How has my make up bag changed this year

Well, it has changed. A LOT. Make up was my biggest obsession this year. I've started reading a lot of beauty bloggers and wanted to try almost all famous products. Now I have three eye shadow palettes (I used to have only one), more than 6 blushes, uncountable amount of lipsticks and empty wallet. Did I need all these things? No. I believe every woman can survive with only two lipsticks in her bag. But every time I felt sad or stressed I wanted to treat myself. Unfortunately, illusion of happiness of having new thing doesn't last too long and you find yourself constantly looking for something another to buy. In the end this shopaholic mania left me feeling guilty about spending too much. Next year I want to learn how to control my expenses.

In order to do so, I'm going to follow simple rules:

• I'll buy new make up products only in case if I run out of something. I have plenty of products to play with already. Got tired of your usual eye shadow palette? Try to create looks with shades that you don't use on regular basis (and don't lie that you don't have such shades - everyone has one or two that they don't use at all). Experiment with things that you already own.
• Focus on skincare and hair products that are affordable (of course only cruelty free and possibly vegan). Brands worth checking out: Urtekram (shampoos & conditioners), Sukin Organics (skincare, hair care), Natio (skincare), natural oils like Macadamia Oil, Avocado Oil, Coconut Oil, etc (for hair treatment).
• Avoid sales and impulsive buys. Ask yourself "Do I really need this?" all the time.
• Have budget for every month.
• Remember that not material things will make you happy, but people and interesting experiences.

The biggest step this year was learning about ugly side of beauty industry i.e. animal testing and trying to buy only from cruelty free companies. Next year I'll also try to cut my spending on brands that have non cruelty free parent companies, if 100% cruelty brands offer much better deals. In other words, next time my Urban Decay eye primer potion runs out, I'm buying shadow insurance primer from Too Faced, because hey, it's the same size as UD but much cheaper on beautybay.com (and beauty bloggers reviews tell me that quality doesn't differ much + Too Faced is 100% cruelty free).

Another big step was starting using sunscreens. Yeah, I know. I didn't used it even when I lived in Japan (and I tell you, Japanese sun is a killer for skin, especially during summer) :S Now I'm using it 365 days a year, because sun in the primary case of skin ageing and may lead to cancer.

What are yours beauty resolutions for next year?

November favorites

Nars Orgasm Blush is the most famous Nars blush and I don't believe there's anyone out there who hasn't heard about it once or twice. Early this year I followed the crowd and decided that I need "Orgasm" in my life too. After purchasing it I've been using it daily, but in summer I got Illamasqua Hussy to play with, so Orgasm was lost in the pile of cosmetics I own. But in November I got tired of bright makeup and wanted to create more natural looks, so here I am, loving Orgasm blush more than ever. In case you don't know, it's peachy pink with golden shimmer. It tends to look more pink than peachy on my skin. The pigmentation isn't very intense, so if you want the blush to show up on your cheeks you need to built the color up, but I don't see it as disadvantage, because one or two swipes will give you natural, healthy glow to your face (and I like to use it this way).

Urban Decay Naked Revolution Lipstick is a new acquisition to my makeup collection which I grabbed during sale on feelunique.com for €15. To tell the truth, I'm not fan of nude lipsticks, but I usually eat/drink a lot when I'm out with friends and bright lipsticks tend to leave marks on boyfriend's face + UD Revolution Lipstick in Naked was recommended as "perfect Autumn lipstick" by many bloggers on my bloglovin' feed, so I thought, why not to try something new? 

 Naked is warm pink nude color with opaque finish - it's like my own lip color, but better. It lasts about 4 hours and is very moisturizing which is a big plus during cold winter months. The package also looks very expensive and elegant - I love it! Urban Decay has always been like "eye shadow brand" for me, but I must admit they did quite a nice job on lipsticks too. Can't get enough of Naked ;)

Please note that both Nars and Urban Decay are cruelty free, but owned by parent companies who test on animals. Orgasm blush isn't suitable for vegans, since it contains lanolin, but Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick range is completely vegan. You can buy Nars blushes from here and UD lipsticks here.

What did you love in November?

Hurraw! Lip Balms in Chocolate & Vanilla Bean

Last week I got parcel from iherb.com with these two babies and I need to say that I'm totally in love! I have very dry, chapped lips which become only worse during cold weather (we have -12°C here at the moment, hello) and lip balm is essential tool for me to survive winter. 

Hurraw! lip balms are 100% cruelty free, vegan and made from "premium raw, organic and fair trade ingredients" (c). On each package you can also find the Leaping Bunny logo which confirms that no animals were harmed during production of these products. Speaking of the package, I like lip balms in tubes much more than in tins due to hygienic reasons. 

At iherb.com there are 21 different flavors to choose from - I bought classical Vanilla Bean and Chocolate lip balms. Both of them smell deliciously, especially Vanilla Bean one, it reminds me of vanilla ice-cream. But what most important that they provide really good moisture to my dry lips! I can stay without reapplying product for 2-3 hours - personally I find it as quite good result, because previously I used Badger Balm and it didn't help at all (my lips got dehydrated after 30 minutes).

Now I'm thinking about getting another flavors like Coconut, Chai spice and Tinted Black Cherry Balm, because hey, it's never enough of lip balms ;)

 

Have you ever tried Hurraw! lip balms? What do you think?

A/W wishlist

1. Too Faced Pink Leopard Bronzer (24.30 euro) - I have been lusting over this bronzer for ages! It's Too Faced cult product, shimmery pink bronzer with leopard print. I don't know why, but beautybay.com now retails Too Faced products for much cheaper price than it was before (plus free shipping!), so I would totally recommend checking it out. Unfortunately, Pink Leopard Bronzer isn't suitable for vegans, since it contains carmine (red coloring derived from the dried bodies of female beetles; personally I'm totally okay with it in my makeup), but Too Faced has a lot of vegan options and is 100% cruelty free.

2. Lime Crime Red Velvet & Suedeberry Velvetines - I've recently learned that Lime Crime has acquired The Leaping Bunny logo. As you may know, The Leaping Bunny is one of the most reliable source for cruelty free shopping, because all brands listed by The Leaping Bunny are checked thoroughly and brand needs to pay a lot of money every year to use their logo (read more about difference between Peta.org and The Leaping Bunny at Cruelty Free Kitty). Since now I'm certain that Lime Crime is cruelty free, I'm thinking about getting their famous velvetines (liquid lipsticks with matte finish) in Red Velvet and Suedeberry. Love-Makeup.co.uk stocks it for 17 euro each + about 5 euro of shipping.

3. Shiro Cosmetics Eyeshadows - 100% vegan and cruelty free handmade makeup inspired by different books/movies. The best present for you geeky friend! (or geeky yourself) Their Game of Thrones eyeshadows collection is gorgeous beyond words, I want almost all shades! Totally getting Hodor, Little Bird (Sansa Stark), Mother of Dragons (Daenerys), No Men Like Me (Jaime) and Valar Morghulis (Arya) shades. I think that Little Bird is possible to use as blush since it's matte mauve/beige-pink color. Girl on Fire, Huntress and Rebellion from Hunger Games collection are also so so beautiful ♥♥♥

What are you lusting for this Autumn/Winter?

Idun Minerals Marleen lip gloss

It's been a while since my last post and I'm very sorry for abandoning this blog, especially after getting so many new followers (thank you!). I took too many shifts this month at work, so every time I come home, I'm so exhausted that all I want to do is to sleep or watch another tv-show :/ I'll have much more time in December, so hopefully many new posts are coming.

Despite tough schedule, I managed to go on one day cruise to Stockholm, Sweden, where I bought Idun Minerals lip gloss in Marleen. Idun Minerals is Swedish brand which produces mineral cosmetics and is sold at local pharmacies (I got mine at Aptotekat Korpen in Old Town area). I haven't contacted them myself, but according to this post they seem to be cruelty free. They have variety of lip glosses, blushes, mascaras, eye shadows... everything has very pretty and feminine package, especially powder products.

Idun Minerals lip gloss in Marleen has beautiful strawberry pink color (reddish pink?). It contains no shimmer at all and its finish is something between opaque and translucent. Longevity of Marleen is about 2-3 hours (if you don't eat or drink it will last longer), but you can easily re-apply with its very convenient lip brush. It has smell of rose, but it doesn't bother me at all and as you know, I'm very sensitive to strong smells. I received so many compliments on how good I look since I've started using this lip gloss, so definitely worth cheking out if you're in Sweden. :D

Current

- I've finally finished reading Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games trilogy. I love books which can capture your attention from the first page to the end - I couldn't stop reading The Hunger Games until it was last page of the third book. I also watched two movies yesterday - it was okay, but the original was better, because when you read it's like you actually live character's lives, feel their emotions (I actually was the same terrified as Katniss when she was thrown into arena for the first time). I don't know, but usually books leave much bigger impression on me than movies or tv-shows.

- Got Illamasqua Nail Varnish in Creator just in time for Halloween. It's beautiful black with golden glitter in it. Applies easily and dries out quickly. Can't say anything about removing it, because I used it only one time and it's still on my nails. Cruelty free and the most expensive nail polish in my small collection (15 euro with discount, wtf).

- Since A/W lip colors are very popular in beauty bloggers community lately I gave in and bought myself Make Up Store matte lipstick in 401. It's dark plum color and application is quite difficult because you need to have an ideal lips. Lip scrub (I use e.l.f. exfoliator) + lip transparent pencil (e.l.f. Lip lock) + lip brush + lipstick from the tube + blotting lips with a tissue = this is a formula to get a great look with this product (takes some time). I'll post more swatch photos later.

- Natural deodorants don't work for me. I tried both solid and liquid Crystal deodorant and it made me more smelly and sweaty than ever. I ordered travel size of Schmidt's Natural Deodorant from their etsy store, but since I'll sweat to death waiting for parcel from USA to reach Estonia, I've decided to buy deodorant from non cruelty free company. It wasn't an easy decision and I'm still feeling guilty :(

Review: e.l.f. Daily Brush Cleaner

I always clean my brushes with shampoo + hair conditioner mix once in a week, but I was curious about this e.l.f. product, so it eventually ended up in my card while shopping online on their UK website. You know, I love e.l.f. for being cruelty free and affordable brand who produces good quality products, but ugh, this thing made me very disappointed. Why?

• I followed instructions written on the package: sprayed Brush Cleaner over the brush bristles and wiped brush onto clean tissue. At first I kinda liked that it smells like DKNY Be Delicious perfume, but when the smell stayed in my room for hours giving me a headache, I thought that this is getting out of hands. Don't get me wrong, I tried to ventilate my room by opening window, but even now I can smell it. 
• While the product doesn't promise to make brushes fully clean, I didn't except it to have such small cleaning effect. Some of my brushes still have eye shadow powder on it :/

Also it contains parabens in it, when Avalon Organics Shampoo which I use for cleaning my brushes doesn't. Cruelty free bloggers from #cfbloggers chat are also suggesting to try cleaning brushes with Dr. Bonner liquid soaps. We don't have it in Estonia, but I might be getting one from asos or feelunique.com.

Will I repurchase Daily Brush Cleaner again? No. Sorry e.l.f., but I stick to my usual cleaning routine.

What do you think about this product?

Make Up Store: Snowflake matt eye pencil

I've been thinking about getting eye pencil in nude or white for coloring my lower lash line for ages, but finally bought one this month. As I wrote before, Make Up Store is cruelty free brand from Sweden. Despite them selling in UK, I've seen only few reviews on MUS products which were written mainly by Swedish bloggers. It's such a shame, since the brand offers good quality for affordable prices (it's not either drugstore nor high end brand - something in between). Showflake is white matt eye pencil. 

It's very pigmented, has long lasting power and creamy formula, doesn't irritate my sensitive eyes and is suitable for contact lens wearers. As you may know, coloring your lower lash line in white or nude colors will make you eyes looking even more bigger. Also you can use white pencil for Halloween makeup looks, marking teeth or mouth like in this tutorial. Essential item in every makeup bag. Retails for 11 euro.

Killer Clown Halloween look

Used some photoshop to hide my eyebrows

Had really fun today making Halloween look :) Oh my God, youtube is full of such awesome tutorials!! I won't post what I used because even if these face colors have "not animal tested" written on them, the company didn't answer my email regarding their animal testing policy. So yeah, no advertisement for them. Still, had great time creating Killer Clown look. I love circus and clowns theme, Stephen King's "It" is my the most favorite horror novel & the new American Horror Story Freak Show is scariest tv show ever (watch it!!).  If somebody explain me how to hide your eyebrows completely without shaving them out, I'll love you for ever. 

Who are you going to be on Halloween?

Three cruelty free & vegan brands to try out

Pacifica Beauty

Pacifica Beauty is US based company which offers makeup and skincare products, but is best known for its perfumes. There are 3 types of perfumes: roll-on, solid and spray. As you may know it's really hard to find cruelty free and vegan perfume, so this is something every animal lover should try. Pacifica's perfumes are very affordable ($9.00 for solid perfume, $12.00 for roll-on at iherb.com) and I'm really intrigued to buy both solid and roll-on versions.

Where to get: iherb.com, feelunique.com

Read: Is Perfume Vegan? and Vegan Perfume Guide by Logical Harmony

OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE COSMETICS

100% vegan and cruelty free OCC is now available at beautybay.com which makes me happy beyond words, because we don't have it here in Estonia. Yay for free shipping! I have been craving for their lip tars for ages!

Zoya Nail polishes

Cruelty free and, as far as I know, also vegan. Zoya offers huge variety of colors, but their prices aren't cheap compared to other brands. The biggest department store in Tallinn, Kaubamaja, retails one Zoya bottle for 10 euro. But why not to treat yourself once in a while?

Remy from Fall 2014 Ignite Collection is just too gorgeous.

 

Amsterdam in one week

Current wishlist #2

ASOS Pastel Cat Peplum Pyjama Top / Illamasqua Masquara / Illamasqua Nail Varnish in Creator / ASOS Crazy Cat Shell Top

Not much, really. Asos is having its usual sale at the moment and cat pyjama tops are something I really need in my life. Also I want to try high end dramatic lash mascara - I can't choose between Too Faced Better than Sex and Illamasqua Masquara. Since Too Faced isn't sold in Estonia anymore (well, I haven't seen it around lately) and Beautybay.com is out of stock at the moment, I guess I'll buy Illamasqua one, but still not sure. Illamasqua Nail Varnish in Creator is beautiful black nail polish with glitter which suits perfectly dark autumn evenings.

What are you wishing for?

Is Naturigin Organic Beauty cruelty free? (updated)

Recently I've contacted Denmark based company Naturigin Organic Beauty. I need to dye my hair and their hair colors are promoted as "cruelty free" at the biggest department store here in Tallinn. Well, as you know, package can lie unless there's Leaping Bunny logo on it, so I had to check them.
 

Review: Lush D'fluff Shaving Soap

I know that summer season is over and maybe instead of writing a review on shaving product I need to focus on berry color lipsticks, but listen me out. 

Horse riding

This weekend I went horse riding for the first time in my life. I mean, the real horse riding, when it's only you who navigates the horse (not instructor with rein of your horse in his hands). Instructor, my boyfriend and me, we all got on horses and went on walk into the forest. Everything was more than fine at the beginning, but then we met a huge crowd of bicyclists and horses started to panic. It seems that in this forest some kind of bicyclists competition was held and our instructor wasn't informed about it. And as it turned out horses can get scared very easily. If the first encounter with bicyclists went kinda okay, then the second one gave me the real chills, because my horse started running :D I don't know how I managed to not to fall out of the saddle and not to lose rein, but eventually I stopped panicked horse and we went back to farm peacefully. Horse riding is such an extreme kind of sport, I must admit. Despite adrenaline rush, which I could feel in my blood hours after the ride, I definitely want to ride a horse again, such a marvelous experience. 

How was your weekend?

Cruelty free travel makeup bag essentials

Hello everyone, long time no see! Since I returned from my Amsterdam trip I've been a little bit busy getting used to my usual work routine and spending time with friends/boyfriend. The huge post about my trip will be up as soon as I finish editing videos and photos (oh I have a lot of them, believe me). But for now, here's "What's in my travel bag?" post which I've wanted to do for ages.

There's never enough of green

Urban Outfitters W.I.P Nail Polish in Firefly / La Savonnerie Concombre Exfolliant / Hema eyeshadow duo in 52 / Cannabis flavor lollipop / Nyx Jumbo Eye Pencil in Rocky Mountain Green

It's been a while since my last post. I just came back from my one week vacation in Amsterdam which was fabulous! I'm totally in love with the city. I'm going to write more about my trip when I'll have enough of time, but for now here are some beauty products with I bought in the "City of Sin" :) I know it's Autumn outside and almost all beauty bloggers post about dark reddish colors, but I'm into green lately. La Savonnerie is small soap shop which was not far enough from the place me and my friend lived. Concombre Exfoliant has cucumber smell which reminds me of DKNY Be Delicious perfumes (it's the most favorite perfume of mine, but since it's not cruelty free, I'm not buying it anymore). Hema is supermarket chain in Netherlands which also produces very budget cosmetics. This duo eyeshadow cost me 3.50 euro. Despite very low price, it's very bendable and pigmented. I haven't tried it yet on my eye lids tho. Nyx is sold in makeup store Douglas. I got quite excited to find it there, so I bought not only jumbo pencil, but also blush and lipstick in Louisiana (love it!! the post about it will come later). And cannabis lollipop... I don't think it needs any explanation :D

Hope you have a great day!

Current wishlist #1

Beige Long Sleeve Embroidered Cable Knit Sweater / H&M Stretch jeans / e.l.f. Machine Nail Polish /  e.l.f. Studio Blush Pink Passion / New Look Champ Black Zip Detail Chunky Heeled Ankle Boots / Sleek Makeup Garden of Eden palette / Grey V Neck Long Sleeve Pockets Knit Cardigan / e.l.f. Sea Escape Nail Polish 

What is yours autumn/winter wishlist?

Review: e.l.f. Lip Exfoliator

e.l.f. Lip Exfoliator from my latest e.l.f. haul. 

This is a lip scrub in lipstick tube - now I understand why it is always sold out on their UK website. It does its job of removing chapping skin perfectly, I can see that this will be an essential item in my makeup bag during cold winter months. The smell is mix of cinnamon, vanilla and coffee (ugh? not so sure here tho), I can't get enough of it :)

While there's a lot of DIY recipes flowing around pinterest, I would suggest getting this one from e.l.f. because:
a) it's affordable (about 5 euro)
b) it's compact - you can take it anywhere with you.

Great product, e.l.f., I will totally repurchase it again.

Review: Natio Daily Protection Face Moisturiser SPF 15

Everyone in beauty bloggers community will tell you that perfect daily skincare consists not only of good cleanser, toner and moisturizer, but also you need to wear sunscreen to protect your skin from harmful UV rays. Why? Because sun is primary cause of skin ageing and skin cancer. You should not forget about sunscreen even indoors or in rainy/cloudy weather.

But to tell the truth, I hate using sunscreen as the base for my makeup. Almost all sunscreens that I have ever used had this greasy formula which doesn't absorb into skin well. It also becomes difficult to blend my mineral foundation above it.

While I'm yet to find my perfect sunscreen, I've decided to try moisturizer with SPF in it. Anyone will tell you that SPF in moisturizer and your foundation won't give you enough protection from the sun, but still it is better than nothing.

Product of my choice was Natio Daily Protection Face Moisturiser SPF 15. Natio is Australian skincare brand which is accredited by Choose Cruelty Free (CCF) organization.

Unlike real sunscreens, due to its lightweight formula Daily Protection Face Moisturiser SPF 15 definitely absorbs very quickly into the skin, hydrating it well and making it soft and smooth. My skin doesn't feel greasy at all! It also has light (lavender?) scent which disappears after few seconds after applying. The only con I have is that when using it without makeup my T-zone starts shining after 3-4 hours. But maker didn't promise any mattifying effect + the shine can be easily removed with oil blotting paper (I'm using e.l.f. Shine Eraser), so it doesn't bother me much. Also when using it under makeup, I can live without shining like a disco ball for much, much longer. Additionally, it is quite affordable, you get 100 ml of product for 16.25 euro at Lookfantastic.com.

If you're looking for good light moisturizer with SPF - I would totally recommend this. It can be good cruelty free replacement for Avene Hydrance Optimale UV Light SPF20.

Have you ever tried Natio products? What do you think about it?

My makeup is cruelty free... what about yours?

Do we need to kill animals in order to be beautiful?

Review: e.l.f. Lilac nail polish

I must admit I have e.l.f. addiction at the moment ♥

This nail polish in Lilac was sent to me in Mystery Bag. E.l.f had this special promotion on their website - if you spend more than £20/24 euro, you’ll get free Mystery Bag full of different products with total value of £15. You could also choose three different versions of it - I went for one called Cherry Tart. You know, when you choose Mystery Bag with such name you’re expecting to get more bright summery nail polishes, but oh well. Lilac nail polish isn't bad at all!

Why?
♥ I was surprised to discover that you need only one coat to get great coverage
♥ it dries really quickly
♥ the brush is very convenient

The color reminds me of Essie Bond With Whomever, but the formula of e.l.f. is much, much better, because every time I use Essie I always have to put more than 2 layers to get the coverage I want and I need to wait for ages for it to dry. E.l.f is totally winning both in price and quality here.

What else?
You need to re-apply this nail polish after 2-3 days. For long lasting effect I used Rimmel Nail Nurse Nail Base & Top coat on the top, but any other nail polish top coat will do it.

NB!! Note than neither Essie nor Rimmel are cruelty free! Support e.l.f or any other cruelty free brand (for nail polishes look for Zoya or ORLY) if you care for animals.

Have you ever tried e.l.f. nail polishes?