Spill It: The Green Product Junkie's *Come As You Are* Beauty Tag. What's in your makeup bag...right this minute!

Back in the 50s and 60s, they used to have something called, "Come As You Are" parties.  Now, if the name isn't obvious enough, allow me to explain...

You'd receive an invite in the mail, and you had to show up at the party (whenever it was scheduled for) dressed exactly as you were when you received the invite.  Now, if you had any bit of personality, you showed up dressed completely ridiculously to make all of your friends laugh uncontrollably (and wonder what the heck was going on in your home).  My parents went to one and the pictures were hilarious, so now I'd love to single-handedly bring that back...in a green blogger kinda way.

My beauty tag is a "Come As You Are" party for the makeup bag.  This means that I want to see exactly what's in your makeup bag AS YOU NOW READ THIS.  However...I don't want you to add things, to run and go get something to make yourself look cooler (how would that be possible, anyway?) Just simply, SPILL IT. That's right, spill your makeup bag on the table, the carpet, the couch and take a picture and then explain what you've got and what's going on in there.  Have fun and remember...no staging, let's keep this real.  

Couleur Caramel Cils Long Mascara & Brow Pencil - I love this mascara, but only for the top lashes as I think it would smudge on the lower ones.  It's my favorite mascara for volume and kapow.  Oh, and I love their brow pencil.  I'm not sure why, but I always have.  It's got a great little brow brush on one end, too.  Disco!

Dr. Hauschka Plum/White Eyeliner Duo - This is my favorite liner, but for some reason they stopped making this color and this is my last one (insert groan here).  I usually just apply it on the upper lid and the inside upper lid and it naturally smudges to give a slightly smoky eye...perfect for the girl who thinks black is a bit scary.

RMS Beauty - Wow, I never noticed how much RMS I carry around.  No wonder my bag is heavy!  I've got Demure Lip2Cheek, Lunar Cream Shadow, "Un" Coverup in 11, Living Luminizer and Bloom Lip Shine.

EcoTools Retractable Foundation Brush - I love this brush as it stays nice and clean for carrying and it's eco-friendly...always my goal.

Preserve Tongue Cleaner & Mint Toothpicks - Made from recycled yogurt cups, I've got these tongue cleaners in all my bags and in my bathroom.  I love Preserve.  If you don't know about their recycling practices, you should go to their site.  I love their minty toothpicks, too.

W3ll People Narcissist Foundation - What can I say?  My go-to foundation.  Light coverage, evens out skin tone, smells great and is so easy to use.  Oh, and it doesn't cake or look dry.

Tsi-La Perfume in Fiori D'Arancio - I love this lil guy.  So great to have in my makeup bag when I just want to smell pretty...on the sly.

Studio 78's Concealer "Off We Go" - If I forget this concealer, I will implode.  Okay, that's being dramatic, but between the awesome concealer and the fantastic little mirror on the inside top cover, it's a staple.  If I'm feeling dry, I'll put some RMS "Un" Coverup on top.

Zuzu Mascara - I use this on my lower lids because it NEVER flakes or smudges.  I also use it on my upper, but find myself wanting more up volume up there, hence the Couleur Caramel.  This gives a natural, pretty look.

Alima Pure Baila Lip Tint - This is from the new Kristen Arnett Me Encanta Makeup Collection.  It's so smooth and glossy feeling, I can't wait until I beg Alima enough that they start making these in pinks and brighter colors (I've already started..hee, hee)  Oh, and the scent of Cocoa is delicious.

Living Nature Lip Pencil - The color is Laughter and it's almost done, but I have a new one in my stash. This is a great neutral pencil.  

Jane Iredale Lip Gloss in Sugar Plum - This is a favorite of mine and I always carry this around.  It's a pretty medium coverage gloss in a great hot-ish pink.

Maison Scotch Makeup Bag - I love my new makeup bag.  You can't beat getting a pretty one...when I take it out, I feel happy.

Laura Mercier Lip Brush - Someone gave me this in a mini-set of brushes.  It's the only brand here that isn't green...but it's only a lip brush, so take that!

A comb - Uhm...who cares who makes it?

Thanks for playing and the rules are that you need to tag some other green beauty bloggers, keep the title as it is and, of course, have the best time.  

I'm tagging people who are probably far, far too busy to do this, like:  Life In Blush, Pemberley Jones (don't kill me), Green Beauty Bunny, 312 Beauty and Beauty by Britanie.

The Greener Mascara Clinic is Open: Come On In, Ladies...featuring Zuzu Luxe, Dr. Hauschka, Couleur Caramel & Juice Beauty!

Zuzu Luxe, Dr. Hauschka, Juice Beauty & Couleur Caramel

Natural

ZuZu Luxe by Gabriel Cosmetics  This mascara will not smudge or flake on you...at all!  Trust me on this one.  I use this on my lower lashes everyday and if I'm going for a all around natural look, on my top as well.  If you a more dramatic look, just add another layer.  This mascara is one that I will never stop using, plus the ingredients are great.  This also comes in Espresso and Navy as well as the Onyx.   $16.70

Volumizing

Dr. Hauschka Volumizing   I find that volumizing mascaras can be a little "wetter" than other mascaras and they can definitely smudge.  That's why I only use this mascara on the upper lashes and I'll use my ZuZu on the bottom.  I think this gives a really pretty full lash and is great for adding on for even thicker looking lashes. $29.25

Couleur Caramel Cils Longs This is my favorite for the upper lashes.  Again, there's no way I can wear this on the bottom as it will get all over the place.  So, I wear this on the top and ZuZu or Juice Beauty on the bottom.  I also love the smell of it...I know, strange, but it's got this super clean powdery smell that I love.  $24.25

Separating & Lengthening

Juice Beauty Lash Defining Mascara  I recently did a full review on this, but wanted to add it to the 'clinic' (who  do I think I am using that term, right?)  Anyway, this mascara is going to define lashes and separate them, but if you're looking for a big voluminous look, this isn't the one for you. This has never smudged on me and if you give a few seconds to dry, you'll be good to go all day.  $19

Some of these products I was given to test, others I purchased, all I loved.  

My Natural Beauty Q & A...with Myself!

I just read Chalkboard's Q & A with green makeup artist, Katey Denno and I found myself answering all of the natural beauty questions as I read them.  So, I wanted to do my own Q & A...with myself!  Yes, there's probably a straight jacket fitting I need to get myself to, but it's fun.

Obsession of the Moment:  My Earth Tu Face Eye/Repair Serum.  I'd been using another eye cream for a long time, Naturopathica's Vitamin K Eye Cream, which I still love, but started using this after I was sent it for review.  

Can't Travel Without:  My DeVita Solar Moisturizer in SPF 30 and Solar Body Block SPF 30.
Everyone knows how much I love this stuff.  Feels like a lotion, but it's an SPF...using anything else is a total drag...and sticky!

In a Pinch I:  I'll use organic Coconut Oil to take off my makeup, to hydrate my hair, to moisturize my body, to hydrate my skin.  I find that I wake up with thee most gorgeous skin if I use this all over my face, wipe it off and go to bed.

Always in My Evening Clutch:  A pink gloss.  I'll use either Sublime by RMS Beauty, Revolution Organics' Truth or Jane Iredale's Sugar Plum.  I'm also loving Call Me by Ilia Beauty.

Beautifying Snack/Meal:  My morning smoothie:  Almond Milk, coconut oil, calcium/magnesium, flax seeds or chia seeds, a banana and berries!  Also, good fats - avocado and olive oil.

Beautifying Drink:  A tall glass of powdered organic wheatgrass from Amazing Grass.  It tastes like someone emptied their lawn mower into your water, but you'll live.

For Ultra-Glamorous Effect:  I take my Dr. Hauschka Plum/White Duo Liner and use the white highlighter in the corners of my eyes.  I'll also line the inside upper lid with the purple and as the day - or night goes on, it smudges to give a slight smokey eye.

A Perfect Pout:  Jane Iredale's Lip & Cheek Stain in Forever Pink with a gloss over it.  You can't lose.

Beauty Tool:  My Eco-Tools Retractable Foundation Brush.  I love this because you can keep it in your bag and it stays clean.  I also love it because the aluminum has been recycled.

Weirdest Beauty Habit:  Covering my face with plain, fatty yogurt.  It leaves my skin so bright and pretty that if I have a date or party, I'm definitely making the time for this before I have to apply my makeup.

In The Shower I Keep:  My Preserve Razor, NYL Gentle Sugar Body Polish, Dr. Bronner's Organic Peppermint Shave Gel, SkinnySkinny Rosemary Mint Foot Scrub, Acure Brightening Facial Scrub Sea Kelp, Rahua Shampoo & Conditioner, Sebon Organics Shampoo & Conditioner, Vetiver Rose Sellwood Soap and my own Turbinado sugar and coconut oil body scrub!

On My Bedside Table:  S.W. Basics Cocoa Lip Balm, KYI Chamomile Lavender Whipped Shea Butter Mask (I use it for my face and hands) and Badger Foot Balm.

Once A Month I:  I put on an exfoliating enzyme mask by Naturopathica's Sweet Cherry Brightening Enzyme Peel just to give my skin a fresh start and follow with my Kahina Argan Oil.  

After A Long Night Or Rough Weekend:  I need my sleep, lots of water and a good foot scrub in the shower.

On Little Sleep I Rely On:  Amala's Hydrate Treatment Oil to moisturize and my Studio 78 Concealer to cover up any bags...it's my favorite concealer, hands down.

The Best Green Beauty Products That I Purchase Over and Over Again

THE GREEN STAPLES

I love trying new products (but detest samples - am I the only one?) and recently found a post by Naturalla Beauty where she posted about products that she buys over and over again. I've finally gotten around to posting mine...and this is only a few of them.

1.  RMS BEAUTY LIVING LUMINIZER, UN-COVERUP & LIP SHINES

I think the only reason I haven't re-bought everything is that I still have lots of product, but what I buy often is the Un-Coverup, Living Luminizer and Sublime Lip Shine.  I'll forever love this line.

2.   DR. HAUSCHKA PLUM/WHITE LINER DUO

*Note:  This might be a discontinued color...bummer!  I wear plum/white duo pencil each and every day.  I find that black can be a little too harsh and the purple on this pencil looks pretty and is easy to work with.  The white is gorgeous for inside the corner of the eye.  I'm on my third so far.

3.  W3LL PEOPLE FOUNDATION
I really love this foundation and I suggest you give it a whirl.  I've written a more detailed review on it, but it's non-drying, gives great coverage and has pure ingredients.

4.  KJAER WEIS CLOUD NINE EYESHADOW
Just your basic, great base eyeshadow.  Neutral in color, and I love it.  I also love the packaging.  If you haven't held one of these little gems, you're missing out.

5.  VAPOUR ORGANIC BEAUTY STRATUS SKIN PERFECTOR
This is my primer.  Whenever I am performing or going somewhere where my makeup needs to stay on just a bit more, this is my go-to product.  Sets a nice foundation for your makeup.

6.  STUDIO 78 FOUNDATION
This is going to be a "buy it again before it runs out."  I really love this foundation.  Again, a detailed review is on this blog.

7.  REVOLUTION ORGANICS LIP GLOSS IN TRUTH
I love the smell of this shea butter gloss...it might not be everyone's favorite scent, but it just screams "natural" to me.  This goes on super smooth and the color is a sheer-ish hot pink that still packs a punch.  You can re-apply this all day.

8.  ZUZU COSMETICS LIP GLOSS IN COSMOPOLITAN
This is a Summer pick!  I love this pink gloss that's got a pretty, and slight iridescent sheen about it.  I buy these several at a time as I use them up very quickly.  

9.  COULEUR CARAMEL MASCARA
Excellent mascara for the upper lids.  I don't wear on my lower lids because I find I smudge, but on the upper, you're getting a perfect lash.  I also LOVE the smell...a clean baby powder scent.  I know, mascara doesn't need to smell great, but I love taking a sniff!

10.  JANE IREDALE  JUST KISSED IN FOREVER PINK 

I have bought this too many times to count.  Imagine a lip stain that gives you a gorgeous pink pout, doesn't dry out your lips and won't change colors on you.  This hydrates and is so easy to apply.  It's a big, big favorite of mine.

11.  DEVITA SOLAR FACE MOISTURIZER SPF 30
*Update:  I believe they changed the formula...not sure how it is now as it is different.  This face cream feels light like a lotion, leaves no residue and feels nothing like it's got an SPF.  I usually detest sunblock as it breaks me out, feels heavy, etc.  This is awesome.  It's my everyday moisturizer over my Kahina Argan Oil.  I also use their Solar body cream in the summer.  

12.  ZUZU MASCARA
This is a favorite of several Green Bloggers, it seems.  There is NO smudging here.  It's actually the perfect mascara.  Often I like a little more drama on my upper lashes, so I'll use this on the lower, knowing there's no chance of flaking or smudging.

13.  JANE IREDALE ACTIVE LIGHT CONCEALER
I love, love the Active Light Concealer.  It brightens up the eye area and the color matches perfectly.  I usually put this on first and if I need more coverage, put RMS on top or Studio 78's (which I should have added to this...their concealer is a big keeper!)

Let me know what you've tried and loved.

*I have purchased all of these products myself & all opinions are my own!

New Natural Makeup I'm Hooked On...RMS Beauty, Revolution Organics, Jane Iredale & Alicia Silverstone for Juice Beauty

These are some random natural makeup items that I'm loving right now:

RMS BEAUTY LIP2CHEEK IN MODEST

I think I own pretty much everything that RMS Beauty makes, unless it's a color that completely won't go with my skin tone.  But even then, trust me, I'm tempted in a major way.  My latest purchase has been Lip2Cheek in Modest.

It was sold out for a while, but I finally got it! This is a berry pink  (as you can see from the swatch here).  The reason I love this, as with all of the RMS products, is that it really becomes a part of the skin and doesn't look like you're wearing blush.  It just looks like your cheeks have a rosy glow...as nature intended.   I don't use this on my lips because I really like a glossier look, but I would definitely wear it if I had some clear gloss to throw on top.  The ingredients are pure and it will last forever.  $36

REVOLUTION ORGANICS LIP GLOSS IN TRUTH

For some reason, it took a while for me t purchase a Revolution Organics' lip gloss, but now I'm all in.  Truth is a hot pink (second from left), but it's not too bright and It's perfect for daytime.   It gives you that hot pink look, but it's still sorta sheer and not sticky.   I also love the consistency it's super smooth and stays on.  The smell?  I love it, but some people may not.  You see, the ingredients are super pure and I think I'm smelling the shea butter, which is a scent that I really like.  Since I've gone natural, I don't like synthetic fragrance in my products.  In fact, I can't stand it in cleaning products or anything for that matter.  So, I really love this gloss and have a stash in case I run out.  $26

JANE IREDALE PURELASH LASH CONDITIONER & EYE GLOSS

Some things you just love.  Jane Iredale's PureLash Conditioner is one of them.  It's a lash conditioner and extender that you apply before you put on your mascara and I just love it.  I think that it really makes the lashes look fuller and thicker.  I wish I had more to say about it, but I don't.  It's not something you'll desperately need, but I love using it! $16.50 

While we're on Jane Iredale, I also love their Eye Gloss.  It goes on shiny and moist, but quickly dries and still stays shiny and pretty.  I have it in Grey Silk and it's such a pretty metallic grey.  It's an excellent highlighter, too, if you just want a little shine.  $15.50

ALICIA SILVERSTONE FOR JUICE BEAUTY PURELY KISSABLE LIP COLOR

I'm really, really into pink lipsticks and glosses.  I mean, I have a bin of them and I alternate all of the time.  I saw this on a website and was immediately draw to it's pretty pink.  It just came in the mail and I love it!  The color is just thee perfect pink and this photo is a great representation of it.  It goes on so smooth, the ingredients are clean and it smells heavenly.  From what I understand, this is the only color it comes in...lucky me.  I'm so used to everything being in nude or brown.  This is gorgeous for Spring.  I have a feeling that this is going to be in heavy, heavy rotation starting tomorrow!   Get it here for $16

The Best Natural Foundations: Organic Glam, Logona & Dr. Hauschka. Light-Weight and Green!

I'm the type of green girl who has two kinds of foundations: medium coverage for times when I've got blemishes and light coverage for when my skin is in good condition and I'm only hoping to even out the tone.    Here are my picks for some of the best natural foundations that give light coverage.  If you do need more coverage, I'm going to suggest you check out my post on my favorite natural/organic foundations.  Now, for the lightweights....

ORGANIC GLAM  LUMINOUS ANTIOXIDANT FOUNDATION

I had heard this recommended by natural makeup artist, Jessa Blades several times in interviews and decided to give it a shot.  This is a super lightweight foundation that does NOT leave your skin cakey or dry it out.  It goes on really smooth and lightly evens out skin.   It almost feels like a very light lotion going on.  Again, if you're looking for major coverage or even medium coverage, this probably won't do it for you.  I recommend this for a good skin day when you just want to even out your skin tone.  $58

LOGONA NATURAL FINISH FOUNDATION
I purchased this from the Nature of Beauty without having heard anything about it.  This is super, super light, but goes on really nicely and doesn't dry out or feel like you're wearing anything.  Similar to Organic Glam, I would have to say that this is probably even lighter.  It has a really nice, clean scent to it and I just love the consistency of it.  This is definitely a "no makeup" look makeup. $24.95

DR. HAUSCHKA TRANSLUCENT FOUNDATION
I was really into this product for a while there, but I found that it's probably much better on oilier skins.  This foundation gives a little more coverage than the above-mentioned foundations, but it's still a light coverage foundation.  It's a bit on the drier side in terms of consistency, so I'm going to suggest that if you're dry, go for Organic Glam or Logona.  If you've got an oiler complexion or just like a drier foundation that's lightweight, try Dr. Hauschka. $36.95




*I purchased all of these products myself.  The above opinions are mine, so take that!

The Best Natural Mascaras - Couleur Caramel, Dr. Hauschka & Zuzu Luxe

The majority of people that are into clean or green makeup say they have a huge problem trying to find a great natural mascara.   I have to admit that I did try lots of them before I found great ones, but it's not impossible.  These are my favorites, in order of adoration:

COULEUR CARAMEL

Couleur Caramel

This is a mineral and plant-based mascara and I have to say, you'd never know the difference between this and one filled with chemicals. It's paraben-free, phenoxyethanol-free and coal free.  99% of it's ingredients are natural.  Plus, the entire case is recyclable. So, how does it hold up vs. other mascaras? Perfectly. In fact, I love it.  There's no flaking, no smudging (unless you use a very emollient concealer like RMS Beauty) and it can be layered easily.  Oh, and it also comes off in a snap.

Dr. Hauschka's Volume Mascara

DR. HAUSCHKA

I think this mascara is great and definitely gives Dior Show Mascara a run for the money. It creates big, dramatic lashes and comes off easily. The only gripe I have with this is that if your concealer or under eye cream is too oily, it will definitely smudge. I also wouldn't wear it if I knew I was going to be sweating. I usually wear this on the top lashes only and wear my next favorite mascara on my lower lashes.

ZUZU LUXE

ZuZu Luxe Mascara

I like this mascara...a lot. In fact, I just purchased another one today. I use it when I know I can't have any smudging and usually use it daily on my lower lashes, giving the upper to my Couleur Caramel or Dr. Hauschka as they just seem to give more volume and drama. For some reason, no matter what happens, this doesn't smudge at all and for that, it's a favorite.

I hope you try and love some of these mascaras.