lipgloss

May 28, 2015

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.

Sign up for Ipsy:

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{affiliate link – I get 250 points which points equal products but it’s still a little unclear how many points to the dollar}

June 12, 2014

Ipsy Glambag June 2014

Posted by By Hilary Baumann

Posted in Beauty & Skin, Hair, Makeup / Cosmetics, Subscription boxes

Be A Bombshell Lash Out Mascara – parabens, no cones (an ingredient that rules out makeup for me personally), but it’s not waterproof. Mascara as I’ve said before I will accept a little less healthy for the waterproof tradeoff. This is a 4 with the skin deep cosmetics database (reminder: low numbers are healthier! with 10 being the worst.)

DERMAdoctor DD Cream Dermatologically Defining BB Cream with Broad Spectrum SPF 30 – cones rule this one out for me. Ingredients aren’t too bad though with the skin deep consmetics database ranking it a 4.

Marc Anthony Dream Waves Beach Spray – no cones, but it has added fragrance. This ranks a 5 with the cosmetics database … and would rank lower if they hadn’t added the fragrance. I’m debating giving it a try anyway since I’m curious how it compares to the old discontinued John Frieda Beach Blonde Ocean Waves.

Nicka K New York Shimmer Eyeliner – cones rule this one out for me. It’s fairly healthy though since it ranks a 3 with the cosmetics database.

NYX Butter Gloss in Eclair – no cones but it has added fragrance. I’ll probably give it a shot since it’s only a 4 with the cosmetics database. It would be MUCH healthier if they hadn’t added the fragrance though.

(And a very cute patterned Rebecca Minkoff cosmetics bag!)

June 11, 2014

Birchbox unboxing June 2014

Posted by By Hilary Baumann

Posted in Beauty & Skin, Makeup / Cosmetics, Subscription boxes

Benefit Cosmetics – Benefit They’re Real! Mascara: no cones but not waterproof and I’m not a huge fan of the brush type. I can’t ever seem to get the spiky ones to work as well as the brush type wands. It ranks a 4 with the cosmetics database which is ok though.

Cynthia Rowley Beauty Creamy Lip Stain in Valentine: cones rule this out for me which is too bad because it’s a cute shade AND it’s a healthy 2 with the skin deep cosmetics database. So healthy and cute but I can’t use it personally.

English Laundry Signature for Her: no no no. Not only is it a synthetic fragrance but it has even more unhealthy ingredients beyond that. On the plus side though this one came in a sealed pouch so it didn’t kill me when I opened the box so that part’s good. It ranks an unhealthy 7.

Evologie Stay Clear Cleanser: looks good. It’s ok. I’ve used it for about three days now. Not a miracle worker but seems pretty good. Not too harsh which is one of the problems with many of the acne focused cleansers. It has not caused any problems and I do wonder if it would have better results over time because it’s not harsh. If you want a soap style cleanser this seems like a good choice. It’s going to be tough for anything to beat the Liz Earle hot wash cleanser though. This ranks a decently healthy 3 with the skin deep cosmetics database.

Number 4™ Super Comb Prep & Protect cones rules this out for me. If they hadn’t added fragrance though it would be pretty healthy too – it ranks a 3 as well.

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February 22, 2014

Ipsy Glambag unboxing February 2014

Posted by By Hilary Baumann

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

POP Beauty – Plump Pout Mini in Peony Petal – no cones, no parabens, no synthetic fragrances. Great so far. Health wise we’re actually good on this based on ingredients. Although they don’t rank as unhealthy though this does have petrolatum and mineral oil which are very unnatural. I’ve also started noticing that since I’ve switched away from using products with these ingredients, when I try something with them, they just feel … weird. The cosmetics database ranks this a 3 … BUT OMG! DOES IT SMELL BAD!!! I do not care what the report says because it smells like melted plastic!!! I don’t know what they’ve done wrong with this product but NO – I just will not be wearing this. Overwhelmingly bad smell and I talked to someone else about this – theirs smelled horrible too so it wasn’t just one bottle.

Zoya Nail Polish in Odette – ALWAYS a Zoya fan. Ipsy sent out two colors, Odette and Dot. I recently bought Brigitte and Normani from the “Naturel” collection. And with this month’s Ipsy I received Odette which is awesome and I’ll be doing a review of those shades here soon.

Mally Beauty – Evercolor Starlight Waterproof Eyeliner – no cones, none of the normal nasties. The only thing on the list that threw up a red flag was “aluminum powder.” Not sure that it was the same kind of aluminum used in say aluminum pans, I decided it was best to check the cosmetics database first for some feedback. The aluminum is a four and the overall product score is a 3 which honestly is still pretty good. Since I don’t expect to be wearing silver/gray daily I’m good with this.

First Aid Beauty – Skin Rescue Deep Cleanser with Red Clay – at first glance the ingredient list looks good. No cones and no other obvious nasties. Rates a 3 with the cosmetics database. So I think my only concern on this one will actually be how harsh it is on my skin BUT it looks like it has several good-for-your-skin oils like rosemary in there so I actually expect that this will be pretty good. The smell is decent and natural (no synthetic fragrance.)

Jesse’s Girl – 9 Pan Eye Shadow Compact – cones rule this one out for me. Plums and purples. one of the ingredients, propylparaben, rates a 10 and the overall score with the cosmetics database is a 5. I think I would steer clear of this one. They have some loose mica eyeshadows that are much healthier (but they are more on the shimmery glittery side.)

What other people got. Not in my bag but looks interesting, healthy and I might buy them:

Pacifica Hawaiian Ruby Guava Body Butter – LOVE this brand. I can use almost ALL of their products (a couple like the eyeshadow have cones in them) and the scents are all natural. Ruby Guava is one of their most popular scents for a reason. LOVE LOVE LOVE Pacifica. 20% off has me because I can easily spend money with this company.
PHYTO-C Velvet Gel
skyn ICELAND Fresh Start Mask with Ice Age Mud
NuMe Intense Renewal Mask

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. :/

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!

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July 17, 2013

July 2013 Birchbox vs Ipsy

Posted by By Hilary Baumann

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

Unboxing video for both the July Birchbox as well as the July Ipsy:

In my July 2013 Birchbox:

Marcelle BB Cream Golden Glow – perfume free is a pro on this one … but there are two forms of dimethicone in this. Some good ingredients in this and some ingredients I recognize to not be so healthy. I can’t find the ingredient list online to copy and paste and it’s rather lengthy so I’m not going to run it through the cosmetic database for a score (it’s not in there without the custom report.) 0/5 stars
Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Cream – I don’t know how accurate or current this ingredient list is but it does say there is dimethicone which rules it out for me personally. There are too many ingredients here for me to type it all into the cosmetic database for you to check the score to see if it is otherwise healthy for you. Generally it doesn’t look too bad but for me this is a 0/5 stars (Can more companies or Birchbox start posting full ingredient lists online in a way that’s more accessible? This gets frustrating even outside of Birchbox at times.)
Beauty Protector Protect & Shampoo – fragrance and two types of dimethicone. Custom cosmetics database report on the ingredients brings it up as a 6 which is not exactly healthy either. 0/5 stars
Beauty Protector Protect & Condition – fragrance and dimethicone. Custom cosmetics database report on the ingredients brings it up as a 5 so again not exactly healthy either. 0/5 stars
FRAIS™ Towelettes Individuals – amazing ingredients but I think this has to be one of the most expensive per use products to date. Cosmetics database ranks it a 2 which is excellent and there are a lot of healthy oils and other ingredients in this AND it’s supposed to remove waterproof mascara. However most makeup remover, moisturizing facial towelettes come in packages of 30 for between $6-$10 (so at most about $0.33 each.) This is $8 for a package of 7 towelettes! ($1.42 per use!) Since it’s individual packets I do think this might be good for travel but … I just can’t see using this regularly. Then again Birchbox hooked me on the LA Fresh nail polish removers for $0.50 a pop when regular bottles of nailpolish removers are only a couple of dollars and last an untold number of uses. So we shall see. Since I haven’t docked any others for price I’m going to leave this at 5/5 stars

In my July 2013 Ipsy: My July 2013 Ipsy bag - cute hot pink!

POP Beauty – Pouty Pop Crayon in Coral Crush – No dimeticone but it does use fragrance and petrolatum and mineral oil. A custom cosmetics database report brings it up as a 4. Between that and the fact it doesn’t have dimethicone I’m going to give it a try. It’s not super healthy but it’s … ok. If the manufacturer would skip the fragrance it would bring it’s score down quite a bit and be healthier even though it still would still not count as a natural product. I have tried this on and the shade is a little odd on me … I’m still undecided on it. 3/5 stars
BH Cosmetics California Collection Eyeshadow Sample – mineral oil, talc, parabens. Meh moving on. I know I don’t want to use it. 0/5 stars
COOLA Mineral Face SPF 20 Unscented Moisturizer – I checked out this company’s full line back when I received the COOLA Classic SPF 30 Cucumber Moisturizer for Face back in the May Birchbox and pretty much everything looked awesome. So good in fact that I bought the unscented sport sunblock already but had been hoping to try the unscented face spf at some point. Scents right on your face can get a little old quickly if you aren’t in love with them and I wanted to see if this was something that worked better for say somewhere you might be out all day that isn’t the beach. 5/5 stars
Sexy Hair – Weather Proof Humidity Resistant Spray – at first glance I thought “well it’s only the fragrance I’m annoyed about. Then I ran it through a custom report 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 cosmetic database and ended up with a 10 … TEN out of ten for highly hazardous ingredients. Bah! Ten is the worst possible score! But no dimethicone in this one… ugh. 0/5 stars
derma e – Microdermabrasion Scrub – 100% vegan, cruelty-free, paraben-free, sulfate-free, mineral oil-free, glycol-free, lanolin-free, gluten free, GMO-free. No dimethicone or synthetic fragrance either (it does have a natural scent to it that smells fairly lemony.) And it ranks a measly 2 with the cosmetic database so this is a winner for being a healthy product and I look forward to trying it. Fingers crossed! 5/5 stars

Birchbox 05/25 stars = 0.2 stars total
Ipsy 13/25 stars = 1.92 stars total

If I had to choose between the two boxes, month after month Ipsy has been winning hands down for me personally. It’s just those occasional gems and finding out about new brands along with Birchbox’s points system…. and well basically all the things I wrote about in this post that’s keeping me with Birchbox. It is what it is. 🙂

PS – my fun and funky straw fedora came from Kohl’s. Since Birchbox mentioned Power Plays being “A move that puts an individual in a position of victory and strength and/or maximizes one’s happiness or confidence and allows for extreme freedom”… I would have to say this hat would be my current power play. I hate having to dry my hair in the summer and this hides the fact that I keep washing and running or going to the pool and then not having styling tools with me… or for today it was an instance of not washing so I could make it to an early morning meeting and then my hair looking a little frazzled by the end of the day but I still wanted to get this video done so I plopped on the hat. I also wore it to Forecastle Music Festival so my forehead and ears didn’t get burned (with or without sunscreen my forehead seems to burn if out way too long) but I do think I need to find a hat that has a bit better ventilation because this one has a tendency to heat up when it’s 85+ degrees outside! 🙂