Organic Makeup Girl

Co-washing. What an unattractive name for a pleasant process! To put it simply, co-washing is washing your hair with conditioner. Typical shampoos contain chemicals that are harmful to your scalp and overall health. Approximately 60% of what you put on your skin (scalp, etc.) is absorbed by your body. When you shampoo, you are exposing yourself to chemicals. Most shampoos contain elements like petrochemicals, parabens, sulfates, artificial colors and fragrances.

Why do you put yourself at risk for health issues and other unfavorable outcomes by using shampoo? Well, I like to think that it is because you have been conditioned (hah, no pun intended) to think that you NEED shampoo to make your hair clean. False! The lather that your shampoo creates is not solely responsible for cleaning your hair. You actually help the cleansing process along by massaging your scalp and rubbing your hair between your fingers. So when you replace your shampoo with a conditioner, preferably an organic one, you will be making a great choice.

So the concept is simple and it is likely something that you will be able to experience for free. Start off co-washing by swearing off shampoo, at least give it a week or so. Use your current conditioner in the shower to wash your hair. Make sure you use the conditioner in the same way that you would a shampoo – massage it around your scalp and rinse it well. Follow up with more of the same conditioner. Let the product sit for a few minutes while you do whatever else you must while you are in the shower. Rinse with cool water and enjoy!

I love co-washing. I think you will too!

xo Katie

p.s. Renpure conditioners work really well with co-washing. : )

(5/5)

Renpure organics shampoo and conditioner was an impromptu purchase at Harmon’s recently. I am trying to reduce my dependence on shampoos and conditioners that are laden with parabens, sulfates and harmful chemicals. A series of bright bottles caught my eye and I was delighted to see organic in the title of the brand! I popped open the top – sometimes these products can smell too earthy for me – but I was pleasantly surprised & impressed with the summery, fruity scent. I purchased three bottles (they were thankfully on sale!). I use A LOT of conditioner, about 2x as much shampoo I use – so I purchased two conditioners and one shampoo.

The moisturizing shampoo had a catchy tagline – “my pretty hair is parched.” So I bought this & the matching conditioner. Both products are fabulous. The shampoo is moisturizing but does not leave any type of unwanted sheen/oil on the hair. I use it every other day. Additionally, it smells awesome! It is definitely a great pick for the summer. I have incredibly tangly hair and this conditioner does a good (not great) job of detangling but in the defense of Renpure Organics, I have yet to find a great, organic, detangling conditioner.

I also purchased body & shine “i love my hair” conditioner which seems to be VERY similar to the moisturizing conditioner. I truly notice little difference – both work well, smell great and leave the hair soft & .:sigh:. nourished.  : )

Check out this brand if you happen to come across it! Otherwise, check out their website: http://www.renpure.com/. Their section on chemical exposure is of particular interest to me & it might be informative and useful for you as well!

xo Katie

(4.5/5)

Amazinggg hair product!

Let me prelude this review with this: I have been on the lookout for a great beach spray since John Frieda discontinued Beach Blonde Ocean Waves Sea Spray. I have no idea why this product was discontinued but it was really upsetting! Many of my friends felt the same way!

I came across David Babaii’s Bohemian Beach Spray when I was purchasing some conditioner. A sticker on the product initially caught my eye, it read: “2009 InStyle Best Beauty Buys.” So I thought hmm, maybe this product could be promising? When I realized it was a beach spray I immediately picked it up and unscrewed the cap…it smelled like coconuts and mango, so tropical and summery! So I bought it and used it as soon as I got in the car… amazing!

Some other product highlights include: cruelty free. sulfate free. paraben free.&  petrochemical free.

The cost is about $9.99 and ten percent of profits are donated to WildAid, a wildlife conservation, which is awesome!

Get this stuff, if not now, definitely in the summer. I prefer to wear it and pretend its summer but that’s just me. Oh & one more thing – this product gives your hair a great tropical scent (so skipping perfume is an option if you are in a rush or if you are trying to reduce your exposure to chemicals!)

-Katie x0

(1/5)

I have had this lip balm for a couple of months now but unfortunately it is not a product that I would recommend purchasing.

Since there are more cons with this product, I am going to start off with them:

-This balm does not seem to moisturize

-Does not stay on the lips long, it wears off quickly and easily

-The product seems to separate in the tube

-The cooling sensation is incredibly mild and almost unnoticeable

-The tube is small~you only get .25 oz of product

-The tube is not aesthetically pleasing – it is rather plain and ugly, I would not want to be seen applying this stuff! (I guess appearance is highly subjective though…)

To be fair, I must state the pros:

-USDA organic ingredients

-The lips appear fuller and glossy when one is wearing the balm which gives the lips a cool appearance

So like I said, I have had this product for a couple of months. I have tried repeatedly to embrace it but this product is not something that I would repurchase or advise anyone to purchase.  Overall, Blistex Natural Cooling Comfort Lip Balm is nothing special. Do not be dismayed though, there are plenty of other organic lip balms out there! :)

x0 Katie

I bought a Sephora PURE palette about two weeks ago. The palette comes with 1, blush and 6 eyeshadows – an awesome mix of shimmer and matte. The blush is ultra-pigmented (a little goes a longgg way!). I bought the stargazer edition because the colors looked fun to work with.

This palette will allow you the create the perfect smokey eye! : ) The makeup is long-lasting and easy to blend.

The best part about this palette is the price right now on sephora.com-$15! That is such a great deal!

Sephora PURE pros: No parabens. No sulfates. No synthetic fragrances. No Synthetic Dyes. No Petrochemicals. No Pthalates. No GMOs. No Triclosan. 95% natural. 10% organic. No animal testing.

This is an awesome palette for $15.00! It is small and lightweight so it is perfect for travel, your bag, work, school, etc.

*If you are into neutral colors, the stargazer edition might not contain the best colors for you! I would recommend that you purchase a different edition, such as wanderlust. :)

(1/5)

My hands are always really dry during the fall and winter so I make sure that I always have a hand moisturizer in my bag. When I was at Wegman’s, I picked up a bright orange tube of Kiss My Face hand alert.

The certified organic hand cream contains: rosemary & mint extracts, spf 8, & 2% AHA

After a few weeks of using this product, I have decided that I would not re-purchase it. Some of the downfalls of this cream include:

-scent: I love peppermint but the level of scent in this product is overpowering

-price: too expensive for amount of cream that you get (3 ounces)

-appearance: it leaves a white sheen on your hands, even if you rub it in well, which is unpleasant

-purpose: it is supposed to exfoliate and moisturize hands and it does not do a great job of either

If you are considering this product, skip it!

The hunt for an awesome, organic hand cream continues…

What do you use? Comment below! : )

Prior to my organic/natural makeup obsession, my cheap (drugstore) blush standby was Covergirl Cheekers blush. I experimented with most of the Cheekers blushes but Coral Rose was always a staple for me. After doing a bit of research on the safety of the Covergirl blush, I was shocked to find that it received a horrible rating on  http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com.

According to the Cosmetic Database, this blush is considered to have a high health hazard risk. Another website, http://www.goodguide.com, revealed that the Covergirl blush contained ingredients that were on their list of carcinogens. It seems that many of the ingredients in the Covergirl makeup were potential instigators of both long and short term health hazards.

Although I had used this product for years and it was inexpensive, I decided that I had two options: 1. Stop using all makeup (which was impossible because I love it!, I love applying makeup on me, my sisters, my friends, etc. & I love buying it & I love organizing my collection…) OR 2. Find healthier options that will not force me to compromise my health. Obviously, I picked #2!

My research on healthier makeup options led me to Ecco Bella, a brand that provides natural and organic beauty solutions. I found a blush that was incredibly similar to what I had. Ecco Bella Flowercolor Blush is an awesome, healthier makeup option. It was a bit difficult to locate, however, definitely worth it. I bought the Flowercolor Blush in the color Peach Rose (sounds almost exaclty like the Covergirl one! & it is…). The makeup is made from natural pigments, which are powerful producers of color.

Ecco Bella Flowercolor Blush: (4.5/5.0)

-no talc

-no fragrances (which is wonderful!! Some of the natural & organic makeup products have an unpleasant odor! That is NOT the case with this blush, it is completely odorless, which is refreshing & healthy!)

-no additives

-infused with sweet almond oil, vitamin E, &  green tea

-is GREEN because the packaging is minimal : ) (*I bought the Ecco Bella paperback duo – a magnetic case that holds up to two individual blushes!)

-can be used as an eye shadow as well

-goes on easily & looks great all day

-very reasonable in terms of price! A little bit of this blush goes a long way…

-most importantly, it is a healthier option!

Check out how your makeup products scored on the websites I provided above. I hope you will be encouraged to choose healthy beauty products & pass the knowledge on to others! Natural & organic products are definitely the best option. : )

-Katie

This is going to be a mini post! I just went to Sephora and purchased the Tarte Treasure Chest. It was $52.00 but has a retail value of $686 dollars! I have not used it yet but I am really excited about this palette. It contains 16 shimmer eyeshadows, 16 matte shadows, 16 lipglosses, bronzer, luminizer, 4 blushes. The palette comes in an adorable case with a metallic lid adorned with jewels.

The makeup contains NO parabens, petro-chemicals, phthalates, preservatives, glycol, gluten, talc or GMOs. It is also cruelty free and natural.

This palette is an amazing deal! I cannot wait to try out this product~I will let you know how I use it & if I would recommend it.

-Katie

EcoTools brushes are amazing!

Most of my makeup brushes are EcoTools (I think I have at least one of every brush they sell!). I also have some Ms. Makeup brand brushes-which are sold by Paris Presents, the same company that sells EcoTools.

If I am at a store and I see these brushes then I need to buy them! Here are some of the reasons why EcoTools brushes are in my makeup brush collection right now:

-These brushes are incredibly SOFT. I especially love the way the kabuki brush feels on my skin!

-Cost: inexpensive. In terms of price, these brushes are all very reasonable. Both individual brushes and brush kits are available for you to purchase. I enjoy both varieties-I keep the individual brushes in my room and the brush kits are usually in my makeup bag.

-EcoTools brushes come in recyclable packaging

-Brush handles are made of bamboo, a renewable and sustainable plant source

-Synthetic bristles = no animal cruelty

-EcoTools is a member of 1% for the planet (1% of annual sales will be donated to environmental organizations)

-EcoTools brushes are easily washable, durable, and efficient.

I use most of the EcoTools makeup brushes on a daily basis, including: the mini brushes (for eyes/lips), the foundation brush, the powder brush, the retractable kabuki brush, and the eye shading brush.

The mini brushes came in a package of  brushes. I use these little ones for precisely applying lip gloss. Sometimes I will use the mini brushes on my eyelids for applying a highlighter on my brow bones and inner corners (of my eyes).  The powder brush is great for both loose and pressed powder. Bronzer can be applied easily with the kabuki brush, it helps to create a balanced appearance. I use the eye shading brush for applying dark colors and also occasionally for blending.

These brushes are fabulous and you should buy them for your brush collection. I have added some EcoTools favorites to Katie’s picks, check them out at http://organicmakeupgirl.com/shop-katies-picks/.  Try starting a mini collection with one of the 5 or 6 piece EcoTools brush kits if you would like (that is how I got started with them)!  Then, purchase your favorites in the larger size or stock up on the brush kits.

Good luck and I hope you enjoy using these brushes as much as I do!