Tag

LA Fresh

October 21, 2013

Birchbox & Ipsy for October 2013

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. :/

 


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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? :D

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March 10, 2013

Ipsy March 2013 Review

Ipsy March 2013 Review

Ipsy subscription, my second month review for March 2013

Yaba eyeshadow minis – “so vein” and “sand dune” not thrilled with the ingredients of the eyeshows (dimethicone and parabens) and probably won’t use them BUT it is worth a quick mention that the site does have some other interesting things. It looks like a good resource for depotting eyeshadows since they sell pans ( empties ), magnets, pallets etc. http://www.yabycosmetics.com/
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GlamRX – when I opened this I thought I had been shorted a blush or something. I actually had to look up what this was. It’s a magnetic palette that you can put various products in… like the yaba eyeshadows or your own products. If you have a lot of makeup that’s pan based then this would be a nice item to throw in your purse. Better than the version on their site that includes a second level with their own products. For me personally it’s kinda “meh” but I’m keeping it in case I have a need for it in the future. Biggest comment on this is that it should have been labeled so my gut reaction wasn’t super disappointment from thinking I had been shorted products.
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Juice Beauty Hydrating Mist – ingredients are ok but my nose can’t handle anything that smells of roses which this does. So for me personally this is not a good one BUT otherwise it seems like a good product.
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LA Fresh Travel-lite Makeup Remover Wipes – mineral oil and parabens and fragrance so not natural. I LOVE their nail polish remover wipes but I’m going to have to pass on these.
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Nautical Anchor makeup bag – this is fairly cute.
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Bottom line – if the juice beauty product hadn’t been rose scented I’d be pretty happy with this for $10. I had been interested in trying other LA Fresh products but I didn’t realize that not all of their products had the same level of natural ingredients. This feels a bit more like the Birchboxes have been for awhile for me so not as amazing as last month. I’m going to stick with Ipsy for awhile but at some point I’m wondering if I might instead just start buying $20 worth of makeup I pick out instead. There IS just something fun about a surprise bag though. ALSO seriously happy that there’s no perfume in the Ipsy selections.