Product Spotlight - Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab

Hey there, hi there, ho there!

Today, we're gonna dish about Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab (http://www.blackphoenixalchemylab.com/) ! If you're into seriously high quality CF perfume oils with quite a bit of a gothy twist, truly eclectic formulas and scents, and so many blends that it'll make your head spin, than look no further than this funky, indie brand based out of Hollywood, CA.

Their scents run the gamut from sweet and innocent, dark and scary, classic and glamorous. Best of all are what they call "Imp's Ears", commonly known as sample vials, ranging in price from $3.50 for one, or a set of six for $19.95. After you decide what you love - and you will fall in love! - the full sized bottles of the oils are 5 ml size for $15, with some limited editions pricing up a bit more, around $17.50.

Whether you go for the imps or the full sizes, these oils are deep, sensual, and long lasting. There are so many layers to each blend, you can always find a surprise, a scent you hadn't noticed before, from the time you put it on wet, until the dry-down, and throughout your day. It's just like this beautiful, amazing "pop-up" each time you sniff your wrist.

They have a great search engine, so let's say you want something based in a violet scent. Type that into the search, and absolutely anything with a violet note pops up. The folks on the forums are second to none in the thoroughness of their descriptions - so after you find that scent search, the results link you to the forums where dozens of eloquent posters describe that particular oil to you in astonishing detail. It's like having your own personal perfumery, with dozens of choices, right there at your fingertips.

Quite frankly, there's no reason to pay the ridiculous, exorbitant prices that the department stores charge in order to smell gorgeous. Honestly, with as fussy as I am about perfume, the companies who want $75 of my money for something that's not going to last, or that I can't try a tiny vial of for a few days, never fails to chap my butt. There's no reason to not smell fabulous all day long for only a few bucks. So don't miss out on this brand! And especially don't wait and miss out on those limited editions - those are truly the jewels in BPAL's crown! So go get them now, and sniff up a storm, babies!

Love,

Lisa

Cruelty Free iPhone Guide!

Hey La-la boobalahs! (I'll give a specific shout-out on this blog to anyone who can tell me what that's from!)

I just found, seriously, one of the most fun things I think I've ever seen in the way of iPhone applications!

PETA has joined up with Hot Frog Creative (here's their link - they rock too! http://www.hotfrogcreative.com/) and developed the "Be Nice To Bunnies" ("BNB") iPhone application. It's $1.99 at the iTunes applications store, and the application can be found here: http://iphoneapplicationlist.com/2009/06/29/be-nice-to-bunnies/#more-7240

So let's say you're at a store, and you have no idea if a particular brand is CF or not. Bingo - right there on your phone, you can log onto your BNB app and find out before you buy it. No more trying to figure it out on your own, no more wondering if a well-meaning salesperson gave you the wrong information (or was simply trying to get you to buy). Let your fingers do the walking, and it's all right there in the palm of your hand. You can search by company (want to know if Maybelline tests?) or by product (or do you want to know exactly which toothpaste brands are okay to buy?). The app itself has cool little features like its own little iPhone buttons within the application - even a "Favs" button where you can save your favorite CF products for easy access when you shop.

And a little thing that I love? When you go into the actual application, the header of the main screen above all the search functions is the famous quote from Mahatma Ghandi - "You can judge a nation by how it treats its animals."

If you have an iPhone and love it as much as I do, you should absolutely get this application!

Bunny snuggles for everyone!

Lisa

20% OFF SALE AT AROMALEIGH MINERAL COSMETICS!

Hello, sweeties! Long time, no see!

Work has been insane, it's been nothing but "drama, drama, drama" for most of June, so I apologize - AGAIN!

But you know what perks me up? A sale! A sale on awesome, CF mineral makeup! I've blogged about this brand before, Aromaleigh, and this week they're having a sale of 20% off! No restrictions, 20% sale off on all items on the Aromaleigh website, but you have to hurry - this excellent offer expires on June 30th at 11:59 PM!

http://aromaleigh.wordpress.com/2009/06/23/hot20-20-off-sale-code-through-630/

You'll kick yourself if you miss out on this sale, so click on that link! Click on it, give yourself a real treat you won't regret, and save a few bucks while you're at it!

Enjoy!

Love,

Lisa

Chemicals in Your Cosmetics!

Babyheads!

How goes it?

Today, I'm going to go the "Cheater, Cheater, Pumpkin Eater" route and not really blog so much as just give you a very eye-opening link. This was sent to me by a good friend of mine (shout-out to Fiona! Thanks, buddy, luv ya!), and it's about the presence of certain toxic chemicals in your every-day cosmetics. Here is the link (through MSN's Green Living section), and you should give this a really good read through, and then go through your beauty stash to see what you need to get the hell off of your body, pronto!

http://green.sympatico.msn.ca/green-living-online-article.aspx?cp-documentid=1058819

One of the things that got me buying mostly organic and all natural cosmetics and products is not just the CF nature of those products, which has been a passion of mine for years. I started thinking - what am I washing down the drain when I wash my hair, my face, my clothes? What chemicals are leeching out into the soil and the water system? Now that greener options are dropping in price as they go more mainstream, it's easier to make a change for the better.

Within the above link, there are more links: one for a book with an eye-opening exposé about cosmetic chemical levels, a link to the Campaign For Safe Cosmetics, which you should absolutely click on and get involved in, and something called the Skin Deep database, which tells you the chemical levels of products you're using with their handy search function. That's gonna open your eyes! Luckily, you can sort by level number, and find safer alternatives.

Well, I've babbled enough today - you have some clicking and reading to do, my lovelies, so get to it! And remember, there's no amount of beauty that's worth the price of your health and well-being. You already are beautiful - just remember to stay that way by taking care of your body and your spirit first!

Much love,

Lisa

Pet Food Recall - NUTRO!

Hello, lovelies!

In my very first post on this blog, I mentioned that some of the things we'd be talking about in going CF are some non-beauty related issues, because going CF reaches out to so many areas of our lives besides cosmetics. One of those areas is pet care, and I just stumbled across some important news from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration about Nutro Pet Food.

Here's the link for you to check out yourself:

http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/nutro05_09.html

Here's the upshot - last week on May 21st, Nutro issued a voluntary recall of two of their dry cat foods due to incorrect nutrient levels of zinc and potassium. If you're feeding your kitty-head either one of the recalled formulas (which are NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Dry Cat Foods and NUTRO® MAX® Cat Dry Foods) discontinue use, and pay close attention for any funky symptoms, including a loss of appetite, weight loss, vomiting or diarrhea. If your cat is sick or pregnant, get that little cutie-booty to the vet right away! You can check the bags for “Best If Used By Dates”, which are between May 12, 2010 and August 22, 2010.

So take a tip from Edison (the world's cutest baby-moosh!):

"Be careful what you eat! Research shows that incorrect nutrient levels can mess your ass up!"

And that's the story for today! You and your furry friends stay safe, healthy, and have a great weekend!

Lisa

Product Spotlight - Aromaleigh Mineral Makeup

Happy Friday!

If you've jumped onto the mineral makeup bandwagon with the enthusiasm that I have, you're going to really love today's spotlight product.

There's a little company out of South Carolina called Aromaleigh Cosmetics and Aromatics (http://www.aromaleigh.com/), and they make what is, for my money, the best mineral cosmetics and makeup around.

Now, I'm not going to slag on the biggies like Bare Escentuals. I like BE very much, they're pretty much the mack-daddy of mineral makeup, and far be it for me to bust on any CF product that's good for your skin. I wore BE for five years, but Aromaleigh gives them some serious competition.

I'll start by saying that its only drawback is that you can only order it online. So how do you go about testing it out? Simple - on their website, Aromaleigh gives you options for ordering samples of their foundations, concealers, finishing powders, color-correcting powders, primers, eyecolors, lipcolors, and blushers for a very small price, anywhere from 80 cents to a couple of bucks (give or take, depending on what you want to try) per sample. If that sounds like a lot, keep in mind how much you get in each little sample pack - they'll last you a good long time while you try them out. I'm currently still using a blend of two sample packs of foundation that I ordered a month ago, and I'm not nearly finished with them yet.

And you'll be grateful for those samples, because the selection of shades that Aromaleigh offers will simply boggle your mind! Whatever your skin shade or tone, they have a foundation and a concealer for you. Their eyeshadow colors? You'll go old and gray before you have a chance to try them all. Honestly, I haven't seen huge cosmetic companies in the department stores that have the selection that this little indy brand has.

Their shipping is second to none - it's a one to two day turnaround at most. And how else do they hook you once you receive said package? Simple - they always include three samples in with your order. They pick the colors, usually two eyeshadows and a lipcolor. And will you get hooked on those? I predict you totally will! Their colors are some of the most rich and saturated of any brand I've ever seen. Biggies like MAC and Estee Lauder have got nothing as far as color and depth like Aromaleigh does.

The foundations and concealers are incredibly wearable and natural looking. I don't know how they do it, but their foundations are sheer, but still give you great coverage. Plus, they have two formulas - their Voile foundation for oilier skin, and their Glissade for more sensitive skin types.

Their prices are incredibly reasonable - they're cheaper by a good $10 on foundation than Bare Escentuals, if that gives you any idea, and the prices of many of their products run as low as the drugstore brands do. Plus, with first time buyer coupon codes, the birthday club, and sales on selected products, you can get a lot for very little cash.

In addition to being CF and great for your skin, they also donate a portion of their profits every month to Heifer International (http://www.heifer.org/), a non-profit organization whose goal is ending world hunger and poverty through self-reliance. Quite simply, there's nothing to not love about this company.

So if you're looking for a more wallet-friendly CF brand that gives you zillions of options, plus has a humanitarian side to it as well, I can't recommend Aromaleigh enough!

Have a great and safe holiday weekend!

Lisa

I swear, I haven't disappeared from the face of the earth!

Hi there, long time no see!

Sorry I haven't updated in a while, but this month has been insane at my actual job-job. I promise to be more around more, to be more visible, and to dig for more info. In short, to be a better "blog-friend" (Internet readers - will you accept this rose?). Hey, you know how it goes - start a new blog, put up your first six or so posts like a house on fire, and then have work take over all your blogging time!

One of my plans, now that I've gotten most of my basic info out there to you, is to "spotlight" a lot of the great CF brands I've been indulging in, because there are plenty of them!

For example, I'm currently obsessed, obsessed I tell you, with this awesome online brand of mineral makeup called Aromaleigh, and the more info I can get out there about it, the better. Also Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab for the most incredible perfume oils you'll find. Deva products for hair care, Lush for face care, Desert Essence and Jason Naturals for body care - those are just a few teasers to throw out there to you, and I'll get into detail with those, one yummy brand at a time.

So till tomorrow when I start our first brand spotlight in earnest, stay safe, be good, brush your teeth, and if you were one of the ones who didn't vote for Adam Lambert on Tuesday night during the "American Idol" finale, for shame on you! (Kidding! But I am bummed that the poor guyliner guy didn't win.)

Arrivederci, Roma!

Lisa