Red Apple Lipstick: The Lash Project & Prime Time

I've spoken about Red Apple Lipstick before, when I reviewed their gorgeous lipsticks. Since then, they've come out with *The Lash Project Mascara and *Prime Time Eye Primer. Both products have been on my radar, especially after reading such rave reviews about them and having fallen in lover with their lipsticks. RAL is known for making vegan, gluten free, and allergen free products that are both high quality and high performance. Did these eye products live up to the hype?

The Lash Project Mascara: The Lash Project Mascara is a classic and timeless satin black mascara that gives your lashes a weightless, soft feathery look all while defining and strengthening your lashes. You and your lashes will love how it stays in place but at the same time.
Retails for $42 USD/CDN.

This vegan, gluten free, and allergen free mascara has received some high praises for its packaging and performance. I gotta admit, the packaging is beautiful. The box and tube are sleek, classy, and a perfect representation of the $42 price tag. In terms of performance, I'm a bit disappointed. The formula was dry and clumpy from the first time that I opened it. Luckily, it hasn't clumped on my lashes but I do feel like I need several coats to get length and volume. I love that it doesn't smudge, melt, or flake, and holds a curl through a 8+ hours work day. In terms of conditioning, I don't get it. My lashes feel pretty stiff when I use this and I've had more lashes falling out than with my previous mascara. Perhaps I got a bad tube?

The Lash Project Mascara Ingredients: Water, Acrylate Copolymer, Stearic Acid, Iron Oxides, Carnauba Wax, Glycerin, Synthetic Beeswax, Tromethamine, Polyvinylalcohol, Mica, Silica, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Bergamot Leaf Extract, Octapeptide-2, Acorus Calamus Root Extract, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Allantoin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol.

Prime Time Eye Primer: This primer is the best way to eliminate mid-day eyeshadow creasing or disappearing acts. It will also provide a solid color base for your eyeshadows to be applied on top of, which allows the shadow to really shine. Our primer corrects any discolorations or veins on your eyelids (heaven forbid we have veins or redness on our eyelids right?!). Let's call this a creamy powder consistency. It isn't a liquid, it isn't a cream, it isn't a powder, it's somewhere in between.
Retails for $27 USD.

I long to find a natural eye primer that actually works. I have deep set eyes, so I feel they naturally get oily because of that. I love the flesh tone shade of this eye primer, that it works really well to neutralize the lid, and makes my shadows appear more vibrant. Sadly, it doesn't last more than a couple of hours on me. I've tried applying more, less, little, lots, none, barely any, and still I only get a couple of hours without creasing. On the plus side, this never irritated my eyes or gave me any sort of styes.

Prime Time Eye Primer Ingredients: Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Octyl Palmitate, Carnauba, Magnesium Carbonate, Decyl Oleate, Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate, Phenoxyethanol. May contain: Iron Oxides, Titanium Dioxide, Ultramarines.

I adore Red Apple's actual lipsticks but have been really disappointed by their mascara and eye primer. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong or if it's just me that these don't work for. Since I haven't read a single bad review of either, I still recommend trying them out for yourself. Red Apple Lipstick products can be purchased through them directly. If you live in Canada, you can purchase from Glam Goes Green (the only Canadian retailer). Have you tried either of these products? Thoughts? *PR Samples. All opinions are my own.

Unboxing: Petit Vour Limited Luxury FW14 "Creme de la Cruelty-Free" Box

Looky, looky, another incredible Petit Vour box. If you follow me on Instagram then you may have already seen the picture that I posted of this box. If you don't have Instagram or missed the post, here's your chance to get a more in depth look at the goodies.

The Limited Luxury FW13 box was co-curated by vegan bombshell/Supermodel Emily Nolan of My Kind of Life. "Whether you're looking to start fresh or elevate your routine, we've brought together the choice picks for your boudoir. Our second Limited Luxury Box features 7 top-notch products by our favorite eco luxury boutique brands - culled for you to look your best and brightest!". 

In case you don't already know, Petit Vour is a lush vegan subscription box that has a fantastic variety of treats from skin care to makeup. They believe that... 

"Beauty is bold. Beauty is kind. Beauty is self-expression and emotion, inner glow then outer glow. We strive to enhance these elements for you and help make it easier in maintaining a compassionate lifestyle. Every aspect of our beauty box is thought out and constructed to provide you with the highest standards. To us, that means no animal testing, animal products, parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde, sulfates, and so much more."

Antonym Ecocert Certified Natural Eye Pencil in Black (full size) -  I won't lie, I was a tad disappointed to see another eye liner despite it being by a top notch brand. This one promises to be waterproof and comes with a hidden pencil sharpener, perfect for tossing in your bag.
Retails for $18.00.

KYPRIS Antioxidant Dew & Beauty Elixir 1 (samples) - This brand has been getting some serious hype lately and I'm more than happy to see if they live up to the hype. Both are supposed to restore vitality and radiance, all while repairing damage caused by the environment.
Full size retails for $60.00 (50 ml) & $225.00 (50 ml).

Marie Natie Lip Gloss in Tickled  (limited edition full size) - I already adore, Canadian brand, Marie Natie glosses, so I was excited to get this one. The packaging is gorgeous, the gloss is incredibly moisturizing, and it smells/tastes like vanilla cinnamon donuts!!
Full size retails for $18.00.

My Daughter Fragrances in Joyful (spritzer) - Another Canadian brand! With notes of orange flower, lime blossom, rose, jasmine and creamy sandalwood, this is one I thought I'd hate. Surprisingly, I fell in love with this perfume before I even received it in my box. It smells lovely and mixes well with my body chemistry. I also like that it doesn't linger for the entire day, it wears off nicely.
Retails for $25.00 (10 ml) or $85.00 (50 ml).

Rare El'ements Luxury Hair Care (4x 7 ml samples) - Shampoo and conditioner are weird things for me to try because of my scalp issue, so these haven't been used yet. They're supposed to be amazing and contain the "most exotic and quintessential ingredients in the world". We'll see.

Full sizes retail between $34.00 and $44.00.

Tres Pure Mini Face Cleanse (sample) - This is a gentle exfoliating cleanser that contains beautiful ingredients like adzuki bean, rose, and sandalwood. I have yet to try it, but I definitely look forward to it.

Retails for $10.00 (mini) or $50.00 (3 oz).

What can I say? Another amazing box. I love that Petit Vour has introduced me to several new brands of varying price points, and have included (and continue to include) Canadian brands. This box is still available here and retails for $40 + free shipping within the US. If you are outside of the US, it is $40.00 + the cost of shipping.

Have you tried Petit Vour? What are your thoughts on the vegan beauty box company?

*Box provided for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Meow Meow Tweet Deodorant Cream in Lavender

Anyone who has ventured into the world of natural deodorants knows that it's entirely based on trial and error, and it takes time. A very long time. I know that I have a sensitivity to baking soda but am determined to find a deodorant that contains it without irritating my pits, smells nice, and is easily available in Canada. With the glowing reviews that Meow Meow Tweet received, I decided to buy a jar from Well.ca.
Meow Meow Tweet was created by Tara and Jeff in Brooklyn, NY. Each product is hand crafted in small batches using a variety of delicious organic ingredients and love. It is entirely vegan as well as environmentally friendly through it's limited plastic content and biodegradable labels. To read more about MMT, click here. 

Description: Our completely natural underarm cream is a simple recipe that is safe, effective and will leave you smelling fresh all day. Organic coconut oil combined with baking soda is antibacterial with a sweet and pleasing aroma. Arrowroot powder and clay will help to keep you dry. To use, gently rub a dime-sized amount into each armpit with your fingertips (don't push hard, those pits are sensitive!).

I adore the packaging, the fun label design and colours and glass jar. Although, glass is never travel friendly in my books. That being said, the texture is so creamy that it would be easy to scoop some into a small container for travelling. The scent is lovely! I love the coconut lavender aroma that hits my nose as soon I open the jar, and how well it lasts throughout most of the day. This deodorant does contain baking soda but only irritates my underarms a little and only in one area, the crease. Sounds sexy doesn't it? Basically the fold, if that makes any sense. It's chock full of nourishing ingredients like organic coconut oil, jojoba oil, and shea butter. It keeps me stink free almost all day, however, towards the evening I can definitely smell BO shining through. On a super hot or active day, I need to reapply mid-day. It works the best when applied to a freshly washed underarm and the irritation is even less when I apply a bit of the NBW Healing Balm or alternate with a baking soda free (Aubrey Men's) deo. Also, I want to note that a little goes a very long way. I've had this jar for 2+ months and haven't even used half of it. Of all the cream deodorants that I have tried, this one has been my favourite because of the fact that it doesn't irritate my underarms as much as others.

Retails for $15.99 CDN for 68 g. Can be purchased through Meow Meow Tweet, Well.ca, and any of these retailers.

Ingredients: *virgin coconut oil, *jojoba oil, *shea butter, *arrowroot powder, baking soda (naturally mined), kaolin clay, lavender essential oil 

*organic ingredient

Earthlab Cosmetics Raw Mascara + Coupon Code

I love me a good mascara and am always on the hunt for one that's better than the last. When Monique, of Anise Apothecary, asked if I wanted to try *Earthlab Raw Mascara, I couldn't resist. Her and her beautiful daughter, Saska, both raved about it and so naturally, I had to see if the hype was real. They (Monique, Saska, and Earthlab) did not let me down!

Description: This 100% natural, botanical based formula glides on effortlessly. You’ll enjoy the silky smooth application which easily separates lashes and the best part – No Clumping, No Flaking, No Smudging, No Toxic Chemicals and No Parabens! Once you’ve tried “Raw Mascara” you’ll want to throw your old brand in the trash!

This mascara really doesn't clump, flake, or smudge. I wore it to an amusement park, on a friggen hot as hell day, and it stayed on from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. without any of the above happening. I love the big natural bristle brush, mainly because it doesn't poke my eye when I'm using it and is easy to use. As mentioned in previous mascara reviews, my lashes are pretty long and thick naturally. I like that falsies effect, without looking like a drag queen, and prefer a mascara to thicken (very important), lengthen (not as important), and hold a curl. This one thickens and lengthens beautifully, but doesn't hold a curl on my lashes all that well. Also, for those of you who aren't a fan of phenoxyethanol, this mascara contains it. I'd rather my mascara be well preserved and even though I actively avoid phenoxyethanol, I'm willing to let it slide every so often. All in all, I'm a big fan of this mascara and would definitely repurchase.

Retails for $23 CDN and can be purchased through Anise Apothecary.

Anise Apothecary has generously offered my readers a 10% off coupon code (EL10) to use towards the purchase of this mascara or any other products both in store and online. It'll only be active for a week (Tuesday, September 9th, 2014 to Monday, September 16th, 2014). Hurry up and get shopping!!

Ingredients: Water/Aqua, Natural Beeswax, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Lecithin, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycerin, Xanthan Gum, Celluloses, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Jojoba (Simmondsia Chinensis) Oil, Tocopherol, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Silica, Mica, Iron Oxides

*Product provided for review consideration. All opinions are my own. The coupon code is solely for the benefit of the individual using it and no commission/compensation has been or will be given to me from the use of it.

Petit Vour August 2014 Box: Beauty School

This beautiful pink box is a pleasure to receive and so much fun to open! I can't even tell you how excited I get when I see it in my mailbox, I'm like a dog waiting for a treat. Seriously. I'm a little late posting this one, and I apologize for that since it's no longer available, but I've been busy with work.
Petit Vour is a lush vegan subscription box that has a fantastic variety of treats from skin care to makeup. They believe that... 

"Beauty is bold. Beauty is kind. Beauty is self-expression and emotion, inner glow then outer glow. We strive to enhance these elements for you and help make it easier in maintaining a compassionate lifestyle. Every aspect of our beauty box is thought out and constructed to provide you with the highest standards. To us, that means no animal testing, animal products, parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde, sulfates, and so much more."

Beauty Without Cruelty Natural Eye Pencil in Soft Brown (full size) - I've heard so many great things about BWC products and although I don't wear liner often, it's always nice to have options.
Retails for $18.50.

Harvey Prince Perfume in Journey (sample) - Finding a natural perfume that I enjoy is hard to come by, so I always appreciate samples. This one is a spicy/floral scent that's described as exotic. With notes of clove bud, Moroccan Rose, Indian Tuberose, and African freesia, this scent is a bit too floral for my liking and reminds me of a scent from my childhood that I don't quite enjoy. That being said, scent is personal and there are many who will likely love this. 
Full size retails for $26.00 (8.8 ml).

Earthbody Cleanser/Mask (sample) - I love masks, all kinds of masks, and am beyond excited to give this one a go. It's supposed to brighten, exfoliate, lift, and hydrate your skin through the mixture of rhassoul clay, fruit powders, and oils.
Full size retails for $24 (2.8 oz/60 uses). 

Mi-Me Tangerine Hydrating Lip Butter (full size) - Can anyone really have too many lip balms? This one promises to be amazing and boasts some pretty impressive ingredients, like coconut oil, shea butter, and cupuacu butter..just to name a few. It smells faintly of tangerines, which is always delicious in my books.
Retails for $10.

Rosemira Organics Sweet Coconut Body Butter (sample) - I love the smell of this body butter and am excited to try it. The samples did melt and spill in the box, so I'd advise store it in a cool, dark place. It's moisturizing properties come from coconut oil and mango butter. 

Full size retails for $44 (3 oz)

Another impressive Petit Vour box, especially since these are all new brands to me. Petit Vour ships within the USA ($15), to Canada ($23), and Internationally ($30). To find out more about the Founder, box, or to subscribe, visit Petit Vour.
*Box provided for review consideration. All opinions are entirely my own.

August 2014 Empties

Well ladies and gents, don't hate me buuttt Summer is kinda over and I'm beyond excited for Fall! Anyone else love Fall as much as I do? This month I ended up finishing quite a few items, mostly skin care and samples, which was exactly what I had predicted in my last empties post. Come Winter (I know, too soon), my skin gets extra sensitive and so I really wanted to focus on reducing my stash to the bare minimum since I know I won't be as adventurous with my skin care.  Here is what I finished this month...

Corpa Flora Beaute Divine Cleansing Oil - review here -  This is probably my favourite cleansing oil of all time. It's Canadian (major bonus in my books), gentle, effective at removing makeup and cleansing the skin, rinses off better than I remember, and leaves my skin so soft. I am currently working through one other cleansing oil and am hoping to try the Province Apothecary one, but will likely end up repurchasing this one in the near future.

Andalou Naturals Illuminating Toner - review here - Can't say enough good things about this affordable toner. Will be repurchasing.

*Pai Rice Plant & Rosemary BioAffinity Toner - review here - I really did enjoy using this toner. It worked well at reducing redness and refreshing my skin. It's a little too expensive for me though, especially since the spray apparatus doesn't work well. Will not repurchase.

Pretty Black Tea & Raw Cocoa Cleansing Grains - review here - This gentle exfoliating cleanser worked great as a second and morning cleanse, and was gentle enough to use daily. Not only did I end up using it on my face, I also enjoyed using it on my chest, shoulders, and back to combat acne. This container lasted me about 7 months, which goes to show that a little goes a long way. I much prefer the Rose & Oatmeal version, so I will not be repurchasing this one.

La Bella Figura Modern Radiance Concentrate - review here - I really liked the short term results that this serum produced; even and glowing skin, but it fell short in the long term results department (specifically with pigmentation). At a steep $170, it's a serum that I'm glad I had the opportunity to try but not one I plan on repurchasing.

Living Libations Frankincense Fresh Toothpaste - I did not like this toothpaste at all. It was really runny and left a weird aftertaste. Since the texture was off, LL sent me another jar of it and it was exactly the same. Usually it takes about 2 months to finish an LL toothpaste jar but, this one was gone in a month. I will repurchase the Clay version (mentioned here) but not this one.

*Pai Comfrey & Calendula Calming Body Cream - review here - This stuff was incredible and worked like a dream for my ezcema. I'm so sad that I used it up :(. Will definitely be repurchasing.

Himalaya Neem Tablets - Neem is a fantastic blood purifier and has many other health benefits. I purchased these tablets months ago, when my skin was freaking out, in hopes that it would help my skin. It didn't do anything except help my bowel movements, which is cool too. I won't be repurchasing. Has anyone else taken neem before?

Corpa Flora Eclat Citrouille (not pictured) - review here -  AHHHH I can't live without this serum! Seriously, I went without it for a couple of weeks and ended up repurchasing (today). It smells incredible, evens out my skin, helps with pigmentation, and makes my skin glow. A must try for all!

Dr. Bronner's Coconut Oil - This is my favourite coconut oil because it has a slight buttery flavour that makes it ideal for baking and tastes great when frying up pancakes. Will be repurchasing.

Clean Well Antibacterial Hand Soap in Lavender - This all natural hand soap uses thyme oil instead of harsh/nasty ingredients to disinfect and kill bacteria. The thyme smell is definitely obvious but the lavender works well to tone it done. It didn't dry out my hands or leave them feeling tight. I've already repurchased another lavender and am currently using a spearmint lime scent (which is also nice).

*Myra Aso Hair Oil (sample) - I love Myra's Marula Oil for my hair and at the Green Living Show, earlier this year, she was kind enough to give me a sample of a custom made hair oil. This one contained marula, broccoli seed oil, jojoba (I think), and sweet orange essential oil. It was only enough for 3 or 4 uses but it rinsed out well and left my ends feeling super soft. I don't often do oil treatments, so I will not be purchasing the full size.

One Love Organics Chia Oil - I purchased this from Eco Diva  and wasn't impressed. I felt like it just sat on my skin, never sinking in.

*May Lindstrom Honey Mud - My girl Lisa, from Glam Goes Green, gave me this sample to try. I wasn't fond of the scent but it did leave my skin feeling incredibly soft!

*Pure Anada Lavender Hand Cream - Another sample that Lisa gave me and I loved this one! It smelled like calming lavender and moisturized my hands without leaving a greasy finish or irritating my ezcema. I may pick up a full size.

*Haut Cosmetics Bio-Mineral Foundation in Burnt Almond - The beautiful Monique, from Anise Apothecary, just started carrying this line and I was stoked to get a sample. The colour matched me well but I'm not sure I'm sold on it. I felt like it caked up a bit but it could just be how I applied it. Might have to purchase or pick up another sample.

*Joyous Health Minty Fresh Toothpaste - Another lovely sample from Lisa! She hooked me up! Loved this toothpaste. It cleaned my teeth well and left my breath minty fresh. Will be picking up a full size.

*Pelle Beauty Luxe Beauty Oil - Received this sample in the Petit Vour box and was really impressed by it. I used it morning and night, and found my skin was well nourished and soft. I may pick up the full size.

Kjaer Weis Foundation in Just Sheer - I purchased this sample from Clementine Fields and chose the wrong shade. It was too dark which means I didn't take the time to play with it.

*Corpa Flora Grenadine - review here - Celine, Creator of Corpa Flora, was at my spa in August and gave me a sample of her day oil. She mentioned that she reduced the coconut oil in it, which I think is why it initially didn't work for me, and I have to say that I really liked it! It's light, soaked in beautifully, worked well as a primer for makeup, and didn't irritate my skin. Will definitely be picking up a bottle next year as it'll be too light for me in the Fall/Winter.

Physicians Formula Organic Wear CC Cream - I initially loved this CC cream but the colour has totally changed, it's so orange now. I purchased it when it was on sale and only have a bit left, so I'm tossing it. Will not be repurchasing. *Sappho Concealers in Undo and Neutrality - review here - I really liked these concealers in the beginning as well, but the texture has changed and they smell funky. Mind you, I've had these for well over a year and a half now. Chucking them and will not be repurchasing. Let me know if you've tried any of the products mentioned and what you've finished up this month :). *PR SAMPLES