June 28, 2018

6 Questions with Levert Beauty Founder Ana Congdon

We sat down with LeVert Founder, Ana Congdon, and got all the best recommendations for that all natural summer skin glow. Stay hydrated and stunning check out on instagram how to enter our dRA and LeVert Giveaway.

What are your current must-have products?

Right now my must-haves have shifted for summer into do-it-all serums and I'm loving the Schaf Radiance Facial Serum and Vintner's Daughter Active Botanical Serum to help take over my current multiple step routine.

I follow-up my active serum with Kypris 1,000 Roses as my moisturizer because my skin is on the dryer side and this serum moisturizer is gentle and insanely hydrating.

I'm also in major mani/pedi mode already this summer and Sundays 10-Free nail polish are the ones that can't put down. I'm usually black, white or pale opaque pink with the nails and No.01 is on repeat right now and it lasts for days. During the heat warming up this cooling toner has also been a skin savior and I love to apply it after placing it in the fridge overnight. Agent Nateur is my go-to deodorant, but right now this deodorant is taking things over for me and after winning "Best Deodorant of 2018" by Glamour earlier this year it flying off our shelves. They took years to develop this deodorant and it was completely worth the wait!

Are there are products (face, body and hair) you would recommend for high summer?

100% this facial mask to help draw out the summer sweat, excess debris, sunscreen and production of access oil as well as spending more time outside and any environmental stressors that may accompany. This allows your skin to get cleaned out weekly and help that summer glow we're all after without hurting skin that's been exposed to the sun and may feel already tight or dry. I also highly recommend this hair mask during the summer months to combat drying and color fading, continued styling, chlorine, salt water and additional sun that can make your hair too brittle come fall.

For busy gals & mamas out there, what is ONE night time routine we should not skip?

Such a good question! The answer is without question removing makeup before bed. It is all too easy to skip after a long day, yet it's one of the hugest skin errors (and one we almost all have been guilty of at some point) anyone can make. By not removing the makeup and simply washing the face you can be guilty of 'swirling' makeup around without actually cleansing the skin - or removing the build-up. And if you are a busy gal or mama that rarely wears make-up I would absolutely say please do not skip exfoliating weekly. Gently exfoliating weekly will clear, unclog, help skin glow, help circulation, get rid of dead layers so serums can better penetrate the dermis and allow pores to breath for overall gorgeous skin!

What are your top 5 recommended items to take on vacation?

Sunscreen is the obvious first, but there is a reason for that! This honestly should be year-round advice to aid in everything from wrinkle prevention to damage that has been proven to even come through overcast weather. And this is such a clever way to do sunscreen on-the-go and also helps to tackle the access shine that happens with too much sunshine and heat. This is always my #1 recommendation!
The one thing everyone needs while traveling that is very overlooked is multi-use wipes. These Box Naturals wipes are such a go-to from airplane germs, to removing face makeup, to cleaning hands, taking the place of a shower (they're pH balanced), wipe down public transportation, and so on, as they are individually wrapped and made for travels and busy lifestyles.
Also multi-use sticks come in clutch when traveling and save so much time while still giving the everyday-to-elevated feel depending on how you apply or which color you choose and it fits easily in a carry-on.
Travel almost doesn't seem complete without sheet masks, does it? Especially if you're traveling by air, a sheet mask mid-flight of post flight can breath life back to dry and dull skin after having the moisture pulled out.
Travel sized dry shampoo to absorb excess oil and support the ebbs and flows of vacations pampering is a major, major must!

Perfume vs oils?

It depends between perfume and oils and unfortunately the ingredient 'fragrance' is one of the most dangerous as its masks the highest unregulated ingredients. Almost anything can be placed under 'fragrance' label so we tend to say go the oil direction unless the 'Fragrance' can be explained well and the brand is transparent about its truly natural ingredients. We also know that not all oils have the scents people look for so we vet high and low extremely well to ensure the scents we suggest not only smell insanely good, but will not harm your health. Going with a brand such as LeVert can be a solid first step to discovering a perfume or oil that you can trust.

Eyelash extensions...yay or nay?

Such a good question, especially these days! While we don't lead through fear, since you're asking, I would suggest to avoid them in long-term use. And as a busy mother and business owner I completely get the intrigue and ease of them. Many, not all, use formaldehyde-based adhesives (formaldehyde is used to embalm bodies and add shelf life to synthetic products) and they risk bacterial and fungal infections among others side effects. So I would suggest nay for this one.