Thursday, January 30, 2014

URGENT Animal Testing Law Info in USA | MUST READ

Hey guys!

Please, PLEASE read this article by Leaping Bunny I will link, here. I would publish it here, but I just heard about it and don't have permission to post it. It's about a new law (not yet passed, but under consideration) that would make animal testing required by law in the US. Costing millions of animals lives and millions of dollars. It's crucial we unite to make sure this does NOT pass! We have tremendous say and must ask quickly. I will try to find out how we can make this law disappear.


Lots of Love,

Camila

Monday, January 27, 2014

Love and Toast lip balm in "Lemon Mint" | Review


Hey guys! I wanted to review the Love & Toast Lip Balm in 'Lemon Mint'.
It retails for $8.99 in Ulta. 
I'd been itching to get my paws on something, anything, whatever-it-may-be from this brand. Why? The packaging is absolutely lovely! 

Their stuff is definitely more on the pricey side of the spectrum (at least in my opinion). If you've never heard of Love & Toast, I've only ever seen them in Ulta stores. But I hear you can find them on Vitacost & of course on their site.

Overall:
I actually held off on reviewing this product because I did not know how I felt about it.
In the Ulta store they have testers & when I tried it, I felt a slight tinging from the mint. It felt so nice and I was intrigued! 

When I first started wearing this; however, I did not feel that same minty-ting I felt when I tested it in the store. 
I was quite disappointed because that feature of this product originally sold me.

I've had it for a little over a week now and after using it practically every night, I finally started to feel that 'ting'! YAY!
So maybe it just took a few uses to 'break-it-in'. So keep that in mind.

Scent:
It does not have a strong scent whatsoever. It's quite subtle and fresh. Smells like lemon. 

As far as its moisturizing properities, I'm pleased. 
 If your lips are severely dry, like the kind where they are burning, I don't feel this is the right product for that specific use. 

However, if you are looking for something that will do more for your lips than your standard lip balm, than I think you should give this a try. 

It's become my favorite night time lip balm! It's quite lovely! 

Is it worth it?:
In my opinion and for what I'm using it for, yes. (I'm using it as part of my night time routine, to keep my lips nice and plump). In addition, most lip stuff whether you want to or not you end-up consuming. This guy has awesome ingredients. It's also cruelty-free! In addition to being free from parabens it has these ingredients: 

Which are amazing! Come on? 

Lots of Love,
Camila 

** disclaimer: This was not sent to me. Wish it was! Love & Toast, I'm you're girl. ;) 













Thursday, January 23, 2014

♥ derma e : Evenly Radiant Makeup Remover | Review



Hey guys! Today I wanted to review the derma e : Evenly Radiant Makeup Remover. I gave you a peak of my opinion of this product in my Skin Care Tool Kit post. 

However, I received a comment from the beautiful Shawna Del Real  (BTW she makes YT videos & they are soo amazing, so check her out) explaining to me a more effective method of using this product.
I took her advice & sure enough she was 100% right! 

♥ My Routine:
I prep my eye with luke warm water, just to get the makeup moving. Then I go ahead with my cotton pad and apply makeup a teaspoon amount of this product. I hold it against my eye for 10-seconds (maybe less). I gently scrub and BAM! it's gone. I repeat this with my other eye. Finally, I apply a pea sized amount to remove my foundation & face makeup. 

I'm so shocked at how this technique has changed how I feel about this product! I use less of it and it removes more of the gunk. 

I've also used it on the delicate lower lash line of my eyes and it does not irritate them at all. 
It does not cause me to break out; however I do not have sensitive skin. 
Meanwhile, they do use some of the best ingredients out there (as you can see from the picture below). For a list of the ingredients click here. 

I'm so glad I gave this product a second chance & will continue to purchase it! It is kinda on the more pricey side of the spectrum, retailing at $12.75 for 4 oz. I was lucky to pick it up (Ulta was having a sale ) for $6.00ish dollars. If you know where to find this product for a more budget-college-student-with-a-minimum-wage job-friendly price PLEASE let us (me) know. Haha. ;) 

If you have recommendations of other derma e products please let me know. 
I am currently using their Vitamin E Severely Dry Skin Creme & am liking :) 

Lots of Love,
Camila 

*disclaimer: This product was not sent to me. I bought it with my own money. If derma e wants to sent me products to review, I'd be more than happy to accept them. I pride myself in giving an honest opinion. :) 







Monday, January 20, 2014

Ulta Haul | Vlog


Something very different. Hope you like it :D
I've had this channel for a few months now. I didn't know what to film and also I don't have an editing system. Which makes it more difficult. It's not the best quality. But it's a start. Check it out if you'd like & subscribe!



Saturday, January 18, 2014

Too-Faced Chocolate Bar Palette | Swatches and First Impression




Hey guys! So this happened yesterday! I've been eyeing (stalking really) this palette on the TooFaced site, Ulta site, Sephora Site, and on Youtube. I really really wanted it. I went shopping in Ulta with my sister and she basically forced me to buy it, jk. She is an enabler though. 

Disclaimer: I bought this palette with my own $$$. I wanted to make that clear. Even if it was sent to me my options would be 100% mine :D 

I wanted to put this up rather quickly, so you can see if this is something you'd like in your collection.
It's not going to be a review post, seeing as I literally got it 24-hrs ago. It's more of an opportunity for you guys to see swatches and read a few of my first impressions. 

It retails for $49 at Ulta. 



There's a plastic cover when you open the palette that has each name of the shadow. The back of the box also has the names. Reading and watching a few reviews, some people where bothered by the names not being on the palette. I really could care less. It mean it would be nice, but I find it unnecessary.

I know there is a burning question in your minds right now:
Does it actually smell like chocolate?
the Answer: YES! It's a beautiful cocoa, warm chocolate feeling to sniff it.

Another critic I read while researching this palette, was the reasoning behind it smelling like chocolate; lots of people thought it unnecessary or weird. Well, if you read the box it says "Made with 100% Natural Cocoa Powder". It's kind of expected for it to naturally have a chocolatey-aroma. I think it's one of the funnest features of this palette and makes it quite unique.( yes, I know 'funnest' isn't a real word).  It's soooo FUN for me. If you hate chocolate then you'd probably avoid this palette. (But who hates chocolate?) 



This is the first half of the palette. This was taken in natural light, from a window. No flash. I used 'Marzipan' today and it's beautiful <3. I have Wet N Wild palettes and feel the pigmentation is very comparable (do if you're looking for cheaper shadows to try start there). However, there is very much less fall out (that I can tell) and the staying power is much longer. (I used an eyeshadow primer).


This is the second half. Again taken in natural light coming in from a window. No flash. This is the more colorful side of the palette. The 'Candied Violet' shade is gorgeous. It's not as pigmented as I would expect, but I haven't used it on my eye so I can't say how it will look there.


 Top Row: (L to R) 'Gilded Ganache', 'White Chocolate', 'Milk Chocolate', 'Black Forest Truffle', & 'Triple Fudge'


 Middle Row (L to R): 'Salted Caramel', 'Marzipan', 'Semi-Sweet', 'Strawberry Bon-Bon', 'Candied Violet' & 'Amaretto'


The 'Candied Violet' shade is gorgeous. It's not as pigmented as I would expect, but I haven't used it on my eye so I can't say how it will look there. On the other hand, the 'Strawberry Bon-Bon' surprised me on the smoothness of the texture and the pigmentation. 




Bottom Row (L to R): 'Hazelnut', 'Crème Brulee', 'Haute Chocolate', 'Cherry Cordial' & Champagne Truffle' 

I will do a more in-depth review later. So far I'm so in love! I think it's a beauty and you might want to grab it before they're gone!

Lots of Love,
Camila 

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The links below are affiliate links. Meaning if you purchase these items using them, I will get a percentage of that purchase. It does not cost you anything, if anything it gives me a little profit and helps me out.  


Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Meet Matt(e) Nude by theBalm | Swatches and Close Ups



Hey guys! I want to share this beauty I picked up, a month ago! It's the infamous Meet Matte(e) Nude Palette. This is really just to share the swatches and a couple of comments. 

Talk about supperr smooth and pigmented shadows! Even those lighter shades like 'Matt Malloy' and 'Matt Lombardi' are potent.  Not flaky whatsoever and so easy to blend with. 


You might pickup small specks of shimmer in the picture, that's just from my using brushes I'd previously used with shimmery shadows! I promise you this is a Matte palette! 



Note: that shimmer you see on 'Matt Wood' is because I used a wet 
angled brush. 







Super slick packaging. It does come with a DVD type sleeve. It's a magnet close type of palette. 




I plan to either film or share pics using these shadows! 

Lots of Love,
Camila 

L.A. Colors and Beauty 21 | Animal Testing Inquiry



Hey guys! Have you heard of L.A. colors? or I'm sure you've seen Beauty 21.  If you've never heard of them, they do a lot of things: eyeshadow, nail polish, face products, etc. I usually find them in Dollar Tree and drug stores. I own a few of their products & am impressed. (Especially with the lipies).

I emailed LA colors about their animal testing policy. I used the format I always use.
This was their reply:


Thank you for contacting L.A. Girl USA Cosmetics.
In regards to Animal Testing, please be certain that our products are NOT tested on animals. None of the raw materials or manufacturing process through finished goods are tested on animals. Our parent company, Beauty 21 Cosmetics Inc. is also part of the cruelty-free PETA program. 
L.A. Girl and our parent company, Beauty 21 Cosmetics, do not offer/sell our products in China. Some of our products do contain Carmine (which is derived from an insect) and Lanolin which is derived from sheep’s wool.  If you are interested in a specific product, please let us know and we can specify for you. Hope this helps! Thanks for writing to us. Sincerely,Customer Service Dept.of L.A. Girl Cosmetics
YAY! It's nice that they address the China question, but they can vouch for the policy of their parent company. Also, they are on PETA's list, which is always reassuring.
They did not address every single one of the questions I asked, but as far as my criteria for determining CF status, they meet all the points.

I feel safe buying from them & will do in the future <3

Lots of Love,
Camila

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Monday, January 13, 2014

Rose Smoke | Eye Look

 Hey guys! I wanted to share this rosy-smokey eye look. I was inspired by an instagram picture by MakeupByAnna. Please check her out (you'll fall in love! <3)

P.S. You might notice a crazy eyebrow hair, I apologize :D 
I love how it came out! It's a bit more 'light" (if that's possible).  

Hope you are having a good Monday so far. 
Feel free to follow me on instagram if you'd like. 




























Saturday, January 11, 2014

January Wish List |

Hey guys!

I love reading Wish List posts, so I thought I'd be fun to share what I'm been wanting this month.
It looks wonderful! I've seen a couple of reviews & it's being raved about. I love my neutral shadows & this would be a great addition to my collection. Those of you who've picked it up, does it smell like chocolate?

Specifically these three: (L to R) 'Deep Burgendy', 'Blue Violet', & 'Coral-Red'!
I swatched them at Ulta & I was throughly impressed.

I actually lost the one I had! I'm so sad! :( I love this, I actually did a review of a bunch of Emani stuff a while ago. My sister and mom always ask to borrow it, so they miss it too. 

Left to Right: 'Blush Brush', "Miracle Complexion Sponge' & 'Stippling Brush'
I have the 'starter kit' and the 'core collection'. These brushes are vegan and cruelty-free & AMAZING!!! I use them everyday & I really want to expand my collection.

I have this same dress, so I'm not sure it exactly counts as a wish item, but I do LOVE it. I want to pick up the same one in navy. It's only $8.80! 

Ahhh boots! I'm definitely a boot kind of girl. I saw these and fell in love. I think it's a fun pair of shoes, because you can then play around with your socks and make them part of your outfit. 

I love wearing tights with my dresses! Especially during the cooler months. (I'd still wear this during summer though, shhh!) I thought these were super fun! 

I remember watching this movie a few months after it came out. I didn't really think much of it at the time. This past December it was on on DisneyChannel and I watched it again and BECAME OBSESSED! I watched it everyday during finals week & It got me through. I love it & need to own it :D

Well, that's pretty much it! I've been really wanting all of these things for months now. Maybe next month I'll own a few of them ;) Let me know what you've been wishing for this month!

Lots of Love,
                                                                   Camila











Thursday, January 9, 2014

BECCA Cosmetics | Animal Testing Inquiry


UPDATE: Thank you guys for helping me figure this puzzle out. A wonderful reader (see comments) gave me this link where it states BECCA's parent company(Cosmetic Developments Limited). I will be emailing them! Also, I'm not 100% how the regulations go for Hong Kong (i've heard repeatedly that they aren't the same as those for mainland China). I'm not expert on this & will have to contact LeapingBunny to ask them about this. I will keep you guys posed! I valve you're input tremendously!



Hey guys.
I emailed BECCA and received a reply. They answered all my questions and I find that the information provided is useful. However, I was left with more questions! Ok, enough teasing, this is what I received:

Hi Camila,
Happy Wednesday and thank you for writing in with your BECCA inquiry!
1. Does your company test ingredients or/and finished products on animals? No2. Do you test ingredients or products on animals through a 3rd party? If your answer is no, how do you ensure that your manufacturers do not test?  No. We have documentation that states such under EU Law.3. Do your manufacturers test ingredients or products on animals? No4. Are you owned or affiliated with any companies that test products or ingredients on animals? No5. Do you have a parent company? If so who are they? Yes we do have a parent company6. Do you/your parent company currently or have plans to market and sell your products in the Chinese market, which requires animal testing by law to sell in that country? We don’t have a distributor that specifically covers Mainland China. However, our international Distributors cover Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan that service many tourists from China.7. Do you use palm oil/carnuaba wax in any of your products? If so, is it from an organic and sustainable source? We have Carnauba Wax in mascara, compact concealer, pressed bronzer (duende), nude lip liner .8. Could you provide a list of all of your current vegan items available for purchase?
Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Opal, Moonstone and TopazBronzing Skin PerfectorUltimate Color GlossRadiant Skin Creamy ConcealerMatte Skin Shine Proof FDTResurfacing Primer 
Thoughts:
1. Why didn't they state their parent company? I actually googled it but haven't found a name. If you know let me know!!
2. Their answer to the China question. WHAT?! I am typing this rather late at night, maybe I'm reading it wrong, but I don't understand their answer. I will email them back and ask for clarification.

Let me know what you think!! If you know something, share with us!

Lots of Love,
Camila


BH Cosmetics

Monday, January 6, 2014

Benefit Cosmetics | Animal Testing Inquiry

UPDATE: A lot of you are letting me know (in the comments) that benefit sells in China. Which in itself tells us that animal testing has occurred. I will not be supporting them! Check out their site. 


Hey guys!
I contacted Benefit some time in December. I got a reply from them. I stalled in sharing it because I found it rather vague. However, I thought you'd like to read it and I would also share my thoughts. 

I emailed them using the same format I always use. 

This was their reply:

Hi Camila,
Benefit does not test our cosmetic products on animals. When selecting the ingredients to be used in our cosmetic products, Benefit requires raw material suppliers to provide safety information based on scientifically accepted alternative testing methods that meet international safety standards and regulations. Benefit products must meet both consumers’ needs and consumer safety, while respecting animal life. Benefit continues to strongly support & favor alternative testing and is committed to following all animal testing laws and regulations in order to ensure our products’ safety for the end consumer. 

First of all, they did not address all of my questions. Secondly, as you can tell (I'm sure), the part I've bolded is the definition of vague. They claim to use alternatives to animal testing, but also follow "animal testing laws and regulations". I don't want to speculate too much, but I have a bad feeling about this. I certainly would not purchase from them at this time. I will try to contact them again, asking them to be more specific. I will keep you guys updated. 

Lots of Love,
Camila


Awesome Bloggers!

Hey guys! I thought I'd share some of my favorite beauty vloggers & bloggers & just awesome people you need to check out. I've been blessed with this platform and I wanted to share the loved. I'm sure you might have heard of most of them, but just in case...

1. TheBumbleGumPrincess
One of the first CF Youtube ladies I started watching. She's amazing! She has awesome recommendations and such well-spoken reviews.

2.BeautySavvy
She is hilarious! Her videos always make me laugh! She always recommends products I've never heard of, which is an awesome way to learn about new indie companies!

2. natiatheart
She makes youtube videos and has a wonderful blog. Did I mention she is gorgeous!? I have loved all her tutorials! I also love her blog and hope gets to that level!

3.Makeup Guinea Pig:
Her blog posts are awesome!! I always look forward to reading them and I get so much out of them.

5. WildFox

Saturday, January 4, 2014

small NYX Haul | Cruelty Free


I went to Ulta a couple of days ago. I thought I'd share what I picked up. I will have a more indepth review later, once I'd had more time to form an opinion. 

1. NYX stay matte but not flat:
Heard awesome things about this one. I've used it once so far & I'm impressed with the coverage.



2. NYX slide on, glide, stay on & definitely a turn on water proof, extreme shine eye liner
WOAH! A mouth full of a name! I got the color in 'jet black'. I have the one in 'golden olive' & absoultey LOVE that one. I have high hopes of this one! I like it so far (keep in mind, I've only used it once, well this color.)



 3. NYX badunkadunk lush lashes mascara:
I think the packaging is : SEXY! I love it & will admit it was partly the reason I picked it up. Again, I barely got this stuff a few days ago and have only used it twice. I really like it so far ;) 




I wanted to keep this short & quick. I hope you enjoyed it & tell me if you've used any of these products :D

Lots of Love,
Camila 


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