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. 

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. 

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? 

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!

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?

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.

Thursday Thoughts

Ever have one of those days where your complexion just feels off? 

Today is one of those days. No matter what I've applied it just feels off. 

So I'm asking what is your favorite thing to make your skin and complexion feel at its best? Is it a serum, a makeup product, a tea? 

Tell me your secrets.