Juice Beauty Organics To Go

According to Juice Beauty, our skin absorbs up to 64% of what we put on it. That's why Juice Beauty is completely Chemically Independent (i.e. no pesticides, parabens, petroleum or propylene glycol derivatives, no harsh surfactants or sulfates, no artificial colors, phthalates or synthetic fragrances). Organics To Go is a sampler kit containing: Cleansing Milk, Antioxidant Serum, Hydrating Mist, Oil-Free Moisturizer, and Sensitive Green Apple Peel. It also comes with a cute little washcloth mitt made of organic sustainable bamboo. The sizes of the products are large enough and contain enough product for you to actually see results before you have to buy the full size, and yet are very travel friendly and completely TSA-approved. This is a perfect way to try Juice Beauty and a great value at only $29! I picked mine up at Sephora, and if you are a beauty product junkie like me that makes it an easier transition than seeking out a new health food store. ;-)

Cleansing Milk
Generally I prefer a foaming cleanser (something about the foam makes me think it's cleaning better--I know, I know...) but this one is fantastic. It smells like apples. And not the fake Jolly Rancher or appletini "green apple"...I'm talking like if you just put your nose into a bushel of just-picked ripe apples on the farm. Yes, like that. It takes a little getting used to, but I love the freshness of it now. The Cleansing Milk removes makeup (most of the time...a couple of times I've had to wash my face twice) including eye makeup (didn't have to even use eye makeup remover--wow). It leaves my skin feeling hydrated, not stripped. It is very mild and gentle. The first ingredients are the juices of organic white grapes, red raspberries, and aloe.

Antioxidant Serum
The Antioxidant Serum has DMAE (for firming, tightening, and wrinkle reduction), alpha lipoic acid (antioxidant), and peptides (anti-wrinkle) with the first few ingredients being the juices of organic white grapes, oranges, and aloe. Definitely some proven age-fighters in this one! I really like this stuff, with one caveat: it's sticky. I mean, check out the ingredients--fruit juices and aloe. Of COURSE it's sticky! Duh! The first couple of nights I noticed it because I stuck to my pillowcase, and I was like, "oh this can't happen this is ridiculous" but then maybe I got used to it or just didn't use as much and now I think I'd purchase the full size. I guess the benefit of having a generous amount of product is that you can get over your initial misgivings. ;-) That said, you will run out of Antioxidant Serum way before any of the other products in the kit.

Hydrating Mist
Ah, toner. I wonder what you are for. Generally I mean, not necessarily in this kit, because I really like this toner. You can spray it directly on your face instead of using a cotton ball, which is really earth-friendly of your clean and toned little self. Again with the grape juice and aloe as the base ingredients, with added vitamins E, A, and C to hydrate and balance. I love having vitamins in my products as they are proven age-fighters. I didn't like the spray application at first...I think I was kinda ball shy...like I wanted to duck or at the very least flinch at all that flying at my face. But again there was enough product thankfully for me to overcome my apparent latent dodge ball anxiety and now I like the spray. And it's refreshing!

Oil-free Moisturizer
LOVE. Finally a lightweight, Chemically Independent moisturizer that is oil-free and WORKS. If you are just starting to venture into natural skincare, the thought of oils in your moisturizer might scare you into sticking with your old chemical cesspool standby. If you are this person, try Juice Beauty's Oil-free Moisturizer! The first ingredients are the juices of organic apples, white grapes, pomegranates, and aloe. There are also added vitamins A, B5, E, and C. It's lightweight but still moisturizing enough for my normal/combination skin (even in the winter). It's slightly sticky (see Antioxidant Serum above) but I really don't notice it. My only complaint is there isn't a drop of sun protection, and I like for my moisturizer to have sun protection to prevent premature aging and sunburn. BUT Juice Beauty does offer moisturizer with SPF 30 in three options: non-tinted, tinted light, and tinted medium. So I'm going to have to try that.

Sensitive Green Apple Peel
This is a hydroxy acid peel made from organic apple, lemon, and grape juices and raw cane sugar. I made a similar peel at home using these ingredients from a recipe in Gorgeously Green. The Juice Beauty version is thicker and more of a mask while the home version was a liquid toner consistency. I prefer the Juice Beauty version for the scent and it also keeps longer. Leave this peel on for up to 10 minutes and rinse (use once a week). It turned my skin red and I didn't notice much of a difference in my skin afterwards (perhaps because I use a scrub regularly). Generally I like the way peels make my skin feel but the glycolic acid and salicylic acid ones are too harsh for my skin. This is definitely one to try if you are in the same boat, but I don't feel like it really made a big difference.

So overall, I really love Juice Beauty Organics To Go. It's a great value and great for trying out the line or traveling. It smells great (very fresh, but may take some getting used to), it works well, and it has some great ingredients. I've noticed that my skin looks more luminous since I've been using it. Not oily or shiny at all, just a healthy youthful glow. And even as I've tried out other products in between, I keep going back to Juice Beauty when I know I really want something to work. How's that for some "juicy" details??? ;-)

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Juice Beauty SPF Tinted Lip Moisturizers

Juice Beauty is a Chemically Independent company specializing in organic skincare. They are easy to find in the natural section at Sephora, which means you can test out the products before you buy. Yay for Sephora!

Juice Beauty's SPF Tinted Lip Moisturizers is a 3-pack of mineral-tinted lip balm with SPF 8. My 3-pack contained one clear lip balm and 2 cool pinks. "Joyful" is a pale bubble gum pink with shimmer that very unfortunately looks like something from the 80s. Seriously, back in the frosted hair and acid-washed jeans days. "Playful" is a sheer mauve with shimmer. They all smell/taste terrible though IMHO...perhaps a combination of the SPF and the rest of the ingredients? I love the idea of having a tinted lip balm with SPF--it's perfect really. Sun protection, smooth lips, and a little color. But I think we can do better than this.

Foundation Shade Comparison

We all know how difficult it can be to find the perfect foundation/concealer shade for your skintone. It can be even harder with Chemically Independent cosmetics because many are only available online, so you can't try it at the store before you buy. So I've attempted to take a picture of some of my recent foundation/concealer reviews sampled next to each other so you can see the differences among them. This picture was taken indoors with only natural light coming through a window. 1. Suki Liquid Formula Concealer in Flax 2. NVEY ECO Organic Moisturizing Liquid Foundation in 513. 3. Zuzu Luxe Oil-Free Liquid Foundation in L-03. 4. Zosimos Botanicals Concealer Stick in Beige Linen. 5. 100% Pure Tinted Moisturizer in White Peach (light). Hopefully this will help guide those of you with light/cool skintones. :-)

100% Pure Tinted Moisturizer

100% Pure is the only cosmetics line that uses fruit pigments instead of minerals or synthetic colors. Since the pigments of fruit contain all the good for you antioxidants, seems like a great idea! And fun! Something different! You can buy 100% Pure body wash, lotion, and scrubs online or at a few stores like Ulta and The Limited, but most of the cosmetics can only be found on QVC. There are lots of cute, fun palettes and combos to try, too. 100% Pure is completely Chemically Independent, with ingredient lists reading more like organic recipes than skincare/cosmetics. Their image is young and fun, so step aside boring product lines!

I purchased the Tinted Moisturizer in White Peach from QVC.com. It comes in 3 shades, all of which are medium shades, but White Peach is the lightest. It is definitely on the darker side for my fair skin and I can only wear it in the summer or when I'm wearing sunless tanner. The consistency is much like light coverage foundation, and you can apply it to achieve sheer to light coverage. It is blendable, but you have to watch it near the hairline. It has SPF 20 UVA & UVB sun protection. It's not moisturizing enough for my combination skin to use alone (without another moisturizer) in the winter, but probably would be in the summer. I think this would be great for the summer, but I'm not sure it'll last that long...the bottle says to use within 6 months of opening. There's so much product though that you'd never use it all within 6 months! For tinted moisturizer this is one of the best I've tried, but there needs to be additional shades to choose from--just one shade lighter would be perfect for me.

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Why are Chemically Independent products so boring???

Ready for a blog-worthy mini-rant?
OK so my main beef with Chemically Independent products is that they are B-O-R-I-N-G. I love all the marketing that goes into products by Bliss, Benefit, Smashbox, etc. They are FUN! My second complaint is that there isn't as big of a selection. For example: foundation that comes in only 2 colors. YEAH, like THAT's gonna work. Third, the products (mostly) do not work as well as their chemical cesspool counterparts, and let's face it, that's the most important thing of all. We need FUN cosmetics that WORK and aren't going to give us cancer. Is that too much to ask???

Zosimos Botanicals Concealer Stick

I received a sample of Zosimos Botanicals Concealer Stick with a purchase from The Nature of Beauty. Zosimos Botanicals is a fantastic small company that is totally Chemically Independent and eco-conscious. The concealers come in the same colors as their foundations, which makes it easy to either match the shade to your foundation, or go one shade lighter for your concealer. They come in stick form like chapstick, which seems like it would be very convenient, but the consistency is a little too hard. To apply you have to push relatively hard, which ends up pulling your skin in the delicate eye area, which everyone knows is a big no-no for preventing wrinkles. Even using a finger to collect the concealer and then applying it that way made for a lot of tugging. It's not very easy to blend because of the consistency. However, it does cover red areas and using a slightly lighter color than your foundation brightens the eye area well. There is no clumping in fine lines. Perhaps using a concealer brush would work better, but then that negates the handiness of the stick.

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NVEY ECO Organic Moisturizing Liquid Foundation

I received a sample of NVEY ECO Organic Moisturizing Liquid Foundation from The Nature of Beauty. I'm still (and always) on the lookout for the perfect liquid foundation. NVEY ECO Organic Moisturizing Liquid Foundation is definitely for dry skin. Most liquid foundations have a pretty liquid consistency, but this one is very creamy. I have shade 513 (light with pink undertones), which is very light for fair skin. It matches if I am not wearing sunless tanner, but is still a little on the light side, so try this shade if you have very porcelain skin. I like for my foundation to even out my skin tone and cover red areas, which this foundation does not do well. I put it on and it seems to disappear (more like a creamy tinted moisturizer). It does not settle in fine lines though, so might be good for mature skin. Unfortunately, it's just not for me!

Suki Intensive Brightening Cream

After trying Suki's Balancing Mini Skin Care Kit, I decided that perhaps some of the products from her Nourishing Mini Skin Care Kit might be a better fit. So I tried a sample of Moisture-Rich Cleansing Lotion and a sample of Intensive Brightening Cream (get a 10-pack Suki sampler for $10 here).

Intensive Brightening Cream has the age-defying ingredients vitamin C and natural collagen. From the website: "Use this super-rich, ultimate daily moisturizer to even, brighten, richly de-puff & protect. Professional grade blend of antioxidants, polypeptides, natural collagen & skin brighteners deeply penetrates into skin cell layers to help increase luminosity, prevent free-radical damage, retexturize skin’s surface & stimulate collagen production." I'll take it! It's never too early to prevent aging--most women report seeing the first signs of aging around their eyes before age 30. So if you're in your mid-20s, prevent now! If you are over 30, you really need these age fighters.

This light moisturizer smells like roses (kind of old lady-ish...sorry Suki!) but is not so fragrant that it's off-putting. It does everything you'd expect a moisturizer to do, but since I only had a sample packet I can't comment on the longer use effects that the website claims. I love that you can use this as an eye cream too--simplifies my routine. This is definitely something to try if you want a moisturizer with anti-aging benefits, but I wish it had sun protection in it to prevent further sun damage from UVA and UVB rays.

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Suki Moisture-Rich Cleansing Lotion

I'm still glowing. Is it because of the Moisture-Rich Cleansing Lotion, or because I just found out that Suki is reading my blog? HA!

After discovering Suki's Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser, I was on the lookout for an equally awesome cleanser without the exfoliation to alternate it with. So I ordered a 10-pack sampler of Suki products and chose the Moisture-Rich Cleansing Lotion as one of the samples. (If you do this, I'd recommend ordering more than one, since there is only one application in each packet--it will give you a few more tries to see if you like it.) This cleanser is mild, smells good, and removes makeup without stripping my skin. What more could I ask for?

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Suki Balancing Mini Skin Care Kit

Suki is a sophisticated line of skincare and cosmetics that uses only the purest ingredients. Suki's list of Chemically Independent and environmental ideals is mind-boggling, including cruelty-free, recycled materials, vegetable inks, glass instead of plastic, and no petrochemicals just to name a few. Having used several of her products now, my impression is that the products are very high quality using only the best ingredients and marketed toward a more mature audience. Marketing is not excessive, packaging is simple, and the products themselves are very unassuming. Depending on your style, you may find this refreshing or just boring. ;-)

Suki's Balancing Mini Skin Care Kit is a great way to try out her skincare products. She also offers a Nourishing Mini Skin Care Kit for maturing or dry skin. I like to mix a few of the products from each kit to customize my skincare regimen. Included in the Balancing Kit: Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser, Transformative Cleansing Clay, Concentrated Balancing Toner, Balancing Day Lotion, Pure Facial Moisture-Balancing, Velvet Moisturizing Cream, Delicate Hydrating Oil, and Butter Cream Healing Salve. I've already reviewed the Butter Cream Healing Salve here, but the others I'll go through individually. The products come in tiny glass vials (except the Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser which comes in a larger 1.0 fl. oz. glass jar and the Butter Cream Healing Slave which comes in a small packet). The glass vials are unique (so refreshing not to have plastic, really), but don't really contain enough product. You won't see any appreciable difference in your skin in the time that it takes you to use up the product, but you'll probably be able to decide whether you want to purchase a full size and give it a shot.

Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser
One word: YUMMY. If you love sugar scrubs, you will LOVE Suki's Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser. It smells like lemon drops! The instructions say to "add water if desired", but you won't get the foaming action unless you add water and it's really pretty rough if you don't add it. But it only takes a small amount of product plus water to create a great foaming, exfoliating cleanser! It also removes makeup pretty well. Now I myself am not a fan of sugar scrubs (due to the stickiness and mess around the cap from the sugar) but this stuff is fantastic. I wouldn't use it as a daily cleanser (although you could) but I'd use it a few times a week for exfoliating. If it came in a larger size I'd use it in the shower as an exfoliating body wash--the large sugar granules would be perfect for that. Buy a full size for $30!

Transformative Cleansing Clay
This product is targeted toward improving blemishes and purifying the pores. It's probably the most acne-solving product in the kit. I have combination skin and rarely breakout, and since it's winter I've been a little dry, so this product wasn't really for me. It can be used in 3 ways: cleanser, mask, or spot treatment. However, the instructions for cleanser state to smooth onto face and leave for 5 minutes before rinsing. I prefer for my cleanser to just go on, take off makeup and cleanse, and come right back off (who has time to leave it on for 5 minutes every time you wash your face?). And maybe I just didn't use enough of it (b/c it's in a tiny vial and I was trying to ration it?) but it didn't take off makeup too well. I think this would be better used as a mask (wash face first to get rid of makeup and then apply and leave on for 10-15 minutes). I tried this approach, but didn't really see a difference in my skin (but to be fair I only used it once or twice, and I didn't see a difference with another traditional clay mask from Esthederm that I purchased from a spa, so maybe clay isn't for me). I can't comment on the blemish spot treatment aspect, but seems like the white willow 15% active salicins and the antibacterial zinc would be great for acne.

Concentrated Balancing Toner
What is the purpose of toner? I never use toner anymore. Anyway, there isn't really enough product in this tiny vial to figure it out. There are maybe 2 applications. I can say that it is alcohol-free, so it doesn't have the burn, and it contains white willow 15% active salicins and vitamin C polypeptides to calm and soothe inflammation. Oh, and it smells good. But I'm not a toner girl. Give me a mild cleanser, a moisturizer/anti-aging serum/SPF-containing combo, a great eye cream, and an exfoliating cleanser to use a few times a week and I'm good.

Balancing Day Lotion
This moisturizing lotion contains white willow 15% active salicins and natural retinol to reduce inflammation, balance oil production, and moisturize. For me it isn't moisturizing enough, especially in the winter, so I'd leave this one to oily or acne-prone skin (which is mainly what it's for, so I don't know why I'm complaining). It smells like roses in a middle-aged anti-aging serum or grandma kind of way. A lot of Suki's products smell like roses, and I'm not a fan of rose or floral scents in general.

Pure Facial Moisture-Balancing
This one really threw me for a loop. It is pure plant oils, vitamin E, and essential oils. OIL for your face! WHAT?! Is anyone else confused about this? What about all the oil-free stuff we've been taught? I guess that applies to mineral oil or oils that are of lesser quality, because Pure Facial Moisture-Balancing is straight up oil. Apparently it actually balances oil production. Who knew? Needless to say, it took me a while to get over the shock and actually use this on my face. After the Balancing Day Lotion wasn't moisturizing enough for me I tried a little of this. I've found that it does the job of moisturizing my combination skin that's a little drier in the winter. I just use a TINY bit. This vial will last me forever--go figure. I won't be purchasing a full size though b/c I like my moisturizer to have sun protection in it.

Velvet Moisturizing Cream
This is a light hand and body lotion that smells WONDERFUL. I just said I normally don't like floral scents, but this one is fantastic. It also leaves my hands feeling extremely soft and smooth. If you are looking for something that isn't heavy and thick but still smells and works great, try this product. You can buy the full size for $27.

Delicate Hydrating Oil
This is a body oil. Has anyone ever used body oil? Again, I've always been taught that oil-free is the way to go, so the closest I've ever come to slathering myself with oil is suntanning oil and Avon Skin So Soft back in the day. Well, Delicate Hydrating Oil feels like that. Greasy and oily. The oil doesn't really sink into the skin the way a lotion does, so you're just shiny and greasy afterwards. The vile of oil was one total body application and smelled like rose oil but nuttier. Slick. Eeew. Well at least I learned I'm not an oil kind of girl.

Final thoughts: great ingredients in these products, but since it's winter and most of us tend to be a little drier this time of year, you might want to try the Nourishing Mini Skin Care Kit instead of this one. If you are a teenager, have oily skin, or you usually have a few blemishes, try this kit.

Zuzu Luxe Oil-Free Liquid Foundation

I received a sample of Zuzu Luxe Oil-Free Liquid Foundation in a shipment from The Nature of Beauty. Zuzu Luxe is a vegan cosmetics line. The Oil-Free Liquid Foundation comes in a range of 9 shades from L-03 to L-24. What? Exactly. There is no description of the colors, so I'll do my best to describe L-03, which is the shade I have. L-03 is the lightest shade available, and is perfect for my fair skin if I'm not wearing sunless tanner. It has cool undertones. The foundation has a great liquid texture, evens out my skin tone, and has a nice matte finish. I love that it's oil-free, since many Chemically Independent products contain plant essential oils. It is everything you'd expect from a traditional liquid foundation, with one exception: it dries quickly, making it a little difficult to blend. The ingredients list titanium dioxide, which makes me think it has some sun protection, but that is not advertised anywhere, so I'm not sure if it has SPF or not. Generally I'd recommend this product for those of you who don't like powdered mineral foundation or tinted moisturizer, since it's very similar to traditional liquid foundation and has a great matte finish.

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JASON Ester-C Ultra-C Eye Lift

JASON Ester-C Ultra-C Eye Lift is an eye gel with vitamins C & E, aloe vera gel, and rosehips. Claims from the box: brightens and lifts tired eyes, hydrates, and reduces the appearance of fine lines. This gel is a little sticky, presumably due to the aloe vera gel, and at first I didn't like that (I'm used to an eye cream, not an eye gel). However, after a couple of weeks of use I've come to appreciate the slight stickiness as it does seem to lift my eyes slightly and it doubles as an eyebrow gel to tame any wayward hairs. One thing I noticed immediately upon first use is that it seemed to make the skin under my eyes feel thinner, which kind of bothers me. I haven't noticed any dramatic changes in the few weeks I've been using it, but it does seem to have a lot of great ingredients so I will continue using at least until I finish this bottle. One big plus is that this is available at Ulta, so it's convenient!

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Zosimos Botanicals Eye Shadow Mineral Powder

Zosimos Botanicals is a small company that is completely Chemically Independent, cruelty free, and green (their plant is 100% wind powered!). Since they are really only available online, you can buy samples of nearly all of their products. I purchased 3 samples of their Eye Shadow Mineral Powder in the brown shades: Bronze, Natural Brown, and Branch. The samples are $2.00 each but you get a small zip-lock bag of product that lasts a long time--definitely long enough to decide whether you want to purchase the full size (and then some).

This eye shadow is AWESOME. It is highly pigmented, so a little goes a long way, and these colors are appropriate for either day or night depending on how much you apply. I really love the Bronze--it has a shimmer to it and makes my blue eyes pop. I have been using the Bronze or Natural Brown as an all over lid color with Branch for darker contrast color (it is a very dark brown). There is significant creasing after a few hours of wear, which I have noticed with other Chemically Independent eye shadows as well, so I'm starting to think there aren't any out there that are really long wearing. This would not deter me from buying the product though because it is in every other way fantastic.

Another great thing about Zosimos is that there are coordinating eye liner pencils and eye shadow sticks in the same colors. I'm definitely going to try the eye liner pencil in Branch. The eye shadow sticks are worth a look--I may have to try that next. Looks like a chubby crayon pencil for your eyes--seems like it would be a fast application.

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Honeybee Gardens Odorless Nail Polish Remover

Honeybee Gardens Odorless Nail Polish Remover really has no scent whatsoever. Woo hoo! No more being accosted by heavy fumes! I used this to remove my usual O.P.I. nail polish (as the Honeybee Gardens Nail Enamel just fell right off on its own--terrible). It was a little harder to remove the polish, especially at the edges, but the difference was barely noticeable. You can purchase a sample size for $2.99 to see if you like it.

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Honeybee Gardens WaterColors Nail Enamel

Ah, nail polish. My love. Back in the day I painted all 20 nails myself with multiple coats every week. For about 10 years. That’s a lot of toxic chemicals, girls! YES they are absorbed through your nails. I used to make jokes about how many brain cells I was killing with the fumes…sigh. Anyway, now I know better. I don’t usually paint my fingernails, but my toenails have to have some bright color on them or they just don’t look like my feet. Is anyone with me on this???

When I found that Honeybee Gardens had their WaterColors Nail Enamel in Manhattan on clearance for $1.99, I thought hey this would be a great time to try it. Their website states that they made a bad batch—it’s too thin, but once shaken it revs right back up to normal nail polish. So I was sucked in. WaterColors Nail Enamel comes with a full sheet of instructions—apply cuticle cream, use 2 coats, and let it dry overnight. I applied 2 coats, but the polish was seriously lacking shine, so I topped it off with a clear top coat of my usual brand. It was dry to the touch within the hour (took a little longer than my usual polish) and I let it dry overnight. After my shower in the morning I noticed the polish looked a little chipped, so I bent down with a fingernail to inspect, and lo and behold it WAS chipping! Then to my horror, I slid my fingernail underneath the polish and it slipped right off! The whole nail worth of polish! Just like peel-off polish! And toenail after toenail this happened. I had to completely re-do my pedicure with my trusty O.P.I. What a waste of time. Incidentally (as if it matters), the color was described as a “striking ruby red with real flecks of gold”, but it was more like dull redish brown. I wish I had thought to take a picture, but I was just so distraught by the whole experience I wasn’t in my right mind. ;-)

Honeybee Gardens PowderColors Eye Shadow

Although the Honeybee Gardens ShadowColors disaster was my first experience with Honeybee Gardens, their PowderColors Mineral Eye Shadow isn’t too bad. PowderColors are inexpensive ($4.99 ea) and stackable into little towers of crazy-colored powdered fun. You can purchase samples for only $0.50. I got samples of Passage to India (shimmery brown with red undertones) and Sedona (glittery bright gold). As far as colors go, these definitely don’t meet the requirements for daily staples, but Sedona is fun for evening. It’s definitely the most glittery eye shadow I’ve ever tried (I’m not into glitter, but love shimmer) and I didn’t like it at first, but it has grown on me. I think it would be especially spectacular on dark skin. Passage to India has too much of a red undertone in it (no one wants red eyes). I did notice creasing after an evening of wear. Fortunately, at these prices you really don’t have to take my word for it—go ahead and experiment yourself!

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Honeybee Gardens ShadowColors Eye Shadow

Honeybee Gardens isn’t totally Chemically Independent, but it looks like they are in the process of phasing out the nasties, so check the ingredients before you buy. They have their ShadowColors Eye Shadow on clearance for 75% off ($2.99) right now. I can only assume it’s because they are discontinuing this catastrophic attempt at liquid eye shadow.

I purchased ShadowColors Eye Shadow in Serengeti, a shimmery very dark copper color. The tube is like twist-up lip gloss (a la Stila Lip Glaze) and the applicator is a hard sponge tip. The lip gloss-like tube has the same flaws as when used for lip gloss—you twist and twist and nothing comes out and then all of a sudden a big glob of it squirts out. The applicator is impossible—you get a streaky application no matter how light you apply or at what angle you hold it. Even with fingers the application is blotchy and uneven, due to quick drying and zero blendability. The color is very dark (and applying it lighter is not an option—see blendability complaint), but would be pretty for a dramatic night look. This is not worth your $2.99, girls!

Tom’s of Maine Natural Antiplaque Tartar Control Plus Whitening Toothpaste

When it comes to my toothpaste I am very brand loyal. So when it came time to buy a new tube, I was hesitant to try something new. Since Tom’s of Maine is relatively easy to get at most drugstores and discount stores, I decided to take the plunge with Tom’s. Then I realized Tom’s of Maine makes about 14 different kinds of toothpaste! I landed on this one because it was listed as a frequently purchased item on drugstore.com, and it apparently takes care of plaque and tartar without fluoride and has an added whitening benefit. This one does have SLS in it, but Tom’s has formulations without SLS as well. (Next time I think I’ll try Natural Clean & Gentle Care SLS-free Antiplaque plus Whitening Fluoride-free Toothpaste—what a mouthful!)

I’ve tried Natural Antiplaque Tartar Control Plus Whitening Toothpaste in both Peppermint and Spearmint flavors; I prefer Spearmint since it tastes more like what I’m used to, but Peppermint is also good. This toothpaste seems to do the job—I have no complaints! Clean teeth, fresh breath, no unpleasant flavors. I haven’t noticed a whitening effect yet (after about 2 weeks of use) but I was using whitening toothpaste before as well as dentist-strength whitening trays, so I don’t expect to see a difference.

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Organic Wear Tinted Moisturizer

Since I’m still on the hunt for the perfect Chemically Independent foundation and my experience with Organic Wear Duo Eye Shadow went OK, I couldn’t resist picking this up at Ulta the other day. It was so convenient—easily obtainable from a store that I frequent (with coupons, no less)—a far cry from all the work that’s required to research and buy (samples first) online from relatively unknown small companies, paying for shipping, waiting 2 weeks, and then discovering that the shade is a.) not even close to what it appeared on my computer screen and b.) not right for my skin tone. So while I was definitely discouraged when Organic Wear Tinted Moisturizer also didn’t work for me, at least I am comforted by the fact that I can return it for a full refund just down the street. :-)

Organic Wear Tinted Moisturizer is a very thin product that has very sheer coverage and leaves you very shiny. I was looking for light (instead of sheer) coverage, and while I do not expect tinted moisturizer to leave a matte finish, I don’t want to be THAT shiny. To make matters worse, the shade was too light for me, so it just made me look sickly. Did you get that—I found a tinted moisturizer that is TOO LIGHT for my skin! Write it down! In a world of 2 foundation shade choices, Organic Wear actually has 4 to choose from, and the lightest (Ivory to Fair) is light enough for even the most porcelain complexion. So if you have flawless porcelain skin and don’t want a matte finish, try this one! If your skin falls into the more average range, keep looking, you can do better than this.

Organic Wear Duo Eye Shadow

Organic Wear is a new cosmetics line from Physicians Formula that is Chemically Independent. It is the first ECOCERT certified organic cosmetics line in the USA. Organic Wear is available at drugstores and discount stores everywhere, so it’s really easy to find. I found the Duo Eye Shadow for 40% off at drugstore.com, so I thought I’d give it a try.

I purchased Brown Eyes, which is a duo of shimmery cream/linen and light brown (much lighter than it appears in the package). The packaging isn’t anything to rave about, although I rather like the easy and fast magnetic closure. The pigments are light, so great for those of you who are getting tired of heavily pigmented mineral eye shadow. I’m not impressed with the light brown, but the shimmery cream/linen is a great brow highlighter. Just be sure not to put too much on (tempting, as I said the pigments are light), as it can get kind of fish-scaly. Definitely drugstore quality, but a good budget option for those of you who like minimal eye makeup.

Ecotools Bamboo Eye Shading Brush

Chemically Independent girls should take into consideration the environment when buying their beauty products, and that includes beauty tools. Ecotools is an environmentally responsible line that donates 1% of their annual profits to eco-friendly organizations. The Bamboo Eye Shading Brush is made of cruelty free synthetic taklon bristles and has a bamboo handle (bamboo is a highly sustainable plant). Even the ferrule is made of recycled aluminum. This is a flat brush with a rounded end and is perfect for applying eye shadow. It performs better than drugstore brand brushes, but at the drugstore price.

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Suki Pure Cream Stain Lip/Cheek

I just started using cream blush last year, as I was always afraid it would make my combination skin look too oily or greasy. I was wrong—cream blush is awesome! Two of my sample packets from Suki were cream blush that double as lipstick, and they look so natural. I received Suki Pure Cream Stain Lip/Cheek in Dahlia, a redish mauve with brown undertones, and Opal, a shimmery pink. If you have blue eyes you simply MUST buy Dahlia immediately! It really brings out the blue. I am now convinced that I should not be so complacent with my blush choices, because this stuff is awesome. Both colors blend very easily and just enhance your natural skin tone. Opal is great as a highlighter. When worn as lipstick it really needs a layer of lip balm underneath, as it’s not so moisturizing on lips, but what an easy way to match your lipstick to your blush! No guessing! I haven’t worn it as lipstick enough to fully evaluate color and staying power, but stay tuned as I definitely plan to purchase a full size of Dahlia!

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Suki Triple Cream Eye Definer

Next in my 10-pack sampler was Suki Triple Cream Eye Definer in Amber and Smoke. Triple Cream Eye Definer can be used as eye shadow, eye liner, or brow filler. It is very creamy and easy to apply using your fingers. Amber is a light beige with a slight shimmer (wouldn’t recommend for use as brow filler because of the shimmer). It’s beautiful as eye shadow as a brow bone highlighter. Smoke is named very appropriately, as the color looks exactly like smoke and can be applied anywhere from light grey to deep dark grey depending on how much you layer. As eye shadows, I am disappointed in this product. An hour and a half after applying I looked in the mirror and was surprised to see very obvious creasing. This happens no matter how much product you apply, so it’s really only useful in areas where creasing wouldn’t be an issue (like the brow bone). I honestly expected better performance from the product considering the Suki name and the price tag ($41.95 per color). I didn’t try them as eye liners after that because I knew I wouldn’t be purchasing them, and I prefer creamy pencil eye liners to pot eye liners anyway (faster application).

Suki Liquid Formula Concealer SPF

I chose this concealer in Flax as one of my 10 packets of fun from Suki. Flax is very light with cool undertones and matched my skin tone perfectly. It covers red easily and is great for evening out your skin tone if you use a sheer coverage tinted moisturizer. It would probably be great for blemishes too, although fortunately I haven’t had any to try it out! :-) It’s a little too thick for the under eye area—it tended to clump a little and exaggerate fine lines. I’d definitely recommend this for covering areas of redness though, as it has fantastic ingredients to nourish and treat your skin as it covers, plus SPF. I may try this as a tinted moisturizer by mixing with the Intensive Brightening Cream since the shade matches so much better with my skin tone, but I’ll need to order another packet as there isn’t very much product in these tiny things and I’ve already used it up. I don’t know if I would buy it to use in that way though, since it costs $41.95 for 0.5 fl. oz. and I’m not sure if it would last long enough for the price.

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Suki Tinted Active Moisturizer SPF

In the past I have preferred light coverage foundation to tinted moisturizer, as I have found that most tinted moisturizers do not cover redness nor do they even out skin tone. Furthermore, there is the rather annoying fact that most tinted moisturizers come in a very narrow range of shades. However, finding that neither powdered mineral foundation nor Liquid Minerals was for me, I decided to give it a try as a last resort. Suki’s products are of the highest quality and I had read good reviews, so I began there.

I don’t have a retailer near me where I could obtain a color consultation, and didn’t want to buy the full sized product not knowing if I would like it (Suki isn’t cheap). Fortunately, you can buy a 10-, 20-, or 30-pack of sample sized Suki products for about $1 a packet. I bought a 10-pack, including Suki Tinted Active Moisturizer in Natural.

Suki Tinted Active Moisturizer comes in 2 shades: Natural and Bronze. Natural is for medium skin tones (see pic, #1) and Bronze is for dark. This is what it looks like straight out of the pack. The instructions say to mix with any Suki moisturizer for lighter skin tones. I mixed this with Suki Intensive Brightening Cream in equal parts, and the color was still too dark (see pic, #2). So I added more moisturizer until it matched my skin tone, but at that point it had thinned out so much that there was absolutely no coverage (see pic, #3). Additionally, this tinted moisturizer has yellow undertones, so those of us with cool undertones will never match the correct color, no matter how much moisturizer we add. I added a dollop of my usual light coverage foundation (see pic, #4) for comparison; you can see that it is noticeably pinker than #3 (the tinted moisturizer mixed with lots of moisturizer).

So unfortunately the search for foundation is still on. I think this would be a great product for those of you with medium or dark skin, as it combines everything that makes a great tinted moisturizer: evens out skin tone, contains antioxidants and good things for your skin, doubles as a moisturizer but doesn’t appear shiny on application, and SPF. Definitely give this one a try for medium or dark skin tones. Suki—how about offering this in a lighter shade???

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Jane Iredale Eye Highlighter Pencil

Highlighter is one of the most underused and versatile cosmetics out there. Highlighter can be applied to cheeks, brow bones, inside corner of the eyes, and center of bottom lip to give a subtle shimmer and the appearance of youth. Jane Iredale’s Eye Highlighter Pencil is great because it has a subtle pink color on one end (great for cheeks and lips) and white (great for eyes) on the other end. The highlighter is creamy and shimmery without being glittery, and is easy to apply from the chubby pencil (comes with its own sharpener). This is a wonderful product, and can totally compete with other highlighters from traditional department store cosmetic lines. If you aren't using highligher, YOU SHOULD! And you should buy this one!

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Jane Iredale PurePressed Blush

On the list of important cosmetics, blush is not something that I obsess over. I believe blush should enhance your natural flush, and as long as it compliments my lipstick and isn’t too obvious I’m easy to please. I purchased PurePressed Blush in Cinnamon, which is a matte neutral red with slight brown undertones. It is very pigmented, and a little goes a long way on light skin. It goes great with the aforementioned PureMoist Lip Colour in Rachel and PureGloss in Rum Raisin. NOTE: at my makeup consultation, I tried Whisper, a soft baby pink with 24 karat gold flakes. I had read good reviews. It is my opinion that the gold flakes are way too sparkly for daytime (and possibly nighttime unless you are a 14 year old girl). I prefer a subtle shimmer to my blush and highlighter (see next post).

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Jane Iredale PureGloss

I am always on the lookout for the perfect lip gloss. To me, the perfect lip gloss should be Chemically Independent (of course), contain SPF, taste and smell great, and be packaged in a tube that minimizes mess. It should NOT be sticky, gooey, or slide right off. The color should be fairly pigmented and it should be available in a wide variety of colors. Jane Iredale’s PureGloss satisfies most of these criteria. I'm in love with the packaging--it's small, so definitely tuckable into a pocket for day or a clutch for evening. And this is what's so awesome--the tube is squeezable, but you apply with a sponge wand. What a combo! Application with the sponge wand is no mess, and the squeezable tube lets you get out every last bit of gloss. The color is perfectly pigmented (not too clear, not too bright) and it's not too sticky or gooey. It tingles a little when you put it on, and smells a little weird at first but that goes away immediately. It's not SUPER overly shiny, but it's definitely glossy. The color has a tendency to settle into the natural lip crevasses a little bit, but it hasn't really been an issue so far. I purchased Rum Raisin, which is a bronze color, and I can't wait to try another color!

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Jane Iredale PureMoist Lip Colour SPF 18

PureMoist Lip Colour is a lipstick with sun protection, and I love products with non-toxic sun protection. I generally prefer a tinted lip balm or lip gloss instead of lipstick, but lipstick is always essential for long lasting coverage. PureMoist Lip Colour is definitely long lasting, but is not as moisturizing as I expected from the name. I wear LipDrink underneath and then it’s fine. I purchased Rachel, a warm red/bronze color. It ranges anywhere from a hint of nude color on top of lip balm to a brighter warm red when applying layers. Goes great with PureGloss for lips in Rum Raisin and PurePressed Blush in Cinnamon.

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Jane Iredale LipDrink SPF 15

After the Liquid Minerals debacle, I was a little disappointed with Jane Iredale, but I was right in not letting that experience taint my view of the entire line. I’d like to announce that I’ve finally done it. I have found the PERFECT lip balm!!! Jane Iredale’s LipDrink is smooth, moisturizing, and enhances the natural color of my lips—all without petroleum products or other nasties. It has a very pleasant lemon scent that isn’t intrusive, and has edible zinc oxide for SPF 15. The pretty blue metallic tube makes LipDrink look more like a lipstick than a lip balm. This is quite possibly the best all around beauty product I’ve tried since my newfound interest in non-toxic products. I’d recommend it to anyone.

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Jane Iredale Liquid Minerals Foundation

Matching foundation is a tricky proposition, and I’ve found that many natural and organic lines are small and don’t have the variety of shades to choose from that conventional cosmetics do. However, Jane Iredale is different. Jane Iredale cosmetics have been around for many years, and are sold in many dermatologists offices because they are very gentle and contain no harsh chemicals, but perform as well as traditional department store cosmetics. The look is Estee Lauder-ish, with sophisticated gold-colored accents catering to a more mature clientele (not really my style, but whatever). I was drawn to Jane Iredale’s Liquid Minerals Foundation because I’ve found it difficult to find non-toxic liquid foundation. It seems that the choices are either powdered foundation (which I’ve already decided I don’t like) or tinted moisturizer.

Since it’s really difficult to choose a foundation color online, I decided to get a consultation at my local retailer (see website for locations). However, the cosmetician did not know her product (I actually knew more about it than she did) which made the process less than enjoyable.

Liquid Minerals is a unique delivery system which takes small pellets of powdered mineral foundation and mixes them with a clear liquid (“a gel of aloe vera, lavender flower water, and vegetable glycerin”) when you pump out the product. You then must mix the powdered foundation pellets with the clear liquid on the back of your hand, mashing the pellets into the liquid. Unfortunately, you can easily end up with a product that is not consistent in color or texture from pump to pump, which makes it harder to create a smooth, flawless canvas. After my “professional” application, I ended up with a swipe of a different color on my forehead and tiny crusty crumbs of powdered foundation that hadn’t mixed well enough scattered about. The coverage was heavier than I like (I’d call it medium to full coverage) and felt kind of masky. I had to go home and wash it off immediately. Suffice it to say I did not purchase any. However, if you don’t mind having to mix your product and you are looking for full coverage, give it a shot.

Alba Terra Tints Lip Balm SPF 18

This was an impulse buy near the checkout counter at Whole Foods. I am totally addicted to lip balms and glosses, and must have something on my lips at all times. Perhaps this is due to the petroleum products that are in most commercial lip balms—they tend to feel great on but actually dry out your lips so you need to use more and more. Before you know it you’re addicted! Alba Terra Tints Lip Balm doesn’t contain any petroleum products and feels slightly cool and pepperminty on my lips. I purchased the Garnet tint, which leaves my lips a warm neutral bronze color. I also love lip balms with SPF protection. However, you can definitely taste the SPF or something like a crayon in there somewhere. It also doesn’t feel as moisturizing, slick, and glossy as petroleum-based products. I will use this up, but probably not re-purchase due to the crayon taste.

EO Hand Sanitizer

Alcohol-based hand sanitizer isn’t something that I suspected would be bad for me. It’s supposed to be GOOD for me! It’s supposed to kill germs and keep me healthy! While it does kill germs, there are other ingredients in some hand sanitizers that aren’t so great, like triclosan, propylene glycol, and artificial fragrances. EO Hand Sanitizer is made with organic alcohol and leaves out those nasty chemicals. I bought the unscented version, and it does the job without any artificial fragrances. It also doesn’t dry out my hands like some alcohol-based hand sanitizers. You will certainly pay for the privilege though--$9 for an 8oz. bottle! Considering I usually get my hand sanitizer at the dollar store that is a little much for me. Can anyone recommend a non-toxic hand sanitizer that is a little less expensive?

Burt's Bees Honey Lip Balm

I can't say too much about the effectiveness of this product because I couldn't stand to leave it on for any length of time--the smell was terrible. It has a honey scent, which apparently doesn't agree with me, and since my lips are right under my nose that was a huge issue. This is one of the very few products I have ever tried (organic or not) that has ended up right in the trash after only the 2nd try.

Chemical Confessional

OK girls. I know you are all trying to be natural, organic, and non-toxic with your beauty products, but sometimes there is just a certain body butter or mascara that you can't do without. Am I right? For these beauty faves, a Chemically Independent girl just has to make a few exceptions. The Chemical Confessional is where you can confess these toxic tendencies and admit you are only human. And I'm not talking about using up a product before moving on to something less toxic--I'm talking about full on, all out, purposeful purchase and use of a product containing tons of toxicity. Here's mine: I got a spray tan this week for a special event. Eeew talk about inhaling who knows how many chemicals, not to mention absorbing them from head to toe. But it looked awesome, and the pictures are flawless (thanks, Rebecca!). I'm not sure that I can give up the occasional spray tan, but since I only do it a few times a year, it's not so bad, right? So...what's your Chemical Confession???

Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer

And now on to a brand that everyone is familiar with: Burt's Bees. I first tried Burt's Bees before my foray into green beauty simply because it was EVERYWHERE I looked. And with good reason, as so far the products I've tried have been good quality and reasonably priced. Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer is a peppermint lip balm that feels nice and tingly on my lips and goes on smooth. It keeps my lips moisturized and stays on for several hours. It is easy to apply from the thin twist up tube and portable enough to keep in my pocket. The packaging states that Lip Shimmers give "a hint of luminescent color", but I've found that they are much more pigmented than that statement would lead you to believe. Therefore, you can use them in place of your usual lipstick, which is great as long as you like the color. However, I think the colors need some work. Champagne is an atrocious white shimmer that doesn't even look good when applied over another color. Merlot isn't a deep wine, but a bright fuchsia. I do like Watermelon, but think it's named completely wrong since I would expect a sheer red, not a pink with purple tones. I also like Rhubarb, a brighter pink for when I want more color. It should be said though that I don't generally like a lot of color on my lips and tend to opt for lip gloss and tinted lip balm instead of lipstick. If you decide to try Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer, you won't have a problem finding it as it's sold practically everywhere--you can even get it at Wal-Mart!

Pangea Organics Bar Soap: Pyrenees Lavender With Cardamom

This is the matching bar soap to the aforementioned lotion and shower gel. One cool thing about it is that the packaging is totally recyclable--you just plant it, and the embedded seeds grow into pretty flowers! For the holiday season the boxes are made with spruce seeds. This soap is great and doesn't have a crazy amount of branches and dried flowers inside like some natural soaps. However, at $8 a bar, I think I'll just stick with my usual bar soap (Dove Sensitive Skin) since it only ranks a 3 on Skin Deep.

Pangea Organics Hand & Body Lotion: Pyrenees Lavender With Cardamom

This is the accompanying lotion to the shower gel that I love (see previous post). It smells great, but isn't very moisturizing. It's rather thin and has kind of a greasy or liquid feel. I'm not sure if this is a common thing among non-toxic lotions, but I prefer something a little thicker and more moisturizing. Get the shower gel, but keep looking for a better lotion!

Pangea Organics Shower Gel: Pyrenees Lavender With Cardamom

I received this as a gift before I knew anything about green beauty (thanks Amanda!). Pangea Organics is a great company out of Colorado. From the bottle: "ALWAYS: nurturing, handcrafted, organic, fair trade (whenever possible), cruelty-free. NEVER: petroleum, sulfates or detergents, synthetic preservatives, artificial colors or fragrances, GMOs." Sounds great, right?

This shower gel smells fantastic (love lavender) and lasts FOREVER. It is recommended for "thirsty to balanced skin", although I don't think it's particularly moisturizing. One little problem I ran across is that the bottle tends to get clogged so I have to unscrew the flip top to pour it out. Kind of annoying, but still a great product. It's pretty widely available--I've seen it at Trade Secret, drugstore.com, and Cost Plus World Market (you can also buy directly from their website). Availability and convenience is a huge plus! I was sniffing the bottles at World Market the other day and there is also a pine scent that seems promising.

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Lavera FACES Calendula One Week Starter Set

Lavera products have expiration dates, which I guess is because they don't use parabens and other preservatives. Lucky for us this means that they have a large clearance section of products that are about to go out of date. You can get really good deals on many of their products if it's something you plan on using right away. I got the FACES Calendula One Week Starter Set for $2.97 (regularly $9.90).

The set came with a cleansing gel, balancing cream, and exfoliating face wash in trial/travel sizes. The Calendula line is for combination skin, and the cleansing gel seemed to do the job. However, the SMELL was too much to bear. It has a very strong scent. I've never had calendula in my beauty products before, having never ventured into organic and natural products, but I think I just hate that scent. But even if you liked calendula, you'd have to REALLY like it to put up with how much this stuff stinks. Whew! Anyway, the balancing cream left my face looking quite shiny/oily and the exfoliating face wash had shards of olive pits in them that I knew would tear my skin, so the whole lot went in the trash. It is VERY seldom that I just throw something away, but this was that bad.

Lavera Silky Shimmer Lotion

I bought Lavera's Silky Shimmer Lotion on a whim to help reach my free shipping threshold when I bought the sunless tanner. It is a moisturizer with barely noticeable gold glitter in it. You really can't see the glitter unless you look for it, so if you're looking for something more obvious, keep looking. It is very moisturizing, much like the sunless tanner, but has a more prominent scent that I don't really care for. Since the shimmer isn't really noticeable there isn't really anything that sets this lotion apart from others, so I will use this up but not purchase again.

Lavera Sunless Tan--Self Tanning Lotion

Fair-skinned beauties face a dilemma: to suntan or to fake it? Since the American Cancer Society and dermatologists everywhere recommend lathering oneself in SPF to prevent melanoma and wrinkles, the fair-skinned beauty usually opts for faking it (and it cuts down on those painful sunburns!). But how to fake it a tan without slathering oneself in toxic chemicals???

Lavera Sunless Tan--Self Tanning Lotion is the answer. I was very skeptical about trying a natural sunless tanner, especially one so affordable ($27.50), as I immediately had thoughts of a streaky, orange mess. Not so with Lavera Sunless Tan! My first thoughts were that this sunless tanner was very moisturizing and had a pleasant scent. But I was also pleasantly surprised at the "tan" that developed several hours later. It's definitely on the light side, so those of you searching for a deep Brazilian tan may need to skip this one, but two applications on light skin does give nice color. I'm pleased with this one!

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Lavera Cornflower Shampoo

OK girls, let's be honest. Sometimes we have a little problem called dandruff. There is a lot of advice out there on how to deal with it, from home remedies to topical prescriptions, and I've tried it all. At the time of my chemically independent resolve I was using some pretty harsh stuff on my head that was controlling my dandruff, but it was just an endless cycle. I didn't have high hopes for a non-toxic alternative, but since I was buying some other stuff off of Lavera's website and needed to reach my free shipping threshold I though hey, why not give it a try.

Lavera Cornflower Shampoo has great suds (due to the Sodium Coco Sulfate--not sure if that's "legal", but at least it's not SLS) and gets my hair clean. It claims to "clarify and tone", and I think it helps to balance my scalp to prevent dandruff. I think my scalp is actually healthier! I'm kind of in shock! I can't believe it works!

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Aubrey Organics White Camellia Ultra-Smoothing Shampoo & Conditioner

And now the REAL test. Organic hair products. Let's talk about my hair. It's curly and frizzy, but with the right product and super conditioning I have beautiful curls which I have learned to love. I normally use Ouidad products which are fantastic and are the most moisturizing products I've ever tried, so I knew that it was a tall order to expect an organic shampoo & conditioner to perform as well. I was right.

I did some research online and decided to try Aubrey Organics, which is an uber-natural and organic line that isn't too expensive. They have several choices of shampoo and conditioner for dry, frizzy, curly hair. I decided to go with the White Camellia Ultra-Smoothing Shampoo and Conditioner (~$10ea.), which I picked up at a small health food store near my house.

Shampoo: The shampoo doesn't have much of a scent, but it does lather a little (which is a big complaint about most non-toxic shampoos because they don't have sodium lauryl sulfate in them which gives you big suds). After using a few times though, I just don't think it gets my hair as clean as my usual poo.

Conditioner: The conditioner smells great and detangles, plus it can be used as a leave-in treatment for 15 minutes on dry hair before you shampoo/condition as normal. However, the scent lasts and lasts, eventually giving me a slight headache and the fear that everyone can smell my hair. I tried the 15 minute deep conditioning once and wasn't impressed--didn't really notice a difference.

Aubrey Organics is about as natural as you can get. However, in my quest for non-toxic beauty I believe I might have over-shot a little. Now I'm afraid to try another line--performance anxiety! I am considering Modern Organic Products (MOP) though, as they seem to be more mainstream and still keep out the nastiest of the chemicals. Until then, dare I say that good hair may be worth the health risks???

Afterglow Light Glow Kit

I just love sampler kits of any kind. A great eye shadow palette, a gift with purchase, a starter kit--these are what cosmetics dreams are made of. Am I right??? What a great way to try new products and get a great value at the same time. Enter the Afterglow Light Glow Kit.

Let's start with what you get: a stacked sampler set including 2 foundations (both light...Ivory for warm undertones, Bisque for cool undertones), bronzer (in medium), blush (in First Blush--a mauve color), translucent setting powder, and eye shadow (in Cashmere--a light gold color). Also included are a mini kabuki brush, a little petri dish for tapping out your minerals, and a shiny silver cosmetics bag to hold it all. Oh, and instructions.

I never jumped on the Bare Escentuals bandwagon. I think I am the only one. :-) So I may be the last girl on earth to try powdered mineral foundation, but apparently it was for good reason. After trying this kit, I am convinced I am just not a powdered foundation kind of girl.

A little about me so you understand where I'm coming from and what I expect from foundation. I have fair skin with cool undertones, but constantly wear sunless tanner, so I usually use the 2nd to the lightest foundation available in a line. I prefer to buy my makeup (especially foundation) in person at a department store so a professional can match me to my perfect shade and I can check out coverage, texture, etc. before I buy it. However, Afterglow is a relatively small operation and the closest store that carries it is 300 miles away, so the Light Glow Kit was the best I could do. I look for light, sweatproof coverage with SPF, similar to a tinted moisturizer that evens out skin tone but doesn't shine. I'm not into heavy, cakey makeup, and I don't usually break out so don't need too much coverage. Not too much to ask, right?

Bisque is probably the right foundation color for me. It provides medium coverage (a little more than I'm used to) and SPF, but I don't like the texture of the powdered foundation. Also, when applied near my eyes it accentuated my very first fine lines (which I actually hadn't noticed until this powder had settled into the cracks--OH SNAP). Perhaps a liquid concealer around the eyes would be best when using powdered foundation. It takes longer to apply (probably just because I'm not used to it) and I'm all about speeding things up in my beauty routine. However, to my friends who are into powdered foundation, I'd definitely recommend because it seems like good quality stuff. Oh, and the kabuki brush is sooooo soft!

Next in the little sampler tower comes the bronzer. Since I have fair skin, most bronzers are too dark for me, but I feel the need to complain that Afterglow included their medium bronzer in the Light Glow Kit. WHAT??? Why didn't they include their light bronzer?! Suffice it to say the medium was WAY too much for me. Moving on.

Blush! First Blush is a very pigmented mauve color, which is too dark for my fair skin. Note to Afterglow: in the Light Glow Kit, include a lighter bronzer and blush! That said, it is a BEAUTIFUL color, so for those of you with medium or darker skin tones, snatch this one up. It is shimmery, but not glittery, so it doubles as a highlighter. I will probably use this blush but re-purchase a slightly lighter color.

Next in the tower of fun is translucent setting powder. I don't really have too much to say about this one--it's just translucent setting powder. It does the job with no talc or toxic chemicals, so thumbs up.

The Cashmere eye shadow is good quality pure mineral eye shadow in a gold/bronze color. It has a slight shimmer to it. I have blue-grey eyes and am always on the lookout for eye shadow colors that really bring out the blue...this does not. So, it's a good color, but just doesn't do much for me.

So overall, my first experience with mineral cosmetics was a good one. Afterglow definitely makes good quality stuff, it's just that some of the shades in this kit weren't for me. Can I also just comment on the TIME it takes to apply mineral makeup? You have to shake out the perfect amount in the little petri dish and if you dump too much it's really hard to get it back in the pot. I prefer pressed powder eye shadow and blush for ease of application. But, if you're a loose minerals kind of girl, here's where you can buy it.

Suki Butter Cream Healing Salve

The very first purchase I made in my quest for non-toxic beauty was from the Organic Divas (www.organicdivas.com). This is a great place to get started because the Organic Divas only sell high quality, non-toxic beauty products from companies that are run by women and made in the USA. I feel like I can trust the brands they sell to be generally the best there is, even if a particular product might not work for me.

So let's get on with it: Suki Butter Cream Healing Salve.
From the box: "multi-functional, long-lasting balm...nourish, moisturize, heal & protect any areas on your body that need special attention...ideal for all skin types especially eczema, dermatitis, stretch marks, cuticles, bruises, elbows, hands, feet, & like all Suki products...great for babies too."

LOVE this salve. It comes in a glass jar (how nice! I was so used to plastic) and the box lists all pertinent information including a complete ingredient list all in a bright yellow contemporary design. The product smells like lavender (love lavender). It is pretty stiff in the container (which I expected since it's a salve vs. a lotion) but spreads easily in your hands--very smooth. I can't comment on all the box claims, but for dry skin and cuticles it is great and I've been using it on my hands every night. I would use this instead of my usual intense healing hand/body lotion and cuticle cream.

BUY IT!

Hey there!

Hey there!
I have been on my quest for non-toxic beauty for about a month now, so I've tried a lot of products that I can't wait to tell you about! I'm going to try to post the reviews here in chronological order from e-mails I sent my friends in the beginning--before I started this blog. Then as I try additional new items I'll add new posts!
Health & Love,
Laurel

Background

Welcome to my blog! I'm going to jump right in and begin reviewing makeup and beauty products. If you want information about why you should switch from your regular products to non-toxic ones, check out these websites:

• http://www.organicdivas.com/ The Organic Divas explain the Dirty Dozen (the 12 chemicals you DON'T want in your beauty routine). Also a great site for buying guaranteed non-toxic beauty products that are made in the USA by women owned companies.
• http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/ The Skin Deep Cosmetics Safety Database is a great place to check your current products and see how toxic they may be. The database rates beauty products on a toxicity scale of 1 to 10. I try not to use anything rated 5 and up. While it isn't exactly scientific, it gives you a general guide.
• http://www.gorgeouslygreen.com/ This is the website that corresponds to the book Gorgeously Green, by Sophie Uliano. The book has a chapter dedicated to green beauty with an emphasis that nobody's perfect and we all just need to do what we can in our lives to try to improve our own health and the health of our planet.