Keep Me Safe Organics Review

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A couple of weeks ago I was sent samples of “Keep Me Safe Organics” face cleanser, moisturizer, and mud mask. This blog post is my 100% honest review of those small samples that I was sent.

“Keep Me Safe Organics” (KMS) is a multi-level marketing company that is dedicated to creating “non toxic” products. The company wants their advocates to be able to balance family and business life, while using “safe” body care and cosmetic products. Some products have more organic ingredients in them than others.

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The first product that I tried was the “Whipped Citrus Antioxidant Cleanser”. This cleanser has a very refreshing citrus smell that helped me wake up a little bit when I washed my face in the morning. The consistency is very creamy and smooth. It foams a little bit, but not a ton. I like when cleansers aren’t super foamy. There are a couple of ingredients that I am not 100% sure about. The cleansing power, feel, and smell are great!

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The next product I tried was the “Rejuvenating Glacier Mud” mask. If you follow me on Instagram, you have probably seen that I love face masks. This mask from KMS felt really good! There is only one ingredient: Silt (Fresh Water Glacier Minerals). I put it on after washing my face, left it on for about 5-10 minutes, and then washed it off. It wasn’t a heavy mask which I liked. I just needed a thin layer for it to do its thing. It tightened up pretty quickly as it dried. My face felt super smooth and clean after wearing it!

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The last product I tried was the “Whipped Citrus Moisturizer”. I applied it after cleansing my face and doing the mud mask. I really liked how this moisturizer applied. It is super creamy, and absorbed into my skin pretty quickly. It didn’t leave my skin feeling greasy or weighed down which I loved. And the smell has a very refreshing citrus scent! Just like with the cleanser, the ingredients are not all organic.

My final thoughts are that some of the products from the company look amazing and are full of organic ingredients. Others didn’t have many organic ingredients in them. I think that this company is trying to create great products that are safe for you and your family, and create better options. If you are a purist and only want the cleanest ingredients, you will need to read the ingredients list on each product from KMS. The products I tried performed great, and I personally might get a bottle of the mud mask.

I received the products from Sabrina Liguori and you can shop from her site “KMS Toxic Free Beauty” if you want to purchase any products!

My Summer Beauty Favorites

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My favorite season of the year is SUMMER!!! Nothing beats the warm weather, sun, and get togethers with the people you love! Today I want to share with you the beauty favorites that I used this summer. Let me just say I was shimmering all summer.

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First up is the “Gaffer & Child Hydrating Serum” which I did a Favorites Friday post on a little bit ago on my Instagram. I apply this after I wash my face, to keep it hydrated and healthy during the dry warm weather. I love this serum because it doesn’t make me feel greasy or weighed down on my face. I use 3 drops and pat it onto my face, so a few drops go a long way. I usually wear it without makeup over the top, but on days I do my makeup I just let it dry before applying my BB cream. It is made of organic and cold pressed oils, and also includes botanical extracts. I can definitely smell the lavender in it, but it isn’t an overwhelming floral smell. Another thing I really love is that part of each purchase goes toward the cause of ending animal abuse.

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A product that I apply right out of the shower, especially after shaving my legs, is the “Forager Shimmering Body Oil in Stargazer“. This body oil is very moisturizing and absorbs into my skin quickly. Very important to me that I don’t walk around feeling greasy or oily. When I first saw the bottle, I thought it was going to be waaaaay too sparkly. When applied to my skin though it is a nice amount of shimmer, not too much and not too little. I feel like the smell is a little musky with a splash of fruit. I love the smell. Stargazer is made of a hydrating oils and essential oils. One really cool thing about Forager is that you can send your empty bottle back to them and they will give you a discount on refilling it!

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Another area that needs hydration during the summer is my lips! I constantly have dry chapped lips, so finding a good moisturizing lip balm is very important to me. I have also done a Favorites Friday of this product on my Instagram, but it continues to be my favorite. I love the “Me & The Girls Beneficial Organic Beauty Lip Moisturizer in Mentha Revive“! On the tube it says it is a lipstick base and topper, but I use it even when I’m not going to wear lipstick. I have just found this to work really well for me, and the fact that it is made from organic ingredients makes it that much better. I also like the minty smell and the slight tingle from the spearmint essential oil.

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Summer is the time for beach waves. My favorite hair product this summer has been the “Captain Blankenship Golden Waves Sea Salt Shimmer Spray“! This spray gives you a voluminous textured look, while giving your hair a subtle shimmer from gold mica. There are only a handful of ingredients in it, many being organic. Love this stuff to create a quick hair look, whether it is a voluminous ponytail or beachy waves.

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As for makeup I have liked a bronzy look this summer. I am in love with the “Teri Miyahira Beauty Explore Bronzer“. I did a full review on the subscription box that I received this bronzer in, so you can search for my Teri Miyahira review from last month. This bronzer is a subtle brown, not a dark orangey brown. It’s definitely a good tone to give my face a little bit of definition and warmth while looking pretty natural. Teri’s products are always vegan and cruelty-free, as well as petroleum, talc, and synthetic preservative free.

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And lastly, to add a little bit of shimmer to my makeup look I am loving the “Free Love Beauty Illuminating Oil in Ice Queen“! It is made up of a couple of ingredients and nourishing organic oils. Ice Queen is a bright strong highlight, so a little bit of this stuff goes a long way. I apply it in the same places that I would apply a pressed powder highlight. I’ve been trying to put into words what it smells like, but I just don’t know how to describe it haha. I’m pretty sure it’s the rosehip oil that you smell the most. So it’s more of a musky smell to me, which is great. You can apply this oil to your whole body if you want, but I just use it as a highlight.

Thank you so much for reading! What has been your favorite clean beauty/body product this summer?

Teri Miyahira Beauty July Review

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It has been about a week and a half since I received the July Teri Miyahira Beauty box, and I’m in love! Teri Miyahira Beauty is a makeup line that is 100% natural, vegan, and cruelty-free. Teri also doesn’t use petroleum, dye, synthetic preservatives, and talc. Every box that I have received has been a great value and had a good selection of products. This box has been one of my favorites so far!

“Push Beyond”

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Each box comes with a card that has product descriptions and ingredients on one side, and then a cute motivational design on the other side. Love the idea that she makes them inspirational and can be kept to decorate with. I loved the design of this months card!

“Seek” Powder Illuminator

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With Teri’s powder products a little goes a long way. This illuminator is dense (trying to come up with the right word) and very pigmented. It is such a pretty rose gold color! Looking at the compact I was worried it would be too dark on my fair skin, but on the skin it is the perfect rosy highlight!

“Explore” Powder Bronzer

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Loving this tone on my skin! It has a cooler tone to it than most bronzers I have seen, which is what I have been looking for. It gives a subtle warmth to my face and sculpts at the same time. The “Clarity” bronzer that was in an earlier box was too dark for my skin, so receiving this lighter more subtle bronzer made me super happy!

Reset Hydrating Fruit Enzyme Mask & Exfoliant

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If you follow me on Instagram, you have seen my posts about loving face masks. I was sooooo excited to get a deluxe sample size of Teri’s Reset mask. It smells citrusy, and also has a strong banana scent to me. The consistency is very creamy and smooth. I like that it wasn’t extremely exfoliating and scrubby. This is a great mask to use during your self care time.

Vegan Rose Gold Face Artist Brush

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How cute is this brush? I love the look of Teri’s rose gold makeup brushes! This face brush has a dense flatter brush that is so soft. It would be perfect for applying foundation or even using to apply the face mask that came in this box. I have a couple of her brushes and have loved each one of them.

Teri Miyahira’s makeup line is definitely high-end to me. It is not cheap, but you get great quality products with cleaner ingredients.

Thank you so much for reading! What is your favorite Teri Miyahira product? Comment below! 🙂

Green Lipstick/gloss Roundup!

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If you have been following my Instagram, you have seen me mention lip products a couple of times. I am loving trying new things from lip scrubs to lip balms to lipsticks. There is just something about putting a pop of color on your lips in the spring or wearing a darker warm color in the fall. This post is all about my current lipstick and lip gloss favorites!

Fitglow Beauty Lipstick

First up is a lipstick collaboration from my favorite subscription box “Glowing Beets” and “Fitglow Beauty”. The color is called “Beet”. As far as I know Fitglow isn’t selling lipsticks at this time, but I’m hoping they do soon. I first tried Fitglow lipstick in 2015 and absolutely loved the formulation. This new color is perfect for spring and is a nice pink. This lipstick is creamy and moisturizing. It is not a glossy looking lipstick but also isn’t matte, it is the perfect middle ground. Of course on of the biggest things for me is what the lipstick is made with. Fitglow only uses organic and natural ingredients.

100% Pure Matte Lipstick

The first matte lipstick I ever tried was the 100% Pure Cocoa Butter Matte lipstick in “Aubergine”. You guys…I am in love! The color is perfect for winter (I got to wear it longer this year because winter went for so long here in Seattle). It is a dark red-purple color. I loved pairing it with a neutral toned eye. Love love love the matte texture. I thought it helped it stick in place and wear longer. 100% Pure is 100% natural, vegan, gluten free, and Cruelty free. Their lipsticks do not contain any dyes and are colored using fruit pigments. You can smell the fruitiness of the lipstick. So cool!

Teri Miyahira Lip Gloss

Perfect lip gloss for everyday and running errands! I tried the Luminosity Lip Gloss in “Innovation”. It is a sheer, pink-mauve color, with high gloss. Because it isn’t like “BAM!” in your face pigmented, it is perfect to throw on to give a makeup look a subtle finishing touch. I also love the vanilla scent that the gloss has. Teri’s products are natural, vegan, and cruelty free. They are also free of dyes, talc, alcohol, and synthetic preservatives. Amazing high end make up line!

Au Naturale su/Stain Matte Stain

This lip stain is making me more in love with matte lip products. I tried the matte lip stain in “On Pointe”. It is a great pink-nude color for a neutral lip. I do think it has more of a liquid lipstick texture. The stain has a strawberry like scent to it. I look forward to trying more colors of this product in the future! Au Naturale Lip Stains are 100% natural, vegan, and cruelty free. I think this is a very clean make up brand to check out.

HAN Natural Lip Gloss

WOW! This lip gloss is super pigmented! I tried the 100% natural lip gloss in “Raspberry Chardonnay”. It is a pink color with a slight shimmer and high gloss. The gloss has a strong vanilla scent (which I looooove because I am a vanilla-aholic). If you want a quick application for a bold lip, this is your gloss. HAN uses natural ingredients like acai oil, argan oil, shea butter, and lots more in this gloss. HAN is a cute and affordable make up line that I really like.

Plastic vs. Glass Containers

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Would it raise a red flag if your doctor told you to not eat anything out of a plastic container? For me it definitely did when my naturopath said that to me! One of the lifestyle changes that I made early on in my process of going green was getting rid of the plastic containers in my kitchen.

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Plastics can be made up of hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, sulfur, chlorine, and nitrogen. Then there are additives put in it to make it softer, more durable, able to be heated repeatedly, etc. A couple common types of plastics are Polyethylene, Polypropylene, Polystyrene, Polycarbonate and Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC). These are plastics that may contain phthalates and Bisphenol-A (BPA). BPA and phthalates are known hormonal toxins, and may be developmental, organ system, and reproductive toxins. These are chemicals that we wouldn’t want to put on our bodies, so we should not be ok with ingesting them.

In my pursuit to get healthy, I got rid of every plastic container (cups, plates, food storage, ice cube trays, straws, etc.) in my kitchen. It is one baby step that is doable and not overwhelming. All these little steps toward better health add up! I use the Pyrex brand of glass containers for mixing bowls, baking dishes. I also have a set of Best Choice glass containers. With both sets there are plastic lids (BPA free) which should not be left on when heating food. I am currently looking for glass containers that do not have plastic lids. I love using the glass versus the plastic because glass doesn’t stain, hold in odors, or leach anything. Glass containers are more expensive to purchase. The one drawback for my family is that we will have to buy containers more often due to them breaking when dropped. Using the glass gives me more peace of mind with my family. I don’t want them to be eating or drinking chemicals from the container their food is stored in.

Thank you so much for reading! What is your favorite brand of glass container? Comment below. Remember to follow my blog for updates on new posts.

 

*I am not a scientist or chemist, so this post is purely my opinion based on internet research I have done. *

Happy Little Camper Review

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Have you ever looked at what is in your baby’s wipes? It is shocking what some companies want you to use on your child. Up until now I have made my own baby wipes from paper towels, pure castile soap, coconut oil, and water. Recently I started looking at better options than conventional baby wipes and found “Happy Little Camper”.

Happy Little Camper is a 100% non-gmo cotton baby wipe. They are hypoallergenic and biodegradable. These baby wipes contain organic Aloe Vera which leaves the skin nourished and refreshed. They have a great thickness to them and are very soft. It’s important that the wipes aren’t super wet and also not too dry. These are the perfect balance. They are durable and stand up to any mess (pee, poop, and after meal clean up). I am really happy with how these wipes perform!

These wipes are free of fragrance (known to be a huge toxin), silicone, parabens, polyethylene glycols (polymers of ethylene oxide), and polyethylene terephthalate (synthetic plastic polymers). It is also free of chlorine and ethyl alcohol! I liked that these wipes are free of some of the big nasty chemicals!

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Most families are on a budget, mine included. We aren’t made of money and the diapers and wipes cost adds up quick. These baby wipes are the same price as conventional wipes, but without some of the nasty chemicals. A 72 count pack is $3.99. They also have to-go wipe packs (3, 20 count packs) for $5.99.

If you are looking for a better baby wipe option, definitely check out Happy Little Camper!

Have you tried Happy Little Camper? Comment below 🙂 Thank you for reading!  Remember to click follow to get email upsdates on new content!

 

Sun’s out, Bugs out!

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Since Seattle has gotten a little bit of warm weather, the bugs are starting to come out. Insect repellents are full of crazy toxic chemicals. Last year I started hunting for better alternatives that still perform!

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Every year I get sooooo many bug bites! I do not know what it is about me, but mosquitos love me. Last spring/summer I made my own bug spray that I used. It is an essential oil mixture that performed AMAZING! I did not get any bites on the places I sprayed. I don’t use this on Echo, because I don’t know the exact dilution of my mixture and it hasn’t been tested. It is super easy to make and works great. Here’s the recipe:

-4 oz. blue glass spray bottle

-Fill 3/4 of the way with water

-Add 2 Tablespoons Witch Hazel

-Add 10 drops Peppermint Essential Oil & 10 drops Lavender Essential Oil (I use Young Living)

-Shake before each use & spray on

Puracy Natural Bug Spray

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For Echo, I really like using the Puracy Bug Spray! One of the big things that I like about it is that it is 100% DEET free. It’s also free of other nasty substances like Formaldehyde, parabens, phthalates, sulfates, and more. It is made up of essential oils and botanical extracts which smell great! The peppermint, citronella, geranium, lemongrass, and Vanilla all blend well together. It isn’t greasy when you spray it on your body and then rub it in. It is recommended that you consult with your child’s physician if you intend to use it on a baby younger than 6 months. I used this on Echo last summer when he was 17-21 months old. He had no reactions or anything to the spray itself. He didn’t get any bug bites, so it performed great! It is also pretty budget friendly at $12 for a 4 oz. spray bottle. We only used one bottle last spring/summer. Puracy was definitely a better option than conventional bug sprays for my family!

Hope you are all enjoying this Spring sunshine! Have you tried natural & non toxic bug sprays? Comment below 🙂 share with friends.

Thrive Market

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Due to my health struggles and how difficult it has been to live a normal life, I was on a hunt to find a place to buy natural/organic foods for my family online. I kept seeing other green living bloggers post about this online market called “Thrive Market” and decided to check it out! I think I have been a member for about 6 months now and love shopping through them.

To shop you create a profile and start a 30 day trial, then at the end of the trial period you start a membership which costs about $60 a year. One of the really cool things about Thrive Market is that when you pay for your membership, you are also sponsoring a low-income family so they have access to healthy foods! I have looked at other healthy/organic stores for the products i like to buy through Thrive, and you really are getting a good deal.

A feature that I really like about Thrive is that you can shop according to diet restrictions. Each product has multiple “values” which could include gluten-free, vegan, made in the USA, supports charity, and many many more. It makes it easier to find what you are looking for.

Some of the things I buy from Thrive Market:

One Degree Organic Foods- Organic Sprouted Brown Rice Cocoa Crisps

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We eat this cereal as a dessert most of the time. It is very sweet and chocolatey, so it makes the perfect sweet treat here and there. These cocoa crisps are organic, non-gmo, gluten-free, and vegan. Our whole family can eat them. The only negative is that for my house full of guys, the 10 oz. box doesn’t last long haha. But that isn’t that big of a problem.

Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil

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We used to use a lot of olive oil, but I was reading about smoke points (I’ll write about this in a different blog post) and wanted something with a higher smoke point. We tried out this avocado oil and love it! It is 100% avocado oil, and comes in a dark glass bottle.

Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Morsels 

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One thing that I struggle with is finding things that fit with the restricted diet that I stick to. These chocolate morsels were a great find for me because they are gluten, dairy, soy, and nut free (and free of a few more common allergens). We are a house full of cookie monsters, so this makes it possible for us all to eat chocolate chip cookies!

Primal Kitchens Chipotle Lime Mayo w/ Avocado Oil

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This is one of our absolute favorite products to order! It is seriously so yummy! It has a good kick and great flavor. We use it on sandwiches, sweet potato hash, and also use it as a dipping sauce for meats. This product is also another great find that fits with my restricted diet. It is gluten, dairy, soy, and sugar free. It is also organic and uses cage free eggs. This mayo is added to my cart with every order haha.

Simple Mills Almond Flour Crackers

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This is the number one cracker in my book! Simple Mills has three flavors that are dairy free: Sundried Tomato & Basil, Sea Salt, and Rosemary & Sea Salt. They also have a Farmhouse Cheddar flavor which is rBST free. They are all gluten and soy free as well as organic and non-gmo. These crackers are also toddler approved! Echo’s favorite is the Farmhouse Cheddar flavor, but he likes them all.

I also want to add that their customer service has been very helpful. Recently one of my sauces broke during transit, and I contacted them on how to replace it. Because they are an environmentally conscious company, they won’t just send out replacement products (which I thought was really cool). As a customer, it would be easy to freak out and say no I want my product. But as someone who is environmentally conscious I admire that they stick to their guns and just give you store credit so that you can purchase it with your next box of products.

No matter what your diet, definitely check out Thrive Market! What was your Thrive Market experience? Comment below 🙂 like this post and follow the blog.

LILFOX Review

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Pretty early on in my changing to green/organic living I discovered a company called LILFOX. The ingredients they use for each product are natural, organic, and wildcrafted. I am going to share my 100% honest thoughts about a couple products that I have tried from them.

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First up is the “Youthful Vixen Eye Butter“. I am absolutely in love with this stuff! I use it every night, and sometimes I use it in the morning too. I have “smile lines” under my eyes. I don’t know if that’s an actual thing, but it’s little wrinkles under my eyes from when I smile. It is super important to me though to keep that area moisturized to prevent more wrinkles from forming. That’s why I use this product every single night.

This eye butter contains cold pressed organic and wildcrafted black cumin seed and cucumber oils, as well as other hydrating oils. The combination of these oils give the butter a spicey smell (it does not smell floral) which I really enjoy. To put it on I just rub my finger on the product, you don’t need a ton. It’s not a product to scoop out of the jar. It should feel like an oil on your finger. Then i dab it onto my under eyes. If there is excess I wipe it off, but usually just let it soak into my skin. Super easy and takes literally 2 seconds before bed!

If I’m putting on make up in the morning, I do not put this on underneath. It makes the under eye too moist, and your mascara and make up can run off on it. On days that I don’t do make up, which is most days, I put it on in the morning.

One of these pots of gold is $58.00. However, with each use you only use a small amount so the jar lasts a while.

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The next LILFOX product that I have tried is the “Maracuja+Rose Youthful Vixen Face Nectar“. This comes in a glass dropper bottle and is an oil type product. When applied to the face it does not leave you feeling oily. It absorbs into the skin quickly and leaves it feeling nourished. Only 1-3 drops are needed to massage into your skin. I use this once a day along with the Youthful Vixen Eye Butter.

The face nectar contains so many plant oils, and also contains rich moisturizing oils. The smell of this one is almost musky and floral at the same time. I like it because it isn’t overwhelmingly floral. When I use it with the eye butter, the smells don’t conflict with each other. This face nectar is in my top five favorite face oils.

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Lastly, I have tried the “Mystic Awakening Rosemary Toning Mist“. With the first spray of this toning mist on my face, I was like “woah this is potent”! For me though, the smell is so strong and overpowering. The smell alone woke me up immediately. If you love the smell of Rosemary, this is your toning mist! It is hydrating and nourishing on the skin. Just not my favorite mist.

If you are looking for a product line full of high quality ingredients and chic packaging, definitely go check out LILFOX!

Thanks for reading my review! What is your favorite LILFOX product? Comment below 🙂

 

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GIA Minerals- “Color Me Summer” Collection

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I won a giveaway on Instagram from GIA Minerals and Life with Libby, and it was the “Color Me Summer” collection. I am seriously in love! The collection has purples, a dark green, and a beige color. It also came with the clear lip plumper gloss. It’s still winter, but I’m dreaming of warmer Spring and Summer days using these products!

Loose Powder Eye Shadows 

I was excited to win this collection because I wanted to be adventurous and play with colors that I don’t normally wear. I stick to my natural brown tones whenever I do my makeup. I am not a makeup pro, so I play it safe with the basics. With this collection though I wanted to try something new. Now I love using the purple tones in the collection, and my hubby thinks it looks great too! The combo of the Dejavou in the crease, Mystique on the lid, and Lolita on the brow bone is a new favorite! “Dejavou” is a rich, shimmery, dark purple. “Mystique” is a pastel shimmery shade. “Lolita” is a great highlight of soft white powder and purple sparkles. Each one is made of a handful of natural and organic ingredients. GIA Minerals has become a favorite of mine!

Lip Plumper 

I am also loving the lip plumper gloss. I actually think that the scent makes it more of a fall product. It has a spicy warm scent and feel to it, and I’m enjoying using it this fall for church or family outings. Love the combo of this plumper with the bold purples. It is a nice, subtle, clear gloss.

If you haven’t checked out GIA Minerals yet, definitely head over to their website. They have so many highly pigmented loose powder eyeshadows that are gorgeous and a ton of other products! The company only uses natural and organic ingredients in their makeup. If you are in the market for a high end natural makeup line, check them out!

Do you have a favorite GIA Minerals product? Comment below 🙂 Like and share.