Erin's Faces Matcha Mascara Review

Erin's Faces Matcha Mascara Review

May 10, 2020

I hope everyone is doing well and staying safe. I'm excited to share my thoughts on the brand new Erin's Faces Matcha Mascara with you all!

The mascara claims to lengthen, add volume, and treat the lashes. It retails for $27.50 on erinsfaces.com and contains 8ml of product.

Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, C10-18 Triglycerides, Stearic Acid, Organic Copernicia Cerifera Cera/ Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Castor Isostearate Beeswax Succinate, Glyceryl Stearate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Glycerin, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Xanthan Gum, Cellulose, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Organic Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea)**, Beta-Carotene +/- Iron Oxide Black CI 77499
**Encha Organic Matcha

The main reason I'm drawn to this mascara is because it contains matcha and beta carotene to help strengthen and promote the growth of lash hairs. I'm not blessed with full, long lashes so I'm all for any help that I can get.

Additionally, it has non-irritating plant based fibers to make the lashes look longer.

Pros

• - Comes in a glass vial
• - Lengthens the lashes courtesy of plant based fibers
• - Fibers don't flake into your eyes
• - Volume is buildable
• - Doesn't irritate sensitive eyes and can be worn with contact lenses
• - Formula is neither too dry nor too wet

Cons

• - I have extremely oily lids and prep my skin with facial oil so the mascara does smudge on it unless I take the extra step to apply eye primer and powder
• - If I apply too much mascara, it tends to clump up—my solution is to wipe off the excess product from the wand, apply, and comb lashes through with a clean brush
• - It doesn't hold my curl if I apply too much mascara (this is a common problem since I have short, Asian lashes)

Overall, this is a great mascara if you have normal to dry skin types. I love how long and voluminous my lashes look after applying it but wish it didn't smudge as easily. To be fair, almost every clean mascara smudges on me but the Ere Perez Avocado Waterproof Mascara does it the least.

What's your favorite mascara?

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Clove + Hallow Sunrise Pressed Pigment Palette Review

Clove + Hallow Sunrise Pressed Pigment Palette Review

July 29, 2019

Hi friends! I'm back and excited to share my latest natural color cosmetics obsession with you. Let me introduce you to the Clove + Hallow Sunrise Pressed Pigment Palette.

The eyeshadow palette includes 6 shades (4 shimmers and 2 mattes)—all of which are totally up my alley since they're in the warm, coral family. *insert heart eye emoji* The palette retails for $36 is available on Clove + Hallow's website.

Ingredients: Mica, Silica, Boron Nitride, Fractionated Coconut Oil, Magnesium Stearate, Organic Jojoba Oil, Salicylic Acid, Gluconalactone, Rice Bran Extract, Lauroyl Lysine, Sodium Benzoate, Sunflower Extract, Rosemary leaf Extract, Vitamin E; May Contain Zinc Oxide, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite

The eyeshadows are everything you can dream of: creamy, pigmented, and long lasting. What you see in the palette is what you get when you apply it onto your eyes. It works even better with an eyeshadow primer. I highly recommend it!

*This product was gifted from the brand.

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Best Of 2018: Green Beauty Skincare

Best Of 2018: Green Beauty Skincare

January 16, 2019

Happy New Year! I'm very excited to share my green beauty skincare favorites of 2018 with you all! I haven't had much time to blog (as you can probably tell) or take photos for Instagram. I guess this will be a little catch up between you & my skin.

Here are my favorites, pictured from left to right:

1. Pratima Cucumber Aqua Gel, $40

• For someone with extremely sensitive skin, it's quite hard to find a moisturizer that works that isn't an oil. I've talked about this jelly moisturizer previously in my skincare staples blog post and will continue to talk about this because it's amazing for my acne-prone complexion (yay to no breakouts!). It's made with a total of 8 ingredients that deliver a cooling layer of hydration. During the summer I can get away with using this as my sole moisturizer. Highly recommend if you're oily to combo. Great for layering on top of other moisturizers if you're normal to dry.

2. Chidoriya Azuki Red Bean Micrograins Facial Scrub, $26

• This is the first time I've showed this all-natural Japanese skincare item on my blog! Before green beauty, I was an avid user of Japanese + Korean beauty. So glad to find a truly non-toxic Japanese brand! The scrub is made of 1 single ingredient: Azuki red bean. It buffs away dead skin cells, enhances glow, promotes even skin tone and texture, and unclogs pores. Effective yet gentle enough for daily use.

3. Evanhealy Rose Geranium HydroSoul, $29.95

• Dreaming of a balanced, even-toned complexion? Look no further. I've tried a bunch of rose toners but this one is not like the rest. It's copper distilled at lower temperatures which means you'll get better results, faster. This balances my combination skin, calms redness, and reduces uneven skin tone. When I stopped using this to test another toner for ~2 weeks, I started seeing discoloration and unevenness on my left cheek—but lesson learned because I'm never cheating on this product ever again.

4. Agent Nateur Holi(Oil) Refining Youth Serum, $120

• If there's one product that I owe all of my glow to, it's got to be this facial oil. It smells like a heavenly rose garden and sinks into the skin like a dream. It doesn't irritate or cause my skin to break out. I add the Pratima Cucumber Aqua Gel on top of this and wake up to smooth, plump skin the next morning. I also pair it with my new favorite gua sha tool, The Lanshin Pro by Sandra Lanshin Chiu, to stimulate blood circulation and depuff.

Have you tried any of these green beauty goodies? I'd love to hear what your favorite skincare products are!

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My Current Skincare Staples

My Current Skincare Staples

July 7, 2018

Hey, hey! It's been such a long time since I last posted! I've been extremely busy with work and started placing more emphasis on photography during my free time—feel free to check out my semi-new website here.

Now that we caught up, let's talk about my current skincare favorites/staples! These are things I've discovered over the past 6 months that helped restore my skin's clarity and glow.

1. Evanhealy Rose Geranium HydroSoul, $26.50

• This toner is made of copper-distilled rose petals which retains more antioxidants and vitamins than the average rose water. It's hydrates, evens out my complexion, and preps my skin for the next step.

2. Palermo Vitamin C Facial Mask with Pink Clay + Rosehip, $36

• I use this everyday as a cleanser and exfoliant. It has vitamin C, rosehip, and strawberry extract to brighten and restore the skin from any environmental damage. I highly recommend it since it doesn't dry the skin out!

3. True Botanicals Vitamin C Booster, $90

• Whenever my skin is looking dull and needs an extra boost of glow, I mix this with my toner and apply it at night before my moisturizer. It has drastically faded my acne scars and hyperpigmentation! My skin tone has never been more even.

4. Nazan Schnapp Purifying White Clay Mask with Rice Pure Quartz and Bamboo, $38

• When my skin is feeling sensitive, I opt for this clay mask and use it as a gentle cleanser. It smells like candy and it leaves my skin feeling baby soft.

5. Pratima Cucumber Aqua Gel, $40

• This lightweight jelly moisturizer contains a minimal amount of ingredients and is suitable for my sensitive, acne-prone skin. It provides a cooling sensation and a good amount of hydration. It also wears well underneath makeup!

6. Agent Nateur Holi (Oil) Refining Youth Serum, $120

• Out of everything mentioned here, my ultimate favorite discovery and staple is this bottle of liquid gold by Agent Nateur! It smells heavenly and feels divine on the skin. It's primarily made of rosehip oil and Bulgarian rose. My skin is clear, glowy, bouncy, and firm. I seriously don't know why it took me so long to try this stuff but I'm already on my second bottle. I highly recommend it if you're looking to even out your skin tone, fade scars and hyperpigmentation, or to increase your skin's elasticity. It pairs so well with my rose quartz gua sha that the lovely Vanessa of Clean Curator gifted to me. 

Thanks for reading! Let me know if you've tried any of these products or if any of these peak your interest.

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Nu Evolution Collection & Review

Nu Evolution Collection & Review

January 30, 2018

Winter's here but I'm still obsessed with earthy, warm tones! All of the makeup shades I picked up from Nu Evolution Cosmetics are making my soul oh so happy (neutrals are my bffs!). I started playing around with all of the organic eyeshadows, lipsticks, and lip glosses back in the summer but found myself reaching for them even more frequently once the seasons shifted.

Continue on for my thoughts and experience!

Eyeshadows
Ingredients: Mica (CL-77019), Silica (Amorphous), Boron Nitride, Buriti Oil, Zinc Stearate, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Caffeine, Origanum Vulgare (Oregano) Leaf Extract, Thymus Vulgaris (Thyme) Extract, Cinnamomum Zeylanicum (Cinnamon) Bark Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Lavendula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Extract, Hydrastis Canadensis (Goldenseal) Root Extract, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Peel Extract, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Seed Extract. May Contain: Ultramarines (CI-77007), Titanium Dioxide (CI-77891), Iron Oxides (CI-77499), (CI-77491), (CI-77492).

These pigmented, pressed eyeshadows are formulated with skin-enhancing ingredients like lavender, grapefruit, and rosemary and retails for $20 a pop. I find that it applies better with a brush versus the fingers and is pigmented enough to wear without eyeshadow primer, though I personally wear it over primer to prevent the shadows from creasing and fading.

Unlike other natural pressed eyeshadows I've tried, this formula is quite dry but still smooth. When I dip my brush into the shadow or apply onto my eyes, there's minimal fall out. Bonus: it doesn't crack when I throw it in my bag!

Out of all three shades, Chic is my favorite because it doubles as an eyeliner for me—I just dip an angled brush in water and apply. I also think Chic is far more pigmented and smooth than Versailles and St. Tropez.

Eyeshadows pictured from left to right: 
Chic: a warm copper with micro shimmer
Versailles: an apricot champagne with micro shimmer
St. Tropez: a dusty rose champagne with micro shimmer

Lipsticks

Ingredients: Ricinus Communis (Castor) Oil*, Cera Alba (Beeswax)*, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Candelilla Wax, Helianthus Annuus (Sun Flower) Seed Oil*, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter)*, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Butter*, Simmondsia Chinesis (Jojoba) Seed Oil*, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, Origanum Vulgare (Oregano) Leaf Extract, Thymus Vulgaris (Thyme) Extract, Cinnamomum Zeylanicum (Cinnamon) Bark Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Lavendula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Extract, Hydrastis Canadensis (Goldenseal) Root Extract, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Peel Extract, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Seed Extract, Tocopherol Acetate (Vitamin E). May Contain: Titanium Dioxide (CL-77891), Iron Oxides (CI-77499), (CI-77491), (CI-77492).  

Next, we have the extremely pigmented lipsticks infused with nourishing oils like castor oil, sunflower seed oil, shea butter, and cocoa butter. Each lipstick retails for $30. They color pay off is really impressive, however, I prefer to wear my lipsticks on the sheer side.

These dry to a satiny cream finish and last a good amount of hours before fading. I'm also glad that it doesn't have a nasty scent to it!

Lipsticks pictured from left to right: 
Melon: a light, warm coral pink shade
Fierce: a deep mauvey brown shade

Lip Glosses

Ingredients: Ricinus Communis (Castor) Oil *, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil *, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil *, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Oil, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Cera Alba (Bees Wax), Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa Butter)*, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) *, Tocopherol Acetate (Vitamin E), Origanum Vulgare (Oregano) Leaf Extract, Thymus Vulgaris (Thyme) Extract, Cinnamomum Zeylanicum (Cinnamon) Bark Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Lavendula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Extract, Hydrastis Canadensis (Goldenseal) Root Extract, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Peel Extract, Citrus Grandis (Grape Fruit) Seed Extract *. May Contain : Titanium Dioxide (CI-77891), Iron Oxides (Cl-77499), (CI-77491), (CI-77492), Tumeric Powder, Kaolin, Mica. *Certified Organic

To be honest, Nu Evolution is one of the first green and all-natural lip gloss formulas I've ever tried. Each lip gloss retails for $28. I don't mind the light vanilla scent and appreciate the cushiony texture of the glosses. The colors are very sheer but can be built up. They also last a surprisingly long time on the lips!

Lip Glosses pictured from left to right: 
Riviera: a light, warm guava shade
Velvet: a medium, cool raspberry shade

Swatched from left to right: Versailles, St. Tropez, Chic, Riviera, Velvet, Melon, Fierce

Overall, I've been enjoying every single item I've tried from Nu Evolution! They have a huge variety of shades to choose. Have you tried anything from this brand before?

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Golden Peach Makeup ft. HAN Skin Care Cosmetics

Golden Peach Makeup ft. HAN Skin Care Cosmetics

January 8, 2018

Happy 2018! I'm so excited to share the newest additions to my makeup collection from HAN Skin Care Cosmetics—an all-natural makeup line that's formulated with nourishing ingredients and fruit pigments. If you didn't know, this isn't my first rodeo with HAN. I previously talked about their blushes, cream blush, and pressed eyeshadows on my blog post here. Spoiler alert: I'm in LOVE.

Continue below to see how I achieved this golden peach makeup look using HAN's Lipgloss and Pressed Eyeshadows. Swatches included!

Peachy Nude Lipgloss

Ingredients: Euterpe Oleracea Fruit (Acai) Oil, Argania Spinosa (Argan) Oil, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Crème, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Theobroma Grandiflorum (Cupuacu) Butter, Cera Alba (Beeswax), Extract Blend (Acai, Pomegranate, Blueberry, Cranberry, Green Tea, Black Tea), Ascorbyl Phosphate (Vitamin C), Macrocystis Pyrifera (Sea Kelp) Extract, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Seed Extract, Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract (Carrot), Rosa Gallica Flower Powder (Rose), Titanium Dioxide, Mica, Natural Vanilla, May Contain: Iron Oxides.

This buttery smooth lipgloss feels like a cushiony dream. It's formulated with moisturizing ingredients like acai oil, argan oil, and shea butter and retails for $15. Peachy Nude is a sheer and warm-toned coral shade with very minimal shimmer. Although it's sheer, I can easily build up the coverage by applying more and it doesn't look streaky! 

It doesn't feel sticky or heavy and lasts for a few hours without eating. It does have a light vanilla scent but it fades away after a few minutes.

Romance Eyeshadow

Ingredients: Oryza Sativa (Rice) Powder, Argania Spinosa (Argan) Oil*, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit (Acai) Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter*, Theobroma Grandiflorum (Cupuacu) Butter, Extract Blend (Acai, Pomegranate, Blueberry, Cranberry, Green Tea, Black Tea), Macrocystis Pyrifera (Sea Kelp) Extract, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Extract, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Ascorbyl Phosphate (Vitamin C), Caffeine, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Seed Extract, Rosa Gallica Flower Powder (Rose), Argania Spinosa Shell Powder (Argan), Mica, May Contain: Iron Oxides *Certified Organic

If you haven't tried the eyeshadows from HAN yet, you're really missing out. Their formulas are by far the best I've found in green beauty. Not only are they pigmented, they're smooth, buttery, and shatter resistant. Each pressed shadow retails for $15. So far I've tried a total of 4 shades (shimmer and matte) and all of them are equally pigmented and buttery.

Romance is a shimmery rose gold shade. It looks like Sunset, a peachy champagne shade (AKA my most-used eyeshadow) but Romance is a lot cooler in tone.

Golden Glow Eyeshadow

Ingredients: Oryza Sativa (Rice) Powder, Argania Spinosa (Argan) Oil, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit (Acai) Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Theobroma Grandiflorum (Cupuacu) Butter, Extract Blend (Acai, Pomegranate, Blueberry, Cranberry, Green Tea, Black Tea), Macrocystis Pyrifera (Sea Kelp) Extract, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Extract, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Ascorbyl Phosphate (Vitamin C), Caffeine, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Seed Extract, Rosa Gallica Flower Powder (Rose), Argania Spinosa Shell Powder (Argan), Chenopodium Quinoa Extract (Quinoa), Mica, May Contain: Iron Oxides

Golden Glow is a shimmery, gold champagne. It's extremely beautiful all over the lids and on the lower lash line!

Swatched from top to bottom: Peachy Nude Lipgloss, Romance Eyeshadow, Golden Glow Eyeshadow

Now onto the makeup look:
- I applied Golden Glow all over the lids, lower lash line, and inner corners
- Then I used a little bit of Romance on the lower lash line
- With a wet angled brush, I used Mystery, a deep chocolate brown, to line my eyes and create a slight cat-eye flick
- Lastly, I used a generous amount of the Peachy Nude Lipgloss on the lips

*These products were gifted to me by HAN Skin Care Cosmetics.

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Ilia Eye Primer + Moondance SPF 20 Powder Review

Ilia Eye Primer + Moondance SPF 20 Powder Review

November 28, 2017

A few months ago, I picked up two things I was really needed that were missing in my makeup collection: a natural eyeshadow primer and a translucent finishing powder with sunscreen. I did not fulfill my search for an exceptional, natural, long-lasting eyeshadow primer so I decided to give the Ilia Eye Primer a try. I also picked up the travel-friendly Ilia Moondance SPF 20 Powder. I gave both a good test so continue below for the full review!

Ilia Natural Brightening Eye Primer in On & On
This eye primer claims to instantly brighten, intensify color, hydrate and depuff with a feather-light formula that won't crease. It comes in a lip-gloss-looking tube and can be applied directly onto the lids with the doe-foot applicator. Although the eye primer looks like a shimmery ivory shade, it leaves a clear, semi-matte finish without a trace of shimmer once applied and blended. Retails for $24.

I have extremely oily eyelids and watery eyes so it's a challenge to prevent my eyeshadows from creasing and my eyeliner from fading and smudging.

I love that it's made beneficial key ingredients like skin-soothing aloe vera, nourishing rosehip and olive oils, depuffing arnica, and calming chamomile.

Ingredients: Water, Glycerin*, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice*, Polyglyceryl-2 Oleate, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate, Coco-caprylate, Jojoba Esters, Rosa Canina (Rosehip) Seed Oil*, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil*, Dimethicone, Mica, Vanilla Planifolia (Vanilla) Bean*, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf*, Arnica Montana*, Matricaria Chamomilla (Chamomile) Flowers*, Phenethyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopherol. *Certified Organic

Pros

• Leaves a clear finish without any shimmer
• Lightweight, airy formula makes it easy to layer
• Doesn't dry out the skin
• Makes eyeshadows more vibrant
• Extends eyeshadow wear
• Packaging doesn't leak
• Smells like baby powder

Cons

• Stings my eyes in the first couple of uses—it doesn't irritate my eyes anymore but I thought it was strange that it stung my eyes when I first used it...
• My eyeshadows still crease by the 8th hour
• It will be hard to retrieve the last bits of product since it's in a lip-gloss-looking tube versus a squeeze tube

Ilia Moondance SPF 20 Powder

This portable, travel-friendly powder protects the skin from harmful UV rays and controls excess shine. It claims to leave a hint of luminosity to the skin, as well. The compact powder comes attached with a super soft, magnetic brush to dispense and blend the powder. There's also an option to 'open', 'close', and 'buff' which makes it convenient to touch up on the go. Retails for $34.

Some notable ingredients include nourishing sunflower oil, skin cell-protecting rosemary, antibacterial and skin-soothing thyme, skin-soothing aloe vera and antioxidant-rich hibiscus flower. I'm impressed with all of these ingredients because most finishing powders aren't formulated with additional skin-enhancing botanics.

Ingredients: Active: Non-nano Zinc Oxide 14%

Inactive: Mica, Zea Mays (Corn) Starch*, Zinc Stearate, Kaolin, Sunflower Oil*, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf, Thymus Vulgaris (Thyme) Leaf, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf*, Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate. *Certified Organic

Pros

• Convenient and easy to use—I also like to use it on my ears, behind my neck, and on my arms
• Makes retouching with SPF a breeze
• The brush is magnetic and detachable so you can wash it
• The brush is really soft and high quality
• The 'buff' option is useful since it prevents additional product from dispensing onto the brush
• Leaves a semi-matte finish without any shimmer
• Does not dry out the skin or accentuate flakes 

Cons

• It only dispenses product in the center of the brush
• Sometimes I have to apply the powder onto the back of my hand first to get the product moving
• Does not control extremely oily skin very well—reapplication is a must if you want a shine-free face

At the end of the day, the question comes down to this: would I repurchase these products? It's hard to find a product that does it all but I would gladly repurchase both the Eye Primer and Moondance SPF 20 Powder. Have you tried any of these? I'd love to hear how they work for you!

P.S. I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! I'm really grateful for everything and everyone—including you.

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