Natural Makeup removers: reviews and feelings

Okay so in effort to better my skin and save a few bucks, I have decided to go the natural route with makeup removers. Granted i was only spending $6 at Sephora but i noticed I was getting sensitive to the removers. Maybe it's pregnancy but stinging is not a great thing when trying to remove mascara and eyeshadow.

So here is what i have tried so far:

1) Olive Oil: I use oilve oil from my kitchen which when i do purchase every so often is about $8 for the grocery store brand which i love to cook with has a light fruity scent and is not too heavy. I have used this olive oil along with brown sugar for a face scrub and as a makeup remover and it is great stuff. I have to be careful around the eyes because sometimes it will sting but that is if i over soak my cotton ball. It leaves my skin very soft and removing the oil takes minutes to a routine which i enjoy taking my time with. So rinsing off olive oil with cool water is not a problem for me. I also add it to my dry cleanser for extra oomph and a better exfoliating experience.

2) Milk: Simple always have it on hand and refreshing. Milk does do a body good and apparently my face loves it too. Using milk as a makeup remover is very effective and moisturizing. I rinse with cool water after 2-3 min of removing makeup just to let some soak in and my skin feel very soft and refreshed. Milk is supposed to cleanse and balance the skin so no need for toner. Also love mixing it with my dry cleanser for a mask or with Aveeno oatmeal powder for a soothing face mask..what a wonderful thing milk it.

3) Vitamin E Oil Capsules: Okay this was on the fence for me. Vitamin E has anti-aging qualities and can soothe the skin..Okay good stuff so far. Bought my Vitamin E capsules at walmart for about $6 to mix with my Flaxseed hair Gel and decided to try it out as a makeup remover. By itself i can use half a capsule on my eyes and the other half capsule on my face. also mixed with my dry cleanser and it took off my makeup but left my skin with a layer of the oil. I was a little worried but maybe a half hour later my skin was supple and smooth. Not greasy or gross. I'm glad i stayed up to read and give it a chance to soak in. In the morning my skin was fine and not an oil slick, but i'm still on the fence about this oil and i think i may need to mix it with another oil to work out the way I would like.

4) Coconut Oil: I use Coconut oil for my hair and to moisturize my prego belly. It soothes my itchy skin that I've had with this pregnancy and i love the smell!As an eye makeup remover this is great! it also removes makeup pretty well, not as well as milk or olive oil but it does get stuff off. My lashes are looking much better since using it as an eye makeup remover and i think i would keep it to that. The oil i have is Extra Virgin CO from the Vitamin shoppe. 15oz for like $9.

5) Sweet Almond Oil: Found a very small jar of this in the Spanish/Latino items section of the hygiene section of Walmart for like $2. Also using it to add to my Flax seed hair gel with great results! and wow what a miracle that stuff is! Smells great and removes everything! Eye makeup, mascara and primer! (that's been my problem i have a great primer and my makeup just stays on) No stinging and my face feels like my daughter's uber soft and smells great. Teh oil is very lite and not greasy and very little goes a long way. I also tried a mixture of this oil and oilve oil and love it!

So my results are almond oil and olive oil work best for my skin and EVCO for just my eyes. Love using milk and Vitamin E hmmmm jury still out on that one. My skin is usually oily but has changed to dry due to pregnancy. When it was oily i did use olive oil with wonderful results.

Try these out and save a few bucks..you might be surprised at the results.

Manor Hall Soap Company ..More fun with Soap

After having success with Manor Hall Soap Company's Natural shampoo for dry Hair, I have made another purchase and i have to say I'm growing in my love for this company!

Got another Sulfate free shampoo for Dry Hair which is great stuff for those with risos (curls). A little bit goes along way and this hydrates like nothing else because it has olive oil in it and coconut oil ( my faves!) For hair that is when completely wet goes between my shoulder blades, I use about a nickel to just under a quarter size size of product to get all soapy and clean. My hair feels like it is clean and hydrated. Lather is enough for all of you who love bubbles. The smell of geranium, rosewood and peppermint essential oils leaves my hair smelling great. It's not overly flowery or too heavy which is fabulous!

I also got The Classic Soap Sampler. These lovely little gems are delectible.
here is the description from the website:
This sampler stack is a great way to try a few different flavors of Manor Hall natural olive oil soap. All four are tied together, and topped off with a Manor Hall hang tag. Makes a great gift for yourself, and is also an ideal way to introduce someone you know to the wonderful feeling of Manor Hall natural olive oil soap. Flavors vary by availability.

Each bar weighs approximately one ounce. Each stack is weighed before they are sleeved, and together will always total 3.5 to 4 ounces or above.

The flavors i got are:

• Ohh La Lavender & oatmeal
• Almond Sunset
• Spearmint Grapefruit
• Orange Tree Blast

The neatly packaged soaps are great sizes for travel and are a treat for the body and senses. The combined smell is amazing. If i ever get a chance to go tot the Massachusetts I so want to walk in to smell the wonderful scents of Manor Hall. These are natural oilve oil soaps and theya rea all made in small batches. Attention to detail, care and love for product is what MHSC is all about.

These soaps left my hands feeling soft and clean without the dryness of conventional soaps you pick up at the grocery store. My hands have ascent but not over powering just a light clean scent of whichever soap i used. Lovely. These soap samplers are perfect for gifts and for little hands. My daughter was able to handle it perfectly without dropping it or it slipping out of her hands ( she'll be 3 in Dec). That made the sampler 100% worth it right there.

The Classic Sampler set is $7.35 and wold be a greta stocking stuffer or gift to introduce MHSC to any friend.

I also got the Carrot & Fennel Seed Complexion Bar. This 3.5 ounce bar is a wonderful miracle. leave my face hydrated clean and again..Fabulous! Doesn't dry or leave my skin overly tight. Just the right amount of everything. At $5.85 this is a steal!


As a bonus with my order I got as my Order Box Freebie (they usually have a freebie with any order) A Full size Honey Me Smooth Soap Bar. Again a full size is 3.5 ounces.

here is the description:
This kind and gentle honey almond soap bar contains the moisturizing protection of real honey and the rich softness of replenishing almond meal.

Honey is a natural humectant, grabbing and holding on to moisture while its antioxidants protect. Smoothing and softening, almond meal is gentle and non-irritating. It helps reduce inflammation, replenishing essential skin oils lost through cleansing.

This soap bar feels wonderful to use, leaving behind a rich barrier of velvet softness to ease and protect your dry or sensitive skin.

FABULOUSCITY! -nuff said

My other little bonus was a sample of the Deep Conditiong Creme. Featuring Shea Butter and jojoba oil. Used as a conditioning treatment pre-shampoo this little gem is thick and penetrating. If you use gel and product in your hair like i do daily i would rinse it out and lay in the creme and set with a warm towel. This is potent stuff. My daughter had frizzy risos and i just lightly rubbed my figer tip over the product and tried it on her Virgin hair. Let me say that her curls were shiney and soft and like moisture never hit them in the wrong way. The scent is pretty and I have found the company to take care of my baby's hair once we get out of the tear free stage. Thank You Manor Hall. For myself i know this will be a great at home luxurious spa treatment for my hair..now to make the time..hmmm...

I hope that you have enjoyed reading about Manor Hall Soap company and will give them a try. I promise youthey will not dissapoint!

Ciao for now!

Buff'd Cosmetics Samples

As part of a campaign to promote the Buff'd Cosmetics products I have requested samples from Buff'd when they emailed their followers that they needed bloggers to review some products. Being a fan already I happily accepted the challenge.

Buff'd is a company out of Canada and has a high standard of product and customer care. It's why this Texas gal loves to order from them. I have blogged about them before with glowing reviews which you can read. See May and July on the right side bar for previous posts.

My package came with foundation, finishing powder, a bronzer, Illuminating Dust, blush, eyeshadow and eyeliner (10 samples in all). A little something from each department. I love the Buff'd foundations. The original Formula works great on me. I have oily skin and i have no need to go for a more intense coverage formulation. It's great at keeping oils at bay and doesn't feel heavy or cakey. Here is info straight from their Foundation portion of their website:

mineral foundation

Formulated using only the finest natural minerals and pigments, Buff'd Mineral Foundations have outstanding versatility and wear. Available in an extensive collection of shades and three outstanding formulations, a minimal amount of product will help you achieve a flawless, radiant look while natural UV protection guards your skin. As with all our products, Buff'd Mineral Foundations are free of irritating and toxic ingredients which may be damaging to some skin types.

The Kabuki, Jumbo Buffer and Jumbo Flat Top brushes are perfect for applying these loose-mineral powders.

Available in three outstanding formulations:

original: a great full-coverage foundation with fantastic oil absorption and natural UV protection. ingredients: titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, mica, iron oxides, ultramarines

light: specifically for those who prefer a lightweight foundation that still offers buildable coverage and great oil absorption. ingredients: mica, titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, iron oxides, ultramarines

concealing: made with a touch of kaolin clay offering even better coverage with greater oil absorption. Ideal for those with combination to oily skin and a great spot concealer. ingredients: titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, iron oxides, kaolin clay, mica, ultramarines

My Colors for the year are Apricot and Pecan. Pecan for when i have more of a tan going on and Apricot for the winter season. They are just wonderful and at $18, 21grams volume in a 10gram weight sifter jar is just perfect. This foundation lasts all day and i do mean all day i have worn it from 8:30 am to 2am with no problems and even forget it's on.

The finishing powder in Peony is great for those days that i really need staying power and a flawless finish without drying out. I use this more in the winter when my skin tends to get a little dry. At $15 for th full size it's a great investment powder. The generous sample baggies are also great if you are strapped for cash.

The Bronzer in Toast is fabulous. It has a wonderful shimmer to it and make me think of the beach. i use it to conture and make me look a little thinner in the cheeks. also for a pick me up if my skin is just looking blah that day. A little goes a long way. The full size is $15 and picture on the website make it look darker than it truly is so order the sample bag to test out the shades. If you are confused but know your foundation shade the staff is more than willing to help you color match for a flawless set of colors appropriate to your coloring.

On to the eyeshadows and blush...the really fun stuff:

The Blushes: Thrift and Bouquet.

Thrift is one of my faves. It is a bronzy pink and just gives the apples that just kissed look. It makes me very happy and is great a a light pink blush when doing a smokey eye. Very little is required to give you that glowing look.

Bouquet is a light pink that i love to use as well. It's that color that reminds me of a soft pink rose and that is what you get on the cheek. Very classic looking but with enough shimmer to be modern.

The blushes cost: $15
full size jar: 14 grams volume / 3 grams weight
sample size: 1/4 teaspoon sample bag

Illuminating dust:

Think of this as an allover product that gives you that extra glow with your look. Canvas has high shimmer but is extremely subtle when used with a light hand. The site says it's a soft and luminous off white and that it is. Another make you happy on a cloudy day product.

The full size Illuminating dust costs: $15

full size jar: 14 grams volume / 3 grams weight
sample size: 1/4 teaspoon sample bag

Eyeshadows:

Scribe: Blue Base in the Smoky Eye Kits - Slate Blues Collection.

Great base color, goes on light and opens the eye nicely.
very soft and easy to put on.

Denim: Cool medium blue with silver shimmer. Blue Crease in our Smoky Eye Kits - Slate Blues Collection. This one looks more grey than blue in the baggie but on the brush you can see the blue properties of the shadow. it was great for the smokey eye look i was building.

Nova: a Mineral Eyeliner. Midnight slate blue with silver blue shimmer. Blue Liner in our Smoky Eye Kits - Slate Blues Collection.

I used it as a crease color and it worked wonderfully. I love how it looks like my dark jeans that i wear all the time. The look was very pretty and soft for a smokey eye.

I am in love with this company and shipping for samples is free. Shipping to Texas takes about 2 weeks but i am very happy with service and all the products i have purchased so far. I hope to see more from this growing company in the future as they have me with their uber fabulous foundation and now going into blush and eyeshadow.

Check them out at: http://www.buffd.com

Manor Hall Soap Company Review

I love trying new products. especially from small companies that are family based. What a treat it is to purchase a product that is overseen with love and care. that is the impression you get from Manor Hall Soap Company.

Founded in 2004 and out of Massachusetts, Manor Hall Soap Company strives to provide their customers with soaps and skincare that is free of sulfates and parabens. They are a vegetarian company that strives to use plant based ingredients in their products.

Found them on a blog and they were having a major sale at the tiem so i decided it would be a great time to try some products.

I purchased the Natural Face Mask - Yogurt & Green Clay 4 oz jar, and the Natural Sulfate Free Shampoo - 8 fl oz For Dry Hair.

They were on sale so they were each about $2 cheaper than the regular price. My package came expediently and with free goodies..I got the Beam Me Up Spotty olive oil soap and a silver glittery nail brush.

The mask is great! I love that it is in powder form and i add water to it to make it a nice consistency for my face. That way i can go as heavy or as thin as i wish. The smell is like any clay mask and dries in under 10 min.

Wash off with warm water then follow up with a toner and my skin just feels great like a face lift. It's difficult to find a great mask for oily skin that doesn't break me out or dry meout later. This is great stuff. Highly recommend it for anyone iwth oily or acne prone skin.

The next item i bought the shampoo for dry hair. Packaged very nicely and the ingredients are simple:
Saponified oils of coconut and olive, glycerine, oleic acid and essential oils of geranium, peppermint and rosewood

This shampoo is wonderful my hair is hydrated. A little goes a long way and if you have curly hair like me it can weigh curls down if you use too much.

hair was hydrated and silky smooth. Happiness!

The soap bar, smelled heavenly. I could smell it when I opened my package.

Haven't used it yet but i plan to when i go to visit my parents late this month.

Overall experience with this company has been great. I look forward to making another purchase.

Buff'd Cosmetics samples

Okay so here is part two of searching for the perfect quad of mineral eyeshadows to compare to the Revlon 12hr color stay quad in Blushed Wines.

Buff'd Cosmetics I use for my foundations and they are very good quality ad make my skin look great. They are located in Prince George, British Columbia in Canada. Placed this order on the 22 of July and the samples arrived in Texas today July 30th. considering it's coming from Canada 1 week is great. That is how long my foundation takes to get to me as well. Samples come in a plastic baggie and are only $1 each. when ordering samples only shipping is FREE. they arrived in a simple brown mailer with the company logo on it and the recipt of my products. No frills but they are jsut samples which is okay with me. Tissue paper and fluff just go to the trash.

Buff'd Cosmetics describes their Mineral Eyeshadows as:

With colors that range from natural to earthy, from smoky to sultry, the Buff'd Mineral Eye Shadow line has a shade to suit every occasion.

Only the finest mineral pigments go into our eye shadows allowing for great wearabilty and colors that will never fade. Using the Angle Detail brush - all Buff'd Mineral Eye Shadows can be mixed with a small amount of water for the perfect eye liner.

ingredients: mica, titanium dioxide, iron oxides, ultramarines, chromium oxide

full size jar: 7 grams volume / 2 grams weight
sample size: 1/4 teaspoon sample bag

Price: Full size jar: $8 (on sale now for $6.40)
Sample: $1

I ordered six samples of Mineral Eyeshadows and received as a bonus one extra sample of eyeshadow and one mineral blush. More on the extras later. The baggie contains 1/4 teaspoon of product and trust me when i say a little goes a long way with thsi company as i just ran out of my sample of foundation and have just started using my full size after 3 weeks of using it.

My order included these colors:

Fluff - Light shimmering pink
Candytuff - Soft creamy pink
Carnation - Vibrant pink
Electric - Dark wine burgundy
Braisin - Dark blend of purple and pink.

One sample came from the Pure Pigments Line:
Buff'd Cosmetics has this to say about thier Pure Pigments:

Buff'd Pure Pigments are pure oxidized mica minerals producing some of the most beautiful shimmering colors.

An all-purpose powder, Pure Pigments can be worn as an eye shadow, blush, bronzer and shimmer. Applied either dry for light shimmering highlights or wet for vibrant color. They are so versatile and true in color they can even be added to lip glosses and nail lacquers.

ingredients: mica

full size jar: 7 grams volume / 2 grams weight
sample size: 1/4 teaspoon sample bag

Full jar price: $8 (on sale for $6.40)
sample: $1

I ordered the sample of the color:
BabyDoll - Soft pink.

I really liked the selection of eyeshadows and pure pigments they have a nice assortment which to me is not overwhelming.


Bonus Samples
Rosewood Mineral Blush
Mushroom Mineral Eyeshaow

Here is the swatches of the samples:


From top to bottom:

Babydoll, Fluff, Caddytuff, Carnation, Electric, Braisin, Rosewood and Mushroom

Here is a closeup of the lighter pinks:


The texture of the eyeshadows is very soft and creamy, though for the Pure Pigment i did need to apply a little more and it feel a little finer than the mineral eyeshadow since it's just pure mica.
The Rosewood blush is divine in texture and i know it would look lovely on my skin just as their Thrift blush feels great on my skin and gives me a dewy look that i love. Carnation is my fave of the pinks and Braisin and electric are wonderful colors with Braisin having more of a dark plum hue where as electric has some red leanings.

Need to try teh colors out int he look to see how they work. Laready have the full size of the Blush Thrift in my cart and Mushroom..though i do need to compare it to Lusty from Coastal Scents to make sure it's not the same color.

I guess I'm easy to please when i pick colors i like. Buff'd MES are less glittery that Aromaleigh but they are stunning. They also warm the skin give off a sublte shimmer so if a subtle glow is what you are looking for in an E/S, then i highly suggest you order samples and see for yourself.

will let you know of results soon.

the Aromaleigh samples have been working well on me for the past few days and i will have a more in depth analysis soon of both companies.

Cheers!

LA Minerals a Texas cosmetics company..Fabulous!

Well, in my journey for the ultimate mineral makeup I have encountered quite a few web pages and have greatly increased my delicious list. Upon good reviews from several makeup blogs, I decided to get samples from LA Minerals.

They offer a full line of cosmetics from foundation to lip balm and skin care. All made in the US and at great prices. Slightly less expensive than BE in the foundation area but a little more expensive than Everyday Minerals, the quality of the LA Minerals product that truly speaks for this company.

LA Minerals offers 3 levels of coverage with theier loose mineral foundations:(descriptions are from the website)

1) Hollywood: Hollywood Face BaseTM is a premium, medium to heavy coverage mineral makeup foundation that includes the best minerals and all natural mineral pigments, blended into a light-reflecting powder. Enhanced with pure silk powder, silica micro-spheres, and boron nitride minerals. Sweep on our luxurious, premium mineral foundation for a natural and flawless finish.

If other mineral foundations left you overly glowy and itching...give Hollywood Face Base a try.

2) Valley Girl: Valley Girl mineral foundation is our newest addition to the L.A. Minerals line. Designed with specific skin issues in mind, this heavy coverage, matte formula is gentle, pure and soothing.

• Acneic skin: the addition of Allantoin, famous for it's healing properties, acts as an antiseptic and skin soother. Acne is often aggravated by pore clogging makeup which holds onto dirt and oils, causing more acne. Our Valley Girl mineral foudation is free of talc, perfumes, bismuth, and chemicals. Gentle, pure minerals, infused with healing ingredients.
• Oily Skin: the addition of Kaolin Clay, world reknown as a centuries old secret to absorbing oil, will help keep your makeup looking fresh all day long. Instead of trapping the oil in your skin, our Valley Girl formula wisks it away into the millions of ultra-fine, oil absorbing, Kaolin Clay particles.
• Scarred Skin: Using industry leading minerals created for more opacity, the Valley Girl formula is the perfect choice for skin with scars or uneven skin tones

3) NoHoGlo:
NoHoGlo Face Base:

North Hollywood, otherwise known as NoHo just added you to the hotty list! Are you ready to transform your dull, lifeless skin into that ready-for the camera look? Then NoHoGlo is for you! This formula leaves you with a flawless, lit-from-within look with light to medium coverage.

This Boron Nitride based formula offers the benefits of increased adhesion, lubricity, soft-focus effect, dewy appearance, air-brushed look, anti-inflammatory, and a silky natural feel. Fantastic for young and aging skin alike. It has a tightening effect while absorbing excess oil, without drying out your skin.



I got some foundation samples and found that I am a Medium Neutral in Hollywood formulation. The sample cost only $2.00 for a mini sifter jar. Also ordered some eyeshadow samples in Aladdin's Lamp and Playful, which were $1 each for a 1/4 teaspoon in a small baggie. Today I'm wearing the foundation and Aladdin's Lamp eyeshadow and I went out running errands in the Texas heat with no air conditioning ( trying to save gas since it's $2.35 in some areas and $2.25 in other areas and that just irks and worries me).

Let me back track, putting the foundation on was like placing silk on my face. I don't even feel it on my face. A little goes a long way with this product. My initial application resulted in a color slightly darker than i had anticipated. This morning, I lightly applied the product and found that the color really blended lightly. My pores were covered and the result was immaculate.
Running errands resulted in slight itches but were soon over and my face has no oily shine, just a luminous look. The Texas heat can't beat this stuff!

The eyeshadow went on so lightly and i needed very little to get a great hit of color. Considering the baggies is only 1/4 tsp that says a lot. There was also no fallout and it felt creamy on my eyelid.

The full on foundation jar costs: $19.95 for 8 grams of product. Given that this stuff will last longer since so little is needed, this is a great price for a long lasting product translation= more bang for your buck.

Full size eyeshadow costs: $8.95 for a jar of 5 grams. It's a dollar more than Coastal Scents where you get 0.05 oz of product with them. Everyday Minerals costs $6 and 3.5 grams I have yet to try the shadows but i bet they are nice as well)

Blush is $10.95 for 20 grams (nt wt 4g), Coastal scents 2 grams (NT weight) for $8.95, and EDM for 8g NT weight at $8. Must try thier blush as well.

I'm very happy with this company as well. So exciting to find local companies that offer great products at great prices and care about what they do and how they make their products. Fabulous!

Customer service is quick and they are very helpful with recommendations and getting you to find the right shade.

Overall, this company has impressed me and i think so far this company may be the one I go with for my trip to Puerto Rico. I have one more sample set coming in from a company called Buff'd Cosmetics. They are out of Canada so we'll try them out as well my samples are on the way already. Happy Blingn' yall!

Everyday Minerals..A Local Texas Company

The hunt for great makeup is an almost daily quest for most women. Weather, skin and life changes (like pregnancy) effect our skin in drastic ways. My skin has changed from being really oily to dry. It's odd. Along the way I discovered mineral makeup. My skin has become so sensitive that it's more sensitive than my Mom's now. I love Bareminerals. They have a great line and it looks great on me and has improved the condition of my skin.

However, i noticed that i have begun to itch with the summer heat upon us in San Antonio. I love my BE but the itching not so much. So to remedy this i have started searching for a new mineral line..that's when I found Everyday Minerals. Youtubers have greatly contributed to my desire to try this new company which I found is local for me..It's just a hop skip and a jump up I-35 to Austin. Though they don't have a physical store to walk in and purchase their online site is fabulous.

There is a sample kit you can purchase for just the cost of shipping (to San Antonio it was $3.28 and got here isn two days). You get 3 foundations, 1 blush and 1 concealer. They some nicely packaged in recycled tissue paper and it comes with a color chart to help you further decide which base wold be great for your skin-tone.



This company is totally inclusive of the skin out there. There are more foundations here than i have seen in a lot of mineral sites. In their FAQs they also help you try to define your skintone to their families of colors. When you slide your mouse over the color it gives a brief description of the color and which skintones the color would fit.

There there is the choice of coverage, from a dewy glow to intense, it will satisfy your choice in coverage. I am currently wearing the Semi-matte formula in Beige-medium Neutral. I want to try the Matte and Intense formulations in this color to figure out which one I'd like best. So I'm ordering a second sample kit since i have found my color..now I'm looking at intensity.

The base when looking to purchase full size is: $12 which is a little less than half the price of BE.

Next item in your kit: A Blush. This was so much fun choosing a blush. I have been mixing a mineral blush from Coastal Scents with a blush from Flirt! at Kohls to achieve this one color Everyday Minerals has. It's called Snooze Bar. It's Perfect! Just perfect for everyday! I'm so ordering the Big one. At $8 is an wallet pleaser!


The last item is a concealer called Multi-Tasking. I used it under my eyes and to cove any acne scarring and it worked perfectly. It is a great shade for me and makes me look fresh and awake.

The company is super eco-concious and you can read all about it in the FAQs and About Us section. For me personally it's great to have a local company because I wasn't to support my state economy and I LOVE that shipping doesn't take so long from Austin. I wonder if they can do a factory tour. That would be so cool. Also on the website you can sign up for their forums and read their blogs which showcase Austin and all the traveling the company does for their ingredients. It's very cool.

As a bibliophile, i loved that they had a set dedicated to Jane Austen..which was listed in one of the blog posts. That is just too cool.

Overall, this makeup has me on a good step as i try it out. We'll see how it works out as the days go by.