Alima Pure Organic Nourishing Lip Balm in Rhubarb

I'm addicted to lip balms, I admit it.  I have to have something on my lips at all times or I just don't feel right.  The makeup bag in my purse is devoted exclusively to lip butters/balms/glosses and nothing else, as that's the only makeup item that gets reapplied throughout the day. 

Rhubarb

While I don't exclusively use natural or organic products, I do veer towards them and prefer them if they work well.  That's been hit or miss for me, but that's also true with the mainstay cosmetic brands I've tried.  With lip balms in particular, I have not had much success in finding natural and organic products that wowed me or that I've stayed loyal to.  I do keep trying though, which brings me to Alima Pure!  Alima Pure is a new to me brand featuring mineral makeup products and has BDIH natural cosmetics certification, a highly coveted German certification for natural cosmetics. 

Shade

I bought this lip balm from Birchbox recently, after they sent me a Happy 6th month anniversary discount code.  It normally retails for $7.99 and is available in Cranberry, Mango, and Rhubarb.  Rhubarb is a warm, muted pink that gives a nice "my lips but better" look to lip with an impressive array of good for you ingredients (see below).  Peppermint gives a nice cooling sensation, cocoa and shea butters help to retain moisture, and sweet almond oil conditions lips.  However, when I wore this for a full day, my lips felt like they needed more - more moisture, more lubrication, more something.  Since the color is so subtle, I won't be wearing this particular shade for it's color, and since I found myself feeling like I needed something more on my lips, it was a fail for me.  I love the concept behind the company and the ingredients, but this lip balm is probably not one I'll be reaching for on a regular basis.

Sun

Ingredients: Organic Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Organic Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Organic Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) Fruit, Organic Beeswax, Organic Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Organic Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Organic Camellia Sinensis (White Tea) Extract, Organic Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa Seed) Butter, Organic Punica Granatum Linn (Pomegranate) Seed Oil, Organic Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Organic Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Essential Oil, Organic Punica Granatum Linn (Pomegranate Extract), Tocopherol. May Contain [+/-]: Minca (Ci 77019), Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Iron Oxides (Ci 77491, Ci 77492, Ci 77499).

OPI NYC Ballet Petites

My Pointe Exactly, Don't Touch My Tutu!, You Callin' Me a Lyre?, Care to Danse?, Pirouette My Whistle

I wasn't going to get this collection.  The swatches I'd seen online showed these as sheer and somewhat streaky, so I was going to pass.  But I did like the glitter and was going to pick it up until I saw that the mini collection contained it as well, so why not get that?  And then I saw You Callin' Me a Lyre? and didn't even realize it was part of the New York City Ballet collection and got it as well.  So now I have everything except Barre My Soul.  So much for not getting this collection.

Don't Touch My Tutu! with Pirouette My Whistle

So I did some more searching and a few bloggers said application was great with no streaking issues.  Clearly, I need to work on my technique, as the two I've tried thus far were streaky.  I'll work on it, because I do like these!  OPI did a great job in capturing the colors and feel of the ballet, IMO. 

Here is 3 coats of sheer milky white Don't Touch My Tutu! with 2 coats of the silver microglitter with pearl hexagon Pirouette My Whistle.  A minimum of 3 coats was necessary to build up the color enough for it to show.  I really do get the feel of a tulle tutu with sequins from this. 

Here is 3 coats of You Callin' Me a Lyre with one coat of Piroutte My Whistle.  Not as streaky, I think because I held the brush almost horizontal to my nail, lightly gliding it across.  Hard to tell the difference in color between the two, isn't it?  It's more apparent in real life, but these babies are subtle.

You Calling' Me a Lyre? with Pirouette My Whistle

All Natural Face Vegan Shadows in Deep Sea Green, Fairy Mist, Iridescent Blue, Forest Nymph

More of The All Natural Face Vegan Shadows to show you!  Deep Sea Green is a lovely forest green with gold shimmer.  Fairy Mist is a taupe with shimmer.  I can see different colors in the pot but it doesn't really translate on skin, other than a slight gold cast.  Iridescent Blue is a medium blue that leans towards turquoise.  Forest Nympth is a medium green and is similar to Deep Sea Green but softer with slightly less shimmer. 

In shade

In sun

Fairy Mist with Deep Sea Green

All swatches were applied over Too Faced's Shadow Insurance eye primer.  I find that these do last a good 7-9 hours with primer, although they will smear if rubbed.  I've recently become obsessed with taupe eye shadows and Fairy Mist is a nice addition.  The greens are quite wearable shades for me, although I doubt Iridescent Blue will get much use.  I bought these with the idea of using them for nail polish Frankens, but will reserve some for eyeshadows. 

Maggie the Cat

Maggie the Cat loves assisting with photos.  Here she is patiently waiting with me for the sun to come back out.

J.R. Watkins Lemon Hand & Cuticle Salve

I don't think I was aware of how much conditioning my cuticles needed until I started photographing my hands for nail of the day posts.  Goodness gracious, they need some help!  Now that I'm more aware, I've tried several different products such as Lush's Lemony Flutter and OPI's Avoplex Oil - both good.   However, if you want a product that's 99.5% natural with no parabens, is relatively inexpensive, and works - then J.R. Watkins Hand & Cuticle Salve should be on your radar. 

It's generously sized at 2.1 oz and can also be used as a hand or foot cream, although it's recommended for use at night due to it's greasy texture.  It's not a heavy salve though - the texture is surprisingly light and emollient.  I got the lemon scented one, which I love, but it also comes in Lavendar and Aloe & Green Tea.  I really like this salve and will be checking out more of the J.R. Watkins products.  I bought this for $7.99 from Birchbox, but I've also seen J.R. Watkins at Rite Aid.  According to their web site, the J.R. Watkins Natural Apothecary line of personal care contains only natural, environmentally friendly ingredients from renewable resources, avoiding chemicals like parabens, sulfates, phthalates and more and, is one of very few lines to be certified by the Natural Products Association.  Plus, it's been around since 1868.  Gotta love that!

Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream

Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream is a glycerin-based moisturizer that is the #1 selling medicated, vitamin-enriched cream on the Japanese market.  Yu-Be was developed in 1957 by a Japanese pharmacist at the request of a woman long-suffering from dry, cracked skin who was tired of using petroleum-based skin care products that she found to be greasy, messy and ineffective.

I was first introduced to Yu-Be when I received a sample of it from Sephora.  This yellow cream has a smell that is reminiscent of Vicks VapoRub, which I personally like.  That's probably because they both contain camphor, which provides a cooling sensation while acting as a slight local anesthetic and antimicrobial substance.  Yu-Be also contains a high level of glycerin and is fortified with vitamins E and B2.  The vitamin B2 is what gives Yu-Be its yellow color.

I like using this on my hands and feet before going to bed at night - it is supposed to be able to reduce calluses, soften hard, cracked heels, and help heal and prevent split cuticles.  I find it to be a quite effective moisturizer and a little goes a long way!  The 1.25 oz tube retails for $16.00 and I bought mine from Birchbox.

All Natural Face Vegan Eye Shadow in Bubble Gum, Honey Peach, Coral

I was recently introduced to The All Natural Face Vegan Eye Shadows when I received two in my March Eco Emi box.  I was impressed with them so decided to take advantage of the 15% off for Eco customers and ordered 10 of the shimmer shadows.  I'll review them in batches, and first up is Bubble Gum, Honey Peach, and Coral.

Bubble Gum, Honey Peach, Coral (Shade)

Bubble Gum is a vibrant pink.  Honey Peach is a pale peach with a pink cast.  Coral is a peachy coral and does not apply nearly as vibrant as it looks in the pot.  The Vegan part comes into play in that none of these shadows contain crushed beetles (carmine), which is what is commonly used to provide reddish tones.  No bismuth, no talc, no carmine, no silk powder, no d & c lake colors and no parabens!

Bubble Gum, Honey Peach, Coral (Sun)

The texture on these is good and they apply smoothly.  For the swatches I applied over Urban Decay primer with my finger.  On my eyes, I use a patting motion with my eye brush to avoid fallout.   Color can be built from sheer to quite intense.

I got the 5 gram jars which are $3.50 each, but there are also 10 gram jars for $6.50 as well as samples for .35 each.  Quite reasonable and the jars I received were filled to the brim.  

Color selection is excellent, with 109 different shades available between the matte or shimmer collections.  Wear time was about what I normally experience with shadows worn with a primer - 8 to 9 hours with minimal fading or creasing.  These will rub off, however, so be careful about touching your eyes.  Overall, I'm quite pleased with these!

Honey Peach, Bubble Gum, and Warm Honey (not shown)

Happy Booster Glow & Mood Boosting Blush in Warm

Whew, that's a long name for this Physician's Formula blush.  I've admired these from afar for a while, and when I saw the new shade Warm, I hit my tipping point.  These are infused with natural plant extracts that are supposed to mimic the effects of endorphins as well as protect skin from environmental stressors, which I'm guessing is more clever marketing than anything.  However, these heart stamped compacts are really cute!

There is an enclosed brush located beneath the blush, which I haven't even tried.  I don't use brushes that come with products, as they are usually pretty crappy.  Because the color is rather subtle, I used a cheek contouring brush, as the flat but dense brush head did a good job of picking of color and buffing it out.

In sun

Warm provided a nice wash of color with a subtle shimmer that did brighten my face.  In fact, it may make a good bronzer for me, as it's not muddy but does provide a nice sun-kissed glow kind of effect.  I found it hard to overdo this blush, as most of the color palette is neutral with just a few dashes of coral and muted pink.  These blushes are violet scented, but I've got to say I've yet to notice the smell and I keep forgetting to sniff it to see, so it must be very muted.  

In shade

In addition to Warm, these come in 3 other shades - Pink, Natural, and Rose.  They retail for about $12 and I got mine at Ulta.  You'll notice that the plastic part that closes the compact is missing on mine - it broke off the first time I used it.  So, not the sturdiest packaging.  I've worn this the past few days and wear time is pretty good - I've got some fading after a full day's wear, but the blush is still present.  I do tend to layer powder blushes over a gel or cream blush, which helps to extend the wear of both.  Overall, I like!