Monthly Subscription Service for Lipstick Lovers

One of my favourite make up items to collect are lip products and I have quite a large collection! If you're like me then the Lip Monthly subscription box may be just what you're looking for.

Lip Monthly are a relatively new subscription service that send out 4-5 FULL sized lip products every month. It costs $12.95/£9 per month but you can get 55% off your first bag with the code 'CHAR55'. This months box had an overall retail value of $69.95/£45, so you'll be saving a lot of money! Lip Monthly also offer free worldwide shopping.

In this months box I received 3 full sized lip products and a face mask. 

The lipstick on the left is called Vengeance by the brand Dirty Little Secret, next to that is a lip gel in the shade Hangover by So Susan and lastly a lip gloss in the shade Manna Babe by the brand Manna Kadar. 

I had never heard of any of these brands before so it's a really great way to discover new products! Each brand claims to be cruelty free as well. 

Left to right: Vengeance, Hangover and Manna Babe

*** this post contains affiliate links 

Do Chemical-Free Beauty Products Exist?

If you follow me on Twitter (charwbeauty), then you will know that I've decided to only purchase products that are 100% vegan and (hopefully) free from nasty chemicals. I have only just started my research into the chemicals hiding in our beauty products, but it's a start! 

Hair Products 

Starting with hair products, I picked up the Faith in Nature Fragrance Free shampoo and conditioner and the Dr Organic Coconut Oil shampoo and conditioner from Holland and Barrett. At the moment I'm using up my Superdrug Shampoo and Conditioner which are cruelty free and vegan, but unfortunately are not free from harmful chemicals. 

Superdrug Pro V Volume Shampoo with Arginine- list of ingredients: 

Aqua, Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Chloride, Glycol Distearate, Glycerin, Laureth-4, Parfum, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Panthenol, Sodium Benzoate, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Polyquaternium-7, Tocopheryl Acetate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Benzophenone-4, Benzyl Salicylate, Sodium Hydroxide, Benzyl Alcohol, Triethylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol, Citronellol, Formic Acid, Wheat Amino Acids, Magnesium Nitrate, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Magnesium Chloride, Methylisothiazolinone, BHT, Hexylene Glycol, EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate.

There's a lot there right?!  

Now let's compare the Superdrug shampoo ingredient list to the Faith in Nature shampoo:

Aqua (Water), Ammonium laureth sulfate*, Maris sal (Sea salt), Cocamidopropyl betaine*, Glycerin*, Sodium benzoate, Potassium sorbate,Citric acid*. 

Now as you can there are some ingredients that occur in both products, but there are a lot less harmful ingredients in the Faith in Nature shampoo. 

Skincare

Every day we use products that claim to help and protect our skin. But what's really lurking in our skincare routine? 

I was using the Soap and Glory 3-IN-1 DAILY VITAMIN C FACIAL WASH but switched to the Dr Organic Dead Sea Mineral Wash. Sounds great right? Well below is the ingredient list from S&G compared to the Dr Organic Dead Sea Mineral wash.

Soap and Glory: 

Aqua (Water/Eau), Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Glycerin, Acrylates Copolymer, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Coco-Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, Lauric Acid, Sodium Methyl Isethionate, Synthetic Wax, Dipropylene Glycol, Parfum (Fragrance), Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Chloride, Tetrasodium EDTA, Zinc Laurate, Limonene, Polyquaternium-7, Benzophenone-4, Amyl Cinnamal, Citric Acid, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Linalool, Citrus Junos Fruit Extract, Citral, Methylisothiazolinone, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Lecithin, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Tocopherol, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate, CI 73360 (Red 30), CI 77891 (Titanium dioxide), CI 42090 (Blue 1), Maltodextrin.

Dr Organic: 

Aloe barbadensis leaf juice, Aqua, Sodium lauroyl sarcosinate, Sodium cocoamphoacetate, Cocamidopropyl betaine, Lauryl glucoside, Shea butteramidopropytrimonium chloride, Polyglyceryl-4 caprate, Maris sal (Dead sea salt), Ascophyllum nodosum extract, Fucus vesiculosus extract, Laminaria digitata extract, Citrus aurantium amara (Bitter orange) leaf oil, Citrus aurantium dulcis, Citrus nobilis (Mandarin) peel oil, Pinus sylvestris (Pine) needle oil, Thymus vulgaris (Thyme) flower/leaf oil, Mentha arvensis herb oil, Mentha spicata herb oil, Sodium phytate, Hydroxypropyl oxidized starch PG-trimonium chloride, Starch hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride, Sodium chloride, Lactic acid, Sodium lactate, Urea, Glycerin, Levulinic acid, Anisic acid, Sodium hydroxymethylglycinate, Potassium sorbate, Ascorbic acid, Citric acid, Limonene, Linalool.

Even though the Dr Organic face wash has more ingredients, it doesn't contain any of the ingredients mentioned below. Whilst I feel this is very important, I do hope to find a face wash with a lot less ingredients! 

Other

Moving on to the controversial deodorant ingredient list now, I was very shocked that my Superdrug deodorant contained ingredients that cause breast cancer. Because of this I have since purchased a crystal deodorant stick from Faith in Nature. Let's compare.

Superdrug Cotton Fresh Less White Residue Deodorant:

Butane, Isobutane, Propane, Cyclopentasiloxane, Aluminum Chlorohydrate, Triethyl Citrate, Parfum, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Geraniol, Benzyl Salicylate,

Polysorbate 20, Linalool, Citronellol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Gossypium

Faith in Nature crystal push-up stick deodorant:

Ammonium alum

So as you can see, the Superdrug deodorant contains ingredients that are linked to breast cancer, disrupt hormones and skin irritation....No thank you. Where as the Faith in Nature deodorant has one ingredient that is deemed as 'safe', although I'm not 100% convinced.

Last but not least we have toothpaste. I recently started using the Dr Organic Aloe Vera Toothpaste and I absolutely love it. It's free SLS, parabens etc BUT it does contain fluoride which is disappointing. 

Let's compare a Colgate toothpaste ingredient list with the Dr Organic toothpaste. 

Colgate Total® Original Care ToothpasteAqua:

Glycerin

Hydrated Silica

PVM/MA Copolymer

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

Cellulose Gum

Aroma

Sodium Hydroxide

Carrageenan

Sodium Flouride

Triclosan

Sodium Saccharin

Limonene

CI 77891

Contains: Sodium Fluoride (1450 ppm F¯)

Dr Organic Aloe Vera Toothpaste:

Glycerin, Aloe barbadensis leaf juice, Sorbitol, Hydrated silica, Aqua, Sodium lauroyl sarcosinate, Mentha piperita (Peppermint) oil, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Menthol, Cetraria islandica (Icelandic moss) extract, Sodium monofluorophosphate, Escin (Horse chestnut), Xylitol, Sodium benzoate, Potassium sorbate, Citric acid.

Contains Sodium monofluorophosphate (a source of fluoride at 1000ppm).

Cruelty Free Monthly Beauty Box

I received my first Vegan Cuts beauty box this month and I'm so excited to share with you guys what I got! 

If you didn't know already, Vegan Cuts is an online shop selling vegan products worldwide. Not only do they sell snacks, there's also a wide variety of beauty products available as well. They are of course 100% cruelty free and vegan!

In this months box there were a total of 5 items including two full sized products, two sample/travel sized products and a blush brush. The Beauty Box costs $22.95 a month which is roughly £15, and for what you get, this is incredibly good value for money! If you bought all of these products separately it would come to $67 or £45. 

First of all is The Granola Goat Amazing Face Serum, which is valued at $4/£2.74. The blend of red raspberry seed oil and sea buckthorn berry oil claim to give you radiant, youthful and nourished skin. The only thing is this product smells very strong and may not appeal to everyone, so I will do an updated skin care routine when I've used this more!

Next is the Terre Mere Blush Brush, which values at $34/£23. This brush is honestly the softest brush I have ever owned and I will definitely be purchasing more! It's of course 100% cruelty free and vegan. 

The next item is an exfoliating body scrub sample from Molly Rose. It's cruelty free, vegan and organic so a natural alternative to your usual drugstore body scrubs. The grapefruit and basil combination creates a very unique smell which I personally love. This product values at $2/£1.30. 

Next we have a full sized facial toner from everclen. I'm so excited to start using this as I've been on the hunt for a toner that has no parabens, fragrance, SLS and other nasties in it. It retails at $15/£10 and is vegan, cruelty free and non-GMO. 

The final item is this beautiful warm bronzer from the brand Medusa which values at $12/£8. This is in the shade Sun-Kissed and has a slight shimmery finish. It is incredibly pigmented and blends beautifully. It's the perfect bronzer if you want to achieve a healthy, summer glow!

Vegan Cuts beauty box is available here!

A Multitasking Lipliner?!

Saturated Colour have recently released a liner called the 'Multitasker'. It can either be used as a lipliner or an eyeliner and is safe to use pretty much anywhere! It retails at £3.50 which is SUPER cheap for what you get and is available here.

The liner that I have is in the shade Toxic Pink and it has to be one of the longest lasting lipliners that I have ever tried. It would not budge! I personally wouldn't use this as an eyeliner unless I wanted a pop of colour, but it definitely works with a barbie pink lipstick or if you're into lip art. There are 20 shades to choose from and there are more 'wearable' shades if you didn't fancy something really bright.

As you can see from the swatch below, this liner is extremely pigmented and really soft to apply, unlike some of the other lipliners that I have. I'll definitely be investing in more neutral colours to use on my eyes and lips! 

Toxic Pink swatch 

5 Must Have Make Up Geek Shadows

Make Up Geek are becoming increasingly popular and famous for their incredible eyeshadows. Their eyeshadows blend so well and the pigmentation is on another lever. Oh and they're also affordable at only £4.99 each. Make Up Geek are of course cruelty free as well so what's not to love?! 

 There are a lot of different shades to choose from so I thought I would narrow it down and share my 5 favourites! 

Mocha 

Mocha is a beautiful cool toned dark chocolate matte shade that works perfectly in the crease. You may be thinking that it's too dark for every day make up but it blends out so well that it can be used for any occasion. I would 100% recommend this to anyone! 

Creme Brulee 

Creme Brulee is of course a favourite with a lot of beauty gurus and thanks to Jaclyn Hill, it's very popular. If you don't already have this shade you definitely need it. It's the perfect transition shade and works so well when blending out darker colours. If you wanted a very subtle 'natural' make up look then this shade would also be perfect for adding subtle definition.

Bitten

Bitten has to be one of my all time favourite eyeshadows. It is a beautiful matte red wine/burgundy shade that again works in the crease or all over the lid. It's perfect if you want to add a hint of colour to your eyeshadow but want to keep it subtle at the same time. 

Roulette 

Roulette is another favourite of mine and looks amazing with Bitten. I absolutely love warm toned copper shades and this one is no exception. It is incredibly pigmented and has a buttery consistency that makes it very easy to blend out. The metallic finish really makes this eyeshadow pop, especially if you have blue eyes. 

Cosmopolitan 

Last but not least, Cosmopolitan is a warm toned rose gold shade with a shimmery/metallic finish. It's also featured in the Manny MUA palette so it must be good!! Again this shade is very pigmented and works really well over a darker shade. 

I have swatched each eyeshadow below and also have demonstrated what they look like on. I used Mocha and Bitten in the crease, and blended them together using Creme Brulee. I then put Roulette all over the lid with Cosmopolitan on top. I also put Bitten on the lower lash line.

Left to right: Mocha, Creme Brulee, Bitten, Roulette and Cosmopolitan 

Too Faced Sweet Peach Palette | Was it Worth it?

 I was lucky enough to get my hands on the Too Faced Sweet Peach palette, which is limited edition and I believe it's sold out in most places! 

Now, ordering this palette was not straight forward at all. Debenhams announced that it would be available online on the 4th May (I think). Usually when new make up products are released, companies give a release date AND time. But no, Debenhams claimed they did not know when it was coming out. This was annoying for those of us who were dead set on getting this palette. I ultimately stayed up all night from midnight refreshing their page. It didn't come online until after midday. I was not happy! Oh and the postman tried to put the package with my palette in through the letter box. Luckily I was home to rescue it!

So my question is, was it really worth losing a nights sleep over and the ridiculous amount of hype it created? 

This palette itself is of course absolutely stunning. And lets not forget that it smells of peaches which I absolutely love.

I feel it has a good range of matte shades and shimmers and is a very versatile palette. There are dark purples and plum colours which would work great for an intense eye look, although personally I probably won't reach for them too much.

My personal favourite shades are of course the warm tones and the bronze/peach colours. I've also been loving the green shade as it's not too OTT and is quite subtle.

I will admit that I was slightly disappointed with the pigmentation of some of the shades. As you can see from the swatches, the lighter matte shades appear quite chalky and have very little colour pay off. I found there was also an inconsistency with the textures; some shades blended beautifully whilst others just didn't. I own the Choclate Bar palette and the Bon Bon palette and I feel the quality of those eye shadows is better.

I still love this palette and I'm really glad I got it.

Was it worth a sleepless night though? Probably not. 

Budget Friendly Blushers

I absolutely love collecting different blushers and finding inexpensive yet good quality ones is always an added bonus! 

Below I have swatched my 5 favourite blushers that are budget friendly. They are also great shades  for the summer months coming up whether you're in to your mattes or shimmers! 

Top row: NYX Pink the Town, Natural Collection Pink Cloud, Milani Tea Rose

Bottom row: I Heart Make Up Bursting With Love, Make Up Revolution Bang Bang You're Dead

NYX Pink the Town £5.50, Natural Collection Pink Cloud £1.99, Milani Tea Rose £7.95

I Heart Make Up - Bursting With Love £4.99, Make Up Revolution - Bang Bang You're Dead £2.50

Fortune Favours The Brave Palette | Review and Swatches

I adventured out of my house a few weeks ago and popped into Superdrug to just have a general browse of their make up. I came across the Make Up Revolution stand and HALLELUJAH, they had one of these palettes left! I of course had to get it because I've heard such amazing things about it. 

If you didn't already know, Make Up Revolution teamed up with Britishbeautyblogger to create this very unique and equally stunning palette. At £9.99 it is more expensive than their average palette, but the packaging is beautiful and it has the feel of a higher end palette. 

There are 30 shades in this palette, including mattes, shimmers and the 'baked' shadows. I've never seen anything like those before and the pigmentation is out of this world. Some of the matte and lighter shades were slightly chalky and not the most pigmented, but the other shades certainly make up for that! I also included a photo of my make up using this palette, which shows just how well these eye shadows blend! 

Swatches

A simple green eye look using this palette! 

My First Blogger Event!

On Saturday the 7th May I attended the Saturated Colour blogger meet up with other local bloggers! So this was my first blogger event/meet up so I didn't really know what to expect, but I really enjoyed myself and met some lovely bloggers! I was lucky that I knew a couple of other bloggers that were going and it was wonderful to meet them in person. 

I don't think I've ever mentioned it before but I have generalised anxiety disorder and I struggle in social situations, especially when it comes to meeting new people. With this in mind, Saturday was a big thing for me and I'm really glad I went!

Here I am in all my socially awkward glory!!!

So Saturated Colour are a fairly new make up brand that create vibrant lip products, whilst also having shades that are more wearable for every day. Below are some swatches of their lip products. 

Now, most importantly (in my opinion) Saturated Colour are cruelty free and also have vegan options!! So a very big thumbs up from me. 

Individual reviews on some of the products I got will be coming up on my blog in the near future!

Lip Vinyl in the shade Birthday Suit, Lip Vinyl in the shade Seductive Damson, Lipstick in the shade 1st Base, Lipstick in the shade Naked Pink and Lip/Eye Pencil in the shade Toxic Pink.