I've been experimenting a lot with my eye makeup lately and I thought I would do an 'Eye Looks of the Week' style post showing you my favorite shadows of the week as well as the looks I created with them!
On Monday I did my Everyday Neutral Eye with a pop of teal/light turquoise on the lower last line - Sea Breeze from My Beauty Addiction. Admittedly, I really didn't feel comfortable wearing this look because of the bright lower lash line. It could be because it was the first day of classes and I felt it might have been too "out there". I do love this look on other people though.
Tuesday
On Tuesday I experimented with the new Shiro Cosmetics pigments I received in the mail on Monday night as well as my (my secret weapon is out!) - my Pumpkin and Poppy liner in 'Blue Ruin'. I'm not a huge blue/black liner fan as I've said before. BUT, when I was creating this look and used my Geek Chic pigment in 'As You Wish' over the blue liner, it created this beautiful lilac purple. The liner stayed all day, the color didn't fade, and it was my favorite part of the look. On the lid I have Shiro's 'Wandering Wizard', 'Chimera' in the crease, applied the Blue Ruin liner, then 'As You Wish' on the top of that. Then I applied Shiro's 'Alchestry' (?) over the lower lid as well (which doesn't show up on the photo much), but it is a GORGEOUS blue/purple sparkle.
Wednesday
Wednesday I worked again with Blue Ruin and colored liner. I used Zuzu Luxe in Vixen (my favorite brown neutral right now), with Chimera in the crease. I used Geek Chic's 'As You Wish' and Shiro's 'Day of Reckoning' over the liner and blended in the middle to create a gradient. I wore this in my Skincare Routine video.
Thursday
On Thursday I recreated my Valentine's day look that will be up very soon (this picture was from that day). I wore this in my January Favorites video after filming and got a lot of compliments on it - I absolutely love this look and think it's so romantic. Zuzu Luxe 'Vixen' on the inner lid, All Natural Face 'Rose Gold' on the outer lid and half of the lower lashline, and Geek Chic 'As You Wish' in the crease. A little white in the inner corner as well.
Friday
Today's look was probably my least favorite. It unfortunately came out looking like I have a black eye (this photo is totally embarrassing)/ I used Pumpkin and Poppy's new cream shadow in 'Divinely Happy', a light taupe, as a base, with Zuzu 'Vixen' on top. I LOVE the color of Shiro's 'Day of Reckoning', but it didn't show up at all true to color on the lid. I tried 'As You Wish' in the crease, but thus it all ended up looking like a purple and brown black eye. It's raining today so I wore my Zuzu Luxe mascara in Navy instead of the Benecos Black I've been wearing all week.
So those are the looks I wore this week as well as my favorite pigments! What have been your favorite natural shadows lately? Please share! Also, let me know if you liked this post!
I just made my first order with Silk Naturals last night for some beautiful colors, and I have an ANF order with more pigments coming in too. I can't wait to play!
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've been suffering from dandruff and a flakey scalp for a long time, probably going on a year now. I've switched between Nature's Gate and Organic Excellence shampoos, exfoliating with my DIY Scalp Scrub and using an apple cider vinegar rinse every so often.
I decided that my hair probably wasn't getting enough moisture, had mineral buildup, or I somehow wasn't getting all the shampoo out.
I used the Eucalyptus Mint Shampoo Bar from Sweet Creek Herbal Care on Etsy at the beginning of 2012 and did a video review of Kathleen's store. I loved it back then but couldn't figure out the right way to make an ACV rinse to use after the shampoo bar. Without something to reset the pH (which is what vinegar does), typically a shampoo soap will leave your hair feeling greasy and heavy.
I decided to try the shampoo bar again for moisture and for the dandruff, an ACV rinse like Britanie wrote about in her post, by mixing a little in with water (there are tons of recipes online), pouring and massaging it on the scalp, and leaving it on for a bit in the shower. The mistake I made before was pouring it on, and rinsing it out almost immediately. Leaving it on allows the vinegar to really penetrate the scalp and help condition the hair.
While I washed my hair every 7-9 days with a bottled shampoo, I usually only go 4 or 5 with this combination because it is more moisturizing and has great oils. The ingredients in the shampoo soap are AMAZING and I never (and still can't) seem to find a natural bottled shampoo with fantastic ingredients. Kathleen's sells a ton of shampoo bars - the Eucalyptus Mint is free from olive oil, which I've learned is too strong an oil to use in my hair that doesn't rinse out completely. I want to try the Lavender Rose one soon! The bars last forever - I cut small slices off mine and I'm STILL on the first slice I cut, and I've been using it since the beginning of December.
Conditioners are a bigger worry, since all I've seen contain either silicones, panthenol, cetrimonium bromide, and other types of hair "coating" ingredients which create a film over the hair that over time will make the hair dry, for it doesn't allow 100% of moisture to penetrate. Vinegars acts as conditioner in itself - it detangles! You only need a little bit of vinegar because too much will make your hair stringy.
*Apple Cider Vinegar in full strength is known to strip hair color, so if you currently color you hair, be aware! It also naturally brings out the red in your hair, which I really like, but some people may not.
This combination has been wonderful for my hair and scalp. The shampoo bar leaves my hair SO soft, more soft than any bottled shampoo, and the amount of flakes in my hair has been decreased to almost NONE! I love this combo and I highly recommend it to everyone!
What are you currently using on your hair? Have you ever tried a shampoo bar before?!
The goal for this series is for Jen to switch more of her items to natural, and me to help others make the switch with some help from my acquired knowledge about ingredients!
Here you will see all of the important information written out so you can come back to it when you need it! I also linked some of my older videos for parabens, sulfates, and silicones. (I'll eventually get around to redoing these ;P)
As I noted in the video, body washes are not my favorite; I would prefer to use a natural homemade bar soap most of the time. However, my favorite all-purpose product that serves as a body wash would be my Dr. Bronner's Unscented Castile Soap. However, at Whole Foods today I did spend some time looking at body washes and was pleased with the majority of the ingredients in these::
-These are a no-no, especially in body wash and products that cover large surface areas of your body. -Most common names are methylparaben, butylparaben, propylparaben, ethylparaben.
-These will usually be found towards the bottom of a product (where MOST preservatives are located, but not always).
-Silicone is used to great a barrier on the skin making it feel soft and moisturized, when really it prevents any moisturizer from going to and from your skin. It is also known to break people out, so I especially avoid it on the face.
-Most common names are dimethicone, amodimethicone, and clyclomethicone . Other names/derivatives found here.
-These can be found anywhere in an ingredient list, so read the ENTIRE list.
Numbers/ Can you pronounce the ingredient?
-Numbers usually signal a chemical ingredient that usually has a complex name. If you can pronounce the ingredient and it doesn't "sound" chemical, that's a good sign.
Fragrance (is UP TO YOU!):
-Fragrance can be drying for some people and artificial fragrances are typically not good internally (unless made from essential oils). My knowledge and research about fragrances is pretty limited at this point; sorry!
BE AWARE OF:
Other surfactants: (ingredients that make a product lather)
-Such as Cocamidopropyl Betaine; it is a surfactant that is less harsh than sulfates, but still one I avoid.
-There are SO MANY ingredients now that make a product lather. Again I recommend google to specifically read about each surfactant you come across.
-Again, these will usually be within the first few ingredients (not always though)
Alcohol:
Alcohol is very drying. In a truly natural product you typically won't find any alcohol.
YES!
Natural oils:
-Olive, coconut, jojoba, argan, avocado, etc! There are tons! These are THE BEST for your skin.
Essential oils (for fragrance);
-Essential oils are made from natural sources and whilst they are strong, they are not at all like synthetic fragrances.
*Be careful with these when spending time in the sun/in the summer, as essential oils on the skin can cause skin sensitivity when in the sun. I recommend using something with less essential oils or in an unscented formula (like the Dr. Bronner's Castile).
As always, feel free to ask any questions you have or shoot me a list of ingredients via youtube or my email iluvjesse444@me.com for help! Let me know if you decide to purchase any body washes and if you have suggestions for future episodes/posts!
Thank you to the lovely WheatenBeauty1 for tagging me! I decided to do this via a blog post since I wanted to include both makeup and skincare for my video version of 'Best of 2012'!
I tag:
InspiredMom824 (Jen)
BeautybyBritanie (Britanie)
TheFlaxenOwl (Hayley)
Pemberley Jones (Pemberley)
TheGreenBeautyBunny (Alex)
Pure_Makeup (Mary)
NaturallaBeauty (Caitie)
EcoBeautySecret (Vivi)
Starshine (Shoudra)
BaileyBlush (Bailey)
TrueBeautybyNature
The 12 Questions of 2012:
1. Which makeup brand stood out to you most in 2012? Drugstore and High End
For "drugstore", I would say The All Natural Face. It's probably my favorite brand of the year - I love how affordable it is and all the choices! I was lucky enough to be able to take a tour of the physical store in MA in December and it was so much fun to see everything in person! I rarely try "high end" makeup, so I have no idea!
2. Best new discovery of 2012?
Hmm probably cream products. The All Natural Face cream blush, which is amazing for the winter, and cream eyeshadows from a bunch of different brands I've been testing. Look out for my 'Cream Shadow Showdown' series! A separate video reviewing each brand's cream eye shadows and a final video with my rankings and thoughts. Using cream eye shadow has made me LOVE doing my eye makeup every day!
3. Best re-discovery -- A product that you fall in love with over and over again?
Zuzu Luxe mascara in Navy - I used it in the beginning and end of the year and I think I will be using it for a LONG while yet. I love how natural it is, the color is perfect for every day, and making my lashes look amazing.
4. Best seasonal product 2012? Winter / Spring / Summer / Fall
I honestly don't switch up my makeup for the seasons, but for the winter and cold weather I will say the cream blushes from the ANF again. They make your skin look dewy and fresh without any powder/dry look! For summer (and all year round) I would say my Sobe Botanicals Oil Control Powder. Holy grail makeup product!
5. Best and worst Limited Edition Collections in 2012? Drugstore and High End
Hmm I don't follow LE collections either, but I really am LOVING the color of the Ice Dance cream shadow by Pumpkin and Poppy for her winter collection called Ice Dance. It is the most amazing purple/blue/white shimmer cream shadow.
6. Most regretted purchase of 2012?
I really didn't buy much makeup in 2012 in general that was a toss-up, usually I just repurchase from companies I know I love. Most regretted purchase would probably be my Jane Iredale Active Light Concealer (my review link)
7. Youtube and beauty highlights 2012?
Youtube highlights would definitely be making and getting to know more amazing girls this year. Jen and ALL the amazing beauty bloggers I've met later in the year have made what I do SO much more fun.
Beauty highlights would be that I started using (and LOVING) bronzer. I love that I can slim my face down with it. I think it really took just finding the right shade that wasn't too orange for me.
8. What is your favorite / best video on your own channel?
I am very proud of my 'Going Natural Doesn't Have to be Expensive' video and all of the helpful information in that video. All of my piercing updates this year have been quite eventful as well. Another one of my favorites was my Holiday Giveaway video for this year because I absolutely LOVED the responses I got.
9. Best recommendation of 2012 from someone else?
Jane Iredale Magic Mitt from Britanie. First impression video. Definitely a revolutionary 'tool' in terms of removing makeup. I'm obsessed!
10. Best makeup tool 2012?
Hmm. Probably the Sedona Lace thicker angled brush for bronzer!
11. What are the products you are excited to try in 2013?
MORE CREAM SHADOWS!! I'm very excited. Also more deodorants, different bronzer shades, and more mineral eye shadow!
12. Will you do a Makeup Collection in 2013, or an updated version?
On Monday I did my Everyday Neutral Eye with a pop of teal/light turquoise on the lower last line - Sea Breeze from My Beauty Addiction. Admittedly, I really didn't feel comfortable wearing this look because of the bright lower lash line. It could be because it was the first day of classes and I felt it might have been too "out there". I do love this look on other people though.
On Tuesday I experimented with the new Shiro Cosmetics pigments I received in the mail on Monday night as well as my (my secret weapon is out!) - my Pumpkin and Poppy liner in 'Blue Ruin'. I'm not a huge blue/black liner fan as I've said before. BUT, when I was creating this look and used my Geek Chic pigment in 'As You Wish' over the blue liner, it created this beautiful lilac purple. The liner stayed all day, the color didn't fade, and it was my favorite part of the look. On the lid I have Shiro's 'Wandering Wizard', 'Chimera' in the crease, applied the Blue Ruin liner, then 'As You Wish' on the top of that. Then I applied Shiro's 'Alchestry' (?) over the lower lid as well (which doesn't show up on the photo much), but it is a GORGEOUS blue/purple sparkle. 
Wednesday I worked again with Blue Ruin and colored liner. I used Zuzu Luxe in Vixen (my favorite brown neutral right now), with Chimera in the crease. I used Geek Chic's 'As You Wish' and Shiro's 'Day of Reckoning' over the liner and blended in the middle to create a gradient. I wore this in my Skincare Routine video.
On Thursday I recreated my Valentine's day look that will be up very soon (this picture was from that day). I wore this in my January Favorites video after filming and got a lot of compliments on it - I absolutely love this look and think it's so romantic. Zuzu Luxe 'Vixen' on the inner lid, All Natural Face 'Rose Gold' on the outer lid and half of the lower lashline, and Geek Chic 'As You Wish' in the crease. A little white in the inner corner as well. 
Today's look was probably my least favorite. It unfortunately came out looking like I have a black eye (this photo is totally embarrassing)/ I used Pumpkin and Poppy's new cream shadow in 'Divinely Happy', a light taupe, as a base, with Zuzu 'Vixen' on top. I LOVE the color of Shiro's 'Day of Reckoning', but it didn't show up at all true to color on the lid. I tried 'As You Wish' in the crease, but thus it all ended up looking like a purple and brown black eye. It's raining today so I wore my Zuzu Luxe mascara in Navy instead of the Benecos Black I've been wearing all week. 
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.
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.
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. 
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. 
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!
While I washed my hair every 7-9 days with a bottled shampoo, I usually only go 4 or 5 with this combination because it is more moisturizing and has great oils. The ingredients in the shampoo soap are AMAZING and I never (and still can't) seem to find a natural bottled shampoo with fantastic ingredients. Kathleen's sells a ton of shampoo bars - the Eucalyptus Mint is free from olive oil, which I've learned is too strong an oil to use in my hair that doesn't rinse out completely. I want to try the Lavender Rose one soon! The bars last forever - I cut small slices off mine and I'm STILL on the first slice I cut, and I've been using it since the beginning of December.
Conditioners are a bigger worry, since all I've seen contain either silicones, panthenol, cetrimonium bromide, and other types of hair "coating" ingredients which create a film over the hair that over time will make the hair dry, for it doesn't allow 100% of moisture to penetrate. Vinegars acts as conditioner in itself - it detangles! You only need a little bit of vinegar because too much will make your hair stringy. 