Today I will share with you the current products of my cosmetic bag. (pictures and minimal review of each product will be given). I have recently been making the switch to cruelty-free products; but I don't see the point in throwing away the current products I have that aren't empty or expired. So for that reason, some of these items will not be cruelty-free.
Skin
First for my skin I have a primer by Maybelline. This was the first primer I bought, I admittedly don't have much experience with primer but this primer seems to work fine. I do plan on trying others after my current tube is used up because this product is made by a company owned by L'Oreal as well as I am not completely satisfied with this product.
Next I have two concealers. I have a concealer by Physician's Formula that has two concealers in one tube. There's a green concealer for reducing areas that are especially red which then goes under the nude colored concealer. Physician's Formula is more on the expensive end of "drug store cosmetics" but it's because their products are high-quality. The other concealer I have is just a basic nude concealer by CoverGirl which is reasonably priced as well as cruelty-free. It get's the job done but I wouldn't say it's the best concealer for long-wear that I've ever had.
I've already blogged about the foundations I have- "Stay Matte" by Rimmel London.
Eyes
For eye shadow I currently have two palettes. Both of them are very great and are basically the high school student's budget version of any of the Naked palettes from Urban Decay. One is a nudes palette from Profusion that I bought at T J Maxx of all places for only five dollars. It's a really great palette! The colors last all day and I can blend them well together. My favorite is the milk chocolate colored shimmer shade. The other palette is The Nudes palette by Maybelline New York Eye Studio. This palette is well worth it, it has plenty of nude and neutral shades to just complete your eye makeup and set off your eyeliner.
For liquid eyeliner I have a liquid eyeliner felt tip pen from the Rimmel London Scandaleyes collection. It's black. It does a good job and is easy to apply just as most felt tip eyeliner pens. The one thing that I don't like about it so much is that by the end of the day or about 8 hours after application, the liner is pretty faded. Other than that I really like it. I also have a brown liquid eyeliner classic pot and brush by e.l.f. that is actually a lot better than I was anticipating it to be. The one thing I don't really like about it is that it's more challenging to apply and you have to wait for it to dry. For pencil eyeliner for my water lines I have a black pencil from Profusion that came with my eyeshadow palette and it works great- hardly any smudges or runs.
The mascara tubes I have in makeup bag are not cruelty-free but they do work great if you're not really wanting to put the effort into going all cruelty-free. I have three tubes of mascara currently. One is Mega Plush by Maybelline which is a good base coat mascara. The others are both by L'Oreal Paris- one is Million Lashes and the other is Butterfly Intenza. Intenza is good for lengthening and Million lashes is great for volume. The Maybelline and Million Lashes are good for no clumps but be wary of clumps with Butterfly Intenza.
Sunday, May 3, 2015
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
The Body Shop
It is kind of shocking and somewhat horrifying to just simply go through your home and scan all of your products you use every day that you have come to know and love are acting against the very ideals you stand for. I scanned the lotion and even the vitamin supplements I take to sleep at night and they were both made by companies who tested on animals themselves or the company of that product is owned by another company or group of companies that tests on animals. This is important because really your money is all going to the same place in the end. Even if I don't directly buy from L'Oreal, if I buy from The Body Shop, that money, or a portion of that money, still goes to L'Oreal who owns The Body Shop.
I am very conflicted about the issue of buying from the body shop because on their website they explicitly say "cruelty-free". But how can a company committed to the safety and protection of anmals allow themselves to be owned by a company who has drastically different goals?
I am very conflicted about the issue of buying from the body shop because on their website they explicitly say "cruelty-free". But how can a company committed to the safety and protection of anmals allow themselves to be owned by a company who has drastically different goals?
Monday, April 20, 2015
My saving grace: The steamer
One of my biggest pet peeves in the entire world is wrinkly clothing. I would almost rather wear a mismatched outfit than a wrinkly outfit. So it's a good thing I have my steamer. My steamer, for those of you who are not familiar, heats up water until it turns to steam and lets the steam out to take the wrinkles out of the clothes.
The best thing about my steamer is that it's kind of more like a steamer and an iron in one machine. What sets mine apart from others is that along with it letting out steam, it has a small metal triangle-shaped section that acts as an iron. The steamer came with a pad you put over the door and hang the garment on so after you heat the water you press the steamer against the wrinkled areas of your clothing and it lets up the wrinkles almost instantly while the iron part applies pressure and heat and any smaller creases are let out by the steam. I can honestly get a whole garment steamed in a matter of about 2-3 minutes.
This method isn't really for everybody because honestly I don't even know how much my steamer cost it could have been pretty pricey- mine was a Christmas present from my mother who is incredibly amused by my obsession with clothes without wrinkles. Also, it takes up a lot of storage space in your house because you need a place for the door mat and a place for the steamer itself which is a little taller and bulkier than a traditional iron-but hey at least there's no ironing board. It is important to note that STEAM BURNS ARE REAL AND PAINFUL and just as you would with a traditional iron, be careful not to burn yourself. Lastly, it's kind of an energy sucker... this basically means I wouldn't advise plugging this and the flat iron in at the same time as it could make the lights go out in your house which we all know is just a pain in the butt to take care of and not to mention a real time-sucker out of the time you have for your morning routine.
Maybe the reason I run into wrinkly clothes so much is I have the tendency to let my pile of clean laundry sit for a while before being folded, hung up, or otherwise put away. I know I can't be the only one that does this. So if you're like me, maybe consider that this could be why you leave the house wondering why it feels like you forgot something. You did, you forgot to steam your shirt.
Some people say "who cares about if your clothes have wrinkles? It's not that big of a deal." I care, okay? And your future boss will probably care too. Or your future husband or wife. So yeah if you're going to a job interview or on a date rather than just out to get groceries it's extra important that you think of me and STEAM/IRON YOUR DAMN CLOTHES IT'S NOT THAT HARD.
The best thing about my steamer is that it's kind of more like a steamer and an iron in one machine. What sets mine apart from others is that along with it letting out steam, it has a small metal triangle-shaped section that acts as an iron. The steamer came with a pad you put over the door and hang the garment on so after you heat the water you press the steamer against the wrinkled areas of your clothing and it lets up the wrinkles almost instantly while the iron part applies pressure and heat and any smaller creases are let out by the steam. I can honestly get a whole garment steamed in a matter of about 2-3 minutes.
This method isn't really for everybody because honestly I don't even know how much my steamer cost it could have been pretty pricey- mine was a Christmas present from my mother who is incredibly amused by my obsession with clothes without wrinkles. Also, it takes up a lot of storage space in your house because you need a place for the door mat and a place for the steamer itself which is a little taller and bulkier than a traditional iron-but hey at least there's no ironing board. It is important to note that STEAM BURNS ARE REAL AND PAINFUL and just as you would with a traditional iron, be careful not to burn yourself. Lastly, it's kind of an energy sucker... this basically means I wouldn't advise plugging this and the flat iron in at the same time as it could make the lights go out in your house which we all know is just a pain in the butt to take care of and not to mention a real time-sucker out of the time you have for your morning routine.
Maybe the reason I run into wrinkly clothes so much is I have the tendency to let my pile of clean laundry sit for a while before being folded, hung up, or otherwise put away. I know I can't be the only one that does this. So if you're like me, maybe consider that this could be why you leave the house wondering why it feels like you forgot something. You did, you forgot to steam your shirt.
Some people say "who cares about if your clothes have wrinkles? It's not that big of a deal." I care, okay? And your future boss will probably care too. Or your future husband or wife. So yeah if you're going to a job interview or on a date rather than just out to get groceries it's extra important that you think of me and STEAM/IRON YOUR DAMN CLOTHES IT'S NOT THAT HARD.
Sunday, April 19, 2015
Beauty on a Budget
Today I will share with you, some products I have picked up throughout the years on a low budget that have come to find to be of great quality for their price. Disclaimer: since this is a list compromised of over the years, not all (and probably most of these products) are cruelty-free.
- The Nudes Palette- $9.99
Ten dollars seems like a lot for eye shadow considering not everybody wears eye shadow but this palette is well worth it, it has plenty of nude and neutral shades to just complete your eye makeup and set off your eyeliner.And honestly, eye shadow isn't cheap. Unless you buy e.l.f. but then it all ends up in the crease of your eyelid anyways and that't no good. All the colors are long-lasting and non clumping. Consider it an everyday essential- I do.
2. E.l.f. eye pencil- $1.00
Yes one dollar. No, it's not THE MOST amazing pencil I've ever used, but for waterlines, it gets the job done if you're planning on not doing too much crying or sweating that day. It goes on smoothly but does have some smudging throughout the day. As far as liquids go, those just run more higher-priced too like eye shadow, but I suppose e.l.f. liquid is alright if you're cool with a pot and brush instead of a felt tip pen. (but, hey, on the bright side, e.l.f. is cruelty-free.
3.Rimmel London Stay Matte liquid mousse foundation- $4.99
Rimmel London Stay Matte pressed powder foundation-$3.99
This duo of products is what I would call the diamond in the rough. They have it all. They are made by Rimmel London so they're cruelty-free, they're very inexpensive, and they're high performance, all-day matte wear. There is nothing more to say than that. It should go without saying that I highly recommend this product. I might also add as a tidbit that these are the foundations I use on a daily basis.
4. Baby Lips by Maybelline- $2.99
I used to be an incredibly strong and avid user/supporter of Baby Lips and have purchased many of their colors including some of their "special collections" now, I personally use just a plain balm made by EOS but if you're looking for something with with a tint or color, Baby Lips will not dissapoint. The product is good as a balm and as a lip color with a good scent. All around, a good product for health and beauty of your luscious lips.
Update: L'Oreal Lab Testing (Buycott)
For those of you who were/are as passionate and enraged as me about the fact that L'Oreal uses animal testing in the production of their products, I give you... Buycott. Buycott is an app to help you boycott certain products from companies whose production processes you don't agree with. For example, I choose not to buy from L'Oreal because they test their products on animals.
It is kind of shocking and somewhat horrifying to just simply go through your home and scan all of your products you use every day that you have come to know and love are acting against the very ideals you stand for. I scanned the lotion and even the vitamin supplements I take to sleep at night and they were both made by companies who tested on animals themselves or the company of that product is owned by another company or group of companies that tests on animals. This is important because really your money is all going to the same place in the end. Even if I don't directly buy from L'Oreal, if I buy from The Body Shop, that money, or a portion of that money, still goes to L'Oreal who owns The Body Shop.
I think that even though at first it may be hard to find substitutes for the products you're so used to using on a daily basis, but it's important that you do it. For the longest time, my lotion, my eyeliner, and my mascara were all products that according to Buycott, I should be avoiding. I've found substitutes, and you can too. The substitute I found for my eyeliner may not be as luxurious and high-performing as what I was used to, but it's less money being put into the hands of cruel and careless corporations. In all honestly, the new eyeliner, ScandalEyes by Rimmel London isn't even that much worse, it's just a little more faded by the end of the day, which is something I can deal with (especially since it's almost $4 cheaper).
It is kind of shocking and somewhat horrifying to just simply go through your home and scan all of your products you use every day that you have come to know and love are acting against the very ideals you stand for. I scanned the lotion and even the vitamin supplements I take to sleep at night and they were both made by companies who tested on animals themselves or the company of that product is owned by another company or group of companies that tests on animals. This is important because really your money is all going to the same place in the end. Even if I don't directly buy from L'Oreal, if I buy from The Body Shop, that money, or a portion of that money, still goes to L'Oreal who owns The Body Shop.
I think that even though at first it may be hard to find substitutes for the products you're so used to using on a daily basis, but it's important that you do it. For the longest time, my lotion, my eyeliner, and my mascara were all products that according to Buycott, I should be avoiding. I've found substitutes, and you can too. The substitute I found for my eyeliner may not be as luxurious and high-performing as what I was used to, but it's less money being put into the hands of cruel and careless corporations. In all honestly, the new eyeliner, ScandalEyes by Rimmel London isn't even that much worse, it's just a little more faded by the end of the day, which is something I can deal with (especially since it's almost $4 cheaper).
Saturday, April 4, 2015
Fashion Donts
In all honesty, you can wear whatever you want..... even fedoras I suppose.
but there are some things that I see people wearing that really make me cringe and serve as a reminder for me that I should really maybe not care so much about what other people wear. Allow me to highlight some of the few shining and stellar examples
I'm sorry to anyone whom I may offend when I say this, but.... Fedoras? No... just, no. You're not Frank Sinatra, you're not from the New York press in the nineteen fifties, and you're not Bruno Mars either. Who, I might add, is mystifying the whole world at this very moment as to how he can still wear fedoras and seem slightly acceptable. (or write songs about how he'd catch grenades and jump in front of moving trains without concerning his mass audience about being suicidal)
All Camo...
Look I get it, the deer you're hunting in the woods aren't gonna call up Joan Rivers' ghost and tell on you for being such a fashion disaster. But at school? I see you. The deer don't see you, but I do. Even though you think I can't see you, I CAN SEE YOU AND IT LOOKS BAD.
Pajama pants in public...
you know, to be quite honest, I don't even know why I'm writing this for you; you obviously don't care. You know how I know you don't care? You're wearing clothes that are meant for sleeping and lounging in the house, where minimal amounts of people are supposed to see you IN PUBLIC. I must give you props, it takes a lot of self confidence to do that; I can't even send a selfie-snapchat to my best friend if I have too obvious of a pimple or greasy hair. My favorite part about the people who choose to make every day pajama day? Their true self-expression. I get to see what things you're really into by what print is on your pants. It is now public information how much you love Christmas by your fluffy, fuzzy snowman pajama pants. Thank you. It's usually "Family Guy" or Xbox which gives me just a tad of insurance because I kind of had a speculation that you were a type of person that sat around and played xbox all day, but now I know for sure.
But scarves? Okay seriously, here's the thing. Picture yourself in the year 2003, Hollywood's red carpet. there's a lady. Gwenyth Paltrow, wearing a light and flowy strip of fabric wrapped around her jugular. She looks great. This is an instant trend. Stores are selling these long tapestries for women and men everywhere to strangle themselves with, like sheep following behind the rest of the herd, yet somewhat lion-like with their brightly colored manes. Flash forward 12 years. It's 2015. three proposed raptures and 2 expected apocalypses came and went, yet the one thing to remain? Scarves. WHY?
Like I said, wear whatever you want, it's your civil liberty, but with great freedom comes great power.
but there are some things that I see people wearing that really make me cringe and serve as a reminder for me that I should really maybe not care so much about what other people wear. Allow me to highlight some of the few shining and stellar examples
I'm sorry to anyone whom I may offend when I say this, but.... Fedoras? No... just, no. You're not Frank Sinatra, you're not from the New York press in the nineteen fifties, and you're not Bruno Mars either. Who, I might add, is mystifying the whole world at this very moment as to how he can still wear fedoras and seem slightly acceptable. (or write songs about how he'd catch grenades and jump in front of moving trains without concerning his mass audience about being suicidal)
All Camo...
Look I get it, the deer you're hunting in the woods aren't gonna call up Joan Rivers' ghost and tell on you for being such a fashion disaster. But at school? I see you. The deer don't see you, but I do. Even though you think I can't see you, I CAN SEE YOU AND IT LOOKS BAD.
Pajama pants in public...
you know, to be quite honest, I don't even know why I'm writing this for you; you obviously don't care. You know how I know you don't care? You're wearing clothes that are meant for sleeping and lounging in the house, where minimal amounts of people are supposed to see you IN PUBLIC. I must give you props, it takes a lot of self confidence to do that; I can't even send a selfie-snapchat to my best friend if I have too obvious of a pimple or greasy hair. My favorite part about the people who choose to make every day pajama day? Their true self-expression. I get to see what things you're really into by what print is on your pants. It is now public information how much you love Christmas by your fluffy, fuzzy snowman pajama pants. Thank you. It's usually "Family Guy" or Xbox which gives me just a tad of insurance because I kind of had a speculation that you were a type of person that sat around and played xbox all day, but now I know for sure.
But scarves? Okay seriously, here's the thing. Picture yourself in the year 2003, Hollywood's red carpet. there's a lady. Gwenyth Paltrow, wearing a light and flowy strip of fabric wrapped around her jugular. She looks great. This is an instant trend. Stores are selling these long tapestries for women and men everywhere to strangle themselves with, like sheep following behind the rest of the herd, yet somewhat lion-like with their brightly colored manes. Flash forward 12 years. It's 2015. three proposed raptures and 2 expected apocalypses came and went, yet the one thing to remain? Scarves. WHY?
Like I said, wear whatever you want, it's your civil liberty, but with great freedom comes great power.
Friday, March 20, 2015
L'Oreal Lab Testing
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don't buy anything from L'Oreal.
I have recently found out via the social justice elite of Tumblr that L'Oreal does horrible and cruel testing on animals in order to perfect their products. It almost goes without saying that the less people buy from them, the less animals are harmed.
They lose their fur and their eyes become horribly irritated. They use innocent animals to test on and the poor little things can't do anything to stop them from hurting them. Because of this, it will continue to go on until people demand it to stop. Would you want your pets to be tested on and used as someone's toy to mess around with and purposely hurt?
People are under the misconception that lab testing is just simply putting lipstick on a bunny or mascara on a monkey. It's nothing like that.
I strongly believe that animal testing is unnecessary and down right cruel. There are plenty of companies that create perfectly good products without testing on animals.
picture creds: https://www.pinterest.com/hannahkandil/activism/
picture creds: https://www.pinterest.com/hannahkandil/activism/
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