Review: Jane Iredale Jelly Jar Eyeliner

When it comes to winged eyeliner, I love a great gel formula. Typically applied with a brush, gels are usually creamy and provide a great wash of color. I recently tried out a version from Jane Iredale, the Jelly Jar Eyeliner.

Pros:

• Smooth, creamy application
• Great for winged looks
• Available in multiple shades
• Some retail availability
• Gentle formula
  

Review: Jane Iredale PureMoist Lipstick

PureMoist in Katerina

Before I was a makeup artist, I wasn't really a lipstick person. Lipsticks were often dry, emphasizing flakes or cracks on my lips. I tended to prefer glosses and tinted balms. However, lipsticks have been getting better and better. Jane Iredale now offers one that is very moisturizing and feels more like a glaze than a stick. Ladies, this is not your mother's lipstick - it's creamy and smooth for the modern age. The name? PureMoist lipstick.

Pros:

• Smooth, creamy texture
• Yummy scent
• Beautiful packaging
• Broad color range
• All shades are vegan
  

Review: Zosimos Botanicals Lipstick (updated formula)

Like a great work of art, many cosmetics require iteration to reach their full potential. Sometimes a company listens and incorporates customer comments, reformulating products to create something even better. Zosimos Botanicals is one such company, and they recently reformulated their lipsticks to be even creamier than last time I reviewed them. Read on to see how the new version stacks up.

Pros:

• Creamier formula
• Broad color range
• Eco-friendly refills available
• Sample sizes offered
• Gentle formula with organic ingredients

Review: Haut Minerals Brightener

Brightener in Pink

I was delighted to discover Haut Minerals, an all-vegan cosmetic company based in Canada. They offer a variety of products using fun ingredients like Canadian Glacial Marine Clay. One of these products is their brightener, which can be used similar to a concealer or a highlighter.

Pros:

• Great coverage
• Vegan and gluten-free
• Available in multiple colors
• Samples offered
• Gentle formula

Cons:

• May be hard to find locally

Summary:
I love how this highlighter comes in several shades, so you can create looks customized to your skin tone. White is great for highlights, and pink is ideal for balancing gray and dark spots like under-eye circles. Yellow balances out redness, such as blemishes and rosacea. Beige is generally good for mixing with the other tones or providing blemish coverage. The brighteners are fairly thick, providing good coverage that should stay put well when sealed with powder.

The formula is very gentle, rating a low 1 on the EWG Skin Deep database. It uses locally-sources Canadian clays and this product is also gluten-free. While the company is based in Canada, they offer free shipping to the U.S. on orders over $100. The packaging was fun, including paper flowers. If you're not ready to make an investment in the line, they also have samples of this product and several others. If you're looking for a gentle concealer or highlighter, I recommend picking up some samples from Haut.

Product Ratings (out of 5)

---

Performance
Presentation
Purity
Value

Disclosure notice: This product was sent to me free of charge by the manufacturer for review. No additional compensation was accepted and the opinions are my own. Please verify any claims with the manufacturer, especially if you have any allergies or concerns.

Did you enjoy this post? If so, why not sign up for our email list and get posts by email? Or if that's not your style, stay in the loop with an occasional newsletter instead.

Review: Beauty Without Cruelty Ultimate Natural Liquid Foundation

Fair shade

One of my favorite types of foundation is liquid. They tend to last longer than powders and have a more natural look than creams, while still layering well with other products, such as primers and cream blushes. Beauty Without Cruelty makes a line of liquid foundations that provide light, natural-looking coverage.

Pros:

• Lightweight formula
• Blends well
• Easy pump applicator
• Creamy texture
• Moisturizing
• Gentle ingredients
  

Review: Afterglow Cosmetics Concealer Brush

When it comes to concealer brushes, I'm quite particular. I want a brush that is large enough to pick up the right amount of creamy concealer so it glides on smoothly. I want the bristles to be slick and tapered at the ends. I want a long handle, and a brush versatile enough that I could also use it on lips, in a pinch. In other words, I want a brush just like the Afterglow Cosmetics Concealer Brush.

Pros:

• Soft taklon (vegan) bristles
• Long handle
• Slick bristles with a tapered end
• Easy to clean
• Ideal shape and size
• Lifetime guarantee
  

Review: Aveda Men Pure-formance Conditioner

I've been wanting to try Aveda products for awhile. I've been to a couple of their salons, and I heard that they have many vegan-friendly products. I recently acquired a sample of their Aveda Men Pure-formance Conditioner, so I put it to the test.

Pros:

• Pleasant fragrance
• Leaves hair soft and smooth
• Helps detangle
• Gentle ingredients?
• Nice, creamy texture

Cons:

• Salon price ($20/bottle)

Summary:
This conditioner has a fairly strong fragrance, but it is a pleasant scent. The smell is a bit masculine, but I think women could use it, too. The conditioner itself is a great texture; creamy, but not too thick. It left my hair feeling silky and manageable. This product rates about a 4 on the EWG Skin Deep database, mainly due to the use of fragrance. It is available for retail sale in Aveda salons, which are pretty widespread. I was disappointed to see that the ingredients list wasn't posted on the website, but customer service was happy to provide it for me, as well as information on vegan products. If you are looking for a solid conditioner with and love a stronger, "salon" type of scent, this is a nice option.

Also available on Amazon.com.

Ingredients:
Water\Aqua\Eau, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Behenamidopropyltrimonium Methosulfate, Babassuamidopropyltrimonium Methosulfate, Boswellia Serrata Extract, Calophyllum Inophyllum (Tamanu) Seed Oil, Zingiber Cassumunar (Plai) Root Oil, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Yeast Extract\Faex\Extrait De Levure, Tapioca Starch, Ethyl Macadamiate, Hydrolyzed Algin, Canola Oil\Huile De Colza, Malt Extract, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Glycerin, Tricaprylyl Citrate, Capryloyl Glycine, Dimethiconol Meadowfoamate, Stearyl Alcohol, Menthol, Fragrance (Parfum), Limonene, Linalool, Geraniol, Ursolic Acid, Sodium Gluconate, Sorbic Acid (ILN34477)

Product Ratings (out of 5)

---

Performance
Presentation
Purity
Value

Disclosure notice: This product was sent to me free of charge by the manufacturer for review. No additional compensation was accepted and the opinions are my own. Please verify any claims with the manufacturer, especially if you have any allergies or concerns.

Did you enjoy this post? If so, why not sign up for our email list and get posts by email? Or if that's not your style, stay in the loop with an occasional newsletter instead.

Review: Blinc Cosmetics Mascara

When it comes to mascaras, not all are created equal. Some are extremely gentle and offer a very natural look, while others are destined for the ultimate staying power. Blinc offers one of the latter options: a mascara that they claim won't flake, smudge, or run. On top of that, it's waterproof. Just how well does it perform? Read on to find out.

Pros:

• Waterproof
• Doesn't flake or smudge
• Easy removal with pressure and warm water
• Clearly defines lashes
• Available in multiple colors

Cons:

• May have to order online

Summary:
Blinc's mascara is a tough formula designed to withstand the elements. I found that it really stayed put all day--no flaking or running. It also did seem to be waterproof, and removed fairly easily when I applied light pressure through a warm, wet washcloth. If you plan to use it on a daily basis, I recommend experimenting to find the most gentle way to remove. While the mascara removed readily using my method (I could see the little "tubes" as they described), I would be concerned that this method might be harder on my lashes overtime. Also, I recommend applying mascara both to the tops and bottoms of lashes to ensure the "tubing" effect and create the most defined look. The tubes definitely separate lashes well, when applied correctly.

This mascara rates about a 3 on the EWG Skin Deep database, but it does contain Ethylparaben. Ingredients aren't listed on the website (something I'd love to see in the future), so I've listed them below. I'd also like to see the formula made even more gentle. I was glad to hear that this is a vegan formula (no beeswax) and comes in multiple shades, which really sets it apart from other vegan waterproof options. While this mascara is more expensive than some ($26), they do offer free shipping through the manufacturer website. Even if you can't find it locally, this helps reduce the overall cost. If you're looking for a vegan mascara in black or other shades that can withstand tough conditions, this is a good option.

Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Ammonium Acrylates Copolymer, Butylene Glycol, Acrylates Copolymer, Tromethamine, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylparaben, Pentasodium Triphosphate. [May Contain (+/-): CI 77499, CI 77007, CI 77492, CI 77491, CI 77499, Mica, Titanium Dioxide, CI 77288]

Product Ratings (out of 5)

---

Performance
Presentation
Purity
Value

Disclosure notice: This product was sent to me free of charge by the manufacturer for review. No additional compensation was accepted and the opinions are my own. Please verify any claims with the manufacturer, especially if you have any allergies or concerns.

Did you enjoy this post? If so, why not sign up for our email list and get posts by email? Or if that's not your style, stay in the loop with an occasional newsletter instead.