Glow All Year with Au Naturale Cosmetics!

Thursday, October 8, 2015 - Posted by Unknown at 11:10 AM
I have a confession to make: I am a pack rat.

Since I started blogging my makeup purchases as opposed to just ferreting them away to my bathroom they often sit in boxes near the computer for way too long. This package of wonderful from Au Naturale came to me back in May, so this post has been a long time coming! I have been using these products for quite some time and loving them, so it is time for me to actually share them with you!

I have been a big fan of Au Naturale for several years. Fun fact: Au Naturale operates out of my father's hometown of Green Bay, Wisconsin. That has no bearing on my opinion of the company, I just think it's cool.

What I do have an opinion about is that Au Naturale consistently produces some of the most pure cosmetics I have come across, and they continue to be ridiculously gorgeous. Last winter I reviewed some amazing holiday products from Au Naturale. Because I had a few problems with my lipstick palette they offered me some holiday credit. My order didn't didn't ship for some time due to the way the credit code worked, so Au Naturale was incredibly generous and sent me a bunch of full size products instead of the sample size products I had ordered! Major thank you to Ashley and Courtney of Au Naturale!

No, that deserves a few more exclamation points.

!!!!!!!!!!


Left to Right: Highlighter Stick, Bronzer Stick, Sherbert Blusher Stick

Top to Bottom: Sherbert Blusher Stick, Bronzer Stick, Highlighter Stick

Organic Creme Highlighter Stick - This is a gorgeous cream highlight color that provides a gorgeous glowy highlight to your skin. I like to put this under my eyes to look more awake. I also use it to highlight my nose and cupid's bow. This is super pretty and a new staple. Au Naturale's colors are super pigmented so this is a much more pigmented highlighter than something like RMS Beauty Living Luminizer.

Organic Creme Bronzer Stick - My big worry with bronzer is always that it will be too dark and for some reason I feel like cream bronzer takes that worry away. This is a very beautiful shimmery copper bronzer that compliments the highlighter stick wonderfully. It is not too dark on my not-quite-light-not-quite-medium skintone and looks especially wonderful when I'm a bit tanned. I don't believe it contouring (seriously, I don't get it!) so I just use this anywhere the sun would naturally hit and it looks dewy and fabulous.

Sherbert Organic Creme Blusher Stick - This is an intensely pigmented peachy apricot cream blush shade in stick form. It has the glisten of a cream blush but no shimmer in this one. This is beautiful and goes quite nicely with my skin. A little goes a long way so this will probably last me forever!

Kissed Bronzer, Luminous Bronzer, Apricot Blusher, Pink Lady Blusher, Nectar Blusher, Highlighter Stick, Bronzer Stick, Sherbert Blusher Stick
Top to Bottom: Nectar Blusher, Pink Lady Blusher, Apricot Blusher, Luminous Bronzer, Kissed Bronzer


Kissed Bronzer - This powder bronzer is my new favorite bronzer because it is so light and subtle. I feel like so many bronzers look great on darker skintones and look ridiculous on me. If you are fairly light you will love Kissed Bronzer! It is gorgeously pigmented by subtle with very subtle amounts of shimmer.

Luminous Bronzer - This is the bronzer for beach bunnies. It is a gorgeous shimmery rose gold shade. This is the one I reach for when I'm not feeling subtle! I also plan to use this a lot in the fall and winter for holiday sparkle!

Apricot Blusher - This powder blusher is very close to being the powder version of Sherbert Creme Blusher. It is a tad lighter and therefore a softer color, but very close. It is also very pigmented. Much like Kissed Bronzer Apricot has a tiny amount of very subtle shimmer.

Pink Lady Blusher - This powder blusher is a very light subtle lavender pink shade. It is sheer but buildable and incredibly wearable. This one also has very faint shimmer. It is best suited for light skintones.

Nectar Blusher - This powder blusher is a beautiful rose lavender shade with subtle iridescent purple sparkle. This one is also quite pigmented but as long as you are not heavy handed it will look good on pretty much anyone!

I wanted to be able to tell you favorites, but honestly, some colors will work better than others for me but I love all of them and am so grateful to Au Naturale for sending them to me! It is an amazing thing to be expecting sample sizes and to receive full sized products instead!




Left side swatches over Highlighter Stick. Top to Bottom: Lace, Tupelo, Chai, Ballet, Luna, Cedar. 

The Natural Eye Collection features six eyeshadows and two brushes. It was released for Winter 2014. After loving the Bold Eye Collection I was excited to try another eye collection. For one thing, it meant having another All-Over Shadow Brush and Angle Liner Brush, which is wonderful because I use my All-Over Shadow Brush every day! Here are the six gorgeous neutral shades: Lace, Tupelo, Chai, Ballet, Luna, and Cedar.

Lace is a sparkly pearly champagne highlight shade.

Tupelo is an ultra shimmery rose gold shade. This one is a knockout!

Chai is a gold satin. No glitter in this one, but satin shimmer.

Ballet is an almost matte mauvey dark pink with the tiniest bit of shimmer.

Luna is a satin pewter color with very subtle shimmer.

Cedar is a satin chocolate brown with very subtle shimmer.

I love all of these but Tupelo is my absolute favorite!



In this photo I am wearing Lace, Tupelo, and Ballet Eye Shadows over The All Natural Face Magic Vegan Eye Shadow Primer with Herban Luxe Cosmetics Superlash Black Mascara, Au Naturale Organic Creme Foundation in Sand, Pink Lady Blusher, Kissed Bronzer, Organic Creme Highlighter Stick, and Au Naturale Cora Lipstick.

September Empties

Wednesday, October 7, 2015 - Posted by Unknown at 5:48 PM



Method Limited Edition Sunset Beach Hand Wash 12 oz. - This is a stretch on "September". I'm not sure when it got used up but I think it was months ago and I found it and realized it had missed the last post. Oops. I continue to buy Method soaps despite the SLS I would like to be avoiding because they smell so good!

Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Hand Soap Basil Scent 12.5 oz. - This is the one I did use up in September. I think these have cleaner ingredients than the Method soaps and I love the Basil scent. I also use a lot of household cleaning products from both of these brands.

Burt's Bees Intense Hydration Cream Cleanser with Clary Sage 6 oz. - I took the end of this camping and finished it off. I really wanted a cream cleanser for hydration. I was using a pretty drying pink clay cleanser before this one so I really noticed the difference. I got a good deal on this on Amazon and while I don't feel like I definitely need this one again I might get it again. This was a relatively gentle cleanser but I might find another one that is more hydrating.

Burt's Bees Sensitive Facial Cleansing Towelettes with Cotton Extract 30 Towelettes - I keep buying these. I think it's almost impossible to find a cleansing towelette that has absolutely NO irritation, but these generally are comfortable and they are inexpensive. I have 3 more of these waiting for me right now!

Real Purity Roll-On Deodorant 1 oz. - Holy grail deodorant. I took 3 of these travel size deodorants to China and this is one of those. Over time my body does get used to the formula and I try something else for awhile but I always come back to this one!

Trader Joe's Anticavity Peppermint Toothpaste 6 oz. - I don't love the flavor of this but I keep buying it because I go to TJ's a lot! It's also inexpensive compared to many other natural toothpastes.

Pur Minerals Big Look Mascara with Argan Oil .12 oz. - I retired this one after about a month. I really liked the way this mascara looked on me after a second coat but after about a month the formula started to irritate me. I never know how long a mascara will work for me but I rarely can go a whole 3 months. I would probably try this one again at some point.

Silk Naturals Slick Stick Bramble, Silk Naturals Velvet Matte Lipstick Merlot, Real Purity Pearl Mocha Powder Blush, Gourmet Body Treats Natural Eye Shadow Gun Metal Gray


Silk Naturals Slick Stick Bramble - I absolutely adore this light wearable lavender gloss. It is beautiful and I would definitely repurchase it. This tube got pretty grainy and separated at this end as I hadn't worn it in awhile. Noticing this inspired me to search through my Silk Naturals colors and clean out the old ones!

Silk Naturals Velvet Matte Lipstick Merlot - This wasn't used up so much as the tube stopped advancing. Silk Naturals quickly sent me a replacement tube!

Real Purity Pearl Mocha Powder Blush .2 oz. - I'm always kind of amazed when I actually finish a powder cosmetic product because it happens so rarely. This has been my favorite blush for so long. I have a lot of blush right now so I won't repurchase right away, but I will definitely get another in the future. This is the most perfect light pink color that goes with everything and can't be overdone.

Samples:

Gourmet Body Treats Natural Eye Shadow Gun Metal Gray - I've had this sample forever. It is a sparkly buildable gray. I have never tried anything else from this brand. I wouldn't feel the need to buy this as I have several sparkly grays. Like most dark mineral colors this got EVERYWHERE.

Giovanni Ultra-Sleek Conditioner .25 oz. Packet - I took this sample camping just to have a conditioner. It worked fine but I don't feel the need to buy this one.

Acure Cleansing Gel Facial Cleanser - This one felt fine but it is for normal to oily skin so I would probably choose something more hydrating.

Acure Brightening Facial Scrub - I still love this stuff! It manages to make my skin feel ridiculously soft without over-scrubbing or irritating as long as I don't use it too often.

Acure Night Cream - This was very nice and hydrating. I would definitely consider this in the future. Loving Acure more and more all the time!



Silk Naturals Fall 2015 + Last Chance Lippies

Saturday, September 19, 2015 - Posted by Unknown at 10:54 PM
Fall 2015

In the process of acquiring some new lip colors for fall I decided to clean through my makeup and toss some older Silk Naturals colors that were probably not great to use anymore. I hate throwing out makeup but I love knowing my makeup is safe and clean, so... Here's the new stuff! I got a few things from the Fall 2015 collection, a few last chance items, and a replacement for an item that didn't work.


Smoothie, Sinful, Ruby, Cherry Black


Smoothie Tinted Nourish Lip Conditioner - This is a subtle, shimmer-free, light pink lip gloss. It feels amazing and moisturizing and I absolutely adore it! I will definitely be getting more of the Lip Conditioner formula in the future!

Sinful Amplifying Lip Glaze - This was the GWP from my Fall order. It is a moderately opaque medium pink. It is very glossy without being sparkly. Quite pretty!

Ruby Velvet Matte Lipstick - This is brighter and more of a true red next to Merlot. I love the Velvet Matte Lipstick formula!

Cherry Black Lipstick - This is the glossier vegan lipstick formula. It is that super dark vampy color that works great for fall! This is definitely a great lipstick to rock in October!

Sleep in a Jar Light Peach Under Eye Concealer, Laced Eye Color, Score Eye Color, Cult Eye Color


I only chose three colors from the Bare Necessities Smoky line, on account of I have "one or two" extraneous eye shadows so I figured I didn't need the whole palette! I ones I chose are gorgeous!

Laced Eye Color - This is a very light chalky pink highlight color. The shadow itself is matte but there is faint shimmer throughout. The formula is considered a cream satin.

Score Eye Color - I absolutely love this color! It is a beautiful light pink shimmery champagne color. It is super sparkly and beautiful and could easily be a one and done shade which is generally my favorite kind of color.

Cult Eye Color - Cult is one of those taupey greigey colors that I love and always gravitate to. It is much more complicated than "grey". It is a dark, moody, dirty metallic. Gorgeousness!

Sleep in a Jar Light Peach Under Eye Concealer - This is part of the permanent collection but I decided it was time to try it as I always hear great things. I chose the color light peach to brighten my eyes. I do believe it helps brighten up the eye area and I am looking forward to using this!

Last Chance


Coy, Jackpot, Glacier, Hubbub, Hot Blooded, Merlot

Coy Slick Stick - This is the kind of gloss I buy just because it's on sale. This is a sheer, shimmerless, milky white gloss. There is just enough opacity to lighten lip color without making me look creepy. This was definitely a gamble but I'm glad I got it. The idea behind this is you use it to lighten up other lip colors, but I will probably wear it alone because I'm weird and like the idea of white lip gloss.

Jackpot Slick Stick - This is a shimmery sheer gloss with gold sparkle. I don't have a whole bunch to say about this other than that I love Slick Sticks and am glad I got this one.

Glacier Amplifying Lip Glaze - I've never tried the Amplifying Lip Glaze formula because I usually hate anything billed as a lip plumper. I tend to not like mint flavors. I don't love the flavor of this but it isn't overwhelmingly peppermint and there's nothing in it that's going to sting like many plumpers! It does tingle in a minty way but much less than other minty glosses I've had. I really, really wanted this weird turquoise glitter gloss because I love turquoise, so why wouldn't I? Like Coy it is unusual but not over the top.

The Village Slick Stick - This is actually a repurchase for me. This one is a sheer purple gloss with iridescent pink and purple sparkle. Definitely a fav.

Hubbub Slick Stick - Can you tell I like Slick Sticks? This is a glisteny sans sparkle Slick Stick in a light coral shade. Very pretty and very basic.

Hot Blooded Kisser Slicker - Oh yeah, I forgot about Kisser Slickers. Hot Blooded was on my wishlist for ages so now that it's making it's exit I finally got it. This is a medium opacity gloss, much more opaque than all the others discussed here. I'm going to go ahead and call this color "marsala".

Merlot Velvet Matte Lipstick - This is not part of the last chance sale. I bought this awhile ago and after not getting very far into my tube because it is super pigmented the tube stopped twisting up. Karen quickly sent me this replacement with an awesome GWP shadow!

Pretend, Hidden


Pretend Eye Color GWP - This eye color GWP came with my clearance lippies. It is a satiny soft gold which I absolutely love. Pinker but would go nicely with Jackpot.

Hidden Eye Color GWP - This eye color GWP came with my replacement Merlot Velvet Matte Lipstick. This is a completely matte dusty mauve eye color that would probably work out pretty well as a blush! Really unique and awesome, I am excited about this one!

What are you loving from the Silk Naturals 2015 Collection? Leave me a comment!

Pür Minerals Femme Fatale Collection / Secret Crush Eye Shadow Palette

Wednesday, September 9, 2015 - Posted by Unknown at 10:04 PM


I've browsed the Pur Minerals website before but this was the first time I ever tried anything from the brand. I was drawn to this collection for a few reasons: The look of a "naked" palette, my desire to try liquid eyeliner for the first time in years, and my love of the color turquoise! It had absolutely nothing to do with the movie the man from U.N.C.L.E. that this collection is promoting and which I know nothing about. The entire Femme Fatale collection is $29.






The Secret Crush Palette is normally $32 so if you're going to buy it, but this collection instead! The palette features eight shadows with a net weight of .05 oz. each, which is pretty generous. The shadows come in a sturdy metal palette with a large mirror and a small eye shadow brush. I get really excited about natural palettes in general as they are so hard to find! The packaging on this one isn't the best. The mirror is quite nice. The palette's hinge only opens about 95 degrees and looks like it would break if I tried to open it more than that. The clasp closes nicely but sticks when I open the palette.

The palette features eight colors: Whisper, Lust, Passion, Muse, Admirer, Infatuation, Rendezvous, and Rumor. As you can see I labeled the color names in my palette as they are only labeled on the box. Whisper and Lust are the two highlight colors. I always appreciate the inclusion of highlight colors but these are both quite sheer and virtually imperceptible. They are both matte formula shadows although Whisper has a hint of sparkle. Passion, Muse, Admirer, and Infatuation are beautiful, creamy, metallic shadows that remind me of my old Urban Decay shadows! Rendevous and Rumor are both matte colors that I find difficult to work with.While I don't love this palette I like it enough that I will continue to use it regularly. For this price I think it is worth it to check it out for the metallic shadows! Possible ingredient concerns include Phenoxyethanol, Carmine, and Ferric Ferrocyanide. I was a little nervous about this but I have had no problem with the formulas in this palette.

I am definitely not a person who is good with liquid eyeliner so the Cat Eye Liquid Eyeliner in Black and Double Ego Dual-Ended Eyeliner in Queensland really appealed to me, especially since any kind of turquoise is my favorite eyeliner! I really like both of these. They are much easier to control than traditional liquid eyeliner and much more forgiving. That isn't to say it's impossible to make a mess, because it is. One morning I ended up with too much Cat Eye and smeared it with RMS Beauty Cream Eyeshdow and it looked pretty fantastic. I definitely recommend both of these for anyone else who might be nervous about liquid liner! Possible ingredient concerns include Phenoxyethanol, Carmine, Ferric Ammonium Ferrocyanide, and dyes. Again, the true test for me is how my eyes react to it. I've been using these for about a week with no issues.


As you can see Cat Eye bleeds a bit.

This was the smudge test. The pencil side of Queensland didn't do so well but both liquids stuck around!
Big Look Extreme Mascara with Argan Oil is a miniature mascara although it is reasonably sized at .12 oz. I do find it to be comfortable and conditioning but not incredibly volumizing. The wand is plastic so the mascara does not clump on the wand. I think the miniature packaging is what makes this product somewhat difficult to apply so I would assume the full size would be easier, but this would be a good way to test out the mascara. Possible ingredient concern here is Phenoxyethanol, which at this point is a shock to no one!




Overall I am glad I purchased the Femme Fatale Collection. This is a great price point to try out a brand that is new to me. I would not recommend this collection for anyone trying to be strict about all natural ingredients as there are a few suspect ingredients in here.





Current Polish: Zoya Channing



Currently Reading: X-O Manowar by Robert Venditti 

The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier




Summer Empties, China, Etcetera

Wednesday, September 2, 2015 - Posted by Unknown at 7:29 PM
I didn't mean to be gone for months, but a lot of things have been going on, so this is going to be a huge empties post and probably I will still forget something!

May + June

Makeup



Real Purity Disguise System Duo Light .2 oz. - This has amazing clean ingredients. I prefer the shade Medium on me and when it's fresh its wonderful. The shelf life on this is not amazing, and I had this one a bit too long. I wouldn't purchase this shade again. I would get Medium for color but for the price point and how quickly i use it up I am less likely to purchase it again.

Lily Lolo New Black Vegan Mascara 7 ml - This is probably my new favorite natural mascara! I was very impressed with this formula and what it did for for my lashes without any irritation. I will definitely be purchasing this in the future although I currently have several mascaras to use first.

The All Natural Face Vegan Lip Gloss Frosted Peach .43 oz. - This has great clean ingredients but I hate wand style gloss because it feels so germy! As usual I used this a few weeks until it grossed me out. This is a beautiful sheer peach color with shimmer. Looks gorgeous, just hate the packaging!

Julep Nail Vernis America .27 oz. - This is completely beautiful in the bottle. Unfortunately it was absolutely awful on my nails. It was very gummy and applied very unevenly. In it's defense my bottle was a few years old. I took this off immediately and can't recommend it.

Real Purity Shrimp Lipstick sample - Real Purity lipstick is one of my favorite formulas. Shrimp is a beautiful orange-red with a bit of shimmer. This is definitely on my wish list!

Real Purity Disguise System Concealer Light, The All Natural Face Vegan Lip Gloss Frosted Peach, Real Purity Shrimp Lipstick

Skin

Pure All Natural and Handmade Facial Soap French Pink Clay FS - I bought this locally in Columbia, SC at the Soda City Farmer's Market and was so excited about it! Unfortunately this was too harsh for my skin which was quite surprising as it is considered Pure's sensitive skin soap. Ingredients include olive oil, coconut oil, palm oil, avocado butter, french pink clay, essential oil, and beeswax. David ended up finishing this soap without problems, so I'm going go assume there was just too much clay in it for my skin.

Simply Eden Bath & Body Goat-Milk Soap Frankincense, Lavender & Lime 5.25 oz. - I can't really provide much of an opinion on this one as this particular soap had been around quite awhile and Simply Eden does not sell this one anymore.

Winter Rose Soap Castile Soap Loaf 3 lb. - I really liked this soap quite a bit. My gold standard for castile soap is Hill's Natural Soap. This one was more moisturizing because Cathy sent me a message and asked if I wanted to add cocoa butter! I went back and forth between the two for a long time and they are both great. I would definitely order from Winter Rose Soap again!

Trader Joe's Shave Moisturizing Cream Shave Honey Mango 8 oz. - Next to a lot of things I use these aren't the cleanest ingredients, but I find them acceptable for a shaving cream. Also, this smells awesome. It's a unisex product and David uses it a lot too.

Trader Joe's Nourish Spray Sunscreen SPF 50 6 oz. - This is the one I buy over and over again! It's only $6 which is cheaper than regular spray sunscreen.

Banana Boat SunComfort Broad Spectrum SPF 50+ - This is what happens when you run out of sunscreen and don't have time to go to Trader Joe's. I think we actually went through 2 of these this summer. Then I bought more of the Nourish from TJ's...

Alba Pineapple Quench Lip Balm .15 oz. - Much like the coconut one this started off great but over time became grainy. It was still nice and quite moisturizing with very clean ingredients. I didn't love the packing as it twists at the top which makes it difficult to open. Would still buy again.

Skin Samples:

Andalou Naturals Acai + White Tea Oil-Free Moisturizer Clarifying x2
Andalou Naturals Resveratrol Q10 Night Repair Cream
Andalou Naturals 1000 Roses Beautiful Day Cream
Andalou Naturals 1000 Roses Heavenly Night Cream
Bull Dog Original Moisturizer
MaMi SkinCare Satiated Moisturizer
Weleda Baby Derma White Mallow Face Cream x2
Weleda Baby Caledula Face Cream
Weleda Baby Calendula Diaper Rash Cream
Weleda Pomegranate Firming Day Cream

I would definitely love to try more of the Andalou Naturals and Weleda products!

Other:

Tom's of Maine Maximum Strength Sensitive Soothing Mint 4 oz.
Trader Joe's Anticavity Peppermint Toothpaste 6 oz.

I try to stick to sensitive toothpaste but when I run out I always go back to Trader Joes!

July

I spent the month of July in Shijiazhuang Shi, Hebei, China (yes, I have to look up how to spell that every time!) I decided not to bring any makeup to China and only pack necessities. I will admit there were times I regretted that, but it wouldn't have been practical to wear makeup anyway as it would have melted off!







All I actually used up in China was a small Juice Beauty Moisturizer and a Real Purity travel size Roll-On Deodorant. I also took a full bottle of Josh Rosebrook Deep Nourishing Shampoo and the end of a bottle of Real Purity Moisturizing Hair Conditioner. Both were mostly finished when I accidentally left them in my dorm bathroom as I stayed in five different places during the course of the month!



August



So I came back from China, went back to work, and immediately sprained my ankle. It's still recovering and I'm feeling pretty silly walking around in a big clunky boot, but... I have my makeup back so that makes me feel more glamorous!

Makeup

Gabriel Mascara Black - This is just a slightly smaller version of their regular black mascara. Performs the same. Review here. 

Skin

Acure Brightening Facial Scrub 1 oz. - This was a free sample from Whole Foods! This super dark scrub is very fine. At first I thought it was too harsh for my skin but I think it's actually just very... thorough. When I use it my skin feels ridiculously soft. I don't need to repurchase it as I have a lot of scrubs sitting around, but I could see myself getting it again in the future.

The All Natural Face Age Defying Extract Daily Moisturizer Pure and Simple 1 oz. - This is a very light facial moisturizer that smells exactly like lemons. I like it fine but I don't love it. I think I want something a bit more moisturizing but this is great for summer when you want something lighter.

Burt's Bees Sensitive Facial Cleansing Towelettes with Cotton Extract 30 ct. - This has been a staple lately. I will probably keep buying them. Products of this nature usually irritate my face and the irritation from these is incredibly minimal.

Silk Naturals Stark & Son Peanut Butter Matte Lip Balm .15 oz. - This lip balm is marketed to men because it has a somewhat matte finish. It really does have a peanut butter scent but more like roasted peanuts and not at all like sugary peanut butter. This is the balm that traveled all over China with me! I almost lost it on the airplane there. Close call.

The All Natural Face Organic Helichrysum Hydrosol Toner 2 oz. - This is just okay. I didn't find it particularly moisturizing which is the main thing I look for in a toner. It's supposed to reduce facial redness but if it did I didn't notice. Not likely to repurchase.

The All Natural Face Fresh Roses Facial Cleansing Cream and Makeup Remover 2 oz. and The All Natural Face Face Food Cherries & Cream 2 oz.  I don't feel like I can adequately review these as I am pretty sure both went bad before I finished them. I will definitely say don't store these products in the shower!

Real Purity Roll-On Deodorant 3. oz. - Gold standard as always.

Hair

Josh Rosebrook Deep Nourishing Shampoo 8 oz. - I could write a novel about this, but we'll start with this: The bottle you see here is my first bottle. I took a second bottle to China and there is a third in my shower right now. Full review coming soon!

Derma E Vitamin E Skin Oil 14,000 I.U. - I'm losing track of how many of these I've gone through!


Currently Listening to The Weeknd - Beauty Behind the Madness

Recently watched The Affair 

Recently read Loot by Jude Watson

Why I'm Giving Urban Decay 24/7 Eye Pencil Another Chance

Saturday, August 29, 2015 - Posted by Unknown at 6:17 PM
For years Urban Decay was my favorite brand for both Eye Shadow and Eye Liner. Unfortunately over time my eyes became more and more irritated by Urban Decay formulations. I parted with all my Urban Decay products, and the hardest to let go of were my 24/7 Eye Pencils. I am a huge fan of teal and turquoise liners and have been unable to find a natural formula that would recreate my favorite liner look.

But sometimes you want to window shop, and I will admit I frequently window shop at Urban Decay's website. I noticed that my favorite liner colors, Flipside and Covet, were no longer offered. Many new colors were being sold, so I looked up a few of my favorites on the cosmetics safety database.

Deep End is considered a "bright metallic peacock shimmer". Safety information for Deep End can be found here. Deep End appears to be the reformulated version of Flipside.

Junkie is considered a "metallic teal shimmer with gold micro-sparkle". Safety information for Junkie can be found here. Junkie appears to be the reformulated version of Covet.

    Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil Junkie, Deep End

   Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil Deep End, Junkie


I have been wearing these for the past week and am happy to report that so far I have not had any irritation from them! I would not have considered purchasing these if it were not from the Cosmetics Safety Database rating of 2. Many of the more natural products I have have a rating higher than 2, but in an ideal world everything I use would have a rating of 0-2.



You will definitely want to avoid these if you have problems with:

Phenoxyethanol
Chromium Oxide Greens
Ferric Ferrocyanide

I will always focus on natural makeup, but I appreciate that a brand I used to love has reformulated a product and made it more accessible to me as an ingredient-conscious consumer!

There is a lot of controversy on whether or not Urban Decay is considered cruelty free. This was taken from their website:

"Urban Decay is a cruelty-free brand and is committed to ending animal testing. We do not test our products on animals, nor do we allow others to test on our behalf. Additionally, we require our suppliers to certify that the raw materials used in the manufacture of our products are not tested on animals. Our Brand is certified by both PETA and The Leaping Bunny Program (CCIC) as cruelty-free."

The All Natural Face April Beauty Box

Monday, May 25, 2015 - Posted by Unknown at 11:51 AM
In case this seems later than it is, it is worth mentioning that the April box ships in May, the May box will ship in June, etc. I have had this for a few weeks and have already played with these products a bit!



Monoi Oil 1/2 oz. - Apparently monoi oil is coconut oil with French Tahitian gardenias infused in it. It smells like magic, truly. I really hate synthetic scents so this is the kind of thing I might adopt as a "perfume" of sorts. This is a pure oil so I definitely wouldn't travel with it in this kind of container. $3 value.

The Illuminator, 10 gms - This is absolutely lovely. It is really close to my favorite face powder from the All Natural Face, Desert Sand Mineral Glow. And honestly, they're both my favorite now. This one is a slightly deeper, warmer pink and has a bit of sparkle to it. The sparkle is great though, not over the top at all. This is a subtle glow and a fantastic highlighter or blush. This is a new release and does not appear to be on the website yet but I am considering it a $10 value due to the price of the other comparable products.

    The Illuminator, Fawn Eye Shadow, Antique Copper Eye Shadow

Love Spellish Fragrance Oil sample - Blech. I don't like the scents at Victoria's Secret any more than I like the scents at Bath and Body Works, so knock off's of them are pretty unnecessary for me. Probably won't be using this. This is not yet available for sale. $.82 value.

Pumpkins and Cream Face Food 1/2 oz.  - This one is dried pumpkin and dried coconut milk. It does smell like pumpkins, although not intensely. This is supposed to be good for exfoliation. Also not yet available for sale. $3.25 value.

Tomatoes and Cream Face Food 1/2 oz. - Dried tomatoes and dried coconut milk. To me this one doesn't produce the best scent but it does smell like dried tomatoes! The dried tomatoes are supposed to be good for ache control and oily skin, so this one might be a bit too strong for me. Also not yet available for sale. $3.25 value.

Vegan Eye Shadows in Fawn and Antique Copper, 5 gms - Fawn is a beautiful subtle neutral matte highlight or all over lid color. Antique Copper is a deep, shimmery metallic mix of gold and brown. I appreciate that this one doesn't come out as dark as it looks in the container. Both are quite pretty and go nicely together! $3.50 value x 2.

Total value of box = $27.32. The box is $15 and there is only one product that I won't use, and it doesn't really affect the value of the box to me.

Here's some photos for the sake of comparison. Desert Sand is similar and Edible Cocoa Love Dust and Shimmer Powder Fairy Dust are shown so you can see the variation in pigment and sparkle. The Illuminator has less sparkle and a lot more pigment than the other shimmer powders.

    Desert Sand Vegan Glow, The Illuminator, Edible Cocoa Love Dust, Shimmer Powder Fairy Dust

And here's that same hand without flash:


In the following photo I am wearing |Fawn and Antique Copper Eye Shadows with Magic Vegan Eye Shadow Primer and Lily Lolo Mascara. On my face I am wearing Ivory Rose Vegan Cream Foundation and The Illuminator. I am also wearing Frosted Peach Vegan Lip Gloss.


Over the weekend we went to Folly Beach in Charleston, SC with friends. We had lots of fun (and a few sunscreen fails). Here's my favorite picture, which was ironically taken in the parking lot: 


    And of course, an obligatory beach photo!


Catching up with the All Natural Face

Tuesday, May 19, 2015 - Posted by Unknown at 6:40 PM
I have a lot of All Natural Face products sitting here that need to be discussed! This is definitely a catchup post. With the goal in mind of talking about each and every product that comes into my apartment what I am finding is that I definitely notice more when the products start to stack up! First off, The All Natural Face February Beauty Box:




Age Defying Daily Moisturizer 1/2 oz. - I already had a larger bottle of this. This is definitely a lighter moisturizer that will be good for summer. I am actually planning of saving this bottle for my summer trip to China. I will be traveling the month of July and I think this will be the perfect moisturizer to take with me! $6.49 value.

Eye shadows in Green Ice Storm and Forest Nymph 5 gms - St. Patrick's Day has come and gone but I will find these useful all year. Green Ice Storm is a silvery color that pulls green. Forest Nymph is a true leafy green. It's not too dark. There is a bit of blue to it but it definitely isn't teal. They are both beautiful on. $7 value.

Frosted Peach Lip Gloss .43 oz. - None of the glosses from The All Natural Face are very moisturizing but they aren't really drying either. This one is the closest to being drying presumably because of the addition of mica and oxides. That being said there are very few ingredients to this gloss, which is quite nice! The gloss looks quite pretty on. $4.60 value.

Aloe and Cucumber Face Food 1 oz. - This will be my second Face Food. This one sounds like it will be excellent for my sensitive skin! Not entirely sure why it smells like raisins, but maybe that's just me. $7.50 value.

Tempest Diva Stix - I had avoided this one in the past because of bad reviews of this particular shade, but I was pleasantly surprised by this color. Looks like I got a good one! Tempest is a pretty navy color. Well, it says dark purple, but it looks borderline navy to me. It does have shimmer in it but you can't really see it in application. $4.88 value.

Total Value of February Box = $30.47!

Tempest Diva Stix, Frosted Peach Vegan Lip Gloss, Green Ice Storm Eye Shadow, Forest Nymph Eye Shadow



And now for March! 



Hyaluronic Acid 2% 1/2 oz. - This says it's 1/2 oz. but the bottle is only half full and I am skeptical. I am excited to try this though. I believe this takes the place of a moisturizer but so far I have only tested in on my hand. It has a slippery gel consistency. I'm guessing but I'm going to call this a $2.74 value. 

Everyday Is a Good Day Vegan Blush 10g - I already had the cream version of this blush and love it! The powder version is basically the same color but perhaps a bit more subdued. I appreciate the peachiness as the cream is a tad orange. $6.50 value. 

Organic Green Tea Hydrosol Toner 1 oz. - This toner is supposed to be good for all skin types. There is a very faint green tea scent to this. I was planning on saving this for my China trip, but this contains Silver Citrate, which appears to be a form of silver. Since I am allergic to silver jewelry I am not sure how my skin will tolerate this, so I will probably try it out before then! $3.25 value.

Kukui Nut Oil 1 oz. - This is an oil I had not heard of before. I never use oils to style my hair but I often use them as a deep scalp treatment, which is probably what I will try this for as my scalp is very sensitive. $5 value. 

Eye Shadows in Pink Ice Storm and Iridescent Pink 5 gms. - Pink ice storm is the lightest of light pinks. Iridescent Pink, to me, is straight up purple. This would go really well with Modern Minerals En Pointe. $7 value. 

Fragrance Oil Samples, Hawaiian Coconut and Vanilla Bean Noel. I will definitely wear the Hawaiian Coconut. The scent is subtle and summery and is unlikely to irritate my sensitive nose. Vanilla Bean Noel, on the other hand, is an imitation of a Bath and Body Works scent, and I am not a fan of that place, to say the least! This one is definitely too strong for me! They do offer a regular Vanilla Bean which I would probably prefer! I'm going to call this a $2 value. 

Total Value of March Box = $26.49

Everyday is a Good Day Blush, Pink Ice Storm Eye Shadow, Iridescent Pink Eye Shadow

Everyday is a Good Day Powder Blush, Everyday is a Good Day Cream Blush

I have already received my April box and will be discussing it shortly!