I wanted to share with you a new best cruelty-free beauty brands list from me, and include international shipping information. Did you realize that it has now been over a year since I wrote my Heartbroken by MAC post and stopped purchasing MAC? And you know what? I’m ok with not purchasing MAC. I’m still saddened that MAC is testing on animals. I still have plenty of cruelty-free beauty options available to me.

For those of you still looking for your favorite MAC shades, there are a lot of great cruelty-free companies out there who make the same shades that are better quality – both in terms of pigmentation, blendability and texture. So of course, I compiled a new list of the best in cruelty-free beauty brands. This is not an all inclusive list of companies, but it does include brands that I love.

Additionally, these products are (usually) less expensive than MAC and ship internationally! I get a TON of questions every day on Facebook now, asking about international shipping. So I figured I would cover some of my favorite cruelty-free brands and international shipping in one post.

Brands with Specified MAC Clones / Dupes

1. Silk Naturals (see all my Silk Naturals posts.) $4.50 (loose jar)
They’ve got great texture, pigmentation and blendability. Silk Naturals makes plenty of MAC clones including:
MAC Crystal, Dollymix, Retrospeck, VG V, Shroom, Slate, Juxt, Pleasantry, Love Rock, Russian Red, Sweet Sienna, Emote, Twig, Hand Finish, Mulch, Hot Planet, Grand Duo, Seedy Pearl, Idol Eyes, Dame, Mythology, Moth Brown, Bare, Blushbaby, Natural Flair, Satin Taupe, Velvet Teddy, Naked Lunch, Vex, Rice Paper, Parrot, Breath of Plum, Kitschmas, Vanilla, Nylon, Moon River, Brick-o-la, Jardin Aires, Her Ladyship.

All of Silk Naturals products are cruelty-free and many are vegan. They have a lot of great products that are NOT MAC clones at all!

I believe that they ship everywhere except Italy, the Philippines, Turkey, Indonesia, and Mexico.

2. Makeup Geek (see all of my Makeup Geek posts) $5.99 (refill), $6.99 (loose jar), $7.99 (eyeshadow single)
Makeup Geek has excellent pigmentation, texture and blendability. Makeup Geek makes lots of MAC dupes including:
Carbon, Quarry, Folie, Dazzlelight, amber Lights, Mystery, Electric Eel, Trax, Juxt, One Off, Gorgeous Gold, Mylar, Mulch, Rule, Jest, Brown Script, Perky, Velvet Moss, Purple Haze, Bitter, Charred, Coppering, White Frost, Saddle, Firecracker, Electra, Steamy, Ground Brown, Patina, Cobalt, Plumage, Sumptuous Olive, Cool Heat, Romp, Arena, indian Ink, Shroom, Warm Chill, Illegal Carbo, Parfait Amour, Blanc Type, Gesso, Red Violet, Reflects Antique Gold, Naked, Club, Blue Brown, Expensive Pink.

All of Makeup Geeks products are cruelty-free. They’ve got a lot of gorgeous colors outside of the MAC spectrum. I believe Makeup Geek ships worldwide, except to Italy and Ukraine.

3. Nyx Cosmetics (see my Nyx Cosmetics posts.) $4.50 (eyeshadow single)
Nyx has a lot of dupes, though the pigmentation can be hit or miss. They make some great products, too, like their liners.
Vellum, Rose Blanc, Humid, Satin Taupe, Cranberry, Steamy, Swish, Aquadisiac, Twinks, Golden Olive, Electra, Ricepaper, Woodwinked, Solar White, Mythology, Expensive Pink, Lucky Green, Viz A Violet, Stars n’ Rockets, Parfait Amour

Nyx does not appear to ship internationally, but other sites that carry Nyx ship internationally.

If you’re ready to step outside the box of just the MAC color palette, there are many great companies out there that make beautiful colors that you might just fall in love with harder than you did your original MAC shades. I know I’ve fallen in love with many companies.

More Great Cruelty-Free and Vegan Beauty Brands

1. BFTE Cosmetics (See my BFTE posts) $6.50 (loose jar)
BFTE has neutrals to brights, mattes to sparkle, and everything in between. They’re cruelty-free and some products are vegan. At last count they had over 400 colors to choose from. Favorites include Dragon Slayer, Poodle Pandemonium, Emerald Bliss, Very Vanilla, Salted Caramel, Espresso, Lotus, Beautiful, Ornamental, Glistening, Tropic, Autumn, Mermaid, Clara, Gem, Caribbean, Charm, Beautiful, Midnight Kisses, Love Potion, Wizard’s Wand and Meteor Shower.

BFTE is cruelty-free and ships worldwide except to France.

2. Sugarpill Cosmetics (See my Sugarpill posts) ($12 pressed and loose)
Known among many as the brightest of the brights, all of their colors are bright. The only neutrals they have are black and white. Their colors are beautiful. Almost all of their shades are vegan. They are, of course, cruelty-free. Favorites include: Stella, Lumi, Afterparty, Absinthe, Acidberry, Velocity, Darling, Magentric, Hysteric. Poison Plum, Dollipop, Love+, and Goldilux.

Sugarpill ships internationally and has other sites that sell their products that ship internationally. They don’t specify any country restrictions.

3. Fyrinnae (See my Fyrinnae posts) $6.20 – $6.80 (loose jar), $8.25 (pressed single)
Fyrinnae is an all vegan company and they’ve got some amazing duochrome and multi-chrome eyeshadow shades. Their Arcane Magic shadows can blow your mind. My favorites include Wicked, Mystical Hedgehog, futuristic glamrock, Digital Faerie, Sorceress, Shenanigans, Book of the Dead, OMGWTF, Bitey Tyrannosaur, Chaotic evil, Dinosaur Plushie, Dragon’s Wing, Gender Bent, Winter, Again, and Damn Paladins.

Fyrinnae is cruelty-free and vegan. They ship worldwide except to Italy, Spain, or Philippines.

4. Cult Nails (See my Cult Nails posts) $12 (one bottle)
Cult Nails polishes are gorgeous and the finishes vary from collection to collection. There’s a core collection and lots of LE colors, so the color palette is constantly being updated to reflect fashion trends. These polishes are vegan, cruelty-free, free of Toulene, Formaldehyde, Dibutyl Phthalate and Camphor. Nevermore, Hypnotize me, Charlatan, I Got distracted, Iconic, Let Me Fly, Scandalous, captivated, and Unicorn Puke are my must have shades.

Cult Nails ships worldwide, with some exclusions. You’ll have to email their customer service to see if your country is excluded.

5. Urban Decay (see my Urban Decay posts). Prices vary by item.
Beautiful, bold, bright colors and innovative formulas. Much love for Urban Decay! Their 24/7 pencils, 24/7 liquid liners, primers, foundation, and eyeshadows (the Oz palettes, anyone?)… they’ve got it all. Favorites include Siren, El Dorado, Perversion, Walk of Shame, Omen, Deep End, Freelove, Half Baked, Easy Baked, Mushroom, S&M, Pistol, Shattered, Smog, Gravity, Sellout, Freakshow, Frigid, Fishnet, Spell, Beware, Jealous, Aura, Illusion, South, Mildew, Crave, Kinky, Freestyle, Asphalt, Backdoor, blackout and Loaded.

Urban Decay is sold on a variety of sites, some of which ship internationally.

6. Too Faced (see my Too Faced posts.) Prices vary by item.
Too Faced is known for their beautiful neutrals, amazing bronzers, and the best eyeshadow primer ever. I also am in love with their face primer, Sweethearts blush, Better Than False Lashes Mascara (when my allergies aren’t crazy), Candlelight Glow duo highlighter, La Creme Lipsticks and air-buffed bb creme. They’re proudly cruelty-free.

Too Faced is sold on a variety of sites, some of which ship internationally.

7. NARS (see my NARS posts). Prices vary by item.
NARS makes silky, lovely colors and they’ve got a ton of neutrals for you neutral lovers. NARS made the first department store foundation to ever match my skintone perfectly – NARS Siberia. I also love Copacabana Illuminator, Danmari blush palette, their tinted moisturizers, Satin Lip Pencils, and a few of their gorgeous eyeshadow shades. They also make my favorite gold nail polish ever, Desperado.

NARS is cruelty-free and they ship internationally.

8. Meow Cosmetics (see my Meow posts). $7.50 to $8.50 (loose jar)
Meow made the first indie foundation to ever match my skintone perfectly – Meow Inquisitive Siamese. They’ve got a ton of different eyeshadow colors and they rotate collections by seasons. I especially love their Halloween and Friday the 13th series. Favorites include Warlock, Necromancer, Witch, Skeptic, Bad Luck, Paranormal, Accident, Fate, Ragnarok, Armageddan, Hopeless, Planet X, Prophecy and 2012.

Meow Cosmetics is cruelty-free. They do ship internationally.

9. Darling Girl Cosmetics (see my Darling Girl posts) $5.90 (loose jar)
Darling Girl makes a variety of fun cosmetics, including watercolor paint pots that are just beautiful. She also does lovely ‘glitter and duochrome shades. She’s got a lot of multi-dimensional shades. My favorites include Mermaid Tails, Starry Night, Limelight, Sushi Flower, Don’t Teal Me You Love Me, Leviathan,  Tempest, Dirty Limerick, Maui Sunrise, Obviously A Wig, Rainbow Brite, and Stupid Parlor Tricks.

Darling Girl is cruelty-free and does ship internationally, except to Italy.

10. Morgana’s Crypt (see my Morgana posts) Prices vary by product
Morgana makes some of the best vegan lipsticks I have ever tried. They come in all the colors of the rainbow, including emerald green! My favorite lipstick shade from her is Troll Repellant.

Morgana’s Crypt is cruelty-free and vegan and she does ship internationally.

11. Concrete Minerals (see my Concrete Minerals posts). $7 to $8 (loose jar)
Concrete Minerals makes gorgeous shimmery and matte shades. They’re mostly bright but they’ve got a few beautiful neutrals to check out. They offer Free Shipping Internationally on orders over $50. Favorites include Domino, Toxic, Hi-Fi, Wicked, Zealous, Rocked, Juvenile, Kinky, Ruse and Lolita.

Concrete Minerals is cruelty-free and 98% vegan (like 3 shades are not vegan). They ship internationally. I think they’re the only site I know of that does free international shipping at $50.

12. Femme Fatale Cosmetics (see my Femme Fatale posts) $5.85 (loose jar).
Femme Fatale is actually an Australian company! They make lovely duochrome eyeshadows, blushes, highlighters and nail polish. Favorites include Dreamstate, Polymorph, Golden Lotus, Genesis, Spirit Bond, Haunted, Shooting Stars, Poison, Unholy, and Heroic.

They’re cruelty-free and ship internationally.

13. Beautisol (see my Beautisol posts) Price varies by product
Beautisol is a cruelty-free and vegan company. They make the best selftanner on the market. It’s streak free, stink free and allows you to achieve a perfect faux glow every time. I love Summer Glow and I’m finally not afraid of having a faux glow, thanks to Beautisol.

They do not currently ship internationally.

14. FutureDerm (see my FutureDerm posts) $54.95 and $89
I’m a contributing writer for FutureDerm. FutureDerm has also come out with two products that are great. First is the innovative time-release retinol that even my sensitive, rosacea prone skin can use. The second, which I have not yet tried, is Vitamin CE Caffeic Serum. FutureDerm is cruelty-free.

I’m currently unsure if they ship internationally.

15. Pretty Serious Cosmetics (see my Pretty Serious posts) $4.95 (loose jar), $9.95 (bottle)Pretty Serious Cosmetics is another Australian company. They make beautiful eyeshadows and amazing nail polish. If you haven’t seen The Pink One, you need it. Their polish is big 3 free. All products are cruelty-free and vegan. My Favorites include The Pink One, Mummy Mush, Party by the Pool (AMAZING),  and BSOD. I desperately need Cybernetic.

They ship internationally.

16. Geek Chic Cosmetics (see my Geek Chic posts) $5.99 (loose jar)
From Dr. Who to Farscape to True Blood to Supernatural, Geek Chic has a wide array of collections based off of many of my favorite fandoms. Their products are cruelty-free and many are vegan. My Favorites Bonded to the Stars, Anarchist Priest, Frell!, Guiding Star, Morningstar, Non-Euclidean, Cyclopean, Antediluvian, Bigger on the Inside, Touched by Darkness, Born in Fire and The Pointy End.

They ship internationally.

17. Glamour Doll Eyes (see my Glamour Doll Eyes posts) $6.00 (loose jar)
GDE has neutrals and brights. Many are blogger inspired. All products are cruelty-free. Some are vegan.

They ship internationally.

18. Illamasqua (see my Illamasqua posts) Prices vary.
Illamasqua is a company based in the UK. They are also carried by some online retailers, such as Sephora. They make beautiful eyeshadows and I love their Skin base (shade 2 is a perfect match for me, but I also mix 1 and 4 for a custom blend, and I love Au, too). I also love a ton of their polishes including Stance, Poke, and Radium. I love their eyeshadows in Heroine, Intense, and Burst. I also love their intense glosses in Boost and Indulge.

They are cruelty-free and I believe some products are vegan. They ship internationally. They offer free shipping in the UK.

19. Inglot (see my Inglot posts) Prices vary.
Inglot is a Polish based company with a few stores around the USA. They’re also carried in select Macy’s department stores. They make beautiful eyeshadows in a variety of finishes and their pans are huge. I love their 544 and 541 glosses, and a slew of their eyeshadows (though I find it hard to remember because they’re all numbered, not named).

Inglot is cruelty-free. I believe they ship internationally in the countries where they have stores.

20. Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics (see my OCC posts) Prices vary.
Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics is 100% cruelty-free and vegan. They make everything from airbrush foundation to lip tars, the new lip tar stained glosses, eyeshadows and nail polish. I adore Jubilee, Zhora, Yaoi, Queen, Radiate, Harlot, Anime, Hoochie and RX. I’m also in love with the new stained glosses in New Wave, Androgynie and Jealous. I need to get a new Beta, since Maximus ate mine.

They do some international shipping and have international retail partners that can be found here.

21. Stila Cosmetics (see my Stila posts). Prices vary.
Creators of the iconic Kitten eyeshadow, I’m in love with their new After Glow Lip colors and Countless Color Pigments eyeshadows. Stila is cruelty-free. I love Tangerine Dream, Electric Pink, Vivid Violet, Center Stage, and Light Show, as well as Kitten and my Artists’s palette.

Stila currently does not ship outside of the USA, but you may be able to have them shipped via DermStore.

22. Paula’s Choice (see my Paula’s Choice posts). Prices vary.
Paula creates affordable skincare products that I’ve come to love. They make a create makeup remover, rosacea redness product, moisturizers and my beloved tinted moisturizer. My favorites are their tinted moisturizer, their anti-aging foundation, makeup remover, and their entire RESIST line.

Paula’s Choice is proudly cruelty-free and they do ship internationally to some countries.

23. bareMinerals / Buxom / Bare Escentuals (see my bareMinerals and Buxom posts). Prices vary. They are cruelty-free. I love the Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Sticks, the bareMinerals blushes, as well as their eyeshadows.

They do not ship internationally but are sold internationally at some locations.

24. Girly Bits (see my Girly Bits posts) $10 and up
Girly Bits makes beautiful polish, but my absolute favorite is Razzle Dazzle. Everyone needs it. They are a Canadian company and they are cruelty-free. The nail polishes are so beautiful.

They do ship internationally to some places.

25. Jesse’s Girl Cosmetics (see my Jesse’s Girl posts) Prices vary.
Jesse’s Girl Cosmetics makes some gorgeous, affordable eye dusts, nail polish, liquid liner and eyeshadow primer. They have free shipping on orders over $20 in the USA. They are cruelty-free. Some products are vegan. I love the waterproof liquid eyeliner, eyeshadow primer, and Frosted Gum Drops polishes.

They do ship internationally.

26. tarte Cosmetics (see my tarte Cosmetics posts). Prices vary.
tarte Cosmetics makes many beautiful products. My favorite are the lipsurgence lip tints, amazonian clay 12-hour blushes, amazonian clay waterproof gel liners, smoldereyes amazonian clay waterproof liners, and BB tinted treatment 12-hour primer SPF 30. tarte is cruelty-free.

tarte does NOT currently ship orders internationally including Canada. Tarte is available in select Canadian Sephora stores and one small boutique in Australi.

27. It Cosmetics (see my It Cosmetics posts). Prices vary.
I love their powder foundation! Whenever I have a facial peel, this is the only makeup that I can wear without upsetting my skin. It’s the best full coverage powder foundation that I’ve ever tried. My only complaint is that it is a touch too dark for my skin. Their concealer is pretty amazing, too, and it’s light enough for me. Their blushes are beautiful. It Cosmetics is proudly cruelty-free.

It Cosmetics currently offers limited international shipping.

28. Literary Lacquers (see my Literary Lacquers posts). $10 (bottle)
Literary Lacquers makes gorgeous holo polishes, including an orange holo! I’ve got an upcoming review and video on their products. Simply stunning! Literary Lacquers are 3 Free, meaning it is free of Formaldehyde, Toluene, and Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP). They are also cruelty-free.

They do ship internationally.

29. butter LONDON (see my butter LONDON posts) $15 (bottle)
butter LONDON makes a lot of lovely nail polishes. Knackered (scattered holo duochrome perfect for layering), Swinger, Fairy Cake, the Black Knight, Two Fingered Salute, and the Full Monty are some of my favorites. They are cruelty-free.

They offer limited international shipping.

30. Milani Cosmetics (see my Milani posts) Prices vary.
I love the new powder eyeshadows and the shadow eyez pencils. I’ve been really sad that I can’t find the new LE shadow eyez collection in stores anywhere! The new color statement lipsticks are fantastic (and I owe you swatches of all of them. I swatched my favorites first and then got distracted.) Milani is cruelty-free.

Milani currently does not offer international shipping except to Canada. However, Cherry Culture does offer shipping internationally to quite a few countries.

31. Zoya Cosmetics (see my Zoya posts) $9 (bottle)
Zoya is big 3 free and cruelty-free. They make a lot of gorgeous polishes. Zuza, Godiva, Liberty, Aurora, Storm, Lola, Bijou, Lilith, Charla, Mimi and Eve are my favorites.

Currently Zoya does not ship internationally.

32. Manic Panic (see my Manic Panic posts) Price varies
I’ve been using Manic Panic hair dye for at least 16 years. I love their products. They’re cruelty-free and vegan. My favorite colors include Atomic Turquoise, After Midnight Blue, Vampire Red, Hot Hot Pink, Voodoo Blue, and Ultra Violet.

They do offer international shipping.

33. DermOrganic (see my DermOrganic posts) Price varies.
DermOrganic is a cruelty-free and vegan hair product and skincare line. All of their products are made with argan oil. Their products contain no artificial preservatives. They’re sulfate-free, gluten-free, sodium chloride free, paraben free, mea free, dea free, and dye free. They’re pH balanced between 4.5 and 5.5. I love their leave-in treatment and hair masque.

They offer international shipping.

34. Physicians Formula (see my Physicians Formula posts) Prices vary.
Physicians Formula makes wonderful mascaras. Right now my allergies are so bad that I can only wear a few mascara formulas without my eyes getting irritated. I’m currently using Organic wear 100% Natural Origin Mascara and Fake Out Mascara. Physicians Formula is cruelty free.

They offer limited international shipping.

35.  Anastasia Beverly Hills (see my Anastasia posts) Prices vary.
Anastasia Beverly Hills makes amazing brow products. I also really like their covet waterproof eyeliners. I like their hyperecolor mascara / brow tints, but I wish they were the exact same formula as their tinted brow gels. The tinted brow gels work so amazingly well. They also make really beautiful, nice eyeshadows. Anastasia is cruelty-free.

They offer limited international shipping.

Now, I also wanted to talk about PETA and Leaping Bunny.

PETA does certify companies (for a fee) and lets them use the PETA logo (for a fee). Most of the independent companies that I know are not listed on PETA’s list or have the official logo because of the fees involved. This does not make them any less cruelty-free (or in some cases vegan). I know that there is a misconception that it is free to be PETA certified, and as far as I am aware, that is not the case. To be clear, I am not always a fan of PETA, but I do believe that this brand of PETA does its best to determine if products are cruelty-free or not.

I believe Leaping Bunny also has fees related to be listed on their site. I really like Leaping Bunny as an organization and I feel they do a great job.

Both PETA and Leaping Bunny are great places to start if you’re looking for mainstream brands that are cruelty-free. However, don’t discount indie brands just because they lack that logo. You can email them or check their FAQ to see if they are cruelty-free, vegan, or both. The key phrase to watch out for is ‘except where required by law.’ If a company says that they don’t test, nor ask others to test on their behalf, except where required by law, it means that they are selling in China and there is animal testing going on. You can always call a brand and ask. I have called Sephora, for example, to find out if the Disney by Sephora, and Kat Von D by Sephora and Tarina Tarantino were cruelty-free, which they are supposed to be. Another way to check is to see if the items are sold on Sephora’s website in China. If they’re listed on the Sephora China site, they are not cruelty-free.

Three of the best resources out there (in my opinion) for finding cruelty-free and vegan companies are My Beauty Bunny, Logical Harmony, and Paula’s Choice.

My Beauty Bunny has some excellent lists that are often updated:
Cruelty-Free Brands
5 Best Cruelty-Free Brands for Women of Color
Cruelty-free Mascaras

Logical Harmony maintains one of the most diligent lists I’ve ever seen:
Cruelty-Free and Vegan Brands
Explanation on cruelty-free vs. vegan.
Tashina is constantly checking in with brands and updating her lists.

Paula’s Choice. Their list is broken into cruelty-free, not cruelty-free, and unknown status. They contact brands directly, as well as rely on the National Anti-Vivisection Society for information on whether or not brands are testing.
Paula’s Choice Brand List

As a reminder, here is my personal stance on cruelty-free. I understand that cruelty-free can vary from person to person. I am not pushing my beliefs on anyone but I do want to educate people so that they can make an informed decision.
I purchase cruelty-free beauty products whenever possible. I will purchase from cruelty-free companies that belong to a parent company that is not cruelty-free because I want to encourage that company to see the value in cruelty-free. Example: I will purchase from NARS (owned by Shiseido), Urban Decay or the Body Shop (L’Oreal).

I own non-cruelty-free products that I am finishing up and will not repurchase once I run out. Example: I own a ton of MAC and Make Up For Ever, purchased when they were cruelty-free. I am using that up but once it’s gone I will not repurchase unless MAC or Make Up For Ever are cruelty-free again.

Because I have rosacea, some products I use are under the recommendation of my doctor, such as Cetaphil, though I am so happy to have found Abbey St. Clare Aniba Cleanser for Rosacea, which is a perfect replacement for Cetaphil. If you have rosacea and feel like you can only use Cetaphil, please consider checking out Abbey St. Clare Aniba Cleanser, because it has worked wonders on my skin.

As far as I am aware, there are no contact manufacturers that are cruelty-free. I wear contacts because I am -9 in each eye. I also wear glasses, but because of how bad my vision is, I don’t ever drive in my glasses. My peripheral vision in glasses is too limited for me to feel comfortable driving. I hope to get Lasik surgery this year so that I can stop wearing contacts and glasses. I really need to find the best Lasik surgeon in Tampa to get my vision corrected, because it is so bad.

I will always do the best I can to be honest and disclose about a brand’s cruelty-free status. With makeup I find that it’s easy to find cruelty-free products. I find it more difficult to find cruelty-free skincare that works with my rosacea. Hair related products can be very difficult as well. I do get frustrated when I contact a brand and I’m told that they are cruelty free, only to find out later on that they’re not.

If a company is not cruelty-free but decides to go cruelty-free, I will support them. I want companies to be encouraged to change their status to cruelty-free.

Press SampleAffiliate Links

Recently I had the opportunity to try out the APIVITA Wine Elixir Anti-wrinkle eye & Lip Cream. Girls and boys, I think I’ve found my nearly perfect eye cream. I’ve fallen in love with this one.

Price
$45 for .51 fl. oz. APIVITA is cruelty-free.  You can purchase APIVITA through my affiliate link above at Amazon.com, through APIVITA’s website or from DermStore.

The website says
APIVITA Wine Elixir Anti-Wrinkle Eye and Lip Cream is a concentrated, wrinkle reducing, hydrating eye and lip cream. It is specially formulated for the sensitive eye area around the eyes and lips and uses red wine to dramatically reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles. This cream uses natural ingredients to reduce puffiness and dark circles around the eyes. APIVITA replaces water in the wine elixir range with a green tea infusion to enhance the antioxidant action of the products.

• * Specially formulated for the sensitive area around the eyes and lips
• * Red wine reduces the number, depth and length of even the deepest wrinkles
• * Lupine increases skin’s elasticity
• * Escin, rouscogenin and other natural ingredients moisturize and reduce puffiness and dark circles around the eyes
• * cruelty-free

Ingredients
Aqua**, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Candelilla/Jojoba/Rice Bran Polyglyceryl-3 Esters, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Cocoglycerides, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter*, Dipalmitoyl Hydroxyproline, Zea Mays Starch, Vitis Vinifera Vine Extract, Ruscogenin, Neoruscogenin, Lupinus Albus Seed Extract, Escin, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Propolis Extract, Avena Strigosa Seed Extract, Lecithin, Olea Europaea Leaf* Extract, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil*, Cera Alba*, Glyceryl Linoleate, Panthenol, Sodium Phytate, Aqua, Phenethyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Linolenate, Xanthan Gum, Cetearyl Alcohol, Arginine, Tocopherol, Caprylyl Glycol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Bisabolol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf*, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Phospholipids, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, PEG-100 Stearate, Pogostemon Cablin Oil*, CI 77891

** Camelia Sinensis* Leaf Aqueous Infusion = Green tea water
* Certified organic cultivation

My Thoughts
I’ve completely fallen in love with the Wine Elixir eye and lip cream. The texture is so buttery to me. When you apply it to the skin it feels silky smooth and absorbs well. I’ve been applying it around my lips as well as my eyes at night. It does a great job with hydrating both areas. The texture is really unlike any other eye cream that I’ve tried. Most of them feel very wet in comparison, but this doesn’t feel dry like a balm. Instead, it really feels like butter.

It doesn’t irritate my sensitive skin. It’s soothing to my eyes and lips! I feel like it does a great job of hydrating the skin and making the fine lines around my eyes disappear.

Now, there are a few things I dislike about the product. One, I hate the jar packaging. I hate hate hate jar packaging. Two, I feel like you get very little amount of product for the price. .51 fl. oz is a very small amount for $45. Which brings me to three, I feel like $45 is very high for the eye cream, especially when you consider that it is less than 1 oz of product. I will be writing an email to APIVITA to implore them to consider an airless pump package or a tube. It always kills me when I try a wonderful product and it comes in a jar.

Despite those flaws (and I do realize it’s a personal preference that I hate jar packaging and feel like anti-aging products are less stable in them), I still really love the Wine Elixir eye and lip cream. The texture is like no other that I’ve tried. I love that it’s suitable for use around both the eyes and lips. I do feel like I’ve seen a reduction in my fine lines around my lips and eyes from using it. If you are looking for a new eye and lip cream, this one really caused me to fall head over heels for it and I definitely think it’s worth checking out. I believe in the power of red wine!

What is your favorite anti-aging eye and lip cream? What is your favorite packaging for such products?

I Bought ThisAffiliate Links

Saturday I decided it was time to change my hair color. I was inspired by this beautiful girl on Pinterest. My friends have since dubbed this hair ‘neon peacock hair.’ While it’s not quite neon to me, it is certainly fun! If you’re following me on Instagram, you already got a sneak peek of my new hair!

Here’s what it looked like right after I dyed it and dried it.

Here’s what I did. First, I started by using Color Zap (because Sally’s was out of One n’ Only Color Fix) to remove the purple on the top of my head. It worked perfectly, restoring that section of my hair to a light blonde. Then I bleached my roots, since I haven’t touched my roots since March.  For more information on how I care for my colored hair and the products I typically use, please check out my How to Take Care of Brightly Colored Hair post.

Next I went on to color!

Starting with the very top of my hair, I took the section that was previously purple and was now in a light blonde state and applied Ion Color Brilliance in Aqua. I then sectioned off a piece of my fringe that I wanted to be lime green and pulled it out of the way. Next, with Ray’s help, we applied Ion Color Brilliance in Fuchsia to the middle section of my hair. This was the majority of my hair, all the way around my head. Then, we applied a tiny section of Aqua under the Fuchsia on the back of my head, and to two sections of hair framing my face nd the left side of my fringe. Finally, we finished by applying Manic Panic Electric Lizard to a section of my fringe on the right side, as well as the very bottom back of my hair (neckline).

A little bit of the Fuchsia and Aqua blended, making a gorgeous, sort of indigo shade. I love these colors together!

Here’s the Manic Panic Electric Lizard under blacklight. You can see a few pieces of my pink (where it looked coral-pink-orange before) still have some of the vibrancy left over from Manic Panic Electric Lava (which is the orange color I used). I didn’t remove the pink section of my hair, instead I just recolored it with straight Fuchsia (rather than a Fuchsia / Magenta mix). I really am surprised by how much I like Electric Lizard in my hair! I love these colors together. It’s a lot of fun.

Yes, I love my Dr. Who / Alice in Wonderland Fandom mashup shirt. Speaking of Dr. Who, did you watch the season finale? It was so good! I really thought it was well done.

Anyway, I love my new hair! I love this color combination and placement. I’m glad I gave Electric Lizard a try. I think just the few accents of it are super cute. I may try layering a bit of Electric Lizard on top of my Aqua later on, just a few locks of hair, to see how those two play together.

What’s inspired you with your hair lately? Have you done anything daring? What do you think of this new color combination?

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Sunday I was filming a special video, so I wanted a look that would emphasize my eyes, but I wanted something different. I decided to use Kat Von D Waterproof Autograph Pencil in Eyegasm. Big props to the KVD Pencils in Eyegasm and Puro Amor, by the way. They’ve lasted all day on me. I’m more shocked that Puro Amor has lasted longer than anything other than a gel eyeliner on my waterline! With my watery allergy eyes, I’m impressed. Very very impressed.

I’m having a love hate relationship with Anastasia HyperColor Brow and Lash Tint in Electric Blue. Love because it’s a mascara wand style for my brows. Hate because it’s not the awesome formula that I know and love from Anastasia in her tinted brow gels. Oh how I wish it was like the ‘normal’ tinted brow gels, because then it would be instant love.

Also, I can’t rave enough about NARS Light Reflecting Loose Setting Powder. Such awesome stuff. That combined with Paula’s Choice Barely There Sheer Matte Tint made my skin look flawless to my eyes. As usual, Jesse’s Girl Eyeshadow Primer and Waterproof Liquid eyeliner were awesome performers. I love it when 12+ hours later my makeup is still going strong.

Eyes
Jesse’s Girl Eyeshadow Primer
Makeup Geek New Years Eve – lid
Illamasqua Heroine – crease
Sugarpill Lumi – browbone and inner corners of eye
Jesse’s Girl Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner – upper lash line
Kat Von D Waterproof Autograph Pencil in Puro Amor – waterline
Kat Von D Waterproof Autograph Pencil in Eyegasm – lower lash line
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eyeliner Pencil in Junkie – blended just a bit on top of Eyegasm
Anastasia Lash Genius
bareMinerals Flawless Definition Mascara
Physicians Formula Fake Out Mascara
Anastasia Hypercolor Brow and Lash Tint in Electric Blue

Face
Paula’s Choice Barely There Sheer Matte Tint SPF 30 in 1 Fair / Light
Kat Von D Everlasting Blush in Wish – blush
Illamasqua Heroine – contour
NARS Illuminator in Copacabana
bareMinerals Stroke of Light Eye Brightener in Luminous 1
NARS Light Reflecting Loose Setting Powder in Translucent Crystal

Lips
Stila After Glow Lip Color in Vivid Violet

What do you think of this simple look? Do you feel like Eyegasm (with a bit of Junkie thrown in) is an eye-opening look for me? Have you tried the Kat Von D pencils?

I hope everyone had a great weekend! My roundup is a little late because I was doing laptop surgery this weekend. I can’t wait to share that with you Anyway, here’s what I was up to last week.

I also spent time playing the Marvel Heroes Beta. Expect a post from me about the game, because I love it.

Looks & Tutorials
Get Ready With Me Makeup Geek Video Tutorial
Makeup Geek Insomnia & New Years Eve Look
Bronzed Smoky Eye tutorial with tarte & Urban Decay
NARS & Makeup Geek Mother’s Day Look
Quick Saturday Makeup Geek Look

Reviews & Tips
Makeup Wars – Favorite Waterproof Makeup
Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tars Stained Glosses Review & Swatches
Makeup Geek Pigments Review
5 New Beautiful Makeup Geek Eyeshadows Review & Swatches
Jesse’s Girl Phyrra’s Picks
Glamour Doll Eyes Born of Illusion Collection is Live
Apivita Cleansing Gel Review
The Best in Beauty from the Lipstick League

Fashion
Bright Turquoise & Black Outfit of the Day
Swimsuit Season is Here!
Quiet Mischief Kumihimo Necklace Review

Hair
Hunny Bun Review

Giveaways
Celebrate 5 Years of Beauty Blogging with me! Enter my giveaway!
Quiet Mischief Custom Necklace Giveaway

Is anyone else as excited as I am for the next Avengers movie? After seeing the trailor for it at Iron Man 3, I’ve since watched it online multiple times. Can’t wait for more Thor!

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This is a contributing post by my friend Stephanie of Makeup or Shutup.

Recently I had the opportunity to try out the Hunny Bun gadget for hair. For years I had a boring, chin length bob. It was wavy, and it took what felt like hours to flatiron it to make it look decent. To be honest, it was an easy haircut, I always had little kids and no time for anything complicated. I decided to grow my hair out long, since hubby likes it better that way anyway. Now, it’s long and curly, and I get bored with it.

Online, I kept seeing tutorials about “sock buns”. So I raided the basket of socks with no matches, cut the ends off of one of Hubby’s stray work socks, and I did a fabulous bun. This went on for a couple of months, and one day it dawned on me, “I have a sock in my hair, a sock that was on someone’s foot!” Granted, my hubby is smoking hot, and his feet aren’t smelly, but still, A SOCK!

That’s when “The Hunny Bun” entered my life! This little gadget is so cool! It looks like a little mesh donut, and it claims to make buns “an effortless, celeb-worthy look in under two minutes.”

Let’s look at my experience with this little gem!

I received two “Hunny Bunnys” to try, a brown size large, which is meant for longer hair, and a white size small, which is meant for shorter hair. (The website sells size medium too!) Naturally I had to use the brown one, since my hair is long and thick. I also received the pins to help hold it into place, and some thin rubber bands. I also received a card with step-by-step instructions!

I immediately whipped my hair into a ponytail and went to work. I didn’t even bother with the thin bands, because of the thickness of my hair. I used my own. The first thing I noticed is that the mesh is very tight, and hard to stretch, but I managed to get it over the ponytail and start wrapping it around. I’m not gonna lie, I had a hard time with it. My hair is thick, layered and curly. Pieces of it kept popping out, and I had to take it out and redo it several times. I finally got it up, and even though it was messy, (which I kinda liked) I finally had a bun, WITHOUT a funky sock in my hair!

I feel like is important to mention, I am not a coordinated individual. Honestly, I am surprised I can walk and chew gum. I also am not good at fixing hair, especially my own. The reason I mention this, is because I honestly think that this is a GREAT little product, and the difficulties I had were because of my own clumsiness. I know with more practice, my buns will look better and better!

That said, I would definitely recommend “The Hunny Bun”. It is an awesome alternative to putting old socks in your hair. I also like the fact it comes in the different sizes, for different hair lengths and textures.

I’m a Stay at Home Mama of six littles, with a passion for pretty things!  I absolutely love finding new makeup products to try, and sharing my experiences with anyone who wants to read! Follow me at Makeup or Shutup, or at TV Fish Bowl.

It’s the Lipstick League weekend posts for May 18, 2013. We’ve got tons of fantastic beauty reads for you this weekend.

We’d also like to take a moment to congratulate our very own Phyrra for five years of beauty blogging! To commemorate the event, she’s hosting a mega-givewaway here that you don’t want to miss.

Question of the Week – Tell us about a funny makeup/beauty mistake you have made…or care to admit to?
Answer – I’m not sure if it’s funny, but I had a hair dye emergency. I dyed my hair from red to blue-black with a permanent dye. I liked it for a week. Then I wanted black cherry (darkest red). Following my friend’s advice, I tried to color over it and got nowhere. Previously I’d just been using semi-permanent dyes. So I went to my hair stylist in tears, begging her to fix my hair so I could have red in it again. She bleached as much as she risked, and it looked like I had fire for hair (orange and yellow) and not in a good way. She made me swear to never use a black permanent box dye again unless I was committed to black hair for a long time.  I’ve always remembered that advice.

My Beauty Bunny – has a fabulous guest post from the Lipstick League’s Clumps of Mascara sharing the 5 Best Cruelty-Free Beauty Brands for Women of Color. Trust us, ladies of every complexion will love these colorful choices!

Nouveau Cheap – the best multi-tasker to come out this year is also limited edition. Here’s why you need the new Milani Shadow Eyez in Almond Cream (but hurry before it’s gone).

Prime Beauty – takes a look at the Lancôme Summer 2013 Color Design Eye Show Palette. The colors are so summery you’ll want to dive right in, PLUS she has a Lancôme giveaway to give your skin a luminous summer glow!

Phyrra – shows off the new Makeup Geek Pigments! Which shade will you fall for?

we heart this – presents a drugstore eyelid primer that’s WAY better than pulling a rabbit out of hat! It’s L’Oreal Magic De-Crease.

Beauty Junkies Unite – Take off for your summer vacation early with the review & swatches for the brand new Essie Resort Collection for 2013. These new nail hues are bright & fun!

Clumps of Mascara – adores the brand Simple and their awesome skincare products. Got sensitive skin? You HAVE to try this drugstore brand out.

EauMG – Here’s a video review of one of Victoria’s favorite classic perfumes for spring/summer, Chanel Cristalle.

Gouldylox Reviews – Did a temporary color stain your hair? If you aren’t up for the pastel trend, here’s how to remove the unwanted color.

Guest Post of the Week, as chosen by My Beauty Bunny – Did your spring cleaning include a thorough washing of your makeup tools? If not, Kristie of Blushing Basics has the details on tackling this important task: How To Clean & Sanitize your Makeup & Makeup Brushes.

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A few days ago I filmed my first ‘Let’s Get Ready With Me’ video with Makeup Geek pigments. Since reformatting my laptop, my video editing software became corrupted. I was using Cyberlink Power Director 10. No problem, I grabbed my copy that I had stored in Amazon cloud. That version was strangely corrupted too. The version I put on a cd was corrupted as well. Since Cyberlink doesn’t let you re-download the software unless you pay for it again, I ended up purchasing Adobe Premiere Elements 11, since I’m also using Adobe Photoshop Elements 10.

I love Adobe products and I’ve been using them for over a decade so it seemed like a good idea. Well, I was wrong because I didn’t expect Premiere Elements 11 to have the learning curve that it does. Both Cyberlink PowerDirector and Windows Live Movie Maker automatically delete the corresponding audio tracks when you’re editing a video, making it easy to edit videos, speed up content, etc. Premiere doesn’t do this, or at least, I haven’t figured out how to do it. So editing a half hour video, which normally would take me 1 to 2 hours, ended up taking me 8 hours as I tried various ways. I ended up doing my first round of editing (splitting, deleting, speeding up) in Windows Live Movie Maker, then switching to Premiere Elements to create the opening credits and closing credits (and it still ended up messing up what I wanted, as it’s not as easy as Cyberlink for that sort of thing). Ug. Anyway, I’m sure after a few tutorials I’ll be able to do what I want.

Without further ado, here’s my first Get Ready With Me Makeup Geek video.

Eyes
Jesse’s Girl Eyeshadow Primer
Makeup Geek Insomnia – lid and crease
Makeup Geek New Years Eve – browbone and inner corner
Jesse’s Girl Liquid Waterproof eyeliner – upper lash line
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eyeliner in Scorch – outer lower lash line
Anastasia Lash Genius
bareMinerals Flawless Definition Mascara
Physicians Formula Fake Out Mascara
Anastasia Tinted Brow Gel in Caramel

Face
Paula’s Choice Barely There Sheer Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30 in 1 Fair Light
NARS Puerto Vallarta multiple – blush
NARS Copacabana illuminator – highlight

Lips
Stila After Glow Lip Color in Tangerine Dream
bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie in Trailblazer

Anyway, I will be improving my video quality, and lighting, because wow the lighting sucked for this video. Practice makes perfect though!

What sort of look would you like to see me do for my next ‘Get Ready With Me’ video?

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Marlena has done it again! She’s created 5 new beautiful Makeup Geek Eyeshadow shades and I’ve got them to share with you today. The new shades are Simply Marlena, Cosmopolitan, Pretentious, Graphite, Frappe, and Hipster. I’ve also included a 6th shade, Pretentious, because I thought you’d enjoy seeing it as well.

Makeup Geek eyeshadows are $5.99 for the refill pans and $7.99 for the compact. I prefer the refill pans and I buy Z-Palette for them.

You can purchase Makeup Geek products from MakeupGeek.com and Amazon.com.

Makeup Geek is proudly cruelty-free.

Simply Marlena
Rosey pink with purple undertone and gold flecks
My Take
Rich, bright pink with tiny gold flecks. I love this! It’s such a happy pink!

Wearing Cosmopolitan in the crease. See the Tutorial.

Cosmopolitan
Rose Gold with gold flecks and a shimmery finish
My Take
Rosegold with tones of orange. This is supposed to be similar to MAC Expensive Pink. I think this one is pretty but it can be difficult for me to figure out how to wear it. I can see why it’s such a popular color though.

Pretentious
Metallic bronze
My Take
Metallic bronze with brown undertones. Bronze is the celebrity shade for Summer 2013. So if you’re looking for one color to wear, this it it. It’s got enough gold tones to brighten the eyes.

Graphite
Light graphite grey with flecks of silver
My Take
Gorgeous rich grey with silver glimmers. This shade looks amazing with blue-green eyes. I love it.

Frappe
Medium maple brown matte
My Take
Rich brown with peach tones. I think this would make for a flattering crease color.

Hipster
Dark sand and light taupe tan with slight shimmer
My Take
Sandy tan brown with taupe undertones. This is a color that I could see gracing the lids of Blair Waldorf from Gossip Girl. Ultra flattering and feminine. I need to try wearing this, I’m just not sure what to pair it with. Suggestions?

You can check out other Makeup Geek Reviews and Swatches of mine:
Lots of Brights
Greens
Blues, Peaches and Plums
My initial first purchases
Lipsticks
MUG Pigments (newly released!)

I love Makeup Geek products. I feel that Makeup Geek makes quality products at an affordable price. I love that Marlena creates clones of MAC colors because her colors are cruelty-free. It is my hope that because they’re cruelty-free, less expensive than MAC, and some are a close match to MAC shades with better pigmentation that more people will switch from MAC to this great cruelty-free brand.

What do you think of this latest round of Makeup Geek eyeshadows? Which shades are your favorite?

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Recently I had the opportunity to try out the Apivita Cleansing Gel for Oily / Combination skin. This is a cleanser that’s supposed to be gentle, not strip away the skin’s natural oils. It’s got mild antiseptic and antioxidants in it because of its green tea infusion.

A little about Apivita
Apivita was formed in 1989 and was the first natural cosmetics company in Greece. They were inspired by bees. The name means the life of the bee and it stems from the Latin words Apis (bee) and vita (life).

The Website Says
Apivita replaces water in the face cleansing range with green tea infusion to enhance the antioxidant action of the products. Excludes synthetic ingredients that may pose harmful effects to your health and the environment.

• * Natural cleansing agents remove dirt and excess oil without drying the skin
• * Propolis offers mild antiseptic and antioxidant action
• * Citrus tones and refreshes skin while juniper essential oil offers rejuvenation
• * Lemon and tea tree essential oils regulate oil secretion and offer a matte look
• * 96% Natural Ingredients
• * SLES, SLS, Mineral Oil, Parabens, Silicones, and Propylene Glycol free
• * Cruelty-free

Ingredients
Aqua**, Aqua, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Cocopolyglucose Tartrate, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, PEG-150 Distearate, Sorbitol, Polysorbate 20, Bisabolol, Ammonium Glycyrrhizate, Glycerin, Propolis, Citrus Aurantifolia Fruit Extract, Panthenol, Capryloyl Glycine, Allantoin, Camelia Sinensis Leaf* , Citrus Medica Limonum Peel Oil*, Melaleuca Alternifolia Oil*, Juniperus Communis Oil, Butylene Glycol, Parfum, Citric Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid, Sodium Phytate, Sodium Hydroxide, Benzyl Alcohol, Alcohol, Limonene, Hexyl Cinnamal, Linalool

**Camelia Sinensis* Leaf Aqueous Infusion = Green tea water
* Certified organic cultivations

Price
$20 for 6.8 oz / 200 ml.

My thoughts
I really like this cleanser. It smells citrusy and green, very fresh. It does a good job of cleansing my face and removing my makeup. I wet my face with water, but then use this directly on my face, massaging it in with my finger tips. Then I rinse my face and pat dry. I’m pleasantly surprised by how much I love this cleanser. My t-zone has been less oily, which is kind of crazy considering that we’re already into hot Summer weather here in Florida.

I like the fact that it contains green tea and I feel like you get a reasonable amount of cleanser for the price, especially if you purchase it through Amazon. I’ve got several more products from this company to review and I’ve been happy with them all.

Have you heard of Apivita? Have you tried any of their products?

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Hi there! Today I’ve got the new Makeup Geek Pigments for you. Makeup Geek just released 10 new shades and they’re all beautiful. I applied these differently than I normally do my swatches. I usually use Gosh Primer but today I used Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy for my pigment swatches.

Price
$6.99 for 2 grams of product per pigment jar. Makeup Geek is proudly cruelty-free.

Ingredients (may contain)
Mica, Boron Nitride, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Dimethicone, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Isostearyl Neopentanoate, Lauroyl Lysine, Kaolin, Nylon-12, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Silica, Zinc Stearate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Isoeicosane, Magnesium Stearate, Methicone, Polyethylene, Polyisobutene, PTFE, Zinc Oxide, Tin Oxide , Iron Oxides CI 77491,CI 77492, CI 77499, Titanium Dioxide CI 77891, Blue 1 Lake CI 42090, Carmine CI 75470, Chromium Hydroxide Green CI 77298, Chromium Oxide Greens CI 77288, Copper Powder CI 77400, Bronze Powder CI 77400, Ferric Ammonium Ferrocyanide CI 77510, Ferric Ferrocyanice CI 77510, Manganese Violet CI 77742, Bismuth Oxychloride CI 77163, Ultramarines CI 77007, Yellow 5 Lake CI 19140

Taken indoors, under daylight bulbs.

New Year’s Eve
Light Gold Reflective Glitter

My Take
I Love this! It’s a peach-beige base with gold reflective glitter. The closest thing I have to this in my collection is probably Tarina Tarantino Sparklicity Pure Nude. It’s beautiful. I love it!

Wearing Makeup Geek New Years Eve pigment on the Lid and Browbone with NARS Voyage in the crease.

Utopia
An Antiqued Gold Glitter

My Take
Chunky gold glitter on a brown base. Comparable to MAC Reflects Antique Gold. My least favorite because of how chunky it is.

Sweet Dreams
Light fleshed toned beige pink with slight shimmer

My Take
Light peachy beige with subtle gold shimmer. Comparable to MAC Naked. Makes me think of the Annie Lennox song.

Liquid Gold
True Metallic Gold

My Take
This reminds me of Fyrinnae Aztec Gold. Rich, deep gold with green undertones. I Love this color on my eyes!

Taken outdoors, under direct sunlght.

Afterglow
Soft Shimmery Champagne

My Take
Midtone beige-champagne with gold shimmer. This reminds me a bit of UD Midnight Cowboy without any chunky glitter.

Insomnia
A Duochromed Teal/Bronze

My Take
Rich chocolate base with strong turquoise green flash. Comparable to MAC Blue Brown. It rubs down to a brown with red undertones. A lot of companies have a color like this, such as Too Faced Label Whore or Petals to the Metal Exotic or MAC Club or Lime Crime Dragon Scales or wet’N'wild Comfort Zone Definer or L’Oreal Intrepid or Sigma Beauty Spy… I can’t even recall the rest of the names / brands / dupes. Still, it’s a fun color.

Wearing Makeup Geek Insomnia on the lid and crease. New Years Eve was used to highlight.

Birthday Wish
Shimmery Light Gold Peach

My Take
Pretty peach with gold flash. I do find myself wishing this was a tad brighter or the gold was a bit stronger, but it’s definitely pretty.

Taken indoors under studio lighting.

Paparazzi
Glittery Smokey Grey

My Take
Charcoal base with gorgeous grey and silver sparkles.

Enchanted
Light Plum Shimmer

My Take
Plum with mauve tones.

Prince Charming
Metallic Blue Grey

My Take
Silver on a charcoal base with blue tones

My favorites are New Year’s Eve, Insomnia, Liquid Gold, Paparazzi, and Prince Charming. I don’t really care for Utopia because of its texture. The rest were easy to work with. Insomnia is a fun color because it’s almost like 3 colors in one. The more you blend it down, the more the red tones become apparent. I love the particular shade of gold for Liquid Gold. For someone with blue-green eyes like mine, it makes them pop.

I got normal wear with the MUG pigments. I wore them on both TFSI and Jesse’s Girl eyeshadow primers all day. They didn’t crease or have fallout for the shades I tested for wear. They’ve got a wonderful texture and apply beautiful and blend easily. Utopia was the only one that gave me trouble.

I felt it was a little odd to launch a collection with 3 colors so similar – New Years Eve, Sweet Dreams and Afterglow, but New Years Eve is a MUST HAVE to me. This is why I’m giving away New Years Eve, Liquid Gold, and Insomnia in my 5 Year Blogaversary Giveaway. (If you haven’t entered yet, you should! You can win MUG and other prizes!)

Makeup Geek did a breakdown of the price per ounce, which I love!

Sugarpill – 4 grams – $12 per jar – $3 per ounce
Makeup Geek – 2 grams – $6.99 per jar – $3.50 per ounce
LA Splash Crystallized Glitter – 1.5 grams – $7.99 per jar – $5.33 per ounce
MAC Pigments – 4.5 grams – $21.00 per jar – $4.67 per ounce
MAC Pigment Sample – .4 grams – $4.79 per jar – $11.98 per ounce

This proves, once again, that Sugarpill is a fantastic deal for the price. It also proves that Makeup Geek products are a very good deal for the price, too. I’m sure you can tell from  my jar shots above, but in case you can’t, the Makeup Geek pigment jars are stuffed full, much like a Fyrinnae jar. So you’re not getting a half-empty jar of product. They have no sifter, which I’m fine with, but I know some people dislike.

I’m very happy to see Marlena making pigments along with her pressed eyeshadows and lipsticks. I think Makeup Geek has done a wonderful job putting out quality products at an affordable price. I’m so happy that she is cruelty-free, too.

What do you think of the Makeup Geek pigments? Which is your must-have shade?

Every other Wednesday we get together with our friends and go to a restaurant called Mellow Mushroom. There’s anywhere from 10 to 20 of us. We usually sit outside, weather permitting.   We eat, drink and catch up with what’s been going on with everyone. It’s almost like a dinner party except we don’t have to clean up afterwards! We’ve been doing this for close to 3 years now and we always have fun.  This is what I wore this week.

Top: Lagaci Women’s Black Crop top (60% cotton, 40% rayon; perfect for the FL heat) (purchased from Groupon)
Bottoms: Bright Turquoise capri pants (can’t remember the specific brand, but will fill it in later)(purchased from Kohl’s)
Shoes: crocs Cyprus in black
Necklace: Sweet Candy Dreams Mint Bat Heart necklace. Wish she’d make more bat stuff! The bat ring that I got from her ended up breaking (ring came unglued from the acrylic), so I repurposed it into a hair clip.

What do you like to wear when you’re relaxing with your friends? Do you hold dinner parties?