Natural, Organic, and Cruelty-Free // Lauren Brooke Cosmetiques Review

Hi all! If you have followed along with this blog for awhile now, you know that I am on a seemingly never-ending search for beauty and skincare products that are made of "better", "safer" ingredients. After researching for hours, I narrowed down a list of companies I would like to learn more about. I reached out to Lauren Brooke Cosmetiques and they kindly sent me a few samples to try out. After using the products a few weeks, I know I am ready to give an honest review!

A little about the company

According to their website, Lauren Brooke Cosmetiques uses natural and organic plant oils and extracts, soothing flower essences, plus beautiful minerals and pigments from the earth. In their products, there are no parabens, chemicals, or unnecessary fillers.

I received the creme foundation as well as a pressed eyeshadow duo. I originally received 9 foundation samples (for finding my shade), but because I found a great match for my skin, I traveled with it...and lost it. So unfortunately I can not share that shade swatch with you!

Creme Foundation

•  Shade selection: 8/10; There are 21 shades to choose from, including cool, neutral and warm options. I did find that many shades would work with my skin tone. Kind of odd, but I almost feel like the shade can adapt if it is semi-close to your natural tone. I used shade "warm no. 3" when not self tanning; I would say my natural skin tone is about light-medium with slightly golden undertones. When self tanning, shade "warm no. 4" worked well for me. 

[top picture with flash// bottom picture in natural light]

• Application: 7/10; The product itself has a mousse like texture. It almost feels whipped! I was kind of nervous that the foundation would make my oily skin even more oily because it is a creme. Totally wrong about that assumption, but we will get to that later! I put a few dots of this around my face and used a buffing brush to buff the product into my skin. It spreads pretty easily, although I imagine it may be a bit harder to buff out if you did not moisturize prior to application.

• Coverage: 9/10; holy smokes! This stuff is magic. I would say it is easily medium to full coverage. I never tried to build up extra coverage, because the coverage was already enough for me. While the coverage is amazing, it doesn't feel heavy at all, which is a major plus. The finish is pretty matte I would say, maybe semi-matte before setting the foundation.

• Wear time: 9/10; This foundation has become one that I rely on for long work days, or a night out. I have had such a hard time finding a natural foundation that would wear well and look good, so I am happy to have tried this! I would say the creme foundation wears for about 6.5 hours before needing blotting with powder, but the coverage still looks great. Around 8 hours of wear I start to see spots wear the foundation is wearing away. (I do wear a moisturizer, primer, and setting powder with this foundation as well).

• Overall product: 8.5/9; The creme foundation is definitely one of my go-to's for everyday wear, as well as special occasion wear. I love that it does work with my oily skin, not drying it out or making me more oily. I can't say where I would look for any improvements on the foundation-if anything, I just can't decide what actual shade I am, because a few shades can work for me, but that is not a bad thing! Buffing the product in is not 100% easy-but I imagine it is because the product is natural, not filled with all the "bad things". One point I want to hit on is that this does not break me out. Some natural brands have caused breakouts, but this one has not caused any sort of reaction or breakouts! I highly, highly recommend this foundation-I feel it may be hard to beat! I would however love any recommendations for other foundations you may have! 

[Wearing the creme foundation in shade "warm no. 3"]

 Pressed Eyeshadow Duo

I received the duo in the shade "Toffee/Sandalwood".  I was curious how a natural pressed eyeshadow would work out, since I had only tried loose natural shadows in the past. I honestly kind of doubted the pigmentation and wear time because it is a natural product, but I was wrong.

 [Pressed eyeshadow duo in shade "Toffee/Sandalwood"]

• Shade selection: 9/10; There are 12 different pre-made duos to choose from, or you can customize you own duo. I this the latter option would be really fun and an easy way to build a collection you know you will get use out of.
• Application: 9/10; I apply this with a standard eyeshadow brush. It applies just as any other eyeshadow would, so there is not much to say when it comes to this!
•  Pigmentation/Fall out: 8/10; I think this product is comparable to any high end eyeshadow. It is just as pigmented as my Naked Palette shadows. I don't notice fall out immediately, but I did notice that my shadow slightly smudged as the day wore on.
• Wear time: 8/10:This shadow duo wears about 6 hours before I notice any smudging or fallout under the eyes. I have been working a ton  since trying out this product, and I get reallllly hot and sweaty (running up and down stairs as a waitress, until I pass my state boards!) so I haven't had a neutral day to test the shadow when I am not sweating, so I would say the duo works pretty well!
• Overall product: 8.5/10; Love the duo colors, love how it applies, and love how wearable it is! Such a gorgeous set of colors for a neutral loving girl like me! 

 [Wearing the duo on a light makeup day-applied with a light hand!]

I hope you enjoyed this review-Lauren Brooke Cosmetiques is a brand that is really impressive and up there with high end brands. I look forward to looking into more of their products since they have already surpassed my expectations!

Also...I am looking for an all natural primer and bronzer. Any recommendations would be super appreciated! Please leave your favorites in the comments below!

Thanks for reading,
XO, Kelsey

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**The Lauren Brooke Cosmetiques products were sent to me free of charge; I was not paid nor guided to say anything about these products. All opinions shared are my own.

Update // Review of Bella Organics

You know how life gets all chaotic and crazy and you don't know where one to-do list starts and the other one ends? Well, that has been my life for the better part of this past year. My senior year of college got ridiculously busy with deadlines, requirements, and working. I can now say that I made it through it though, and I am one happy Bachelors of Science recipient! At some point this summer I will be taking my state boards and starting a job as a full time registered nurse! Yay! I am literally so excited!

With all that being said, I would like to get back into blogging (on my own schedule that is!) I want to enjoy my time, friends, and family, and as I have always said in my blog posts, I will write when I find inspiration and free-time! That is one great thing about having a blog; you can write posts when you would like, and if someone out there in bloggyland finds interest in your writing, then great-I would love to entertain you with my posts! Now that all of that is out of the way, I want to share a brand with you that I have absolutely been loving for a few months!

Bella Organics 

 " Bella Organics was founded in 2012 in response to a growing concern for the severe lack of all-natural and organic skincare products available. Our mission statement is simple: We believe that we should take care of our bodies, and in turn, our bodies will take care of us. That’s why Bella Organics products will never contain water, emulsifiers, or any of the toxic or unnatural ingredients that are found today in most mass-market products". -The Bella Organics website

A few months back, the Bella Organics company reached out to me to see if I would be interested in trying out a few of their products, since I am trying to change over all of my skincare and makeup to more natural, less harsh/chemical filled products. After looking through their site, I decided the company was one that does align with my concerns in the ingredients in products, so I went ahead and said yes to their email. After having these products for months (literally), I think I have a good opinion on them!

The products I received were the Jasmine & Honey Hydrating Face Cream, the Iced Lemonade Deodorant Creme, the Shea Butter & Sunflower Hand Cream, and Coconut Lime Lip Balm.

The Coconut Lime Lipbalm was probably the product I enjoyed the least; not to say it was a bad product, but compared to the other items I was sent, it was a little lackluster. It did moisturize my lips, but it could be compared to any run of the mill chapstick (except its 100% organic!)

The Iced Lemonade Deodorant Creme was realllly interesting to try out-I found it to control excess sweat, mask any odor, and just be an all around enjoyable product. The scent of this stuff is amazing! I mean the name of the scent is so spot on...I just wanted to eat it! (Don't worry, I didn't!)

The Shea Butter & Sunflower Hand Cream was a nice product; I found it to moisturize my hands and cuticles pretty well, but it was a bit greasy. Since it still is a good product, I work around the greasiness by using it before bed, which means I wake up with soft hands!

The Jasmine & Honey Hydrating Face Cream is the total star here! I was blown away the first time I used this. As you can see in the picture, the product has a whipped-like texture (as does the deodorant and hand cream). When the product is taken out of the container, within seconds it sort of melts down(probably due to all the oils in it). After applying it to my face, it does feel a bit greasy, but I sometimes find that I am using way too much-you only need a small amount to cover your whole face. It does absorb into the skin (but if I am too impatient, I just blot off the excess). Once absorbed, my skin feels soooo soft and healthy...but this isn't even the best part! When I wake up after a night with this stuff on, my skin feels plump, soft and brighter all around. Until today, I had only used this at night before bed, because I thought it would be too moisturizing for daytime. In order to give a good review, I decided to use it as a daytime moisturizer. I am definitely happy about how it works during the day too; using this cream seems to help balance out all my extra face oils (your girl right here is usually an oil slick!) This product would be great for dry skinned and oily girls alike!

Overall, I am super impressed with this brand, and would order from them in the future. If you are interested in natural, non-toxic, organic skincare products, I definitely recommend looking into this brand!

Thanks for reading!
XO, Kelsey

Connect with me on twitter here // connect with me on instagram here// pinterest here //

**The Bella Organic products were sent to me free of charge; I was not paid nor guided to say anything about these products. All opinions shared are my own.

Update//plans and rambling!

It's officially 2015! I can't believe that it is almost February... seriously, where has the time gone? 2014 was a great year for me, with awesome opportunities, life changes, and memories made. I am so excited to see what 2015 brings-in just about 4 months, I will be a college graduate, preparing to take my state board NCLEX exam to become Kelsey, RN, BSN. WHAT?! With everything being said, wow... I have been super busy. I find myself missing this blog, because I love writing, reviewing, and "meeting" people through the blog world. I haven't had a lot of free time to devote to blogging this previous semester, but I think that will change this semester! I am so excited to go back into blogging.

 If you have been following me on here for awhile, you will know I spent a lot of time reviewing mineral/natural products over the past year and a half. Wellllll, that is pretty much one of my main focuses now! I am very interested in purging all of my old, chemical laden products, and slowly replacing them with non-toxic, natural, eco-friendly alternatives. If you love topics like that, I think you will be interested in what I have to post over the next year! I also have spent a lot of time changing up my diet and lifestyle; I want to feel my best, and be the healthiest version of me that I can be. My whole life, I have had cardiac issues and other health problems, and I have really had to deal with those things over the past year-so being as healthy and happy as I can be is something that means a lot to me. Look forward to fun recipes on here, as well as an occasional outfit post!

Lately, I have been into staple outfit pieces that you can dress up or down. I like the idea of creating a simple wardrobe that can be versatile, accessorized, and minimal. The thought of downsizing everything is something that has been on my mind a lot lately; I feel as though sometimes, you can have too much! I hold on to clothing from 6-8 years ago, because it still fits, and "maybe I will need it one day!" But how is it useful at all if it has sat in my closet, untouched for 2 years? Looking at websites such as H&M (for basic tees/leggings), Simons (dresses), Tobi (for sweaters/dresses), Loft (for blouses/sweaters), and Banana Republic (for sweaters/accessories/other basics) has given me a lot of inspiration for basic outfit items that can be worn in SO many combinations-just what I would like! Also, I recently discovered the world of outlet shopping. Oh.My.Gosh. Why did I never go before a few months ago? You can find so many "in style" pieces at the outlets, and barely have to spend money! Example: I went to the Banana Republic and J Crew outlet and got 2 mens button ups, a sweater, a casual jacket, 4 shirts, and a pair of Nikes for around $115. To me, that is a great deal for those brands. (I had to share that story because I went around telling all my friends and family how excited I was for those deals for about a week straight after that, haha).

Now that this post is all over the place, I think I have said enough for now! My next post will be a review, although I am not sure which product I want to share first! My question for you is: What type of posts interest you the most? Do you like beauty/skincare posts? Fashion posts? Recipes or fitness posts? Please share!

Until next time!
XO, Kelsey

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