June Eco-Emi

June's Eco-Emi contained a variety of products that could be used when traveling or perhaps during long day of running errands.  The stand out body product for me so far in June's box as been a cream natural deodorant from Rainwater Botanicals in the scent Jasmine Wind, which is a sweet jasmine with sandalwood and rose.  There are 8 different scents available and I'm going to be checking out some of them, cause this stuff both works and is reasonably priced at 7.50! 

My next favorite is the Orchard Pear & Fig body balm from Organic Indulgence.  I love the scent and while solid, it's more than emollient enough to apply easily.

Next up is an Ecotints lip balm in the shade Coralyte.  I found it to not apply evenly when swatched on my arm but haven't used it enough on my lips to have an opinion yet.  Pretty color - more of orange copper than coral.

I also got a full sized Viticare toothpaste, which I'll be interested in comparing to the Dr. Collin's natural toothpaste I've been using, also discovered via Eco-Emi.   No complaints (again), I'm enjoying this subscription box!

Disclosure:  I subscribe to Eco-Emi, which is $15/mo.

LA Splash Smudge Proof Mascara in Perfect Storm

I went through a phase where I wore blue mascara - I think it was circa 1988.  I remember thinking that it made my eyes "pop", and I did get a few compliments to that effect.  Fast foward 24 years, and I've been wanting to get some blue mascara again.  So, I went looking for something relatively inexpensive in case I decided that, yes, you really are too old to be wearing blue mascara.

Enter LASplash Smudge Proof mascara in the royal blue Perfect Storm, found while browsing the aisles at Ulta.  It was a bit more vivid than I was looking for, but at $4.99, I figured I could live with it and possibly tone it down by layering over black mascara.  LASplash is not a brand I'm very familiar with, but wow at the color selections available!  Did you say you wanted lime green mascara?  Mustard yellow?  Fuschia pink or teal?  They've got it!

Respect the wand

First off, a warning that you need to respect the brush.  I got a bit careless in application and paid the price.  Those are some sharp little spikes.  Fortunately, the brush is flexible, or the damage could have been worse.  The mascara itself went on okay.   It's a bit waxy and can clump, possibly why there is a spiked applicator.  Nothing too problematic, but not a high quality formula.  You are getting mainly color here, as opposed to volume or lengthening.  Wear is actually quite good, however, as I experienced neither flaking or smudging.

I also tried the blue mascara over black, and that is probably how I will end up wearing it the most.  It darkens it just enough but still remains blue.

Blue mascara over black

I like it and do think it makes my eyes "pop" a bit!

Ingredients: Water, Carnauba Wax, Stearic Acid, Talc, Triethanolamine, Urea, Cellulose Gum, Tocopheryl Acetate, Methylparaben, QuaternIum-15, Propylparaben, Rose Oil, Panthenol, May Contain Pigments: Mica, Iron Oxides: (black, violet, yellow, red),
Chromium Hydroxide Green, Ultramarines (blue), Polyethylene Terephthalate. 

Disclosure:  I bought this.

L'Oreal Gel Lacquer Liner in Slate

I've never considered myself very good at using liquid or gel liners and have mainly stuck to eye pencils as a result.  However, that's all changing and I've got to say, I'm really enjoying trying some different looks, like a subtle cat eye.  Rarely do both eyes match, but whatever.

There was a display of the new Infallible eyeshadows at Ulta, and right above the shadows were these gel liners.  I ending up getting Slate because of a BOGO offer Ulta had going for L'Oreal makeup.  I couldn't decided on another Infallible shadow to go with Liquid Diamond, so I decided why not try this new liner?  Turns out, it was a good choice!

I know this is unheard of, but the the included brush is actually quite good and is what I've been using to apply the gel liner.  Dark Slate is a taupe gray, which works well with my coloring.  I find black liners are usually a bit too harsh looking on me, and while grays can sometimes make me look tired, this seems to have enough brown in it to avoid that problem.

Application is a breeze, as this gel applies smoothly in one pass.  Once dry, this liner is good to go until you take it off.  I've got oily lids and experienced zero smearing or smudging after a good 12 hours of wear.  It will, however, flake off if you rub your eyes hard enough, which I discovered when I got something in one eye.  When I was washing my face before going to bed, I noticed one perfect eye, and one eye where the liner was lighter due to flaking - the eye I had rubbed.  The liner came off easily enough with my DHC cleansing oil, although you may need to use eye makeup remover if you don't use an oil based cleanser.

Here are a few looks I've tried using Dark Slate.

The Infallible Gel Lacquer liners retail for about $10 and come in five shades:  Blackest Black, Espresso, Navy, Dark Slate, and Bronze.  I liked Dark Slate so much, I went back and picked up Navy and Bronze to try out.

Happy 4th of July everyone!

Disclosure:  I purchased this.

June Roundup of Posts

Another month has flown by and instead of slowing down, my summer is speeding up.  I always think I'll get a bit of a break at work because it's summertime and I work in academia, but no, it never happens.  So much for the lazy, hazy days of summer!

I shall just wear my favorite knockabout shirt, which I've had for at least 15 years now.  I think it's actually a man's shirt that I got at Marshall's.  I love it's retro beach vibe.

Now, a recap of June's reviews!

Gifts with Purchase

• Macy's Lancome Swatches, Review, & FOTD
• BeautySage Launch Sample Gift Box

Makeup

• Urban Decay's 15th Anniversary Eyeshadow Collection Review & Comparisons:  The Darks
• Revolution Organics Freedom Gloss in Vibe 
• Sephora Hot Hues in Vivid Mulberry Palette Review & Swatches
• Clinique Blushwear Cream Stick in Shy:  Review, Swatches & Comparisons
• Buxom Lip Gloss in Bianca, Kanani, and Bambi
• Clinique LE Colour in Bloom Shadow Compact Review & Swatches
• stila Sparkle Waterproof Eye Liner in Starry
• Clinique Lash Doubling Mascara
• Sephora Hot Hues Neon Lip Balm in Hot Pink
• Sephora Moonshadow Baked Palette:  In the Heat Review & Swatches
• stila one step bronze
• Clinique Color Surge Coffee Shop Eyeshadow Duo Review & Swatches
• Revlon Colorburst Lipgloss in Papaya Review, Swatches & Comparison
• Sula Beauty It's Not Me, It's You Lip & Cheek Tint Review, Swatches & Comparison
• Benefit Sugarbomb Blush & Lip Gloss Review & Swatches
• L'Oreal HIP Color Truth Cream Eyeliner in Eggplant Review & Swatches
• L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Liquid Diamond

Miscellaneous

• Hyaluronic Acid:  Safe for Your Skin?

NOTD's and Nail Polish

• Sweetpea (franken) 
• Essie "I Say Go Braziliant" 
• Peach Jelly Sandwich
• Sephora by OPI Bohemian Brights Mini Nail Color Set & NOTD

Skincare

• DHC's Alpha Arbutin White Mask
• Image Skincare Daily Defense Universal Moisturizer SPF 30
• Eminence Organics Rosehip Whip Moisturizer

Subscription Boxes

• May Eco-Emi
• June Birchbox:  Jet Set

Empties! Products I Finished in June

Products I finished in June

I've seen people do posts on products they've hit pan on or finished, and I thought I'd like to do those periodically as well.  Granted, most of the products I hit empty on are body, skin, or hair care, but those count too!

First up is LaLicious Peppermint Sugar Souffle and Body Butter.  I'm sad this is gone, as I've been tricking my mind into thinking it's cooler than the 95 degree plus weather we've been experiencing by using this peppermint scented scrub and cream.  The scent does not actually linger very long, which also worked for when I wanted to use one of my Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab perfume oils.  I have very few unscented products, and while this one isn't scentless, it fades to an almost dandelion (herbal) type of scent that is very faint.  I've reviewed a LaLicious scrub before so won't go into detail here.  The body creams are also very nice.  I would purchase both again.

Next is Ultraceticals Professional Even Skintone Serum.  I wept a bit when this was gone.  I've been using it daily since I got it back in mid-March, so it lasted me almost 5 months.  This stuff is good, and I would purchase again.  The weeping part comes from the price, which is $74.  I got it as part of a 3 piece set, reviewed here, for $7 on the sale shelf at TJ Maxx.  Out of the 3 pieces, this was the star performer for my skin. 

The Nick Chavez shampoo was actually a deluxe size sample that I received in one of my Birchboxes.  I liked it, the smell is nice, but it wasn't a stand out and I won't be purchasing another.  I'm not a loyalist to any one shampoo though.

Last is Kate Somerviller's Exfolikate, reviewed here.  That may look like a sample size above, but it's actually the smallest sized option for the product and costs $19.  I buy multiples of the smaller version because it's cheaper than buying the equivalent amount in the larger size.  The only reason I won't be repurchasing this one is because I've got 4 or 5 more sitting in my closet.  I use it about twice a week and am still a fan.

Anything you finished last month?  Would you repurchase?

Disclosure:  I bought all of these.

Sula Beauty Cream Shadow in Big Flirt: Review & Swatches

Another Sula Beauty item to show you, this time a cream shadow called Big Flirt.  I don't know why I've become fixated on cream shadows, but I have.  When I first saw Big Flirt, I thought it was an olive green.  The container was sealed so I couldn't open it, so imagine my surprise when I opened it in the car and thought "antique gold".  Still pretty, though.  But it was only when I got home and really looked at it that I decided it's really more of a khaki or taupe color.  Sula Beauty describes it as "earth green".  Lighting seems to make a big difference in what color Big Flirt decides to be. 

This is a sheer, rather subtle, color.  The texture is quite light and creamy and I applied it with my finger.  I say sheer because it's more like a wash and is not opaque.  It's not patchy, which I've experienced with some cream shadows, but more of a wash. Quite pretty, actually, and made for a nice base when used with some of my powder shadows.  I did not completely cover it with the other shadows, but instead let it be the lighter highlight shade. 

I was fully expecting this to crease within a few hours, due to it's creaminess.  I was pleasantly surprised when it wore well throughout the day!  I always wear a primer so maybe that's what made the difference.

I'm not sure what's going on with Sula Beauty products, as I got this one at Ulta in the mark down bin.  I'm a bit sad that I discovered a good natural product line when it's being phased out from Ulta.  It looks like Sula Beauty is also carried at Anthropologie, but we don't have one in Mobile.  Big Flirt can also be purchased online at Sula Beauty and retails for $10.  I paid $5.99 on sale.

Disclosure:  I purchased this and have no affiliation with any of the stores mentioned.
Ingredients:  Cera alba (Beeswax), Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis ( Jojoba) Seed Oil, Octyldodecanol, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Silica, Tocopherol (Vit. E). (+/-) Mica (CI 77019), TiO2 (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Ferric Ferrocyanide (CI 77510), Tin Oxide (CI 77861), Carmine (CI 75470), Bismuth Oxychloride, Chromium Hydroxide Green (CI 77289)

Benefit Dandelion Face Powder and Ultra Plush Lip Gloss Review & Swatches

Benefit recently released six new lip glosses to match the Box O' blushes and face powders.  Today I have a mini Dandelion powder and lip gloss to show, which I got as a freebie with $25 purchase from Sephora online.

Dandelion is a brightening face powder as opposed to a blush, although I suppose if you were very fair it might work as a blush as well.  The back of the box the mini's came in touts it as "perk up with our celebrated ballerina pink powder and gloss".  It looks like a pink nude with a very fine gold microshimmer to me.  I had to heavily swatch the powder to get it to show up on my arm, which is quite a bit more pale than my face.

The Dandelion companion gloss is well matched with the powder in both color and the faint shimmer.  Once applied on lips, it's sheer and essentially provides a glimmer but no color.  The texture of the two Ultra Plush glosses I've tried thus far are light, comfortable, and non sticky.  They are not particularly long wearing, about 1.5 hours before needing to reapply.  My lips feel none the worse from wearing them, but it was hard for me to tell from the ingredients what might be the hydrating components beyond sodium hyaluronate.

Dandelion gloss, blush (shade)

I'm not sure I'll have much use for the Dandelion face powder, as it doesn't really seem to show up on my complexion.  The gloss is nice but not particularly unique, as I have plenty of sheer glosses with shimmer.   Both the Sugarbomb and Dandelion Ultra Plush glosses I've tried were on the sheer side, and while nice, are nothing I would feel compelled to spend $16 for.

Dandelion gloss, blush (sun)

Have you tried any of the Benefit Ultra Plush glosses?  What did you think?

Disclosure:  This was a free gift with $25 purchase from Sephora.com.