Ivy Wild | Clean Beauty + Skincare

A year ago, I thought skincare was using a drugstore face wash in the shower at night, dabbing some Witch Hazel on my icky spots (if I remembered), and wearing the same moisturizer I’d been using since I was 11 years old. I had always longed to be one of those girls who had pimple free chins and didn’t have to wear foundation, but I thought that I couldn’t afford nice skincare products and didn’t have the first clue about what products to use, let alone what my skin type was.

Last February, I had the worst breakout I’ve ever had, RIGHT before my 27th birthday. I was so embarrassed about it that I almost didn’t want to go out for my birthday brunch — it was like my skin was rebelling against me and I’d never felt more self conscious about my face. With our wedding looming, I decided it was time to actually start a skincare regimen and oh my gosh, I don’t know why I didn’t jump on the clean beauty bandwagon earlier.

It turns out, clean products are exactly what they’re hyped up to be. Essentially, clean products are made from non-toxic ingredients and harsh chemicals. If you read a label and can’t pronounce anything, chances are it isn’t “clean”. I recently had a conversation with my coworkers about skincare and one of them mentioned that you should never put anything on your face that you wouldn’t eat, and let me tell you — the products at Ivy Wild make the cut!. I had the opportunity to visit the new natural beauty and skincare shop in in the Manhattan Laundry building (14th and Florida, right next to 305 and across from Maydan) and had the best time sampling new products and getting made over by the founder, Rachel.

Ivy Wild carries both skincare and beauty products and I had the chance to try a ton of them during my visit! Before my makeover, I wiped off my work makeup with Little Barn Blue Yarrow + Geranium Cleansing Oil — I’ve been hearing a lot about oils as skincare products and was super skeptical about putting it on my face, but it definitely didn’t have the greasy feel I was expecting, and it turns out that oils actually help penetrate your skin more deeply than regular cleansers! I also tried the Soleil Toujours Set + Protect Micro Mist (SPF 30) and it was super refreshing. I’ve recently become obsessed with applying daily sunscreen and the mist makes application super quick and easy.

Next up was the fun part, getting my makeup done by Rachel! Before we met, I had mentioned that I was interested in a long-lasting foundation that would hold up on my sweaty two-mile-each-way walk to work and Ivy Wild certainly delivered. Rachel helped me swatch match my perfect shade of Saint Cosmetics liquid foundation and I am obsessed. For some reason, I thought that natural makeup wouldn’t have the coverage that I was hoping for, but boy was I wrong. This foundation has amazing coverage and feels like silk going on. The bottle says long wear and it is 100% accurate — I couldn’t believe how good my makeup looked after spending all day sweating at a winery the first time I wore it out! I may have also accidentally fallen asleep in it and woke up blemish free.

While doing my makeup, Rachel made sure to teach me how to apply it properly, and I swear it’s changed my makeup routine. She taught me how to contour with a Vapour Organic Beauty Solar Translucent Bronzer Stick (I will be back for it) and I’ve been having so much fun experimenting with the application at home with an old bronzer. Rachel also taught me the right way to apply blush (I’m embarrassed to admit that I’ve been applying it totally wrong for 10+ years) and I’ve been loving the Rituel de Fille Inner Glow Creme Pigment compact that came home with me! Creme blush is actually way easier to apply than it seems and can repurposed as a lip color. I’m not a lipstick gal, but Rachel convinced me to try it as a light lipstick and I’m slowly warming up to the idea.

Another product that surprised me was a brown tinted mascara. I’m usually a bolder-the-better girl when it comes to lashes, but I really liked the softer look that the Saint Cosmetics Mascara in Brownie Points gave me and it’s inspired me to swap out my harsh black eyeliner for a warm chocolate this summer.

In a nutshell, Ivy Wild doesn’t just sell beauty products, they actually help you find what works for you and teach you how to to wear it. I usually scurry into big brand makeup stores, grab what I want, and get out of there as soon as I can because I’m intimidated by the fancy makeup gals, but I could have hung out with Rachel and her team all afternoon long. I’m so excited that Ivy Wild helped me find new products that I love AND are good for my skin. Thank you for a fabulous experience! Catch them on IG at @ivy.wild.beauty for all the gorgeous things!

Photography by Mary Godier of Ringlet Studio and Mary Elizabeth Creative