organic

May 15, 2014

Ipsy glambag May 2014

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

Hang Ten Classic Sport SPF50

ewg skindeep cosmetics database score 5 This one I’m kinda on the fence on this one. No cones (issue for me, not everyone) and no synthetic fragrances and some of the other common nasties. It can be hard to find a good healthy sunscreen but not impossible. Or at least it’s easier online. This one based on the ingredients ranks a 5 with the cosmetics database. Good enough if you have very little in front of you to choose from and are in a pinch. But not quite good enough in my opinion for any advanced planning situations. Take a look at my previous post on natural / healthier sunscreens.

Pacifica Mineral Eyeshadow Duo

ewg skindeep cosmetics database score 2 Dimethicone rules this one out FOR ME. But you know me, I LOVE most of Pacifica’s products so if you aren’t sensitive to cones, go for this one. This ranks a healthy 2 with the cosmetics database.

Avène Thermal Spring Water

ewg skindeep cosmetics database score 0 It’s water. In a spray can. BUT I’ve learned that not all water is created equal. Minerals in the water can make a HUGE difference in the quality. I doubt I would buy this though simply because it’s an aerosol spray and at $12.50 per bottle. It’s ph 7.5 but I also wish it had details about mineral content. http://www.aveneusa.com/products/thermal-spring-water But it does make me consider adding mineral water to a pump spray bottle. …. I do have a bad feeling that I’m going to actually like this one despite the aerosol and price….

Side note: I’ve been drinking a lot of Gerolsteiner Mineral Water because of it’s mineral content. Magnesium in a bioavailable form in particular and I think I might pop some of that in a spray bottle. For a fraction of the cost. I know it’s not the same but again, not aerosol.

On the plus side, this one was from Drugstore.com which means that there’s a discount this month for Drugstore.com orders.

Balanced Guru No Frizz Organic Sesame and Lemongrass Balancing Oil

ewg skindeep cosmetics database score 0 AWESOME ingredient list. This one I’m looking forward to trying. I wish it didn’t have soy oil BUT it’s organic so I’m going to give it a try. This one ranks a 0 (super healthy) with the cosmetics database.

Boo-Boo Cover-Up

ewg skindeep cosmetics database score 6 Dimethicone rules this one out for me. Also bad is added synthetic fragrance and mineral oil. This ranks a 6 in the cosmetics database.

So the May 2014 Ipsy glambag overall: some things I’m really excited to try and some things that aren’t my cup of tea. Still worth the $10/month to try some new products!

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}

April 10, 2014

Natural deodorants roundup and review

Posted by By Hilary Baumann

Posted in Skin Care

Anyone want to guess which natural deodorant is my favorite?

The least effective is the Nourish Organic Deodorant (unscented) for me – unless I just want moisturized underarms. Unscented sure but ineffective for me.

My favorite is the EO Organic Deodorant Spray in Vetiver but a spray bottle is idiotic for a deodorant so I bought an empty roll on bottle to fill. They have a lavendar scent and a citrus scent as well but no unscented.

The Hugo Naturals Dual Action Deodorant – Mexican Lime & Bergamot is a last resort because it’s a bit sticky feeling. The scent is wonderful however. They have an unscented but it wasn’t available locally at the time.

And the other two I love BUT I have become temporarily allergic to them several times (underarm rash is no fun) so I can’t use the Tom’s of Maine Long Lasting Deodorant Roll-On (unscented) or the Naturally Fresh Deodorant Crystal Roll On Deodorant (fragrance free) daily. Quick note on scent for these two: the Tom’s of Maine “unscented” actually smells like Fruit Loops cereal for some reason and the Naturally Fresh “fragrance free” actually smells like a light masculine musk. While neither of these has any added fragrance, not even of the natural variety, if you were expecting something in a deodorant with no smell at all you aren’t likely to find that.

I’ve been using the EO deoderant daily for months now no problem though and I haven’t reacted to it like I have some of the others. Only down side is that it smells a bit like gin and I had to buy a separate roller bottle. Why don’t I like a spray? Because FAR too often I’m dressed before I remember deodorant. I can apply a stick or a roll-on under a shirt but a spray doesn’t work well when this happens. EO I would LOVE it if you offered these in a roll-on. ALSO you have forgotten about the 3 oz rule for travel liquids and the spray bottle would be thrown out by the TSA.

None are as effective as chemical laden deodorants at fighting scent on an intense day but I can say that four of these come pretty close for me. (I threw in the Nourish Deodorant because it’s popular right now, unscented, and if it works with your body chemistry, it’s the healthiest.) None are antiperspirants – not sweating is not natural … but I don’t want to smell bad doing it.

Please keep in mind when dealing with natural deodorants that your own personal body chemistry may have an impact on the results you get. I know I’ve tried a couple (not shown) that were so useless for me that I trashed them without thinking twice but had decent reviews from other people (some people say that the Nourish deodorant works for them!)

TMI? 🙂

So here’s the breakdown of each of these natural / organic deodorants from the Cosmetics Database (in order of which ones work the best for me):

EO Organic Deodorant Spray (Vetiver) Cosmetic Database 3 Ingredients: Organic Ethanol, Purified Water, EO® Essential Oil Blend [Organic Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Organic Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Peel Oil, Organic Geranium Maculatum Oil, Organic Vetiveria Zizanoides Root Oil, Organic Cedrus Deodara Wood Oil, Organic Cananga Odorata (Ylang Ylang) Flower Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil]
Tom’s of Maine Long Lasting Deodorant Roll-On (unscented) Cosmetics Database 3 Ingredients: Propylene glycol, Water, Aloe barbadensis leaf juice (Organic), Witch hazel water, Zinc ricinoleate, Glyceryl laurate, Zinc citrate, Hectorite clay, Chamomile aqueous extract, Coriander fruit oil, Cymbopogon schoenanthus (Organic Lemongrass oil)
Naturally Fresh Deodorant Crystal Roll On Deodorant (fragrance free) Cosmetics Database 1 Ingredients: Aqua (Purified Water), Natural Mineral Salts (Potassium Alum), Zinc Ricinoleate, Xanthan Gum, Chamomile Extract (Anthemis Nobilis Flower), Phenoxyethanol
Hugo Naturals Dual Action Deodorant (Mexican Lime & Bergamot) Cosmetics Database 2 Ingredients: elaeis guineensis (palm) oil, cocos nucifera (coconut) oil, prunus armeniaca (apricot) kernel oil, saccharomyces ferment, aloe barbadensis leaf juice*, sorbitan olivate, oryza sativa (rice) hull powder, bisabolol, tocopherol, allantoin, olea europaea (olive) leaf extract, melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) leaf oil, hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel) leaf extract, glycerin, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf oil, citrus aurantifolia (lime) oil, citrus aurantium bergamia (bergamot) fruit oil, lonicera caprifolium (honeysuckle) flower extract, lonicera japonica (honeysuckle) flower extract
Nourish Organic Deodorant (unscented) Cosmetics Database ZERO (zero is the healthiest possible) Ingredients: Organic Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Organic Beeswax, Organic Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Organic Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Organic Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Organic Saccharomyces Ferment

April 10, 2014

SheaMoisture Coconut & Hibiscus Hold & Shine Moisture Mist
empty and re-purchase

Posted by By Hilary Baumann

Posted in Hair

Empty & repurchased – love this stuff. No hold on my hair but excellent detangler and light shine / moisture. More like a leave in conditioner spray.

Though someone else mentioned that for their hair it had hold so be warned … 🙂 I’m applying it to wet hair pre-blow drying in case you’re curious.

May 14, 2013

May Ipsy 2013 – unboxing … (unbagging?)

Posted by By Hilary Baumann

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

In my May Ipsy Bag – (a cute chevron makeup bag!):

yaby concealer refills in Buff
Zoya Nail Polish in Jacqueline
Pacifica Roll On Perfume in Tahitian Gardenia
Juice Beauty Reflecting Gloss in Pink
Nume Finishing Serum
BONUS – Urban Decay Moondust in Zodiac

My May Ipsy Glamroom:

My May Ipsy bag items in more detail review:

yaby concealer refills in Buff – well the color looks like it’s the correct shade but with cyclomethicone (cones!) and talc I’m not really interested in it. Mostly the cones keeping me away (yeah, I’m sure if you read regularly, my comment about cones causing breakouts for me has become annoying.) It however ranks a low 3 with cosmetics database which was surprising and a pro for it. 0/5 stars

Zoya Nail Polish in Jacqueline – love zoya. This is “5-free” and the shade is quite surprising. I wasn’t sure I liked it at first but after I put it on it grew on me quickly. It’s not a shade I would have chosen but I really like it. It’s very opaque and it’s almost a very subtle ivory-ish eggshell shade. It’s hard to describe and it’s also hard to get a great idea from pictures. It’s elegant and I think it will be a versatile shade. 5/5 stars

Pacifica Roll On Perfume in Tahitian Gardenia – I already own this and I love it. I don’t mind getting a second one! Love love love this company because they are one of the few that makes wonderful natural perfumes that don’t make you smell like a hippie and aren’t over the top expensive. No they aren’t drugstore cheap but they are worth every penny. I keep meaning to do a post on the scents I have bought from them. The roll on bottles are great for travel. The Tahitian Gardenia is a rich soft scent – not light, more deep and calming. Floral notes but not teen girl and surprisingly even though I have a hard time with some florals (even natural) this one seems to get along with my sinuses. It does have a vintage-ness to it. Older, more sophisticated. 5/5 stars

Juice Beauty Reflecting Gloss in Pink – ANOTHER winner. I double checked the ingredients just in case but this is perfect. No dimethicone, all natural organic. Nice subtle color with that touch of pink and shimmer. Not glittery. It’s a little lighter and a little more neutral than some of the other pinks I’ve bought lately. I think this would work well with a variety of skin tones. It’s is maybe a teensy little oily feeling but it feels like it stays and nourishes your lips. I still like the zuzu luxe and burt’s bees just a little better particularly since they have a wider range of colors but I almost feel like this will be my go to lip gloss in winter. 5/5 stars

Nume Finishing Serum – fail (for me at least.) It’s only a 3 with cosmetics database (mostly due to “fragrance” being an 8 on it’s own) but “DIMETHICONOL” is basically another cone in disguise. :/ If you don’t mind cones, I suspect this will tame flyaways and be excellent against humidity, just feels like it would do what is says it will. Also even if I didn’t break out I would still likely avoid regular use because cones aren’t good for hair either over time. (I swear I’m going to do a longer post about ‘cones’ soon and just link to it instead of repeating myself so much.) 0/5 stars

BONUS Urban Decay Moondust in Zodiac – This was apparently a bonus item for ipsy community members who are content creators (who knew!) You know how I feel about dimethicone however. BUT the shiny shimmery uniqueness has me intrigued. Since it’s eyeshadow and I don’t think I’ve ever broken out close to my eyes (and hopefully this won’t be a shade that migrates) I’m thinking about giving this one a go. It’s such an awesome shade. 3/5 stars … I really can’t make up my mind on this one.

At $20 a pop (and I did receive a full size sample) this is possibly the most expensive eyeshadow I’ve owned in awhile. Since I only got one color and was curious about the other colors (and to see if swatches would help me make a decision on the dimethicone breakout risk issue.) I came across this excellent video that shows the different shades and swatches. It kinda makes me want Space Cowboy. I’m about 90% likely to give this one a shot… we’ll see. If I do use it I’ll post some photos of it on and swatched.

May Ipsy Bag total score:

3/5 stars overall. But I REALLY REALLY liked several of the items in my May Ipsy bag. And should I start counting the bag? I don’t really use the bags but this one was really cute. I might have a thing for chevron lately though.

Oh and I almost forgot – the Nume Coupon Code:

I should upload the unbagging video I did soon. There was also a coupon code on a card for numeproducts.com/shop

I was thinking that their styling products were going to be super super expensive if they were offering a $110 discount and a free heat protector. I was right. However there was one hair straightener, the mini, that would have been cheap with the discount but it said it was backordered. I decided to give it a try. … It won’t let you backorder it. When I clicked checkout I just kept being brought back to the checkout page with a warning at the top that the item was out of stock. Can’t order something that’s out of stock even if you’re willing to wait for it. Which makes the other products that the coupon code qualifies for STILL over $45. :/

Has anyone tried their styling tools? I haven’t looked for reviews yet. I’d want mega reviews before I forked over the amount of money (even WITH a discount) that they are asking for their styling tools. I think the most expensive styling tool I’ve ever bought was … $60?

April 30, 2013

Shea Moisture Organic Coconut & Hibiscus Hold & Shine Moisture Mist

Posted by By Hilary Baumann

Posted in Hair

Empty & repurchased – love the Coconut & Hibiscus Hold & Shine Moisture Mist! Isn’t that the true test of loving a product is when you buy it again when you run out? I think this is the second time I’ve repurchased since I use this almost daily!

No hold despite what the bottle says (this is NOT a hairspray) but excellent detangler and light shine / moisture. It’s more like a leave in conditioner spray that keeps your hair feeling happy and healthy. Works well for both curly and straight hair styles. I’ll talk about it more when I cover natural hair styling products!

July 16, 2012

Birchbox Glamour Magazine July 2012 unboxing

Posted by By Hilary Baumann

Posted in Beauty & Skin, Subscription boxes

Color Club nail polish in Blue-Ming – looks like Essie Turquoise & Caicos in the bottle but they are different enough on that I’m glad I have both. The Color Club is a little brighter and a little more in your face whereas the Essie is a little more demure.
Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner in Black (not waterproof)
Harvey Prince fragrance in Eau Flirt (you know the drill by now, synthetic fragrance is not my thing)
Supergoop! City Sunscreen Serum – this is ok. There are better but this is acceptable: http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/company/Supergoop%21/
Here’s the 2012 Sunscreen Guide: http://breakingnews.ewg.org/2012sunscreen/
Tea Forté Minteas Reboot in Cocoa Mate – these are organic and have yerba mate as an ingredient. I thought I had these in some other flavors but it turned out that what I had were actually SenCha mints in different flavors. These taste VERY similar.
Neon Earbuds – cute but lacking in bass… tried them after the video and they’re a little too tin-y. I’ve actually bought $10 earbuds before that sound better than these. I was kinda excited to get these but they ended up in the trash they were bad enough.

Link to Glamour’s “getting pretty” playlist: http://www.glamour.com/spotify

via YouTube