5.30.2013

The Green Beauty Bunny is MOVING!



Hi Everyone! 
I'm moving! Blog locations that is. =)

Come visit me at my new location 


Thanks & Take Care,

Alexis

5.16.2013

Devita Moisture Tints SPF 15 in Light


Spring is upon us here in the Midwest and it's been a bit of a crazy one. So since the temperature keeps fluctuating I've been trying to let my skin breathe a little bit. All over foundation this time of year just makes my skin feel heavy. I want to feel light and breezy right about now; don't you? 

I've been on the tinted moisturizer hunt for what feels like years now. Many of them are often too dark for my fair skin, or they don't have quite enough coverage, or the right finish. I know- I sound like Goldilocks. 

Enter in DeVita Moisture Tints! If you've stopped by here before you may know that I adore the DeVita Solar Protective MoisturizerWhile I was reordering my next tube of that I decided to take chance on the Moisture Tints in Light. I found it was backordered and may take a couple weeks to arrive. So I waited. Not really patiently. But on a rainy April day it showed up on my doorstep and I kid you not that I put it on immediately. 

I loved it and wanted to write this post pretty much that moment. But I made myself test it out for a couple weeks before professing all my love for it. And the verdict? I so still love it. It's lightly hydrating and goes on smoothly. It gives me the perfect amount of coverage. Not too sheer and not too thick. It just makes my skin look like better skin. 

The only downside I find to it is that I would love for it to be SPF 30 instead of SPF 15. But that's it. So if I were you and in the market for a new tinted moisturizer with SPF; I would try this one. 


DeVita Moisture Tints can be purchased here. 

This product was purchased by me & the opinion of course is my own. 


5.14.2013

May Goodebox


Oh my! I'm quite late to the bandwagon of posting my May Goodebox. 
But for curiosity's sake I thought I'd still put it up. 

So in this month's box I got:
VITACARE Gum in Cool Mint 
Health Warrior Chia Bar in Coconut
The Natural Lip Scrub in Organic Orange
Shea Terra Organics Moroccan Argan & Wild Honey Facial Elixir
Pure + Remedy Serums in Skin so Bright & Vitamin C

I'm pretty excited for both the gum and the lip scrub. The coconut bar will probably go to the boyfriend as I don't love eating coconut as much as I love smelling it. The jury's out on the Pure + Remedy serums because they do contain phenoxyethanol and last time I tried a serum with that my skin flipped out. And I'm playing around with the Shea Terra Cleansing Elixir.

So all in all not too bad of a box. 
What'd you get in yours??



4.30.2013

April Favorites Video!

Hi Everyone!
Here's another video of me chattering on about what my favorites are this month. 
I picked one item from each category that really was used consistently throughout the month. I figured this gave me some parameters so I didn't end up picking a ton of items. Which I did the first time I filmed it. 15 minutes later I was still rambling on about soap and oils. So short and sweet it is. 






April Favorites

Favorite Beauty Tool - Beauty Blender
Favorite iPad App - The Room



All products were purchased by me =)



4.19.2013

Nourish Exfoliating Body Polish -




I love scrubs of all types. So when I saw this one from Nourish on special at Ulta I decided to give it a try. I've loved everything else I've bought from them. Unfortunately this product did not live up to the high standards that the other products had set for it. Total disappointment. I can tell you that this will not be on any lists for repurchasing. And I know I talk about the smell in the video but can we reflect on it for a moment? Corn? Really Nourish?! Anyways I digress. 

Please let me know of any of your favorite body scrubs. 
Any and all recipes or products ideas are totally welcome.
Thanks for stopping by!




*Did you notice the cat in the background? That's Cricket. Yeah, she wouldn't leave.* 
**Also, I swear that "y'all" is not part of my everyday vocabulary. 
Don't know where that came from**

4.14.2013

Coral Craze



If there is one thing I love about spring and summer it's the emergence of a bright coral lip. Coral is one of those colors that I think suits just about everyone. There are so many depths and color variances that there is bound to be a shade that will suit you! These are five of my most worn coral lip colors. 

1. Tarte LipSurgence in Joy - This is my everyday coral. It wakes up my face and adds the perfect amount of color. It looks totally orange in the tube but once applied the color is a great coral tone. 

2. Pacifica Color Quench Lip Tint in Blood Orange - This is my darkest coral and I think will look best on my skin once I've started wearing some bronzer again. It's a coral that has a bronze undertone.

3. Ilia Tinted Lip Conditioner in Shell Shock - A very bright coral. When applied in layers this is almost electric! 

4. Jane Iredale Lip Fixation in Devotion - A mid-tone coral that can be worn sheer or full on. The gloss it comes with is just a gold sparkle. It's a little tacky in texture for my taste so I tend to wear the stain with a lip balm on top. 

5. rms beauty lip2cheek in Smile - Another bright coral. This looks lovely paired on both the lips and cheeks. 


From Top to Bottom:
Jane Iredale Lip Fixation Stain and then the Gloss 
rms beauty lip2cheek in Smile
Ilia Tinted Lip Conditioner in Shell Shock
Pacifica Color Quench in Blood Orange
Tarte LipSurgence in Joy


Do you have a favorite coral lip color I should try? 
Let me know in the comments!






*all products purchased by me. review is my own opinion*



4.11.2013

One Love Organics Morning Glory Serum


Ever feel like your complexion just needs a pick me up? One Love Organics Morning Glory serum is a great little number for waking up your skin. I like to use it at night when your skin is already doing amazing things to regenerate itself. This serum features Raspberry Leaf which is a great source of natural polypeptides, flavonoids and niacin. Peptides and niacin are great anti-aging ingredients that help with stimulating the skin. This in turn helps with toning the skin as well. Lemon balm and peppermint will help to reduce inflammation and omega 3s provide easily absorbed moisture that will help to smooth the skin. 

I've been really loving this serum to give my skin a bit of a pick me up. I find it layers really well under my Olie Biologique Argan oil and my LBF Barbary Fig Seed Oil for a great night time treatment. I knew that I had been loving this serum when I traveled with it. And when I flew home and found that it had leaked all over my quart baggie I was totally bummed. Spills aside-  I've got about a 1/4 left in this bottle and am already thinking about repurchasing it when I run out. 

Morning Glory serum is 1 oz and runs $48.

I received this product in my No More Dirty Looks Quarterly Box.

4.09.2013

Osmia Organics


Osmia Organics has been on my wish list for sometime now. Both Britanie and Kimberly love the spot treatment and I was in serious need of one. So I decided to take the plunge and order it. And why order only one item when they all sound so lovely. I ended up picking up the Spot Treatment, Rose Clay Facial Soap and the Oh So Soap. Sarah (the founder) was sweet enough to throw in a few treats for me to try as well. 

The Spot Treatment has become a staple product for me. It's potent mix of essential oils in an evening primrose base that helps to fight bacteria without over drying your skin. My favorite part is that it includes Thyme essential oil. This has been recently shown to be more effective than traditional acne treatments! Win for team natural! 

While I'm not really crazy about body soaps in general I decided to try Sarah's super simple Oh So Soap. This soap has no added essential oils or colorings making it a great choice for my sensitive skin. It's a blend of olive oil and mango butter which sounded divine! Oh So Soap has totally changed my view of body soap. It never leaves my skin feeling stripped or dry. I love it and so does my other half so I think we'll be buying more in the future. And that could be a while as this bar is GIANT!

The Rose Clay Facial soap has been lovely as well. At first my esthetician genes were yelling at me "why did you buy a bar soap?!" But they got over it pretty quickly with this creamy bar. This removes every trace of makeup and has not once stung my eyes. I use this in the evening only and find that it doesn't dry my skin out. I did play around with twice a day but found that to be a bit much for my skin. 

I also received in my order the Honey-Myrrh Lip Repair* which I have been using at night to help keep my lips in good condition. It's a thick very emollient lip treatment that feels like it's really protecting the lips. The other items I received were the Ylang Spring* soap which if it's anything like the Oh So Soap I'll surely love it and Trusque* a lovely lavender and plant-based musk scent. Trusque is a warm and cozy scent that makes me think of snuggly knits and toasty fires. 

I think that this was a great first order from Osmia Organics. I'm already hooked and planning a repurchase of the Oh So Soap and I'd really like to try some of the other skincare. 

Have you tried Osmia Organics? What's your favorite?


*These products and samples were provided to me by Osmia Organics. All opinions are my own.

4.02.2013

Spring Day Makeup


One of my favorite things about spring is the bright tones for makeup. Bright lips, bright cheeks, bright liner- I love it all. This look is a classic for me as it's easy to do in the morning and makes me feel like I'm put together. 
Which is good because at 7 a.m. all I really want is coffee. 


These are what I've been using to achieve the look at the top. 

Silk Naturals Eu-taupe-ia - I use this for just some subtle definition in my socket. This is the perfect shade for contouring my eyes. 

Jane Iredale Aqua Silk - This is technically a cream shadow but who needs rules! I use this on a fine liner brush and apply to coats to achieve the color in the photo. 

Tarte Gifted Mascara - Current mascara love. Such a nice deep black and long lasting formula.

Sula Beauty It's Not Me, It's You - This is a great warm pink blush that adds a little life back into your skin after a long winter.

Burt's Bees Blush Lip Shine - The perfect hint of color to the lips. Sometimes I pair this with the Jane Iredale Pink lip pencil to add more pop. 


Swatches L to R
Aqua Silk, Blush Lip Shine, Sula Cheek Tint, Eu-taupe-ia


What's been your favorite look for spring?
Any favorite bright eyeliners?




3.26.2013

La Bella Figura Daily Elements Defense Face Oil



If you haven't noticed already by my posts or my twitter feed; I have a serious love affair with La Bella Figura. Victoria and Karen are pretty much skincare magicians as far as I am concerned. Everything (and I mean everything) I have tried from them is pretty much golden. The reason being is that not only are their products elegant and feel good, but they are effective and have loads of science behind their ingredient choices. Just check out their blog. You can tell these ladies love some science. And from one science geek to another I totally appreciate that. 

The newest addition to the LBF family is the Daily Elements Defense Face Oil. This face oil features a great new antioxidant - Sacha Inichi oil. Antioxidants in skincare are excellent defenders. They help to protect your skin from free radicals caused by environmental exposure. Free radicals can cause all sorts of nasty cellular damage leading to collagen and elastin loss. Not to mention fine lines, wrinkles and age spots! Ick! 

By using a serum that contains an antioxidant in your morning routine you'll help to protect your skin from future damage. Plus vitamin A and E are wonderful to help repair any damage that's already been done. They help with circulation and cell turnover which leaves you with a radiant complexion. Who doesn't love ingredients that do that?!

You can find this serum over at La Bella Figura. It runs $95 USD. Which is yes pricier than other things out there but the wealth of science and knowledge that goes into each product as well as the best sourced ingredients totally makes it worth it to me. 


*I was kindly gifted this serum by the lovely ladies at La Bella Figura. All opinions on this product are very much my own and I would totally repurchase this!*




3.25.2013

Products I'd Repurchase - A Green Beauty Collab!



I'm doing a Green Beauty Collab with some other lovely vloggers and bloggers. Brianna from iluvjesse444 started this idea and will have the master list over on her site. 
 I love this idea because it's different than an empties video. It's all the stuff I'd really go back out and buy. As well as some things I just plain can't live without. Surprisingly enough I don't have a blush in this mix. I guess since they discontinued my old standby I haven't found the HG blush to win my heart againI hope you enjoy finding out some of my favorites as well as products I'd continue to repurchase.

Link to the Master List






Products Featured:

Amazing Base, Liquid Minerals, and Bitty Brow Kit 

Joy LipSurgence and Gifted Mascara

Lip Conditioner in Bang Bang

"un" cover-up in 11

Solar Protective Moisturizer SPF 30+

Cold Pressed Barbary Fig Seed Oil, Daily Elements Defense Oil*, and La Curacio

Organic Argan Oil

Spot Treatment




All products except those denoted by an * were purchased by me.
Products denoted by an * were gifted. 
I am not paid for my opinion and only review honestly. 
I will only recommend products that I LOVE. 

3.17.2013

Burt's Bees Lip Shines Video Review!






So here's my first ever video appearance. 
I'm reviewing my new favorite lip gloss from Burt's Bees. 
If you like it I'll try another one again soon. 

=)
Alexis

3.06.2013

DeVita Solar Protective Moisturizer SPF 30+


I love finding new sunscreens! I'm a bit obsessive about my sun protection being so fair and having burnt so often as a kid. After I trained as an Esthetician I really started to realize the importance of finding a good full spectrum sunscreen that I could use daily. It even kicked in further as I learned of more and more cases of skin cancer with younger people. So I do my best to protect my skin as well as making sure friends, family and anyone who will listen (and sometimes the ones who won't) about sunscreen. I found out about this SPF from a few of my favorite green beauty bloggers. 

This DeVita Solar Protective Moisturizer SPF 30 is the latest and greatest in natural sun protection as far as I am concerned. Most natural SPFs are thick, chalky and generally not cosmetically elegant. No one wants to put something on their face that feels like paste. DeVita's SPF is pretty much the opposite of thick and chalky. It's smooth and easily absorbed. Hyaluronic Acid and glycerin make this a light hydrating SPF that can be used daily. It also rates a 1 on the EWG Skin Deep site.  I've been loving it so much that I'm thinking about getting their body formulation. So that once arms and legs are exposed here in a few months I can protect those too. 

Here's the ingredients!
NO NANO TECHNOLOGY! (average particle size is 240 nm).
ACTIVE INGREDIENT: Zinc oxide 19%. INACTIVE INGREDIENTS: Aloe barbadensis (certified organic aloe vera gel), Purified Water (aqua), Capric/caprylic triglycerides (derived from coconut oil), Glycerin (vegetable), Hyaluronic acid (vegan source), Glyceryl stearate SE (derived from vegetable oil), Stearic acid, Lecithin phospholipid, Tocopherol (vitamin E), Allantoin, Vitis vinifera (grape) seed extract. 

Do you use an SPF daily? What's your favorite one? 

This product runs $25.95. 
Product purchased by me. All opinions are my own. 

3.03.2013

Sensational Sunday!



Green Beauty Blog Highlights Week Four!

Pemberly Jones finds a new favorite with Acure Organics Everyday Clarifying Shampoo & Conditioner

Beauty By Britanie shares some of her tips on the Power of Positive Thinking

kimberlyloc shows off her styling skills for the Kansas City Fashion Week Kickoff

Beauty Huile checks out the Know Your Ingredients Oil, Serum and Mask

iluvjesse444 teaches you How to Go Natural with Hand and Body Moisturizers

Eco Beauty Secrets tries a DIY Grapefruit Body Scrub

Pure Makeup gives us a Makeup Spending Plan Update

Naturally Blushed gets super soft with Weleda Citrus Refreshing Body Oil

Genuine Glow sees who's top in comparing highlighters RMS Beauty vs W3LL People

Sugarpuffish tells us what she's ran out of with her February Empties Video

Naturalla Beauty shares her latest discovery in her All Natural Face Haul

zenfemi gives a great mask recipe using Now Foods European Clay

True Beauty by Nature finds an eye cream that works with Mad Hippies Eye Cream


And coming up on my blog you'll see my favorite SPF and a lovely new serum. 

Have a great week everyone!!

Alexis

2.26.2013

La Bella Figura Bio Active Healing Mask




Feeling dry? I don't know many people lately who aren't. It's been a doozy of a winter for everyone's skin. For me I've been not only dry but also having the fun occasional breakout. When my skin is feeling parched and out of control I reach for this little gem of a mask. La Bella Figura's Bio Active Healing Mask is a  "regenerative and hydrating Bio Active Healing Mask is a curative treatment for dry, irritated and mature skin conditions." 
It's made with bio active Manuka Honey, a power ingredient known for it's unique enzyme and antibacterial properties. This ingredient not only helps to hydrate and heal but also is excellent for clearing up breakouts. They also have a Purifying mask for more oily/breakout prone skin. 
This mask has a ton of antioxidant properties as well as ingredients that help with cell turnover (a key to anti-aging). There's also the addition of turmeric and calendula that help to soothe the skin. Use this mask a couple times a month to help keep your skin in shape. 
My personal routine with it is to apply a lovely layer all over and let it sit between 15-30 minutes and then rinse it off. There is a bit of texture to the mask so you get a little exfoliation too. Which is okay by me as I like multi-tasking products. 

Now for the ingredients!
Ingredients: Organic Leptospermum Scoparium Mel 15+ (Raw Manuka Honey), Organic Aronia Melanocarpa (Organic Aronia Berry) Powder, Kaolin (Amazonian White Clay), Organic Opuntia Ficus Indica (Barbary Fig) Seed Oil, Organic Rosa Rubiginosa (Rosehip) Seed Oil, Organic Vanilla Planifolia Fruit (Vanilla) Seeds, Organic Jasminum Officinale (Jasmine) Petals, Organic Calendula Officinalis (Calendula) Extract, Organic Curcuma Longa (Turmeric Essential) Oil, Wild Crafted Jasminum Grandiflorum (Jasmine Essential) Oil, Wild Crafted Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed  Oil, Organic Non-GMO Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E) Oil

Seriously who wouldn't want to use this with an ingredient list like that? 

2.24.2013

Tarte Smooth Operator Finishing Powder



I keep trying to write this post but all I end up doing is singing Sade's "Smooth Operator" and dancing away from the computer. So I'm going to try to focus for a minute. 

I've been looking for a new setting powder since my beloved Jane Iredale one has been discontinued. After seeing favorable reviews across the web I decided to take the plunge and buy a container of Tarte's Smooth Operator.

 This powder it touted to be "A translucent, silky finishing powder with Amazonian clay that keeps makeup in place and diffuses imperfections." It's comprised of silica, kaolin, lecithin, lysophosphatidic acid, lysolecithin. The silica and kaolin give the powder a very silky feel on the skin. When I opened the container, unlike other mineral powders this product only has one sifter hole. I was pretty confused at first. But I found that you need just the tiniest amount to set your whole face. 

I can say that I really didn't love the feeling of this powder all over my face. Don't get me wrong it did a great job and my makeup didn't even think about moving but my face felt so silky that it was a little unnerving. I want my makeup to stay in place but I also want my face to feel like skin. 

So I've been using this on places where my makeup tends to slide. Under my eyes it's kind of amazing. Around the nose and chin - fantastic! Now if you are a more oily person than myself you may love this all over but it just wasn't for me. I'll keep using it as spot setting powder. I do think this could be amazing for brides or theater though. 
You get just over 9 grams of powder for $29 which feels like it will last ages. 

This product was purchased by me and all opinions are my own. 

2.17.2013

ecoTOOLS Naturally Beautiful Lash System


When I saw these floating about the internet I knew that the next time I went shopping I had to find them. Especially since they are by one of my favorite eco-friendly, super affordable brush companies. I found these lovely lashes at my local ULTA. 

ecoTOOLS has launched five varieties of their Naturally Beautiful Lash System. Each pair of lashes comes with a little bottle of adhesive as well as a dual-ended lash tool. I picked up two sets of the lashes that I thought I'd get the most use out of. 

'Soft & Dramatic' are a pair of lashes with a bit of va-voom! For me this is about as dramatic as I go. They add tons of volume and just a bit of length,  are a flared style. These will be my go-to lashes for a more dramatic night out. 

The 'Barely There' set is a nice soft flared set of lashes. They are very soft and wispy. When applied to the lashes it just gives them a bit more body and length on the outer edges. 

Both sets of lashes have a slightly thicker band but it's very flexible. If I were to have any type of critique on these lashes it's that I'd like a slightly thinner band. 


The adhesive is a nice formaldehyde-free and latex-free formula. So it's great for ladies who tend to get sensitive while wearing standard lash glue. It has a nice grip to it which makes the lashes easy to apply. This formula dries clear so you don't have to fuss too much with disguising adhesive after application. 

All in all I think these lashes are a great addition to the ecoTOOLS line of products. The lashes are great to work with and I'd seriously pick them up for use on clients. They're not badly priced either at $6 USD but I'm sure you could find them on sale. 

Check out close-up photos of the lashes below!




These lashes were purchased by me and all opinions are my own. 

2.14.2013

Cream Blushes




Cream blushes have to be one of my favorite makeup things aside from lip products. I love a good pigmented cream blush. I love the way they meld with skin to look like a natural flush, or can be built up to have some amazing impact. I also think that they're multi-purpose and can be used on cheeks and lips. Who doesn't love a multi-tasking beauty product? 

These are just a few of my favorites that I've been loving this winter. 
Left and Middle - Vapour Organic Beauty Aura Multi-Use Blushes in Torch (fuchsia) and Torch (warm coral)
Very Right - Sula Beauty Lip and Cheek Tint in It's Not Me, It's You (warm Pink)
Bottom- Jane Iredale Cream Blush in Clarity (cooler pink)

Do you have a favorite cream blush that I should try? 

2.09.2013

Sensational Saturday #3






Green Beauty Blog Highlights Week Three!




My apologies if you're looking for week #2. It unfortunately went rogue in a too many tabs up incident and I couldn't recover it. Here's to better housekeeping. 
Anyways, on to why you're really here- the blogs!


Pemberly Jones takes a peek inside this month's racy Goodebox.

Beauty By Britanie looks lovely in Emerald Eyes and Feather Earrings

kimberlyloc gives the beauty scoop on Stark Skincare Cypress Purity + Defense Oil.

Beauty Huile finds the perfect shade of lip & cheek balm with Isa Restoratives Lilac Rouge.

iluvjesse444 sees who holds up best in her Cream Shadow Showdown.

Eco Beauty Secrets tells us what she'd repurchase out of her Empties.

pure makeup has great tips on how to Reduce Your Use.

Naturally Blushed gets refreshed with Thayer's Lemon Witch Hazel.

Genuine Glow shares Makeup Highlights of 2012.

Sugarpuffish discovers a new skincare line with Sweet Cecily's Natural Skincare

Naturalla divulges her hair secrets with her Haircare Routine

zenfemi finds a natural flush with Vapour Blushes

 True Beauty By Nature gets deep with Ilia Beauty's Lipstick in Ink Pot.



Enjoy and have an amazing weekend!

1.29.2013

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tars




So I picked these little guys up at my local Sephora this winter after having stared at them on the internet for what feels like years. Every major "makeup guru" on youtube seems to think that they're pretty much the best thing ever. 
They are what I would consider "naturalish". Meaning while there area some questionable ingredients (mainly being some of the pigments) they're are better than something like MAC in my opinion. 

Pros: Totally pigmented like no other. Each of the ones I bought are pretty  opaque on contact. You can make them sheerer by applying over a heavy layer of lip balm. They're also great matte color. Which I love but not everyone may like. Also a tiny little bit goes along way. That means more bang for your buck, and who doesn't like that?

Cons: Because they are matte they can be drying on sensitive lips. So lip balm first! Also they do have some D&C ad FD&C dyes so use at your own discretion. 

I like to layer on lip balm while I'm doing the rest of my face and then dab off the excess and apply one of these. They are so great for going out as they last very well through drinking and eating. 

Have you tried these before? What's your favorite color?

1.23.2013

No More Dirty Looks Quarterly Box


I totally should be putting up other posts before this but I'm so excited about my No More Dirty Looks box! I got this lovely surprise in the mail about 2 weeks ago. I was super pleased to find inside some brands that I've been anxious to try. W3LL people and One Love Organics have been on my radar for a little while now but I could never settle on just one to try. 
So a little about the NMDL box. It's through a company called Quarterly Co. The boxes ship out every 3 months and run $25. Yes a little more expensive than the monthly boxes that are out there but I feel I really got a great deal with the products I received. 
I got:
One Love Organics Morning Glory - 15ml (retails at $29)
One Love Organics Brand New Day - Sample
W3LL People Universalist 2 - 3.4g (retails at $33)
Korean Akasuri Sponge

The only thing I've not tried yet is the OLO Brand New Day scrub but it's on the list.
The W3LL People Universalist was one of the first things I was excited about. It's got a great pearl color that leans a bit on the more golden side. Not near as cool as the RMS living luminizer. It's also not as sticky in texture as the RMS thanks to having some silica in it. It wears great and applies beautifully. For me I find it's very natural and would totally recommend it to a friend. 

If you love body exfoliation you'll love the Akasuri sponge. It's not really a sponge though, more of a long scrubby cloth. It's great for polishing away dry winter skin. Just be careful, too much pressure will leave you a little rosy. 
I'm still trying out the OLO Morning Glory for another couple weeks. Right now though? Kind of loving it. 

I can't wait for my next box to come as I've really loved the products. I also feel I got a great deal with the price of the box.  Check back for a full review of OLO Morning Glory as well as swatches of the W3LL People Universalist. 


No More Dirty Looks at Quarterly Co. is a subscription box service and was paid for by me.