Naturalla Beauty

Opaque lip colors are great, but day to day, I'm much more of a tinted balm or gloss girl.  I've been fully embracing sheer color this spring with a few new-to-me lip products...


Marin Bee Lip Repair*
The Marin Bee Lip Repair has the least color of today's bunch.  The box describes it as "high gloss hydration," and I think that's very fitting.  Made with castor seed oil, olive oil, honey, and shea and cocoa butters, the Lip Repair is a nourishing lip treatment with a subtle tint and glossy finish.  It feels great and does a fantastic job keeping my lips soft and moisturized.  I like using it as an overnight treatment too!

Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm (Sweet Violet)
I'm super late to the game on these tinted balms, but I picked one up last month in support of Burt's Bees finally pulling out of China (and therefore regaining their cruelty-free status).  It's a basic lip balm -- protective and moisturizing, but nothing to write home about on that front -- but what I really like are the creamy, glossy colors.  There's no shimmer in these, just soft, buildable tints.  Sweet Violet is a beautiful plummy-pink that can be worn sheer or layered up for a surprising amount of color payoff.  



Inika Certified Organic Lip Tint (Candy)*
Inika's Lip Tint has quickly become one of my everyday go-to's.  Candy is a shimmery light pink and looks to be the most subtle color in the range.  It's shimmery, but not to the point of looking frosty, and basically just gives the lips a pretty, polished-looking sheen.  The tint is creamy and buttery and despite the shimmer in this particular shade, it doesn't feel at all gritty on the lips.   To create the Lip Tints, Inika took their popular lip balm formula and just added mineral pigments for color, so this is another one that can absolutely stand in for your favorite regular lip balm.   They've also got an energizing peppermint scent that I really like.  Easy to wear and ultra-nourishing, they're definitely a new favorite!

Mineral Fusion Lipstick Butter (Honeysuckle)
Mineral Fusion's Sheer Moisture Lip Tints are one of my all-time favorite lip products, but the packaging -- specifically the lids, which have an annoying tendency to pop off -- means they mostly sit on my desk at home, so I was hoping the Lipstick Butters would be a similar, more purse friendly option.  Honeysuckle, a peachy-pink tint with some shimmer, is a pretty color, but alas, I can't get past how it smells.  To my nose, it has a fake honey, slightly sickly scent, and unfortunately it's one that lingers and is noticeable for at least a couple hours.  The lipstick butter itself seems great -- more pigmented than the Sheer Moisture Lip Tints but less so than Mineral Fusion's regular lipstick line -- but I almost always find myself wiping it off after just a few minutes because of the scent.

(L to R) Marin Bee Lip Repair, Inika Candy Lip Tint, Burt's Bees Sweet Violet Tinted Lip Balm, Jane Iredale Forever Pink Lip & Cheek Stain, Mineral Fusion Honeysuckle Lipstick Butter)

Jane Iredale Just Kissed Lip & Cheek Stain (Forever Pink)
The Just Kissed Lip & Cheek Stain is one of those products that starts out a translucent pink in the tube (and on a first swipe), but transforms into a more noticeable color with the warmth of your skin.  Jane Iredale claims that the shade adjusts to your own chemistry and skin tone, which is always a little gimmicky, but it's true that the final color of the Lip & Cheek Stain varies a good bit on different people.  I've seen it look like a soft, neutral pink on some, but on my lips it's a noticeable pop of bright pink.  The arm swatch is much more indicative of how the color shows up on my cheeks -- it's much more vibrant on my lips.  As a cheek color, it gives a soft dewy flush, but it's pretty subtle, so while I think it's a fairly universal product for the lips, I'm not sure how well it would work as a cheek stain on darker skin tones.

If you watch out for synthetic dyes, be aware that the Lip & Cheek Stain does contain lake dyes, however, like all Jane Iredale products, they're naturally-derived and bonded to a calcium substrate instead of the traditional petroleum-derived variety.  

(L to R) Marin Bee Lip Repair, Inika Candy Lip Tint, Burt's Bees Sweet Violet Tinted Lip Balm, Jane Iredale Forever Pink Lip & Cheek Stain, Mineral Fusion Honeysuckle Lipstick Butter)

The Bottom Line
If you're in the market for sheer lip products, I hope one (or more) of these will spark your interest!  With the exception of the Mineral Fusion, which I suggest smelling in person before you commit, they're all pretty universal and suited to just about anyone.  For bolder -- though still sheer/buildable -- color, I'd suggest the Burt's Bees and Jane Iredale, and for ultra-dry or chapped lips, the Inika and Marin Bee would be your best bet.  

What are your favorite tinted balms and sheer lip colors?

Those of you who've been with me for a while will likely recall that I used to write a lot about indie makeup and, even though I'm still a huge proponent of supporting smaller makeup brands, it's not something that's been very represented on the blog in the last couple years.  I'm hoping to change that going forward, starting with today's post on Ashley Morgan Cosmetics.  I discovered the company in a Facebook group and when I saw they had super promising clean ingredients and a free sample offer -- still going on here! -- I was quick to submit an order.  

Ashley Morgan Cosmetics is a new company that launched earlier this year.  Created by makeup artist Emily Eads after her own struggles with migraines, endocrine disruption, and other symptoms of toxicity, the company creates high quality makeup completely free of harmful ingredients and designed to really work.  

I've been trying out several products over the last couple months and I'm eager to share my thoughts on everything!



Liquid Mineral Foundation
First off, this foundation smells exactly like cotton candy to me.  It's super sweet and vanilla-y, but, even as someone who's often sensitive to strong scents, I don't find it ever crosses the line to sickly or cloying.  The coverage is a very natural looking light to medium and the foundation, which is pretty thin in consistency, feels very lightweight on the skin.  It does a great job evening out skin tone and covering minor imperfections, but it's not something that's going to offer a flawless full coverage.  Personally, I usually prefer a more natural, skin-like base anyways and I liked the formula a lot, but Natural Ivory was, unfortunately, not a great color match for me.  As you can see in the swatch below, it's both too dark and somewhat too yellow/warm-toned for my skin.

Natural Concealer
The color of the concealer, on the other hand, was great.  Pure, the lightest shade, is nice and light and also runs more peachy/neutral, which is perfect for me.  The concealer has a very creamy and emollient texture and stays that way until set with a powder.  In terms of coverage, I'd put it at around a medium coverage.  My favorite use has been on blemishes and imperfections on the face, as it covers well, blends easily, and, once set with a powder, truly does stay in place all day without budging.  It works okay under the eyes too, but I usually prefer a bit of a drier/less emollient concealer for that area.     

High Definition Powder
The HD Powders are invisible silica-based loose powders great for setting liquid and cream products.  They can also be used on their own for a slight blurring effect.  I tried both the Translucent (untinted) and the Light, and to be completely honest, I don't notice much difference between the two.  Both shades are very finely milled and silky and are basically imperceptible on the skin.  I don't notice any whitecast from the Translucent and I similarly don't notice any discernible color from the Light.  Silica powders are great for soaking up oil and the HD Powders work really well for setting foundation and concealer while slightly blurring fine lines and imperfections.  I'd be cautious using them for flash photography since silica is notorious for that dreaded flashback effect, but otherwise I think they're great.

(L to R) Natural Ivory Foundation, Pure Concealer, Light HD Powder, Rose Tinted Lip Balm

Organic Mascara
Possibly my favorite out of everything!  With a traditional bristle brush and a thicker formula, this mascara does a fantastic job building volume.  I've been layering it with my longtime favorite Zuzu Luxe mascara the last few weeks and the two together create some seriously impressive lashes.  I'm loving the combo, but the Ashley Morgan also works great by itself.  I love that it doesn't irritate my eyes in the slightest and that it stays put throughout the day without flaking or smudging.  

Organic Tinted Lip Balm 
There were these mineral lip tints that I wore way back in my early high school years and this balm is nostalgically reminiscent of those for me.  It feels nice on the lips and offers a pleasant minty tingle along with sheer but buildable color.  Rose is a warm pink shade, with some coppery and reddish tones running through it.  It looks pretty shimmery or even metallic in a swatch, but on the lips, it's much more subtle.  I love tinted balms in general and I like this one a lot. 

The Bottom Line
Ashley Morgan Cosmetics is a brand to watch!  Ingredients are top notch and the products consistently perform well.  I'd love to see an expanded shade range in the Liquid Minerals Foundation, but beyond that, I was super happy with everything I tried.  
  

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have already seen that I placed an order with Brija Cosmetics during their two year anniversary sale.  Started by natural/nontoxic Youtuber Brianna (iluvjesse444), Brija Cosmetics makes natural mineral makeup that's vegan and cruelty free, as well as free of gluten and synthetic dyes and additives.  I received my order almost two months ago, so I've had lots of time to try these things out and am overdue to give you my thoughts on them!


Mean Girls Blush Collection
Despite not actually being a big fan of Mean Girls, the launch of this collection in the spring was what convinced me I needed to finally place an order with Brija.  I bought mini jars of three of the six shades in the collection and all three are lovely.  The colors are vibrant and pigmented - but not overly so to the point where they're hard to work with - blend easily, and have just the right amount of shimmer.  

Regulation Hottie is my favorite of out of everything I purchased.  A beautiful neutral pink, it's that effortless blush that you never have to think about because it goes perfectly with everything.  

Beware of Plastics looks very orange both in the pot and when swatched, but it has pink tones that become visible on the cheeks, turning it into more of a bright coral.  Especially gorgeous for summer!

Jungle Madness is the only color I'm a little disappointed with.  I wanted it to be a more vibrant version of Silk Naturals Abstract blush, one of my all-time favorite blushes, but on me, the magenta/purple tones aren't very noticeable and it leans mostly pink.  Still a pretty color, just not quite what I'd been hoping for.  



You Know Who Highlighter
You Know Who is gorgeous.  Part of Brija's Harry Potter collection, it has a pale cream/white base with multicolored sparks throughout, but no chunky glitter.  I was happily surprised by how wearable this is.  It's buildable, so a light dusting lends a beautiful natural glow and luminosity to the skin, while a more generous application works for a more intense highlight or strobing.  Either way, it looks beautiful and doesn't settle into or enhance pores, which is often my problem with highlighters.  It also works great as an inner corner highlight.

Jelly Balms
The Jelly Balms are described as having a smooth, silky lip balm-like feel and sheer color, which, as a tinted lip balm lover, sounded right up my alley. 



Yvonne is a sheer purple.  It looks dark and intimidating in the tube, but it applies as a sheer plum that's very easy to wear.  It's pigmented enough that I wouldn't be comfortable swiping it on blind, without a mirror, but it's nowhere close to full opacity.  

Sprinkles was a limited edition gift with purchase during the sale, but I hope Brianna will consider adding it to the permanent line.  It's a beautiful, barely there peach shade with gold shimmer.  Sprinkles also has added cocoa butter - which isn't in the permanent collection Jelly Balms - so it smells delicious, although I think I slightly prefer the feel of Yvonne on the lips over this one.  

(Top to Bottom) Sprinkles, Yvonne, You Know Who, Jungle Madness, Beware of Plastics, Regulation Hottie

I also picked up a couple samples (Hoola Hoop bronzer and Bachelor Watson eye shadow) and got a couple others free in my order, but I haven't used them much yet, so I'll have to update on those later.  

Have you tried Brija Cosmetics? 

Towards the beginning of the summer, I was contacted by Scentuals Bodycare and sent a box of goodies to try out.  Scentuals is a natural bath and body care company that handmakes all its products in British Columbia, Canada.   Like many other natural companies, the line was created by Mai Mowrey, after a family illness spurred her on to research and learn about the toxic impact of conventional personal care products.  Scentuals sources pure, natural ingredients and aims to provide great quality bath and body care at an affordable price point.

The company has an extensive product line up and was generous enough to send me several things to try, so I'm going to review everything in two parts.  Today I want to talk about all things lips.

100% Natural Lip Conditioners
If you like your lip balms thick and buttery, these are worth checking out.  Made with shea and cocoa butters and coconut, jojoba, castor seed, and hemp oils, they're some of the richest, creamiest lip balms I've used.  They're pretty well matte on the lips and make a great base for lipstick, and they also smell divine.  The Vanilla Citrus smells just like a creamsicle, while the Chocolate Mousse scent reminds me of chocolate ice cream.


100% Natural Tinted Lip Moisturizers 
With a similar formula to the lip conditioners, these tinted balms combine moisture and color.  They're not your run of the mill, barely there tinted lip balms either.  Three of the four shades actually pack a serious punch of color.


Sultry - "a sexy shimmery bronze with a cinnamon flavour."  Sultry is the most shimmery of the bunch and also one of the more pigmented.  The cinnamon scent is pretty light.

Bombshell - "a classic merlot red with cherry flavour."  My favorite of the four, Bombshell is a deeper red with some berry tones.  It has no noticeable shimmer and is basically as pigmented as a lipstick.

Passion - "a sophisticated dark pink with citrus flavour."  Passion also has visible shimmer, but not nearly as much as Sultry.  I like the citrus scent and the color is probably the most natural of the bunch.  It makes a good, everyday lip.

Flirt - "an innocent, shimmery pink with wild rose flavour."  I can see the shimmer in the tube and in the swatch, but I really don't notice it on the lips.  Flirt is the most sheer of the four, giving the lips just a hint of pink.  It's a pretty color, but the rose scent is not my cup of tea.


The Bottom Line
With the exception of Flirt - which is really just a scent preference - I'm pretty smitten with all of these.  The colors are beautiful and both the untinted lip conditioners and the tinted lip moisturizers do a good job protecting and hydrating your lips.  I expect they'll be great in the colder months as well.

I've got lots more Scentuals products to talk about, so keep an eye out for Part II.  In the meantime, Scentuals has offered a 20% discount for my readers with the code caitie_20.  If you're in Canada, the company also offers free shipping on orders of $75+.

You can also follow Scentuals on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.  Watch for sales + giveaways - they're very generous on social media!