I hardly ever try new shampoos, because nothing can live up to my favorite shampoo bar routine. However, I was interested when Aaron picked up a double pack of the Honest Company's Shampoo + Body Wash at Costco for around $14. I do use a bottled lathering shampoo when I remove henna from my hair, but aside from that - shampoo bar and vinegar rinse all the way! I only tried this product as a shampoo - but I love that it's multi-purpose. Aaron loves it for that. I don't like the coating agents that are typically in shampoos, but this one doesn't have panthenol, so I was excited to give it a try. It's a thick gelly-like consistency, and it smells like vanilla and orange. The scent is nice, but not intoxicatingly good. The product was a little hard to lather in my hair - it felt as if it were almost tugging on my hair. Definitely not a smooth feeling, probably because (as far as I know), it doesn't have any coating agents. It also made my hair strands swell up A LOT. It's a very odd feeling. It rinsed out alright, and I followed with my vinegar rinse. The main aspect to note with this product is how much VOLUME it gave my hair. I was very surprised, and had to take some pictures to show just how much volume it gave. My hair isn't even all the way dry in these photos. With volume came a little bit of frizz the next day, but if you use a smoothing oil or serum, I don't think it would be much of a problem. Aaron says ; "No complaints. I wish it lathered more. I feel like you have to wash your hair twice before it really lathers".
Would I use this again? Probably not. In a pinch I would, but I don't think this product would be useful to me to get the henna out of my hair because of how it dragged.
This is the blog post to accompany my Cream Shadow Showdown video! I was inspired by my fellow natural bloggers to try some cream eyeshadows, and ever since I've started using them, I've done my eye makeup every day!
For this video I focused on testing 3 different brands of natural and organic cream shadows:
This was my first time testing out cream shadows of any type before, so I can't compare them to any non-natural drugstore ones.
With all of the shadows, I found they work better without a primer (All Natural Face 'Magic' eye primer), and better WITH a translucent powder (Sobe Botanicals Oil Control Powder) applied to the eyelids before applying the cream shadow. Some benefited from the powder more than others. The powder especially helped P&P and RMS beauty last, but didn't make much of a difference for the Zosimos formula.
Sample - $5 (Used to be $3, they changed the prices :()
I absolutely LOVE that Zosimos offers smaller sizes of their products for $5 each (Used to be $3, they changed the prices :()! I loved being able to try a few things out without having to spend the full $20 to test the cream shadows. For this test, I tried 'Fools Gold' and 'Daylily'. The cream shadow color selection is average - they have your basic colors and not many that stand out as being incredibly unique. But, they work wonderfully under other shadows!
The samples came in little jars that were barely enough to fit my finger (width is shown on the daylily sample), so I depotted them into a plastic clam. (Shipping/arrival took a decent amount of time - I think it was about 10 days that I received my order after placing it).
The pigmentation is great for these. I didn't care for the orange-tone that is Daylily, but I love Fools Gold. It applies evenly on the lid, isn't sticky, and the formula almost changes to a powder once applied to the lid.
These hardly crease AT ALL on me and creased the least (on me) out of all the ones I tried. The color lasted under another eyeshadow all day and there is no fading.
Would I repurchase?
YES. Lasting power is amazing and although the colors in the line are pretty basic, I think I would be able to get a ton of looks with them. Fools Gold is great for neutral and natural looks.
I was sent samples of these to try out in 'Lunar' and 'Solar'. There are currently 5 shades available. I've heard such great things about these and was excited to try them in samples before buying the full sizes (if indeed I loved them that much).
The first thing I noticed with these is that they are incredibly wet to the touch. When applied to the lid in various ways - with a primer, translucent powder, and to the plain lid - they apply unevenly on me and feel very thick. It only takes a little bit to cover the lid and these require a little more work for an even base.
Using a translucent powder on the lid before applying helped with the staying powder - without it there was heavy creasing. Even with the powder underneath, there is a bit of creasing.
There was no fading through out the day under another eyeshadow.
Would I repurchase?
No - These didn't stand out to me and I was disappointed in the staying power especially for how expensive these are.
Ingredients:
Cocos nucifera (coconut) oil*, cera alba (beeswax)*, simmondsia chinesis (jojoba) seed oil*, theobroma cacao (cocoa) seed butter*, tocopherol (non-gmo), rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) extract*. may contain + / - :titanium dioxide, ci 77891, iron oxides ci 77491, ci 77492, ci 77499.
I purchased the full size of the shade 'Ice Dance' from Kristy's shop on Artfire from the collection inspired by 'Edward Scissorhands'. I absolutely LOVE my Lady of Light highlight from her and had been wanting to try the cream shadows for awhile, so the idea for this series pushed me to finally purchase one! At $8.00 for a full size, they are comparable to drugstore pricing! Kristy makes such unique shades for her cream shadows, based on movies that inspire her. All of her collections are so unique, and she and her husband design the artwork for all of them. The packing is so beautiful and chic too.
The first thing I want to say about the cream shadow is that I am absolutely IN LOVE with the color of Ice Dance. Kristy created it for use as a brow-bone highlight and thus it is semi sheer, but regardless, it is without a doubt my favorite color of the ones I've tried - possibly my favorite color in an eyeshadow EVER. It is a shimmery pearl with blue, purple, and pink tones. Seriously, I'm obsessed.
The texture in the compact is by far the driest of the 3 companies, but doesn't apply as dry as the Zosimos one does on the lid. Ice Dance applies evenly, but since it is a more sheer color - doesn't give a full coverage look.
Kristy uses rice powder in a lot of her product so they will work for oily skin and eyelids. With a translucent powder underneath and a powder on top, creasing was reduced significantly. However, interestingly enough, what shadow I used on top depended on how much creasing I got.
With a zuzu luxe pressed powder shadow, there was hardly any creasing. With a loose mineral pigment, there was a little more creasing, but I also noticed different amounts of creasing within different brands of mineral shadows.
I tried using a translucent powder on top in hopes of keeping the color, but it totally mattified the shimmer. I'm so upset I can't wear it without another shadow on top because the color is out of this world.
One thing I did notice is a little bit of color fading through out the day. I'm someone that doesn't like to touch up my makeup during the day, so I just leave it be!
Would I repurchase?
Yes! Kristy's colors are so unique and I am OBSESSED with the color of Ice Dance that a little creasing is worth it.
Ingredients:
(I typed them off the back of the compact because I couldn't find them on the listing)
Left to Right/Top to Bottom: Daylily, Solar, Lunar, Ice Dance, Fools Gold
Overall WINNERS:
Price: At $5 for a really decent sample for Zosioms and $8 for a full size from Pumpkin and Poppy - very affordable. RMS, not so much. Ingredients: RMS and Zosimos
Unique Color: Ice Dance - Pumpkin and Poppy
Lasting Power: Zosimos
Want MORE cream shadow showdowns or showdowns in general? What natural cream shadows are you using? Let me know!
- (I use the All Natural Face Cream Concealer/Foundation Pot for blemishes - only around $5!)
Price: $27 is pretty steep for a concealer. Shipping is free on the Jane Iredale website
Packaging: 2g/.07z per tube. I spent quite a long time looking for a concealer with a brush similar to the Touche Eclat! However, after trying it out, I realize this type of applicator doesn't quite work for me. I prefer using my Sigma blending brush as a stippling brush with a pot concealer.
Brightening?: Yes! It's very brightening and reflects like well. I may just feel this way because it's the first actual LIGHT concealer I've used in over a year that's lighter than my actual skin tone. (My RMS beauty concealer matches my skin tone)
Coverage: The coverage is alright, but the concealer isn't as yellow as I think it should be. Yellow really seems to counteract dark circles for me much better than a neutral shade.
Staying Power: Not very good. Seems to start fading with an hour. (See photos for how it wears through out the day).
Creamy? or Dry?: It FEELS creamy, but on me - the concealer is very dry. It cakes up within minutes of applying and leaves a splotchy patch that lightly shows my purple dark circles through.
Overall - I'd probably give it 2/5 stars if that. I like the color (after my cheeks settle down from their morning redness!) But really don't like how much it cakes up.
TO SEE my everyday makeup routine using my RMS BEAUTY Concealer (application, coverage): click here
PHOTOS
Swatch
Left: JI #1, Right: RMS in 11
NOTHING ON (a little scary!):
Right after Applying JI:
(It really brightens + reflects light! No foundation so my cheeks look a little red after just doing my makeup)
Up close: ALREADY getting cakey
After 8 hours Wearing JI:
Photo I instagramed of my COOL eye
that REALLY shows the dryness:
Hope you guys found this informative!
Please remember: This is my opinion - feel free to try it out; It may end up working for you!
Hi everyone! Here is the product list to go with my 'Daily/Bright/Glowy Makeup' Video!
*I already applied my Honey Girl Organics Face and Eye cream mixed with my Mexitan SPF50 Sunscreen: (Honey Girl Organics Intro Video)
FACE:
The All Natural Face Cream concealer/foundation pot in 'Porcelain Kissed By Honey':
Sobe Botanicals Foundation in 'Light'
Ayelet Naturals Brightening Eye Cream:
My Beauty Addiction mineral blush in Innocence
Sobe Botanicals Oil Control Powder:
RMS Beauty "Un-Cover" Concealer in 11
MBA Mineral Eyeshadow in 'Baby Soft' (to set concealer)
EYES:
All Natural Face "Magic" Eyeshadow Primer
MBA Mineral Eyeshadow in 'Baby Soft'
GeoGirl Easy Eyeliner Pencil in 'April Mist'
Bare Minerals Flawless Definition Mascara
I was in Hawaii when this skincare line caught my eye - the tagline especially!:
I contacted the owners, Anthony and Gwen, that night - and they agreed to send me the Cleanser, the Toner, and the Face And Eye cream. There are 5 main ingredients in the HGO products - all arranged at different concentrations to make each product's consistency:
Water
Olive Oil
Beeswax
Honey
Essential Oil
Olive Oil -
Organic, free of pesticides.
Oil removes dirt, and is the main ingredient in the cleanser.
Beeswax -
Identical to the wax our skin makes
Noncomedogenic (won't clog pores)
Allows air to pass
Non irritating
Soaks into the skin after 3-5 hours because our body knows how to process it.
Honey -
Dehydrated flower nectar + 1% bee saliva
Hydrates the skin - brings water to the top layer
Stimulates collagen:
Anthony and I had a really great phone call to talk about the products and his views on using natural products. I absolutely LOVED talking with him (and talking with anyone who uses natural products/lives naturally).
We discussed the importance of using products that are as close to their natural stage as possible, that way none of the energy or beneficial ingredients are taken from them. Energy in it's purest form is the best, and the more processed an ingredient is, the less benefits it will have.
The HGO products are cooked in small batches in a Cuisinart that only reaches 90 degrees - less heat = less nutrients gone!
*I HAVE already started using the products - and filmed 2 diary videos so far. I started using them on Friday 8/31, and today is Tuesday 9/4.
I will admit I'm a little nervous because the Cleanser reminds me of the Oil Cleansing Method and OH MAN - that was the reason my skin was murdered. Google the OCM if you haven't heard of it- it's basically cleansing your face with only oils.
The main aspect to note with this product is how much VOLUME it gave my hair. I was very surprised, and had to take some pictures to show just how much volume it gave. My hair isn't even all the way dry in these photos. With volume came a little bit of frizz the next day, but if you use a smoothing oil or serum, I don't think it would be much of a problem.
