Beauty & Skin

July 21, 2015

Ipsy Glambag July 2015 and EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics Database Scores

Posted in Hair, Makeup / Cosmetics, Skin Care, Subscription boxes

Jelly Pong Pong Cosmetics 2-in-1 Shadow/Liner – no cones (cones rule things out for me personally – allergy maybe), no fragrance but it does use petrolatum, parabens and BHT. This is a 5 with the skin deep cosmetics database.

Crown Brush Professional Tweezers – nice! these seem pretty solid. We’ll see how they wear over time.

Octavio Molina Hair La Playa Salt Spray – fragrance/parfum. Sigh. So I’ll have to see if I can handle the scent. Can’t tell on this one without opening it which is a good sign. No parabens, no cones, nothing else that leaps out. Oh wait – a second frangrance hiding here. “Hydroxyisohexyl 3-cyclohexene carboxaldehyde” isn’t found by EWGEWG Environmental Working Group - an organization focused on research to make informed choices and live a healthy life in a healthy environment. by that name but is actually commonly known as “Lyral” – just noting it because I had to change it out in the ingredients to run the report. And another sigh – FD&C colors that are really unnecessary. So EWG gives this a 5. Not the worst, not the best. I think I may pass since I can make a healthier version of sea salt spray if I want it.

tarte deluxe Amazonian clay waterproof bronzer – dimethicone rules this one out for me personally – bah bronzers are one of my favorite things. None of the ingredients leap out as bad ingredients. No parabens, no fragrances etc. There are a couple that I can’t place though which is part of why I run them through the EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics Database – to learn more. This is a healthy 2 which makes it even more sad that I can’t try it! Ugh. Why must my skin react so badly to cones???

Vasanti Cosmetics Brighen Up! Exfoliating Cleanser – This one has killer perfume. I’ve received other things from this company before in either Ipsy or Birchbox and it gave me a headache then and it’s giving me a headache now. I can smell it without opening it which is the most annoying part about these things. The rest of the ingredient list looks sound though so if they were to drop the scent I might actually use it. This is a 5 and since fragrance is still the worst thing in here, if they were to drop that it would lower the score and I would try it. For now though it’s out of the question. I’m not using products that give me an obvious headache and I limit those that use synthetic fragrances as well just because they seem to over time have an effect on me.

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July 21, 2015

Birchbox June 2015 and EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics Database Scores

Posted by By Hilary Baumann

Posted in Makeup / Cosmetics, Skin Care, Subscription boxes

I’m a little behind on posting this – oops…

Marcelle Mini Waterproof Eyeliner – Ok I’m not believing the ingredient list on Birchbox. “C11-12 Isoparaffin. May contain: Ferric ferrocyanide, carmine” is not the full list of ingredients. The ingredients are printed on the side and it’s a much longer list. Tiny print but longer. I don’t see any cones, fragrance or parabens at a glance so I may try this but it also might be awhile before I type it all in to get a score.

TOCCA Eau de Parfum, Bianca – Fragrance, synthetic fragrance. Just a NO.

Dr. Jart+ Dermaclear™ Micro Water – I see nothing here that’s bad which is why this was my choice of product for this month’s box. That said, let’s see if EWGEWG Environmental Working Group - an organization focused on research to make informed choices and live a healthy life in a healthy environment. brings any other ingredients to my attention. “GALACTOMYCES FERMENT FILTRATE” is “natural yeast extract” but I still couldn’t get EWG to recognize that ingredient. It shows up as a healthy 2 however. I picked well. 🙂

ewg-skindeep-cosmetics-database-score-unknown

Kérastase Masque Chroma Captive – Treat – cones rule this one out for me. Lack of online ingredients for me to copy and paste rule out me bothering to look up what the EWG score is at the moment.

COOLA® SPF 50 Sport – Mango – Fragrance is the biggest downside to this. Coola is actually one of my preferred SPF options but I go for the unscented version. This ends up being a 6 with the fragrance. Without fragrance it would be a 4. Some of their other products rate a little bit better even then. This is still probably one of the healthier sunscreens out there. So much of it is super toxic.

Then add in the number that are now aerosol so you’re breathing it in as well (I know your kids are impatient and you feel the need to hose them down before they jump in the pool but please stop hosing down the rest of us.) Rant for another day…. 🙂

Pura Vida Lace Headband Set – My head is not the right shape for elastic headbands. Even one with a grippy backside won’t stay in place more than a few seconds on me. HOWEVER I think that I can cut this and turn it into some hair ties.

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July 6, 2015

John Frieda Beach Blonde

Posted by By Hilary Baumann

Posted in Hair

Soooo for some reason this package of John Frieda Beach Blonde items showed up in the mail a few months back and I’m just now getting to it. I don’t remember ordering it but it’s packed and sealed and official so I have to assume they read that I previously used some of the products or something. SO …

John Frieda Beach Blonde via ClothingCult.com

I’m going to review them by my current standards and knowledge of ingredients.

JOHN FRIEDA Beach Blonde Smooth Seas Detangling Conditioner so this has dimethicone in it which rules this conditioner out for me personally. BUT other than fragrance it doesn’t look too bad at a glance. Based on toxic ingredients I’m familiar with. Running it through EWGEWG Environmental Working Group - an organization focused on research to make informed choices and live a healthy life in a healthy environment.’s Skin Deep Cosmetics Database to see what else pops out though is another story. This ends up being a 9. With a lot of different ingredients that should be avoided. Sigh. See the link for the full report and info on which ingredients and why.

JOHN FRIEDA Beach Blonde Cool Dip Purifying Shampoo SLS, fragrance, Yellow 6, Blue 1 are the ingredients that stand out as bad ingredients. However SLS … in order to get pool chlorine out of your hair might actually be useful. Just keep in mind that it’s a harsh soap. Ok and then it kinda falls apart again in the EWG Skin Deep scores. It looks like since people have become aware of parabens that they’ve just switched to another lesser known but still fairly toxic preservative: methylisothiazolinone. And overall it scores an 8.

JOHN FRIEDA Beach Blonde Sea Waves Salt Spray ok I have no idea how this one is a 7 with the cosmetics database because the only ingredient that’s higher than 5 is fragrance which is an 8. This is a great example of why you really need to look over the ingredients and decide for yourself. I’m opposed to synthetic fragrances because many are so very toxic and worse they have an impact on my sinus allergies so I’m affected obviously by many of them. Not all but many synthetic fragrances. So this one I’m going to smell and decide if I want to try it.

The fourth thing that wasn’t in this package but is part of this line of products is:

JOHN FRIEDA Beach Blonde Sun Streaks Lightening Spray this reminds me of Sun-in. I used to use Sun-in long long ago and I’ve been tempted to do so again to speed up summer highlights in my hair without going to a hairdresser. Brighter blonds for blondes and possibly brassy highlights for brunettes. Still haven’t committed to it yet. The John Frieda product is a 5 and in looking over everything, the worst thing is added fragrance. It’s really not too bad overall despite it’s score.

June 14, 2015

Ipsy Glambag June 2015 – & EWG Scores

Posted by By Hilary Baumann

Posted in Subscription boxes

Ipsy Glambag June 2015 - & EWG Scores via ClothingCult

Dr. Brandt® Skincare pores no more® vacuum cleaner – no cones, no fragrance, no parabens. Some of the “bad” ingredients in this are doing what they are intended to do but a 4 (which is what it is with the EWG skin deep cosmetics database) is still a bit high. Not too high to try at night and then moisturize.

J. Cat Beauty Liptitude Hydrating Lip Stain – I’m neither here nor there on this. The ingredients aren’t too bad but this is higher than most of my favorite lip glosses. No cones (an issue I have), no parabens, no fragrance. Take a look over the ingredients and decide for yourself – this is a 4 with the EWG skin deep cosmetics database.

Smashbox Cosmetics Photo Finish Foundation Primer – the ingredient section says to contact support for the ingredients. Most primers are primarily dimethicone and this one is no different. I had to ask for the ingredient list but Ipsy was prompt in responding. I get the sense that the company doesn’t want the ingredients posted but I think it’s important for all ingredients to be posted so here it is.

Smashbox Cosmetics Photo Finish Foundation Primer INGREDIENTS: Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Trisiloxane, Silica, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Extract, Propylene Glycol, Water/Aqua/Eau, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Extract, Cola Acuminata (Kola) Seed Extract, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract.

And the EWG score is a 5.

tre’StiQue Mini Shadow Crayon in Venetian Gold – I’m just going to have to assume that “dimfri-iicone” is actually someone trying to figure out how to spell dimeticone here since “dimfri-iicone” isn’t a word or a chemical. So that ruled that out for me. “blue i lake” is also not a thing so I had to leave it out of the ingredients in order to get a hopefully more accurate number (Ipsy, you are getting sloppy with the typing this month!) Other than my own issue with dimethicone though this is a pretty healthy product. It shows up as a 2 with the EWG cosmetics database.

Keratherapy Daily Smoothing Cream – dimethicone immediately rules this one out for me. The second thing has to do with inaccuracies in the ingredient list. 3 of these are misspelled (and the other two are not found in the EWGEWG Environmental Working Group - an organization focused on research to make informed choices and live a healthy life in a healthy environment. cosmetics database but aren’t misspelled.)

So the EWG cosmetics database score is a 4.

Beyond the clear misspellings, my nose says that the list is missing an ingredient entirely, fragrance.

What frustrates me the most is that the Keratherapy killed me – the scent permeated the entire bag & did a number on my nose. It had to go in the trash immediately (sorry folks!) worse though is that ALL of the other products smell like this now and it’s still bothering me sitting next to them typing this. Sure it smelled all summer fresh but synthetic summer fresh head pain and some sneezing. Grrr…

May 28, 2015

My Ipsy Glambag May 2015 – and EWG scores

Posted by By Hilary Baumann

Posted in Subscription boxes

My Ipsy Glambag May 2015 - and EWG scores

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide on Lip Pencil + BONUS Revolution High-Color Lipgloss no cones, no fragrances, no parabens … let’s see how this breaks down with EWGEWG Environmental Working Group - an organization focused on research to make informed choices and live a healthy life in a healthy environment.’s skin deep cosmetics database. Well BHT didn’t catch my attention and it’s alone is a 6. But the overall ingredient score is a 3. Not too bad. I’m assuming the ingredients is for the lip pencil only and so I’m not sure about the bonus.

Chella Eyebrow Color Pencil So this is one that has great ingredients but I’m not likely to use it. Have you seen my eyebrows? I have plenty of eyebrow so unless I somehow over-pluck I’m not likely to use this. Yes, I know, you can have even prettier eyebrows with a eyebrow pencil even if you have thick brows, but this is just one too many products for me. AND I just see myself accentually smearing it as I type at the computer. I don’t touch my eyeliner but I do touch my face more than I should. That aside the EWG skin deep score is good, it’s a 1 so it’s really healthy. If eyebrow pencils are your thing you might want to try this. Actually I might try it as an eyeliner…

NUXE Rêve de Miel® Facial Cleansing and Make-Up Removing Gel … fragrance … if this didn’t have fragrance this would be fairly healthy. It’s a 4 with the cosmetics database. I suspect it would be a 2 if it didn’t have that one ingredient. I may still try this one depending on how it smells.

Luxie Beauty Tapered Blending Eye Brush 205 so no ingredients here and I personally don’t have a preference on animal hair vs synthetic as long as the brush is good and suited to the type of application I want to use it for. For those who care, this is synthetic. 🙂 I’ll give it a go. It’s not my favorite shape brush so it might not get the same kind of use.

CoTZ Face Natural SPF 40 off to a good start touting “100% Free of Oils, Chemical Sunscreens, Preservatives, Fragrances, Oils, Parabens, PABA, Gluten, Phythalates” so dimethicone rules it out for me personally. But if you don’t have any issues with cones, this is a really healthy product that comes in at a 2 with the EWG skin deep cosmetics database.

May 26, 2015

My Birchbox May 2015 – and EWG scores

Posted by By Hilary Baumann

Posted in Subscription boxes

My Birchbox May 2015 - and EWG scores • via ClothingCult.com

Benefit Total Moisture Facial Cream fragrance but otherwise at a glance this looks pretty good. Off to EWGEWG Environmental Working Group - an organization focused on research to make informed choices and live a healthy life in a healthy environment. skin deep cosmetics database to get the score. I missed the BHT. So the score isn’t as good as I hoped here. It’s a 5 and there are other moisturizers out there that are just a little bit healthier and still good.

Number 4™ Blow Dry Lotion fragrance, cones, I can’t use this. I think I’ve smelled some the Number 4 products before and this is just too strong to even consider. Plus cones. Let’s see what this ranks with EWG. Looks like an another 5 here.

Real Chemistry Luminous 3-Minute Peel I deliberately chose this because I didn’t see another item I wanted more. I actually like this product enough to have purchased a full sized version and received it in a previous birchbox. I figured I might like a travel size or just a little extra here.

Whish Flawless Swipes the fragrance is a dealbreaker for me on this one. The whish products seem to be very fake sweet scented and not my cup of tea. And it’s not natural. But according to the EWG skin deep cosmetics database it’s not horrible, it’s a 3.

Chosungah 22 Flavorful Lipstick in vanilla berry fragrance but no parabens or cones so it’s on the the list of maybe to try. However it’s not exactly that healthy. Mostly it’s the fragrance though that brings it up to a 5 – a little more toxic than I’m usually willing to try. I’m debating trying this … and then I remember that I have a pixi lipstick that’s healthier and in the same shade range. I’ll probably do a swatch comparison.

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