Friday, August 28, 2009

A Word About Mineral Makeup

Hello, lovelies!

Sorry I've been AWOL, but - you guessed it - the job! Don't worry, once I win the lottery, I'm all yours, 24-7!

So today, we're going to make talk about mineral makeup, and making sure you're absolutely buying a CF brand.

If you're nutso bananas about mineral makeup like I am, you're in good company. I had nothing but blotchy, sensitive, problem skin till I made the mineral switch. Lots of smart ladies have made this change, and their skin has thanked them for it.

The wonderful Bare Escentuals, as we all know, was the first trailblazer into the mineral makeup field, followed closely by such awesome brands as Jane Iredale, Aromaleigh, and Everyday Minerals. In fact, once Bare Escentuals hit it big, many other mineral makeup brands began popping up like daisies, and more importantly, many existing cosmetic brands developed their own mineral makeup to add to their regular liquid foundation line. This is where it gets interesting, and this is the point of my blog today.

Many well-intentioned ladies out there who are buying mineral makeup are assuming - sometimes incorrectly - that if it's mineral makeup, it must be CF, since the first original brands were CF brands. But "Mineral Makeup = CF" is not always the case, so be careful! I've even heard some folks remark, while wandering the aisles of Sephora, "Well, it's mineral makeup, so I know it's not tested on animals." It's an honest enough mistake to make - not only were those first few brands in the mineral makeup field CF brands, many of them were also mostly natural, with very few chemical ingredients to screw up your skin. The brands I mentioned above are all CF mineral makeup brands. But there are some companies that still test on animals who have added mineral makeup to their lines.

We all know how business is - it's a "monkey see, monkey do" world out there. If one brand hits it big with a certain formula of makeup, then many more brands are all too willing to jump on the bandwagon. So what this means for you is that you still need to do your homework, check back here, or email me before you buy! Because, babies, brands who still test, like Cover Girl, Maybelline, and Neutrogena, have all come out with mineral makeup lines, and they're all still tested on animals. Plus, to boot, the brands who still test are adding very few minerals to the actual makeup. So not only do you run the risk of still buying a tested brand, you also run the risk of buying something that has just as many chemicals in it as their other cosmetics. You're all a pretty smart bunch, I can smell it on ya, so don't be fooled!

As always, the good news is that in addition to the CF mineral brands mentioned earlier, lots of the big-wig CF regular brands have a mineral makeup for you as well. Clinique, Estee Lauder, MAC, Revlon - they all jumped on the popularity of mineral makeup, too, so there are plenty of CF brands out there to pick from.

As always, I loves ya! Have a great weekend, and I'll smooch you all to bits very, very soon!

Love,

Lisa

Monday, August 10, 2009

Product Spotlight: California Baby No Fragrance SPF 30+ Sunblock Stick

Yes, yes, I should have put this in our Spotlight way earlier in the summer, but there's no time like the present to remind you that, even though we're most of the way through summer, you still have to protect your skin.

So there's this great little brand of skin and sun care called California Baby (http://www.californiababy.com/index.html), and it's not only great stuff for your little ones, but it's great stuff for all you big people out there, too! One of the things I've had a really hard time tracking down in the realm of CF products has been suncare. There are a few really good ones out there, but it's been hard finding a full range of sun protection that keeps us safe, yet doesn't harm our animal babies in the process. Look no further than these guys!
But the one I want to really share with all you ladies out there is the No Fragrance SPF 30+ Sunblock Stick! One of the things I hate the most about summer (number one - the humidity, which makes me look like Larry from The Three Stooges) is that before I even get my makeup on, I've sweated right through my sunblock in my hot little apartment. It's a problem, because you need sun protection, but you also need it to stay matte so that you can get your face on to begin with, which is where this little gem comes in. Here's the product description from the California Baby website itself: "Pop this convenient PABA free, non-chemical, fragrance-free sunblock stick into your pocket, purse or diaper bag. The whole family will love this easy-to-use stick that gives those 'hot spots' a boost of extra protection. Our non-chemical sunblock stick employs a highly micronized, non-whitening titanium dioxide that scatters and reflects dangerous UV rays, offering UVA-UVB broad-spectrum protection. Non-staining formula. It glides on smoothly for easy application. May be used in combination with our SPF30+ sunscreen lotions."

Truly, this is a little slice of heaven during these sweltering dog days of summer. And look - it even comes in an easy to carry, cute as all-get-out little package!



Of course it's not as cute as former Brat Packer Andrew McCarthy...


... but then, what is? (Sure that was random. But I figured I'd toss you a little something extra since I haven't blogged in so long!)

At $15 at any health food store, it's more than affordable (Hey! We're back to the sunblock now - you can rent "St. Elmo's Fire" on your own time!), and it got a great big kiss on lips from the American Cancer Society.

So have fun in the sun, stay safe, and I'll send you all a big hug from cyber-space since it's too damn hot to hug you in person.

SMOOOOCH!