Tarte Tarteist Quick Dry Matte Lip Paint in "Delish" : So this lip paint is one that I am very on the fence about. Overall, I like it, it wears okay (maybe 2 hours if I am drinking/30 minutes if I am eating), the shade is pretty (rosy mauve tone) and the price point was fantastic at the time of purchase ($12 at Sephora as one of their weekly deals). What I am not loving is how drying it is. I feel like I have to moisturize my lips like crazy for hours after I am done wearing it. The longevity isn't amazing, so that is a bit of a downer to me when you look at the original price ($20.00 at Sephora). To me, I feel like I could get something very similar in quality (or better) at a cheaper price (drugstore brand/Sephora brand). The positive is that it is a paraben free product. If I had to assign it stars (who am I right now, ugh), I would probably give it 3 out of 5 stars.
Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 Hour Blush in "Concept" : Short and sweet-I will always repurchase this line of blush from Tarte. They are long-wearing, better for your skin, and have the prettiest finish (natural sheen/perfect glow (aka satin finish)). This shade is a warm coral. Adore it and wish I would have gotten my hands on it early summer! This blush came in my VIB 500 point gift, so I can't link the exact color, but I did link the blush line! 9 out of 10 stars for this baby.
IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better SPF 50 CC Cream (Anti-Aging) : This CC cream promises to give a full, flawless and perfect coverage with some awesome added skincare ingredients. When this product first started to get hyped up, I bought a travel size and decided I didn't like it AT ALL because it seemed to get cakey looking on my oily skin after a few hours of wear. I figured that once again, my oily skin would ruin every product for me that everyone else seems to adore. Fast forward a few months, and I get this package from IT Cosmetics. I decided to try it again because hello, I had nothing to lose, and I figured out how to make this product work for me. It is all in the application and setting process! I use a sponge or a stipple brush to apply (which gives a gorgeous coverage) and then bake my face to lock everything in. For those that don't know, baking is a setting process where you apply and crazy amount of powder with a damp sponge/beauty blender to your under eye area (and any other area on your face that you want to keep everything in place, all day) and let it sit, or "bake", for a few minutes (or 10-15 if you are working on your eye makeup or hair). You then dust off the excess powder, and you are left with an extra flawless, well set face. For you early gals and guys, baking can significantly increase the wear time and flawlessness of your foundation. I can now use some foundations that I previously thought would never work for me! Overall, this has become one of my favorite products for day to day wear, as well as for nights out (because the coverage is definitely buildable!) If I set it correctly, I can wear it throughout my 8-12 hour work day. If I keep up with this star thing, I would give this one 7.5 out of 10 stars (if I had normal/dry skin, it would be a solid 10/10 because I wouldn't have to work with it so much!)
Josie Maran Argan Lip Sting Plumping Butter in "Honey" : I am a sucker for plumping glosses and balms, so when Josie Maran came out with one, I jumped on it! First, I love that it does have "better" ingredients in the formula. Any lip product will be ingested-even in small amounts-if you are putting it on your lips like it is made for. Now, I don't know about you, but at the end of the day, I care about all the chemicals that we put into our bodies, whether it be knowingly or unknowingly. The less chemicals, the betta! So any way, this has things like argan oil, manuka honey and moringa butter. It feels pretty moisturizing when first applied, but like any plumping product, I do tend to feel like my lips feel a bit dry after wear. It's a trade off, that is for sure. So does it plump? Yes, I think so. A teensy tiny bit-but what it really does is smooth the lines in your lips and just make them feel supple (oh lala). I would definitely repurchase, plus this nude "honey" shade is perfect for everyday wear.7 out of 10 stars!
Piper Wai Activated Charcoal Deodorant : I came across this gem at my local GNC, and decided to give it a go. I have been searching high and low for a deodorant sans things like parabens and aluminum, but haven't found anything I love. This product was a big hit on Shark Tank and seems to be doing pretty well as a brand so far. The main ingredient is charcoal, which can apparently absorb 1000x it's weight, which is helpful for a sweaty people. It also promises to create a balanced pH environment, so you aren't stinky. Sweet, what more can you ask for? It's a gender neutral scent, which smells sort of minty/essential oil-y, and it's free of all the bad stuff. To apply, you just rub a pea size amount into your underarms until it's clear. I have worked out with it on, had 8-12 hour workdays, and wore it during my day-to-day life. It works for about 6 or so hours (or through a rough workout) and then needs to be reapplied to control sweat and odor. Overall, I am perfectly fine with reapplying because it's natural and can only do so much-plus the product recommends to reapply as needed. 9/10 stars, would recommend to anyone wanting to venture out into the natural deo world.
Rahua Color Full Shampoo & Conditioner : This line of S&C is one with "better for you" ingredients (definitely a theme here) that is supposed to preserve hair color for those with color treated or highlighted hair. Since I can not commit to $38 for 9.3 oz of Shampoo and $40 for 9.3 oz of conditioner, I bought travel size versions from Integrity Botanicals. I have only used the products once, but found them to smell great and do a decent job. I felt like I had to use a lot of shampoo to clean my hair, but that is likely because I am not 100% use to a shampoo that doesn't lather a lot. The conditioner felt moisturizing and left my hair feeling shiny and soft. I think I need to try these out a few more times to get a real verdict, but for now, I would say that it seems like a high quality natural brand that would be great to purchase if you have extra cash and would like to try something new out. 7 out of 10 stars!
Sorry for rambling and making this first impressions post more detailed than it probably needed to be. I should really work on getting to the point, but hey, that is one of the reasons I don't do Youtube videos. Please share some of your natural or less toxic favorites below! Also, remember to make sure you are not a "no reply" commenter. If you look above where you can leave me comments, it tells you how to set up your account so that when you leave me a comment, and I reply, you get the response. If you do not have this set up correctly, I can not reply to you!
Thanks for reading!
XO, Kelsey
Connect with me: twitter here // instagram here// pinterest here //
