Review: Dew Puff Bamboo Charcoal

Items were received by Kara's Way complimentary.

As part of my routine, once a week I make use of my facial brush (you can read that review here) so I wasn't exactly sure what to expect from this. Being no stranger to bamboo, I figured it would likely be a bit harsh or at least, as slightly exfoliating (translation: a tiny bit harsh) as my facial brush. Of course, I will remit myself by stating that I really really didn't know what to expect aside from an exuberant Maria (of Kara's Way fame) stating that it was quite soft and surprising.

I got the charcoal one because my skin lends itself to the oily side now while I don't have too much acne issues, it's worth noting that activated carbon assists with the prevention of breakouts.

The puff, when water is added is incredilby soft to touch and wonderfully soft on the skin. I was somewhat amazed, but then the realization as to why they say "don't wring it out" comes into play. You can feel those soft fibers and it often left my skin feeling smooth and soft.

I did use it for a few days (without a cleanser) and I was quite happy with how it worked out. Each day that I used it (for a week), I was surprised at how my face felt -- not too dry nor to oily, it was the perfect feeling for my skin. I almost wish that I could wash my face periodically throughout the day with it to retain that feeling (note: don't do this, it'll end up drying out the skin quite a bit).

As for drying it out, I keep a hanger in the bathroom over the bathtub where I hang it out after I'm done. I squeeze the sponge between the palm of my hands sometimes but very generally, I just let it dry on it's own.

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Product: Dew Puff Bamboo Charcoal
Price: $7
Stars: ★★★★★
Would Recommend? Yes!
Takeaway: While rough when dry, add a bit of water and the fibers loosen up and makes for a great cleansing sponge. Leaves the skin feel great and refreshed, and that's without even adding a cleanser into the mix.

Some Samples from Kara's Way

Items were received by Kara's Way complimentary.

Kara's Way was kind enough to provide a few samples for my consideration and these happen to be some of my favourite types. It should come as no surprise that I love soaps and hair care is something that I am quite discerning about. As these were provided complimentary, I know that some of them appeared in previous boxes that have already gone out.

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Aubrey Organics
Honeysuckle Rose Moisturizing Shampoo & Blue Camomile Hydrating Conditioner

First up is the Honeysuckle Rose shampoo which is free of sodium lauryl sulfate, parabens or petrochemicals. Which basically means that there is minimal lather. The scent took me by surprise (I'm not sure what I was expecting) but it was wonderfully light and refreshing. It was easy to work with in terms of being able to wash it out quickly.

I followed up immediately with the Blue Chamomile conditioner and that also had a very surprising scent which was also quite lovely. The conditioner was creamy and while a bit on the liquid like side, it just made it easier to work with. The two combined smelled fantastic.

After my hair dried I noticed that quite few curls came in which is slightly unusual but very welcomed. My hair seemed to be enthralled by this new combination. Grant it those curls slowly dropped to wurls throughout the day but the fact that my hair even started on a happier note was wonderfully unexpected. Now all I have to do is find it at my local stores.

Price: $10.48 each for 11 oz.
Stars: ★★★★★
Takeaway: Great unexpected results for a first go. My hair was softer and bouncier which was great plus it has a great light scent that almost feels like it sticks with you throughout the day.


Fundamental Earth
Fundamental Shampoo (For All Hair Types) and Fundamental Conditioner (Normal to Dry)

I will completely admit that this one somewhat took me by surprise. I hadn't heard about this company before so while I did have a little bit of skepticism, I overlooked it. What I mean is that I frequent a lot of hair forums and weirdly enough this one never came up. On the day that I tested it for the first time, Nicole (at Spialelo) asked me if I had any recommendations for a shampoo and conditioner that was free of sulfates, silicones, and protein. Admittedly protein had never been anything that I was cognizant about so the first thing I did was check the products I had been using lately.

Of the many I have been using and/or recently tested the only ones to pass that test was Disney Baby Daily Renewal Naturals Baby Shampoo (check out the review here) and Fundamental Earth. Incidentally 100% Pure and Terressentials Organic hair care also seems to fit the bill (but I haven't tested these out). In general though, it seems that finding a protein free haircare item that is also free of sulfates and silicones is pretty tough.

Moving back to Fundamental Earth, the ingredient list is paired down which makes for a simplistic blend that hopefully couldn't go wrong. And it didn't. The shampoo had a lot of different scents such as ginger extract, honey, lavender oil, lemongrass oil, rosemary oil, etc. The one scent that really came out though was the rosemary. It worked much like any other shampoo and had a great lather. As one could imagine, it was therefore really easy to wash out.

The conditioner is somewhat similar when it comes to the ingredient list (by what black magic does this happen?!) which means it's also quite simplistic. This one has hops extract, balm mint extract, honey, Moroccan argan oil, chamomile extract, lemongrass oil, etc. It looks and feels exactly like any other conditioner that I've used but the added bonus is that with the argan oil already in there, I don't have to follow up later with a leave in. Okay, maybe that's not really a good perk to focus on, but honestly, the chamomile scent was refreshing when I used it the first time. My hair was soft and bouncy and overall seems quite happy with this one.

Price: $16 for the shampoo (12 oz) and $17 for the conditioner (12 oz).
Stars: ★★★★★
Takeaway: Definitely a great shampoo and conditioner combination; I'm even more impressed by this one since it fit all of Nicole's criteria (being free of sulfates, silicones, and protein). My hair loved this a lot and this will definitely enter the standard rotation of hair care.


Coastal Scents African Black Soap

As I already mentioned, African black soap was something I grew up with -- specifically Nubian Heritage African Black Soap. I haven't really been able to find it in local stores since I moved out to the West Coast which is why my usage of it dwindled. I received two samples of this soap from Kara's Way so I feel as though was ample to work with in order to provide a review of the long missed black soap. So wait, a step back for anyone who isn't familiar with black soap... what is it?

Black soap, or rather this particular blend of black soap is made with coconut oil, shea butter, cocoa pod ash, and palm kernel oil. The soap itself is great for trouble skin (such as eczema), reducing blemishes and the appearance of fine lines, and evening out dark spots. It also offers light exfoliation so at the end of the day what really works for me is that it provides moisture back to my skin (via the shea butter) and provides light exfoliation which is great for my dry skin without overdoing it.

A note from Coastal Scents is that they do say that you shouldn't use this directly on your skin and you should use a wash cloth or sponge. I didn't know that at the time so I used it directly on my skin and didn't have any issues. With that being said, if I did order a full sized bar (16 oz) then I'd likely follow their directions.

Price: 79¢ for a sample and $12.95 for a full bar.
Stars: ★★★★★
Takeaway: Another win for dry skin but this one is a bit different given the slight exfoliation present in this bar. Black soap is a long time favourite of mine and I'd definitely recommend their blend especially given the cocoa butter element.

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This product was featured in the December Kara's Way box and was given to me complimentary for my evaluation.

Review: A Quiet Night

Items were received by Kara's Way complimentary.

There's nothing quite like relaxing with a good candle and getting a massage and I'm quite the fan. Especially since when I get stressed out, I find myself requesting a massage. One thing that has been slightly annoying is that we ignore the massage oils because they are in general terrible and just opt for shea butter (or cocoa butter). So when Kara's Way provided me with a traveler sized bottle of Mbeze body oil and a candle from Aloha Bay, I figured it would be great to make an event of it.

I reviewed a few perfumes from Mbeze back in December (which you can read about here), so I'm no stranger to the products. The Koko Haze is one of my favourite scents since it's coconut, hazelnut, with hints of mango tea and sweet orange essential oil.

As it's a body oil, you don't necessarily need to just use it as a massage oil (though it will likely replace any massage oils that you might have). It's great for dry skin but given that it's an oil, there will be the initial greasiness when it's first applied. The bright side is that it is absorbed quickly so it's not that you'd be doomed to a greasy state.

Ah... now for the candle. I love candles and getting one makes me happy especially since I got one of my favourite scents. These candles are made with Eco Palm Wax which is an  organic Palm Wax from Brazil and Colombia. The company itself seems to be very well informed and overall seems to care quite a bit about their product. You can check out their website to see a wealth of information about their candles and fair trade practices.

The particular candle I got was a perfume blend and I can't really find much about the ingredients but they do have the option to buy candles that are made with pure essential oils. The reason why I bring this up is that the candle is highly scented and it is a pure coconut scent (it doesn't smell like fake coconut or super sugary) -- it has the right blend which makes it wonderful to have nearby (in fact, as I'm typing this, I have it lit right now).

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These products are slated to be featured in an upcoming Kara's Way box and was given to me complimentary for my evaluation.

Product: Mbeze Body Oil in Koko Haze
Price: $5
Stars: ★★★★☆
Takeaway: A great body oil that doubles for a massage oil. I imagine that you can likely add a bit to a bath to really immerse yourself in it. I generally don't use oils aside from massages (and for that it is great) so I don't have much use outside of that.

Product: Aloha Bay Travel Jar in Bahia Coconut
Price: $3
Stars: ★★★★★
Takeaway: I love candles, but I especially adore when they are a right balance. The scent level is perfect and the company seems to have good practices. 

Review: Native Touch Warrior Bear Rub Mini

Since Kara's Way May 2012 box, Native Touch has become one of my favourite brands for moisturizers. I still have the Native Touch Rooting Bear Rub because I've been hoarding it and a while ago, Maria of Kara's Way gave me a sample of the Warrior Bear Rub Mini which was part of the December 2012 box.

Like the Rooting Bear Rub, this one is very moisturizing which has been great for me (especially at work) since I tend to wash my hands a lot. This blend uses a base of shea butter and has tea tree oil, lavender oil, and rosemary oil in it which gives it that extra moisturizing boost. If you find yourself frequently washing your hands or if you have dried cracked skin this would be an amazing addition to your line up of skincare.

It can be a bit greasy and as work I tend to find my fingerprints all over after I've used it, but it's nothing that isn't too bothersome. I've somewhat gotten used to it and I'm actually okay with my shiny keyboard. If greasiness is something that bothers you, I'd recommend switching to overnight use to pack the moisture back in and likely not using this as a hand lotion during the day.

If you've been following this blog, then you might already be familiar with my never ending quest to find and use several different hand lotions. I wash my hands frequently whether I'm at home or at work which means that my already dry skin needs to have moisture packed back in (even if I'm going to wash my hands 1-2 hours later). Like the Rooting Bear Rub, I love this one and while I try to use it sparingly due to my love, I end up using it a lot because it works so well. It's pretty comparable to others that I use frequently, if not better. It's definitely worth the greasiness in my opinion but that's something you'll have to contend with if you deal with dryness and/or don't like the greasiness. A little of this product goes a long way so the miniature version is most certainly worth it.

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This product was featured in the December Kara's Way box and was given to me complimentary for my evaluation.

Product: Native Touch Warrior Bear Rub Mini
Price: $2.99 (for the Mini Size)
Stars: ★★★★★
Takeaway: I love this product though I will admit that it's a bit greasier than most that I've encountered -- it is way more moisturizing and great for dry skins (or even those that wash their hands frequently). The greasiness can be annoying if you aren't used to it but I still think it's great to have -- if even just the small version.

Review: Hollybeth Organics Grits & Honey Scrub

Let me preface this by saying that I love honey but for some reason it just never struck me that you could use it in a scrub. Well, maybe because I'm the kind of person that can eat them by the spoonful and they are a necessary part to tea, so it just never occurred to me to do that even though Maria has told me many times to just try it. I'm weird like that.

Anyhow, Maria gave me this sample of the Grits & Honey Scrub from Hollybee Organics (which was featured in the December Kara's Way box. Based on her suggestion, I tried it as a mask first.

Now I don't normally use exfoliates on my face; I stick with my usual mask and I tend to not deviate too much from that. I know that honey masks are good for acne and helps with glowing skin -- you supposedly need to use them for a while (so you won't see results immediately) but I can see the benefits of having this scrub around for that purpose if you don't feel like mixing them yourself.

I don't have much issues with acne but I did keep the "mask" on for about 30 minutes. Honey isn't like a traditional mask (I know, obvious) so it ends up dripping a bit so be careful about that. After washing it off, my skin appeared to glow a bit and felt wonderfully moisturized. The grits weren't too bad (my face tends to be a bit sensitive about exfoliation) and I did make sure that I followed up with a toner afterward.

After the mask, I tried it in my shower along my arms and legs. The grits kind of feel like sand and with the mixture of the moisturizing honey, it ends up being a complementary blend. After slipping out of the shower, the parts where I used it on my skin felt softer and way more moisturized (to the point where I felt that I didn't need to put on lotion [but I did]).

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This product was featured in the December Kara's Way box and was given to me complimentary for my evaluation.

Product: Hollybeth Organics Grits & Honey Scrub
Price: $25
Would Recommend? Yes.
Takeaway: It's a great scrub overall since it doesn't feel as abrasive with the blend of honey. It can double as a mask as well which gives it the angle of multipurpose. I know that honey is well suited for those with acne, but those with dry skin can benefit from the honey as well.  

Review: Mbeze Koko Haze & Ife Samples

You've probably noticed a lack of perfume on this blog. I don't like a lot perfume and there's no commentary about scents or anything like that... It's because it gives me headaches and sometimes I don't react all that well to them. For a while, I switched to hypoallergic types of perfumes but the headaches remain. So I made the switch to perfume oils. BPAL has notoriously been one of my favourite brands for oils. I was super excited when Maria gave me some samples from Mbeze to try out.

Some quick notes about the Mbeze samples. You can't really take of the tag or else you won't know which one you have. They really ought to stick a small sticker with the name of the perfume on the vial itself rather than appending a tag to it which can easily get lost. Also, the vial is very classic like in the sense that it doesn't have a dabber on the stopper (that elongated piece attached to the stopper so that you don't have to apply it with your fingers). None of these are deal breakers, they are just things that would be nice to have. 

Onto the scents! Coconut is one of my favourite scents (of all time. Well, aside from vanilla) so I was happy when she gave me the Koko Haze. Koko Haze is a mixture of coconut, hazelnut, with hints of mango tea and sweet orange essential oil. When I first applied it, it has a grassy scent -- it seems a bit off (not bad, just not as per the description) but as with all oils, you need to give it time to really work it's way in. Over the day, the scent works it's way in and becomes a warm coconut with toasty hazelnuts. It comes off as being a bit light but eventually fades by the end of the day.

Ife, well, when I first put it on I did enjoy the scent but I couldn't figure it out. I was quite perplexed since it was a light scent, a bit tropical it seemed, but more citrus. A few hours later, the scent worked it's way in to give off a light hint of strawberry. It turns out that it's a mix of strawberry with African musk and sandalwood.

The scent of Ife tends to wear out quickly and leaves behind hints of citrus. Or some kind of airy scent -- it's kind of hard to place but overall it doesn't quite match it's description.

I'm definitely a fan of the Koko Haze since I'm biased toward the scent of coconuts even though it fades. The Ife I'm on the fence about since it starts off on an interesting tone but wears down quickly. Each day I tried it, I nearly forgot that I was wearing it by the end of the day.

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These products were part of the November Kara's Way box and was given to me complimentary for my evaluation.

Product: Mbeze Koko Haze & Ife Samples
Price: $2.50 each.
Would Recommend? Maybe.
Takeaway: The scents don't quite last which is unusual for an oil. Nonetheless the scents are nice -- I love the Koko Haze but Ife is a bit puzzling since it doesn't match it's description. Ife tends to wear out much faster than the Koko Haze which is why I'm on the fence. The latter was a stronger performer than the former so I think it's a matter of whether you want to take the risk on a scent or not.

Review: Sheswai Lacquer in Earthy

When I first saw these I thought they were pretty nifty -- and not just because they are made sustainably harvested wood for the caps and 3 free (which means they are free of Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP), Formaldehyde and Toluene), but they come in wonderful colours. If you've been following this blog, then you might have noticed that I've been on a nail polish kick so I was entirely excited when Maria of Kara's Way said that this would be featured in an upcoming box (the December 2012 box, to be precise).

So I got "Earthy" which is a Mauve Taupe colour in the bottle. I can't really find out much about it so I wonder if it was from a limited run. The closest thing to it on the website is "Rootsy" which is described as a "rich roasted caramel pumpkin color of the earth." It is a slight bit darker than the Rootsy though.

Here's a fun thing about the nail polish though -- I had no idea that it has a deep opacity. I painted my nails with one coat and was surprised at the coverage. The nail polish is a bit liquid like but it covers a lot. I had to run out of the house after the first coat so I didn't get to add a second coat or a top coat but notice below how well it held up (the picture on the right -- you can click it to enlarge it). Keep in mind there was a lot of heavy lifting and packing involved which means that this is a pretty impressive performance for a nail polish.

Now you will likely notice that on me and my wonderful undertones, the nail polish strikes me more as a brownish colour as it seems more akin to chestnut. The mauve taupe is a bit lost on me, but still something worth appreciating in terms of performance.

As I type this, I'm waiting for the second coat to completely dry out and you can see it in action in the picture to the right. (Yes, I'm holding a laser pointer in the shape of a mouse). The nail polish is amazingly shiny and it was kind of hard to capture a good picture. Overall, I think this nail polish is highly impressive and they've got some beautiful colours on the website that I can't wait to get my hands on.

Any nail polish addict should look into these nail polishes because aside from the beautiful packaging, the formula itself is surprising. After all, while it comes of being liquid like, it has good coverage and great opacity for just one coat. Not to mention the glossiness which is just amazing since I haven't even put on the top coat just yet.

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This product is slated to be featured in an upcoming Kara's Way box and was given to me complimentary for my evaluation.

Product: Sheswai Lacquer in Earthy
Price: $16
Would Recommend? Yes!
Takeaway: If you're a nail polish addict then you're going to want to give this one a try. Even if you're not, note that I actually took a picture of just one coat to show the opacity and coverage and it survived heavy lifting pretty well. It has a nice glossy finish to it and overall, it's one of those things that looks beautiful (package wise), performs well, and makes you feel a bit better about their overall practices as a company (if that's your thing).

Review: FizzButter Pumpkin Latte Bath Bomb

I'm a huge fan of all things pumpkin, so when Maria gave me a FizzButter LE bath bomb as a gift, I was excited -- although a bit hesitant since I haven't really taken baths since I worked at Lush. I'm a fan of the shower, which is quick and easy. Nonetheless, I welcomed it to my collection of soaps and waited till the right time.

When I first got it, it was still a bit soft which indicated that it was freshly made. There was a light scent, not very pumpkin like, but still something that smelled... like a bakery? Think of a very light baked scent. I waited a few weeks before using it, so by the time I was ready for my bath, it was hardened. The scent was very light again and while I wasn't able to place it, my boyfriend thought that it was almost tropical. 

Neither of us could figure out what the scent was, but we knew it wasn't pumpkin. That didn't bother us much though, because after a few moments, you're engulfed with shea butter and cocoa butter.

I did split it in half at first to try out one side. After hitting the seam once or twice against the bathtub, it was easy to separate the two halves. I dropped in the light side first and noticed that the bath was very moisturizing. Although I didn't need to drop in the other half, I did anyway and dropped myself into the most moisturizing bath I've had in a long time.

This bath bomb is filled with shea and cocoa butter and you can feel it. If you're familiar with their scents, they kind of dominate (or at least it did for this bath bomb which is probably why we couldn't make out the pumpkin latte scent). If you have dry skin, this would be great for you. Even if you don't like baths much, I think they'd be great to do once every few months.

They've also got a really cute lineup for the holiday season for the bath bombs which are $3.69 each): Candy Cane, Cranberry Fig, Pumpkin Latte, Pumpkin Spice, Spicy Cider, Vanilla Butter & Pineapple, and Santa's Tree. 

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This product was featured in a past Kara's Way giveaway and was given to me complimentary for my evaluation.

Product: FizzButter Pumpkin Latte Bath Bomb
Price: $3.69
Would Recommend? Yes.
Takeaway: While it didn't smell like a pumpkin latte, it did smell a lot like cocoa butter and shea butter which is what it happens to be full of. It's a very moisturizing bath bomb which anyone with dry skin would likely love.
Tip: Don't forget that you can also break it in half in order to get two baths out of one bath bomb!

Review: Everyday Minerals Shimmer Eyes & Blush

A while ago I got one of the old sample kits from Everyday Minerals for the foundation which included Sandy Medium and Medium Tan which worked out well for me. Since then, EVM has come out with free sample kits that you can customize but they haven't gotten the colours that I would need to try out in stock. The blushes have long been something that I've been wanting to try out but given my holdout for the foundations, it's been a long while since I've had the chance to try them out.

From left to right:
Midnight Mystery &
Glam Guru

This is where Maria (of Kara's Way fame) came in and handed me a sample of the eyeshadow in Midnight Mystery and one of the blush in Glam Guru. Midnight mystery is described as a "coppery deep undertones with splashes of gold," and the Glam Guru is a "soft and earthy pink pigmented blush."

As you can see from the swatches, the Midnight Mystery is barely coming up. The Glam Guru on the other hand is coming up very well. I wasn't sure how a whole face look would work out but I gave it a try.

Yes, I'm wearing monkey ears.

The Glam Guru was very light but still gave just the right amount of colour. I have to admit that if I saw this on the website and it were my choice, I'd probably pass on a colour like this. That's just upon first glance though. Looking at the swatch gave me a bit more hope and when I saw it on my face, I was quite pleased with the way that it worked out.

The eyeshadow didn't really show up which made it a bit harder to work with, even over a primer.

You can kind of make out the shimmer of the Mystery Midnight in the picture on the right but just barely. In order to really blend it I had to use some colours from the Kat Von D's True Romance Beethoven palette. Specifically you're seeing the colours Tequila (a metallic cornsilk shimmer) and Leather (a matte dark brown). The brown and the cornsilk from the palette really brought all of the colours to the look and the EVM eyeshadow provided the shimmer.

The other items used to complete the look were e.l.f. Essential Liquid Eyeliner in black, a bit of NYX Retractable Eye Liner in black, and Physicians Formula Organic Wear 100% Natural Origin Jumbo Lash Mascara in black.

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These products are slated to be featured in an upcoming Kara's Way box and was given to me complimentary for my evaluation.

Product: Everyday Minerals Shimmer Eyes in Midnight Mystery & Blush in Glam Guru
Price: I had a sample for both. For the blush a mini size would be $6.99 and a full size is $10.99. The eyeshadow is only available in the mini size for $8.99.
Would Recommend? The blush, yes, as it is very pigmented and comes off soft and lovely. The eyeshadow is another case -- since it barely came up at all, I'd recommend against this particular colour.
Takeaway: The blush is great as I mentioned above. The eyeshadow, particularly this colour, needed a lot of help from other eyeshadows given my skin tone. The brown and beige colour that came through were mostly from the Kat Von D palette with the shimmer coming from the EVM samples. I think another colour might work out better.

Review: Concrete Minerals in Smut & Wicked

I had to do two takes of this one because the first time round I did it when I was incredibly tired and... let's just say I really ought not be trying to do anything with makeup when I'm tired. (Long time readers can have a laugh now).

Concrete Minerals was on my list of places that I absolutely needed to try because it popped up on Phyrra's list of "Affordable Cruelty-Free Brands." I've slowly been trying to make that shift with all of my makeup -- not just to cruelty free, but just shift over to Indie brands in general. I was incredibly happy when Kara's Way handed me two full-sized eye shadows to test out.

I received the eyeshadows "Smut" and "Wicked." Smut is described as a "dirty silver with pink-purple undertones" whereas Wicked is "medium purple with an aquamarine shift." So, you might notice that beyond the flash burnout, the two eyeshadows I have are blue and purple. For a while, I held off this review because I was a tiny bit perplexed since Wicked came out very blue. I'm not hating as it's a lovely blue, but it definitely doesn't match the swatches on the website.

Wicked on the left and Smut on
the right.

Right off the bat, the colours aren't really that buildable. The Wicked comes off as a sheer colour and while it's just the kind of blue that I like, I had a feeling that it would disappear on my face. The Smut came off as a vibrant coppery purple.

Wicked on the left and Smut on the right. Over primer, full
eyelid, no blending, and no, I did not go out like this.

You can see what the first test looked like above. Even though I packed on the Wicked, it didn't really come but you can see the shimmer and the hints of it around my eye. The Smut appeared but only along the the very edges of my eyelids by the lashes. Keep in mind I applied both of them to the entire area without any blending over a primer.

I've had this issue with eyeshadows before so I decided that I needed to run a second test. First I redid the swatches. Below you can view the new swatches -- no primer but multiple swipes to test buildability. The first stripe of each is (so that would be from left to right, the first and the fourth) one that doesn't include multiple swipes whereas the other two that follow have multiple swipes. They all looked pretty much the same no matter what light or setting I tested it in. The only new thing I noticed what that Smut was now showing up with a black base underneath.

From the left to right: First three strokes are Wicked &
the last three are of Smut. No primer.

I decided that the eyeshadows probably needed a better "canvas" to be built upon so I grabbed my Sugarpill Tako (white) and Sugarpill Bulletproof (black) to help them along.

The blue and purple creation.

After starting off with white in the center of my eyelid and black in the highlight and crease area. For the outer lid I used the Smut and for the inner lid I worked the Wicked inward toward the middle of the lid over Tako.

For the brow, I worked the Wicked a bit upward toward the Bulletproof and mostly worked with the Smut to blend the two so that the Bulletproof wasn't as strong. On my eyebrows I blended Bulletproof and Wicked.

I used the Honeybee Gardens eyeliner in Blue Jeans (navy blue) and finally on my lashes I used Mark's Lash All You Want High Volume Mascara in Violet.

The final look took forever to get a good picture of since it mostly came out blue. Any type of high flash on the camera meant that it looked like I was barely wearing any eyeshadow at all. But as those of you know, mineral makeups tend to be a bit harder to photograph (unless you have a good camera, which I do not have).

Overall, I think that Concrete Minerals is a good addition to the collection. It does take a lot more effort to get it worked in and if it weren't for the Sugarpill, I'm not sure that I could really get it to show up on me. It doesn't really build on it's own and requires other colours for that jump start. I'm also still a bit puzzled about how far off the swatches on the website are from what I got. My assumption is that since this is an indie brand that likely mixes it themselves, this batch might be a bit different than the norm.

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These products are slated to be featured in an upcoming Kara's Way box and was given to me complimentary for my evaluation.

Product: Concrete Minerals in Smut & Wicked
Price: $7 each.
Would Recommend? Perhaps...
Takeaway: The colours didn't quite match the website and add the fact that they go on sheer. It took a couple of combinations with other products in order to really get the colours to pop.

Review: Honeybee Gardens Eye Liner in Blue Jeans

I love getting different eyeliners because nothing more appeases me then trying out new looks. Nothing irks me more then having to go through the trial period though to figure out whether or not it's a worthy contender of becoming an HG or s staple. 

My familiarity of this brand, Honeybee Gardens, is a bit low. They did have their full sized nail polish featured in the inaugural box of Kara's Way so I knew of them -- I just didn't know what else they offered. Maria (of Kara's Way fame) is well aware of my addiction to makeup, so she handed me one of the Honeybee Gardens eyeliners.

Specially the jojoba based eyeliner called "Blue Jeans." Blue Jeans (sorry for the darker picture but it was very early early in the morning) is a navy blue. It's a nice shade of blue, one that I could see myself using often because I could pass it off for a black. I also imagine that it would pair nicely with some blue eyeshadows. 

Ingredients: Castor seed oil, Ozokerite wax, Ethylhexyl palmitate, Jojoba seed oil, Lanolin oil, Beeswax, Cocoa seed butter, Cetearyl alcohol, Carnauba wax. May Contain: black iron oxide, brown iron oxide, mica.

(Can you tell that's it is super early in the morning? If you can't, I'm telling you now, I am terrible at makeup when all I want to do is crawl back into bed and sleep).

The eyeliner itself glides on well. I have to admit, that I was a bit surprised at that. I ended up applying to it similar to that of kohl but I really didn't need to. Easy application, looks decent (even if I'm a sleeping zombie in the morning). Overall, I have no complaints about it going on in the morning. What about the 8 hour day though? Well, it turned out that I had to go to an impromptu dinner meeting so I had to wait a little bit longer to see how the makeup held up.

But I will note that throughout the day I noticed it running a tiny bit. It was nothing that a quick dab here or there couldn't fix though. I chalked it up to being that my skin was running a bit oilier than usual so those of you that have that issue might want to consider that.

So here's the snapshot of the eyeliner almost 15 hours after the initial application. (Keep in mind that while I cleaned up the places where it ran a bit, I did not touch it up [reapply the eyeliner, to be specific] at all throughout the day.

While it appears a bit faded, for the most part it held up well. I almost wish I had paired it with more eyeshadows to see how it would have fared but it's good to note how products work alone before seeing how they work teamed up (specifically, Concrete Minerals eyeshadow in Wicked would look amazing with this one).

The long of the short is that it does apply well and even. It does last long and even though you might look at the left side of my eye and wonder why half of it is gone -- it was almost 15 hours later. I can assure you that my makeup was intact prior to the dinner. The best part was that the removal wasn't harsh on my eyes either. I really like this eyeliner and it's definitely a huge contender for the future but I do need to try it in black.

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This product is slated to be featured in an upcoming Kara's Way box and was given to me complimentary for my evaluation.

Product: Honeybee Gardens Eye Liner in Blue Jeans
Price: $7.99
Would Recommend? Yes.
Takeaway: Applies well and evenly without much tugging. Definitely lasts up to 8 hours -- even pushed through to almost 15 hours but may require a bit of cleaning if you have oily skin (bleeds a bit, but not too much). 

Review: Indochine Natural Star Anise & Coffee Soap

I don't post about soaps normally, those of you that are eagerly awaiting for Kara's Way makeup samples boxes to come out would be happy to know that this particular one is in the lineup for the near future. (I have no idea which box they are intending to release it with).

Indochine Natural, which is part of the Dew Puff line, is a natural handmade soap. This particular scent is interesting (and that's not a bad thing). It's listed as a soap that would be liked by people who enjoy strong licorice scent which is pretty spot on. The star anise is pretty potent and if you're new to the scent in general, it might take some time to grow on you.

For me, when I was younger, my family and I used to enjoy star anise biscotti with our evening coffee. So immediately when Maria handed me this soap to try, I thought about those moments as a teenager.

You get the scent of the star anise almost immediately and it only becomes stronger as you open it. Taking it into the shower though lessens the impact of the star anise and brings out a bit of the coffee (but, the star anise still dominates). If you're not a fan of this scent right away, I caution you that it may just end up growing on you.

Ingredients (as per the label): Sodium Palmate (Palm Oil), Sodium Cocoate (Coconut Oil), Pure Water (Aqua), Star Anise Essential Oil (Illicium verum), and Coffee Arabica.

If (or when) you get this soap, you'll notice that that there's a sticker on the back over the original label. The company was originally only located in Malaysia and since then, it seems as though they've changed the formula. They are currently in a slow rebranding phase in order to become more aligned with Dew Puff. The soaps, from what we've heard, is still made in Malaysia, but can be found for retail on Dew Puff for $7 a bar. Sorry for the technical stuff, but in case you start looking into it, you can rest assured that there is actual exfoliation in there through the coffee and that you don't have to order the soap all the way from Malaysia.

The scent of the star anise in the shower kind of rises and falls, mixing a bit with the coffee. The coffee in itself offers fantastic exfoliation. Overall, I loved how this soap performed because as I mentioned before, I have very dry skin. I normally go for very moisturizing soaps but this one isn't really like that. I will admit that it was a bit drying for my skin but that's probably due to the exfoliation. While one who has even drier skin might find issue with this, for me it meant that the heavy lotions I use could finally penetrate my skin. My skin in general feels a lot better afterward.

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Product: Indochine Natural Star Anise & Coffee Soap
Price: $7
Would Recommend? Yes.
Takeaway: The scent might take some time to grow on you, but if you like star anise, this will be enjoyable. It offers a good amount of exfoliation which may leave your skin a bit dry (that is, if you have dry skin) but it is great if you pair it with a heavy lotion.

Kara's Way: Fizz Butter Bath Bomb Giveaway

While I haven't tried the Fizz Butter Bath Bomb just yet, Kara's Way has another giveaway just in time for Halloween. (And yes, that means that you have till the 31st of this month -- Halloween (Samhain) -- to apply. They are giving away Fizz Butter Bath Bombs and all you have to do is enter the scent that you like (which makes things pretty simple).

If you aren't familiar with all the scents that Fizz Butter has to offer, then check them out here. Good luck!

Kara's Way: Sante Mascara Giveaway

Some time ago, I did a post about Mascara Endless Lashes № 03 by Sante Naturkosmetik (read the review here) which was one of the full-sized products that was in the first Kara's Way box. Kara's Way is still on a hiatus, but they are gearing up for October.

In anticipation of their return, there's a mascara giveaway and in order to enter you have to hit the "Like" button for Sante Naturkosmetik on Facebook and then fill our your information. There will be a random drawing and they'll be selecting 150 people. If you haven't had a chance to try the product, this would be a great way to try to snag it!

Kara's Way: June Box

I actually didn't get a box this month however I did help pack some of this month's box and I got a chance to try out most of the products. Some of the reviews for the elements in the box have been posted already however I'll do a quick overview of what arrived in the June edition of this box.

You get 5 items and of which four of them are full size: the mascara, the eye shadow stick, the eye cream and the lip balm. I did not get the lip balm as I have a lot of those already, so from my review, that will be the only part that is missing. The final item is a sample of a cream and while some people got the day cream by Naturelle d'Argan and others got the Olivenol Skin Solutions Moisturizer. I got the Naturelle d'Argan day cream.

Source Defense Day Cream by Naturelle d'Argan
Product Pricing: Retail for a full size is $34.99, you get 2 small samples.
Thoughts: I've been using this one for a while now and overall I like the texture and feel of it. My skin tends to be either too oily or too dry depending on what it feels like doing and overall it has reacted well to this day cream. At times it feels a bit too greasy (if I'm applying just before I'm putting on makeup) but overall it keeps my skin at a happy medium. I do think it's a bit too oily for my face at times so I end up using it as a hand moisturizer from time to time and for that purpose, it works out very well.

Sante Naturkosmetik Mascara Endless Lashes № 03
Original Review: Feeling a bit Rosy
Product Price: You receive a full size which retails for $25.99.
Thoughts: If you've seen my original post then you know that this is one of my favourites. I really weirdly love the scent of mascara and something about wearing a natural mascara makes me feel better (especially considering how often I wear mascara). It's buildable, lasts for a whole day, doesn't flake, and overall is a strong performer in terms of a mascara.

Sante Naturkosmetik Eyeshadow Pencils in Olive № 05
Product Price: You receive a full size which retails for $16.99.
Thoughts: Well, I'm brown so I'm very happy I didn't get Coffee № 08 because that would not have shown up on me at all. Not saying that the green colour does either however it does add a bit of shimmer to my eyes and kind of brightens up the area a bit which leaves me pretty happy with it's overall performance.

100% Pure Organic Coffee Bean Caffeine Eye Cream
Product Price: You receive a sample size of .50 Oz and the full size is 1 Oz which retails for $19.
Thoughts: Weirdly enough (or maybe not so weirdly) I had been pining over the 8 Piece Fruit Pigmented Color Collection so maybe Kara's Way felt my distinct need to try something from this company.

Anyhow, I don't really use eye creams in the traditional way that you should be using eye creams. I use it to moisturize my eyes after I take off any eye makeup so I don't use it for the reduction of puffiness or dark circles (or for whatever other reason that you might use them). My eyes dry out after I put on makeup so if I don't put on moisturizer (at night) after taking off my makeup then my eyelids will be ashy and very white the next day. That being said, I can't attest to dark circles or puffiness, since I never really had a problem with that stuff before. I was still excited to try this though because I've been using Avon Anew Retroactive Repair Eye Serum for just about forever now (yes, it's still discontinued, I just happened to find a bottle in my stash hidden away).

Right off the bat, I love the scent and the texture. It's a creamy buttery coffee scented lotion that I love wearing. I even started wearing it in the morning now just because I love the scent. As I mentioned I don't notice much of a difference but that is because I never really had major issues in the first place. But I do love this and would definitely recommend it if you're looking for a moisturizing eye cream.

Kara's Way: May Box (Continued)

The last two products in the May Box is the Native Touch products and the sunscreen from Beyond Coastal. The reasons why I didn't get to them as quickly as I normally would was because the Native Touch set is for a full pedicure and as for the sunscreen... well, I don't get much sun. For the other products that were in this box, you can check out my original post.

Native Touch Medicine Man Soap

Product Pricing: Regular size is $7.

Thoughts: As part of the pedicure, I think it's great -- it has a strong sage and cedar wood scent and overall feels great on the skin. I don't do pedicures that often anymore so let's switch gears. I'm a soap fanatic so I would never turn away a sample of soap. It is a little bit on the drying side so I do recommend having a nice moisturizer to go with it. 

Native Touch  Blue Corn Scrub

Product Pricing: Regular size is $20.

Thoughts: If you're doing the pedicure (or even a manicure) then this is the next step in the process and it is amazing. So the soap can be a little bit drying but the oils in this scrub add them all back in and make your skin feel amazing. I kind of didn't even want to move on to the third step (using the moisturizer) because it was so fantastic. 

Native Touch Rooting Bear Rub

Product Pricing: Regular size is $14.

Thoughts: Awesome... a fantastic salve or moisturizer. Whatever it is, it smells great and works extremely well. If you use it as the final step of a pedicure, then I highly recommend putting on socks to keep all that moisture in -- if you're doing a manicure, then grab some gloves. Given the shea butter, you can use this on your cuticles or even in your hair. This is a great multi-purpose three step system and I'm very happy that I got to try them out.

If you're feeling brave, the soap works really well on the face. The scrub on the other hand, which is great on the hands and feet is really not good on the face. I totally tried it and the sugar hurts -- so learn from my experiment (I knew it was going to hurt but I figured that I might as well try it). Remember to use the Thayers toner (or any other toner) as a follow-up and moisturize!

Beyond Coastal Daily Active Sunscreen
Product Pricing: 1 Oz (which is what you receive) is $6.
Thoughts: Let's be realistic, if you were looking up reviews for this sunscreen then you know that is SPF 15 and this is a huge criticism because most people will only put on higher SPF's because they expect to be in the sun and want something higher. So to be honest, I wasn't sure how or when I'd use this because if I were going to the beach of camping -- if I knew I was going to be in the sun then I'd grab my bottle of Ocean Potion SPF 50. A result of this meant that I needed to try something else -- I needed to try it for everyday use because that's basically what it's best for. The problem is that I live in San Francisco and the sun... well, the sun is mischievous. We did get a few days of sun so where I'd normally NOT wear SPF, I slathered this on. Overall, I think it's a good product for everyday use -- it is very moisturizing and feels good. Mine didn't have much of a scent so I can't comment on that. I will mention that Beyond Costal does have an Active Sunscreen SPF 30+. So if you liked the feel but wanted something higher, you have a choice.

Kara's Way: May Box

This comes a full month (or something like that) after the box launched. In my post "Some Other Updates," I mentioned that I helped packed the boxes. I did however want to post some reviews about the actual samples in the box especially since I a few of them on a regular basis. Naturally there comes a disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Kara's Way and I am not reimbursed for writing this blog. I am, however, a self-proclaimed "Kara's Way Minion" which is my clever way of saying, I work for free for my friend who runs Kara's Way.

I haven't tried everything just yet but I'll try to keep the posts linked that have to do with the samples that were in the Kara's Way box. Onto the reviews! (Update: You can read the rest of the reviews here.)

Notice the nail polish is missing already. I'm an addict.

Honeybee Gardens Non Peel Off Polish
Product Pricing: You receive a full size which costs $9.99.
Thoughts: I got the colour "Burlesque" which is a fuchsia sparkle. I love the concept and I do see myself ordering from this company in the future. I personally love shades of blue, green, purple, and black so I was a bit hesitant to try it out. But I love nail polish and there's no way I wasn't going to try it. Yeah, it didn't look good on me. Given my yellow undertones, it came off as a bright orange. Not flattering at all but the nail polish in itself has a good formula and the idea of switching to a water-based nail polish pleases me. It does have a faint scent of those peel off nail polishes that I had when I was younger.

Naturelle d'Argan 100% Pure Argan Oil
Product Pricing: You get an 8 mL bottle but for retail 1.70 Fl oz goes for $48.99.
Thoughts: Argan oil is a staple around me. I've tried a variety of different types and loved them all and this is no exception. What does make it stand apart though is it's general use. Most Argan oil that I come across are specifically created for use on hair so a bunch of additives are in there specific for that purpose. This kind is great for your hair, nails, or skin. The website even suggests you can add it into your lotion if you needed a bit more of a boost.

Thayers Alcohol Free Cucumber Witch Hazel Toner
Product Pricing: 2 Fl Oz sample bottle and it looks as though it goes for ~$7 for the 12 oz.
Thoughts: I had tested this out a while ago and I use it in conjunction with my Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque. I love it! No complaints here. Especially after a refreshing mask, this is wonderful -- and works great if you want to refresh your skin in the warm weather.

LA Fresh Oil-Free Face Cleanser
Product Pricing: You get one sample and an order of 20 packets costs $9.99.
Thoughts: This actually feels very refreshing, it can be a little bit drying but overall left my face feeling very clean. A tiny bit of moisturizer and you'd be all set to go. Overall, I was pretty pleased with it and actually I think it would be fantastic for hiking, camping, or travelling.


LA Fresh Acetone-Free Nail Polish Remover
Product Pricing: You get one sample and an order of 18 packets costs $9.99.
Thoughts: I couldn't wait to try this out because I love nail polish but I hate how drying the removers can be. I wanted to try an alternative and I already knew that everyone who reviewed it said you'd absolutely need to use two pads in order to cover all 10 nails. Doesn't help that I was removing bright blue nail polish but yeah, it took so long to take off the nail polish. Maybe it was about 10 minutes and even then I couldn't get the nail polish fully removed. LOVED how my fingers felt afterward though because it does leave them feeling very conditioned, just doesn't work so well to remove nail polish. So that's up to you if you want to compromise or not. I'm still going to attempt trying other non-acetone and "healthier" nail polish removers though.

Keeki Pure and Simple Sassy Shimmer Stick
Product Pricing: You receive a full size which costs $6.99.
Thoughts: This tube is the Golden Glow which means that... it's all shimmer. The colour quickly vanishes (I'm not sure if there's supposed to be one) leaving me with lips of shimmer. My boyfriend is going to love the planned attacks I have in store. That aside, it's all organic and feels good -- it moisturizes well and lasts long. I really like this product, especially since my previous lip balm was on it's last leg. I can't wait to order from this company (mostly because I'm seeing a huge list of nail polishes and I really can't help myself).

Kara's Way Launch

Kara's Way just launched their sign-up page as soon as possible as they are a limited quantity. If you were considering a box (whether for yourself or a friend) this would be perfect as it is a natural and eco-friendly box.  They've been working quite hard on this box and I think you'll be very happy with it -- so give it a shot. :)

For additional information, please be sure to check out the Facebook (where they tend to answer a lot of lingering questions that you might have) or follow their Twitter.

Interview with the Founder of Kara's Way

Hey Readers,

A few weeks ago I mentioned that there is a new eco-friendly beauty sample box called Kara's Way that will be launching soon. They are hoping to get the box launch in May so to tide you over till then, here's a short interview with the founder of Kara's Way.

Thanks!

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What is Kara's Way?

Kara's Way is a monthly box 5-10 eco-friendly beauty samples delivered to you, where you can enjoy them without feeling rushed. It's frustrating when you go shopping and maybe take a little dab of something here and there on the back of your hand, but you never get a chance to really try the product like you would normally. I see testers at stores all the time for facial scrubs or cleansers; are you going to really wash your face in the store? Or maybe that lipstick that looked good under the store lights looks entirely different in other lighting. Kara's Way samples give you a chance to take your time testing the product before having to commit to the full size.

Why are you focusing on eco-friendly products?

I've always had very sensitive skin and eczema. It's a skin disorder, thought to be caused by genetic and environmental factors. As I'd try to find lotions that would moisturize without irritating my skin, I started paying more attention to the ingredients in all my personal care products. Our skin can absorb what we put onto it, so you want to make sure it's a substance you feel comfortable ingesting. I find that the more simple and unrefined a product was, the less chance there would be of causing a reaction. It's difficult to pinpoint what is irritating your skin when you're looking at a product with a long list of ingredients.

Of course, not everyone has the crazy-sensitive skin I do, but it turns out that there's a lot of questionable ingredients in beauty products. Some are even known to be bad for you, like lead in lipsticks or nail polish with formaldehyde. The argument here is that the percentage is so small that it won't hurt you, but you use these products repeatedly over a lifetime, and I don't see the point in taking that risk if there's an alternative. Maybe you don't have a wide selection of natural products nearby, or you're wary of ordering online without being familiar with the brand, so Kara's Way makes it easy to find an eco-friendly substitute.

What companies do you plan on working with?

There a lot of great, up and coming indie brands that many people aren't familiar with, so we're going to put more of an emphasis on those. While I can't name any specific companies at this point, there will definitely be products that are unique and exciting!

What kinds of products do you plan on featuring?

The box will be filled with cosmetics, skincare and personal care products. You could get anything from eye shadows and nail polish, to soaps and skincare tools.

What are you hoping to achieve in the long run? Or rather, what are you hoping to accomplish with the box?

I hope to make it easier to make choices regarding what products you use. Just because something is natural, doesn't mean it's good for you, and if something is a chemical, doesn't mean it's bad for you. There's so much confusion out there, we really need to stay informed consumers and only purchase products in line with our ideals and what we consider to be healthy.

What is your favourite makeup? What is your favourite product?

I prefer a minimal makeup look most days, so I stick with the basics: foundation, filling in brows a bit, mascara and sheer lip color. I love multi use products, like shadows that work for your brows, lids and as eyeliner. Korres Mineral Powder Foundation is one of my favorites; light weight and looks natural.

New Box: Kara's Way

There's an awful lot of boxes out there and it seems as though there's a new one every month. That's just the makeup boxes alone and if you don't believe me, check out the list compiled by Mandy Wiltse, which is ever growing. Anyhow, I'm pretty picky which is why although I've been thinking about it for a while, I haven't actually subscribed to any. Which is why I guess in some way, I'm kind of lucky as one of my friends is hoping to release her own box soon.

Kara's Way is an eco-friendly box, that is aiming to be just beauty samples. While I don't know what would be in the first box, I do know that that each box is supposed to have at minimum 5 all natural (or vegan) products. The waiting list has just opened up and you can go to their site to find out more information. 

Here's wishing my friend a whole lot of luck with her new venture. And since she has no idea that my blog exists or that I'm writing about it, the full disclaimer is that this is not an endorsed post.