Orchid Face Products

I just want to start this by giving a HUGE shout out to Lash Girl and H-E-B for doing an amazing giveaway of all this wonderful skin care goodness! I am so grateful to be the winner of the giveaway, thank you thank you!! *High Fives* 

Ok now on to the goodies.... This is the adorable packing, totally loving the bow. It definitely felt like Christmas when my box came in! The packing material is shredded paper, so eco friendly, which I found to be very refreshing! A++++ On the presentation!! 

If you haven't heard of this line of face products before it is exclusively sold at H-E-B. You can select your own personal regimen from a complete line of gentle solutions that address all your specific skin needs! According to H-E-B, Orchid is also formulated to have proactive effects on common conditions of the face such as swelling, dark spots, and enlarged pores. I can not speak to that yet, as I haven't been using the products for any length of time, but I will be sure to post an update in a couple weeks. 

The first item I received is the Orchid Acne Spot Treatment, full sized at 1oz Net Wt. This is going to last a really long time, it's a large tube of acne treatment. I am excited to see if it will work good, but if I don't get a pimple to try this on any time soon I won't complain! :) 

 The next item is an Anti-Aging Eye Roller to help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. This came Full sized at .34 FL OZ. This item I'm actually going to be giving to a family member, because I'm not too concerned with anti aging products at this time :) 

 I am most excited about this item!!! Its the Firming Lift Face Serum. Visibly firms and lifts to improve skin's overall appearance. I have already tried this item and it works great! My face felt rejuvenated, and I noticed the product absorbs quickly which is nice! I look forward to adding this to my daily beauty routine! :) This item came full sized at 2 FL Oz. It will last for a while! 

Last but not least we have the Orchid Thermal Clay Mask. Came full sized at 4 FL OZ. You get tons of product and if it works half as good as it smells, that will be a good thing! The Mask helps to improve your skin's appearance by exfoliating dry skin cells on the surface, revealing newer, younger looking skin underneath. The water-activated heating formula warms the skin and helps relax pores. Sounds like I'm going to have to plan a spa day in the near future!! :)

Overall, I am very impressed with the Orchid Line. At face value the packaging is pretty, the product smells pleasant, for the cost you get a good sized product. I can not speak for the quality yet, but I will be sure to update you all after I've used it long enough to give a fair review.  I start college on Monday so I will be sure to continue posting as often as I can with my new schedule. I hope you all have an AWESOME weekend!! Till Next time gorgeous!!!!!! xoxo

Is That Odd's Anniversary Swag Bag

Hi Ladies. I Was very excited to find the latest Swag Bag from Is that Odd in my mailbox. As always, the contents of my bag were anything but a disappointment.

 A good variety of items, from Eye Cream, to Hair Accessories, and cosmetics. As always it even comes with a really cute Is that odd reusable tote bag (Not Pictured). I will show close up's and swatches of the items below :)

 First item, is a really cute Head band from France Luxe. Its a shiny black flexible Band with little rubbery teeth that help it from slipping off your head after you place it. I can't wait to try this out!

Next are sample sizes of the following items: Murad .03 FL oz Essential C- Eye Cream with SPF 15. Chella Hello Beautiful 0.17 FL oz Resurfacing Mask. Philosophy Microdelivery exfoliating wash 6 ml. Bareminerals Naturally Luminous Duo for Combination skin 1ml each Purifying Facial Cleanser and Purely nourishing moisturizer.

Really excited about this one, Full Size Napoleon Perdis Coral Island Lip Gloss. It's a really nice nude gloss, smells amazing (like Passion Fruit), and goes on smoothly. Not too sticky or gloppy and has decent last-ability. This is something I would pay for! :) Thank you ITO.

Here is a swatch so you can see how nude it is! I love it.

Last but not least, I got a Napoleon Perdis Eye Shadow Palette. Nice sized Natural Colors, the pans are about the size of a dime, so it gives you a decent amount of the colors.

 The colors are not named, so I did the swatches in the same spots they would appear on the palette. The pigmentation is awesome! I am very very very impressed with the quality of this palette!!

Same thing again, the swatches are lined up to match the spots on the palette. Gorgeous colors right?

I just want to say congratulations to the wonderful ladies over at IsThatOdd.com on their first anniversary! May they have many more and even more successful anniversarys than their first. I was honored to be a part of it, and greatly appreciate being one of the recipients of the swag bag. So be sure to head on over and sign up if you haven't already (It's Free, and the people are great). Have a wonderful Sunday Ladies! XOXO

Makeup Without Cruelty Please!

  This is a topic dear to many of our hearts. I was asked by a friend of mine to make a post about Cruelty Free Products, which I was more then happy to do! :) I put together a list of Companies That are Cruelty Free to PETA's (People For the Ethical Treatment of Animals) standards as well as a list of companies that DO test on animals currently. Before we get into the lists, let’s go over how and why animal testing has been used in the cosmetic industry.

There are a number of animal tests that can be done on cosmetic formulas and ingredients. This is a brief, very broken down, and less graphic description of each test and how it's done. The primary tests include the following.

 1. Draize test - This is a procedure used to determine dermal irritation. Animals used are albino rabbits who have much more sensitive skin than humans. Patches of the test material are placed on skin and readings are taken at 24 and 72 hours. The skin is then graded for irritation and reactions.

2. Eye irritancy test – Tests what happens if the cosmetic gets into the eye. It involves albino rabbits again and compounds are put into the eyes. Evaluations take place at 24, 48, 72 hrs and up to 7 days.

3. Guinea Pig Maximization test – This test measures for the sensitizing potential of an ingredient and involves injecting the compound under the skin followed by topical application.
 

Why should animals suffer and die so we can have "Smokey" eyes?!?!? They shouldn't. Thank goodness there are so many companies that are Cruelty Free! It is so easy now to purchase a Cruelty Free product over a product from a company that does animal testing!!!

There are even Vegan Choices for Cruelty-Free Makeup

Urban Decay offers many cosmetics that are not only cruelty-free, but also vegan.  Vegan makeup includes products that are made from fruits and vegetables, so check the labels for ingredient listings if you are unsure.

Cruelty-Free Makeup Brushes

Unless a makeup brush is specifically labeled as synthetic, Taklon, or nylon, it's going to contain animal hair. Unfortunatly in most cases these brushes are made in foreign countries and the animals they get the hair from are killed in inhumane ways. The only way anyone can be sure of purchasing and using brushes that haven't been the result of an animal's suffering, is to use 100% synthetic brushes.

+-

-Urban Decay, The Body Shop, and Eco Tools, to name only a couple, offer high-quality, cruelty-free synthetic makeup brushes.MAC also has a number of vegan brushes. You have to seek them out, though, brush by brush, on their site to see what each brush is made of. Vegans will want a brush described as having "synthetic fibers".


Read the fine Print!
Some companies claim that their products are cruelty-free or not tested on animals and where the finished product may not have been tested on animals, the individual ingredients have!! Sometimes companies claim that they don’t test on animals, but they contract other companies to do the testing. Sick...

Companies THAT TEST on Animals!

 I was shocked and disgusted at the following list of companies that either test on animals or contract laboratories to do the testing for them! These companies were pulled from a list available on www.peta.org Many companies that do test on animals have some cruelty-free products. Look to see how many of these items are in your home, or you have used in the past! 

**Companies are Listed by Brand/Product-Parent Company**

• Aussie (Procter & Gamble)
• Aveeno (Johnson & Johnson)
• Axe (Unilever)
• Braun (Procter & Gamble)
• Chapstick (Pfizer)
• Christina Aguilera Perfumes (Procter & Gamble)
• Clairol (Procter & Gamble)
• Clean & Clear (Johnson & Johnson)
• Clearasil (Reckitt Benckiser)
• Colgate-Palmolive Co.
• Crest (Procter & Gamble)
• DOLCE & GABBANA (Procter & Gamble)
• Dove (Unilever)
• Escada Fragrances (Procter & Gamble)
• Estée Lauder
• Garnier (L'Oreal)
• Gillette Co.(Procter & Gamble)
• Giorgio Armani (L'Oreal)
• Gucci Fragrances (Procter & Gamble)
• Head & Shoulders (Procter & Gamble)
• Herbal Essences (Procter & Gamble)
• Hugo Boss (Procter & Gamble)
• Lacoste Fragrances (Procter & Gamble)
• Lancôme (L'Oreal)
• Listerine (Johnson & Johnson)
• L'Oreal USA
• Lubriderm (Johnson & Johnson)
• Mary Kay
• Matrix Essentials (L'Oreal)
• Max Factor (Procter & Gamble)
• Maybelline (L'Oreal)
• Mizani (L'Oreal)
• Nair (Church & Dwight)
• Natural Instincts (Procter & Gamble)
• Neutrogena (Johnson & Johnson)
• Nice ‘n Easy (Procter & Gamble)
• Olay (Procter & Gamble)
• Old English (Reckitt Benckiser)
• Old Spice (Procter & Gamble)
• Ralph Lauren Fragrances (L'oreal)
• Redken (L'Oreal)
• Shiseido Cosmeitcs
• Skin ID (Johnson & Johnson)
• Suave (Unilever)
• Vidal Sasson (Procter & Gamble)

Companies that DO NOT test on Animals and Are Cruelty Free!!

 Major credit to the follow companies that don't make animals suffer for the products they offer! Again, this list is pulled from www.peta.org and if you are interested in more information please check out their site!
 All companies that are included on PETA’s cruelty-free list have signed PETA’s statement of assurance or provided a statement verifying that neither they nor their ingredient suppliers conduct or commission any animal tests on ingredients, formulations, or finished products.

• Bare Escentuals (Shiseido)
• bareFaced Mineral Cosmetics
• Bath & Body Works
• Beauty 21
• Beauty Bliss Cosmetics
• Beauty Without Cruelty
• Bobbi Brown (Estee Lauder)
• Bonicca
• Bonne Bell
• Burt's Bees (Clorox)
• C.O. Bigelow
• Carmex
• CertainDri
• Cheeky Cosmetics
• CiCi Cosmetics
• Clinique (Estee Lauder)
• Color Me Beautiful
• E.L.F. Cosmetics
• Eco Minerals V
• Eco Tools Cosmetic Brushes
• Ed Hardy Habit
• Flirt! (Estee Lauder)
• Garden Botanika
• Gosh Cosmetics
• Green Beauty Cosmetics
• Hard Candy
• Heartbreaker Cosmetics
• Hello Kitty
• Honeybee Gardens
• Hourglass Cosmetics
• Illuminare Cosmetics
• L.A. Colors (Beauty 21)
• L.A. Girl (Beauty 21)
• LA Minerals
• LUSH Cosmetics
• M.A.C. Cosmetics
• Manic Panic
• Montagne Jeunesse
• Nail Couture LA
• NYX Los Angeles Inc.
• OPI Products (Coty)
• Palmer's
• Physicians Formula
• Prestige Cosmetics
• Pur Minerals
• Revlon
• Rockstar Cosmetics
• Shany Cosmetics
• Smashbox Cosmetics (Estee Lauder)
• Stila Cosmetics
• Tarte Cosmetics
• The Body Shop (L'Oreal)
• Too Faced Cosmetics
• Urban Decay
• Victoria's Secret
• wet n wild
• Whole Foods Market, 365
• Zuzu Cosmetics

Labels can be deceiving, so be careful. No specific laws exist regarding cruelty-free labeling of products, so companies like and will use loop holes. While it is unlikely that a company would put blatantly false information about its animal testing practices on its products, the statements that it does make might indeed mislead consumers.

I am not making this post trying to sound superior or better then anyone else. I just want you, the consumer, to be aware. I have purchased and do own a lot of the brands that are currently testing on animals. I was not aware they did, and this was very eye opening for me. For some reason I had thought or at least told myself that animal testing for beauty products was illegal now, but that's not the case! Am I going to go and throw away all the brands I have that test on animals, no, but next time I go shopping I will make sure to choose a cruelty free product over an animal tested product if possible! I hope some of you found this helpful and maybe found out something you didn't already know! 

XOXO,

My Take On ELF's Beauty Eye Manuals

Hi Beautifuls!! I got these elf (Eyeslipsface.com) Eye Manuals for Christmas and I just got around to opening them up and trying them out! At first glance I really enjoy the packaging, it's a cute concept, and I immediately think this would be a great gift idea for people new to make up! 

 I think the insert of the Beauty books allowing people to write down their successful looks is a great tool for learning and becoming a better MUA. Also for remembering exactly what you used to create the look!

Each of the beauty books comes a mini elf Brightening Eyeliner pencil in "Black" as well a dual ended applicator, I took these out of the books and stored them separately (personal preference). The Beauty books also include a how to Create the look guide, so if you didn't know how to create a smokey look they teach you some basic techniques. After playing with the different "Manuals" I changed my mind about this being great starter make up and I'll tell you why at the end of the post. 

The first beauty book I played around with is the Smoky Eye Edition. I thought this book came with really fun colors, and I was super excited to try them out. Out of all the books I tried this is the one I enjoyed the most.

This palette had the most usable colors out of the 4 beauty books that I tried. They don't have names for their eyeshadow colors in these palettes and they are labeled eye 1..eye 2..eye 3.. ect. Eye 1 in this palette was VERY chalky and far too glittery for me. Eye 2 and 3 looked different in the palette, but had no real difference when swatched. The other colors produced fairly true to color swatches with minimal to no chalking.

The Second Book I played around with is the Bright Eye Edition. This was my LEAST favorite beauty book! The colors were nearly impossible to use. The most chalky of all the palettes.

 I was really hoping this palette was going to work out. I thought the colors looked like a lot of fun, until I went and tried to use them! Eye 1 I couldn't even get to show up. That's with about 15 passes of the color. Eye's 2-5 took about 8 applications of the color to get it to show up, but they are SOOO chalky that if you blow on them all the color would be gone! Eyes 6-8 took 2 swipes and they are the only real usable colors in the palette, but I can't imagine how difficult they would be to blend out. Eye 9 was just a waste of space (sorry it's true), that little mark of a swatch was after trying to get color to stick after 20+ swipes, ZERO pigmentation! Eye 10-12 is very very chalky but at least there is a slight pigmentation. 

 The Next Book I experimented with is the Natural Eye Edition. I enjoyed some of the colors in this book, but I guess I had higher hopes for it when I saw it (thinking it was gonna be a Urban Decay Naked Dupe), but the colors again, are so chalky it's hard to use them. 

All of the colors seemed to swatch fairly well with 2 passes. The only shadow I had a huge problem with is Eye 10. Very very little pigmentation, far too chalky to use for anything. The other colors had "ok" Pigmentation, but were also chalky.

The Last Beauty Book I played with is the Everyday Eye Edition. I would say that as far as eyeshadow quality this would rank #2 in the 4 I tried. A good variety of colors to play with!

 There was a big enough difference between the colors that this is the one palette you actually get 12 different usable colors to play with! Each of the colors swatched pretty nicely at 2 swipes. The only thing I didn't like about the palette was the black (Eye 12) has a lot of glitter in it, though my camera didn't pick it up, it is definitely there. But again, that is a personal preference and there is nothing wrong with the color if your into glittery shadows (: 

So, as I mentioned at the beginning of this post.... I think the concept of these Beauty Eye Manuals are WONDERFUL. The tools that are included, the How To Guide, the Pages to write notes, are wonderful things for beginners. The quality of the shadows, however, make these palettes NOT SO ideal for newbies. I think they would get very frustrated and disappointed at the quality, and the chalkiness and the fact they don't blend! I know if this was the first Eye Shadow I had to play with I would toss the towel in and give up! Well, I doubt that I am too stubborn, but if you aren't, you might be more apt to get discouraged. So maybe if you are looking for cheap makeup to start hit up your local drug store when they are having a cosmetics sale and just pick up some Drugstore Makeup on clearance! There are lots of great brands to play around with and TONS of reviews out there (including here)! Hope this helped at least someone! 

Till Next Time Gorgeous, 

   

NYC New York Color Review

  Hey Beautifuls! 

I got this awesome Lipgloss complimentary to test through Influenster’s VoxBox program! I will go into detail more about Influenster in another post. I love this gloss, I was sent NYC's Liquid Lipshine in Nude York City #582. 

 I love the consistency of the gloss, it glides on nicely, it's not sticky or gloppy. It smells like candy, I'm going to have a hard time not licking my lips! 

 The nude color is gorgeous. This is definitely one that I'm going to be using in my weekly line up!

I also really like the applicator, it looks like a regular felt tip applicator, but it's a little longer and much more flexible then the ones I normally find in glosses so it feels nice to use and the gloss covers your lips effortlessly.

Information on the Gloss from the Makers:

Straight from the city that never sleeps, NYC New York Color offers products with uptown style at down-to-earth prices, from $.99 - $4.99. The energy, style and color of New York City shines through the wide range of shades, textures and innovative products. NYC always delivers the most on-trend products & shades hot off the runway!

A beauty-editor favorite is Liquid Lipshine ($2.49). It has pure pigments that created a 3-D gloss effect. Vitamin E provides shine and a moisturizing feel. The formula is non-sticky, super shiny & soft. Available in 10 on-trend shades from neutral nudes, to berries & fuchsias. Start shopping for NYC at these stores nearest you: Walmart, Target, Rite Aid, CVS, Family Dollar, Duane Reade, Kmart, HEB, and others.  Visit newyorkcolor.com to check out all shades and fun products from New York Color!

If that wasn't enough and you're interested in finding out more about their products, Check out their website at http://www.newyorkcolor.com !!!!!!!!!!!

Till next time!