Beauty Detox

Bare Escentuals bareMinerals SPF 15 Matte Foundation In my...

raquelwilsonsow — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 11:46:03 -0500

Bare Escentuals bareMinerals SPF 15 Matte Foundation

In my attempt to detoxify my beauty regime, I’ve had a hard time figuring out where to start. Pretty much everything I used needs to be replaced (except for my Tarte Mineral Powder Bronzer). That includes concealer, lipstick, eye shadow, primer and nail polish. So deciding where to start and with what products was beginning to be overwhelming.

So I decided to take a step back and regroup.

I asked myself, what do I use daily. After cleanser and moisturizer (which I’ll discuss in another post), if I am going out I use concealer and either powder or my Tarte bronzer for a bit of color every day. So that’s where I started.

I begin my hunt for replacement products for the mineral powder and pot concealer I normally use.

I went directly to Sephora and headed to the Tarte display. Since I already used their bronzing powder, I figured it would be the perfect place to start. Unfortunately, I found their color palette to be a bit limiting. After trying a few shades I decided to ask the saleswoman for help finding a natural powder.

She recommended Bare Escentuals. Although I had tried Bare Escentuals before and I was not happy with the original formula, I decided to give their bareMinerals matte formula foundation a try. I found a color I thought was perfect for my skintone and headed home.

I never trust the light in stores. They always make me look a lot more orangey than normal, so when I arrived home, I decided to give my new purchase a try. I cleansed and moisturized my face then waited a bit before applying primer and concealer (both of which I purchased the same day). After a few moments, I lightly brushed my face with the bareMinerals Matte Foundation. But I wasn’t too happy with the coverage or the color.

One reason I loved my previous powder was that it was light, but still made my skin look flawless - evening out my skintone and covering up a few blemishes and dark spots as well. It was very natural looking. The bareMinerals was light, but maybe too much so. It didn’t provide the coverage I was looking for (even though it was a foundation) and the color was still a bit ashen for me (the problem I had when I first tried Bare Escentuals a few years ago).

I’ll be returning my purchase to Sephora (thank you for easy returns!) and giving another brand a try.

What natural foundation or finishing powder do you use?

Tarte Mineral Powder Bronzer I’ve been going through my...

raquelwilsonsow — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:05:14 -0500

Tarte Mineral Powder Bronzer

I’ve been going through my makeup kit trying to figure out what stays and what goes. It’s going to be a long journey and I never imagined it would be so difficult to get rid of some of my favorite staples.

However, I am happy to learn that my #1 favorite product for the face, Tarte’s Mineral Powder Bronzer, is a keeper! When I started using this product I stopped using foundation. My regime switched to a moisturizer with a bit of concealer around the eyes and a brushing of Tarte’s bronzer. It was also my first introduction to minerals.

Although I usually buy it directly from Sephora, I visited the Tarte site to find out more about their products. I was surprised to learn that Tarte’s founder Maureen Kelly started the line when she couldn’t find healthy, nourishing cosmetics. Tarte touts itself as high-performance naturals formulated without parabens, phthalates and synthetic fragrances.

I’ve never tried any of their other products but I am definitely tempted to run to Sephora and pick up a few other Tarte treats!

Tarte Mineral Powder Bronzer in Park Avenue Princess, $29
Available from Tarte or Sephora

Julep Mavens February It Girl Package After discovering Julep on...

raquelwilsonsow — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 08:04:00 -0500

Julep Mavens February It Girl Package

After discovering Julep on Organic Beauty Talk, I decided to give them I try and become a Maven. The program sends out sneak peak boxes monthly to subscribers with new products that haven’t yet been released widely.

After completing a style quiz, they determine which category fits you - It Girl, American Beauty, Boho Glam, Bombshell or Classic with a Twist - and send you the corresponding box of goodies (a $40 value) for just under $20.00 per month. I’ll be getting my “It Girl” package in the mail soon. I’ll post a review after giving it a try.

Contents:

Rachel - warm rich copper shimmer
Oscar - gold glitter
Elizabeth - midnight blue with a hint of shimmer

Price: $19.99 regularly but $9.99 with promo code “oscars2012”

In the beginning

raquelwilsonsow — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:33:00 -0500

A few years ago I decided to work towards eating more fresh and natural foods - foods with fewer ingredients with names that I could pronounce - whole foods. My primary goal was to prepare my body for childbirth. I wasn’t pregnant, but I was ready to become a mother. I was determined to give my child the best start possible by doing the best I could to rid my body of “ucky” stuff before conception.

Although a by-product of my decision was weight lost (and lots of it), the best result was the new feeling of not only doing good for my longevity, but that of my yet-to-be conceived child.

I’ve had my ups and downs - and fell off the wagon a few times - but for the most part I have retrained my tastebuds to love good food and have also helped a few along the way on their journey to living good with good food.

This year, I want to take my commitment a step further and remove all the dirty “health” & beauty products from my regime - a Beauty Detox. As a makeup artist and product junkie, I think this may prove to be harder for me than my food transition. However, I am up for the challenge. Follow me here to keep up with my progress as I work on replacing all the dirty goods I am currently using with alternative products that are better for me and baby.