Another celebrity or influencer puts out a make-up line

Remember when celebrities were just the faces of cosmetics campaigns? (me too..good times) So it seems now that almost every celebrity, pop star, fashion house and influencer wants to have a cosmetics line. But does the world need more pointless platform based make-up? The answer is no, not if its not the best that can be offered!
I am often asked how I feel about and do I support all these new celebrity based lines, for the most part the answer is no. If someone is just slapping their name on a random product with zero interest in how it is made, what it stands for and what it supports- no. Quack on. For a line to merit respect it not only has to be of the upmost quality, but needs to stand for something. What some stars are choosing to do with their cosmetics lines does deserve to be appreciated as they're moving the industry in a positive direction.
Take Rihanna and her Fenty line. This was one of the first modern make ups to provide a realistic shade range to ensure that most everyone can find a shade. Espeically for the darker skin tones, this was a game changer. Often times the shade range is limited to the more fair tones and usually would have just one deeper shade named "dark".... which in itself is problematic... but having just one deeper shade is the real problem. Shade ranges usually didn't feature a variety of colors to address the beautiful depth and spectrum of deeper skin tones. Rihanna changed off of that and set a new standard for cosmetics lines going forward. Fenty also makes luxury products in which the profits are donated to charity. AMAZING
Lady Gaga has her new HAUS LABS showcasing the gender revolution. Which is fantastic that  so many millions of people will see due to her wondrous platform. However this brands message is much like my line ADVEKET, the creator or the original Genderfluid Beauty and Beyond Binary Skincare. This brings up a different issue when someone with an ultra platform produces something that an indie line is already doing. How can the indie business even compete? Bottom line- I am happy that the message is being spread, which was the whole reason why ADVEKET was created.
Then you have those that just put out cosmetics collections just to profit. These are often the lines plagued by controversy and quality control issues. These are the lines where a "celebrity/influencer" just says "ok" to whatever contract is thrown in front of them, picks a few colors and promotes it. These "collaborations" had an especially bad year in 2019 with some having been pulled from shelves over poisons being found in their ingredient compilation and others having hairs found in their lipsticks. While most all of these issues have been addressed and fixed, it doesn't change the fact that so little thought went into the creation of something meant to touch your face should be reason enough to look past the platform when choosing your products.
One interesting point to make about these collaborations and many celebrity owned or represented is that very few actually support a charity or have any philanthropic mission whatsoever. Again selfishly bringing it back to ADVEKET, which donates money from every single product sold to the charity I Wore Lipstick. If a cosmetics line doesn't support a charity that means that its a strictly FOR PROFIT company. Which to me is a bit greedy. If a line doesn't make a positive difference in the world, then I won't entertain the idea of using it (unless its the absolute best quality). In 2019 having a cause to support is no longer a gimmick. It is a requirement! It's unacceptable to not have YOUR precious shopping dollars not go to benefit something other than a famous person's pockets!
I find this is also an issue when fashion lines produce cosmetics lines. When you look at the house of Chanel or Tom Ford, you see formulas and collections that are top quality. They're the quality that all lines should hope to achieve. The products has been formulated and gone through so much research and development that what you're putting on your face is of royal quality. Then you have lines like Burberry, that have been subpar since day one and don't seem to care about it.
At the end of the day it's up to you what products you choose. We have all fallen victim to becoming starry eyed when our favorite person or designer produces a product. But what's important to remember is to always do your research. Find out WHO actually owns the line, where does the money go? Who does the money support? Are you ok with where it goes? Is the product quality? Or is this just a cheap product with a nice sticker? You as an educated consumer must take it upon yourself to investigate and be informed.

Best Sleep Masks

Have you ever tried face mask that you can wear to bed? It's an interesting concept given that our nightly skincare ritual is something that so many of us hold dear. A sleep mask is a facial treatment that can be worn to to bed in place of your usual skincare routine. Not all masks are ok to be worn overnight, so it's important to read and follow all directions from the provider! These treatments usually deliver time released benefits. They can serve a variety of functions from purity to hydration and anti-aging. One great benefit is fighting Trans Epidermal Water Loss (article by Skin Better), where our bodies shed water throughout the night and can lead to dehydrated and fatigued skin. Fighting this is one of my favorite features of ADVEKET's Lavender Sleep Mask So I wanted to see what else was out there that was worth skipping my beloved nightly routine!
Certainly we are all familiar with the Sisley Black Rose Mask (my review), but that item is definitly on the higher side of luxury skincare and not something everyone can afford. There's a fantastic about why a sleep mask can solve seasonal dryness over on ALLURE that's worth a read! It also contains a review of the Black Rose Mask and of the Embroylisse Hydra Mask- which is a more budget oriented  hydration mask that can be worn to sleep. The Embroylisse mask runs $25 and the Sisley ay $162.

- I reached out to two trusted make-up artist friends to see what their thoughts were. Danielle Katherine is a huge fan of the Chantecaille's Bio-lifting-mask. Calling it life changing! It's benefits include moisture, tightening of the skin and smoothing out the texture. I haven't tried this one yet, but Chantecaille is a wondrous line filled with amazing products and a philanthropic nature. This mask comes in on the higher price level at $160. For sure worth checking out. Also you can read more about the line via an E-Online article here.
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Representation Matters: ADVEKET launches BEYOND BINARY skincare

ADVEKET cosmetics has launched into skincare and apothecary with a Thermal activated charcoal Glow Mask! I chose to titles the skincare and apothecary series Beyond Binary not only to keep with the gender fluid theme of ADVEKET, but also to acknowedelge that the Gender Binary needs to be explored and validated every step of the way in every day life. Representation matters, doing something as simple as labeling a product to show support for those beyond the traditional gender binary shouldn't be revolutionary. It should be common practice in every small business going forward. Brands that choose to stick to the traditional gender binary need to check themselves and their culture that they're propagating. This week the Comments (which have been apologized for) made by an L Corp exec regarding the Victorias Secret  show proves that there are still many mountains of visibility and inclusion to climb. I take special care on the ADVEKET social media to be as inclusive as possible ( ADVEKET's Instagram ) and to make sure every product has a universal name. Small actions can mean so much to so many, it is worth making the effort to be supportive and to let the full gender spectrum know that they are seen, respected and appreciated.
At this moment in time I feel it is also important for a line to have a purpose behind it. It should no longer be acceptable for a cosmetics company to simply exist for profit and do nothing to help the community that supports it's business. There are absolutely companies that do have charitable aspect and were doing it since before it was a topic of conversation. To those corporations, thank you! To the celebrity owned and endorsed lines that do nothing but use their platform for business and personal gain- you are CANCELED! I refuse to support the agenda of someone/ or some company that doesn't use it's powers for the good of humanity. It is so important for consumers to know where their money goes and who it supports. I love this app Buycott that lets you track who and what the parent companies of products support!
  In keeping with it's core theme ADVEKET (created by celebrity make up artist Justin Tyme) is launching it's BEYOND BINARY skincare line! The first product to launch will be an activated charcoal mask. In this day in time more people than ever before are paying attention to their skin.  Charcoal is also having it's moment in the spotlight after a lifetime of being a secret skincare secret! Activated charcoal has many skincare benefits. One spectacular one is that it deep cleanses and helps to purify the skin. This can also lead to smaller pores and help with acne or break out prone skin. Also utilizing Sodium Bicarbonate to remove bacteria and decongest pores.
How to use:
This mask is to be applied to clean dry skin. Allow the mask to sit for 5 minutes followed by massaging your face with wet fingers. Upon contact with water the mask will heat up and ultra fine white charcoal powder gentle exfoliate the skin (Benefits of exfoliating). Massage for not more than a few minutes and gently rinse or wipes off any remnants with waters or a damp face clothe.  AVOID THE EYE AREA! Follow with your regular skincare routine after. I would also recommend a light facial massage to increase circulation (Benefits of facial massage))
Also included in the new BEYOND BINARY skincare and apothecary collection are charcoal bath bombs and soap. Lightly scented with notes of oat moss and aloe. They provide a soft relaxing experience while the charcoal works to detox and cleanse the skin.
Allure article on bath bomb benefits
Allure article on Charcoal benefits for skin
Visit www.adveketcosmetics.com to order!

Skincare for the gender spectrum

ADVEKET was created as a lipstick line that was meant to showcase the diversity of the lipstick wearing community. I was founded to help support the work of equality nonprofit I WORE LIPSTICK by donating a portion of every sale to the charity. So when approaching skincare & apothecary I had to take into account that skincare was for every face and not just lipstick wearers. Skincare touches every human face at some point, most everyone has the same relaxing feeling when applying skincare and most everyone loves a good bath & to cleanse the body. Taking this into consideration I decided to branch out from out "Gender Fluid Beauty" series and create BEYOND BINARY to help further our mission of gender equality and diversity awareness. Gender is an ever evolving understanding of one's self and Beyond Binary seemed to be the perfect fit.One issue that I have with many skincare lines (as well as many other types of products) is that they're typically divided and color coded for gender. It happens from birth and it enforced in to many different ways NY TIMES article on gender color separation
BBC article on the pink vs blue gender myth
The gender color divide continues into adulthood and can even contribute to a price increase for one sex! Here's a Business insider article of gendered product price differences
and one about Pink Tax of women products from USA TODAY
Now sometimes the small difference between male and female skin is taken into consideration when constructing the products Harpers Bazaar article on formulating of skincare for gender This is just about the only time when gender should be considered.
Taking all of this into consideration with respect to all parties ADVEKET's skincare an apothecary is formulated for all skin types & skin genders. Our activated charcoal mask, bath bombs and soap are minimally scented and the packaging to simply & environmentally friendly.
Justin Tyme: founder & president of I Wore Lipstick & creator of ADVEKET

Why imbuing ADVEKET with the mission of I Wore Lipstick was important

When I founded in I Wore Lipstick in 2015, I had the mission to focus on the lipstick wearers as their own community. When you look at those who wear lipstick it is women and the LGBTQIA community. Every member of this group is often also marginalized by society in some way. Often times when the plight of one of these communities gain focus, another is left unattended. The purpose of I Wore Lipstick was to help keep this community entirely in the spot light and aide them in every way possible.

Soon realizing that founding a nonprofit and keeping it going would be a costly activity ( I was never the best at fundraising) I decided that getting the support of a cosmetics line would be an excellent way to go. Looking over many lines, finding out who they were owned by soon provided the knowledge that it would be some time (if ever) before I would be able to gain the support a newly formed nonprofit would need. Thus I decided to create one myself that would instill the values of I Wore Lipstick from day one.

ADVEKET is spelled phonetically when used as a noun to symbolize the wearer as their own advocate. Each lip product is part of the Gender Fluid series to represent the diverse community of lipstick wearers and every product is giving an uplifting name. When these names are combine you created your "lip mantra" for the day (example: Create Exceptional Love) to further inspire the wearer to live their best and most authentic life.

ADVEKET also pledges to donate $1 per item sold to the nonprofit to help fund it's work!

ADVEKET was created to be a source of good, to help inspire social change and advocate for self love. I cannot wait to see where the future takes us and what kind of change these two sibling entities can accomplish! Social Media @justintymeart @adveket @iworelipstick

To order ADVEKET products online visit

www.adveketcosmetics.com

If in Los Angeles you can try the product at The Hello Darling salon

https://www.thehellodarlingsalon.com

If in New Orleans you can try them at Preaux Face

http://preauxface.com

Learn more about I Wore Lipstick at

www.iworelipstick.com

This Labor Day support American Small Business

In 2018 it is more important than ever to vote with your money. Choosing where your dollar goes is an incredible power when you think about it. Being aware of what companies you support and who that company supports with your money should be a matter of importance to everyone. SO this American holiday weekend take a moment to support small business' that are trying to make a different and inspire social change. When a celebrity endorses a product the public rushes to buy it, yet a small business is rarely considered in comparison. Small business' need your support to function and those who're making social change deserve a platform that can be seen.
My own make-up line ADVEKET  www.adveketcosmetics.com was created with the sole purpose to help fund the work of equality nonprofit I Wore Lipstick www.iworelipstick.org by donating $1 per every item sold to the charity.
Another wonderful philanthropic cosmetic brand is owned by my long time friends Azra and Amra who founded Terra & Co www.terraandco.com donate a tube of their charcoal toothpaste to the Downtown Women's Center https://www.downtownwomenscenter.org
Both of these business' were created to help inspire social change and give back to the community. In 2018 it is your responsibility to know where your dollar goes and your duty as Americans to support small business whenever possible.