I’m sorry for skipping my usual Sunday post last week. I had a couple of setbacks, and then the week just sucked me in, but I am sure that the Oscars kept you well entertained 😉. We’re one week closer to Spring, you guys! Am I the only one who’s waiting impatiently for long, warm days? Let’s get to the beauty round-up.
Empties. I just finished my first bottle of Innersense shampoo, called Pure Harmony Hair Bath. Beside the fact that it hasn’t lasted me long (it seems that I need more product to get a good cleanse, compared to other shampoos), I like it. It isn’t particularly volumizing (which is something I aim for), but it does make my hair look/feel healthy. It gets rid of all oil without leaving my scalp feeling stripped. In fact, lately I have gotten back into doing oil treatments (will tell you more about it), and this shampoo has worked very well at cleansing my hair when it’s soaked with oils. I plan to give it another go and buy bottle #2. I bought it here.
February Petit Vour Box. Last month’s box was a balanced mix of skincare, haircare, makeup, and personal fragrance. Aside from the skincare product, which I have not had the chance to try yet, the other products were lovely, and potentially, full-size purchases for me. In case you are not familiar with Petit Vour, it is a monthly subscription box that delivers a mix of cruelty-free & green beauty full-size products and samples. Here’s what was in February’s box*:
Han Skin Care Cosmetics Taupey Plum Eyeshadow. The color is a luminous warm brown. It runs a bit shimmery, but the shimmer is very fine and wearable. It’s pigmented, buttery, and easy to blend. It is also more affordable than most eyeshadows I own. I would love to see more colors and textures, because this formula is lovely 👍🏼. Available here.
Graydon Clinical Luxury Hair Smoothie. This was another good find. It is meant to condition and detangle hair without weighing down fine hair types and it does the job well. It can also be applied to the roots, without leaving them greasy. Only thing I have to note is that its herbal scent, which is quite strong, may not be for everyone. This may be a full-size purchase for me. You can find it here.
Christy Organics Trance Natural Perfume. Trance is a floral perfume with Jasmine, Bergamot, and Rose as it’s main notes. Although the floral notes are strong, the Bergamot somehow gives it a more crispy twist. It’s a happy, feminine scent. Available here.
Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Booster Serum. This is the only product that I haven’t had the chance to try yet, as I am currently testing out other skin care products. It is described as a very light Vitamin C rich gel serum to brighten and smooth the skin. Will offer you my opinion once I get to try it. Did you try this serum?
To subscribe to Petit Vour head over here. All products are also sold individually.
Josh Rosebrook SPF Nutrient Day Cream. When talking about sunscreens two weeks ago, I told you that I would find out what the percentage of zinc oxide in this face cream was. Before I reached out to Josh, I checked the official Josh Rosebrook website and it turned out that it was listed in the ingredients list (sorry, I must have missed it in the past). It contains 12% of uncoated non-nano micronized zinc oxide. That would in my opinion explain why the cream feels so light and lovely on the skin. Face products containing a higher percentage of zinc tend to feel heavy and leave a white cast on the skin. To my knowledge, the percentage of zinc necessary to achieve spf 30 is at least 18%+, however it could be that other ingredients in the formula boost the sun-protecting properties of the cream. Honestly, I don’t know, but I can still reach out to Josh if you guys are interested. It is definitely a very comfortable, light cream that also agrees with my skin, that works well for every day use. Maybe not ideal for a sunny Florida Summer day at 12 pm on the beach (would likely not be there at that time anyway, but you get the point).
Let me also add that the more I look into sunscreen formulations in an effort to make good choices for my skin (reading about ingredients, lab testings, spf ratings), the more I realize that much more scientific research is needed. Many products with chemist-approved formulations often fail spf testings, revealing a lower spf rating than expected. When shopping for sun care products, I strongly recommend buying from companies that are specialized in sun care and offer broad spectrum sunscreens, which protect from both UVB and UVA rays. I also recommend you stick to zinc based sunscreens, as it is (so far) the safest and most reliable active ingredient according to research. I know, I know, it makes us all look like Casper, but it is effective.
True Nature Botanicals Eye Serum. Launching very soon, the True Nature Botanicals Eye Serum* is one product that my fellow skin care junkies will most likely be pleased with. Lovely, silky texture (feels rich enough for the eye area, but not heavy), promising ingredients (cold-pressed oils like carrot seed, cucumber seed, evening primrose, blackberry seed and camellia seed), and fragrance-free. I will keep you posted on the official launch, (follow me on Instagram!).
Baby Powder Controversy. As you may already read on my Instagram feed if you follow me there, two weeks ago news broke that Johnson & Johnson will have to pay 72 million dollars to the family of a deceased woman who died of ovarian cancer. For over thirty years, the woman had been using their Baby Powder, whose main ingredients used to be talc (now replaced by cornstarch). The main problem with talc, beside the size of the particles’ size which are very small and easily inhaled, is that it used to be contaminated with asbestos, a carcinogenic mineral. Another woman was in fact also awarded thirteen million dollars when she won a lawsuit against Colgate-Palmolive last year. The Californian woman had developed Mesothelioma after using their talc-based Cashmere Bouquet powder for many years. Although science has not found a direct link between talc-based personal care products and cancer, it would be wise to find an alternative.
Beside encouraging you to quit using any baby powder containing talc on yourself and/or your child, I just wanted to mention a few alternative products for you to try. Please always be careful how you handle any powders around your children as no powders are safe enough to breathe in. Here’s a few options you can check out:
Meow Meow Tweet Baby Body Powder (find here)
California Baby Organic Powder (find here)
Honest Company OrganicBaby Powder (find here)
Hugo Naturals Baby Powder Unscented (find here)
Redmond Trading Company Baby Powder (find here).
Jane Iredale Spring 2016. A couple of days ago I shared a sneak peek into the newest Jane Iredale makeup collection for Spring that is launching very soon. I always like a new palette, but this one may be my favorite one by Jane Iredale so far. First off, it is entirely matte. No shimmer, glitter, or any sparkles of any kind. Second, it contains a nice mix of pastel colors. The formulas are also lovely. They are all pigmented and easy to blend. I do, however, recommend using some sort of eyelid primer underneath to give the powder something to stick to. I am still using the Red Apple Lipstick Eyeshadow Primer, but if your eyelids are not prone to creasing, a concealer could work fine, too.
The blush shade is called Flawless. It is a beautiful shade of peachy-pinky-brown, and it’s perfect for a subtle flush of color on the cheeks.
The brow palette (called GreatShape Eyebrow Kit) comes in two shades, Brunette and Blonde. The powder is nicely pigmented and if used on top of the wax, it is very long-wearing. I was very pleased to see that the Brunette shade does not lean warm like the other brow products I have tried from Jane Iredale. Look at the swatches! If you like brow powders this is totally worth giving a shot. The blonde one is also on the ashy side.
The lipgloss is called White Tea, and it’s a caramel color with golden shimmer. The color is beautiful, and is the perfect lip color for a fresh-faced look, which the collection was created for. I find the texture of this one to be a little tacky, but it does stay on for a few hours without moving at all. The price to pay for longevity, I guess. Also, once the color fades you are left with a hint of shimmer on your lips. For me this gloss is a nice evening option because it gives a high gloss, plumping look to the lips and stays on longer than my other glosses. However, it would not be my go-to for the daytime, due to shimmer and texture.
GIVEAWAY!
Jane Iredale has kindly offered to gift one of you with the entire Spring 2016 makeup collection (you get to pick the brow palette shade between Brunette and Blonde). In order to enter, head over to this post on Instagram and follow the rules as listed.
Honest Beauty Tinted Sunscreen. The full name is Beyond Protected Daily Beauty Fluid Sheer Tint SPF 30. It’s a tinted face sunscreen that offers broad spectrum protection. The tint is a medium, neutral-toned color (would probably suit light, but not fair, to medium complexions), with a dewy finish. On my skin, if not set with a powder, it can go from dewy to greasy. However, the texture is significantly thinner than most face sunscreens I have tried, so I actually like it under makeup. The only problem is that after setting it with powder there is no chance of re-applying it, so I would not be able to wear it for a long day outdoor. Lastly, it has a bit of a powdery scent, which is not overwhelming, but if you have a particularly sensitive nose I would recommend giving it a sniff at your local Ulta, if it carries Honest Beauty (mine does not, grrrr). Otherwise, you can shop online here.
Hope you enjoyed the post. Please leave me a comment if you have any questions or have anything to add about the products I talked about. Have a wonderful week!
*gifted sample