“Millennials on a Mission”: Thirteenth and Hudson

Chasity Cooper was kind enough to feature and interview us on her blog. Please check it out on chasitycooper.wordpress.com ! It was a pleasure.Thanks so much for the love and shoutout! 😀

CHASITY S. COOPER

Happy Friday Everyone!

I hope that you all have enjoyed this first wonderful week of summer. It’s hard to believe that next week will already be July! But I’m so excited for today’s installment of “Millennials on a Mission”. To kick it up a notch, I’ve decided to also spotlight groups of millennials are doing amazing things together (because as we all know, teamwork makes the dream work.) This week’s post is about three young ladies that have taken their amazing friendship to new heights and collaborated to share their love for all things beauty-ful.

I’d like for you all to meet the ladies of Thirteenth and Hudson.

Kimberly, Katrina and Samantha  met their freshman year of high school ten years ago at Notre Dame School, a Catholic girls school in New York City. After high school like most friends, they each took different paths: Kim studied journalism…

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Do You Smell Me?

By: Sam

I have a confession: I hate my body chemistry. It seems like a weird thing to nitpick but this has caused me some major problems in the fragrance department. Recently, I read an interesting article on the relationship between body chemistry & fragrance. However, it’s not so much that I can’t find a scent that I like (trust me there are many) but it smells seems like nothing actually stays on my skin. How do I fix this? I can’t buy a perfume based on a scent I like for 5 minutes when my main concern is how it’s going to smell (if at all) in the next hour. Even so, nowadays it is a little daunting to tackle the issue of fragrances with so many options: parfum, eau de parfum, eau de toilette, eau fraiche, perfume oils, and solid perfumes. Then once you jump that hurdle, you have to decide whether you want a scent that’s “fresh and clean”, “feminine and floral”, “spicy” and the list goes on… eau de oh no!

Before we get overwhelmed, let’s B R E A K D O W N these fragrance choices! Shall we?

• Parfum: Contains 15 to 30 percent of the essential fragrance and is the most expensive kind of perfume. It is also called “extrait perfume”. Joy Baccarat Pure Perfume by Jean Patou retails for a whopping $1000!
• Eau de Parfum: Contains 8 to 15 percent of essential fragrance and is less costly than parfums. Dot ($89) by Marc Jacobs is an Eau de Parfum and smells lovely don’t you think?
• Eau de Toilette: Can cost equal or less than Eau de Parfum but contains 5 to 8 percent of essential fragrance. Eau de Toilette is not meant to stay on the skin for long periods so make note of that ladies! One of the newest Eau de Toilette fragrances is Anna Sui La Vie De Boheme ($78).
• Eau Fraiche: Lighter than Eau de Toilette containing about 3 percent or less of the essential fragrance. Chanel’s Chance ($90) has an Eau Fraiche version of the fragrance.
• Perfume Oil: Is applied by massaging fragrance onto the skin and contains a stronger scent than alcohol based perfumes. Perfume oils contain 15 to 30 percent of essential fragrance. Perfume oils can be pricey such as Creed Acqua Fiorentina Perfume Oil ($160) or there are less expensive options from The Body Shop and LUSH.
• Solid Perfume: Made with beeswax or petroleum jelly . It needs a carrier oil as a base and essential oils. Designer perfumes have made solid perfume versions of their fragrances such as Oscar de la Renta’s Espirit Doscar Solid Perfume ring($65) (how cute!). I also found a DIY recipe for solid perfume.

After you decide how potent you want your fragrance to be, the rest is up to your personal taste. 😉

Since I’m starting from scratch with perfumes, it doesn’t make sense (right now) to break bank on a light scent that will subside once I break a sweat. I’ve started using Devil’s Nightcap Perfume Oil ($59.95-139.95) by LUSH. It contains bitter oak wood, oak moss, clary sage & ylang ylang, which gives me a dark, mysterious, and earthy scent I’m looking for. I took the time to test out the scent at the store and browse their beauty products while the scent settled onto my skin. I love how they literally let you smell the coffee (they have coffee beans!) to refresh your sense of smell while trying out their various perfumes. I’m diggin’ it so far and have already received compliments :).

Tell us! What’s your favorite perfume?

Review: Masking & Toning with Mario Badescu

Let’s face it, with millions of lotions, toners, masks and cleansers available, trying to choose the product that is right for you has become an increasingly difficult task.

With skincare, purchases are usually on a buy and try basis, as our skin is constantly changing with the weather, our hormones, and (dare I say)… our age 😕. Since changing skin equals the inevitable change in skincare, I was more than eager to update my regimen when Samantha offered some Mario Badescu products for me to try.

The toner and mask both came at the perfect time, as I’ve been feeling as though my morning & nighttime cleansing routines were a little…well…lacking. Simply washing and moisturizing didn’t seem to be enough for my annoying combination/ oily skin. So the Cucumber Cleansing Lotion provided the perfect balance and base I needed to prep my over-zealous pores after cleansing and before moisturizing. I’ve used toners before, but they’ve always left my skin feeling too dry. Infused with cucumber extract astringent, this lotion is intended for oily/combo types looking to calm redness, unclog pores and deep clean to prevent acne)

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When it comes to masks, I am far from experienced, but I recognize that my skin craves that extra deep cleanse every once in a while. The Flower and Tonic mask is refreshing, lightweight, and moisturizing. Most importantly, it doesn’t dry out your skin & the smell us simply intoxicating!

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I’m loving that Mario Badescu products (available online or at the Mario Badescu salon in NYC) guarantee results while being pocket-friendly. Tell us, what toners and masks are you trying for the summer?

Kim

Breakouts Be Gone! – Bianca

by: Katrina

Hello everyone! Today I want to introduce my beautiful little sister… and her not so beautiful bumps (lol). For the past 23 years I’ve been lucky enough to not have bad breakouts (knock on wood) but my teenage sister unfortunately is experiencing them. She has gone through various facial cleansers and moisturizers. Many would clear up her face but nothing would KEEP the pimples away. Worrying and stressing over it made it worse so she finally got some help from a dermatologist. He prescribed her 2 topical medications:

1. FINACEA – first and only gel approved by the FDA to treat the bumps, pimples, and rosacea. It contains azelaic acid (AzA), a naturally occurring ingredient. It comes in a water-based gel (fragrance and alcohol free) and helps to limit allergic reaction and dryness

2. DIFFERIN- comes two ways: two different strengths, one gel and one lotion (doctor determines which is best for you). Bianca uses the clear gel which is for more challenging acne. It works under the skin’s surface to unclog pores, clear pimples, and most important – keep them away!

Name: Bianca

Age: 15

Skin Type: Oily

Skincare Routine: “When I wake up in the morning I rinse my face with cold water then dab it dry with a clean towel. Afterwards, I apply Finacea in pea size drops on my pimples and any marks on my face. Then, I apply Differen- pea size drops on my forehead, one on each cheek, and one on my chin and massage onto my face. I do this before I go to bed and sometimes after school if my face feels dirty.”

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Now my sister is acne free and enjoying life ! hahaha

Tell us! How do you treat your breakouts?

Review: Josie Maran Cleansing Oil

By: Sam

Hey Beauties! If you guys follow us on Instagram @thirteenthandhudson or on Twitter: @13thandhudson, you’ll know that I received a gift set by Josie Maran as a belated birthday/graduation gift:

Although I was not expecting to get this, I was excited because I am really interested in exploring the world of cleansing oils. Josie Maran’s Cleansing Oil ($12, $32) is designed for all skin types and contains argan oil, almond, safflower seed, and grape oils which help gently cleanse and rejuvenate the skin. Argan oil is the main ingredient in Josie Maran’s products which contains Vitamin E and essential fatty acids that help with skin issues such as, hyper-pigmentation, dehydration, inflammation, and the excess production of sebum (ideal for blemish prone skin). After cleansing skin is left clean and hydrated without oily residue and without drying the skin. I don’t know about you but the thought of cleansing oils worries me; how could an oil possibly succeed as a cleanser? I’ve tried everything from gel, foam, and cream cleansers so it couldn’t hurt to “test the oils” right? Well there was only one way to find out, so I decided to give it a try:

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Josie Maran’s Cleansing Oil was indeed a success! My favorite thing about the cleanser is that the oil heats up as you rub your hands together and while massaging your face, you feel and see the oil breaking up the makeup and dirt off your face. My skin felt so clean yet incredibly soft and radiant. For all you fellow oil-phobes: no greasy feel and no oily residue! You are left with what you look for in a cleanser: A clean slate :).

PS- I have also used the two other products (Josie Maran’s Argan Oil & Argan Daily Moisturizer SPF 40) and am a big supporter of them.

Tell us! What is your experience with oil based beauty products?

Beauty on a Budget- Tiffany

By: Sam

Hello there, beauties! Today I’d like to introduce you to an old friend of mine, Tiffany Mendez. I met Tiffany while working my first job (in retail) when I was just 18 years old. From then on, I always noticed how much she loved makeup and how impeccable her skin looked despite how much she experimented with it. In social media she refers to herself as Tiffy Rouge, where she showcases her vivacious street style and bold makeup looks (that she does all her own.) Since we’ve started blogging, I always thought she’d be the perfect girl to feature on Thirteenth & Hudson. Luckily when I asked her, she was thrilled to share her insightful & affordable beauty secrets with us and with you all :-D.

Name: Tiffany Mendez

Age: 24

Location: New York City, NY

Skin Type: Combination

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On her skincare: “Since I wear makeup on a regular basis, I need to keep my skin looking healthy at all times. We all get breakouts but I always try to keep my skin healthy by drinking lots of water. I also use homemade remedies to keep my skin glowing. Sometimes I wash my face with salt and water, which is good for breakouts and cleaning impurities. I also use apple cider vinegar with organic rose water (mixed together) as a face wash after all my makeup is removed. I use a cloth to wash, and then let it dry. The rose water kills the strong vinegar smell, so I recommend using it before bed”.

Fave Beauty Products: “My favorite foundation to use is from Neutrogena Skin Clearing Liquid Makeup (shade 60). It fights breakouts and does not clog pores. I say, run to the nearest drug store and grab it in your shade, you will thank me later (lol). I always get a medium tone or a slightly darker shade if I want a natural looking tan. My favorite mascara is Volum-Express The Falsies by Maybelline. It literally makes your eyelashes look full and longer. For lips and eye makeup, I love ‘Wet N Wild‘ products. I have recently discovered their amazing and affordable products. From lip stains to matte lipstick, you name it, they have it! I love their 967 (Dollhouse Pink) lipstick (pictured above). I advise every girl to give Wet N Wild a chance. Trust me–your bank account will thank you”.

On her hair: “My number one asset when it comes to my overall look is my hair. I prefer Organix Moroccan Oil products, it works magic on any hair type. I always try different things with my hair, from coloring to heat styling, I’ve done it all that’s why I use products that will maintain moisture and keep my hair looking healthy”.

What’s your beauty secret? “Sleep. When your body restores itself, it benefits your entire body. I try to sleep 8 hours when I can, it will prevent you from looking like the Cookie Monster or older than you actually are. Plus, always remove your makeup before bed. You will remain beautiful and younger! Hope my beauty secrets helps all the hot ladies in NYC! xx”.

For more of Tiffy Rouge, be sure to check out her YouTube channel: Tiffy Rouge and Vine: (@tiffyrouge)

Our First Blog Award: One Lovely Blog

By: Kim, Kat & Sam

Hey Beauties! We’re so thrilled to be nominated for the “One Lovely Blog” award by Christine , the blogger behind Splashes and Everything.  Although she’s fairly new to the blogging world (like we are!) she’s certainly off to a great start, posting on her fave beauty products while giving her readers some daily inspiration. We love knowing that our NYC blog has impacted bloggers as far away as South Africa! Thanks for the love Christine, and be sure to check out her blog!

Award or no award, we are happy to be able to connect with other bloggers, and love when people take an interest in Thirteenth & Hudson. We absolutely love sharing our beauty obsession with you! 😀

So, the rules for the award are as follows…

• Thank the person who nominated you
• Add the “One Lovely Blog” image to your post
• Share 7 things about you (us in this case, lol)
• Pass the award to 7 nominees
• Inform the nominees chosen by posting on their blog

Here are 7 fun facts about us:

1. We all met in freshman year of high school… and we’ve been best friends ever since.
2. We use Naomi Campbell reaction GIFS in group chat. We probably have like 5 in heavy rotation.
3. Our fave thing to splurge on is Mexican food. We go on dinner dates just to have an excuse to eat Mexican food. No shame here, lol.
4. We still have slumber parties (usually on birthdays). During these slumber parties, we are usually raiding each other’s closets makeup bags, trading all that we can.
5. Katrina’s favorite color is orange. Like seriously, she needs to own everything and anything in orange.
6. Sam likes to read gossip blogs. It’s a guilty pleasure, (along with making hair inspiration collages on her phone.)
7. Kim has recently emerged as a redhead! So, don’t be fooled by the black hair in the photos 😛

Next up, our chosen 7 (of the many) blogs that we are loving right now:

In no particular order…

1. Being Zhenya is a very sweet blogger that offers a lot to her readers, whether it be fashion, beauty, DIY, or thrifting, she’s got it all covered. She’s also very informative in her posts and gives great beauty tips on twitter! She’s awesome!
2. Amber’s Blog– Amber was one of our first follows, so she definitely needs a shout out on her blog. We like that her posts are straight to the point, highlighting the visuals as her main focus. Love the various things she tries with her nails.
3. The Reporter and The Girl – We like this blog and its blogger because it’s old school blogging: just writing about your life. We feel like we are stepping into this girl’s shoes and can definitely relate to her experiences. Aside from the writing, the feedback she gives and gets are (also)interesting reads.
4. NailLuxxe– In case you guys haven’t noticed we love anything and everything nail-related (lol) so we were thrilled when we found this blog! She’s detailed, talented, and her visuals are on POINT. Most importantly, she has fun with her craft. Keep it up, girl!
5. BoxyFoxyBeauty – this blogger keeps it real when it comes to product reviews, giving us a peek into her beauty trials and tribulations (and monthly beauty subscriptions!) and really catering to her readers’ own beauty desires, while failing not to forget her own. We know we’re always in for a treat when BoxyFoxy blogs!
6. BSugarCoated – Another case of Buy Try and Supply (the details, that is) where blogger Bunnie takes us on an artistic beauty journey that we simply cannot help but follow. Her tips and tricks are incredibly helpful, her manis look so profesh and  she certainly keep us beauty lovers looking forward to coming back!
7. City Girl In Red Lipstick: We love that this blogger focuses on red lipstick– but knows some days we need to tame our crimson craving and leave the red lipstick at home. There are so many different shades of red available that it can be a pain finding the perfect one. The reviews definitely help, and so do her make-up tutorials!

Review: Defend Argan Oil Moisturizer

By: Thirteenth & Hudson

A few weeks ago we were very excited to receive our first beauty samples from Purelement Naturals. We received the Defend Argan Oil Moisturizer ($48). This moisturizer contains 100% Pure Argan Oil (contains vitamin E), lavender, frankincense, bergamot, carrot seed, myrrh, and geranium. These are all essential oils that are beneficial to skin problems such as acne, wrinkles, eczema, redness, and uneven skin tone. It is also multifaceted, an all-around beauty product; applicable to one’s face, body, and hair. We all tried out the moisturizer and worked it into our individual skin regiments. Here below are our individual experiences with Defend Argan Oil Moisturizer:

Kim: I have combination/ oily skin, so once I heard our samples were actually an oil–I freaked out. Oil on oil? Sounded like a disaster waiting to happen. Fortunately, that wasn’t my experience at all. I experimented with the oil, combining it with my usual nighttime moisturizer (Neutrogena’s Oil Free Moisture for Combination Skin) for a few nights and using it on it’s own once or twice. I absolutely LOVED the result! I woke up in the morning with my skin feeling incredibly refreshed. Obviously I was thrilled with the results, as I usually wake up dying to wash off the oily buildup my skin. Now, a simple splash of cool water and my moisturizer/ SPF combo is all I need for my face in the morning. Let me just tell you, when Purelement Naturals says “defend,” they mean it!

Katrina: I have normal skin so I rarely see any difference between moisturizers.  I was excited to try the oil moisturizer simply because it smelled so good.   I  wasn’t expecting it to do much for my skin but the Defend Argan Oil Moisturizer worked great as a nighttime moisturizer. I apply it before bed after washing my face with my daily cleanser and wake up to perfectly moisturized and soft skin. It’s feels so good that I don’t  even want to wash my face in the morning! I just rinse with lukewarm water instead.  After I rinse my face, my skin still feels moisturized, but I apply a dab (not even half of what I would usually apply) of my Aveeno moisturizer for the SPF. I also love that all you need is just two drops! A little goes a long way.

Sam: Before using the moisturizer I had skin that woke up looking dull and uneven, so I immediately thought to try this at night before bed. I apply it over my night serum. Just two drops; rubbing into my hands and all over my face and neck. I have combination/sensitive skin with the occasional hormonal flare ups, so the Argan Oil Defend Moisturizer made me feel like my skin has calmed down and the scent is intoxicating, puts me right to bed. (lol) In the morning, I now wake up with glowing skin that looks well rested, perfectly balanced, and not to mention so soft. I still have some left but when it’s empty I’m definitely going to get the full size bottle! This definitely has me curious as to what other goodies Purelement Naturals has to offer.

Thanks again, Purelement Naturals, for the taste of your liquid gold! We are official fans!

Check out Purelement Naturals!

Review: A Case of Deja Vu

By: Sam

Last Sunday, as I was walking in Soho, Oshi, a woman in front of a beauty shop called Shalva Dead Sea Minerals (68 Spring Street New York, NY 10012, (212)-219-8711)  offered me a sample of their lotion. As I gladly took a sample, she enthusiastically asked me to try out their body scrub for free. I had some time to kill so I decided why not? Here is a photo of the body scrub below:

Deja Vu Dead Sea Minerals Green Tea Luxury Body Scrub ($50). This body scrub is designed to cleanse and stimulate your skin’s natural activity, promoting smooth and refreshed looking skin. It is also ideal for all skin types, using dead sea minerals, tea tree extract and olive oil (safe enough to use on your face and whole body). Oshi put some of the body scrub on my hands and asked me when was the last time I washed my hands, which was 5 minutes prior at a Starbucks. I worked the scrub all over my hands, then she sprayed my hands with some water so I can rinse it into a bowl. I was so shocked and how clean and soft my hands felt I almost didn’t notice how dirty the water in the bowl was! It was that moment I became a believer.

Generally, I am skeptical about body scrubs and exfoliating because my skin is super sensitive and anything too harsh makes my skin freak out (although I know it is crucial to one’s skincare regiment). However, Oshi spent a lot of time convincing me that this body scrub (as well as their other luxury products) were the real deal and I saw and felt the results. Below is a slideshow demonstrating how I use the body scrub:

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I now use this body scrub every Sunday to wash the week off my body and start anew for the week ahead. My entire body feels so soft, supple, but deeply cleansed. It’s absolute heaven.  After scrubbing all you need is to rinse off with water and some body lotion. I highly recommend!

*Also, my manicure this week is Essie’s “Blanc”($8). 😎

I’m not sure they have other shops outside of New York City but a few seem to be available on Amazon.com  (from about $12-$20).

What exfoliators/body scrubs do you use?

A Beauty-full Birthday

By: Sam

Hey beauties! This past weekend was pretty eventful with plenty to celebrate. Graduating from college and my 24th birthday 😯 . Along with some pictures from my graduation and birthday, I’d like to share with you the amazing gifts I received for my birthday from my best friends. In other words… THIS IS A MAKEUP POST!!!

I made a wishlist of beauty proucts/makeup I am currently obsessing over and sent it out to Kim & Katrina. When I make wish lists, I make sure that everything that is on the list is something I love. I went to Sephora and checked out most of the items in person to make sure the list was final (lol). To my (not so) surprise, I loved everything! But I knew my BFF’s wouldn’t do me wrong ;).

Kim got me these lippies from NARS:  Satin Lip Pencil ($25 in Lohdi), Larger than Life Lip Gloss ($26 in Paris Follies), and Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil in Happy Days:

What can I say about NARS? These have found a permanent place in my makeup bag. I’ve been going very tame on makeup so I sport these colors with little to no blush and just emphasize my eyebrows and wear some concealer.

Katrina surprised me with Josie Maran’s new Cheek Gelee ($22 in Pink Esape) & Dior’s Jelly Lip Pen ($26 in Carioca):

(Cheek Gelee photo credit by JosieMarancosmetics.com)

I used the Cheek Gelee for my birthday look. It did not feel sticky and stayed on all night…LOVE. I always experiment with new lip products so I was equally curious about a gel cream blush and am so glad I got it! It has 50% coconut water, vitamin E and argan oil so it is both hydrating and refreshing.

Tangerine lips are a new trend for summer and I fell in love with Dior’s Jelly Lip Pen’s subtle but playful take on it. The color goes on sheer but can also be piled on for a more opaque look.

Here are a few moments from my wonderful weekend:

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*My manicure polish was Marshmallow by Essie ($8) and pedicure was Mermaid’s Dream by Deborah Lippman ($19)

* Katrina’s manicure polish was Pepperoni (1st coat) and Fishnet Stockings (2nd coat), and her pedicure was Marshmallow by Essie ($8)

* Kim’s manicure polish was A Crewed Interest and pedicure polish was Chastity by Essie ($8)

Tell us! What’s on your beauty wish list right now?