Silk Naturals: A Review

 Today I thought I’d review Silk Naturals brand. I found them last year and was very excited to try them out since so many people just absolutely love them. I decided to try three of their eyeshadows, tinted blur powder and one of their lippie palettes.I have found so many bloggers online who absolutely love the Silk Naturals eyeshadows but unfortunately I’m not one of them. I found them to be chunky and they don’t blend well for me. I also find that they don’t really last at all on my eyelids. Maybe if I didn’t have slightly hooded eyelids they might work better, but they simply fade after a few hours. The only shadow I really liked was the gift with purchase- Gifted. I really love to wear that one wet since it is very sparkly.I had high hopes for the blur powder. There are so many people that absolutely love the powder, especially for baking. However, I didn’t have a good experience with this powder. Instead of bluring my pores and lines it just seemed to settle into any fine lines that I have on my face and make them WAYYY more pronounced. It did do a good job of mattifying any concealer under my eyes however it just made they way too crepey after it set.The lippie pallette was a great way to try out several of their lip products without committing to a full size. I didn’t have a good experience with these items though, none of them lasted very long at all on my lips. They would just wear off after a few hours, and I wasn’t even doing anything.Silk Naturals is definitely a good option if you’re on a budget. However, their products don’t really meet my quality standards and none of the items last very long. I don’t really recommend this brand unless the other economical green beauty options are too expensive for you.

Antonym Foundation: A Review

I found this company a while back and I’ve posted a review of their Blushes so I thought I would post a review of their foundation line. I am a color Light in Antonym’s foundation. The foundation is ecocert certified organic, certified vegan and free of most harmful chemicals. The one issue I’ve run into with this foundation is that it contains talc. Talc, if not sourced correctly can be a carcinogen. However, they say theirs is sourced directly from Italy which is commonly assumed to be safe.I really love this foundation. It is fantastic for days when I want a lighter foundation but still complete coverage. I don’t get as many complements when I’m wearing this as I do when I wear Root’s foundation, but people still seem to love the way this lays on my face.  I typically wear it over my 100% Pure Mattifying Primer and it stays all day long. Since it contains talc it keeps the oil down and works well with that primer.The packaging on this is amazing. It is so adorable in addition to being made from eco-friendly bamboo. It looks so incredible in my drawer and I love taking it places. It is also a great conversation starter since it is so cute.I would suggest at least getting a sample of this foundation if you can to try it out. Since they have several color options you will want to figure out your color match prior to ordering. You can typically get sample sizes from Integrity Botanicals or Citrine Beauty.

Antonym Blushes: A Review

Over the last few months I’ve been collecting the blushes from Antonym Cosmetics. They have three different colors Peach, Rose and Copper. I have fallen in love with each of these colors for very different reasons.Antonym’s blushes are a unique blend since they start as a cream and are baked into a powder. This gives a very special feel and blend to the finished product that really makes it unlike any other blush I own. They blend beautifully on the skin and don’t go patchy after wearing them for a while.My personal favorite is the Peach. It is this beautiful, light, peachy-pink color that looks amazing on my light skin tone. This also is one of the best blushes I’ve found for my cheeks during the spring since it is very light.Rose is a great color when I have a little bit of tan or if I want a little more of a rosy cheek. I found that it was a little dark for me during the spring, but winter when I really want a darker cheek this is great. Copper is the shade that works least with my skintone. I find that I need to have A LOT of sun in order to pull this color off. If you have a darker skintone and darker hair it looks amazing. I used it on one of the actresses in a show recently who has a darker complexion and she looked absolutely incredible.I love Antonym’s blushes and I really think you will too. They are made with fantastic , clean ingredients and are a true treat for your skin. I also love their sustainable bamboo packaging. Not only is it gorgeous it is very ecofriendly. I suggest you try one of these blushes if you’ve been on the lookout for another non-toxic blush. These are sure to excite!

Hynt Beauty: A Review

Hynt Beauty is very big in the green beauty community. They are highly talked of so I thought I would give several of their products a try. I had a hard time narrowing down my order since there were so many things that looked great, but I was finally able to decide.The first, and in my opinion best item I tried was their Sun Prep Moisturizer. This is a light moisturizer with SPF to keep you skin young. I’ve been trying to find a light SPF moisturizer for a while now and I hadn’t been able to find a clean version. This product though is fantastic! It provides a great sunscreen base and doesn’t interfere with your makeup application. I typically make sure to put down a primer though on top of this, to keep my makeup from sliding. One consideration though, because this product contains non-nano zinc it can leave a shine on your face under bright light. I would avoid using this product if you’re going to be taking photos, but for every day wear it is great!I also tried one of Hynt’s pressed eye shadow trios. I was saddened by this product because I’ve found so many incredible pressed shadows, this one just didn’t quite live up. They don’t blend very well into each other and it also tends to flake off by the end of the day no matter how much primer I apply before hand.The final full-sized product I decided to review was the Hynt’s Duet Perfecting Concealer. I had heard about this concealer from several different green beauty bloggers who absolutely RAVED about it. However, my experience with it wasn’t quite so happy. I first ordered the sample size, which is an ok way to see if you actually like the product. I thought I might like it after I had finished the sample size so I went ahead and ordered the full size. However, after using this product for several weeks longer I realized that it really didn’t work with my skin type. I was primarily using it under my eyes to cover my dark circles and no matter what I did it still went creasy on me each and every time. I would have the heinous under eye lines whenever I used this product and at no other times.  I do find this product is ok for covering blemishes on my face as long as it is a tiny spot.I’ve also tried sample sizes of the pressed foundation, the Aria lipstick and the lipgloss. However, I wasn’t awed by any of these products and probably won’t purchase larger sizes. Hynt though has a great array of products thought and there are a few more I would actually like to try. I encourage you to do the same if something catches you eye.

Green Beauty - Basics: Why Switch?

If you’ve followed the blog for a while you’ll know that I am a huge fan of green products. I’m constantly on the hunt for new companies and products to use. I thought I’d give you all a little overview on why I decided to switch to green products and some of the ingredients I try to avoid.To begin with, I have SUPER sensitive skin. I’ve always struggled with finding products that don’t irritate and that I can use consistently. I’ve struggled with this in all areas from makeup to hair/skincare and cleaners to laundry detergent. This week I’m going to be discussing green beauty with you. I have found several companies and products that I absolutely love and I can’t wait to share them with you!I have tried pretty much every different sort of makeup, and with my sensitive skin it always ends up irritating me. I just ended up assuming that I wasn’t ever going to be able to wear makeup, and that I would have to rotate my skincare for the rest of my life. I started reading ingredients to try and identify what I was allergic to. Have you ever read the ingredients on your skincare or makeup? Well if you want to open Pandora’s box go ahead and stop right here and do so…See! Do you know what half those ingredients are? I certainly didn’t! I decided it was high time to switch from ingredients I can’t pronounce to things healthy for my skin. Here is a short list of things I try to avoid:Silicone – this is a common ingredient in haircare or makeup products. Silicone sits on the top layer of the skin impeding its ability to let the skin breathe. It keeps the moisture contained within the skin and will often cause breakouts or acne flare ups if used with sensitive skin. I’ve found my skin to be much clearer when I don’t use products that contain this ingredient. If you’re checking labels you need to keep an eye out for –cone –conol –siloxane, Dimethicone is the most common ingredient you will see.Parabens – studies have linked parabens to increased occurrences of breast cancer. It disrupts the reproductive and endocrine systems. They are used as preservatives in makeup and skincare items.SLS – Sodium Laurel Sulfate, it is a product commonly found in skincare, toothpaste, bodywash, and haircare. It is a detergent and surfactant that give the product lather. Some studies have indicated that SLS is a possible carcinogen and can disrupt hormone levels.Phthalates – this helps other ingredients dissolve into a consistent solution. However, studies have shown that it disrupts the reproductive and endocrine systems. It will often show up in a product under “fragrance” since that is so vague.Carmine – this is actually an ingredient used by many “natural” makeup companies to get a vibrant, true red color. It is made from crushed up beetle shells. It can cause allergic reactions in people with sensitive skin.These are just a few of the MANY ingredients I try to avoid. I have made it a habit to read the ingredients list on any new product I’m interested in and research anything I don’t recognize. I would suggest you get in the habit of doing this too. It will help you decided what it right for your family and what you want to keep them from using. In addition to avoiding these chemicals listed above, I also try to make certain my beauty products are gluten free, cruelty free and vegan. This just helps me narrow down products when I am searching since I know they have a higher probability of not containing anything I avoid.Tomorrow we’ll be discussing getting started on switching over to green beauty products, ie which are the most important and what you should switch first. Our bodies are exposed to so many harmful chemicals every day, the more of these chemicals we can take out of our regimen the healthier and happier our skin will be. You will also find that when you begin taking the irritants out of what you apply to your skin, the happier your skin will be.Is this something you’re passionate about? Let me know below!

Honeybee Gardens: December and January Buzz Box - A Review

I have to admit, after the November Buzz Box I was completely in love with Honeybee Gardens! I was so impressed by their wide range of products, and definitely the ones they put in the box.  I instantly knew that I wanted to get another of their boxes. I purchased both the December and January Buzz Boxes and I was overall impressed. I did not have time to post a separate review of the December box so I decided to review them both at the same time.The December box contained a full sized pressed foundation powder, two pressed eye shadows, an eye shadow compact, peppermint foot crème and an incense leaves set. I was highly impressed with this box. I found the powder shade to be perfect for setting my under-eye area. I hadn’t tried any of their other foundation colors before this so I think it turned  out pretty well for me just guessing at a shade.The pressed shadows came in taupe and antique cream color. The box also contained a neat little compact to keep them in. I find the shadows are highly pigmented and last for a long time if I prime my eye. The two colors really complement each other and look great on me.I found the peppermint foot crème to be a little on the greasy side. I probably wouldn’t purchase again, although it was nice the few times I tried it. I don’t ever use incense, but I could easily gift the package. It would make quite a lovely present for someone special.The January Buzz Box contained a full size mascara, a sparkly grey eyeliner, a set of three lip colors, kabuki brush and a beautiful artisan silver/faux-pearl necklace. I was sadly underwhelmed by this box. First off the necklace is absolutely beautiful and I’ve already worn it on several occasions. However, the other products really didn't impress me in the slightest.The mascara is adequate, it colors my lashes but does little to shape or volumize them. This is a fine mascara if I'm just using a BB cream and don't want any real shape to my lashes. If I'm trying to do any sort of look though, this mascara is not up for the task.Sadly like the eyeliner in the November box, the grey liner irritates my eyes to no end. I also had a TERRIBLE time getting it off, there was glitter around my eyes for days even though I cleansed several times with different products trying to remove it. However, I really did love the color when it was on. It is a deep sparkly grey that really accentuated my eye color.The lip colors I couldn’t even try because they contain carmine. It really bugs me when companies are listed as Vegan and they still occasionally use carmine in products. I am carmine sensitive, so when I purchase from a vegan company I really expect carmine free products. I plan on giving these to my sisters if they would like to try them.Lastly, the kabuki brush is nothing worth writing home about. I found the bristles too long and too sparse to actually nicely spread liquid product and too short and too sparse to nicely spread powder. I also found that it left streaky marks all through my foundation. I much prefer my Root kabuki brush since the bristles are slightly shorter and it is plumper.Overall Honeybee’s Buzz Boxes are a great product. I did contact the company and they said you can email them ahead of purchasing the box if you’re worried about certain ingredients (carmine) being contained. I think this is what I’ll do in the future.While I can’t suggest you go and purchase the January Buzz Box, I do suggest you try one in the future! They are a great value for what you get and it is a way to try new products from Honeybee that you might not think to try on your own.

Root: Pressed Pigment - A Review

If you’ve been following the blog for a while you’ll be familiar with my favorite green beauty brand Root. I’ve done several reviews on their makeup, their skincare and they are constantly in my monthly favorites. This month I wanted to give you a short review on one of their newest product releases, their pressed eye pigments!I am absolutely in LOVE with these shadows. As you can tell from the photo they are intensely pigmented. They blend so beautifully together you can pretty much create any look you want. The shadows are magnetic so they are easy to add to a Z-pallette. I have several other pressed shadows from different companies and none match up to the wear, pigment and lack of fallout that Root pressed pigments offer.Root is constantly releasing new colors. Currently they have mostly neutral colors with a few crazy colors (pine green, light pink, gold and silver) thrown in. However, this combination they have released so far makes it really easy to create versatile shadow looks. I personally LOVE to combine Cocoa in my crease, Pine on the outer corner and Cleo on my inner lid. This is pretty much my favorite shadow combo right now. Check out my Instagram if you’d like to see a photo this look in action.If you shop through this link you’ll receive 10% off your first order! Seriously! Root’s shipping is crazy fast too. Whenever I order I typically receive my order the next day since I live so close. These pressed pigments would make the most amazing Christmas present for that person on your list who loves makeup. It also helps that there aren’t any nasty chemicals in their products so you can feel good about gifting it!

Top 5 Green Beauty Autumn Lip Colors

Now that the weather has gotten cooler around here I’ve been pulling out lots of my deep colored lipsticks. Here are my top five I would suggest you try! (Each of these lip colors are all natural, vegan, gluten free, cruelty-free and contain no carmine!)Root Jenny LipstickThis is by far my favorite fall lipstick color. It is a gorgeous cranberry wine color that absolutely compliments any looks you’d be wearing for fall. I highly recommend this color since it is so versatile. When applying it you can apply it light and have just a great light wash of color. When you swipe it several times you get a great deep cranberry color. If you purchase just one lipstick especially for fall this year, this should be it.Au Naturale African Affair LipstickI know I said in my review of Au Naturale that I wasn’t going to purchase any additional lipsticks but I broke down and purchased this one because I couldn’t resist the color. It is a great deep plum color that really makes your lips pop. Surprisingly the formulation on this particular one is softer making it one of my absolute favorite fall colors. When I emailed the company about the difference in formulation they told me it was due to less colorant in this particular batch of lipsticks. Because of this I can’t assure you of a soft lipstick, but this color is one not to miss!Root Taylor LipstickTaylor is one of Root’s newest lip colors and it is beautiful! It is a great mauve color that will look great on any skin tone. The formulation on this lipstick is incredible. It just glides on and looks absolutely incredible.Root Merlot Pretty BalmI absolutely love Root’s Pretty Balms. They are very moisturizing and add the perfect amount of lip tint. Merlot is by far the best color for fall and winter. It is a lovely deep berry color. It pairs incredibly with their Merlot eyeshadow and blush for a complete fall look.Au Naturale Burgundy Lip CrayonThis color is perfect for fall. As the name would suggest it is a deep burgundy color. It look great with just about any makeup look. However, due to the dry formulation you will need something over top of this lip color. I love using Au Naturale’s Deep Coral Lipgloss or Passion Fruit Lipgloss to complete my lips.