Skin Care

January 15, 2014

Birchbox unboxing January 2014

Posted in Nail Polish, Skin Care, Subscription boxes

Serge Normant Meta Revive Dry Conditioner – No dimethicone yay! I can try this one. But it has synthetic fragrance so boo! It ranks a 5 with the cosmetics database and a good portion of that score has to do with the added fragrance. Remember the lower the number the healthier. But I still tried it. My hair IS softer and looks less greasy but like the dry shampoos I’ve tried I’m just not wowed. Yes it will do in a pinch but one of the ingredients is starch. Starch is white and my hair is DARK brown. Used sparingly it’s ok but it does seem to make my hair look dull immediately. Use too much and you suddenly look like you’re graying. So while I’m going to keep this around, I think people with sandy and blond hair will like it better than I do. I will say though, this is the best of the dry shampoos I’ve tried (and been able to try since a few I’ve skipped due to ingredients that will cause ME to break out.)

100% Pure Hand Buttercream – excellent ingredient list! I was super excited to try this and it is the perfect wintertime hand treatment. Lots of natural organic essential oils and butters. I went ahead and ran it through the cosmetics database and it came back a 3. A little higher than expected but still not bad. And as always, look at the actual ingredients for yourself and decide. Even thought the scent is natural it is a little intense but it dissipates some. I tried this on my hands overnight and it was really good. Not a lotion I would apply before any kind of computer work but something I can see myself applying before bed.

Paula’s Choice RESIST Ultra-Light Super Antioxidant Concentrate Serum – this has cones in it. As I’ve mentioned before cones cause breakouts for me so this is a “no go” item for me personally. I went ahead though and ran it through the cosmetics database to see how healthy it is. It’s a 3 which is good. No added fragrances, no parabens … good stuff.

Nail Rock in Red Glitter Kit – I wanted to like this but there was just too much glitter everywhere after a quick test nail. Since this does not get a top coat, I expect that there will continue to be fall-out as you wear it. If you don’t mind a little loose glitter you might still like this. The nail polishes are “3-free” but as for the glitter, it doesn’t seem like anything more than dipping a freshly polished wet nail into a pot of glitter. At $7 though it’s like getting some glitter as a bonus and the red shade is still nice so I may try that solo and see how it lasts.

Under Armour Braided Mini Headbands – SO close. I wish I could wear headbands but my head is just the wrong shape no matter how good the grippy backing is. ALL headbands slide on my head quickly and try and pop off my head. This is a really cute headband though and if you like a good workout headband and know that headbands work for you, you should give this one a shot.

So I’m glad I got what I got but I find it interesting that I got no makeup this month. I’m a little concerned that I’m going to fall out of an age bracket with birchbox this year and start getting way too many face serums. We’ll see …

Still not signed up for Birchbox?

http://birchbox.com?raf=3l3e7
{ yes it’s an affiliate link, I get 50 points which equals $5 credit – share the love! }

November 18, 2013

Mox Botanicals Bath Milk ingredients

Posted by By Hilary Baumann

Posted in Beauty & Skin, Skin Care

I emailed Mox Botanicals for the ingredients and got the list for all of the bath milks! I figured I would post them all for anyone who has allergies and/or is curious.:)

INGREDIENTS:

Mox Botanicals Jasmine Petal Milk Bath – Organic Whole Dry Milk Powder, Sodium Bicarbonate, Oryza (Rice) Powder, Sodium Chloride, Jasmine Officinale (Flowers), Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (Fractionated Coconut Oil), Jasminum Grandiflorum, Cananga Ordorata (Ylang Ylang Essential Oil), Citrus Sinensis (Orange Essential Oil)
Rated a 1 with the cosmetics database! Yay!

Mox Botanicals Calendula & Oatmeal Bath Milk – Organic Whole Dry Milk Powder, Oat Flour, Sodium Bicarbonate, Sodium Chloride, Oryza (Rice) Powder, Calendula Officinalis Flowers, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (Fractionated Coconut Oil), Calendula Officinalis Extract
Even better – a ZERO with the cosmetics database!!

Mox Botanicals Coconut & Vanilla Bean Bath Milk – Organic Whole Dry Milk Powder, Sodium Bicarbonate, Oryza (Rice) Powder, Sodium Chloride, cocos nucifera (coconut) milk powder, cocos nucifera (coconut powder), Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (Fractionated Coconut Oil), Vanilla Planifolia (Vanilla Absolute), Vanilla Planifolia Bean, Maltodextrin (Natural Source), Casein
Another ZERO with the cosmetics database! Remember, lower is better and zero is the lowest possible!

Mox Botanicals Rose Petal Bath Milk – Organic Whole Dry Milk Powder, Sodium Bicarbonate, Oryza (Rice) Powder, Sodium Chloride, Rose Centifolla (Flowers), Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (Fractionated Coconut Oil), Rosa Centifolla (Absolute), Cananga Odorata (Ylang Ylang Essential Oil), Vanilla Planifolia (Vanilla Absolute)
And another 1 from the cosmetics database!

So excellent product when it comes to the ingredients!

October 31, 2013

Reviews Influenster Voxbox #RoseVoxBox

Posted by By Hilary Baumann

Posted in Clothing, Makeup / Cosmetics, Nail Polish, Skin Care, Subscription boxes

I just received my first Influenster Voxbox in the mail. It’s the “RoseVoxBox” and it’s filled with an assortment of items I’ll be reviewing below. But first…

“I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.”

But here’s the deal. I ALWAYS believe in reviewing authentically and not based on the fact that I was given something for free. I pretend that I paid for it or I’m deciding on whether I would be buying more. In some cases it will be reviewing ingredients to determine if I even want that on my skin or in my body. If you read this blog regularly, you also already know that I tend to check ingredients A LOT.

In this Influenster Voxbox RoseVoxBox:

Rimmel London Scandaleyes Retro Glam Mascara
Dr. Scholl’s For Her Cozy Cushions
belVita crunchy Breakfast Biscuits
Kiss Gradation Polishes
Lindt LINDOR Milk Chocolate Truffles
Vitabath Hydrating Lotion

Reviews:

Rimmel London Scandaleyes Retro Glam Mascara (MSRP $5.99) Well first things first…. what they sent me is not waterproof and you know that what I wear daily is waterproof. It’s the one and only product that I sacrifice the healthy quest on for the tradeoff of being waterproof. And they do not appear to make the “Glam Retro” in a waterproof mascara. They do have a “Scandaleyes Waterproof” but the brush shape is different and brush shape is VERY important with a mascara. I’m fairly certain that the ingredients for this mascara are the same as several of their other mascaras. A custom report with the cosmetic database gives this a 5. For mascara that isn’t waterproof that’s a bit on the high and unhealthy side here. So since it’s raining out and this isn’t waterproof mascara, I’ll just be reviewing this on the brush and initial application. It’s ok but I’m not wowed.

If I’m going to wear a non-waterproof mascara it would probably be either the Physicians Formula organicwear because it’s a super healthy 1 with the cosmetics database and still makes my lashes look good or I would go with the Dior Diorshow Extase mascara because the brush shape does amazing things to my lashes. For reference, what I’m wearing 90% of the time at the moment is the Dior Diorshow Waterproof Mascara (if they had the “Extase” in waterproof, the shape of that wand is better.)

Dr. Scholl’s For Her Cozy Cushions (MSRP $12.49) These are not going to replace the real shearling insoles in my uggs (the real shearling insoles cost $15 a pair for comparison and they are REAL shearling) but these might be suited better for non-ugg shoes. I would prefer real shearling because shearling has natural moisture and oder wicking properties. These only claim to help keep feet warm and dry so I’m not sure how they will smell over time. I trimmed them down to a size 8 (I wear typically an 8.5) and I’m throwing them in some other boots I own and we’ll see how I like them after a week. Oh wait … now I remember why I haven’t bothered buying fuzzy insoles for my other shoes. Last time I tried to put a pair into any of my other shoes, they all seem too narrow for this kind of insole. It says that they will work in dress boots … I did manage to cram them in but then the shoes were too tight and that was without a pair of socks. Ballet flats? At least with mine that was also a no-go. Unless you do a LOT of extra cutting dress shoes don’t seem reasonable (maybe on a wide width shoe they would work? Maybe?) But over all I think you need a pair of shoes that are loose or maybe even a half size too large for your foot in order to comfortably use these fuzzy insoles because they are thick. :/

belVita crunchy Breakfast Biscuits (MSRP $3.69 for a box of 5 packats of 4 biscuits) These are pretend healthy. Ok fine, they’ve tried here: B-vitamins, and whole grains and No HFCS and 230 calories. They are better than what most Americans call breakfast. But to me this is still a horrible breakfast choice. Personally I need some proteins and fats to start my day right. This is mostly grains and sugars. I also just don’t eat a lot of grains that aren’t accompanied by meat or eggs anymore. Proteins and fats to help even out my starches / grains. Some of this may be a bit of me personally so if you are looking something to replace cereal with, this is going to be SO much better than that. It is crumbly or at least the one I received was so I’m not sure that this is a “eat while driving” food. I received the blueberry and it does smell intensely of blueberry and the flavor is a bit like blueberry muffin meets a cookie. Tasty sure … will I be buying these anytime soon personally? No.

Kiss Gradation Polishes (MSRP $6.99) I think this is 3-free. I had three different polishes to read the ingredients on since this doesn’t note that it’s 3-free on their website or anywhere. Three free means no: dibutyl phthalate, toluene, or formaldehyde. I received “Film Noir” though my base polish is more a silver than a white as shown on their site and in other pictures. Just in case the product number on my box is 58085 MGE01. This reminds me of the reverse of my nails that I did last year for halloween. I followed their instructions and applied step 3 polish before step 2 polish was dry and ended up with a smudged nail that wasn’t a gradient. I’ll try again when I have more time and not follow the directions as exactly. Tip: be sure to get all of the nail polishes out of the package’s plastic tray before you start – if you’re doing all of your nails you might smudge the first coat trying to get to the rest out. For $7, if you like all of the colors, this is still a decent deal on nail polishes.

Lindt LINDOR Milk Chocolate Truffles ok it’s Lindt and it’s chocolate. I know it’s not super healthy but also not super bad. I’m not going to scrutinize the ingredients on this one (though I prefer dark chocolate over milk chocolate.) Ate it first thing. It was tasty. That is all.

Vitabath Hydrating Lotion IN BLOOM™ Asian Orchid & Coconut (MSRP $7.99) – We are off to a good start because it’s free from parabens, propylene glycol, phthalates, sulfates, mineral oil, and synthetic color. BUT then we kinda fail miserably on the overwhelming synthetic fragrance. Overall looks like healthy ingredients and when I have some time I’ll type them all up (couldn’t find the ingredient list pre-typed online) and run a cosmetic database report. Even if I’m wrong on the scent being synthetic (not likely) it the scent was still overwhelming for me. I put the lotion on one arm and immediately went to wash it off. … and it still smells like I have it on. And it’s not even that pleasant – there are some synthetic scents that are still nice smelling, but to me this smells like cheap cologne. Keep in mind that I’ve switched to all natural scents (no not hippie scents like patchouli, I dislike that too even though it’s tolerable and doesn’t give me a headache) and I even use unscented laundry detergent. Now that I’ve showered, I have to note that I can still smell it!!! I scrubbed down my arms and I used multiple kinds of soaps! I even used some harsh soap I keep on hand for when the natural stuff isn’t cutting it and I can still smell it – ugh!!!!!! I even slathered my arms in coconut oil in case it was an issue with the scent needing an oil solvent and scrubbed down with soap again – that helped the most but I can STILL smell it!! What a MISTAKE!!! Ugh. Do NOT I repeat DO NOT apply this to yourself if you do not like the scent!!!! Hours later and I’m still regretting that I put this on my arms simply because of the scent. Headache. This scent = epic fail.

Review of Influenster itself:

Honestly for the time investment I’m not entirely sure I want to participate in future Influenster boxes. While it was fun to get a big box of stuff to try, it’s mostly cheaper drugstore items. And while it’s nice that they are accessible at the drugstore, I’ve seen most of these products there and not been wowed enough to actually buy them before (LINDOR truffles excluded … I have bought those before and will buy them again.) I DO still shop at the drugstore some (have you noticed the number of $2 Sinful Color nail polishes I have reviewed?) but I have moved into healthier higher quality products and that has, in general, reduced my drugstore shopping.

I’m also not sure how many of these tasks (below) I would have to do in order to be invited back. And since I’m not ok with promoting products I don’t exactly like without a review, I’m hesitant to do some of these tasks. Great from a marketing standpoint for these companies because people are being prompted positively, not so great for someone who wasn’t wowed by the products in the box.

I would have done a vine or youtube unboxing video if I had known about the PRIOR to getting the box in the mail. I had already opened a lot of it by the time I realized those were actual Influenster tasks (maybe I should have known.) I may still go back and to a post-unboxing video and submit that.

Oh wait – here we go … only REQUIRED part so you aren’t disqualified for future boxes is the survey at the end that hasn’t been sent out yet. 🙂

“I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.” Yes, and I tested them and I wasn’t wowed by anything but the chocolate. Sorry Influenster! :/

October 21, 2013

Birchbox & Ipsy for October 2013

Posted by By Hilary Baumann

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

Birchbox & Ipsy for October 2013

In my Ipsy Glambag for October 2013:

Zoya Nail Polish in Neve – as always, another great Zoya color. Perfect for fall and winter and really great because it’s a classy cobalt blue shade. All Zoya polishes are 3-free.

Sexy Hair Blow Dry Gel – dimethicone, can’t use it personally. Cosmetics database rates it a 6! Remember, lower is better!

Coastal Scents Medium Shadow Brush – this is going to be my goto eyeshadow brush. I love this shape brush and previously had been buying the ELF brushes that are this shape (a brush doesn’t always have to be expensive to be quality.) The quality of the ELF brushes has gone downhill however as my last purchase of these brushes from ELF, the brush bristles were a little mis-shaped. The Coastal Scents brush is a little long but otherwise it’s a real step up from the ELF brush in terms of quality. The bristles are in the perfect shape and size and the handle coating is much better. This seems like it will last a much longer time and I’ll probably be buying a few more in the near future. It is a synthetic brush in case that is a deciding factor for you.

La Fresh® Eco-Beauty® Oil-Free Face Cleanser Wipes – I haven’t used this yet but I’m looking forward to trying it. I think they’ve changed the ingredients some since the last time I checked out this product because the current ingredients are healthier than what I remember. I’m already a big fan of the LA Fresh nail polish remover wipes. Cosmetics Database rates this a 4 … I suspect the real life rating would be lower if EWGEWG Environmental Working Group - an organization focused on research to make informed choices and live a healthy life in a healthy environment. would account for natural scents. Checked without the “fragrance” this was a 2.

Wet n Wild Photo Op Eyeshadow – dimethicone, can’t use it personally. Cosmetics Database rates this a 1! I’m surprised! But I still can’t use it personally. :/

Sign up for Ipsy:

http://www.ipsy.com/?refer=u-h051sec1kqq5g8p
{affiliate link – I get 250 points which points equal products but it’s still a little unclear how many points to the dollar}

In my Birchbox October 2013:

Bain de Terre macadamia oil NOURISHING CONDITIONER – argh dimethicone, so I can’t personally use. Cosmetics Database score is a 4.

POP Beauty Aqua Lacquer – nothing to keep me from trying this but it’s not exactly healthy either. It uses mineral oil, propylparaben, and fragrance. The color is a fun color that reminded me of a cherry lollipop but goes on a little more subtly like a thin layer of something that should pop over neutral lip tone. The color is good. It is fairly sticky sticky however so even if I hadn’t looked over the ingredients, I’m not sure I would choose to wear this regularly. Cosmetics Database score is a 4.

ChapStick® Hydration Lock – dimethicone, can’t personally use. Cosmetics Database score is a 5. Remember, lower is better.

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish™ Hot Cloth Cleanser Starter Kit – INCREDIBLE ingredient list. The only one I wasn’t sure about in terms of personal allergies is hops. I know I have some problems consuming hops but I’ve never had the occasion to try anything topically so I don’t know if I have a skin sensitivity to it. I HAVE used this though for the last 4 days both morning and night and so far no problems. I’m in love with this. My face looks and feels healthier. It doesn’t cause my face to get oily, it doesn’t strip away like a regular soap cleanser might AND I still feel clean after using it. This is a tough thing to accomplish, healthy natural ingredients and not left feeling like you still need to clean.

Really – my face has a nice healthy glow to it now. I can’t tell how much of that is the muslin cloth and how much is this cleanser but this cleanser is definitely good still. Liz Earle has done an excellent job with this product! Cosmetics Database score is a 3.

Liz Earle Pure Muslin Cloths – LOVE this. Already tried this and absolutely love love love it. This is just the right amount of exfoliation for 1-2 times per day use. It’s surprising because holding the cloth I really didn’t think I was going to be that impressed by it. It doesn’t feel like it’s going to scrub much but somehow it does. I don’t know if all muslin would be scrubby or if Lis Earle has just sourced the perfect cloth but I think I’m in. As long as I can find a better way to store / dry these I think I’m going to buy a few more to have on hand / keep as backups!

Still not signed up for Birchbox?

http://birchbox.com?raf=3l3e7
{ yes it’s an affiliate link, I get 50 points which equals $5 credit – share the love! }

October 17, 2013

Congratulations to the winners of the
October Mystery Birchbox & Ipsy grabbag!

Posted by By Hilary Baumann

Posted in Hair, Makeup / Cosmetics, Nail Polish, Skin Care

Since I had a few more products come in to send back out, I decided to do two boxes. This also kept my shipping weight under 1 lb for each box AND allowed me to fit everything into two boxes.

So on to announcing the winners from the October Mystery Birchbox & Ipsy grabbag contest…

Julie won the “grand prize” … which meant she got to pick her box. She chose box # 1
(Link to Julie’s blog: http://cautiouslyoptimisticreviews.blogspot.com/ )
AND
Tina came in second and will receive box # 2

And seeing as these were the only two people to enter the mystery contest, I thought I would make you all jealous of what they were sent by sharing the photos below. 😛

Shame on me for making it a mystery grab bag, no photos and no products listed… not good for SEO, yes I was being lazy but I STILL figured I would still have more than 2 people enter!!!
Sheesh y’all…

You can follow this blog via bloglovin’
or other rss reader to catch future contests! And everything else I post.

September 19, 2013

Ipsy glambag unboxing September 2013

Posted by By Hilary Baumann

Posted in Makeup / Cosmetics, Skin Care, Subscription boxes

Ipsy Glambag Unboxing September 2013

In my September Ipsy Glambag:

Elizabeth Mott It’s So Big Volumizing Mascara – it’s supposed to be smudge proof but I can’t find anything say about waterproof and I really prefer waterproof in a mascara. Color is black and it only comes in one color. The brush shape though looks good and it’s a bristle brush (instead of a weird plastic brush) so it should do a good job with making eyelashes bigger looking without clumping.I’m holding off on using this though in case anyone wants to swap (if no one is interested in it, I may try it.) It does use parabens which I prefer to avoid but it still turns out to be a 4 with the cosmetics database (lower numbers are better.) I’m a little more lenient on eyelashes particularly with waterproof since it shouldn’t be on my skin. At the same time it’s close to my eyes so anything that irritates also still has to go.

NYX Single Eye Shadow in Cryptonite (ES63A) – no cones yay! (for me at least.) It does have parabens, mineral oil and talc though. It’s a 4 with the cosmetics database which isn’t all that bad though. I may give this a shot (I could have sworn though that the last NYX product I was sent included dimethicone that ruled that out.) This is a nice shimmery looking charcoal eyeshadow that looks like it might work well for a smokey eye.

Starlooks Obsidian Kohl Eye Pencil – no cones again and no fragrance or parabens here either (yay!) – negatives, petrolatum (not natural but not unhealthy) and talc as well as carbon black …. I’m not sure about the carbon black and why that’s given such a harsh rating. Anyway, cosmetics database report on this is only a 3 overall which is good. I’m not really looking for another eyeliner pencil because I’m really preferring gel eyeliners these days. Maybe because I’ve gotten good at putting them on and they’re sharper looking. Again, I’m holding off on trying this on in case someone wants to swap for it but if there’s no interest I’ll give this a try myself.

Freeman Beauty Facial Paper Masks in Starfruit, Blue Agave & Rose – They all have synthetic fragrance, DIAZOLIDINYL UREA, and coloring that doesn’t seem necessary. The Blue agave is a 5 with the cosmetics database. The Rose is a 5 as well. And wow – the one I thought would be the healthiest, the Starfruit is a 6. So no interest in even trying these personally. I want a healthier face. REALLY meh about this one.

J.Cat Beauty Fantabulous Lipstick in Honeycrisp (FL107) – this is a very nude shade of lipstick. It ended up making me look REALLY washed out (see video.) I wasn’t wowed by the parabens, fragrance or mineral oil but there was no dimethicone so I gave it a shot. Someone else said that this might be a good color to use if you want a lighter version of a dark lipstick that you own. I don’t really have a lot of dark lipsticks and tend to lean towards lip glosses. Though I’m open to trying different lipsticks, I’ve just never fallen in love with many. This one is also a 5 with the cosmetics database which is still a little high for my taste. Since I wasn’t wowed I think this will be thrown in with Halloween makeup options (once a year isn’t going to kill me and sometimes you need something odd for halloween.)

Bonus : EM Michelle Phan Makeup sample blush and eyeshadow. No fragrances, no parabens, BUT dimethicone is going to keep me from using this. http://www.emcosmetics.com/

So overall this month with Ipsy I’m really underwhelmed with the products I received. I would have loved to get the Butter London Nail polish or even another Chella Ivory Lace Highlighter (already have it and use it almost daily now.) But you win some and you lose some. The bag is cute this month and I’m using more of the bags than I expected I would. 🙂