Marley Isley 11/21/24 Marley Isley 11/21/24

November Favorites

Kerastase Nutritive Hair Mask (the white jar): I absolutely love this hair mask. It is probably the best one I have used in my life and I’m not exaggerating. It leaves my hair smelling good for so long I don’t even care that it is expensive because I love it that much
Gisou Honey Hair Perfume: I love this scent especially for work
Tower28 Concealer: I was skeptical about this brand before I did research on them and they formulate their products for eczema and sensitive skin and it changed my life. The coverage is buildable while being super lightweight
Tower28 Skin Tint: After I tried the concealer I bought the skin tint and I love it just as much!
Milk Hydro Grip Primer: I’ve been using this for a few weeks now and I love it. I have dry skin and this works well with the Tower28 products I’ve been using
Makeup By Mario Cream Bronzer: I love this when I’m doing a full face. Buildable, and I like the undertones
Evian Facial Spray: I have a mini size I keep with me at work and it is refreshing and also amazing for my dry skin. I’ve loved this product since high school. I always find myself going back to it even if some people think it’s pointless lol
Nature’s Bounty Jellybean Hair/Nails Vitamins: These bad boys remind me of when I would eat like half a jar of the Flinstones gummies as a kid. Times have not changed. What can I say…
Celtic Sea Salt: My life has not been the same since I tried this health tip. You take a pinch of salt daily under your tongue before you drink water in the morning, and it actually hydrates your cells. I can feel the difference and I will never go back to normal hydration. Just make sure you drink a lot of water after. I made the mistake once of taking my morning pinch and barely drank any water after and was left feeling extra dehydrated

Marley Isley 8/29/23 Marley Isley 8/29/23

Skincare Routine

I just want to start off by saying my skin has been a long journey that I’m still working on. This is what works for me as far as skincare products. My beautiful bestie Emily formulated perfect skincare routine for me and I will leave her info below because she sells routines and is an amazing esthetician:) I do have dry skin so these products are mainly for my skin type, but all of these products by themselves could be used for any skin type!

Here is her insta: @freshskinbyemily

I start off with using the Phyla cleanser. Back when I had severe acne I was searching for cleansers that would actually work. I felt like I tried everything but I watched a YouTube video with a girl explaining the phyla products and I tried it, and it worked amazing for me. It’s ph balanced and doesn’t disrupt the skin barrier because it has probiotics in the cleanser! There are so many benefits to using probiotics, but when used in skincare it repairs the barrier so well! (Emily formulated my routine around the phyla products that I was already using which was the cleanser/moisturizer)
Next I use the good molecules hylarounic acid. Emily also recommended an amazing mandelic acid but I’m still waiting to add that lol sorry em!! She explained that using these help with texture, which is my biggest skin issue at the moment. I see a difference with the hylarounic acid already.
I will use snail mucin from CorsX before I use my moisturizer if I feel like my skin is feeling extra dry. I love this product because I feel like it makes my skin so smooth and clears up acne scars.
Finally I use my phyla moisturizer! I love using the snail mucin before because I don’t need a heavy moisturizer that clogs my pores. The phyla is pretty light, but even with my dry skin it works!
If I have a blemish I will use the blemish balm by. This clears my pimples up so fast and also helps with scarring. Another fav recommendation from Emily!
For sunscreen I will use the natrium glow sunscreen from target, or the super goop sunscreen.

This is what I typically do at night minus the sunscreen at night. In the morning I just cleanse, moisturize, and use sunscreen!

Marley Isley 8/24/23 Marley Isley 8/24/23

My favorite hair care products

Here’s a list of some haircare products I use on a daily basis! For reference I have dry hair

Amika: shampoo/conditioner perf for dry hair. Also the scalp detox is amazing

Briogio rose hydrating mask : I’ve been using this for a few months now and I’ve been loving it! I also recommend the avocado mask from this brand
Thicc organics scalp oil : this is the perfect blend for hair growth. I had so much damage when I was blonde, and I noticed my hair getting longer with this oil! I’ve been using it for like 2-3 months now
Jojoba oil: I got mine from Trader Joe’s lol but you can get this oil at any health food store, Beauty stire, or on Amazon. I use it before I shower with the thicc organics on my scalp. I think it’s so hydrating but it’s not too heavy. I’ve used coconut oil, castor, ect on my ends and since my hair is so fine it just gets weighed down. Jojoba is perf for fine hair (and any hair) and I never had any issues w it! Grape seed oil is another great light hair oil if you want to try
IGK 3 in 1 conditioner: I’ve been using this for a few months now and I’ve been loving it. I have extensions so I have to style my hair every time I wash it and I notice my hair being less frizzy with this! And it has heat protectant built into it
Olaplexoil: I use the igk, then I go in with this before I blow dry. I love to use this on my ends every night when I put my hair in a braid! With extensions you have to take really good care of your hair otherwise they get damaged easily, and this oil is super light even lighter than jojoba oil. So it’s safe for fine hair daily!
Kenra finishing oil: I use this sometimes after I style if I’m lacking shine! I think it is a heat protectant too but I like to use it at the end of styling :)
ColorWOW product: I got a travel size sample of this product and I actually love it so much! Especially with the hot summer heat, this product is great so you don’t have to use as many hot tools in between washes. It seals the hair cuticle for like 3-4 washes and worked amazing on my frizzy hair. My hair poofs up in humidity but this works wonders. Just make sure you are doing a monthly deep cleanse because this product could cause a lot of build up. Also this product works best when you coat your entire head with it. I use a ton of product but that’s what helps it work. Additionally I blow dry AND straighten! Straightening is what activates the product. I just do both for good measure and I watched the ceos YouTube video and that’s how he described it too :)

Marley Isley 7/18/23 Marley Isley 7/18/23

how to pick a signature scent

(from a previous sephora employee hehe)

Finding your own signature scent is such a power move imo. The research behind scent is so interesting, and it has the potential to impact your life in so many positive ways. Scent is the first thing I pick up on, and I always notice when someone smells good; man or woman. With this it holds a lot of power. Having a personal scent not only brings you a lot of confidence, but it separates you from everyone else. You are entirely more memorable, and I believe it can enhance your essence.

There are 3 structures when it comes to notes in perfume/cologne. The top notes, heart notes, and base notes. Top notes are typically lighter, and last fairly short. Typically these notes are what you smell right away. The heart notes make up the majority of the perfume consisting of oils. These notes are fruity/floral, and are fuller-bodied. Base notes create the foundation for the fragrance, and typically last hours after applying. All of these are used to form fragrances, and it is a good thing to know when you are looking for a balanced fragrance!

There are also 4 main fragrance families to choose from:

Warm/Spicy
Earthy/Woody
Fresh
Floral

It is important to note that fragrances effect everyone’s ph levels differently meaning that some scents may smell different on you than your friend. Experimenting is the best way I’ve found my scents. Next time you are in Sephora or Ulta try spraying a scant directly on one wrist, and another scent on your other wrist, so you can see how they react with your ph levels!

Here are some options: (note: I listed mainly high end perfumes, but there is an amzaing website called Dossier perfumes that create dupes for high end fragrances!! They are super affordable and smell almost identical to the real thing)

WARM/SPICY:

YSL Black Opium (sephora)
Midnight Cafe ( fav scent from targets perfume line!!)
Good Girl (sephora; was my signature scent FOR YEARS)
Prada Candy (sephora)
KAYALI Amber (sephora)
Hypnotic Poison Dior (love this one)

EARTHY/WOODY:

Replica By The Fireplace (sephora)
Glossier You (sephora)
Julliette Has A Gun
Santal 33 (online and select stores)
Philosophy Fresh Cream (ulta)

FRESH:

Clean Reserve (sephora)
Replica Bubble Bath (sephora)
Dolce & Gabbanna Light Blue (personal fav fresh scent)
Cloud By Ari (ulta; love this one!!)
Daisy Dream (slight floral notes)
Clean Rain (sephora)

FLORAL:

Burberry Her ( ALL TIME FAV!!! Current signature scent)
Gucci Bloom ( the light pink one smells the best imo! this was my hs scent)
Versache Bright Crystal ( a classic)
Miss Dior ( another classic!)
Flowerbomb (sephora/ulta)
Ari by Ariana Grande ( I still love this one IDCCC)

Marley Isley 7/12/23 Marley Isley 7/12/23

My favorite drugstore brands

Morphe (used to be my fav for shadows and brushes but im unsure if they are going out of business)
NYX (always been a fav of mine, all products are pretty good)
Milani ( great products all around)
Physicians Formula ( best drugstore bronzers i swear by these)
Elf (the only brow gel I use and its only $1, and the hydrating concealer is really good)
L.A. Girl Cosmetics (the lip liners are amazing!!)
Essence (I get all my pencil eyeliners from this brand; comparable to elf)
Covergirl (i use the green clump crushaaaa in black or brown)
Maybelliene ( their liners are comparable to the too faced liners, also their foundations are pretty good)
Loreal ( the Lumi foundation is perf for dry skin, extremely comparable to NARS sheer glow!!!)
Ardell ( the naked lashes line is literally perfect my fav lash line ever)
Kiss (another great lash brand)
Duo (best lash glue, I use the black one for a seamless blend)