tinted Moisturizer– This long-awaited return couldn’t have happened at a better time. Yes! Dream Tint is back and ready to take your skin into the Spring and Summer with a lightweight finish, a broad-spectrum SPF and beautiful skin-like finish that everyone loves. Wear it alone as the perfect spring makeup base or under our PurePressed Base for extra coverage. PurePressed Base– Of course we can’t make the transition to warmer months without our favorite product, jane iredale’s bestseller, to carry with us. This weightless 4-in-1 powder, foundation, concealer, and SPF is a staple whether we wear it alone or over another product. Use it in the morning and take it with you for touchups throughout the day. Purepressed Base is a great addition to any spring makeup look since it’s such a versatile product. Warm Me With A Kiss: Spring Lip Must Haves The final step of our wardrobe is an imperative, the lips. They get chapped in the winter and burned in the summer; so often overlooked, we must take care of them, especially as weather warms up. Here are a few really important products to consider as we move into warmer temperatures: HydroPure Hyaluronic Lip Treatment – This is a product purely created for repair. Made with wonderful ingredients like Padina Algae and Shea Butter, it helps lips retain moisture and restores their natural moisture. It also smooths lip texture and makes them look more youthful. It’s the perfect product to help lips recover from winter cold. LipDrink Lip Balm– If we’re going back out into the outdoors, LipDrink is a must. Available in the shades Flirt, Crush, Buff and Sheer, this SPF 15 lip balm has a petroleum-free, hydrating formula that provide an antioxidant-rich protective shield. You’ll love the way it feels and howeasy it is to wear. And if you get a seasonal cold, apply a little to your chapped nose for relief and recovery! ColorLuxe HydratingCream Lipstick– This is our newest lip formula and a beautiful addition to your spring makeup collection. Its finish is rich and luminous, and its formula drenches the lips with moisture. You’ll love all the gorgeous colors it comes in and how long it lasts on your lips.  Coming out of the cold doesn’t have to be a traumatic experience for your skin. Just keep in mind that your body goes through a transition when the seasons change and plan your spring makeup accordingly. So open your windows, step outside and take a deep breath. Enjoy the warmth on your skin and know that we’ve got you covered. 

Aptar Beauty has released its newest document "From Field Work to Prototype: A Comprehensive Guide to Aptar's Inclusive Product Design Process," which highlights the important of inclusivity in the beauty industry. The document is said to seek to inspire the market by sharing its internal design process, which integrates universal design principles to create accessible dispensing solutions. What to expect from the guide Aptar Beauty worked with APF France handicap, an organization dedicated to supporting people with disabilities.  There are five products in Aptar Beauty’s catalog that are showcased for being especially valued by individuals with fine motor skill disorders, thanks to their easy-to-use design. This guide describes building awareness as well as exploring habits and usage, then product testing and concluding with a selection of the accessible solutions resulting from the process. Xavier Joseph, vice president global marketing and innovation at Aptar Beauty, said, "By adopting universal design principles, beauty brands can address the specific needs of the elderly or disabled people with fine motor disorders. At Aptar, we are convinced that this approach is the right way to innovate."

Each week, C&T digs into the growing trends in consumer web searches and beauty-related hashtags. Hot right now: Kylie Cosmetics and Crumbl collaboration, M.A.C. Cosmetics, Mario Plumping Serum makeup, Korean sunscreen and Cosmax, summer nails and hair waxes. Here are the specific growth stats along with a deep dive into three trends that caught our attention.

Each week, C&T digs into growing trends in web searches and hashtags related to cosmetics. Here, we've combined information from the past two weeks (we skipped last week for the 4th of July). Emerging now are: Seint makeup, 4th of July makeup, high-end makeup brands, Polite Society makeup, Maybelline 4-in-1 glow makeup, Mari Maria makeup, Latina makeup, monolid eyeliner, #stitchbraids, #chromenails and sea moss serum. Following, we dig into a few topics that caught our attention.

Let's talk about skin care. Your face is your identity. It's the first thing people notice about you, and it's the first thing they form an impression based on. So what can you do to maintain a healthy complexion that will make you look your best?A few simple changes can make a big difference in how your skin looks and feels.- Drink plenty of water! Not only does this help keep your skin hydrated, but it also helps prevent any dryness or dehydration which can lead to wrinkles and fine lines.- Sunscreen is key! Keep yourself protected from the sun with sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher. This will help prevent premature aging of the skin, as well as wrinkles and cancerous cells caused by UV rays from the sun (which are harmful in large doses).- Exfoliate regularly! This helps remove dead skin cells that clog up pores and make them appear larger than they are. It also provides an overall brighter appearance by revealing smoother skin underneath all those layers of grime we tend to accumulate over time—especially during winter months when everything seems to get even more covered up than usual! We're all about beauty. It's so easy to forget that what we put on our skin goes into our bodies—and that's why we're here for you! We know that when you care for your body, you feel better about yourself. We also know that when you feel good about yourself, everything else in life gets a little bit easier.That's why Themea was created: to bring you the best skincare products for your body that are always made with the highest quality ingredients so you can enjoy them without worrying about what's going in your body or how it might affect your health. First off, you have to try our Lemon and Honeysuckle Face Wash, which is the best on the market.  Skincare doesn't need to be a painful process. You know how your skin gets dry in the winter, but then you go out in the sun and get burned? And then you get dry again? And then you get burned again? And then your skin just looks all weirdly patchy and gross and no matter what you do, nothing works?Well guess what: we've got a solution for that. It's called the Bartlett Pear Body Lotion. It's an all-natural body moisturizer that will keep your skin looking healthy and radiant all year round. Always exfoliate before applying any product on top of it—this will help ensure that the product is able to work its magic on your skin without being blocked by dead skin cells or dirt particles that may have accumulated during the day (this is especially important if you have sensitive skin). Natural beauty skincare products are made with ingredients that are not only good for your body, but also good for the world around you. These products are produced with an emphasis on sustainability and environmental protection. They do not contain any harsh chemicals that can damage the skin or hurt the environment. We believe in the power of natural ingredients to help you feel and look your best. That's why we carefully formulate our products using only the highest-quality, purest ingredients that nature has to offer. We carefully select herbs and plant extracts based on their centuries-old use in traditional medicine and healing practices, as well as for their potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and other beneficial properties.

It’s that time again, the sun is shining brightly, the days are longer, and the look of sun-kissed skin is in. Summertime is the ideal time to explore the world of bronzers. There is a misconception that bronzing and contouring are one and the same, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Contouring is meant to bring dimension and depth to the face with subtle sculpting while bronzers are meant to bring warmth and glow.  There is also a distinct difference in the shades of contouring products and bronzers. Because contouring is meant to add depth and dimension the shades often have a noticeably cooler undertone while bronzers have more a skin-like undertone. Cream vs Powder With so many options you may find yourself asking should I choose a cream or a powder? Cream bronzers are often a great choice for drier skins because of their emollient nature making it easy to get a softer blend. However, the new PureBronze collection, despite being a powder, gives a soft touch and blends easily even on a drier skin. It is equally important for oily skins to choose the correct texture for bronzers. Oily skins should avoid choosing bronzers that are heavily shimmered this can cause the skin to look very textured and shiny.  Finding Your Undertone Just like any other complexion product, both depth of skin and undertone play important roles when choosing a bronzer. The general rule of thumb is to opt for a bronzer one or two shades darker than your natural skin tone. Whether you are fair, light, medium, deep, or somewhere in between, knowing your skin’s undertone is just as important as knowing your depth of skin.  If you are unsure of your undertone here is a quick review: Undertones fall into three basic categories: warm, cool, and neutral. A warm undertone is more peachy, golden, or yellow. A cool undertone is generally associated with skin that has hints of blue, pink. Neutral undertones have a mix of cool and warm undertones. Your undertone will affect how your skin appears when it is tan. Lighter skin tones with warm undertones tan more peach. Choose a bronzer that is peachy based or neutral tan. Light to medium skin tones with warm undertones tan more golden. Choose a bronzer that has a copper tone. Deeper skin tones tan with warm undertones tan more of a deep bronze. Choose a bronzer that is deep rich chocolate. Lighter skin tones with cool undertones tan rosier. Choose a bronzer with a rosier tone. Light to medium skin tones with a cool undertone tan more of a deep cinnamon. Choose a tan shade bronzer with a hint of that cinnamon hue. Deeper or richer skin tones with a cool undertone tan more reddish. Choose a deep brown with a hint of red. Lastly, if you have a neutral undertone there is no detectable prominent shade, you may burn then tan. Opt for a beige tone that will not cause the skin to look to red or orange. Now that we have discussed undertone and depth, application is also an essential element in getting the ultimate natural sun-kissed look. If using in conjunction with complexion products such as foundation make sure to apply a dusting of powder to prevent an uneven application. If a cream bronzeris preferred, it can be blended directly onto the skin after foundation or tinted moisturizer. Just as contour has specific rules for placement so do bronzers. Applying where the sun naturally hits the face is key. Proper bronzer placementincludes the sides of the forehead, around the temples in a c formation, the tip of the nose and the chin. Fan brushes are the best tool to use, remember this is to add warmth not coverage. A fan brush will keep the application light and natural. Don’t forget about the neck and decollate. For an added glow use a shimmer bronzer on the high points of the face such as the cheekbones and the bridge of the nose. Bronzers can also be great on the days where you’re not wearing a lot of makeup or taking photos. Whether you choose cream or powder, bronzers are a great way to welcome in and celebrate summer.

We asked our employees how they use our Skincare Makeup System and how it fits into their makeup routine. Our 3-step system is designed to create a flawless, long-lasting and good-for-the-skin foundation base. First, start with Smooth Affair Brightening Face Primer to help makeup last longer and go on smoother. Then add coverage and sun protection with our #1 best-selling PurePressed Base Mineral Foundation. Finally, spritz your complexion with Pommisst Hydration Spray to help set your minerals and deliver antioxidant protection. How to Use The Skincare Makeup System: Sami’s Routine Sami, our Sales Operations Coordinator, shares how she uses our Skincare Makeup System: I’ve been a PurePressed Base user since 2015 and I don’t see myself straying anytime soon (or, ever!). Whether I am getting ready for work, a date night, or some fun in the sun, I don’t leave my house without applying. I love that PurePressed Base is a 4-in-1 product: concealer, foundation, sunscreen and skincare. Not to mention, it is so easy and quick to apply! Every morning after completing my daily skincare routine, I prime my skin with Smooth Affair Brightening Face Primer. Aside from minimizing the appearance of pores and fine lines, it truly is the best base for my pressed powder and allows my makeup to last throughout the day. I always use The Handi Brush with my PurePressed Base in Radiant for a full-face application, followed by the Sculpting Brush for targeted camouflaging and lastly the Flocked Sponge for added coverage under my eyes. Of course, I must end with a few (or five!) spritzes of my favorite Hydration Spray, POMMISST. Not only is the scent so refreshing, but it is designed to set the minerals and provide a smooth, skin-like finish. After applying my foundation, I like to add a little color back to my skin. Lately my go-to combo has been the Glow Time Bronzer and Blush Sticks. Fervor provides the perfect amount of color to the apples of my cheeks and Scorch adds a beautiful, light contour. I always find myself reaching for the PureBrow Precision Pencil in Dark Brown. I love this brow pencil because it allows me to draw in a few hair-like strokes in sparse areas. Continuing with eyes, I apply a few swipes of Beyond Lash Mascara and lastly, I grab my favorite HydroPure Hyaluronic Acid Lip Gloss in Kir Royale to apply on my lips. This entire look takes me no longer than 5 minutes to complete in the morning and leaves me feeling like an elevated version of myself. How to Use The Skincare Makeup System: Erica’s Routine Next, we asked Erica, our Sr. Manager of Brand Marketing and E-Commerce, to share how she uses our Skincare Makeup System in her routine: The Skincare Makeup System is part of my everyday makeup routine. Throughout my years of using these products together, I have found the perfect combination to give me a healthy, natural glow!  After I cleanse and moisturize, I begin with Smooth Affair Illuminating Glow Face Primer. This is the best primer of all time because it gives the most natural, subtle glow while also smoothing the appearance of my pores. Honestly, I use this by itself for truly no-makeup makeup days. Then, I apply HydroPure Tinted Serum in the shade Medium 4. This is the perfect bridge between skincare and makeup. It hydrates my skin and creates the best blurring, skin tone-evening base for my foundation. Next, I apply the #1 best-selling PurePressed Base Mineral Foundation. The combination between the dewy, skincare-infused HydroPure Tinted Serum and the light-weight mineral powder of PurePressed Base provides a natural, glowy (but not shiny), healthy look. The combination between HydroPure Tinted Serum and PurePressed Base is truly magic (not to sound dramatic, but YES, IT’S TRUE!) It looks like you have no makeup on, in the best way possible. Then to set my whole look and to bring out even more hydrated radiance to my complexion, I use POMMISST Hydration Spray. The Hydration Spray makes PurePressed Base match my skin even more perfectly and makes my makeup last all day long. This routine and combination of products works for all skin tones, types and preferences. This is my holy grail, and I love to share it with as many people as possible! Have you tried our Skincare Makeup System yet?

I’ve always marveled at this ocean planet. 71 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by water and 96.5 percent of it is contained in the oceans. Actually, it’s really one ocean with bits of land popping up here and there. How is it we’re so lucky to have a planet with an ocean that is capable of sustaining such an abundance of life forms on land and sea? Where did the water come from? Scientists have theories but nothing is certain. Do other planets have water? Evidence points to oceans on other planets, but Earth is the only known planet to have consistent, stable bodies of liquid water on its surface. That’s because Earth is in the habitable zone, meaning that it isn’t too close to the sun for the heat to evaporate water and not too far to freeze it. And then there’s the perfect amount of gravity which holds the water where we want it to be. I know that exploring space is as exciting as it gets, but we know so little about this miracle planet that we live on, that I wonder why we aren’t more curious about it. A NASA employee once told me that the amount of money that goes into exploring the source and maintenance of life on Earth, the oceans, is a rounding-error in the amount of money spent on space exploration. It boggles my mind! Is there anything out there that is more beautiful than where we already live? The Importance of Coral Reefs I think we need to protect and nurture Planet Earth, and the only way we can do that is to try to understand it. One thing we do know is that the oceans are under stress. Climate change is literally changing everything. Take, for example, our barrier reefs. Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is so huge that it can be seen from space. It stretches over 1,400 miles. It’s home to billions of marine species and is the world’s largest living organism. It’s importance to our survival can’t be over-estimate, all reefs are important to our survival. Why? Well, selfishly from a human point of view, they protect our shorelines from the ravages of storms that are becoming more and more frequent due to the extreme fluctuations of ocean temperatures. Storms erode coastlines taking homes and livelihoods with them. Over half a billion people depend on reefs for food, income, and protection. The net economic value of the world’s coral reefs is estimated to be tens of billions of dollars per year. And what of the reefs themselves that are often called “the rainforests of the sea?” About 25% of the ocean’s fish depend on healthy coral reefs. That’s a lot of fish! They find shelter and food, reproduce, and rear their young in the nooks and crannies formed by corals. (And here I have to digress and recommend a documentary called “My Octopus Teacher.” If you haven’t seen it, put it at the top of your list. It won’t disappoint.). Reefs are fundamental to a healthy ocean.  But coral reef ecosystems are severely threatened. Pollution, sedimentation from run-off, unsustainable fishing practices, and climate change are leading to coral bleaching and death. In 2005, the U.S. lost half of its coral reefs in the Caribbean in one year due to a massive bleaching event. Between 2014 and 2017 unusually warm waters affected 70% of coral reefs. The Great Barrier Reef lost hundreds of miles to bleaching. What Can You Do to Help Our Beautiful and Essential Ocean Reefs? Even if you live thousands of miles from an ocean, the weed-killers and fertilizers you use will eventually flow into the ocean. Find green alternatives that won’t harm coral reefs and marine life. Research where your seafood comes from and if it's caught sustainably. Overfishing is one of the biggest threats to coral reefs. You probably think that buying wild-caught shrimp is a better choice than farmed, but the methods for catching shrimp are devastating for the oceans. It’s too long to explain here, but this article will tell you everything you need to know. Be conscious if you buy aquarium fish. How were they obtained? Recycle and dispose of trash properly. Somehow so much of our trash ends up in the oceans. Whenever I walk the beach, I take a garbage bag with me. I’m shocked at how much plastic I pick up that has washed ashore. I’ve seen plastic bags wrapped around coral, choking it to death. Don’t buy coral ornaments or jewelry If you love to scuba or snorkel, avoid touching or standing on reefs. Anchoring your boat on the reef will damage and potentially kill the delicate coral animals. Volunteer! If you live near the coast, volunteer in local beach or reef cleanups. If you don’t live near the coast, get involved in protecting your local watershed.  Using Reef Safe Sunscreen There is more but I’m going to end with a plea about sunscreens and wearing one that is considered reef-safe. Several common sunscreen ingredients have been shown to be toxic to coral reefs. Again, whether you are in the ocean or not, what you wear will eventually wash off and end up there. Millions of people wear sunscreens and have no idea that they are negatively impacting coral reefs. What Sunscreen Ingredients Are Not Reef Safe? Key ingredients to avoid are Oxybenzone and Octinoxate. Additionally, look out for Benzophenone-1, Benzophenone-8, OD-PABA, 4-Methylbenzylidene camphor, 3-Benzylidene camphor, and Octocrylene. These can affect corals' reproductive cycle, damage DNA, and worsen the effects of coral bleaching. Active sunscreen ingredients that are considered reef-safe are Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide. A quick word about the amount of protection from SPF ratings. (By the way, SPF only refers to UVB protection). An SPF 15 protects from 93% of UVB rays. SPF 30 protects from 97%.  Afterthat, the difference in protection is small. SPF 50 blocks 98%, and SPF 100 stops 99% of UVB rays from reaching your skin. To achieve these high SPF ratings, disproportionately more chemicals have to be used. Check out our Sun Protection Guide to learn more. What Sunscreens Are Reef Safe? jane iredale uses reef-safe sunscreen protection in all our mineral powders. The highest rating is our Powder-Me SPF 30 Dry Sunscreen at an SPF 30, which uses Titanium Dioxide as its active ingredient. Its convenient brush makes it so easy to apply and reapply, and it comes with handy refill canisters. I’ve been wearing it for years and I don’t see any reason to change now, even though my days of sunning are far behind me. Better safe than sorry!