Suntegrity Skincare Face Sunscreen and Primer Review

     I want to preface this review by saying that I am not the most tech savvy person and setting up my blog to look the way I want it to has been a challenge for me. I have been slowly making changes and yesterday I had trouble adding some social media buttons. So instead of getting frustrated about it, I left some of it as is and I am hoping someone can help me figure it out! I always try to find the humor in difficult situations, and this was no different. Long story, but the bottom line is that there's an extra social media button in a very strange place. I tried numerous times to remove it, but I was unsucessful. It reminded me of the "Where's Waldo" books. Anyone remember those? Like,  where's the social media button?! Get it? No? Okay, well maybe you could at least tell me how to get rid of it so it doesn't look so goofy? :-) Oh, and if you're on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, etc. please follow me?!  On to the review.....




Background

Suntegrity Skincare was developed by Tricia Trimble who lost her mom to melanoma. Tricia became a strong advocate for wearing sunscreen due to her mom's experience, but soon became aware of the toxic ingredients in most sunscreens and decided to develop her own non-toxic, mineral based line of suncare products.   They have products for both the face and body and also have supplements. Suntegrity Skincare is non-toxic, cruelty-free, vegan, paraben free, phthalates, propylene glycol, mineral oils, synthetic dyes, sulfates, paba, titanium dioxide, nano-particles, and chemical UV absorbers. It has an SPF of 30.  The company is also a signer of the Compact for Safe Cosmetics, by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. In addition, the Suntegrity Face Sunscreen and Primer is a 2013 Allure Magazine Best of Beauty Award winner.


The Product

The sunscreen comes in a 1.7oz. pump container for $45.  A little goes a VERY long way, I only needed about half a pump for my whole face. The first time I used way too much! It goes on almost completely clear, a TINY bit white at first but blends incredibly well. It goes on amazingly underneath my foundation. I have been looking for a sunscreen that could easily go under make up and not make it look gross. This product is it! It functions equally well as a primer as it does as a sunscreen which actually surprised me. It does not make my face feel oily nor does it emphasize my pores or redness on my face. It has become a holy grail product for me in a very short time. I will not be without it for the foreseeable future. If I HAD to pick something I dislike about it, it would be the packaging. I can't tell how much is in there, so I  won't be able to tell when I'm running low. 


Customer Service  I bought this through OpenSky , so I have no experience with this company. However, I can tell you that you can return products for any reason within 14 days of purchase if you purchase directly through Suntegrity Skincare. You can also purchase samples of some of the products if you don't want to commit to purchasing the full size.

You can find Suntegrity Skincare at www.suntegrityskincare.com

S.W. Basics of Brooklyn Review

Background

S.W. Basics was developed by nutritionist and personal trainer, Adina Grigore. She wanted to find skincare that would be suitable for her sensitive skin. Having been in the wellness industry since 2007, she knew she needed to adopt a minimalist approach using few natural and organic ingredients and leave out the many toxic ingredients that are in the majority of skincare products today. Each S.W. Basics product contains only 5 ingredients or less. They use ingredients that are natural, organic, fair trade, vegan (except for 1 lip balm) and cruelty free.

The Product

The S.W. Basics Best Sellers Mini Kit contains 4 1oz. glass containers of of some of their best selling products. They include, Cleanser, Toner, Makeup Remover and Cream. 

The cleanser is a thin, clear liquid that is meant to be wiped all over the face with a cotton ball or pad and rinsed off with water. It actually reminded me more of a toner in the way you apply it. I actually removed it from my face the same way, using a cotton pad soaked in water. I felt that this cleanser which contains organic rosewater, organic vegetable glycerine and tea tree oil was great for a light cleaning. It left my face feeling clean and fresh, but was not enough to remove a makeup. It has a light floral and tea tree oil scent.

The toner is excellent for my combination, acne-prone skin. It made my face feel less oily, yet did not strip my face of essential moisture. Although I really liked this product, I felt that I used it up very quickly and the 1oz. bottle was only enough to use it for a little over a week or so before I ran out. Otherwise, I was really impressed with it. It contains water, organic raw apple cider vinegar, witch hazel and essential oils of clary sage and sandalwood. It has a faint scent of apple cider vinegar and something pleasant that I can't quite place.

The cream is a somewhat thick moisturizer that can be used for the face and body. I that it worked great for me in the winter on my face and body and during the rest of the year on my body. A little goes a very long way and it melts right into the skin leaving it soft and silky. I also used it on my cuticles. I really thought it might break me out for some reason, but it did not. It contains fair trade shea butter, organic coconut oil,  organic olive oil. 

The makeup remover, is a thick, oil based product that easily takes off any makeup including waterproof mascara. A little goes a long way, but I found it spreads better when using my fingers instead of a cotton pad like I would typically use for removing my makeup. I have extremely sensitive eyes and many makeup removers sting my eyes. This did not sting my eyes and kept the eye area  lightly moisturized. 

This set retails for $45 for 4 1oz. glass bottles in a plastic pouch. I feel like this very expensive for travel sized products. However, considering the quality of the ingredients, I think they are worth the splurge. 

Customer Service

Customer service is awesome. Actually, go to their website and read their FAQ's page. What I got from it is that they want you to be happy with their products.....and they apparently have a comedian on staff! It's the funniest FAQ's page I've ever read! You'll see what I mean if you take a look! 

You can find S.W. Basics at 

http://www.swbasicsofbk.com

Acure Organics Chlorella & Edelweiss Stem Cell Eye Cream Review

Background

Acure Organics was founded by Kristy & Jon Guerra. They specialize in products that are paraben free, sulfate free, phthalate free, synthetic fragrance free, and cruelty free. Their products are made from fair trade ingredients that are natural and organic. Some are USDA certified organic, some are not.  Many of their products including this eye cream are also gluten free. They have a large range of products for the face and body. They have high quality ingredients in their products and they are extremely affordable in my opinion. 

The Product

Acure Organics Chlorella & Edelweiss Stem Cell Eye Cream is designed to moisturize the skin around the eye area as well as alleviate puffiness, fine lines and dark circles. I have been using it for over a month and I have found that this product helps in all those ways for me. I have suffered from dark circles for years as a result of allergies and lack of sleep and I found this eye cream to be really effective for dark circles, but as with most products, it takes time to see results. In addition, I saw a marked improvement in puffiness! I don't think I realized my eyes were so puffy until I started using this! It's major allergy season for me so I'm so glad I decided to try it in the spring! It's very moisturizing and I love putting it under my makeup because it soaks in fairly quickly and my makeup seems to go on smoother! The only major thing I found was that I did not see a huge improvement in fine lines. Maybe it's because I have only been using it for about a month. I may do an update on this either on the blog or on social media, so please stay tuned. I do feel that for the price, $18.99 for a whole 1 oz. tube, it works extremely well

Ingredients

I think the ingredients are great. However, some of the ingredients are USDA certified organic and some are not. I have to be honest with you here. I'm not totally familiar with all the rules and regulations regarding USDA certification, so there could be a good reason for this. I started a green beauty blog not only to educate and share what it have learned with others but also to learn from others. I will definitely look into this and share my findings with you all at some point. Please feel free to contact me if you want to share anything about this! One of the things I'm really enjoying about blogging is connecting with people who share the same passion for green beauty! 

Customer Service

I actually purchased this at my local Whole Foods. They have amazing customer service!  I looked on the Acure Organics website and they offer free shipping on all orders which I LOVE! They offer returns/exchanges within 7 days for unopened/unused products. 

Please check out Acure Organics at : 

www.acureorganics.com

You can find stores that carry Acure Organics on their website.

Moody Sisters Natural Skincare Review

 Background

Moody Sisters Natural Skincare was created by two sisters, Jess Piestrup & Whitney Acheson from Cashmere, WA. They couldn't find safe, natural skincare for their "moody" skin so they did some research and figured out how to to take care of their skin using natural ingredients like essential oils and other healthy ingredients. They created their own natural skincare and made it into a family business. They create the products in their home & often recruit their kids to help out too! How awesome is that? In addition to their skincare, they have a blog where they share lots of helpful info including tips on living a eco-friendly lifestyle and great diy projects. You can even sign up for their email newsletter and get a free travel sized product! Their products are all-natural, and with lots of organic ingredients and some are also vegan. They are cruelty-free. 

The Products

I purchased their 3 piece "Try Me First" set from OpenSky for $24.95 for 3 1oz. travel-sized products. It includes their Foaming Face Wash, Lightweight Moisturizer & Face & Body Cream. 

The Foaming Face Wash - is a light foaming cleanser that is great for balancing my combination, acne-prone skin. It's gentle and effective at removing most of my makeup and did not irritate my skin. It can also be used as a hand wash! 

The Lightweight Moisturizer - is in a liquid form and provides a exactly what the name states, lightweight moisture, which is especially great for my skin since I am dry on the cheeks, but oily in the t-zone. It helped to balance my "moody" skin  extremely well and didn't cause any acne nor did it aggravate the acne I already had. 

The Face & Body Cream is a whipped type of cream that is heavier than the Lightweight Moisturizer. It was too heavy for my face personally. I think it might work well for me in the winter. It isn't extremely thick and I think it would be fine for many skintypes. It actually worked great as a body moisturizer for me. Another thing I really liked about it was the smell. It has a slightly minty scent to it. It was fresh, but not overpowering. 

 

I also purchased their Daily Facial Toner in the full size on the Moody Sisters website. It comes in a 4oz. bottle for 14.95. It contains apple cider vinegar and witch hazel and it is incredible! It's just a toner, I didn't think it would make a huge difference. It did! It removed the small amount of makeup that the cleanser left behind and softened and balanced my skin. The only thing I wasn't crazy about was the packaging. I wish it came in a spray bottle, but it's ok I can deal with it as is!

Customer Service

Customer service is great, shipping is $4.95 for any order in the US that is under 10lbs. which is a great price. They offer full refunds on unopened, unused products and offer exchanges or credits on opened products. 

Check them out!

Website - www.moodysistersskincare.com 

Facebook www.facebook.com/moodysisters skincare 

Twitter- @moodysisters

Instagram- @moodysisters

YouTube - www.youtube.com/moodysistersskincare 

Pinterest - www.pinterest.com/moodysisters

OpenSky - www.opensky.com/moodysisters 

* I purchased these products myself and as always all opinions are my own. 

Faerie Organic 40 Winks Eye Primer Review

   

 

Background

Faerie Organic was started in 2007 by makeup artist Erin Mincks. After losing both of her parents to cancer, she decided she wanted to live a more healthy, natural lifestyle. She learned about the many chemicals that were in mainstream cosmetics & skincare and felt that there needed to be other options. So, she developed Faerie Organic and decided to use wild crafted herbs and food-grade ingredients instead of chemicals. They have loose mineral based foundation, concealer, blush, etc. they also have skincare. They are all natural and cruelty-free. 

The Product

This eye primer is the best natural eye primer I have found so far. It goes on mostly clear (slightly whitish) on my fair skin. You don't notice the color after eyeshadow is applied. It comes in a clear plastic pot with a silver lid plastic lid.  It retails for $14 for .05oz. I've been using it for a couple of months now, comparing it against both natural & non natural primers and so far, this wins for the natural ones I've tried. This keeps my eye makeup on for a good 6-8 hours without any fading or creasing. Also, I have crepy eyelids, probably due to allergies & rubbing my eyes. This primer creates a smooth surface so there is little to no creasing, which does not happen easily for me! Overall, I really like this primer. My only issue (really tiny issue) is that I would like for it to be tinted so it would even out my skintone on my eyelids. However, I love how it keeps my eye makeup on all day, so I'm willing to overlook that. 

Ingredients

The ingredients are good. I've heard mixed things about titanium dioxide. It has been shown to cause cancer in some animals in some studies. I'm still on the fence about it and will still use products containing titanium dioxide until I hear of more conclusive evidence and that the testing includes humans!

Customer Service

Customer service was good. I had no problems. They do not accept returns unless your items arrive damaged, but they do offer sample sets so you can try before you buy!

Check out Faerie Organic on their website,

www.faerieorganic.com

On Facebook-

www.facebook.com/faerieorganic

On Twitter-

@faerieorganic

On Instagram-

www.instagram.com/faerieorganic 

* I bought this item myself and my opinion is my own. 

Osmia Organics Review

Background 

Osmia Organics was started in 2010 by Sarah Villafranco, MD, an Emergency Medicine physician. After practicing as a physician for almost 10 years, she realized she needed a change. After she took a soap making class with a friend, she decided she loved it and wanted to start her own company that used healthy, natural and organic ingredients instead of all the chemicals found in so many products. Thus, Osmia (meaning sense of smell) Organics was born. They have a wide range of products for the face and body and a huge focus is put on aromatherapy. All of the products I tried have some type of natural scent! The products are natural, organic, and and they are a cruelty-free company!

The Products

The company sent me a beautiful  package of sample sized products to meet the needs of my combination, acne-prone skin including a facial cleansing bar, a acne spot treatment, and face serum. Also included were samples of a bar soap for the body and body oil.

Black Clay Facial Soap- $22 for 2.25oz. Contains  ingredients like Australian Black Clay, and Dead Sea mud. It cleanses and tones. Ideal for combination and acne prone skin like mine! Made my skin softer & smoother! 

Facial Callibration Serum-  $50 for 0.5oz. This serum contains a few different plant-based oils and is designed for combination skin to balance the skin and regulate sebum production. My face definitely felt softer, smoother and less oily in my t-zone after two weeks of use. I am slightly sensitive to smells and the scent of this product was a TINY bit strong for me but I could get used to it if it keeps my t-zone less oily! 

Spot Treatment- $20 for 0.16oz. After only 2 weeks of use, this will be added to my list of holy grail products! This product is just as the name says, a "spot treatment" for acne. It is a blend of a few different essential oils. A little goes a LONG way and it is not meant for all over the face. I've suffered from acne since middle school and nothing has worked so well for me thus far. It doesn't dry me out, yet it made a very large pimple almost disappear within the two weeks of using it once daily. Miraculous! 

Milky Rose Soap- $12 for 5.5oz bar  I'm typically not a huge fan of bar soaps, so I don't have a lot to compare it with, however, it smelled great, cleans without drying,  is made from organic ingredients and it's pink, so that for me is a plus! 😄 

Flower Body Oil- $24 for 2oz. $70 for 7.5oz w/pump.  Made from organic rose geranium essential oil, organic linden blossom oil, and zdravets, this body oil is awesome! Smells like flowers (obviously) 😄 and is SUPER moisturizing and leaves a light, dewy sheen on the skin. It is meant to be put on wet skin as it helps w/absorption and you'll use less product!

Customer Service- I've never purchased from  company before, but they were very kind and helpful to me as a blogger. They have a 14 day return policy for damaged/defective items and do not accept returns for any other reasons according to their website. While I wish they had a better policy I am not sure why you would want to return any of their products! I think it's worth the risk! 

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Check them out!

Website- www.osmiaorganics.com

Facebook-www.facebook.com/osmia organics 

Twitter- @OsmiaOrganics

Pinterest- @OsmiaOrganics

Red Apple Lipstick Review

Background 

Red Apple Lipstick (RAL) was created in 2007 by Jay Adam Harper. He started this company after learning of all the horrible chemicals that most cosmetics contain. In addition to making incredible makeup, Jay, and his wife Andrea are dedicated to teaching people about the different ingredients that are in typical makeup and how many of those ingredients are harmful to our bodies. They originally just started with making lipsticks, but have since created eyeshadow, eyeliner, lipgloss, lip liner and they are coming out with a new mascara very soon! RAL is gluten free, paraben free, soy free, nut/tree nut free and non-toxic. 

The Makeup

RAL was kind enough to send me two products for the review. I chose a lipstick called Push Pop and an eyeshadow called Sugar and Spice. The lipsticks come in 4.5 ounce sleek, sturdy black tubes for $23.50 each. The eyeshadows come in 1.5 gram pans for 18.75. You buy them in a pan and you can purchase a compact or zpalette separately. 

 

Push Pop is a beautiful, bright (but not too bright) gorgeous orange shade with a slight metallic finish. It's a perfect color if you want to try one of the hottest colors of the season. You can wear one layer to make it look more natural or add a few to be more bold! 

Sugar and Spice is a matte, rusty brown shade. It looks like cinnamon to me. It's gorgeous by itself, but would look great with tons of the other RAL eyeshadows. In my opinion, it would look great on a variety of skintones. I think it will be a year round staple color for me! 

L-R Push Pop & Sugar & Spice

RAL also sent me a sample of a lipstick called Hibiskiss.  Hibiskiss is a vibrant raspberry shade. It's a bit too bright for my taste. However, I'm sure many people would love it because the color is lovely! Now when I say sample, I don't mean 1-2 or even 3 uses. They will last you SO long, probably weeks! The samples are $3.50 each and you can make a sample set which comes with a sample of their lip balm called Rallye Balm.

Hibiskiss

RAL lipstick is creamy, long lasting, and incredible! It's a bit pricey, but totally worth it! RAL eyeshadow is long wearing and awesome! You can wear it sheer or full coverage, wet or dry.  They eyeshadow has great pigment and long lasting. They have awesome colors to choose from. RAL is definitely a company that everyone should try as the quality of their products is impeccable! With all the colors to choose from deciding which colors to buy could be incredibly difficult. Luckily the have excellent pictures of the makeup on women with different skintones for you to compare as well as spot on color descriptions.

Customer Service

The RAL customer service is great! If you have a question or concern they will get back to in most cases within 24 hours. They are very knowledgeable and will do their best to make you 100% satisfied with your purchase. They want so much for you to be satisfied with your purchase that they allow you to return your purchase for a full refund or exchange for 6 MONTHS for any reason! Who does that?!?! RAL does! In addition to their great customer service, they also have a VIP Club where you get a discount code every month if you are on their email list. With that discount code, you receive a 20% discount off your purchase. As long as you remain on the list, you will get that discount code every month. In addition, you will be first to hear about new products and be able to take advantage of sales not open to the general public. Shipping on orders over $25 is free.

 

 

 

Check out RAL! Ashley Teague, their Social Media Manager has awesome YouTube tutorials btw!

 

Website- www.redapplelipstick.com

 

Facebook- www.facebook.com/redapplelipstick

 Twitter - @redapplelipstic

Instagram- @redapplegirls

 Youtube- www.youtube.com/redapplelipstick                                         

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                  

 

* These products were sent to me for review. All opinions are my own.