The Paraben Free Princess

Warning: NYX Lipstick Contains a Dangerous Ingredient

2011-11-23T09:46:00.000-05:00

I apologize for the hearts I am about to break with this one. I was answering reader comments when I saw EmmeFatale had posted asking if the NYX Jumbo Pencils contained Parabens. No, they don't contain Parabens, they contain something much, much worse.

NYX lip products contain a chemical called BHA (Butylated Hydroxyanisole). It's primarily used as an antioxidant to prevent fatty products from going rancid and developing a funky smell. BHA is banned in Europe in the use of cosmetics and California has it on the list of 'known carcinogens and reproductive toxicants'. The Environmental Working Group has BHA topping out at a 10 on their health hazard scale. But hey, let's put it into lip products where women can slowly ingest it throughout the day.

Other NYX cosmetics contain BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene), also an antioxidant. Along with being in cosmetics, it is also in jet fuel, rubber and embalming fluid. Yummy. It is a Toluene-based product. Toleune is a neuro toxin that is especially dangerous to pregnant women. Those of you who are into nail polish should recognize Toluene as the chemical the majority of nail polish companies removed from their products. Most nail polish actually boasts a 'Toluene' free label.

NYX Lip Products Containing BHA:

Lipstick: Black Label, Diamond Sparkle, Round, Matte, Jumbo Pencil
Lip Gloss Palette
Lip Lacquer Pot
Tinted Lip Spa

The above list is not inclusive. If you use NYX products, please search out the ingredients list on the NYX website so you can make an informed decision about your products and your health.

Review: Maybelline Great Lash - Lots of Lashes

2011-11-22T22:33:00.002-05:00

Maybelline Great Lash Lots of Lashes (LOL)

I will admit it, I could never understand how the original Great Lash continues to make it on the top products lists year after year. Back in my Paraben days, I would try it every few years and always end up throwing it in the garbage. After watching multiple rave reviews of the new Lots of Lashes on You Tube, I decided to give Great Lash another shot.

I know that some people have issues with the shape of the brush. It took a couple of tries to get the brush going the right direction but I got the hang of it. I kind of like the brush design, it's the actual mascara that just didn't do it for me. If possible, it was worse than the original formula that I remembered.

I wore it twice to give it a chance. The first was to work. That was a very long day. The mascara did make my lashes thick and dark, but it was like being encased in cement. They felt very spiky and heavy. When it came time to remove it, the mascara pretty much chipped off and I had flakes all over my face. That was a very messy removal - and I lost an eyelash. My second wearing was for Halloween. It didn't take much to give myself those thick, spiky spider lashes. I wore this instead of the false eyelashes I bought. That is not a positive. It went into the trash directly afterward.

The upside is that many people actually do like this mascara and it is paraben free where the original formula is not. If you don't mind the hard lash look, you may want to give this one a try.

Price: $5.49

Ingredients
Aqua (Water) , Paraffin , Potassium Cetyl Phosphate , Cera Alba (Beeswax) , Copernicia Cerifera Cera (Carnauba Wax) , Acacia Senegal (Acacia Senegal Gum) , Glycerin , Cetyl Alcohol , Hydroxyethylcellulose , PEG , PPG-17 , 18 Dimethicone , Steareth-20 , Phenoxyethanol , Caprylyl Glycol , Sodium Polymethacrylate , Sodium Dehydroacetate , Hydrogenated Jojoba Oil , Hydrogenated Palm Oil , Simethicone , Disodium EDTA , Polyquaternium-10 , Silica , Panthenol , May Contain: CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499 (Iron Oxides) , CI 77007 (Ultramarines) , CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide) , Mica , CI 75470 (Carmine) , CI 77288 (Chromium Oxide Greens) , CI 77289 (Chromium Hydroxide Green) , CI 77742 (Manganese Violet) , CI 77510 (Ferric Ferrocyanide)

Is Your Hair Flat, Dry, Or Cranky? Could Be Your Water Quality.

2011-08-06T21:48:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago, the water filter I've had on my shower for years physically broke and had to be removed. I really didn't think it did that much, so I didn't immediately replace it. Fast forward to a week later and I notice my shower has a layer of scum that I just can't get out without physical scrubbing. My usual scrubbing bubbles shines the faucets up, but everything gets grimy as soon as I take a shower. What I hadn't noticed was what was slowly happening to my hair.

I have very long hair that is somewhat wavy. The healthier and happier my hair, the wavier it becomes. From the moment I removed the water filter, my hair started getting flatter and flatter. The texture started to change and become dry. By the time I got another filter installed, my hair was completely straight and plastered to my head. It reminded me of the Seinfeld episode when they installed the low-flow showerheads and everyone's hair went flat.

I'm currently in my second week with the new filter and my hair still hasn't fully recovered. I never realized that the water at my house was so hard. I started doing some research and discovered that approximately 85% of people in the US bathe in hard water. Now, hard water refers to just the minerals in the water, it doesn't even address all the chlorine and other chemicals that are added to city water to make it 'healthier'. I have read on many hair care forums that people believe hard water doesn't only affect hair quality, it can cause baldness.

This article sums up many of the problems that people may be experiencing due to hard water; acne, dry skin, Rosacea, and shaving problems. I found another interesting one from the UK talking about doctor's prescribing water softeners for children who suffer from Eczema.

If you have gone through endless product changes, but your hair or skin issues never seem to clear up, you may want to consider adding a water filter to your shower or home. I will never be without one again!

Interesting video showing hard water scrunge.

UK Calls Shenanigans on L'oreal Ads With Julia Roberts

2011-07-27T20:53:00.000-04:00

In 'well, der' news, the UK has banned L'oreal ads featuring Julia Roberts and supermodel Christy Turlington because they have been deemed as overly airbrushed. If America did this, there wouldn't be a magazine left on the stands at the grocery.

L'Oréal has been forced to pull ad campaigns featuring Pretty Woman star Julia Roberts and supermodel Christy Turlington, after the advertising watchdog upheld complaints by Liberal Democrat MP Jo Swinson that the images were overly airbrushed.

Swinson, who has waged a long-running campaign against "overly perfected and unrealistic images" of women in adverts, lodged complaints with the Advertising Standards Authority about the magazine campaigns for L'Oréal-owned brands Lancôme and Maybelline. The ASA ruled that both ads breached the advertising standards code for exaggeration and being misleading and banned them from future publication. Full Article.

Awesome Video: The Story of Cosmetics

2011-07-22T00:08:00.000-04:00

SuJin over on the Princess Facebook page just shared this video and I thought it was fantastic. Entertaining and informative. Of course, if you read this blog, you can already recite this by heart, but it is still fun to watch. Remember, READ YOUR LABELS and spend your money on those products that deserve to be purchased based on their ingredients, not their marketing.

Revisiting YES TO CARROTS

2011-07-10T20:48:00.000-04:00

Back in 2009, I was throwing some major hate at Yes to Carrots for their use of Imidazolidinyl Urea as a preservative. For a year straight, I would send them a stink-o-gram every month asking them to stop using this ingredient. Apparently, I was not the only one. The have really cleaned up their act. Currently, only one product is listed on their website ingredients list contains Urea and I don't believe it is currently in production.

They actually have multiple lines now: Carrots, Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Blueberries. I used up bottles of their Tomatoes shampoo and conditioner I bought on clearance at Walgreens during the winter. My hair loved it and they have a great smell. The only drawback for me is that their products are bit pricey (shampoo $8.99). They are in-line with the pricing for Burt's Bees in drugstores. I will be adding more of their products to my routine as I catch them on sale.

Overview of the different Yes to Carrots offerings on Drugstore.com.

Haul & Swatches: Sally Girl Mini Baked Eye Shadows

2011-07-09T19:48:00.000-04:00

When I was searching for baked makeup products, I ran across these Sally Girl Mini Baked Eyeshadows from Sally Beauty Supply. They sell for .99 each. Yes, they are less than a dollar. They don't have the best ingredients, but they are Paraben Free and free of most of the other chemicals I dodge. Caveat: They do contain Mineral Oil and BHT which may cause skin irritation, so don't buy if you are sensitive to these ingredients.

Price: .99

Ingredients: MICA ,TITANIUM DIOXIDE ,MINERAL OIL ,ETHYLHEXYL PALMITATE ,HYDROGENATED POLYISOBUTENE ,CETEARYL ALCOHOL ,DIMETHICONE ,GLYCERYL STEARATE ,XANTHAN GUM ,SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE ,BHT ,PHENOXYETHANOL ,CI 77492

I found these in a small display at the front register. There are 12 colors available. The containers are not labeled with the color name. The actual product is a bit larger than a dime and is a healthy mound of eye shadow.

I have not used them yet, but I did a finger swatch and these deliver nice shimmering color completely dry. I always use my shadows wet, so it will be interesting to see how intense these will become.

You Must Be Joking: Laura Geller Baked Eyeshadow Ingredients

2011-07-03T01:42:00.000-04:00

I have never used a baked product and have been scouring the web looking for one that isn't pickled in Parabens. Still looking, but I made an interesting discovery. The popular Laura Geller brand baked products have more dangerous ingredients than a the cheapest Wet 'N Wild product you can conjure. A jaw-dropping experience for me. Highlights: Talc, Mineral Oil, Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Propylparaben, Imidazolidinyl Urea, Butylparaben, BHT. SERIOUSLY?

I compared the ingredients list of Geller to a cheap knock-off. A Geller Baked Shadow ($23) to an Essence Baked Shadow ($2.99).

Please do NOT use either of these products. I wanted to show readers that some expensive brand names use ingredients just was dangerous - and worthless - as dime store brands.

NOTE: I sorted these alphabetically so I could match them up.

Laura Geller Solid Baked Eyeshadow	Essence Baked Eyeshadow
BHT	Bht
Butylparaben	Butylparaben
C13-14 Isoparaffin	C13-14 Isoparaffin
Carmine (CI 75470)	Ci 75470 (Carmine)
Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate	Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate
Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil	Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil
Dimethicone	Dimethicone
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate	Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
Ethylparaben	Ethylparaben
Glyceryl Ethylhexanoate/Stearate/Adipate	Glyceryl Ethylhexanoate/Stearate/Adipate
Imidazolidinyl Urea	Imidazolidinyl Urea
Iron Oxide (CI 77491)	Ci 77491
Isopropyl Myristate	Isopropyl Myristate
Laureth-7	Laureth 7
Lauroyl Lysine
Magnesium Aluminum Silicate	Magnesium Aluminum Silicate
Manganese Violet (CI 77742)
Methylparaben	Methylparaben
Mica	Mica
Mineral Oil	Paraffinum Liquidum (Mineral Oil)
Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate	Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate
Phenoxyethanol	Phenoxyethanol
Polyacrylamide	Polyacrylamide
Polysorbate 20	Polysorbate 20
Propylparaben
Simmondsia
Sodium Dehydroacetate	Sodium Dehydroacetate
Sorbitan Stearate	Sorbitan Stearate
Talc	Talc
Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891)	Ci 77891 (Titanium Dioxide)
Tocopheryl Acetate	Tocopheryl Acetate
Ultramarines (CI 77007)	Ci 77007 (Ultramarines)
Zea Mays (Corn) Starch	Zea Mays (Corn) Starch
	Ci 77492
	Ci 77499 (Iron Oxides)
	Synthetic Fluorphlogopite

What's In My Purse: Beauty Products

2011-07-01T20:15:00.000-04:00

Was just digging for my address book and realized it would be fun to show you what the Princess schleps around with every day. I buy for ingredients and value, not brand names. No fancy brands here. I try to keep my beauty products as pared down as possible. My purse already weighs enough.

Last weekend I purchased the hemp and cotton EcoTools makeup bag from Big Lots for $3.99. I believe the original contained a full brush set. This one only had one brush, so it was heavily discounted.

Physicians' Formula Organic Wear Jumbo Lash Mascara in Black. Beautiful tube, but I hate it which is why it is relegated to my purse. I feel like I am trying to perform surgery using one of those giant kid pencils. Love the original though and swear by it.

ELF Mineral Lipstick in Bare Brown. Most of the ELF line is garbage, but I like their mineral lipstick products. This one is almost used up.

Chicken Poop lip balm. Was a gift. I like it, but usually reach for my Carmindy lipstick instead.

Sally Hansen Natural Beauty by Carmindy lipstick in Rosy Brown. I have about a quarter of a tube left. Holy Grail lipstick.

Sally Hansen Natural Beauty by Carmindy Pressed Powder in Light. I hit pan earlier today. Good thing I have 3 backups in the drawer.

Sally Hansen Natural Beauty by Carmindy Natural Shine Lip Gloss in Bronze Berry. Getting low on that one as well, better stock up.

Clean Well All-Natural Hand Sanitizer spray. Alcohol Free. Another Holy Grail item I have been using this since it came on the market.

Generic eye drops.

Clever Products: Travalo and Flo Pocket/Purse Atomizers

2011-07-01T18:21:00.000-04:00

I was watching You Tube last night and several gurus had been sent Travalo perfume vials by the company to review and they intrigued me. Researching a bit, I found a similar product called Flo. Both have gizmos that allow you to fill them up directly from a spray bottle. Good for perfumes or other liquid spray products you may want in a smaller container for your purse. Both are the size of a lipstick tube.

NOTE: Comments below are based on my research, I currently do not use either product. Although, I did end up ordering one. Keep reading.

First up is the Travalo. MSRP $15.99. I have seen it listed on sale for $12.99. You can see more details and video on their Travalo website. Here are the You Tube video reviews.

How it works: You take the spray cap off your bottle, place the Travalo over the nozzle peg and start pumping until you reach your desired amount. That simple.

Watch the how-to video here: Travalo Atomizer

Pros:

Extremely easy to use. Bonus for the uncoordinated.
Spill-proof transfer.
Variety of pretty colors.
Window so you can see your liquid level.

Cons:

There isn't a bottom cover for this. I would be a bit paranoid about leakage through the pinhole on the bottom - even though it does close after you fill it up.
You can only use this product on bottles with pegs.
I don't see a way to clean it out when you want to change out perfume.

Next up is the Flo. MSRP is $14.95. I have seen it on sale for $9.00. You can see it in more detail on their Flo website.

This one has a built-in silicone funnel on the bottom that allows you to fill from a variety of sources. You can spray or pour liquid into it. From the video it appears you press it against the sprayer and squirt. Simple, but requires some coordination.

There are only a couple of You Tube videos for this product, so apparently they did not do the same guru push as Travalo. The users I saw did not use it according to the video instructions below. They were holding the bottles back and spraying into the hole. I think the purpose of the silicone is to seal the nozzle so all of your product goes into the tube instead of spraying all over.

Watch the how-to video here: Flo Atomizer

Pros:

Fill it from a variety of bottles.
You can pour warm water into it to clean for fragrance change.
This does have a screw on bottom cover.

Cons:

Medium difficulty to use. Takes coordination. May slosh or spill if you are not careful.
Choice of 3 colors.
No window to see the amount of product.
Pink is currently sold out on their website.

So, which one did I end up purchasing? I bought the Flo in basic black from Amazon for $8.69 with free Prime shipping. I have used plastic funnels for atomizers for years without issue. The problem always ended up being the atomizers themselves falling apart or not spraying correctly. I will take a chance with this one and let you know how it turns out.

Update: Mary Kay Cosmetics Ingredients

2011-06-30T14:08:00.000-04:00

My Mary Kay ingredients list continues to be the most-viewed page on the blog. It is obvious there are quite a few people looking for more information on these products. The original ingredients list that was provided by a Mary Kay rep is over 2 years old now. If anyone is a rep or can provide me with an updated list of ingredients, I would appreciate it (e-mail is at the bottom of the page). If the company has improved the quality of ingredients in their products, I will happily blog about that. If not, consumers have the right to know and are actively seeking out this information.

While searching the web for an updated ingredients list, I did run across an interesting post by a former Mary Kay sales rep who was experiencing severe problems with her estrogen levels. They returned to normal after she stopped using the products she sold. This is one woman's experience, but certainly something that should make all of us cautious and ask questions about the products that we use.

Quitting Mary Kay on Two Levels

When Did Drugstore Makeup Become So Expensive?

2011-06-29T14:23:00.000-04:00

Back in my day (when dinosaurs roamed the Earth), if a drugstore mascara cost more than $4, it raised eyebrows. Now, $10 seems to be the norm. Even figuring in inflation, that is a pretty steep price increase. What is going on? **

We can make the assumption that a chunk of money is going into research and development. While the ingredients are questionable, there is always something new and shiny being released. What about the other $9.99?

$$$ MARKETING $$$

The Rise of the Celebrity Spokesmodel

Remember about 15 years or so ago when companies actually used models to sell products and magazines? Those days are long gone. Now, everyone has a celebrity endorsement; an actress or singer attached to certain lines within their brand. Check out Revlon's Spokemodel List. Depending on the popularity of a celebrity, no doubt their contract would run into the millions of dollars. Add a couple more bucks to your tube of mascara.

One Mascara to Rule Them All

Companies are constantly being gobbled up by larger corporations. One corporation may own multiple cosmetic lines, high and low-end. They need to protect their high-end properties. As an example, L'Oreal owns L'Oreal, Maybelline and Shu Uemura. Maybelline Lipstick: $8, L'Oreal Lipstick: $10, Shu lipstick: $26. Your cheapest brand will drag you down. You can't have the same company making $26 lipstick also making $4 lipstick.

Independent Companies

What is a cosmetics company that is not conglomerate-owned and does not use celebrity spokemodels? You get Milani. Surprisingly higher-end quality products for less than what we normally consider to be the bargain brands (Cover Girl and Maybelline). Lipstick $5. I bought many of their products back in my Paraben days and can personally speak to the quality. Milani is in line with what a drugstore cosmetics product should cost, but even their products are creeping up to keep up with the Joneses.

What are your thoughts? Why do you think drugstore makeup is quickly closing the gap with the high-end brands?

** Although I mention several different brands in this post, do not take it as an endorsement of any of them. Each line has one or two paraben-free acceptable products., but still very lacking overall.

The Princess on Facebook

2011-06-28T23:55:00.000-04:00

Well, I finally got off my throne and created a Paraben Free Princess fan page on Facebook. I'm not really satisfied with the ability to interact well with folks on here and hope we can do a bit more chatting on Facebook. I will also be posting all of those tidbits I don't have time to put on the blog.

The Paraben Free Princess on Facebook

- The Princess

Review: 100% Pure Organic Coffee Bean Caffeine Eye Cream

2011-06-27T21:46:00.000-04:00

This is actually more of a rave than a review. I have been using the Caffeine Eye Cream for about two years now. I can't say enough good things about it. I use it every morning before my makeup and go through a bottle about every six months.

I have allergies, so every morning I would wake up with my eyes puffy and it would take hours for them to go down. The first week I used this, the swelling issues went away. I did forget to pack it one weekend when I was away from home and by Sunday my eyes had blown up again. This works for me and is a Holy Grail item I will never give up.

Some people have issue with the smell. To me, it smells like a latte and cream. The product is 100% pure, so it is going to smell like the ingredients. I don't drink coffee but really like the smell of it.

I generally buy mine from Drugstore.com during one of their sales. Retail is $19 for 1 ounce. Sale price is usually $16-$17.

100% Pure Website

Ingredients:Organic Green Tea1, Organic Calendula Hydrosol1, Organic Rosehip Oil1, Organic Green Coffee2 Vitamin E (a-tocopherol), Vitamin C (ascorbyl palmitate), Extracts of Coffee Cherry, Organic Rosemary3, Organic Oregano3, Organic Thyme3, Organic Grapefruit Seed3 and Organic Goldenseal4, Organic Vanilla Absolute3, Candelilla Wax

What Is The Difference Between Unscented and Fragrance Free?

2011-06-26T20:41:00.000-04:00

Made an interesting discovery the other day while trying to find an unscented hair spray. 'Unscented' is a misnomer. Products still have a smell. In fact, unscented can have more perfume and fragrances added than something that is scented.

There are apparently no regulations of what constitutes unscented and fragrance free. As with most of our health and beauty products, manufacturers have a free hand to do what they want. I have linked Unscented and Fragrance Free below to the explanations on Consumer Reports.

UNSCENTED = combination of fragrances to create a neutral smell. Think of air fresheners, particularly Neutrair. It doesn't smell like flowers, but puts out a bland smell that is supposed to make odors inoffensive. It uses a combination of different fragrances to create the blandness. Same for beauty products. If you look at the label, you will see: fragrance, perfume, parfum.

FRAGRANCE FREE = shouldn't have any type of added fragrance. There shouldn't be any fragrance listed on the label.

As with any labels, these are guidelines. Remember to READ before buying.

Why Is It So Hard To Read Product Labels?

2011-06-25T20:31:00.000-04:00

Dear Product Manufacturers,

Why do you make it so darned hard to read your labels?!

I did a lap of Rite-Aid, CVS, and Walgreens this afternoon to see if there were any new goodies to find. I probably read close to 100 labels and my eyes are not very happy about it. I have above-average eyesight and yet I was squinting, scrunching and straining to read labels. The cosmetics labels were the worst.

The mainstream cosmetic companies (Maybelline, Cover Girl, Revlon, L'oreal) had the majority of their ingredients inside the product labels. 'Peel Here' to see ingredients. Three broken nails and plenty of store employee stinkeye later, I have read all of them.

Not surprisingly, every label I had to peel back contained questionable to bad ingredients. The bottom-dollar brands I frequently malign such as Wet 'N Wild and N.Y.C. had their ingredients printed in readable type on the back of the product with only a few exceptions. So a big thumbs up to them. I wish they didn't use crap ingredients, but at least they are open about it.

Do they make it difficult to read the product ingredients on purpose? Oh, yeah. Consumer behavior has changed drastically in the past decade. People are paying attention to where their products are made, animal testing, and the all-important ingredients list. The harder the label is to read, the better. The average consumer is not going to stand in the store squinting and scraping at a product label with an store employee hovering a few feet away to make sure you don't steal something. They are going to glance at the product, check out the price tag and if they like what they see, in the basket it goes. Those of us who are trying to live a more chemical-free life are anything but AVERAGE.

Products and Ingredient Lists:

If there is a product I am interested in and I can't read it, I take a photo of it to look it up online later.
I do most of my 'window shopping' online. I watch dozens of You Tube videos a week of people talking about products they like and I start digging around until I find the ingredients list.
Manufacturer websites. This SHOULD be the only place we need to look for ingredients, but that is usually not the case. I always start there, but usually end up on a retail website.
Retail websites: Drugstore.com, CVS.com, Ulta.com, Cosmetic Safety Database

Please post any other sites you go to look up product ingredients below!

Review: Beauty Blender - Worth the Money?

2011-06-25T01:09:00.004-04:00

After watching several videos about the Beauty Blender, I finally broke down and purchased one of these crazy pink eggs. Drugstore.com was having a sale and I picked it up for $15. LOVE IT! Naturally, I have my complaints, but for the money I would definitely recommend this.

I have sensitive skin, so the less poking I do at my face the better. I have tried foundation brushes, stippling brushes and a wide variety of makeup sponges over the years. My default is fingers. The Beauty Blender gives me a more even look and to borrow a phrase, 'air brushed'.

It is interesting watching other people use their blenders. Everyone does it a bit differently. Some people soak their entire egg, others just an end. Enkore even uses it with mineral makeup. I am still experimenting with mine.

Price: $20

TIP: Wet frequently during application. It absorbs quickly and if you don't keep it wet, kiss your makeup goodbye.

PROS:

A snap to use, more complicated to use it well. I'm mostly a wide-end user.
Fantastic finish.
Speed. I can do my foundation in half the time it used to take with my fingers.

Cons:

That frigging pink. It looks pretty, but that dye just never stops giving. I washed mine 10 times before I first used it and my sink was still full of hot pink dye. Be careful where you lay this and of the water splashing. I have spots on a shelf that are never going to come out.
Difficult to clean. I didn't purchase the cleaning solution with my sponge. I normally use liquid castile soap to clean everything but it doesn't make a dent with the liquid foundation on this sponge. I have been using cheap bar soap to get the makeup off and then washing with my castile.

Paraben Free WINNING!

2011-06-25T00:42:00.002-04:00

I spent several hours this evening watching You Tube videos and am thrilled to see so many people reading their labels and avoiding Parabens and other dangerous chemicals.

I have also been revisiting many of the products I have dodged in the past due to Parabens and low-quality ingredients. Whether manufacturers have finally started to bow to consumer pressure - or they see a hot new market - we are in a better position than ever before to find products on our shelves that won't send us to an early grave.

WINNING!

Are You Allergic To Your Beauty Products?

2010-03-19T09:18:00.004-04:00

Finally sat down to flip through my Marie Claire. They have a nice little listing of particular ingredients and the skin reactions they can cause. I find this rather bold considering 90+% of their advertisers are hocking products that contain some of these ingredients. List of the baddies below.

Click for full article.

PHTHALATES: A plasticizing ingredient commonly listed as DBP or di-n-butyl phthalate, it is used most often in the beauty world to give nail polishes increased pliability. Considered to be a potential carcinogen and possible cause of birth defects, allergic rashes and eczema, they are already banned in Europe. When shopping for lacquers, look for phthalate-free formulas. Neither Zoya nor Spa Ritual has ever used the ingredient in its lines, while Essie, OPI, and Sally Hansen altered their formulations in recent years to get rid of it.

SHEA BUTTER: It may seem completely harmless, but anyone with a nut allergy could find themselves with a heightened sensitivity to it. "I have seen reactions among those with nut allergies to both shea and cocoa butter," says Dr. Ellen Marmur, author of the new book Simple Skin Beauty. "Even organic or natural ingredients can cause allergic reactions."

TRICLOSAN: Flu season and the ongoing swine flu epidemic have made hand-washing a frequent ritual, and in some cases, it's the soap that causes the itchy rashes creeping up on palms and fingertips. If your hands are inflamed, steer clear of any soaps or sanitizers with this antibacterial agent.

BALSAM OF PERU: Fragrance is the number-one cause of allergic contact dermatitis, and Balsam of Peru, a resin that is actually a conglomeration of scents, is often responsible. Because of its phototoxic ingredients, when the skin is exposed to sunlight, brown or reddish streaks called berloque dermatitis may occur wherever the scented product or perfume was applied—dermatologists report many incidents of berloque behind the ears. The key is to look for products that are totally fragrance-free — which is not the same as unscented. "Unscented means that a product can contain a masking fragrance to camouflage its pungent, unpleasant odor," says Bank. "Fragrance-free means truly no fragrances."

FORMALDEHYDE: While most beauty products won't include this ultra-common makeup, skin, and haircare preservative on the ingredient list, many will have a formaldehyde-releasing agent like imidazolidinyl urea or quaternium 15, which can be equally reactive. Therefore, those who experience an allergy or irritation to formaldehyde actually have a list of names to be on the lookout for. Nowadays, two of the most frequent places where contact may occur are the nail and hair salon. "The most common cause of eyelid dermatitis is the formaldehyde in nail polish," says dermatologist Dr. Marsha Gordon. "After you polish your nails, there is a day or two when the finish is not rock hard, and that's when formaldehyde may be released. Your hands may not show redness because that skin is tough, but when you touch your eyes while washing or moisturizing, you can end up with dermatitis there."

PARABENS: They are the darlings of preservatives among mass manufacturers since they're cheap and stable. It can be downright difficult to find products that don't contain parabens like methyl, propyl, and benzyl hydroxybenzoate. Those who experience redness or a rash can avoid them entirely by seeking out lines such as Aubrey Organics, Burt's Bees, Dr. Hauschka, and Weleda, whose formulations are all paraben-free.

ACIDS: While the majority of acids — azelaic, alpha hydroxy, benzoic, lactic, sorbic — are tolerable in modest doses, cinnamic can pose a problem. A tartar-fighting agent in toothpaste, it can be the reason for itchy eruptions on the lips and around the mouth. Look for toothpaste without cinnamic acid (like Tom's of Maine), or if you're attached to a brand that has it, dermatologist Dr. Dennis Gross recommends applying Vaseline around the mouth and chin before brushing to form a barrier.

PPD: Paraphenylenediamine (PPD) is found in most permanent hair dyes. Those who are allergic will likely develop a rash not on the scalp but around the hairline on the forehead and neck and behind the ears. According to Gross, allergy to PPD seems to increase with age. Avoid contact by requesting PPD-free dyes or opting for henna and color rinses that don't contain the irritant.

RETINOIDS: Most dermatologists will concur that despite a laundry list of antiaging and acne-fighting benefits, retinoids are also a classic irritant. "They make your skin more sensitive to the sun in the summer and more prone to dryness in the winter," says Gross. "What really matters is the net concentration that you apply to your skin. Using something weaker more often is better than something stronger that can only be tolerated a few times per week." Marmur also has a little retinoid magic trick: "If you want your antiaging without the red, raw skin, put on your retinoids for 15 minutes at night, then wash it off with a mild cleanser. I call it 'short-contact antiaging.'"

Just Watch This

2010-01-29T21:52:00.001-05:00

UK Bans Photoshopped Oil of Olay Ads

2009-12-17T19:13:00.006-05:00

I've been on a bit of a truth in advertising tear recently, and here is yet another story to get me fired up. 1960's supermodel Twiggy is part of a UK advertising campaign for Oil of Olay products. Well, as you can see from her ad above, she's had had some computer work done. I wish they would ban Photoshop junk like this here in the States.

Guardian Twiggy Article

Blog Disclosure Policy

2009-12-13T21:18:00.004-05:00

I have been reading disclosure policies on many blogs per the new FTC regulation (which basically says that if you receive any kind of compensation - from money to freebies - you need to point that out to readers). I've posted several times before that I buy everything out of my own pocket, don't accept any kind of freebies, and am not paid to endorse any product or company. Maybe I should change my name to The Pocket Change Princess.

Paraben Free Princess Blog Disclosure Policy

This policy is valid from 13 December 2009 / Updated 11 November 2011

This is a personal blog written and edited by myself. I write it for my own purposes. I am not a doctor, chemist or makeup expert. I am just another consumer trying to figure out the good from the bad on the store shelves. I believe that manufacturers do not have our health and welfare in mind when they create and sell their products. I spend a good deal of my free time searching out new items I consider to be 'worthy' of my readers.

I purchase all items reviewed myself. I am not paid to endorse or negatively review any products. Opinions and experiences are my own unless otherwise stated.

In November 2011, I added Google Adsense to the website. I have fought against any type of advertising on my blog for years, but I simply don't have the disposable income to constantly buy and try new products. Any proceeds gained by these ads will go toward the purchase of products for this blog.

To get your own policy, go to http://www.disclosurepolicy.org

Hair Coloring Horror: Why You Should Always Patch Test

2009-11-19T12:54:00.004-05:00

Here is a hard lesson learned on why you should patch test a new product before smearing it on any part of your body. Also, hair chemicals are bad, mmmkay? There are natural hair coloring products out there. But, bottom line is this could happen to anyone with any product, so be careful and act immediately if you start noticing any discomfort, skin change or other reaction. I always keep Benadryl and Hydrocortisone handy, because you never know.

Also, parents this girl is 15. Parental supervision is needed when using any product like this.

Link to Story

Mascara Ads Now Coming Clean in the US About Using Falsies?

2009-11-16T15:29:00.006-05:00

I am catching up on my November Allure magazine and I spy a pretty picture of Drew Barrymore hawking Cover Girl Mascara. As usual, her lashes are beyond 'just mascara', which has been a HUGE pet peeve of mine for years. Lo and behold, I spy a disclaimer in tiny print that says: Lash inserts used prior to application to add fullness but not length. Knock me over with a feather! I have never understood how cosmetic companies got away with using obviously fake eyelashes in their mascara ads.

I scratched my head for a moment and wondered WHY Cover Girl finally started admitting they use falsies on their models. Then I remembered a post I did a few weeks back about the FTC cracking down on companies that made unsubstantiated claims, including going after their celebrity spokesmodels. The UK has had a similar law in effect for a while and has busted Rimmel and L'oreal in the past.

The ASA (similar to our FTC) laid down the law on adding disclaimers to ads: "We told L’Oreal to include a disclaimer in future ads featuring models wearing false eyelashes, irrespective of whether those lashes were individually inserted to bring lashes to a consistent standard or whether they were a full set of false lashes. We also told them to ensure future ads made clear that the "up to 60%" claim referred to the appearance of the lashes, not to an actual extension in the length of lashes that could be achieved by using the mascara.

We also told L'Oreal to take greater care in future to provide us promptly with accurate information."

I'm going to start checking for the fineprint on ALL the cosmetic ads I run across to see if I can spot some more disclaimers. More fun than hunting for Easter Eggs!

Retraction & Apology: Zoya Lip Gloss Promotion - Updated

2009-11-16T11:25:00.005-05:00

Update: Zoya sent me a PM on Twitter saying that my lip glosses were packaged in the old tubes and that the current formulation was safe. Those of you who have been around for a while will remember my last Zoya ingredients run in around the same time last year. I ended up talking to the vice president of the company who assured me my products were safe and promised that they would start posting their ingredients on the website. Well, that never happened. If you purchased the glosses, decide for yourself. Zoya is saying they are Paraben free. I just have an 'off' feeling about this and am tossing mine. I don't need the stress of wondering if my lip gloss is poison or not.

I can't decide on which emotion is stronger right now, but I am going to settle on disgust. A couple days ago, I put up a post about a promotion that Zoya is doing with their lip glosses. I just received mine today and excitedly tore open the package. The colors were beautiful but I was left stunned when I read the ingredients on these. I had bought a combo pack of polish and lip gloss last year and the gloss didn't contain this garbage.

I sincerely apologize if any of my readers took advantage of this deal. Zoya takes pride in not having dangerous chemicals in their nail polish. So, why are they trying to kill us with their lip gloss?

Zoya Hot Lips Glossy Lip Balm Ingredients:
Polybutene
Octylodecanol
Polydecene
Microcrystalline Wax
Flavor
Saccharin
HydrogenatedPolyisobutene
Palmitic Acid
Tocopheryl Acetate
Phenoxyethanol
Methylparaben
Ethylparaben
Propylparaben
Butylparaben
Isobutylparaben

'Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me' by Paula Begoun $8

2009-11-12T12:15:00.003-05:00

I used to LOVE Paula Begoun, the Cosmetics Cop, back in the day before I educated myself about Parabens and other dangerous chemicals in our products. I completely disagree with her stance on them and that she uses them in the products she now sells on her website. However, she does put out a useful book to what products work and don't work based on ingredients. It's always an interesting read, but I haven't purchased an updated copy in nearly a decade. On her website, Paula is offering the 7th edition for $5 - the 8th edition will be out soon. She also has a $3 flat shipping offer, so you can get the book for $8. I ordered a copy of it yesterday. I wasn't willing to pay $20 for it, but for $8, I'll bite. That's cheaper than I can find it anywhere used.

Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me 7th Edition Link

Zoya 3 Free Lip Glosses (S+H)

2009-11-12T11:57:00.005-05:00

RETRACTION!! I ordered 3 of these and upon receiving them, see the entire ingredients list. They are FULL of Parabens. When I purchased glosses as a set last year, they didn't have all this crap in them. I apologize if I misled anyone with this promotion. Please contact Zoya to return them.

Zoya is trying to drive everyone nuts again. This time, it's their lip gloss giveaway. You still have to pay shipping on these, but it's the cost of one of the glosses. They are nice and thick. I am picking up some for Christmas (ugh). My picks were Blog, Rumour, and Gypsy. Shipping was $6.95 for all 3

Code: lips

Here's some nice color swatches on another blog to help you decide: KarlaSugar

Details: Promotion link from the Zoya blog.

FTC to Require Bloggers to Disclose Payments for Reviews

2009-10-05T10:49:00.004-04:00

*Soapbox* (Paraben free, of course) Not pointing a finger at any single person, but one of the reasons I stopped watching hauls and reviews on You Tube is that I know a majority of them are reviewing products they were given for free by the manufacturer. I have no issue with that - as long as they explicity say that 'X provided these products at no cost for me to review'. That is frequently not the case.

All of the products I review on this site are paid for out of my own pocket. Sometimes my postings are pretty thin because I just didn't have the money to spend on new goodies. As I have said in previous posts, I don't accept freebies or sample products because I don't feel I can fairly assess something that has been given to me. There is always the expectation of a favorable response and that I will encourage others to purchase. I feel bad for turning down some very nice people, but I want to keep my blog independent. That's the way I roll.

I don't know how this will shake out in the blogging and You Tube community, but I can say it's about darned time! Read the FTC long version below. Celebrity spokespeople can now be held liable for unsubstantiated product claims. Is this the death of the celebrity infomercial?

Here's the FTC long version: FTC Press Release

PHILADELPHIA -

The Federal Trade Commission will require bloggers to clearly disclose any freebies or payments they get from companies for reviewing their products.

It is the first time since 1980 that the commission has revised its guidelines on endorsements and testimonials, and the first time the rules have covered bloggers.

But the commission stopped short Monday of specifying how bloggers must disclose any conflicts of interest.

The FTC said its commissioners voted 4-0 to approve the final guidelines, which had been expected. Penalties include up to $11,000 in fines per violation.

The rules take effect Dec. 1.

Paraben Soup: Germaben & Phenonip

2009-10-01T14:39:00.006-04:00

Slacking again, I know. I have actually been trying out lots of products from different online e-tailers. Small business folks who make and sell their own bath and body products. Folks on Etsy, etc. Well, I was tempted into a website that is having a sale and was loading up my cart because I didn't see any Parabens or Urea on the ingredients list. What I did see was Germaben II and Phenonip. That annoying little voice started squeaking, so I looked them up before placing an order.

Germaben II: Propylene Glycol, Diazolidinyl Urea, Methylparaben, Propylparaben.

Phenonip: Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Butylparaben, Propylparaben, Isobutylparaben

Well, that's just full of all kinds of fail. I guess there are so many of us Paraben dodging that chemical companies are now creating their own brews and slapping a pretty name on them. There are probably more of these preservative mixes being used out there and I will update the bad list as I find them.

Another lesson learned, especially for me. Once you have been reading labels and are familiar with the general mixes of products, always research any ingredient that you don't recognize. I emptied my cart and send a polite note to the store owner explaining why she just lost my business. Some people just aren't aware of the Paraben concerns, so we need to speak up.

Elegant Minerals - 50% Sale

2009-09-13T13:58:00.002-04:00

Elegant Minerals just sent out a code for 50% off everything on the site. Sept. 15-16 only. There is also a special section for Halloween makeup for kids.

From the e-mail:

September marks 6 wonderful years serving You - our wonderful customers.
We thank all of you who have helped us grow into one of the
Premier Mineral Makeup Companies.

We now have women and stores all over the world switching to Elegant Minerals.
Thanks to everyone for recomending EM.

To help celebrate, we're having a 50% OFF sale!
Two Day's Only!
Sept 15th & 16th 12a-12am CST

Just enter birthday2009 into the coupon box during checkout.

GDA: TJ Maxx Clearance Sale

2009-09-05T21:48:00.002-04:00

I had read that people were making incredible hauls from TJ Maxx over on Makeup Alley. Crazy prices like .30 and .50 for full size products. I decided to check my local one out. I didn't have the luck of some of the posters, but I found a few useful items that passed my ingredients test.

The brushes in the green bag are wood and boar bristle. I bought 2 sets. $1.00 each.
Juice Organics Moisturizer. I have wanted to try this for a while. $3.00.
The tin contains fizzing bath sea salt. $.70.
Faith in Nature Seaweed Conditioner. $1.00.

Remember to read your ingredients if you go on an expedition!

Cool Product: Epistick Hair Remover

2009-09-05T19:56:00.004-04:00

I just received a nifty thing in the mail. It's called an Epistick and you use it to remove facial hair. It's basically a spring wire with plastic handles. Those of you who remember the original Epilator will recognize how this works. You bend it and twist it as you work up your face.

It seems to do a fantastic job with little face hairs. I just zipped through one side of my face before posting this. Personally, I did not think it hurt. There was a slight pinching feeling, but that was it. These products are recommended for facial hair only. I don't know how it would work elsewhere. If you get one of these, I recommend giving it a good wipedown with alcohol. I do the same thing with razor blades before I use them.

I bought mine off of E-Bay for $2, but you can buy the 'official' version of this which is called Bellabe for $16.99.

Here is a great video demonstration I found of how it works. Very simple.

BOO on Walgreens!

2009-09-03T15:51:00.005-04:00

This week, Walgreens just unveiled their new website. It's just about impossible to navigate. My browser locks up with all kinds of script errors. But, that's not my biggest complaint. They have removed the frigging INGREDIENTS listings for their products. For years, they have been the go-to website when you wanted to check out a product's ingredients before chasing it down in a brick and mortar.

Freebie: Burt's Bees Acne Product Sample

2009-08-23T15:17:00.002-04:00

I just saw this while flipping through my current copy of Allure. Burt's Bees acne freebie. It doesn't say exactly what you will receive, but I took from the Allure ad it would be some of the acne serum. White willow bark (salycilic acid) extract. Look in the upper right for the green tab. It will take you to a short Start Sampling survey.

Burt's Bees Freebie

Review: SUKI Concentrated Balancing Toner

2009-08-20T10:42:00.003-04:00

I purchased a bottle of Suki Concentrated Balancing Toner after reading rave reviews about it on several skin boards. It was supposed to really help acne prone skin.

I've been using it for over a month now and can't see any difference in my skin. None at all. I spray it directly on my face, chest, and upper back after my shower in the morning and after I wash up before bed. It has the vague smell of stale lemon juice. The bottle is very nice, thick glass, but not good for spraying at angles.

For me, it certainly isn't the wonder juice everyone raves about. Maybe I take better care of my skin than other people who have tried it, I don't know. After I purchased this, I read about making your own version using apple cider vinegar and crushed aspirin. I may try that after I make it to the bottom. But hey, it's a really nice bottle.

Grade: C (I want to grade it lower than that because it costs so darn much!)
Price: $30
Size: 4 ounces
Pros: Has great reviews from other users, nice bottle
Cons: Had zero effect on my skin, bottle can't be sprayed at angles

Marketing blurb from their website and the ingredients list:

what a super potent anti-inflammatory, bacteria-fighting, vitamin C tincture
who all, especially combination to oily, acneic, rosacea, eczema & dermatitis
key actives standardized white willow bark for active 15% salicylic acid, natural vitamin C polypeptide liposomes & organic roses in our high potency organic botanic concentrate™
solves breakouts, redness, irritation, inflammatory symptoms, oil-balancing issues & bacteria production
benefits reduces inflammation, purifies pores, relieves redness, itchiness & irritation, balances ph, cleanses cuts, soothes sunburns & preps the skin for treatments & moisturizers that follow

Active Ingredients: white willow 15% active salicins + vitamin c polypeptides
Ingredients: organic roses (rosa centifolia) infused in purified, filtered water (agua), organic concentrated aloe vera (aloe barbadensis), organic rose (rosa canina), lavender (lavandula angustifolia), calendula (calendula officinalis) & chamomile (anthemis nobilis) extracts, natural vitamin C polypeptide liposomes, standardized white willow bark extract (salix alba), organic seaweed extract (algae), aroma (pure premium steam distilled essential oil)

ELF 75% Off Studio Line Products

2009-08-13T12:26:00.004-04:00

Edit: In case you are new to this blog, most of the ELF makeup is full of Parabens and MCI/MIT. This includes all of their $1 makeup and the majority of their body products. There are a few items that do not contain highly objectionable ingredients, but may contain talc or bismuth which can be irritating to the sensitive skin.

I'm sitting here trying to make a cranky face for posting another ELF deal, but I can't quite get there. I think their cheaper products are awful and contain everything I warn against, but I really like their Mineral Lipstick. I feel so dirty. Anyway, they currently have 75% off their Studio Line products. These are quite a step above their regular $1 fare. Extra bonus on this deal is that you can get free shipping at a certain $ level and Bing Cashback (formerly Windows Live).

I bought a brush set, several individual brushes, eyelash curler, eyeshadow singles (talc, but acceptable), and threw in one of their blotting papers to get me over the hump. I figured anything I didn't like could go up for trade at Makeup Alley. Avoid anything liquid in the Studio Line. It will contain MCI and MIT. Avoid the blushes and face powders as well. Mineral oil. Yuck.

Deal Code: WWYB75S
Free Shipping: When your total is $18.75 after code (translates to starting total of $75).
Bonus: 10% Cashback if you go through Bing Cashback. People on SlickDeals are reporting they are receiving the 10% o their original total, so $7.50 cashback. You need to go through the ELF store listing on Bing: http://www.bing.com/cashback
2nd Bonus: Maybe. There is a deal on the ELF homepage if you spend $20 to get free Marie Claire OR a rebate back instead. I don't know whether this is before or after code.

Reader Mail: Yes to Carrots - Not So Fast!

2009-07-30T16:56:00.004-04:00

Wanted to share this e-mail from reader K. Take this as a warning about some of the reactions you can have when you use products with questionable ingredients. The Yes to Carrots brand seems fine, except for them using IMIDAZOLIDINYL UREA. That's one of the dirty cousins. Aside from releasing Formaldehyde, it is also a known allergen. More here. Bottom line, if you are having any kind of skin issues, you need to pull out all of your products and read your labels. You could very well be causing your own misery.

"First I want to thank you for your blog! I found your blog two weeks ago while researching my one year old's skin problems. We were getting ready to leave for a family vacation, so in the rush I picked up the first paraben free lotion I came across at Rite Aid. It was the Yes to Carrots brand and we took it with us on vacation. Two days later my son and I both broke out in an awful itchy rash. I was shocked because I thought I was going in the right direction with the paraben free lotion. So I went back to your sight and read more and discovered that Yes to Carrots has a nasty cousin in it: Imidazolidnyl Urea. So I followed your link on it and realized that is exactly what was causing this rash on our arms. We have switched two days ago to Burt's Bees and the rash is already going away!

I was wondering if you would post something warning against using Yes to Carrots and the reaction that Imidazolidynl Urea can cause.

Thank you again for your wonderful blog!

K"

Check It Out: Naked Natural for UK Readers

2009-07-30T16:48:00.004-04:00

This was forwarded to me by a reader. Naked Body Care has some interesting products and decent ingredients. They list all of their ingredients, so read carefully. I did notice MIT and MCI in a couple of face washes, but those were the only offenders. They also have an online offer of 50% when you join their Facebook. Definitely worth checking out.

Product Reviews: Recent Product FAILS

2009-07-30T13:58:00.009-04:00

I've been sitting on my cranky for a couple of weeks. I have gone through a string of products that I purchased and have been using that disappoint or are flat out fails. I have learned some important lessons about not believing all the reviews on product sites and try before I buy.

Mascara: Physician's Formula Organic ($9.00) vs. Tarte Lash Hugger ($18)

Ingredients for both are on linked sites above.

I have been using the PF Organic mascara exclusively since it came out. I love it and my lashes are in better condition now for using it. My tube is starting to dry out a bit and I had been reading great reviews for the Tarte mascara, so I decided to try their brand, at twice the cost.

The PF Organic is definitely the winner for me in this contest. The Tarte mascara is very blase to me, especially for the price. I have a hard time actually getting this mascara on my lashes. I don't know if it is the twisted brush or the product itself. It takes three times the strokes to get the same amount of product on as one stroke of the PF Organic. Acceptable to some people, but not when I am trying to get out the door in the morning. The mascara itself darkens and lengthens but does not build the lashes. It wears off throughout the day so that when it comes time for face washing, there is very little left. I don't see any mascara flakes, it is just gone. Tarte has lots of great reviews over at Sephora, but it was substandard for my needs.

PF Organic Pros: Acceptable price, gorgeous container, good brush, thick product, couple strokes needed for full look, lasts all day. Cons: Need to use makeup remover (I use oil), spots on lids, smears if wet, never actually 'dries', product seems to dry out faster than conventional Paraben-ated mascara.

Tarte Lash Hugger Pros: Good at lengthening, easy to remove, did not spot or smear on me. Cons: Pricey, does not thicken, time-consuming application, fades throughout the day.

Shampoo: Esencia by SAMY($8)

Ingredients on above website.

I hauled this back in March and finally got around to using it. It was free after rebate from Walgreens. I did receive my rebate on it, so that pleased me. I love the bottle design on this. Very sturdy and that cute ball head that pops up. The shampoo itself is just meh to me. I am halfway through the bottle and put it back in the closet. I am now back to my hair miracle Aloe 80 again. A couple days after I started using Escencia, I noticed that my hair was more difficult to comb out after a shower. By the end of the week, it started getting matted again and I had to spend precious early morning minutes working out the tangles. Esencia claims to be 96.3% natural. Must be something in that 2.7% that my hair really hates. Not many reviews around the web for this. Most everyone was talking about how it was free. You get what you pay for.

Esencia Pros: Low lather, smells nice, cute bottle, was free. Cons: Regular price a bit steep, my hair hated it, accompanying conditioner contains Urea.

Mineral Foundation: Meow Cosmetics (23.95)
Pampered Puss: 2-Frisky Chartreux Full Size

Remember that haul I did a couple weeks ago on that giant container of Meow foundation? Hated it! Really banging my head against the wall on this one. $24 down the drain. I will be posting this on MakeUp Alley and hope that someone will want to trade me for it. I'm instituting a $5 rule. If something costs more than $5, I am going to buy a sample first. No more buying blind. Meow doesn't take returns. Lesson here: try before you buy. Don't listen to great reviews.

The product itself is standard mineral foundation. I tried it twice and did not cause any itching or irritation. The product is almost a perfect match for my skin color. I am very pleased with Meow's ability to create product that close to true skin tone. My complaint about this foundation is that it doesn't provide any coverage. None at all.

The variety I purchased was the Pampered Puss for sensitive skin. It is supposed to provide 'medium /heavy layerable coverage'. I put on 3 layers of it and I still looked bare faced - with powder on. This is great if you have perfect skin, but if you have anything at all to hide, it's worthless. After 3 layers, I still had to go back and dust on a layer of Everyday Minerals (which can make me itch) and that gave me the coverage I wanted. Just baffled and aggravated. It was like putting air on my face. This might work well as a finishing powder, but I certainly wouldn't recommend a Meow product as a foundation.

Meow Foundation Pros: Good price for a lot of product, easy to match skin tones, powder feels lightweight. Cons: Lack of coverage - buildable or any other kind.

ELF - 75% Off Mineral Lipstick

2009-07-27T21:10:00.003-04:00

I haven't tested this yet. Just saw it in my mail. 75% their mineral lipstick. I've been curious to try it. Says there are no limits on the order.

Code: GETLIP

It works! I just ordered 7 lipsticks for $15.70 shipped. We will see.

Well, I'm Horrified.

2009-07-23T09:13:00.005-04:00

"100% pure and natural snail extract"

Oh, boy! How could you pass up a temptation like this? Of all the crazy products I run across, this one is now at the top of the heap. There is an entire line of snail juice products available at Walgreens.

Aside from the 'dear God, they are using snails!' aspect, the ingredients are complete junk. Mineral oil and Parabens. I read through the reviews posted for these products and they all sound phoney, which is nothing new for product reviews. I'm sticking to my Jojoba oil!

Ingredients

Aqua , Mineral Oil , Stearic Acid , Cetearyl Alcohol , Snail Secretion Filtrate , Cyclopentasiloxane , Dimethicone Crosspolymer , Propylene Glycol , DMDM Hydantoin , Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate , Triethanolamine , Methylparaben , Propylparaben , Parfum

Haul: Peacekeeper Lippies

2009-07-13T10:56:00.004-04:00

For their July 4th special, Peacekeeper was offering a B1G1F along with free shipping on certain lip products, so I finally bit. I have been trying to buy their popular nailpolish remover for 2 months now and I can never catch it in stock, so I figured I would try something else in the meantime.

I picked up a lip gloss in Eternal Equity and a lipstick in Paint Me Accepting. The total was $14 for both shipped. They now offer free shipping on all items, so I will probably be back to try something else.

My swatch photos were miserable, but the product photo does a good job at showing the colors. I like both colors very much. On the website, they recommend particular colors based on your hair and skin. These are the redhead colors.

I really like the design of the lipstick tube. It has a fat bottom so it sits flat and steady, no teetering on the edge of the sink. The color is smooth and solid, doesn't appear to move around much at all. Kind of iffy on the lip gloss. Like the color and a standard doe foot brush. It is castor oil based and I can really taste it on my lips. It also has a bit of grit to it. I can deal with the castor oil, but the grit may be a deal breaker. It's not super gritty, but just enough to be annoying.

My LOL moment came when I saw the shipping box. This box is much too big and too nice to ship a couple of lippies in. I would have expected an envelope. Reminded me of Amazon where you buy a toaster and they ship it in a refrigerator box. But, it will definitely be reused the next time I need to send something out.

PeaceKeeper Cause-Metrics is the first cosmetic line to give all of its after tax distributable profits to Women's Health Advocacy and Human Rights Issues.

Haul: Meow Cosmetics Foundation

2009-07-11T19:36:00.004-04:00

Received my first product from Meow Cosmetics today. They were having a free shipping sale about a week ago so I finally bit. I was always a bit put off by the extensive variety (sometimes too many choices are a bad thing) and crazy cat names for their products, but that is their hook.

This is a huge 30 gram jar (jar is 85 gram size, 30 grams of product). I bought the 'Pamered Puss' variety that is for sensitive skin in '2-Frisky Chartreux'. Ingredients: Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, Iron Oxides. It was $23.95 shipped with two samples thrown in.

I thought it would be interesting to show this compared to an Everyday Minerals container. The EM is 8 grams of product ($12), Meow is 30 grams of product. I hope my skin likes this foundation, that's quite a bit to get through! LOL.

Makeup Alley Haul: Ecotools Brush Set

2009-07-11T19:29:00.005-04:00

Just got this in a MUA trade. I had purchased a set earlier in the year for a Christmas present. This one is mine, all mine! There was even a .50 off other Ecotools products inside. I hear rave reviews for these. They are synthetic and made with bamboo and recycled aluminium for the ferrels. Once I had them out of the package, I was surprised they were so lightweight. They are full size, but would work nicely as purse brushes.

I haven't washed these yet, but they feel wonderfully soft. I need more makeup brushes like a hole in the head, but I just had to try these out. I really like the cotton and hemp roll that comes with them. Can be washed and re-used with other brushes.

Why you shouldn't use baby shampoo to clean brushes

2009-07-06T10:13:00.003-04:00

..or on babies, for that matter. It seems that everyone on blogs and You Tube like to clean their brushes with baby shampoo because they believe it's gentle. I keep preaching that liquid castille soap is the best and safest product to use to clean brushes - and yourself.

While Johnson's is bold enough to put 3 Parabens in their baby lotion, they did not put any of my big list in their shampoo, or so I thought. I ran across an interesting press release from the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics about how they are pushing Johnson's to clean up their act in the States. Sorry, but there is no excuse for putting chemicals like this in baby products.

Now remember, the FDA does not regulate the cosmetics industry, they are self-regulating. Take a moment and think on that. Some of the cringe-worthy highlights:

"The chemicals in question are 1,4-dioxane, a byproduct of the manufacturing process, and the preservative formaldehyde, which is slowly released by a chemical called Quaternium-15 to kill bacteria. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 1,4-dioxane and formaldehyde both are probable human carcinogens; formaldehyde also is a skin, eye and respiratory irritant."

"Tests by an independent laboratory commissioned by the campaign, Analytical Sciences of Petaluma, Calif., found Johnson's baby shampoo had 210 parts per million of formaldehyde, and about two dozen other products out of 48 tested had similar or higher levels.

Johnson's baby shampoo also had a low level of 1,4-dioxane, a chemical banned by the European Union that was also found in three Aveeno baby wash products made by J&J, Johnson's moisture care and oatmeal baby washes, and about 25 baby and personal care products made by other companies."

"Last month, Sen. Kerstin Gillebrand, D-N.Y., introduced a bill directing the FDA to regulate such products made for children."

"The campaign's letter to Weldon states that other companies make similar products "by using ingredients that do not have contamination concerns." The letter also notes J&J products in Japan do not release formaldehyde because it is banned in products there."

That last bit is my favorite out of the entire article. Johnson's doesn't use dangerous chemicals in their products sold in Japan and the European Union because those governments have tougher regulations and standards. Meanwhile, back in the United States, we have to look after ourselves.

Holy Cow! No Split Ends!!!

2009-07-01T16:44:00.003-04:00

Somebody better give me a drumroll, because it's a big day for me. When I decided to go Paraben Free, I did it for my health, I never realized that it would end up helping my hair as well! I haven't had a trim in nearly 6 months and I don't have a single split end on my head.

Back story:
I have mid-back length red hair. In my pre-Paraben days I would use Aussie or Pantene products and still have to spray my hair with a silicone product in order to get a comb through the knots. It was terrible, so bad in fact, I cut off about a foot of it last year because I was tired of the split ends and rat's nest tangles.

Since then, I had my Paraben Purge and started using Jason's brand shampoo and conditioner. I changed over to Aloe 80 a couple months ago because it has even fewer ingredients. The difference since using more natural products has been astounding. I used to get little sore spots on my scalp, all the split ends, rat nests and flyaways. I have none of these now. My hair is naturally wavy and the curls have really picked up. My hair is very shiny. It actually looks shinier now than when I was using the silicone shining spray.

Sorry to the organic naysayers, you can't deny hard evidence. I have to laugh at myself now because I always believed Aussie was a 'natural' product. In comparing ingredients listings, the difference is obvious. Compare the ingredients for my old Aussie shampoo and my current Aloe 80:

Water , Sodium Laureth Sulfate , Sodium Lauryl Sulfate , PPG-2 Hydroxyethylcoco/Isostearamide , Sodium Chloride , Citric Acid , Sodium Citrate , Fragrance , Sodium Benzoate , Tetrasodium EDTA , Polyquaternium-10 , Humulus Lupulus Extract Hops , Hedychium Coronarium Root Extract Australian Ginger Extract , Prunus Serotina Bark Extract Wild Cherry , Methylchloroisothiazolinone , Methylisothiazolinone , Sodium Xylenesulfonate , Red 4

certified organic aloe vera gel, sodium C14-16 olefin sulfonate and aloe vera gel,cocamidopropyl betaine and aloe vera gel, cocamide MEA, glycerin, sodium chloride, Certified Organic AloeSorb, lemon (citrus medica limonum) peel oil, hydrolymethyglycinate, rosemary (rosmarinus officialis leaf) oil,sodium cocoyl apple amino acids, terasodium EDTA, potassium Sorbate, DL pantheol (vitamin B5), L-Lysine HCI, Retinyl Palmitate (vitamin A) Tocopheryl Acetate (vitamin E).

ELF Brushes at Dollar General

2009-06-17T18:54:00.002-04:00

Popped into DG for some cards and saw a small display for ELF brushes and eyelashes. I was very surprised since I only find their bad cosmetics at Big Lots. They had a couple face brushes and the good eye brushes. No more paying out the nose for shipping when I want a new brush!

Nail Polish Remover Recall

2009-06-11T17:55:00.002-04:00

I am currently digging around for an effective, natural, and non-stinkly polish remover and ran across this post over at All Lacquered Up. I swear I have seen this on the shelves of my local dollar store.

Photo from the FDA.gov website.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- April 29, 2009 -- Personal Care Products of Bingham Farms, MI is voluntarily conducting a nationwide recall of all lots of Personal Care non-acetone nail polish remover, conditioner enriched with gelatin, 6 fl. oz., UPC 4815592076, because it does not meet product specifications and has the potential to cause chemical burns to the fingers of users.

The product has been sold nationwide in small discount retail stores and retailers are being instructed to remove the product from sale and to return it to Personal Care Products.

Personal Care has received two complaints of burns to the fingers resulting from the use of the product.

Any person who purchased a bottle of Personal Care non-acetone nail polish remover, conditioner enriched with gelatin is urged to return it to the store of purchase for a refund. Consumers with questions may contact Personal Care Products at 1-248-258-1555, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. EDT.

Haul: TJ Maxx & Marshalls

2009-05-22T18:32:00.005-04:00

TJ Maxx and Marshall's have almost identical merchandise, so I went on a Paraben Free expedition to see what could be found. I only drop by about one a month since their product turnover is a bit slow.

I picked up more Rachel Perry products. A couple of toners and another face scrub. Her products have really grown on me and the packaging is so unusual, it stands out. Perry products were $4 - $6 each, regularly $15 or so. I still see her older versions of these online and they do contain Parabens, so always check your ingredients.

I also bought a 8 ouce Dani body lotion. They have several scents available, I picked Mango. Certified Vegan and Organic ingredients.

Rachel Perry Perfectly Clear Toner: Ingredients: Active Ingredients: SD alcohol 40, Camphor, Eucalyptus Oil, Menthol, Peppermint Oil.

Also Contains: Purified Water, Polysorbate 20, Echinacea, Panthenol(vitamin "B"), Comfrey Root (Allantoin), Sage Extract, Clove Oil, Irish Moss Extract, Citrus Oils, Essential Oil.

Haul: NYX Pearl Shadows

2009-05-22T18:22:00.003-04:00

I posted a few days ago about the NYX sales going on. When Cherry Culture had their NYX at 50% plus free shipping on any order, I finally bit.

I bought 25 of the 29 (?) available colors. I passed on the pinks and odd ones. Some of these have ingredients labels and some don't, but since they all look the same, I am 'assuming' they all have the same ingredients. I haven't had time to get into them and play, but I have been watching other folks play for a couple of years now.

I think these are a great deal at $1 a piece. Can't be much more than the actual cost. I just wish NYX didn't have Parabens in their other products. I loved their lipsticks before I knew what was in them.

Loose Pearl Eyeshadow Ingredients:
Mica (and) Iron Oxides (and) Titanium Dioxide

Haul: Target & Makeup Alley

2009-05-21T20:27:00.006-04:00

This is a miscellaneous combo haul. I did a trade on Makeup Alley for a couple of Silk Naturals lippies in Nectar and Rhapsody. The samples were extras. Everyday Minerals, Adorned with Grace, Joppa Minerals. I've never tried Grace or Joppa before, always something new to get into!

I picked up this bag of 8 scrubbies at Target for $2. I used one last night. Pretty much a generic Buff Puff pad. When you wear them out, they are great for scrubbing the sink and the tub. Reuse and recycle!

Check it Out: Garden of Wisdom

2009-05-21T19:36:00.003-04:00

I run across some of the coolest products reading posts over at Acne.org. They were having a discussion of Mandelic oil and how it can knock out blackheads. Someone mentioned they buy their products from Garden of Wisdom, so I had to go check it out.

I could wallow around in this website for hours if I had the time. All kinds of wonderful, natural products. I am overwhelmed with goodness. For the DIY folks, tons of raw materials to mix your own.

Their products have lots of good reviews over at Makeup Alley, so definitely check this site out! I did get a sampler of the Mandelic oil, I will let you know if my nose finally clears up...

Gotta B Urban Brushes

2009-05-21T19:15:00.004-04:00

I'm sure this is old news to some of you, but I just ran across this brand while hauling at TJ Maxx and Marshall's. I found a bronzer that was the size of a small pancake for $6. I didn't buy it because it was too dark for me, but the ingredients listing was okay. As I was digging around for info on this brand, I kept finding blog posts about their brushes. Apparently, they are pretty good quality for the price ($4 - $9). They look in the range of Essence of Beauty to me, which are great little brushes. So, keep an eye open!

Kabuki image from Jellykiss.com

You Tube brush haul I found:

Spell Cosmetics Memorial Day Contest

2009-05-21T19:09:00.001-04:00

Memorial Day Weekend Contest Details!

If you are a Youtube follower of ours, you heard about this weekends Contest and Free Gift giveaways at Spell. If you are not a follower on youtube then here are the details for you!!

1. All orders of $20.00 will receive a FREE eyeshadow, (Your choice) and a FREE Mini gloss(Your Choice). The colours can be added to the "Comments for Spell" section of your order form

2. In addition, Every order will be entered into a random drawing, the winner will receive a mini contract to work with Spell and create your own Shadow Colour and Gloss Colour, they will then be added to the online store and sold for the entire summer. You will receive your own commission on the sale of your items.

This Contest runs from Thursday Morning May 21st and ends Monday May 25th at Midnight!

Spell Blog

Makeup Alley Hauls

2009-05-14T17:58:00.009-04:00

Okay, one more post before I start working my second job. The past few weeks, I have been trading makeup, perfume, etc. with folks on Makeup Alley. If you aren't familiar with the site, check it out. They have thousands of product reviews and lots of nice folks who like to trade this for that. It's a virtual beauty swapmeet. I've been a member since 2003, but never thought about trading until I started having problems finding the Paraben Free products I read about on other sites. My experience has mostly been positive. Only had one problem swapper who sent me expired items I had to throw out. This is my haul from two other traders.

Sample - Givenchy Ange ou Demon perfume sample. Always curious about it, but haven't broken into it yet.

New Kiss My Face Sheer Organic Shimmer in Topaz. This is just like the Burt's Bees products without such a strong peppermint kick. This does have peppermint flavor, but they tuned it down with vanilla and chocolate. Flavor free, anyone?

Zoya Nail Polish in Susanne and Sachi. Think I will like Susanne. Sachi is a bit hot pink for me.

Bare Escentuals / Bare Minerals Mineral Lipstick in Generosity. Cleaned it well with alcohol. Nice color, smooth. Like the tube. Surprised.

Britney Spears Fantasy - Well, I was 'curious'. Har-har. Seriously, one spray and this was gacking me. I felt like I was being suffocated in it. It finally died off after a couple of hours. Really cute bottle, though.

Kathy Hilton Perfume - This is an extra that a trader put in my box. I thought 'Hilton, ew'. The stuff under Paris' name is just awful. Believe it or not, this is the best perfume trade I have made in a while. It is nice, classy and hangs around for a long time without being overwhelming. Color me su-prised!

Wire Turqouis bracelet - I really didn't want this, but a trader really wanted one of my items, so I swapped for it. This is another favorite trade as well. It hugs my wrist perfectly and makes me feel exotic. LOL. It's crazy how the things I really didn't want end up being the ones I like the most!

Naturally Victoria's Secret

2009-05-14T17:22:00.004-04:00

Don't do it! I reader notified me of this product line a few weeks ago and I have just been all over the internet trying to find the ingredients listing for these things. Impossible to find unless you are reading the product box. BUT, I did just discover another fantastic blog called Feelgood Style - Beauty With Integrity. The author ran into the same problem I did, but she managed to solve the case (post includes ingredients list - ewww). You really need to read her post to see the hoops she was put through trying to find what exactly was in these 'natural' products. Good reading here.

Using Office Supply Organizers For Makeup

2009-05-14T16:35:00.006-04:00

I know, I know. But, some people out there have never tried using desk organizers for their makeup. They are a fraction of the price, work just as well as the ones sold specifically to organize makeup. Caboodles makes something similar to the above for twice as much. Oh, their version comes in pink, I guess that explains the price difference. O_o

I ran across a great post on Spektra that shows mesh containers being used for storage. I prefer mesh products for storage because you can see through them and they allow for air circulation, so you don't end up with stale smelling containers.

Enjoy the splendor below: Mesh: It's How I Roll
Image from the above post.

ELF Just p*ssed me off!

2009-05-14T16:14:00.003-04:00

Grrr... Shoulda known better. Received an e-mail this morning from ELF with the title '75% OFF e.l.f.' for a special 2-hour sale from 2-4 EST this afternoon. I didn't post about it because the title said 75% off but the coupon inside said 50% off their mineral makeup. Um, okay. Which is it? I wanted to try their mineral lipstick, so I blocked off some time this afternoon to (hopefully) buy them at the 75% off price. The site was being hammered and I spent 20 minutes just getting product into my cart only to have ELF dump the whole thing when I tried to check out. Added everything again and found that only their Mineral50 code was working, not the Mineral75. They have 50% off codes all the time, what was the point in the super special 2-hour sale?

I found a discussion on a deals board I read and someone had called ELF and was told the 75% was a typo. Yeah...

ELF Shenanigans

The Good Guide Website

2009-05-12T23:21:00.003-04:00

I just ran across this one while looking up the ingredients for some MAC Pigments. They have ingredients and reviews for all kinds of products, from canned fruit to deodorant. Definitely worth the look, especially since many items have the label and ingredients listed. It's fascinating reading!

The Good Guide

Cherry Culture 50% NYX & Free Shipping

2009-05-12T22:46:00.004-04:00

Let me preface this with a warning. Most everything on Cherry Culture is full of Parabens and other funk. However, once in a while you can find something good. They don't list any ingredients, so you have to do your detective work.

I received an e-mail from Cherry Culture that in addition to the NYX 50% sale, they were also offering free shipping on any purchase (normally $40) through May 15th. They have many quality makeup brushes. None of their cosmetics passed my muster except for the Loose Pearl Eyeshadow. I picked most of those up to try. They are $1 each after code.

Loose Pearl Eyeshadow Ingredients:
Mica (and) Iron Oxides (and) Titanium Dioxide

Code: NYX50
Free Shipping will show up on order page

Cherry Culture NYX Link

Zoya Polish Earth Day Haul

2009-05-11T18:46:00.004-04:00

I finally got off the bench and mailed off my old polishes to do the Zoya Earth Day Exchange. It's still going on, I don't know for how long. I just found a shoebox of old polishes from a K-Mart gift pack under the bed, so I will be going for round two.

Zoya Exchange here.

I traded in 11 old polishes. The new bottles cost $3 each, shipped. Regular price is $6 before shipping. The only one I didn't like is 'Elodie'. It is a bit too bright for me. I've already traded it at Makeup Alley.

Review: Wet 'n Wild Ultimate Minerals Blush

2009-05-11T17:51:00.005-04:00

Yes, you think I have lost my bleeping mind for ever buying a Wet 'n Wild product considering their historically nasty product line. This product doesn't have top notch ingredients, but for the price, it's acceptable. You get a lot of product for very little.

The jar drove me batty the first time I used it. I didn't realize it had a pop top on it. I thought the flip top was silly until I started using the product and realized you only need a few specks of it to get some major color impact. Just a dab will do you on this. Color payoff is great and several colors are available. I've been using it everyday for nearly a month now. No complaints and no skin reactions. Stay away from their foundation minerals as they are full of Parabens.

Wet 'n Wild Ultimate Minerals in Barely Peach.

Grade: A, Packaging: A-
Price: $3.99
Size: .17 ounces, 4.8 grams
Pros: Cheap, major color payoff.
Cons: You really don't need the screw top lid. It's kind of wobbly.

Ingredients: Mica , Boron Nitride , Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil , Silica , Glyceryl Caprylate , Tourmaline , Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax/Cire De Carnauba , Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract , Potassium Sorbate , Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil , Tocopherol , Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil , +/- May Contain: Bismuth Oxychloride/CI77163 , Carmine/CI 75470 , Iron Oxides/CI 77491, 77492, 77499 , Titanium Dioxide/CI 77891 , Ultramarines/CI 77007

Sale Codes

2009-05-11T17:37:00.004-04:00

Couple sale codes from my inbox.

J. Lynn Cosmetics:
Now through 11:59PM EST on Sunday, May 17th - use Code: POWDER and receive 25% OFF all Mineral Finishing Powders (full sizes AND sample jars) at J.Lynne Cosmetics!

Garden Girl Skincare:
20% off Body Butters. Code: May11

Juliet's Room:
25% off Skin Care Products

Spell Cosmetics Lip Gloss Relaunch

2009-05-11T17:21:00.003-04:00

All kinds of Spell goodness going on. They have relaunched their products in different containers with more product. Get this, they are putting their lip gloss into nail polish bottles! Why hasn't someone thought of that before? LOL. That is quite a bit of product. Be sure to check it out on their website and don't forget the 25% off code (see bottom of post).

http://www.spellcosmetics.blogspot.com/

The rumors were true. We did repackage all of the glosses! Tonight May 08 2009 at midnight est they will re-lauch in the online store. The packaging design is a retro 20's look, the container is a new eco-sensitive and recycleable glass jar. The applicator is a 1/4" Brush end which allow for more product and more control. The Obvious line will re-launch at $9.99 each. You will now be getting 50% more product in each!

Spell is the leader on this innovative packaging idea. Everyone uses the gloss tubes, we wanted to maintain the unique approach to the line and launch with class!

Now, to the best parts!! Many of you have the Obvious glosses already. We needed to focus on how to replace your product if you desire. So, throughout the month of May, you can replace your glosses and orders at 30% off plus a FREE EYESHADOW FROM ANY COLLECTION! You will receive a special code via email. In order to receive it please send an email titled" Gloss Replacement" to orders@spellcosmetics.com Please provide a previous order number and we will provide you the code.

We are so grateful to all of our customers and hope you will enjoy this "touch of class" that we have added to the Spell Line!

VIP MEMBERSHIPS ARE FREE AGAIN NOW! GET 25% OFF ALL ORDERS FOR 2 FULL YEARS. REQUEST IT BEFORE YOU SHOP TODAY! EMAIL US AT CSERVICE@SPELLCOSMETICS.COM

Blog Comments Update

2009-05-07T23:05:00.006-04:00

Hello, everyone! Sorry I have not updated in a few days. My two jobs have been wearing me out. I have a ton of hauls and new Paraben Free websites I need to post on.

I have changed the settings on this blog so that only registered users can post. I had already set the comments up for my approval before they are published, but apparently that is not enough.

I never realized there were so many hateful crazies on the web until I put up this site. I had an entire box full of hateful and poorly spelled comments when I logged in this evening. They all appear to be from the same anonymous person, at least I hope it's only one person. I don't understand why someone would bother reading and posting vitriolic comments on my PARABEN FREE blog if they don't believe that Parabens and other chemicals are a danger. I don't suffer fools easily. Please go crawl back under your rock.

E-bay Brush Roll

2009-04-27T15:47:00.002-04:00

Received a brush roll and brushes I purchased on E-bay for a whopping $4.19. They came from China, so it took about 2 weeks. I bought this specifically for the brush roll. Since they didn't show the brushes in the picture, I figured those would just be a throwaway. I was very surprised. The brushes are not the highest quality, but they are usable. They are a mix of natural and syntheic hair and have pretty pink handles. I just gave them my castille soap treatment wash and there was no dye bleeding and I only lost one hair on the big brush.

The brush roll stunk to high heaven when I opened the package. It is synthetic leather and had that chemical smell to it. It's only been airing out for a few minutes and there is little smell left. The material is a pink opalescent color and is a thick pleather. Everything is very washable - which is what I was after. Below is the link to the seller I purchased from. I've seen others selling it as well.

Link to auctions

Review: Physicians Formula Organic Wear Mascara

2009-04-26T12:58:00.002-04:00

I purchased this mascara in a haul on Earth Day for pocket change after coupon. I've been using it daily ever since and wanted to drop my thoughts on it.

Overall, I am very pleased. My pre-Paraben HG mascara was Maybelline Full 'n Lush. I had most recently been using Colossal because it does not have Parabens. I have tried a couple of organic mascaras and thought they were awful. Carmindy by Sally Hansen being the worst offender. This is by far the best organic mascara I have tried and definitely up there with regular mascara. It's my new HG.

The container is incredibly cute with the metallic green leaf. It also has a fat bottom and firmly sits on counter tops. It's a nice decorative piece. LOL. The mascara is fragrance free, so no 'mascara smell'. The ingredients list is very impressive and natural.

It comes with a standard rubber wand and the formula is very smooth. I bought 'Ultra Black' and it really makes my eyes pop. I was very impressed with the length this gave me. One coat did it. I noticed throughout the day that my lashed did not feel like they had mascara on them. It was kind of a strange sensation, but I got used to it. It's that light. No flaking or drooping. It still looked fresh at the end of the day.

My only issue came when I tried to take it off. I am used to using a baby wipe to remove my mascara. Well, this time the baby wipe did remove my mascara from my lashes, but rubbed it below my eye. It's not like with waterproof mascara where you have to rub and rub to get it off your lashes, this came off immediately, but then stuck to my skin. I used olive oil to clean it up. Not a big deal, but I was surprised at how the mascara liked to adhere to any surface it touched.

Grade: A, Packaging: A+
Price: $9 list, $6 sale
Size: .26 ounces, 7.5g
Pros: Adorable container, very light on lashes, makes mine long, lashes feel more conditioned.
Cons: Wipes off your lashes very easily with a wet cloth, but then sticks to your skin. Need to use oil to remove from face.

Revolutionary 100% Natural Origin formula contains the purest ingredients and provides 5x Lash Boosting for lash length, volume & definition naturally.
100% Recyclable Eco-Brush defines each lash with ultra-soft plastic bristles.
100% Free of Harsh Chemicals, Synthetic Preservatives, Parabens, Clumping, Smudging, Flaking, Fibers & Dyes.

INGREDIENTS: CITRUS AURANTIUM DULCIS (ORANGE) FRUIT WATER*, GLYCERIN, IRON OXIDE, MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE, GLYCERYL STEARATE, WATER, BEESWAX*, JOJOBA ESTERS, TAPIOCA STARCH*, COPERNICIA CERIFERA (CARNAUBA) WAX*, STEARIC ACID, GLYCERYL CAPRYLATE, ALOE BARBADENSIS LEAF JUICE*, CELLULOSE GUM, CINNAMIC ACID, CUCUMIS SATIVUS (CUCUMBER) FRUIT EXTRACT*, GLYCINE SOYA (SOYBEAN) OIL*, HYDROLYZED ORYZA SATIVA (RICE) PROTEIN, MAGNESIUM ALUMINUM SILICATE, OLEA EUROPAEA (OLIVE) LEAF EXTRACT*, MAY CONTAIN: TITANIUM DIOXIDE

Avoiding the Bad Nail Polishes

2009-04-26T12:19:00.003-04:00

I was catching up on some blog reading and ran across an Earth Day posting by All Laquered Up. This is some interesting reading in which she sorts polishes by lack of baddie ingredients. With pictures! Check it out:

All Laquered Up Earth Day Polish Post

(Image from ALU Blog)

I found the brand listings interesting because slowly over the years, companies have been pulling the big 3 offenders out of their ingredients. Formaldehyde, Toulene, and DBP. Cancer in a bottle. But, that list has been expanding to include Formaldehyde Resin (the reason I don't use OPI), and Camphor. You can draw more bees with honey than Formaldehyde. Whether trying to keep up with the industry competition or listening to their customers, I am pleased that so many companies are cleaning up their acts.

With so many safe, quality polishes available, there is no excuse to continue taking chances with your current polish. I don't care if you have been using the same brand since you were a teenager, it's time to check out safer options.

Zoya is running a polish trade-in promotion right now. Send in any brand of polish (not Zoya) and you can pick from their entire collection for $3 a bottle shipped. Regular price is $6 not including shipping. I sent out a dozen almost full bottles of my old polish and it cost around $6.50 to ship them. Check it out!

Currently, I use 3 nail polish brands. I may expand that thanks to ALU's blog post. I will check out the posted version of NYC polish the next time I am in the store. Cheap always makes me happy.

Zoya - straight up nail polish. Huge selection of colors, intensities, etc.
Spell Cosmetics - mineral nail polish. Unique colors. Smells like polish, shake well.
Honeybee Gardens - water based mineral polish. No smell. Limited, standard color set. Regular and peel off varieties. Does not last as long as regular polish. Shake well.

Coastal Scents 15% Off

2009-04-24T11:36:00.003-04:00

Get 15% off at Coastal Scents through midnight April 26th. Discount automatically taken in the shopping cart. Read any ingredients carefully, they use Parabens. I would recommend taking a look at their brush collection. Decent brushes for cheap. Choice of shipping options.

Coastal Scents Brushes

Check It Out: Nvey ECO

2009-04-24T10:19:00.002-04:00

Well, I know why they call this line Nvey, I envy the person who can afford it. These products make my mouth water. The ingredients lists read like a love sonnet, but the cost is beyond my pay scale. I'll have to search for it from cheaper sources.

Nvey Eco is what 'organic' makeup should be about - quality ingredients, no fillers, and no dangerous preservatives. Price - $24 - $61

Check out the ingredients list on this LIQUID foundation. I think I can hear angels singing:

Purified Water, Glyceryl Stearate [Vegetable Emulsifier], Glycerin [Vegetable Glycerine], Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis [Sweet Almond Oil], Cetearyl Alcohol [Coconut Derived Emulsifier], Calendula Officinalis [Calendula Oil], Panthenol [Vitamin B5], Tocopheryl Acetate [Vitamin E Acetate], Origanum Vulgare [Wild Marjoram] Extract, Thymus Vulgaris Extract [Thyme Extract], Cinnamomum Zeylanicum [Cinnamon Bark] Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis [Rosemary} Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia [Lavender Flower] Extract, Hydrastis Canadensis [Golden Seal Root] Extract, Anthemis Nobilis [Chamomile] Extract, Cucumis Sativus [Cucumber] Extract, Lonicera Caprifolium [Honeysuckle] Extract, Rosa Centifolia Extract [Rose Absolute]. May Contain [+/-] CI 77019 [Mica], CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, CI 770070, CI 77891.

Pressed powder with NO talc. My precious....

NVEY ECO, a truly certified organic makeup line that doesn't compromise on performance or color range, so well-suited for your ethically-chic lifestyle! Makeup is more than just color at NVEY ECO (pronounced en-vay ee-coh), it's a philosophy of harmony through the interaction of nature and creativity to deliver organic cosmetics that nourish, protect, condition, and energize your skin. Certified organic by the Australian Government as well as the Organic Food Chain, NVEY ECO is paraben free, SLS free, GM free, cruelty free, talc free, and contains no propylene glycol or petroleum based ingredients. NVEY ECO's core is green, it's sexy, it's color, and it's certified organic. There is no alternative.

Check It Out: Cargo Plant Love

2009-04-24T10:04:00.004-04:00

Sephora is just full of surprises today. I just ran across a new line of makeup by Cargo called 'Plant Love'. They are a bit pricier than anything I would use, but the containers are cute and overall good ingredients. Again, don't care for talc, but the rest get a thumbs up.

Price: $16 - $36

Sephora Paraben Free Palette

2009-04-24T09:35:00.003-04:00

Give me a moment while I get over the shock and awe of finding a Paraben Free makeup palette on Sephora's website of all places. *Deep breath* Wow, seriously, I never thought I would see the day palette makers would start getting with the program. They do use talc, which I am not crazy about, but is common in pressed makeup. Price - $22.

Back in my pre-Paraben Free days, I came SO close to buying the Coastal Scents palettes many times. I would watch Enkore and the girls on You Tube do these great reviews and I would go put them in my cart and then back out. Good thing I did, Mineral Oil, Methylparaben and Propylparaben. That's why I am so shocked by this Sephora offering. I have seen similar palettes and they all have crap ingredients and bad preservatives (especially the ones selling on E-Bay).

Good quality You Tube review I found.

Color Play Palette:
Eyeshadows:
Talc, Mica, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Magnesium Stearate, Hydrogenated Polysiobutene, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopheryl Acetate May Contain: Titamium Dioxide (CI 77891), Black Iron Oxides (CI 77499), Yellow Iron Oxides (CI 77492), Red Iron Oxides (CI 77491), Manganese Violet (CI 77742), Ultramarine (CI 77007), Chromium Oxide Green (CI 77288), Chromium Hydroxide Green (CI 77289), Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090), Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140).
Lipgloss:
Polybutene, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Bees Wax (Cera Alba), Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Phenyl Trimethicone, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Microcrystalline Wax, Carnauba (Copernicia Cerifera)Wax, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopheryl Acetate May Contain: Titamium Dioxide (CI 77891), Black Iron Oxides (CI 77499), Yellow Iron Oxides (CI 77492), Red Iron Oxides (CI 77491), Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140), Red 6 (CI 15850), Red 7 Lake (CI 15850), Red 28 Lake (CI 45410), Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090), Mica (CI 77019).
Blush:
Talc, Mica, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Magnesium Stearate, Hydrogenated Polysiobutene, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopheryl Acetate May Contain: Titamium Dioxide (CI 77891), Black Iron Oxides (CI 77499), Yellow Iron Oxides (CI 77492), Red Iron Oxides (CI 77491), Manganese Violet (CI 77742), Red 6 (CI 15850), Red 7 Lake (CI 15850), Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140).
Bronzer:
Talc, Mica, Magnesium Stearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydrogenated Polysiobutene, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopheryl Acetate May Contain: Titamium Dioxide (CI 77891), Black Iron Oxides (CI 77499), Yellow Iron Oxides (CI 77492), Red Iron Oxides (CI 77491), Manganese Violet (CI 77742), Ultramarine (CI 77007), Chromium Oxide Green (CI 77288), Chromium Hydroxide Green (CI 77289), Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090), Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140).

Spell Cosmetics 30% Off VIP Sale!

2009-04-23T23:06:00.004-04:00

Had to do an update before I go to bed. Just saw on the Spell Blog that Apr 23 to Apr 26 you will get 30% off with your VIP code.

You can get your VIP code free here.

Earth Day Hauls

2009-04-22T19:58:00.003-04:00

I did a lap of Meijer and Walgreens and picked up a few items. Walgreens has a coupon on their website good for today only for a free tote and 15% off regular and 20% off Walgreens brand items.

Link to Walgreens coupon.

At Meijer, I bought the 3-pack of pure glycerin soap I had twittered about last week. $2.99. I also found Physician's Formula Organic Wear mascara on sale for $5.36. I had a $5 coupon so that was 36 cents. Yeah, boy! It's really cute with a green leaf top. Fragrance free.

Mascara Ingredients: CITRUS AURANTIUM DULCIS (ORANGE) FRUIT WATER*, GLYCERIN, IRON OXIDE, MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE, GLYCERYL STEARATE, WATER, BEESWAX*, JOJOBA ESTERS, TAPIOCA STARCH*, COPERNICIA CERIFERA (CARNAUBA) WAX*, STEARIC ACID, GLYCERYL CAPRYLATE, ALOE BARBADENSIS LEAF JUICE*, CELLULOSE GUM, CINNAMIC ACID, CUCUMIS SATIVUS (CUCUMBER) FRUIT EXTRACT*, GLYCINE SOYA (SOYBEAN) OIL*, HYDROLYZED ORYZA SATIVA (RICE) PROTEIN, MAGNESIUM ALUMINUM SILICATE, OLEA EUROPAEA (OLIVE) LEAF EXTRACT*, MAY CONTAIN: TITANIUM DIOXIDE

At Walgreens, I picked up the freebie tote, the Escencia Shampoo I had posted about a few weeks back. Those products have hang tags where you can get your purchase price back after rebate. $7.99.

My last chemical dependency is perfume. The InStyle perfumes are B1G1F this week. $11 for the two.

Sprig.com: Best Eco-Mascaras

2009-04-21T10:17:00.004-04:00

I love finding new products! Here is a list from Sprig of the most popular eco-friendly 'safe' mascaras. I ran through the product websites and all seem to be free of Parabens and other nasties, but always read the label before buying.

Sprig: 14 Eco-Friendly Mascaras

Sprig has some interesting product lists, so dig around a bit and find something new.

TotalBeauty.com Article on Baddies

2009-04-21T09:54:00.003-04:00

I'm signed up for all kinds of beauty newsletters and this just landed in my box. An article on ingredients to avoid and a few to find. Worth the clicks for new products and another baddie I had forgotten, Thimerosal. I did find it very telling that PARABENS were not mentioned at all in the article. I'm sure the fact that all of their sponsor products contain Parabens had nothing to do with the decision to omit those.

TotalBeauty.com: Dangerous Ingredients You Should Avoid

Thimerosal: Preservative made from Mercury and causes brain damage. I looked around and only Paula Dorf cake mascara is listed as having it.

Thimerosal is also known by these names: Mercurochrome? Merzonin; Merthiolate? Mertorgan; Sodium ethylmercurithiosalicylate Ethyl (2-mercaptobenzoato-S) mercury
sodium salt; Mercurothiolate Merfamin; Thiomersalate Thiomersal; and Thiomersalan [(o-carboxyphenyl)thio] Ethylmercury sodium salt.

Sunscreen Ingredients Causing More Damage Than They Prevent?

2009-04-20T14:55:00.003-04:00

I was visting the folks this weekend and caught up on my stack of magazines I never have time to read. Good thing I didn't have internet access, because I freaked out when I read the article below in Allure Magazine about the damaging effects of the most used ingredients for sunscreen. There is a study which shows that these ingredients actually increase the number of free radicals in your body as they break down.

I had a hard enough time finding sunscreens without these nasty chemicals. Now, I have to worry about free radicals causing damage. Aaaagh! Read and decide for yourself.

Allure Article

SNIP: When sunscreen is slathered on the skin, molecules in the sunscreen — the UV filters — cut down on the amount of radiation that can penetrate the skin. But according to this UC Riverside study, helmed by lead author Kerry Hanson, three commonly used, FDA approved sunscreen filters — octyl methoxycinnamate, octocrylene, and benzophenone-3, which is also known as oxybenzone — can boost the number of free radicals over time when they break down and are absorbed into the skin.

GDA: A.C. Moore Brushes - 50% MAC Dupes!

2009-04-20T14:29:00.004-04:00

I was traveling between states this weekend and paid my usual homage to the A.C. Moore store. It's a crafts store much like Michaels. This week, they have ALL of their single artists brushes at 50%. I picked up a couple more Loew-Cornell Maxine's Mops and a squirrel hair brush. I LOVE the L-C brushes. Goat's hair, super quality and cheap as dirt.

In case you didn't get the memo, roll over to You Tube and do a search for Loew-Cornell, you will find lots of videos showing those brushes compared to the expensive MAC brushes.

Click here to find a store.

Here is a cribbed list of L-C to MAC equivalent brushes: List

Cheapest place I have found online with free shipping: Brushes and More.com.

Spell Cosmetics VIP card - FREE!

2009-04-20T14:09:00.004-04:00

I'm filing this under 'I'll be darned'! For the month of April, Spell is giving away their VIP discount cards. These are good for 25% of Spell products. I think I paid $12 for mine when I bought it last year. Get it while the getting's good!

You will need to send Spell a note BEFORE you buy anything asking for a code. Free shipping and 25% off? It's ALL good!

Spell card blurb

E-mail: cservice@spellcosmetics.com

Spell Cosmetics Gothic Vogue B1G1F

2009-04-20T14:00:00.003-04:00

Spell is having a quickie clearance today (4-20) and tomorrow (4-22) on their remaining Gothic Vogue stock. Buy one, get one. More info in the Spell Blog.

Link to the Gothic Pretties.

Don't forget! ZOYA Nail Polish Exchange

2009-04-20T13:55:00.002-04:00

Here's another chance to trade in those funky, bad for you nail polishes and trade up to Zoya. Great colors and Toluene, Formaldehyde free. I still need to send mine in. Such a slacker.

Zoya Earth Day Nail Polish Exchange

Info is still the same from their previous polish exchange: Blog Post

Review: Sonia Kashuk Brushes

2009-04-05T15:56:00.004-04:00

In the past month, I have saved my pennies and picked up two of the Sonia Kashuk brushes I keep hearing so many good things about. Plenty of uses and washing later, I am ready to review them.

The two I purchased are the 'Highlighting' or skunk brush and the flat head blusher brush. Sonia's products are exclusive to Target.

I purchased Sonia's skunk brush after being disappointed with my MAC Adoring Carmine Special Edition brushes. Sonia delivers where the 187SE fails. Sonia is a full size brush with a slighter larger and thicker head, but side-by-side, they look identical. I lost a couple of hairs the first time I washed it, but nothing since. Shedding was my major complaint about the MAC brush.

I use my skunk mostly for blush and highlighting powder. The pink tinge you see in the photos is the blush. I used it before I remembered I needed photograph it.

I can't say enough good things about this
brush, worth every penny and more. I can't believe a brush this nice is so inexpensive. It has held up through dozens of uses and I wash it twice a week. Like new. These are considered a 'unicorn' product since they are so hard to find in stock.

Sonia Kashuk Highlighting Brush
Grade: A+
Price: $12.99
Location: Target
Pros: Super cheap, high quality
Cons: Hard to find, why did I wait so long?

The second Sonia brush is called a blusher brush. I bought it specifically to use with my mineral makeup. I have been using a flat top makeup brush from Coastal Scents. The Coastal Scents brush was only $4 and natural hair, but a bit to scratchy for me - and it always smells like wet dog butt when you wash it.

I was loving the Sonia brush before I used it and the love affair continues. I use this and the skunk every day I wear makeup and it has held up wonderfully through all the use and washings. It is synthetic and has a flat head. I don't know how they managed it, but the synthetic feels much softer than real hair. It has a small, tightly packed head that gives a lot of control and lets you get into all the nooks and crannies without having to dig in. Something else I noticed is that it doesn't give you a dust cloud of mineral makeup if you pick up too much. That is a complaint I have about other flat top brushes I have used.

Between these Sonia Kashuk brushes and my Loewe Cornell Maxine's Mop brushes, my set is complete. But, I will continue testing brushes because you just never know...

Sonia Kashuk Blush Brush
Grade: A+
Price: $14.99
Location: Target
Pros: High quality, super soft, no shedding at all.
Cons: Comes in a hard case that will scratch the brush handle if you use it for storage.

Review: Village Naturals Body Scrub

2009-04-03T14:43:00.004-04:00

I ran across this at Meijer. I thought Village Naturals was only sold in Wal-Mart, but apparently they are in most stores. Regular price was $3.00, but it was on sale for $2, so you know I couldn't help myself. They have both sugar and salt scrubs. I picked the sugar.

I've never used such a basic scrub before and was kind of put off by all the oil floating on top. I thought it would be more blended. I used it this morning and hated it when I was in the shower, but now I think I kind of liked it.

I gave it a good shake to mix things up before I pulled the protective tab off. The sugar makes a great scrub and it lasts as long as you need it. I did my upper body. Good exfoliation, but I felt like a giant greaseball after using it. I did a once over with soap to get some oil off of me. Once I was out and started drying off, the oil finally sunk in so I wasn't greasy. I think if I had used this in the tub, I wouldn't have been able to get out. It does leave a greasy scum exactly where you are standing, which is dangerous.

Overall, it was okay. I will finish out the jar, but I won't repurchase. Other painpoint aside from sliding around in the shower, is the jar is very cheap, thin plastic that doesn't hold it's shape - or the lid. I couldn't get it back on straight.

Video on making your own scrub

Grade: Product - B+, Packaging: D
Price: $3
Size: 11.5 ounces
Pros: Super cheap, generous amount, good scrubbing action.
Cons: That flimsy jar that won't screw shut. Slip 'n slide in the shower.

Ingredients: Sugar, Sweet Almond Oil, Olive Oil, Fragrance

Product Review: Rachel Perry Peach & Papaya Facial Scrub

2009-04-03T13:32:00.004-04:00

I picked up a couple items at Marshalls the other day. Marshalls is kind of like TJ MAxx - Big Lots for department stores. I was looking through several shelves of products for something that was fit to use and saw the beautiful words 'Paraben Free' on the box.
I did some research when I got home, and Rachel Perry has reformulated all of their products to be Paraben Free. I found some of the older products in this series and they were full of Parabens and Urea. Yuck!

The product comes in a plastic jar with a deco sticker (I love their box art). It has a nice peachy smell. When I first opened it, I thought it was a clay scrub, but it was actually the ground walnut shell powder. It's a very thick consistency, so you have to dig in to get some. Just a dab will do you. It was smooth on my face and very packed with scrubby bits. The granulation was not as fine as I would have liked, but it was still much finer than anything found in the drugstore - and Paraben Free.

My all-time favorite facial scrub (aside from baking soda) was the Healing Garden's Skin Organics reFine Microderm Abrasion. It used bamboo, but they stopped making it.

The girls on Makeup Alley give this a 90% rebuy, so definitely check it out if you run across it.

Grade: A-
Price: $5.99 - regular retail is $12.00
Size: 2 ounces
Ingredients: Paraben Free. Deionized (Aqua) Water, Propylene Glycol, Walnut (Juglans Mandshurica) Shell Powder, Cocoamphocarboxy Propionate from Coconut (Cocos Nucifera) Oil, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Glyceryl Stearate S.E. Titanium Dioxide, Papya (Carica Papaya) Extract, Lemon (Citrus Medica Limonum) Peel Extract, Juniperus Communis Extract, Peach (Prunus Persica) Puree Extract, Chamomile (Anthemis Nobilis) Extract, Clary (Salvia Sclarea) Extract, Evening Primrose (Oenothere Biennis) Oil, Balm Mint (Melissa Officinalis) Extract, Gentian (Gentiana Lutea) Root Extract, Arnicaa Montana Flower Extract, Geranium (Pelargonium Graveolens) Extract, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine Lactate, Salicylic Acid, DMDMHydantoin, Comfrey (Symphytum Officinale) Root Extract, Allantoin, Citric Acid (and) Silver Citrate, Vitamin "B" (panthenol), Peach (Prunus Persica) Kernel Oil, Sea Salt (Sodium Chloride), Vitamin "A" (Retinyl Palmitate), Vitamin "E" (Tocopheryl Acetate), Fragrance (Essence Oil).

Follow Me on Twitter

2009-04-01T15:17:00.002-04:00

Hi, guys! Quick update before I get back to work. I created a Princess account on Twitter. I've been shooting images and product info up over there since I can do it quickly. I will follow up and post my full product reviews on here when I have the time.

Reader Question: Disposing of Paraben Products

2009-03-23T21:50:00.003-04:00

I had a reader ask what she should do with all of the Paraben-filled products she was cleaning out of her life. I think this is a question that leaves most of us scratching our heads. We definitely don't want to use any more of them, but what are you going to do with all this stuff?

Here are a few suggestions and recommendations. While we have made our own informed decisions not to use products with Parabens, most people really don't care what is in their products.

Sell: I had several new, very nice gift sets from Bath & Body Works and The Body Shop. I sold them on Craig's List to someone who was thrilled to get them. She was happy and I used the money to buy new Paraben Free products.

Donate: The Red Cross, Homeless Shelters, Women's Shelters, etc. They are always glad to receive health and beauty products.

Swap: I wouldn't recommend donating used makeup (it will probably be thrown out), but you can trade out for what you want on Makeup Alley.

Discard: If you have an item that you can't donate or swap and it is in a bottle that can be recycled, empty out the contents into some newspaper and put in the trash. Don't put anything down the sink, the chemicals will go into drinking water and out into the ocean. Keep the impact as small as possible.

Mascara Find: Maybelline Stiletto

2009-03-23T21:46:00.003-04:00

It was a day of Paraben Free discovery for me. Saw the new Maybelline Stiletto mascara hanging on a display at Walgreens. Around $8, so a bit pricey for drugstore mascara, but still a big surprise. Could Maybelline finally be seeing the Paraben Free light?

Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Paraffin, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Cera Alba (Beeswax), Cera Carnauba (Carnauba Wax), Acacia Senegal, Gum, Acrylates Copolymer, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, PEG/PPG 17/18 Dimethicone, Steareth 20, Phenethyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Hydrolyzed Corn Starch, Sodium Polymethacrylate, Hydrogenated Jojoba Oil, Hydrogenated Palm Oil, Simethicone, Rayon, Disodium EDTA, Silica, Panthenol, Hydrolyzed Silk, May Contain (+/-): CI 77499, CI 77491, CI 77492 (Iron Oxides), CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), Mica, CI 75470 (Carmine), CI 77288 (Chromium Oxide Greens), CI 77289 (Chromium Hydroxide Green), Titanium Dioxide, CI 77742 (Manganese Violet), CI 77007 (Ultramarines), CI 77510 (Ferric Ferrocyanide)

Walgreens Find: Esencia Shampoo & Conditioner

2009-03-23T21:36:00.002-04:00

I swung by Walgreens on my way home after work to see if they had anything new. I ran across the Esencia line of products by Samy. I can't find the ingredients listing online, but what I read on the bottle looked good. Walgreen's in-store has the shampoo and conditioner for $7.99 with a 'Try Me Free' rebate attached. It will be around $1 after taxes and stamp. Worth a shot.

• sulfate free
• paraben free
• phthalate Free

• no artificial colors
• natural extracts
• 100% vegan

• certified organic ingredients
• no animal testing
• salon performance

Reader Question: Why do I itch when using mineral makeup?

2009-03-15T16:28:00.005-04:00

This one came in as a comment post. Itchy skin and mineral makeup - Everyday Minerals & Bare Minerals.

I have been using e.m. samples for a while now and they just started itching last week. My face only itches for the first hour or two after I put them on. The only thing that has changed is that I got new samples. I had never tried original glo. That's what I'm trying now and I think that is what's itching. I tried Bare Mineral samples a month ago and had no trouble at all, however when I tried my sister's b.e. a year ago it really made me itch. I'm combo/acne prone and sensitive. Any ideas?

The same thing happened to me with Everyday Minerals. I would put on Everyday Minerals and then itch for about an hour. It was worse if I sweated a bit - awful, prickly feeling. I'm convinced it was because earlier versions of the EM products contained Bismuth. The Bismuth is used to give mineral makeup it's 'glow' or sheen. I have a feeling the same is true in your case as well. Some people have a very bad reaction to Bismuth in makeup products, especially those of us who have sensitive skin.

Bare Minerals contains Bismuth and their finishing powder contains Zea Mays (corn starch), another irritant for sensitive skin. Everyday Minerals contains Zea Mays. I would recommend looking for products without these ingredients.

Everyday Minerals Ingredients
Bare Minerals Ingredients

Always wash your makeup brushes at least once a week using mild castille soap.
Always wash your brushes when you change makeup brands.
Evaluate the brushes you are using. Are they soft or do they scratch when you apply makeup? There are many quality, low cost brushes out there. Try some.

Almay Pure Blends Bonus Packs

2009-03-15T16:11:00.006-04:00

Here is a pic I took while at Tarjet from an earlier post. This is an end cap display. Almay Pure Blends are on sale and every product has a bonus product attached. Foundation is $9.99 and comes with a free lip gloss attached. Good time to give these a try.

Previous Almay post.

Haul: Sonia Kashuk Brush

2009-03-15T15:48:00.003-04:00

I was in Tarjet Friday specifically to buy Sonia Kashuk's version of the MAC #187 skunk brush. I ended up walking out with a synthetic flat blusher brush. I couldn't help it! I had the skunk brush ($12.99) in my hand but Target has a display where you can touch samples of some of the other brushes and I kept petting them.

The flat blusher brush ($14.99) is intended for cream blush but I want to use it for my mineral makeup. The head is small and dense and incredibly soft. I couldn't believe anything synthetic could be so soft. I took it out of the plastic case and petted on it during the drive home. So soft. I washed it with my castille soap cleanser and am waiting for it to dry to so I can use and review. It didn't shed a whisker during washing. It is extremely thick and will take longer to dry than your other brushes.

All Sonia's brushes appear to be 10% this week at Target, so now would be a good time to drop by and pet a few for yourself. Here is the selection available online; skunk brush and some others are available instore only. Sonia Kashuk brushes.

Bare Minerals - Free Sample + Brush

2009-03-15T15:00:00.004-04:00

Bare Escentuals - Bare Minerals is 'giving away' a 10-day sampler of their product with brush. Free in store or $3.95 shipping online.

Online link

Haul: MAC Brush Collection

2009-03-06T11:45:00.007-05:00

{photo courtesy of Musings of a Muse}

I bet you never thought you would ever hear me utter the words 'MAC Haul' now, did you? Now, I would never buy their makeup because it is full of Parabens, but I have heard such good things about their brushes over the years, I figured I would give them a shot.

I purchased the Adoring Carmine Face set (no longer available) at Dillard's after Christmas sale for $18. They retail for around $50, so I thought it was a steal.

These are special smaller versions of regular sized MAC brushes that are only available during the holidays. I have to say that I was impressed with the packaging, carrying case and the overall beauty of the brush handles. It's a lovely color.

Included are Special Edition versions of the 187 (duo fiber), 190 (foundation brush), 168 (angled contour) and 194 (concealer).

I washed them and starting using them a couple weeks ago (yes, I'm slow). I was surprised at how many hairs came out of the 187 (known as the skunk brush) when I washed it. The rest had little to no shedding.

I've been using Loew Cornell Maxine's Mop artists brushes for about six months now and am really impressed with the quality. I wash them every week and my eyeshadow brush daily. No shedding and they look new. I wanted to put that out there so you know the quality level I am accustomed to using.

I can't believe a company as lauded as MAC would sell customers such a collection of crap brushes. I wish I could get my $18 back. The 187 is a huge disappointment and not a fan of the 168 either. The others are meh, I've bought similar quality brushes at Big Lots.

The first time I used the 187 was to stipple wet foundation. I kept pulling brush hairs off my face and onto my sink - 23 hairs in total. Every time the brush touched my face, it left a hair behind. The next time I used it with mineral foundation - got 6 that time. Then a wash, another 9 hairs. I used the 168 for blush. No shedding but I was not impressed with the performance or it's ability to keep it's shape.

I know these brushes can't be compared side-by-side with the full sizes brushes. These are machine made while the others are hand made. But, that 187 is the worst shedding brush I have ever used.

Here is a review along with other photos from Musings of a Muse. She liked them.

Reviews from Makeup Alley. Most had my experience.

Reader Questions: Is There a Safe Self-Tanner?

2009-03-06T10:15:00.004-05:00

I caught this reader question as a comment that was posted. The reader had been using a Neutrogena self-tanner (Neutrogena is an AWFUL brand if you are trying to avoid chemicals), but since it is full of Parabens, switched to their new one called 'Sun Fresh'. It IS Paraben-Free, but still has other harmful ingredients. The reader had a reaction to the Witch Hazel.

I am a fair-skinned redhead and used Estee Lauder tanner and later one made by Jergens back in the day. I just remember them smelling horrible and they always made me orange and not tan. I eventually stopped and embraced the pale.

Much like with sunscreens, it is just about impossible to find a self-tanner that isn't full of harmful chemicals. Even if you can dodge the Parabens, there are still plenty of other chemicals that they are banned in other countries outside the US. See some sunless tanners ranked by danger level.

Embrace the pale. Those nicely baked co-eds that make us so jealous will be paying for it when they look like leather wallets in a few years - plus the additional skin cancer risk.

Try using a slightly darker paraben-free foundation. Remember to keep an eye on your neck, you don't want mismatched body parts.

Try using a mineral bronzer.

Eat less processed foods and more fruits and vegetables. Good nutrition will increase the blood flow and health of your skin. Mine has changed two shades from very pale to rosy glow since January by eating right.

If I still can't convince you to forgo the chemical dye job, here is a list the products least likely to make you drop dead.

Coppertone Endless Summer

Short list, ain't it?

Smoky Mountain Minerals - 25% Off

2009-03-06T09:54:00.003-05:00

Just had a new code for Smoky Mountain Minerals hit my box. They have some greats kits and no bismuth. Free shipping.

Sale Code: dst09

Previous SMM Posts.

Paraben Free SPF Products

2009-03-03T11:57:00.005-05:00

A reader from the UK asked me to recommend a Paraben Free moisturizer with SPF. Using SPF products is always a difficult decision. You either suck it up and use a product with harmful chemicals or you take your chances with skin cancer. I vote to find a compromise. The best bet for finding a Paraben Free SPF moisturizer is to find a good sunscreen that can double as that.

I'm not familiar with products sold in the UK or EU, but knowing what to look for is the best place to start. Below is an important study conducted by the Cosmetics Safety Database. It's a MUST READ!

Sunscreen Investigation

Bottom line is that Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide are two of your least harmful ingredients for blocking UVA and UVB rays. Bad news is that many products use 'nano' (tiny!) versions of these ingredients which can possibly cause cell and nerve damange. There is confusion in the cosmetics industry (there's a shock) over the definition of 'nano' and 'micro' particles. Read.

I used to use Burt's Bees sunscreen until I read that it contains nano particles. So, I'm in the market for a new sunscreen as well.

Soleo - $25
http://www.soleousa.com/

Cosmetic Safety Database Listing

Marie Veronique Skin Serum SPF 30 - $35+

Cosmetic Safety Database Listing

Lavera Organic SPF 20+ - $20+

Cosmetic Safety Database Listing

Zoya Nail Polish Exchange

2009-03-03T10:57:00.010-05:00

This just goes to show how overworked I have been. I completely missed this the first time through. Zoya Nail Polish is running an exchange program. You send them your old bottles of any brand of fingernail cancer, and they will send you shiny new bottles of their products which don't contain harmful chemicals. Zoya does have a large variety of great shades. I have a shoebox full of OPI I have been holding, waiting for a good way to dispose of them. I think some Zoya would make good stocking stuffers.

Caveats:

You pay to ship your old polish to them.
You pay shipping and processing for each of their products which is $3 per bottle shipped. Their regular price is $6 a bottle plus shipping.
You must select exactly the same number of Zoya Polishes as the number of polishes you are returning. Ex: If you send in 6, you have to buy 6.
You must exchange a minimum of 6 bottles of polish, and no more than a maximum of 200 bottles.
Offer expires April 28, 2009.

http://www.zoya.com/exchange/

If you miss the deadline, they are doing it again for Earth Day.

- - - - - - - -

We are writting to let all our customers know that the Zoya Nail Polish Exchange has been an amazing hit. We have had over 70,000 bottles of old nail polish exchanged for new Zoya Polish.

As a result of this succes, the word has spread quickly and more and more people want to participate. Even many of the people who tried the program once (loved it), realized that they had more polish that they wanted to exchange. For these reasons we have extended the Zoya Nail Polish Exchange program through 4/28/2009.

For more information on the Zoya Polish Exchange visit http://www.zoya.com/exchange
Please tell your freinds and family about this promotion. To save shipping costs on sending your old nail polishes to us, many people have been grouping their exchanges with friends, family and co-workers.

Spell Cosmetics - Get Your VIP Discount Before You Buy

2009-03-03T10:33:00.004-05:00

These guys are wearing me out. MORE great Spell deals!

If I understand the e-mail correctly, all three of these collections come with the Spell VIP Card (25% off and free shipping - $10 value).

If you contact Spell at their customer service address below, they will send you your VIP card info BEFORE you buy the collection so you save 25% right off the top!

Think Spring! Huge discounts on the "All 40 Shadow Kit", "Im a Spell Girl Kit", and the full "Gloss kit". All three come with VIP, but for a limited time you can receive your 25% of VIP membership IN ADVANCE! So, if you've been eyeing these send us an email at cservice@spellcosmetics.com and get your VIP via email before you buy!!!!

I'm a Spell Girl Kit: Link
40 Shadow Kit: Link
Full Gloss Kit (I think): Link

Spell Cosmetics: Speciality Collections

2009-03-03T10:14:00.005-05:00

WOW. Spell is really stepping up their game! They now have guest artists and all kinds of nifty new products and a Specialty category.

All Specialty Collections: Link

Gothic Vogue Collection by Tiffany Diamond.

The Radiance Collection by Lauren Christopher.

AllthatGlitrz21 Gloss Trio

Elegant Minerals Pressed Compact

2009-03-03T10:05:00.002-05:00

Elegant Minerals is now selling a pressed compact for $19.95. The size is not listed but it's supposed to last 5-6 months. When I purchased samples from there last year, the products contained quite a bit of clay, so this would useful if you have oily skin.

The site is kind of busy, so keep looking, you will find it.

You will need to see the color chart to pick your shade: Color Chart