100% Pure Pretty Naked Face Palette with Mini Mascara

Things I love about 100% Pure: 1. They use fruit pigments in their cosmetics 2. They are really affordable 3. They are sold on QVC which has a really great return policy and it’s super easy to buy from them 4. They make FABULOUS palettes!!! The Pretty Naked Face Palette comes with a great natural blush color, 2 very light cream/brown eye shadows, and 2 cool pink lip pots. It also includes a mirror but no brushes. The blush color looks very natural and pretty. The eye shadows are very light, with the cream color working as a highlighter and the other brown as a base shade (too light for me though). The lip crèmes are like lipsticks in consistency and look when they are on, but require a lip brush for application since they are in the palette form. They pair great with the blush…one matches the blush exactly and the other is more of a mauve color. It also comes with a black mini mascara (see my review on the mascara here). It’s quite a steal of a deal at $31, considering all that’s included. This is also a great way to try the mascara before buying the trio or the full size. I’d recommend this to anyone who likes a natural look; it would also make a great starter set for girls just starting to wear makeup. It's waitlist only right now...get on the list, that's the only way I was able to get mine!

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100% Pure Cocoa Pigmented Chocolate Eye Palette

To go with your new mascara you’ll need some new eye shadow, and this palette is a great one to try. It’s organic rice powder instead of talc, and it’s pigmented with fruit and cocoa. I’ve discovered that eye shadows made with rice powder require a slightly different application technique. Instead of sweeping the color across your lid, try dabbing the brush to apply. For those of you who like a more subtle eye shadow than the highly pigmented mineral eye shadows, this is a perfect option. The palette is a large round shiny purple tin made of recycled aluminum and has a large mirror on the underside of the lid. It’s kind of hard to open if you’re in a hurry or have lotion on your hands, and it doesn’t fit in my little makeup bag, but it’s really pretty and different. There are 6 full size eye shadows inside—3 in the gray/purple family and 3 in the brown/green family. All are fabulous and fun to try! It's currently out of stock on QVC.com, but check back frequently.

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100% Pure Ultra Lengthening Mascara Trio

I’ve heard a lot about how terrible Chemically Independent mascara is, so I was hesitant to try it. I dipped my toe in the water by buying 100% Pure’s Ultra Lengthening Mascara Trio because it’s relatively inexpensive ($21) and has 3 trial sized mascaras. (Has anyone noticed how expensive Chemically Independent mascara can be??? This is a good deal.) It comes with 3 colors: black tea (blackest black), blackberry (black purple), and blueberry (black blue). Blackberry looks like black brown indoors, and the blueberry is NOT electric blue so don’t worry, it’s subtle. I hadn’t ventured into colored mascara since I borrowed my best friend Brittany’s blue mascara in between classes in the 6th grade; the colors were pretty for something different, but black is still my staple.

This mascara is great! I mean it’s not DiorShow, but for everyday wear it’s perfect. To test, I put 100% Pure on one eye and Maybelline Volum’ Express on the other. I couldn’t tell a difference! If I looked really close it seemed that Maybelline made my lashes look a little longer and 100% Pure found more lashes making them look fuller. At the end of the day there were little black specks close to the 100% Pure eye, so there is a little flaking over the course of the day. It doesn’t come off until I wash my face, but I don’t even need to use eye makeup remover, which is great.

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MOP C-Curl Curl Defining Cream

Modern Organic Products (MOP) is a haircare line for those of us who may be a little hesitant with leaving our hair up to nature. ;-) MOP doesn't contain the worst offenders (i.e. no parabens, artificial colors, etc.) but it definitely contains some chemicals. I decided to try MOP after my failed attempt at completely Chemically Independent shampoo and conditioner from Aubrey Organics. Usually, my Curly-Q self sticks pretty religiously with Ouidad products, which are AMAZING but not completely Chemically Independent (some products are better than others). So I decided to try MOP's C-Curl Curl Defining Cream, which I found easily at Ulta. This is a thick curl cream with a lot of hold (for a curl cream). It keeps frizzies at bay and holds without the crunchy look. It's pretty heavy, and the instructions suggest mixing with Glisten Shine Drops or Curl Refreshing Spray for added slip, so I may try that. I love that it protects color with a UV shield. Overall I'd say definitely try this one--it's a good alternative to using soooo many chemicals on your hair (and if you have curly hair you know what I mean).

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Blue Q Get Real Mint Lip Balm

Blue Q's Get Real line is natural beauty with attitude. From the people who brought us the brands Dirty Girl, Total Bitch, and Virgin/Slut, Blue Q's Get Real line promises "No Fake Crap". I love the edgy marketing, and as lip balms and glosses are my weakness, I picked this up on my last trip to Ulta. Get Real Mint contains no petroleum--only good stuff for your lips. It has a slight minty smell/taste but it's not overbearing. It keeps my lips nice and conditioned. I like to wear it at night before I go to bed because it doesn't have any sun protection. I do wish it had some menthol in it--I love the tingly feel of menthol on my lips.

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