Is the New Revlon Colorburst lipstick really YSL?

This lipstick is super snazzy! Described as luxurious, rich color that feels virtually weightless. 'Tis true.

I was pleasantly suprised to find a drugstore lippy as smooth and silky as Yves Saint Laurent. No shittle. (If you have not ever tried Yves Saint Laurent lipstick before, it is like freaking butter. You must own one atleast one before you die.) Plus there is a $3 OFF coup here so you can get your own. I got my shade in Blush, which perfectly enhances my own natural lip hue for an au naturel look. It wears great and doesn't dry my lips out. It has virtually no smell. LOVE!!!

N.Y.C. In a New York Color Minute Quick Dry Nail Polish Review

This is shade 242B Uptown

Ugh, I have a super snot-filled cold going on, so I decided to paint my nails a bright, indulgent shade of girly-girl pink to make me feel better. I had a BOGO coupon for this N.Y.C. " In a New York Minute" quick dry nail polish and WOW I am impressed! This pic is after just ONE coat! AND it really does dry fast. Not in a New York minute, but more like a minute in Idaho, or maybe North Dakota.

I usually apply polish coats in thin layers, but the trick with this one is to apply in one even, thick layer.

Best $1.79 I ever spent!

Some other cool colors to check out for Spring are SoHo (peachy-pink), Wall Street (bubblegum pink) and Park Ave (lilac) check out all the colors here.

LORAC 3 Reviews in 1: Natural Performance Foundation, Wet/Dry Powder Makeup & Double Feature Concealer

I went all crazy on LORAC makeup a few months ago and picked up some of her foundations/concealer because several of Carol Shaw's (makeup artist and CEO of LORAC- Carol spelled backwards - get it) products are paraben-free and non-irritating to sensitive skin like mine. I usually like to wear powder foundation because it's easy to apply without the liquid foundation hassle so I got the Wet/Dry powder foundation. I also decided to try the liquid Natural Performance Foundation since liquids do give a more skin-like appearance and my face has been dry lately. FYI: Dry skin + powder foundation = Hot mess.

I got the Natural Performance Foundation in NP2 (light)

The Double Feature Concealer in DF1

And the Wet/Dry Powder Foundation in WD2

Here are the swatches including a shot of my dope wrist tattoo for your viewing pleasure

As you can see, the foundation and concealer are very yellow. I thought this would be a good thing since my face is usually slightly red (yellow tends to even out a ruddy complexion and yellow is also good at canceling out under-eye circles, if you have any yellow undertones...more about this later) I have a pretty neutral skintone but more yellow-based foundations look better on me because they even out my redness.

Natural Performance Foundation: I like this stuff. It has no smell, it goes on evenly, it covers great without heaviness, covers flaws including undereye circles (mine SUCK), and most of all, it does not irritate. It is also filled with antioxidants that are good for your skin. This is a great everyday foundation. It comes in a pump dispenser that pumps just the right amount per application. The only thing I don't like about it is that it is too yellow. I have read several makeup reviews that say LORAC foundations are too yellow, so unless you have very warm undertones, go with another line. There is not a huge color variety in this foundation collection. Therefore, I must apply it thinner than usual or it makes me look like I have a slight case of jaundice. It would be a super awesome foundation if there were more skin-tone friendly variety

Grade: C

Double Feature Concealer: The roll up stick part of this concealer just plain sucks. The formula cakes and slides and the color is off. There is a rollerball in the cap that you are supposed to use to blend with, but it's just...wrong. However, The highlighter is excellent!! It has a lipgloss-like applicator that you dab on and it blends really well. It gives you a slight "wet" look that I like beacuse it looks more natural, instead of a glittery/shimmery look. I love this highlighter!

Concealer Grade: F

Highlighter Grade: A

This is the schizo of concealer/highlighter duos

Wet/Dry Powder Foundation: I really wanted to like this powder foundation, but I don't. It seems more like a regular powder than a powder/foundation. It has very sheer coverage and makes my skin look blaaah. Will I ever find a comparable match to Chanel Double Perfection powder foundation that isn't $50?? My heart breaks.

Grade: C

Besties: Why I Love Bare Escentuals Eye Shadows, and the one reason why I hate them.

Bare Escentuals eye shadows $13 are THE BESTEST, hands down! Why? because they are pure pigment with no fillers (like the extra ingredients used to get pigments to squash together to form a pan). They are yucky-ingredient-free and can be easily layered, mixed, used as lipstick, liner, even blush - just add clear gloss, water or liquid sealer. You can even blend eye shadow primer potion with them to give the color more oomph. They go on so nicely and never, ever crease! These are the only eyeshadows I have used that do not crease. All other shadows say they don't crease, but these ones really don't. Bare Escentuals eyeshadows really don't crease. Am I being redundant yet?
I know MAC and Make Up For Ever has pigments but they give you too much product and therefore, jack up the price ($19.50, $19 respectively), BE has more "real " colors that are useable for everyday as opposed to the bright-orange-crazy-colors and glittery-drag-queen-colors that MAC/MUFE has. Bare Escentuals eyeshadows are just a perfect amount in a little pot. I have had my shadows for YEARS and they are still good as new. A little goes a long way ya'll.

The one thing I hate: The messiness. They get all over the place. You must be diligent with application or your bathroom and your face will be a hot mess. I guess that's the tradeoff.

Tip: Put a cotton round, kleenex, post it note, or your homework under your eye while applying to prevent fallout onto your gorgeous face.

What are my fave colors you ask?

From Left to Right - Queen Phyllis, Wild Woman Melissa, Drama, Downtown, Nude Beach, Snow, True Gold, and Soul. All Gorgeous nude & brown colors that look good on everyone.

Irony of the day: I made a huge mess while making these swatches.


Best Other Eyeshadows that are not loose pigments: Chanel, Urban Decay & NYX (Cheap!)


What are your fave eyeshadows and why? What do you think of Bare Escentuals eyeshadows?
What is your fave color eyeshadow?

Wet n Wild New Mega Chrome Eyeliner Review

Does anyone else think Wet n Wild sound like a porno title? Maybe I'm a perv, but I bet it really is.

Anyhoo, this pencil is literally the crappiest eyeliner I have ever used. It skips, it's too soft and the color does not apply evenly. It's horrible. Stay away!!

Why am I buying cheap, crappy purple eyeliner? Well, I so wanted to do the metallic purple eyeliner look as seen in Allure on Amber Valletta last month, but I just can't bear to spend over $5 for a metallic purple eyeliner that I won't get a lot of use out of. In this case, you get what you pay for. All the good eyeliners (Urban Decay 24/7 and MAC) are just not happening for my penny pinching ass right now.

Lauren Luke's Metallic Purple Eyeliner How-To. She never says what eyeliner she uses. That hobag!

 (For those of you that don't get my sarcastic humor, I'm just kidding - I love her)

Here is Amber from the March 2010 Allure. I love this look!

Does anyone have any suggestions for my cheap metallic purple eyeliner?

Best Lip Plumping Glosses

What? These are my friends. You are so mean!

There are two different types of lip plumpers, ones that irritate your pout enough to cause swelling like DuWop Lip Venom  $16 (the first lip plumper, Lip Venom, is a blend of essential oils, including cinnamon, wintergreen, and ginger, that cause the blood to rush to the surface of the lips) and those that include "collagen microspheres" and hyaluronic acid like in LipFusion that attract moisture to the lips and therefore fattening them. Some glosses have a mixture of the two which is less irritating than the full-on Lip Venom. I hate Lip Venom because it is so intensely irritating to me. It feels like my lips are badly sunburned. Cheaper glosses (drugstore) typically contain the irritating ingredients since they are cheaper to manufacture.

Plumpers are for everyone. I have been blessed with naturally big lips but I still love the lip plumpers because they seem to fill in the fine lines around around the lipline and give a more youthful plump to the lips that isn't outrageous. I have been a huge fan of LipFusion lipglosses, the first ever lip gloss that actually did plump lips without irritating them to all hell. The only complaint I have about these glosses is, of course, the price tag. $38 is completely ridiculous. ARRRRRGGGGHHH. Robbery of the vain!

I've tried many many many lip plumpers and here are the best I've found so far...

LipFusion Micro-Injected Color Shine $38
Bare Escentuals Buxom Lips $18
MAC Plushglass $18


Each of these glosses plumps effectively without irritation and lasts a decent amount of time before you must reapply for the plumping effects.

LipFusion Micro-Injected Color Shine: The first non-irritating plumping gloss. Classic. Expensive. Comes in a wide range of colors. I like Bare and Bloom. These are both extremely natural and real colors that give you that healthy, natural look. Bare for pale-medium skin. Bloom for medium-dark skin. This gloss seems to be the gloss that doesn't last the longest but it has the best texture (non-sticky). It has a faint sweet citrus-y smell.

Bare Escentuals Buxom Lips: If I had to pick a favorite this one would be it. LipFusion would win hands-down if it had the same price tag as this one ($18) but it doesn't, so it is not my favorite. It has a slightly sticky texture and smells good. This one lasts a long time as far as gloss goes. The plumping effects last the longest with this one. I like the color Amber. It is a sheer peachy gold that looks good on everyone. Smells like caramel.

MAC Plushglass:  This is the gloss that lasts the longest. The plumping effects last a good while too but not as long as Buxom Lips. It is the most "irritating" of the glosses, but it is very tolerable. Smells like caramel and cinnamon. My favorite colors are Ample Pink (bare pink without shimmer) and Power Supply (healthy pink with gold shimmer). I wore this color for the first time and my BF said..."Whoa, You look pretty!" Score.



What are your favorite lip plumpers??

Rimmel MAX Volume Flash Mascara

From Rimmel: Take your eyes to the max with the supersized, perfect-fit brush that works in perfect synergy with the exclusive quick setting Lash Expand formula. The cushion-like collagen effectively binds to each individual lash, while the keratin works to smooth the surface of the lashes, leaving them stronger, sleeker and shinier. Capture that edgy London look than with big, bold attention-grabbing lashes.

Ok. The only thing I really love about this mascara is the hot pink packaging. This makes it easy to find amongst the ridiculous amounts of makeup in my bathroom drawers...and I like hot pink. I am a girly-girl. 

The mascara is pretty good. It is more of the type of mascara that lengthens and separates nicely, but if you want that dramatic volume you'll have to add a couple of coats. For me this is time consuming, and I want a mascara that does it all and fast like DiorShow or Cover Girl Lashblast (although these mascaras have a tendency to clump if you are not careful). I am searching for a mascara comparable to Dior Show or Cover Girl Lashblast that isn't ridiculously expensive (Dior is $24) that does not test on animals (Cover Girl does). I am having a hard time with that. Some girl at the nail salon told me that Maybelline Lash Stiletto was good too, but Maybelline tests on animals so I refuse to buy.

Some mascara's I've tried so far that are pretty good are Revlon Fabulash and MAC ZoomLash, but I am hoping to find something better.

PROS

Cheap, no clumps, very black, separating and lenghtening, hot pink tube, good brush, non-irritating

CONS

need several coats for volume, average mascara in comparison to everything else out there

Still searching for the cheap holy grail of mascaras.

Besties: Make Up For Ever Full Cover Concealer

This concealer is hands down the best concealer on the planet earth. I was searching for a concealer that would cover my horrendous under-eye circles and this is the only concealer that I've tried that actually works. The color is perfect. I am a MAC NC 15-20 and I wear this in shade # 4 Flesh and sometimes  #2 Porcelain for a highlighting, more dramatic effect. The product doesn't cake or look cakey. Some reviews I read on Sephora.com and MakeUpAlley.com said this concealer is cakey and sets too fast. These people need to be wearing a good moisturizer. I swear it looks like real skin! I am so glad I got this product, even though the price tag sucks...$30. It is worth it. It is so densely pigmented that a little goes a long way. If you lightly pat this product on (as opposed to blending it in) It will cover anything flawlessly esp. zits, pigmentation and capillaries. It is supposed to be able to cover tattoos, but you would def need a color corrector (pink for light skin or salmon for med-dark skin) to cover a tattoo effectively.  
This concealer is as close to perfection as it gets. It is completely waterproof too. I wear it jogging and it stays put.
The packaging is a tube with a small twist off cap (similar to MAC select cover except MUFE has a longer tube) you can dispense a little or a lot easily. A little of this concealer goes a long way.

From Sephora.com
Full Cover Concealer

What it is:
An ultra long-lasting, matte finish, oil-free, waterproof, full coverage concealer.
What it is formulated to do:
Designed to cover major imperfections like scars, hyperpigmentation, major discoloration, burns, and tattoos. This light and creamy concealer contains a high concentration of pigments that stay put, making it perfect for use on the face, as well as the body.
Clinical Testing/Results:
Clinically tested on sensitive skin and dermatologically controlled for gentleness.

Be Smart. Don't waste your $ CASH $ on yet another crappy product!

I HIGHLY recommend researching skincare, makeup & beauty products before you buy!
Get informed about skincare, especially your skin type, and problems that you may be experiencing. This will save you lots of cash in the long run.
Here are some Resources:
WEBSITES
DERMAdoctor.com search 'articles'. Dr. Audrey Kunin is a dermatologist and has a great, informative website that addresses every skincare problem you can imagine. She also sells her own line of great skincare products.
Paula Begoun cosmeticscop.com Subscribe to her 'Beauty Bulletins'. She also has a radio talkshow - I post her sessions on this blog! I love Paula Begoun and I use many of her skincare products. She is very no-nonsense and does thorough research.
MakeUpAlley.com "Street Smart Beauty" is a database of real chicks reviewing makeup & skincare products giving honest opinions
Beautypedia.com Paula Begoun's list of thousands of makeup and skincare reviews compiled into an easily searchable database. Requires a yearly membership fee. I have a promo code so you can get 50% a year subscription. use the code BP50 as your Promo Code. After the discount it would cost $12.50 for a year. SO WORTH IT!
Sephora.com Reviews. Sephora stocks a ton of products. reading their reviews will get you some great real-life feedback.
Skin Deep Cosmetic Ingredients Database - for Ingredient Safety info. (This is NOT a substitute for the FDA) I have issues with this site because I think they abuse the fear factor. Fear is always the best marketing tool. Take this site with a grain of salt b/c it seems a little fanatical. No one can possibly avoid using all of their listed potentially harmful ingredients. It would be freaking impossible. Also, they mention "harmful" ingredients to avoid but don't state exactly why or site (link) tests, exactly where they gathered their specific information, or any other tangible evidence most smart people like to know! Nevertheless, it is still a good site to keep mindful of these ingredients, and I do think they genuinely want to inform people of potential dangers. Afterall, cosmetics are not strictly regulated by the FDA. Form your own opinion.
CaringConsumer.com search guide for cruelty-free companies and products. (Get a free pocket-size list from PeTA here)

BOOKS
Paula Begoun, The Original Beauty Bible (3rd edition) covers everything you would ever want to know about skincare, cosmetics, plastic surgery & cosmetic dermatology.
Ruth Winter, A Consumer's Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients A more down to earth/scientific guide about cosmetics ingredients including potentially harmful ones


You could/should also read my blog and tell all your friends to read it too!!

2 Smashbox O-Gloss Knockoffs!

the original smashbox o-gloss $22, black radiance perfect tone lip gloss $4.99, and mark glossblossom $6.50

i love smashbox o-gloss. the texture is divine, it smells delish and the extra goji berry c complex makes me happy. the price, however, does not. i just can't be spending $22 on a lip gloss. especially when there are some great cheap alternatives out there!

i was at walgreens the other day because they were having a great sale on revlon colorstay foundations (LOVE) and i noticed this black radiance perfect tone lipgloss. for $4.99 i decided what the heck?! i had previously purchased the mark glossblossom online and loved it but left the tube in the pocket of my jeans and yes, washed them. idiot. not only was my glossblossom peril to this tragedy but many of my clothes were victims also. i hate buying just one product online and paying for the shipping. i am a cheapster coupon queen and fanagled a way to get free shipping but jeez-it's just a pain in the rear...then you have to wait for it to arrive. i have no patience!

anyhoo, i am thrilled to find this black radiance lip gloss at the local walgreens. easy AND cheap. does it get any better? the black radiance lip gloss does not smell as nice or have the great texture that o-gloss and glossblossom have, but it has the exact same effect- a perfectly pinky peach just bitten lip color custom made for you. i love the color it produces. i like it for that no makeup 'i am naturally gorg' (wink wink) look.

according to the black radiance web site you can purchase their products at k-mart, walgreens, rite-aid and wal mart. 

mark glossblossom can be purchased online here or through your local avon/mark rep.

if you like to waste your cash for the brand name status and cute packaging (no judgement- i do it all the time!) go to sephora or ULTA to get smashbox o-gloss.

none of these products are tested on animals. mark glossblossom and smashbox o-gloss are paraben free.
black radiance lip gloss has propylparaben in it and they all have artificial coloring

NARS blushes... LOVE!

My fave NARS blushes - they are:

TORRID-a coral shimmer fair - medium skin tones
EXHIBIT-A-a bright red with a slight coral tinge - looks great on dark skin tones
ORGASM-a natural flush pink with gold shimmer - fair-medium skintones
AMOUR- a pinky coral with some slight bronze undertones for medium skintones - it's a great natural color

can i just say that i LOVE every one of my blushes and they LAST FOREVER! i use these colors on everyone - all shades! i even use EXHIBIT-A on myself and i am paler than casper the friendly ghost.
they are highly pigmented, come in matte and shimmer varieties, even glittery varieties (SUPER ORGASM). they go on sheer to bright with application and are completely and totally worth the price!! ($26)

P.S. i love that the new spring 2010 campaign is using Amber Valetta as their model. she is soooooo gorgeous! and she's 36!

Smashbox Halo Hydrating Perfecting Powder Review

this powder foundation comes in a cool compact with a mirror. you twist the rim and powder is shaved off the top for a user friendly, less messy mineral foundation. it gives sheer-full buildable coverage and imparts a glow to the skin. the application brush it comes with is NOT recommended. this foundation is best for younger skin that doesn't need a lot of coverage. bonus: comes with a sample of smashbox photo finish primer (there are better primers out there). for $59 it is expensive!

From Sephora.com:
"Smashbox HALO Hydrating Perfecting Powder HALO is the first anti-aging powder with the science of skin care built in. It's advanced formulation of pure gold, 48 minerals, 11 amino acids and a powerful peptide deliver powerful anti-aging benefits while the patented hydration system continuously revitalizes skin and provides a hydrated look that won't accentuate lines and wrinkles. The built-in shaver allows for the convenience of a pressed powder combined with the radiant finish of a loose one, and the super-sized brush deposits the perfect amount of powder every time."

THE VERDICT

PROS
* paraben and talc free.
according to A Consumer's Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients by Ruth Winter, "Talc is a finely powdered magnesium silicate, a mineral. It usually has small amounts of other powders such as boric acid or zinc oxide added as a coloring agent. Prolonged inhalation can cause lung problems because it is similar in chemical composition to asbestos, a known lung irritant and cancer-causing ingredient."
don't freak out yet! Paula Begoun says talc does not cause cancer by inhalation here but her most recent medical references are from 2006.

* contains antioxidants & peptides that are good for your skin

* would look amazing on anyone aged 16-25, or if you had really good skin

CONS
*i don't think this foundation is good for anyone with large pores or fine lines/wrinkles. it has a "shiny" illuminated look that gives you the j-lo glow, but the shine will only enhance your pores and lines.  if you need medium-full coverage i don't recommend this foundation. the more you apply the shinier it looks

* the kabuki brush that it comes with SUCKS! it is very stiff and when you wash it it bleeds black from the dye used for the black color of the brush hairs. i've washed mine several times and it still bleeds.

 *the shade ranges are not that iompressive. i am a MAC NC20. i tried this in "fair" and it was ghost white. "light" is a little too dark and yellow for me unless i do a very sheer application

LAST WORDS
i use this powder on my good skin days when i don't need much coverage. it would be a good choice for younger girls with good skin...not fair :(

My Favorite Beauty Products from Whole Foods

i frequent whole foods for many of my skincare products and spend a shameless amount of time in their beauty aisles reading product ingredients (and otherwise looking like a weirdo) because I like to buy products that aren't tested on animals and that are free of controversial ingredients like parabens and sodium lauryl/laureth sulfates. i don't necessarily believe parabens cause cancer, i have read much scientific literature from both sides that is ultimately inconclusive. i just try to avoid parabens (it's hard to do by the way!) as a precautionary principle and sodium lauryl/laureth sulfates (also known as SLS/SLES) are extremely irritating ingredients - i try to avoid sls/sles because i have sensitive skin and color-treated hair. sulfates strip your hair incessantly causing your color to fade quicker. 

i find a good bit of the beauty products at whole foods to be crap for anyone without genetically blessed skin. take Dr. Hauschka for example, almost all the products are loaded with oils, butters, fragrances and plant extracts which are horrible for anyone with acne-prone or sensitive skin. i think all skin should be treated as "sensitive" as repeatedly irritating your skin is a leading cause of aging. furthermore, "natural" and "organic" products are not any better for the skin than synthetic ones. many of the lines at whole foods are similar (and just as crappy) to Dr. Hauschka - just take a minute to read ingredients.

cosmetics ingredients database if you are interested here

anyhoo, there are some very good products (some i couldn't live without) at this organic shopper's paradise that are great for sensitive skin and as an added bonus are also good for the environment. some are cheap, and some others not so much!

 here goes...

SKINCARE

Whole Foods brand 365 Shower Gel- Unscented $3 - This stuff is great and CHEAP! I use it to wash my face and body. it is fagrance-free, artificial color-free, no sls/sles or parabens. it foams well too. it does not irritate whatsoever. my body & face loves this stuff...but my nose doesn't. :( it smells, well, weird. a slightly chemically smell that is pretty faint. it does not make your body smell this way though, don't worry! i wish it smelled better, but for the greatness of the product i will deal with the smell. you could add a Wyndmere essential oil -see below- so it's not so weird smelling but be careful cuz fragrance can irritate. they also have versions with lavender, herbal and citrus scents

Jason Naturals Red Elements Gentle Gel Face Cleanser $8-10 for 8 oz.

not all whole foods carry the red elements line. find it here

Avalon Organics Aloe-Unscented Hand and Body Lotion $8 for 8 oz. my "eco-chic" alternative to Cetaphil lotion

Avalon Organics Baby Gentle Tear-Free Body Wash the body wash i use most of the time, it has some citrus oils in it but they don't irritate. this one smells great!!
Desert Essence Organics Shampoos & Conditioners around $6 for 8 oz. i love the green apple and ginger thickening and volume versions of the shampoo and conditioner. they leave my fine, color treated hair silky, shiny and smelling like fresh green apples!
Wyndmere Essential Oils around $6 for 1/3 oz. (instead of perfume) the scent lasts all day! a great and cheaper alternative to expensive fragrances. i like grapefruit & mandarin
Burt's Bees Naturally Nourishing Milk and Shea Butter Body Bar $4 smells creamy, lathers well and soothes


MAKEUP

Burt's Bees Super Shiny Lipgloss $6 tube. these glosses are super emoillent and aren't sticky. these glosses won a Natural Health Beauty Award. the colors are VERY sheer.
Mineral Fusion makeup - they have really great glosses, mineral foundations and blushes with great colors. a little pricey though.

STAY AWAY FROM
the whole foods 365 brand of shampoo, conditioner and body lotion...ew!
Bur't Bees shampoos..gross!

YES! Revlon Colorstay Lipliner

For about 7 bucks at wal-mart you can have a great lipliner that really stays on and doesn't bleed or feather. there are good neutrals and a variety of colors. i like "blush" and "natural" (similar to subculture by MAC). i put it to the test. all day. it passed. it's cheap. just do it.

Cruelty-Free Cosmetics/Skincare List

so i like to be an informed consumer and buy products from companies who have ethics that meet my standards (which involved a certain amount of research...i do my best!) they are: 1. must not be crappy- they have to benefit me in some great way like remove my waterproof eyeliner, cleanse my skin without overdrying, make me have really long eyelashes or cover up my zits effectively 2. must not contain an overload of controversial ingredients that might cause cancer someday or irritate my insanely sensitive skin (parabens/sls, ect.) and last but not least 3. must not stick their products in fluffy bunnies/cats/gerbils/dogs eyes or whatever twisted ways of testing products evildoers come up with.
i have done a fair amount of research on products that test on animals and i try to avoid buying those products.. but i can't possibly know the history of all the skincare/cosmetics companies out there. like i said, i do my best.

it disturbs me that the FDA does not even require animal testing on non-perscription cosmetic/skincare products.

Quote from the FDA website:

"The FD&C Act does not specifically require the use of animals in testing cosmetics for safety, nor does the Act subject cosmetics to FDA premarket approval. However, the agency has consistently advised cosmetic manufacturers to employ whatever testing is appropriate and effective for substantiating the safety of their products. It remains the responsibility of the manufacturer to substantiate the safety of both ingredients and finished cosmetic products prior to marketing."

(Read more from the FDA's website here)

I am not a makeup saint...i have bought and currently use (neutrogena sensitive skin sunblock) some products that test on animals but they are few and far between. i don't get fanatical about anything in life.


my point is:


TRY TO BUY MOSTLY CRUELTY-FREE....PLEASE!!

I know it's annoying and takes some effort but

to help make it easier to navigate cruelty-free products here are some easy resources:

*Get a free pocket shopping guide from PETA here. i love this thing! i keep it in my purse

(I generally use this guideline but sometimes a product isn't listed so i have to do some xtra research)

*Search Companies that DO and DO NOT Test on Animals here

*I have made my own lists of common companies that DO and DO NOT test on animals BELOW
(You can download the PDF file or print it from Scribd - 8 pages)
THIS TOOK A LOT OF WORK! but i am happy to help :)
Common Companies That DO and DO NOT Test on Animals

NYX cosmetics - my new favorite makeup line and it's CHEAP! YAY!

you might have heard of NYX cosmetics before, but i have just discovered them...well, i have seen the line in ULTA stores before but passed by thinking it was just another cheapy makeup line. i recently tried the line b/c a lot of makeup artists rave about them and... WOW! impressive! especially the powder eyeshadows, lipglosses and powder blushes. the eyeshadows and blushes come in an ENORMOUS array of colors-matte & shimmer, which i love. i am not a big fan of shimmer blush as far as makeup for photography is concerned b/c it looks bad on camera. there are 2 types of lipglosses that have almost identical packaging. the one that says "Goddess of the Night" on the tube is fragrance free, which i think smells gross so i opted for the other lipglosses that just had NYX on the tube. they have a much better smell. paula begoun - my favorite "cosmetics cop" rated their eyeshadows, doll eye mascara & lipglosses as paula's picks. it's so wonderful to find quality makeup for cheapo!! you don't even know! coincidentally, after this great discovery ULTA decided to have a BOGO on NYX so i drove deliriously happy to my nearest store and went a little crazy. i can't say so much for the eye pencils and lipliners, they, well, sorta sucked. anyhoo the "round" lipsticks are AWESOME, pigmented and a great creamy consistency that wasn't smelly. i wasn't too fond of any of the shimmery colors (overly shimmery gloss doesn't look good on anyone over 28)  and picked up a bunch of non shimmery ones. to further add to my excitement, the nice people at NYX gave me a pro discount so i just placed an huge order for some 10 eyeshadow palettes!! check out the line at nyxcosmetics.com