The Stripe

A Clean Dupe for Nars Orgasm

Remember when I posted my mostly clean everyday makeup routine? I had been on a hunt for an everyday blush that I’d love as much as my beloved NARS orgasm. Nothing I’d tried measured up! I asked you guys for recommendations and my DMs were flooded with suggestions for Beautycounter’s blush in “Nectar.” I’d never had so many people recommend one specific product. So I ordered it (along with this cream blush) immediately to see how it measures up. It’s perfect. That same golden pink glow that looks good on EVERYONE and just makes you look awake and happy. I am obsessed. My favorite way to test it was to put one blush on each cheek and see if I could notice a difference. I could not. The wear was the same too – both blushes last all day on me.

The cream blush was not my favorite but I’m just generally not a cream blush person. I know a lot of you love them and I’ve tried a million of them’ I just personally prefer a powder blush! Becca is a big fan of cream blushes so I gave it to her and she really likes it. It’s not a bad product, it’s just not for me.

PS – my sweater is available here!

(Also, a word about my beauty routine as a whole: I am about 80% clean…

I do the best I can but this is NOT a fully clean beauty blog. Makeup wise, I try to make my daily routine fully clean and won’t feel bad if I occasionally get my makeup done by Glamsquad or do a glittery eye from NARS. I still love NARS for special occasions etc but if it’s a product that I am using every single day, I want it to be clean!)

photography by Carter Fish.

Hyaluronic acid is one of the buzziest ingredients right now. Why? It’s AMAZING for delivering a shot of moisture to the skin and reducing fine lines (it hydrates the skin immediately). As someone who travels a lot, has dry skin to begin with, and is starting to see more noticeable signs of aging, I had been curious about this power ingredient for a while.

Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum

For my latest project with Sephora, they wanted to pair me with one of their powerful derm solutions products. I gave them my biggest skincare concerns (dryness, loss of firmness, fine lines), and they paired me with Dr. Barbara Sturm’s Hyaluronic Serum.

What makes this serum different?

This product is a splurge – I want to acknowledge that. This serum is for someone with dry skin who wants a really high tech serum and potent hydration.

The key ingredients in this serum are hyaluronic acid + purslane. It contains both long chain and short chain hyaluronic acid molecules. The long chain molecules provide intensive hydration to the surface, refreshing it immediately. The short chain molecules replenish moisture long term.

Purslane is the other power ingredient that differentiates this serum from other HA serums (there are a lot of them!) It’s a strong antioxidant that stimulates the body and supports skin rejuvenation. I loved this article where Dr. Sturm raved about this ingredient in particular, calling it the “fountain of youth enzyme.” It’s also one of the richest sources on earth of earth of omega-3 fatty acids, a-linolenic acid, and antioxidants.

How to use it?

I use Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum in a few different ways. I have been using it as my daytime serum and I like how refreshing it is. It’s very lightweight and absorbs into my skin immediately. It reduces the look of fine lines caused by dehydration (incredible if you are traveling a lot or had that second cocktail the night before). It’s definitely a godsend for someone who travels a lot.

I also love applying it on the plane. For a long flight I will skip makeup. Once we’re in the air I’ll refresh my skin with toner or a face mist, massage in a few drops of this serum, and then lock it in with a thick creamy moisturizer or moisture mask.

It’s important to note that this is a serum and not a moisturizer. While it delivers a jolt of moisture to your skin, you need to apply moisturizer (or face oil) afterward to lock in the benefits.

A bit more about Dr. Sturm

Dr. Sturm is a world renowned aesthetics doctor who has become sought after for her non-surgical treatments that tackle the signs of aging. She makes luxury beauty products known to target the look of skin renewal, in particular. The ingredients and technology are always cutting edge. She’s also an avid traveler (I loved her interview with Travel & Leisure). I haven’t tried very many of her products (yet) but I have tried the Enzyme Cleanser and really liked that. (It’s a powder, which makes it great for travel!)

My Personal Experience with this product

As someone with very dry skin I notice a big difference using Dr Sturm’s Hyaluronic Serum. With regular use over the past 5-6 weeks, I’ve noticed that the fine lines on my forehead are less visible. I also love it in the morning. Something I’ve noticed probably since turning 35 is that my “morning face” needs about an hour to wake up, especially if I ended up sleeping on my stomach. Pillow creases and fine lines are so much more visible and if I don’t do my skincare routine as soon as I wake up, they’ll hang around for hours!

This really helps with that! I’ve talked a lot about my morning routine but I’ll splash my face with water, tone, and apply this serum and then moisturizer. This serum plumps up your skin big time, waking things up and reducing the look of those fine lines.

Created in partnership with Sephora; photography by Carter Fish.