Want to learn all about natural beauty and organic beauty products? Beauty by Britanie is the site to follow!
By Chere Di Boscio
Britanie Faith of Beauty by Britanie wants you to detox your beauty routine. The former makeup artist and photographer struggled with an autoimmune disease and chronic health conditions such from a very young age, and learned that avoiding harmful chemicals in cosmetic ingredients could make a difference to her inflammation levels and how she felt overall.
She became passionate about sharing that knowledge, and started a blog to spread the word. Beauty By Britanie grew to be hugely popular, and its founder started collecting official titles, completing health guru Natalia Rose’s Intensive Teacher Training Program in NYC, and becoming a Certified Detoxification Practitioner.
Today, the dog-loving beauty has a deep passion for living a cleaner and conscious lifestyle, and advocates cleaner beauty and organic, eco-friendly and cruelty-free living.
Here, we spoke to her about getting gorgeous, naturally.
Why did you start Beauty By Britanie, and how did you start to get into non-toxic beauty?
They say, “ignorance is bliss”, but I wholeheartedly disagree! In my late teens I developed some chronic health challenges, (Endometriosis, Fibromyalgia, Anxiety Disorder) and started reading everything I could get my hands on about wellness and living a clean and green lifestyle. I discovered that ingredients in personal care products are not well regulated in the United States.
When I started to use the Skin-Deep Data website site to investigate some of the ingredients in my favorite products, I was appalled. I realized that I was slathering on hundreds of dangerous potential carcinogens! I immediately started researching as much as possible and swapping out the products I had been using for healthier alternatives.
Green beauty has exploded in the marketplace in the past five years since I began my site. There are smarter choices for every single product you need to purchase. I also believe in supporting this clean beauty revolution by promoting and buying everything I can from small businesses that are truly out to provide quality skincare and makeup.
I’m so happy that Target has jumped on the bandwagon to be a part of the change. This gives many people who have limited budgets a chance to try out green beauty.
What would you say your main focus is on: organic, natural, or vegan beauty?
I would say my main focus is: BALANCE. When I first started cleaning my routine, I became very obsessive about terms like “non-toxic” and “organic” and found it to be incredibly stressful and it almost made me feel like I was reaching towards a type of perfection that is not possible. I decided to change up how I worded things and viewed everything and now I find a proper balance between all of those options.
There are exceptions when I will use a mainstream makeup product. I don’t believe in fear mongering. That causes more stress than the occasional use of Lancà´me Hypnose Mascara, for example! I like to think of my goal as 90/10 for the ratio of clean beauty to mainstream products. Sometimes using a “not so clean” product” just pulls off the look I’m going for more than any other natural version.
I like to keep it real and I think that as in any category like diet, skincare, exercise etc, being mindful and conscious is what matters.
What are your top makeup tips?
Brown eyeliner in place of black (unless you are going for a very intense look). Brown liner can be much more flattering and less severe looking especially during the day.
Use concealer in place of foundation when you are able to (and on good or better skin days). So many people put layers of foundation on their skin when in most cases people have trouble areas that should be the focus of covering. Say for instance you have acne on your chin and forehead, but the rest of your skin is pretty good, try using natural concealer in the areas you want coverage and skip putting anything on the areas that do not need it. A good concealer blended out properly can serve as an almost light-foundation without the added layers of product or heavy foundation look!
And skin care tips?
Less is more. Listen to your intuition. Getting advice from others can be invaluable but at the end of the day no one has the same skin or constitution as your own. Some people swear by washing their face twice a day while others do it once. Many use oils in place of lotions while many won’t go near any oils. Find what works best for YOU.
Also, do not try more than ONE new skincare product at a time. I learned this the hard way. Give each product at least 2 weeks to a month to see how you respond before trying anything else new that way if you have any issues you can pinpoint the issue much easier without having to throw out all of the products you decided to test out at once.
Which element of putting on makeup do you find the most frustrating?
Oh, this is an easy one. EYELINER. It’s funny because I have people asking me to teach them how to do “my perfect liner” because I quite often wear liner and really love a good wing! However, they have no idea how hard it is for me to do it. I don’t know that I’ll ever be able to do liquid liner without having to take a deep breath, hold it and pray it all works out.
Which products can you just not live without?
Due to the fact that I have such a deep love for so many different natural and organic skincare products from so many different categories, I am going to name what comes to my mind at this moment!!
Osmia Organics Purely Simple Lotion, Maya Chia The Super Couple, Lotus Wei flower elixirs and mists, Sleeping Monk elixirs, Alexis Smart flower remedies, Hope Gillerman’s blends especially Tension Remedy and Stress Remedy, Zyderma Clarifying Cream, RL Linden & Co Thousand Petal Beautifying Mist, Laurel Whole Plant Organics cleansers, Modern Minerals B of Love Lipgloss, Jane Iredale BB Cream, CV Skinlabs Restorative Balm.
Tell us a bit about your favorite makeup brands featured on Beauty By Britanie
I try out many different beautiful makeup brands and there are always a handful that stick out to me the most and that I alway find myself reaching for. I’d have to say that Vapour Organic Beauty, Jane Iredale, Alima Pure, Modern Minerals, Red Apple Lipstick, Kjaer Weis, Ilia Beauty, Au Naturale, Fitglow Beauty, RMS Beauty are among some of my favorites.
What’s your daily skincare routine like?
I don’t wash my face in the morning. It just doesn’t work for me. Instead, I spritz my face with a good amount of rosewater and then I pour a tiny amount of Witch Hazel onto a cotton pad and gently wipe my face down. I don’t completely wipe everything off as I like to leave my skin damp before applying any oil, serum, cream or lotion.
Next, I go in with my serum of choice. I let that sink in and then go in with a face cream. During the day, I like the added protection of an oil serum and a face cream. I also apply an eye balm or cream and depending on the day I follow with an spf. Keep it simple, right?
Do you think women love makeup to attract men, or for another reason?
I think women love makeup because it makes us feel good. When you look good, you feel like you can conquer anything. Self-esteem is key here because if you are the type of woman that feels better bare-faced, then that’s what matters to you.
After starting Beauty By Britanie, do you feel the natural beauty community is any different from the mainstream beauty blogging community? And if so, how?
I love the natural beauty community and have for years now. The friends I’ve met and the brand owners I’ve worked for have become my extended family. I believe the main focus on the natural beauty community goes much deeper than just the outward benefits of what a particular product can do for you. It is more about the ingredients being pure and sustainably sourced as much as possible. It’s about Fair Trade and ethical lives for the people we source from. And it’s about being more conscious about our entire lives. Not just about products.
I think of those of us in the natural beauty community as fearless rebels. We don’t just go along with something because “they say so”. I believe we do our research and are not afraid to stand up to conventional mainstream companies (and brands that “look” clean but are greenwashing). We call them out if they are making ridiculous claims or pretending to advocate for the natural beauty cause.
In that same respect, I think some of us will even call out the more natural beauty brands also making claims that are unfounded. It’s much more complex to be involved in this community versus mainstream beauty.
To me, the mainstream blogging community seems to be more focused on outer beauty and how a product can change your life. I am more interested in the whole aspect of a person trying to better their life rather than thinking a single product can do that.
Who are the most beautiful women in the world?
The most beautiful women in the world to me are the women who have been through hardships, are equally as open about their struggles as they are their joys and women who uplift other women. Women who exude confidence, compassion, class and intelligence. Beauty to me is more about the qualities a person carries inside of them and the energy that is so contagious it shines outward to everyone they come in contact with.
What tips would you give to burgeoning beauty bloggers wanting to start a site like Beauty By Britanie?
I would encourage newbie beauty bloggers to show who they are and not to be afraid to appear less than perfect. I found that when I opened myself up include more of my personal unedited feelings about life, rather than only focusing on skincare and makeup, I had much more of a loyal following of readers.
Honestly, I believe when a person is vulnerable and honest about not knowing everything, people respect you more. I don’t have all the answers. I’m just a person that wants to do better in all areas of my life. I want to make better and healthier choices about beauty, skincare and wellness options.
People appreciate when you are real. I find it frustrating trying to live up to unrealistic goals set up and perpetuated by the media. Anyone can look perfect online with Photoshop apps! My content is about being the best version of yourself.
Any last words?
I want everyone to know how happy I am that I created Beauty By Britanie. I began my site five years ago because I wanted to share the knowledge I have about natural beauty, wellness and everything in between!. It’s the ultimate honor to be able to write and to know that I am helping others. I cherish the emails I get that I changed someone’s life because I opened up about a topic that was personal to me.
There is nothing worse than to feel like you are the only one going through tough times. I don’t just blog about the good times. When women worldwide realize how much we all have in common, it can make any uncomfortable feeling or issue seem less stressful. We are powerful together.
All images: Beauty by Britanie, except main image, but @TheGlowGetter
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Such a wonderful article from a woman that is just as beautiful inside as she is on the outside!!!