Travel Supplies

This weekend I went away on a short trip to Niagra Falls.

Here are the skin care/beauty supplies that I brought with me.

• bareMinerals Naturally Luminous Duo - samples of cleanser and moisturizer for combination skin
• bareMinerals Renew & Hydrate Eye Cream
• The Planet Spa aromatic body lotion plus ginger and vanilla
• MineralFusion mineral body lotion
• LaVanila Healthy Baby Lotion

• natural soap (I can't remember the brand)
• Greenbody Greenplanet Shampoo and Conditioner
• razors

• Crystal Essence Mineral Deodorant Towelette
• Clean Well All-Natural Hand Sanitizing Wipe
• an expanding towel
• Crystal Body Deodorant Roll-On
• nail file
• tweezers
• compact mirror
• floss
• contact lens case
• tooth paste

• tarte blush in Adored
• bareMinerals Pretty Amazing LipColor in Confidence and Oomph
• Physicians Formula Organic Wear Lash Boosting Mascara
• Everyday Minerals Finishing Dust
• Everyday Minerals Foundation in Fair Neutral, Fair, and Sandy Fair
• Everyday Minerals Concealer in Aussie Perk Me Up
• bareMinerals Blemish Therapy

See anything I forgot?

...I forgot to bring a brush and eyelash curler. I ended up skipping mascara because I find that it really doesn't look good without curled eyelashes. I applied foundation with my fingers - I dipped them into the mineral foundation and rubbed it in my skin. I actually liked the effect this gave! It felt a but smoother because I really pressed it into my skin. I didn't use the concealer or finishing dust.

Next time I go on vacation I'll have to remember to bring all my supplies!

~ Susan

New Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush Shades

I've posted before about how much I love the tarte Amazonian Clay blushes. The colors are very vibrant and last all day. Only a light sweep of blush gives the perfect amount of color - just a tap of the brush in the blush, and you're good to go. The lighter shades don't require much work, while the deeper shades require a bit of blending to ensure they look natural.

I especially love the shade "exposed" (first on the left). It gives the perfect healthy glow.

These are the original tarte Amazonian Clay blush shades

tarte just came out with four new shades, shown above. The new shades shimmer slightly due to the addition of finely milled glitter. These shades aren't entirely new - I know that "adored" and "glisten" were available earlier in special kits. This is, however, the first time that these four blushes are available for individual purchase.

I can't wait to get "buff," it looks absolutely gorgeous - very similar to "exposed!"

~ Susan

Green or Unclean: tarte gifted Amazonian clay smart mascara

I got this mascara in a set and I've been using it a couple of weeks. I find that it gives my lashes a feathery look without any clumping or smearing. Like many of tarte's products, this contains Amazonian Clay. The clay is a very effective oil-absorber. By absorbing excess oil near the lash line, this mascara bonds to the lashes more completely. This helps to prevent smearing and smudging, something I have trouble with.

This has a Skin Deep Rating of 4

Ingredients: Aqua/Water/Eau, Cyclopentasiloxane, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Wax, Hydrogenated Olive Oil Stearyl Esters, Stearic Acid, Cera Carnauba/Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax/Cire De Carnauba, Alcohol, Propylene Glycol, Triethanolamine, Candelilla Cera/Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax/Cire De Candelilla, Acacia Senegal Gum, Vp/Va Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Panthenol, Aminomethyl Propanediol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Kaolin, Iron Oxides (Ci 77499)

There are some surprisingly unclean ingredients for a natural company. Why does propylene glycol seem to be in everything Tarte makes?

Verdict: Clean-ish. Since this received a Skin Deep Rating of 5 or below, I am going to continue to use it. However, in the future, I'll stick to purchasing Physicians Formula Organic wear mascara which seems to have much better ingredients.

~ Susan

Tarte for True Blood

Target had some good electronic deals on Black Friday, so I picked up a bunch of DVDs, including the first two seasons of True Blood. I've read all the books and loved them, so I assumed that I wouldn't like the show because movies/TV shows are generally never as good as the books they're based on. BUT, I've been hooked into the show. It has the same characters and the same places of interest, but it differs from the books in storyline. It almost seems like a work of fanfiction, or a parallel universe where everything is just slightly different. I think that that's actually a positive, because on one hand, you never know what's coming but you get the same great characters.

ANYWAYS, Tarte came out with True Blood inspired makeup a while back and due to my newly renewed affinity for the series, I decided to get me some Sookie and Pam-endorsed makeup. :)

I got the LipSurgence Natural Lip Tint and the Natural Cheek Stain.

True Blood LipSurgence

The Lip Tint is touted as a "mint-infused, iridescent red shade that drenches lips in a luminous, long-lasting tint." The mint is oddly refreshing and doesn't sting my lips like other mint-flavored products have in the past. The tint seems to last a normal amount of time (around 4 hours sans eating or drinking) for a lip product. This is not as moisturizing as the other LipSurgences I own. Maybe they played around with the formulation, or maybe I just got a weird batch. Mine is more moisturizing than a lipstick, but less moisturizing that a lip balm. The color appears in the tube to be a bright red, but when applied to my lips it takes on more of a pinky shade, I think because my natural lip color is coming through. This makes it a bit more wearable; sometimes I sport it on my lips to work. If you're looking for a really bright, dramatic lip, I would go for the LipSurgence in the shade "Enchanted," which has a deep, rose-colored tint and is one of the brightest lip colors I own. 

True Blood natural cheek tint

I love the color of the Cheek Stain! It is a very vibrant, berry red and is oh-so pretty to look at. I'm torn over the sparkles; some days I like how they catch the light, other times I feel rather stupid for being over 15 years old and sporting sparkles. The formulation took a while to get used to, but as long as you apply to one cheek at a time and being blending it out immediately, this blush can look almost natural. I used to use a cream blush by Clinique - that one was much more blend-able. Because of the glitter, I only wear this at night.

If you like True Blood, check out Tarte's line before these limited edition products are gone!

~ Susan

November Favorites

I've been without internet for the past couple of weeks, and now I am SO glad to have it back! Here are my favorites from the month of November.

Tarte Full Coverage Foundation

This is the only foundation I've been wearing recently. It gives me the coverage I want without making my face look cakey of streaky. It feels moisturizing without making me constantly aware that I've got a "mask" of makeup on.

This is only available from qvc.com, and it comes with a brush, which I don't use. I'm hoping that when I'm through with this tube it will have be sold elsewhere, because I'd rather not get a brush I'm not going to use every time I buy this. /: It's pretty comparable in texture/feel to the smooth operator Amazonian Clay tinted moisturizer with SPF 20 that Tarte sells which is available at a lot more places. The foundation has more coverage and staying power.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush

Mostly, I love the colors they have of these blushes. I also like that they require little thought when applying - one sweep on the cheeks, and I'm good to go. My favorite shade is Exposed, though I own a few others.

I know that Tarte isn't as pure as many other natural companies, but I think they're a good transition for people who are just starting to pursue greener and cleaner makeup choices (i.e.- people like me =D)

Bare Minerals Ready Eye Shadows

These shadows are very smooth and have a really good color payoff.

Trader Joe's Tea Tree Shampoo & Conditioner

I was having a crazy hard time finding a shampoo and condition with really good ingredients. There were a bunch that were almost perfect except for fragrance. Finally, I found these, and I couldn't be happier. Also, these are pretty cheap - $3.99 a bottle. Not as a cheap as say, Suave, but a lot cheaper than the other natural options I was looking at. The bottle says that Trader Joe's worked with a professional boutique to create this - I think it might be Giovanni something or other. They have a tea tree line which looks very similar to this one. Most of Trader Joe's products are created by another company and differ only in packaging and price.

These feel a bit different from other shampoos and conditioners in the shower; my hair feels kind of dry... even though it's wet. Maybe it just feels really clean. As soon as my hair is dry it feels extremely soft AND non-oily. I would continue to purchase these even if I wasn't concerned about ingredients. I wash my hair at night, it air dries while I sleep, in the morning I brush it once and then I'm good to go. No other products needed. :)

Rainwater Botanicals - Herbal Herbal Healing Salve & Intensive Repair Cream

I've been loving all of the things I got from Rainwater Botanicals - especially the moisturizers/salves. My top favorites are the Herbal Healing Salve, which I use on my hands to keep them soft in this cold weather, and the Intensive Repair Cream, which I've been using on my legs. The scents are nice but not overpowering, and they make my skin feel truly moisturized. I've already repurchased both of these.


This past month's dislike: my difficulty with finding a good, facial skin care routine. I've just been washing my face with Tea Tree Soap, and that's it. Maybe that's all I really need. It's definitely the cheapest skin care routine I've had in a long while!

~ Susan

My Favorite Liquid Foundation!

tarte Amazonian Clay Full-Coverage Foundation SPF 15

I'm really happy with my Everyday Minerals powder foundation, and I plan on using it for a long time. However, since the weather has turned cold, my skin has gotten pretty dry, so I was looking for a liquid foundation that would:

- give me full coverage
- not cake or streak easily
- stay put throughout the day

I've tried out a few, including those by Kiss My Face and Origins, but I wasn't really happy with them. When I saw this foundation on qvc.com I decided to try it out.

My first thought was - wow, this is thick. However, it doesn't feel thick on my face. There isn't that feeling from wearing foundation throughout the day. I think it could be that the clay is soaking up any excess oil I have. Or, maybe it feels so good because I started using a primer again.

This foundation also has excellent coverage. Instead of applying more foundation to problem areas, I only need one layer over my full face and I'm good to go. If I really want to make sure I have a perfect finish, I'll use a powder foundation over this, but one could easily go without that extra step.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Full-Coverage Foundation feels and looks great. :)

UPDATE: It looks like this is now available on tarte's website here. The packaging and name are slightly different, but it appears to be the same foundation. However, QVC offers a lower price plus a brush.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush

These blushes are made with Amazonian Clay - clay that is collected from the Amazon River.

The Amazon River is located in South America and is the second longest river in the world. It is approximately 4,000 miles long and cuts through a tropical rainforest. According to Tarte, as the river flows, it accumulates highly nutritious plant and fruit extracts. At the end of the river, in the basin, clay collects and is imparted with these beneficial nutrients. Tarte uses clay from the basin because this clay has the highest nutrient concentration. After being gathered, the clay is naturally baked by the sun and then milled for use in Tarte products.

Tarte says that this clay has been shown to:
- remove surface oil to mattify skin
- hydrate dry skin
- nourish all skin types
- give skin an overall smooth and even appearance
- reduce the appearance of dryness
- reduce the appearance of flakiness
- improve the appearance of skin clarity
- improve the appearance of skin texture

The formulation of this blush is great. It has enough pigment that I don't have to apply multiple layers to achieve good color payoff. At the same time, I don't have to worry about this blush being too garish - it imparts the perfect amount of color.

My favorite shade is "Exposed." Though it appears brown or tan in the pan, it comes off as a warm pink on the face. I feel sophisticated and pretty when I wear this blush. :)

Sephora Haul

I'd been waiting for a good deal to come up before I made another purchase from Sephora.com. This month's VIB promotion is a gift set from Smashbox including O-GLOW! As soon as I saw it, I decided to buy some things things from my wishlist.

Korres Buttered Up - Pomegranate

The Glaze has a Skin Deep Rating of 2

This has a Skin Deep Rating of 4

 This set comes with a Lip Butter and a Lip Butter Glaze. Doesn't that color look gorgeous?

smashbox studio must-haves (VIB promo)

• Fusion Soft Lights in Baked Starburst

This has a Skin Deep Rating of 5

 I'm not sure what I'll end up doing with this...

• O-GLOW Intuitive Cheek Color

This has a Skin Deep Rating of 0

 The one on the right came with this set. The one on the left is the full-size, for comparison. For more information on this product's ingredients click here.

• Bionic Mascara

This has a Skin Deep Rating of 2.

 It's always nice to have more mascara. :)

I'm very pleased with everything I got! If you're a VIB, you can get this Smashbox kit with the code "VIBSMASH3".