Cowgirl Dirt Natural Cosmetics {review}

 

I didn't use to wear make-up.

 

 In fact, the concept is really still very new to me.

I first started wearing some light concealer and foundation last year, to help with covering the acne when I was out in public. Truth is, that's really all I will do most days when I go out.

 

I've always believed that God has given us gals natural beauty that doesn't require make-up to enhance it. We were made in His image, after all! And His design of the human body/face is certainly nothing to be ashamed of/want to cover over with excessive amounts of cosmetic products.

 

That being said, I have indeed come to enjoy using light amounts of make-up for special occasions and such. Notice I said *light* amounts. I can't stand to see when women and girls pile on the stuff like it's sunscreen!

 

So I just wanted to clarify that, for anyone who wondered.

 

Anyway, today I'm reviewing some NATURAL cosmetic items from Cowgirl Dirt. As most of y'all know, I'm a huge supporter of anything natural, homemade or organic. So I was pretty excited to find this company. So many big cosmetics companies today use ingredients which are harmful and even toxic.

 

The samples came in a cute burlap-sack style pouch.

 

I was sent samples of these products:

• Wild West Blush, in "Ponderosa" and "Buckle"
• Dusty Bronzer in "Arena"
• Eye Shadow in "Rhinestone", "Alfalfa", "Barnwood", "High Ho Silver"
• Southern Belle Cream Foundation "Warm, 4"
• Silverado Cream Eye Shadow in "Milk Jar"

 

Both blushes were nice. I personally don't know much about application of blush as I've only just started using it. I like it because it can give a somewhat vintage/retro look. "Ponderosa" is slightly darker than "Buckle" in hue. Both are lovely, relatively mild blush colors. They're easy to apply, also.

 

The "Arena" bronzer is a nice shade as well. It takes some practice to blend it just write, but that's what foundation is for...at least, as far as I know anyway!

 

My favorite of the eyeshadows is "Rhinestone". It's a very light, shimmery powder/sky blue and I think it's a great color for eyeshadow. It doesn't make you look overly dramatic or vampire-like, as some shadows tend to do.

It's more of just a fun, mild hue for when you want to add a little shimmer but not go overboard on the color.

 

The cream foundation is very easy to apply. Cowgirl Dirt offers it in multiple shades, to match each person's skin best. I got in it "Warm, 4" and it seems to match my somewhat-tan/sunkissed skin.  

 

Overall, it looks like Cowgirl Dirt makes some great, high quality products. And they're made in the USA! Love to support home-country based businesses.

I'm glad to know that when I put on this makeup, it's not riddled with junk and chemicals.

 

I definitely recommend checking out the shop for yourself. You can get samples of your own for just 99 cents each! And if you're already a make-up user, why not support a locally owned business?

 

Note: I was sent these products from Cowgirl Dirt in exchange for my honest review.

Natural Cosmetics Haul {review}

(Photo courtesy of LynBDesigns)

 

Howdy y'all! Today I thought I'd do something a little different and put together a dual-review post... kind of like a make-up haul.

 

So. What are we looking at for today? Firstly, a bottle of Oobleck nail polish from LynBDesigns.

I was sent this several weeks ago, and practically as soon as it arrived in the mail I tried it on. You can get a small picture of what my nails looked like, in the pictures below. (And of course, a much better example is included above, from the Etsy listing itself.)

 

 

 

I really fell in love with this color. It's such a fun, bright shade and almost a cross between a mint and very light green.

 

 

These photos sadly do not capture the true color of this polish - which is why I included that picture from LynBDesigns to begin with. It's really the only one that fully gives you the accurate color.

 

 

So, this is a pretty decent sized bottle. Lots of polish! I know it will last me a really long while.

 

Now, as much as I adore the color(it even has some flecks of glitter in it!), and as much as I love the fact that this was homemade, I do unfortunately have a few negatives with this polish.

 

The main detail is, that it's very hard to apply. At least, for me it was, anyway. I spent a good 45 minutes trying to get it applied just right without looking sloppy. This was easier said than done, because for some reason the polish had a tendency to clump up on my nail very quickly.

 

 It also took a long time to dry, which hindered the entire process further.

 

I'm certainly no expert at manicures but I also can recognize a nail polish that's difficult to use. Sadly, this is one of those.

 

However, once I got it on without it clumping and looking dreadful, I did like it, and enjoyed wearing it. As previously stated, I just love the color - it's very me.

 

Conclusion: If this stuff was easier to apply, it'd be perfection in a bottle. But sadly, it's not. I'll still use it, but probably not as often as I would had it been less hard to use.

 

 

 

Next up we have two natural, handmade eye shadows from WillowTreeMinerals.

 

I was sent a sample in Iced Latte and Soft Wildflower.

Now, as I always say, I really like to use cosmetic products which are made with natural chemical-free ingredients. These eye shadows certainly fit that bill, which made me happy. Also, I like how these were packaged. Their containers are unique looking, I think.

 

 

I didn't actually choose these colors, they were selected on the basis of being two of the artisans' favorites.

If I'd chosen the colors myself, I probably wouldn't have picked these personally, being a fan of more noticeable, colorful shades. However, I am not against them either.

 

(Photo courtesy of Willow Tree Minerals)

 

The Soft Wildflower is a nice, subtle shadow which is very light and barely noticeable on the skin. It mainly just adds a little sparkle and sheen, so if you want to go very natural and light I can definitely see how this would be a good option.

 

 

Once again my photos today just aren't giving you the picture, sadly.

 

 

The Iced Latte shadow is considerably more noticeable. I wore it Sunday, to lunch, but Mom said I looked like I had dark circles under my eyes. So. This shade was just not for me. I'm sure it would look better on someone else, but I guess my complexion and face just didn't match with this one.

 

 

The verdict on both these shadows? They aren't phenomenal, but they're not terrible either. I liked using the Soft Wildflower and would recommend that one for a light, natural look. I can't honestly recommend Iced Latte though since, well, it just didn't look good on me.

 

Both shadows were a tad hard to apply. I've used powder eye shadow before, so I can say that not all powder shadows are inherently messy.

 

Let me just tell you guys, I hate to give reviews that are anything short of rave sessions. It's...hard to willfully write something negative. Especially when you appreciate the generosity of the business that sent you the item to review!

 

So, a shout out to LynBDesigns and Willow Tree Minerals for letting me be honest about your products, and for providing the products, to begin with!

 

ForStrangeWomen Organic Perfumes {review}

 

Let it be known, I'm a total perfume junkie.

 

I can never resist the chance to try new perfumes if they're offered to me. I might be a 'tomboy', but hey, I still like to smell good!

 

So, anyways, I received two samples from ForStrangeWomen, a shop on Etsy offering a variety of different organic perfume oils/scents.

 

The first was a sample of the shop's "Violin in the Attic" scent. It came as a single application infused in a ribbon. (Isn't that different? I don't think I've ever seen samples such like this before.)

This scent is a moderately heavy, musky scent which does indeed remind me of old wood...and the title fits it perfectly, because I can very easily picture a rustic violin smelling similar to this!

 

The other scent was "Fireside Story." This one is considerably heavier, more potent and muskier.

It has a woodsy sort of ambience, and also reminds me slightly of a bonfire, due to the slightly smoky/musky smell it also carries. It is a deep, rich and luxurious scent.

 

 

I really like how both these scents are completely organic, and all-natural. I hate putting a bunch of junky chemicals on my skin, because, if you didn't know already, the human skin is extremely quick to absorb anything on its surface! (And who wants toxic substances floating around in your bloodstream?)

 

They are both quality scents, I can tell. It would've been nice to try a larger sample, but I think it's a neat concept infusing the oil into a ribbon. Not to mention it saves on shipping!

The packaging and design was very professional, and I loved the little emblems on the ribbons wherein the oil was infused.

 

Find your own "Fireside Story" and "Violin in the Attic" perfumes here. As I mentioned in the beginning of this post, there is a great variety of oils to pick from, and so many creative names! ("Violin in the Attic" instantly got my attention, anyways!)

 

Note: I was provided these items from ForStrangeWomen in exchange for my honest review.

Natural Deodorants {FabHealthFriday}

 

 

 

Hola amigos! After a much delayed gap in posting for FabHealthFriday.....I have returned. *muahahah*

 

After receiving a question about what natural deodorants I used/recommended, I 

decided to focus on that for today's post.

 

In case you may not have thought of this before, most deodorants available in your grocery store or shopping center are terribly bad for you. What are some of the killer ingredients found in the leading deodorant brands these days? For starters, aluminum and parabens.

 

"Aluminum is the most abundant metal and the third most abundant element, after oxygen and silicon, in the earth's crust. It is widely distributed and constitutes approximately 8 percent of the earth's surface layer. However, aluminum is a very reactive element and is never found as the free metal in nature. It is found combined with other elements, most commonly with oxygen, silicon, and fluorine. These "chemical compounds" are commonly found in soil, minerals (e.g., sapphires, rubies, turquoise), rocks (especially igneous rocks), and clays. These are the natural forms of aluminum, rather than the silvery metal. The metal is obtained from aluminum-containing minerals, primarily bauxite. Small amounts of aluminum are even found in water in dissolved or ionic form. Ions are atoms, collections of atoms, or molecules possessing either a positive or a negative electric charge. The most commonly found ionic forms of aluminum are complexes formed with hydroxy (hydrogen attached to oxygen) ions."  (Source)

 

Sooo, doesn't sound horrible, right? Well, just because aluminum may be a natural compound found here on earth doesn't mean it's good for us humans.

 

Aluminum was first recognized as a human neurotoxin in 1886, before being used as an antiperspirant. A neurotoxin is a substance that causes damage to nerves or nerve tissue.

 

Post-mortem analysis of Alzheimer’s infected brains has shown increased levels of aluminum compared to people that did not die from Alzheimer’s.

 

Breast cancer in women has been linked to the aluminum and parabens found in a lot of deodorants.

 

I could go on about aluminum but then I wouldn't have enough time to tell you about the actual natural deodorants which was after all the point of today's post. If you want to learn more about aluminum, google "health effects of aluminum." It's always best to do your own research. 

 

So. Moving on.

 

I don't know about you, but I tend to perspire VERY easily. I also tend to get very stinky very fast, even with deodorant on. This is the straight up truth concerning my under arms. :P

 

I've always envied the girls who didn't have to check every 20 minutes to see if they smelled or not. But envying doesn't get anything done, does it?

 

So,I have tried a longgg list of different natural deodorants. Since I need something with a lot of gumption and heavy strength/durability, it hasn't been easy to find the right product which actually works for me.

 

Here are a few natural deodorants I have used and recommend.

 

Tom's of Maine: I usually need to get a scented one because unscented just doesn't seem to be strong enough for me personally. These are very gentle on the skin and the scents aren't too horrible smelling. My favorites are lavender, and apricot.

 

Personally, I have to REALLY slather this on for it to work. But it does work. And that's all that matters. You can find Tom's deodorants at Wal-mart.

 

 

Jason: I think this one is a little more expensive than Tom's but it is my favorite at the moment. Like with Tom's, I have to really slather it on, but it works decently and I don't mind the smell. Actually I think I like the smell better than Tom's. My favorite scent of Jason's is Aloe Vera. You can find this line in Sweetbay supermarkets and probably at the health food store too.

 

 

 

Crystal: Now, while I don't personally recommend this one if you are like me and need something heavy duty, I thought I'd mention it for you lucky ladies who may be able to get off with something more mild. Crystal deodorants are roll on, and a clear liquid. The main negative I think, besides the fact it doesn't work for me, is how messy it can be. It makes your underarms feel VERY wet. I doubt most people like this kind of feeling, I certainly don't!

 

You can find Crystals at Wal-mart if you want to give them a try.

 

 

Go the home-made route! At one point, I got reallyyyyy desperate and looked up how to make your own natural deodorant, online. I found a simple recipe which only required baking soda and eucalyptus oil, as I recall. It was MESSSSSSSY. Messy, messy, messy. It kinda sorta worked, but the main problem was not getting white powder all over myself and my surroundings, in the process.

Also, it didn't keep very well and got kinda...icky, after a week or so.

 

This was just my personal experience with making home-made deodorants, I know there are other recipes out there which might work better. I just detest powder deodorants in general.

 

Do you have a favorite natural deodorant? Let me know in the comments!

 

Happy Friday y'all!