A Beauty Detoxer's Wish List

Mmmm... I'm itching to spend some money!

1. Josie Maran Argan Matchmaker Powder Foundation ($34) - If you follow me on instagram, you saw that I did a #sephorahaul of my mother's last week. (Yes...lame-o. I was spending her money, not mine. BUT, she's a doll and it went on my VIB card!) She got this gem, and... I used it. Duh! It went on so smoothly (not too powder-y/cake-y... you know how those powder foundations can be). I currently use a mineral foundation that is specifically for oily skin, and this Josie Maran gloriousness stayed matte (over my CC cream) all day! I could feel the argan oil actually balancing out my skin. I've read reviews that say it runs out really quickly (one user said 2 months), so it seems a bit pricey for the use, but it was wonderful. And, of course, I love how natural Josie's products are.

2. Soapwalla Deodorant Cream ($14) - I like to jump on Refinery29.com every now & then. They had a great article about beauty trends that are done... All-natural deodorant being one of those trends. I can attest to that. I do love my Lavanilla (I rave on & on in my first ever post), but the hubs doesn't when it doesn't last all day long. He will make me put my Dove on before I can hug him... Ha! So, I was intrigued by seeing that this spreads on as a cream, and supposedly lasts all day... I adore lavender, peppermint and tea tree. Woot woot! It has ALL THREE. Plus, you know I'm digging that it's paraben, chemical, alluminum and petroleum free.

3. Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Creme Colour Concentrate in Pleasure Model ($20) - I've been on the hunt for a neutral cream shadow base. There are a bazillion out there (yes... I've counted), but as you know, I'm detoxing my cosmetics. I am interested in OCC; I've not used it before, but it's cruelty, paraben, sulfate and phthalate free! I would really like to see it in person, but nowhere near me carries it. I'll just have to order it online and return in-store if it's not what I'm looking for. Gotta love Sephora's return policy! I hope it's not like a warm pink. I need an almost-not-there pink for my albino skin. Crossing my fingers eyes!

4. Glamglow Supermud Clearing Treatment ($69) - Since seeing pictures of this mask in use on Pinterest of someone's gangrene-looking nose, I've been so fascinated. (Go ahead... google it or search in Pinterest. It's grossly awesome). Having struggled with acne my whole non-baby life, I like a good mask. If this wasn't $69, I'd already have it. Anyone else use this? Is it worth it? And, you guessed it... paraben, sulfate, phthalate free! It does have phenoxyethanol, which is scored as a 4 for toxicity on EWG's Skin Deep database. I'm feeling a little ok with it, because it's only sitting on my skin for 10-20 minutes max, twice a week max. 

5. Jurlique Eye Makeup Remover ($25) - Thanks to my monthly Birchbox, I'm getting exposed to products beyond what Sephora carries. Jurlique is one of those new brands I'm wanting to get more of! I read an article recently about how the French have some of the best skin in the world due to their toilette that they pass down to their next generation. It's a ritual! And they're much less harsh than we are on our skin. So, after all my years of astringent and acne creams, I'm moving over to sensitive, kinder products. This remover is missing all those toxins I've mentioned before (except for the phenoxyethanol). I'm having a hard time using more natural products that still get off all my mascara and gel/waterproof liner. My Bliss Lid + Lash Wash is working great now, but when it's gone, I'm not repurchasing, because of  the propylene glycol. I plan to use my Birchbox points when I get to 100 next month again to purchase this and try.

6. Stila Magnificent Metals Foil Finish Eye Shadow in Titanium ($32) - This is my "naughty" wish... It's definitely not natural (primer has parabens), but I got hooked when watching this Sephora video. My brother's wedding is in less than a month, and I'm wearing a gray/silver dress in "mercury." This will go perfectly. I had a Sephora employee demo it for me last time I was in a store, and it is so versatile and beautiful. But $32 for one eye shadow is making me cringe a bit... We'll see if I make this unnatural plunge... :) Has anyone else used it? Thoughts?

I know it's dangerous for me to read other bloggers wish lists, because then I spend money... Tell me if I was a bad influence on you! It'll make me happy. (Is that wrong?)

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Is LORAC Underrated? The LORAC PRO Palette Reviewed.

Is LORAC Underrated?

The LORAC PRO Palette Reviewed 

I've always been curious about Lorac's eye shadows after becoming addicted to the Behind the Scenes primer. But, after I purchased this relatively affordable palette ($42) I wondered why there wasn't more hype on the beauty blogosphere. I see so much about UD's Naked palettes (which is not paraben, sulfate, GMO & petrochemical free - all VERY important things to me), but not much on this one. So... here goes!

The packaging is sleek and compact. It's great for tossing in a makeup bag. (I'm definitely no MUA, so I do have most of my products in a bag thanks to my small detested pedestal sink with zero room on it). Packaging is smooth but sturdy and tends to get dirty. You'll see in just a sec... And I've used mine for months, so this is after much use. I also LURV how it comes with a large mirror! A lot of times these sleek palettes lack one, so it's definitely a huge perk!

Here you can see the relatively large mirror.

I REALLY appreciate so much about this palette besides the packaging. Here are my favourite (& not so) things about it!

16 shades!! I mean... WT(glorious)F? I spent more on the Tarte Femme Naturale Eye Palette & only got 12. (Not to mention they're chalky & not as pigmented/long lasting. You don't know how much it hurts me to say that, as Tarte is probably my #1 (or #2) go-to brand @ Sephora).

See the dirty?

Thank You, Lorac! It has shimmer AND matte! PTL!! (If you don't know what that means, you didn't go to enough church camps... :)). CHAMPAGNE is the only shade I'm not thrilled about... It's the one "glittery" shadow in the palette, and it goes on more like loose glitter than the rest of the shimmers. I don't have time for all the pixie dust fallout on my face, so I don't hardly use it.

Let's be honest, sometimes using ONLY shimmery shadows can be annoying. I'd like to be taken more seriously at work (I manage 32 people at an institute of higher learning... come on now!) Soooo, the matte options are perfect! They ARE ultra pigmented and last ALL day (especially with the primer, which is one of my "library*" items).

{Side bar: I looooooove reading & books - hence "Bibliophile." You'll learn... So, if I say something's in my library, it's because I don't buy the full size or have a 2nd go until it's been tested & really impresses me. I'm not typically loyal to many products, but there are a few... I'll do a post on that in the future. Same goes w/ my books. If I say it's library-worthy, than you know it's d*mn good, and the only allowed copy is hard back copy.}

Ok... 'nough of that. Let's continue:

I love (Xs 3) to use NUDE as a brow and inner eye highlighter. It goes on soooo creamy (as do all the colors) & pops! If I'm not in a shimmer mood I use WHITE for the same purpose. I started doing that after Essie @ Essie-Button raved about how much she loved her depotted (brand forgotten) white shadow.

For a while I didn't use TAUPE, but a life changing (ok.. exaggerating) video MaskCARA did here helped me see new ways to use it (as a contour along my nose and under my lip!) and almost the whole palette. If you're like me, you get stuck in a rut, using the same shades over and over, and I'm gad she shook it up for me! I love using GOLD as a liner & PEWTER is my favourite crease color. I layer it over Maybelline's Eye Studio Color Tattoo Cream Gel Shadow in Tough as Taupe.

(Yes... I like Taupe. I also have the NYX blush in Taupe as a contour powder. When you're as albino pale and cool toned as me, you can't use normal bronzers to contour.)

Time for the dark end. I'm super pale, as I mentioned already, and I don't typically use dark shadows for anything. But this stuff is awesome as a liner; I never used to use shadows as liners, but Lorac converted me! I actually haven't used a real liner in weeks. And that's crazy talk. 

I also didn't use GARNET once until watching MaskCARA's video. Now I do. I sometimes feel like having such pink undertones warm colors like garnet, coppers, etc don't work on me, but it does if done right! I also use SLATE all the time. LOVE it.

To wrap up - GET THIS PALETTE. It's creamy, pigmented, paraben free, affordable, has MANY colors, texture and function options and sets like super glue on the Behind the Scenes primer that comes along. 

Any other palettes you gals love? Anyone converted to Lorac now? :)

***Edit on 12/30: Since posting this I had a wonderful recommendation come to me via @AimeeJAdore on twitter that I should try the CHAMPAGNE wet. I did just that, and it worked GREAT and stayed on all day long! No fall out and deep, rich pigment. Thanks, Aimee!***

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