Friday, February 28, 2014

Receiving Products for Free | Why I Appreciate it

Yes, I realize this picture has NOTHING to do with this post. Didn't know what picture to use, and decided I liked this one. :)


Hey guys!
 I asked your opinion on Facebook about bloggers that get products sent to them for reviews. I honestly want to know your opinions.

Do you care? If no, why? If yes, why?

 I have been a part of the YT Beauty community long before I started this blog. When well known gurus started getting 100,000s of views, sponsored videos became a big topic of discussion. To be honest it never bothered me. My opinion is that if someone is making videos solely for the money, it will be easy to spot and vice-versa for those who make videos (or write blog posts) because they have a passion for makeup.

I'm asking because I very much appreciate having products sent to me. Why? To be transparent & blunt because I can't afford to buy new products every other week. You guys know how crazy companies are about putting out new products, I cannot keep up with it, nor do I want to. I love makeup but I have other priorities. I am a full-time student and I work part time for minimum wage. Don't get me wrong, I'm not starving, I am blessed in so many ways! That's just the truth. I'm not trying to get you guys to feel bad for me, I'm just being real.

Anyways, that is why I appreciate having products sent to me, to either recommend or tell you to save your time and money. I'm very transparent & I'm sure it's evident. I understand the fear of dishonesty that comes with having products sent to bloggers, but dishonesty is also so easily detectable. I'm sure you guys know what I mean. When you feel like you're watching (or reading) a commercial rather than a review.

I am so strict about who I'm willing to work with. (I have two reviews of products I received for free). Both companies had to answer all the questions I use to ask every company about their CF status and of course their answers to those questions had to meet my criteria. Then I considered working with them.

I just wanted to let you know my reasons for accepting products (after I have determined their CF status). Also, I don't get products sent very often, as with my strict criteria. LOL.

Lots of Love,
Camila


Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Bubble T Cosmetics | Animal Testing Inquiry

I've become paranoid about using companies logos. I don't want to get in trouble, so for now I'll either not post a picture to accompany an article or will s a pic of their site & link them. If you are a lawyer, let me know what the legal wrought to take. :) 


Hey guys! THis is going to be a fun & different post. I have wonderful readers that email with the information they have found about companies. Which I appreciate a lot, seeing as if more of us email a company the more that company is pressured into answering our questions.

Well, a beautiful reader named Adele (not sure if you want your last name displayed) sent me her correspondence with Bubble T Cosmetics. It is very thorough & awesome so I asked her if I could share it with you all. I had never heard of this company until she messaged me about it.

She used the template posed on this blog. (click here & feel free to use it)!

Here was their reply:


Dear Adele,
I hope you are well.
I am happy to answer your questions.
1. Does your company test ingredients or/and finished products on animals?Our company does not and will not test on animals in terms of ingredients or finished product 
2. 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?We don't use a 3rd part at all - we use a small manufacturer in the south of England where all our products are hand made - we have quality control employees who will assess the production line once our products are being made in bulk.
3. Do your manufacturers test ingredients or products on animals?Our manufacturers don't test on animals for us or for any other brands that they provide for - we take pride in the fact that we are against animal testing and were BUAV approved until it was compulsory in the UK to not test on animals 
4. Are you owned or affiliated with any companies that test products or ingredients on animals?We are affiliated with our sister brand 'Nougat London' who also have the same morals and ethical view on animal testing - using the same manufacturer and supplier. 
5. Do you have a parent company? If so who are they? 'Nougat London' 
6. 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? 
Bubble T and Nougat both do not sell products in China currently - prior to selling in the market each and every formulation needs to be registered with a fee which is why we are not considering this for the moment. 
7. Do you use palm oil/carnuaba wax in any of your products? If so, is it from an organic and sustainable source? 
We do not use either of those ingredients 
8. Could you provide a list of all of your current vegan items available for purchase? We cannot verify if any of our products are vegan -
I hope i have answered your questions and if any further questions come to mind please do not hesitate to ask.
If you planning on ordering from our site we would be happy to send you a free gift on top of your order to thank you for your interest in our beautiful range.

Kind Regards,


What awesome research! Adele sent me this a while back, but I haven't had time to post anything until today. So, sorry about that. 

I would definitely feel safe purchasing from them. I will email their company: Nougat London,;just to make sure there are no contractions with what is listed above. (I'm a perfectionist what can I say?) 

Other than not testing their raw ingredients on animals, having a compliant parent company with the same views on animal testing, and not selling in China; I think it's awesome that they are accreddited by BUAV. 

What do you think about their reply to these questions? Let me know your thoughts! & Thank you Adele if you are reading this :)

Lots of Love,
Camila









Saturday, February 8, 2014

ELF's Moisturizing Lipsticks Swatches and Review ||


Hey guys! I wanted to share some pics and my thoughts on ELF's Moisturizing Lipsticks. 
They retail for $3 on the ELF site! 
I've had them for about a month. 
I picked up: 'Red Carpet', 'Velvet Rope', 'Ravishing Rose', and 'Coral Cutie' ! 

On the packaging they originally come in, it says:
"The velvet, satin texture glides on lips with vibrant color and luminous shine." 

I would agree with this. They are creamy and really opaque, and leave your lips with a nice shine. However, I noticed that 'Ravishing Rose' is more matte and less shiny. Compared to the others, it does not leave my lips feeling as moisturized. I say 'as moistuized' because these lipsticks do leave your lips feeling nice and plump. They feel nice and comfortable! I was really surprised and pleased because my lips seem to always be dry, especially during these cooler days.  

They are so nice and creamy!  I can't stress that enough. They apply nicely and consistently, not patchy at all. 
They are also supposed to be 'long-lasting'. I agree completely. However, if you plan to spend 12-hours out (like me on the weekdays at school) you will need to reapply. If you don't, you'll have a nice stain! It's lovely! 

Going back to 'Ravishing Rose', I love this color. It's my favorite of the bunch and I find myself wearing it the most. It's such a beautiful color and if you like berry-rosey lipies you won't be disappointed. Having said that, this one is more like a regular lipstick. It's not as moisturizing. It's definitely not uncomfortable to wear but I just thought I'd mention it.

SCENT: They have a subtle vanilla aroma. I like it a lot! 

Overall I am very very please, and wish my Target sold more ELF products so I didn't have to order them online. Also, ELF when are you planning of setting up a store in California? Please make my wish come true! 



Definitely small enough to fit in your bag for travel. They come in a square tub, rather than your traditional round one. I think it's really different and nice. It also looks very chic and expensive! 


With FLASH 

Without FLASH in natural lighting. 

SURPRISE Product. 

ELF's $1 Lipstick in 'sociable'.
HAHA! *Insert evil genius laugh!*
I also picked this guy up along with the other lipies! I honestly haven't worn it yet, but I thought it'd be fun to share some swatches!

So far I can tell it's very opaque, but unlike the Moisturizing range this lipstick has tiny speaks of silver!
Usually I stay away from glittery or frosty lipsticks but I couldn't tell on the site. Also, it's really not as annoying as other lipsticks that have glitter. It's very minimal. (As far as I can tell). 




It's nice and sturdy packaging. Not as chic-looking but for a $1 lipstick, it's fine!



no flash

flash

Hope this was helpful or fun to read. I don't like making my reviews too long! I like to get right to the point, hope that's ok! Leave me feedback or just say Hi, if you'd like!

Lots of Love,
Camila

***Diclaimer: I bought these with my own money. However, if ELF sent me some stuff I wouldn't complain. 

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Lorac Cosmetics | Animal Testing Info

Hey guys! I received a reply from Lorac. I emailed them using the format I always use.

I'm not going to say much about this, I'm typing this in a hurry. (I've got class in a couple of minutes). I will say that I'm not 100% happy with it, but it does answer a vast of my questions. Be sure to leave your comments, tell me what you think.


Dear Camila,
Thank you for contacting LORAC Cosmetics. LORAC does not support the testing of products on animals and we ask all suppliers to support this point of view and all suppliers state that they do so. LORAC does not use a third party to test on animals. LORAC does not sell in countries requiring animal testing. Please note, LORAC cannot warrant or certify that all suppliers who say they do not test on animals in fact do not test on animals. Additionally, notwithstanding the statements of suppliers to LORAC, LORAC has no way of knowing what the “suppliers of the suppliers” are doing. In regards to the vegan ingredients there is no way to know for sure due to the lack of control over raw ingredients.

Please let us know if LORAC can further assist you!
Sincerely,
LORAC Customer Care

Lots of Love,
Camila

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