June Favorites

1. Dr. Bronner's All-One Hemp Peppermint Castille Soap

I received a sample of this in my June Pink Moment Bag and I picked another one up from Whole Foods. I love peppermint body care items - the scent and the tingle makes me feel awake and happy.

2. Julep Nail Vernis in Sarah

Sarah is a sheer pink coral with iridescent glitter. Julep nail varnishes are 4-free, meaning that they don't contain formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, toluene, or DBP. I like them because they're much more chip resistant than other brands I've tried.

3. Essie Nail Polish in Geranium

When I saw this at CVS I had to get it - it's a spectacular pink-orange-red that's more on the red end. It's very cheerful.

4. Julep Nail Vernis in Lily

This is a bright color that is great to wear on the toes. What can I say - I really enjoyed nail polishes this month. :)

5. Seventh Generation Chlorine Free Baby Wipes

I've been using a bunch of baby wipes while cleaning. They make day-to-day light cleaning very easy. Whenever I have a free moment I'll wipe down surfaces with a wipe, which allows for more time between deep cleanings. When I launch a more serious attack on my counters I make a solution that's half white vinegar and half hot water, then add some of Dr. Bronner's liquid Castile soap.

6. Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Exposed

This blush makes me feel very summery. It's kind of a blush/bronzer hybrid, which I like because I'm very pale. Because it's not a true bronzer, I get some glow without looking orange.

I've also been really enjoying the new Maroon 5 CD. I've loved Maroon 5 even since their first album was released in 2002, a couple of years before "Harder to Breathe" was played on MTV. My favorite songs so far are "One More Night," "Lucky Strike," and "Tickets."

~ 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

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

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. :)