Rave Review: Pure Anada Pressed Eye Colour & Pressed Cheek Colour

If you've read my reviews on the Pure Anada *Sheer Matte Pressed Foundation and *African Gold, then you'll already know that they are a Canadian brand and that I'm beyond impressed with their products. That being said, it comes as no surprise that I'm head over heels for their *Pressed Eye Colour and *Pressed Cheek Colour as well. Shall we just get on with the review? I think so!

Cheek Colour Description: We’re pleased to bring you a lovely selection of convenient pressed mineral colours! You’ll love the silky texture and longevity of our 7 wearable cheek colours. Mineral pigments and organic Jojoba are pressed together to create a natural makeup product. You can have confidence that you are making a beautiful, healthy choice! I received Bronzed Clove. 

Eye Colour Description: We’re pleased to bring you a lovely selection of convenient pressed mineral colours! You’ll love the silky texture and longevity of our 20 wearable shades. Mineral pigments and organic Jojoba are pressed together to create a natural makeup product. You can have confidence that you are making a beautiful, healthy choice! I received Whisper, Mirage, Blackberry & Onyx. 

• Demi-Matte shadows are a combination of opaque matte minerals and luminous satin mica. This provides both true colour and a light-reflecting finish.
• Matte shadows are soft, silky shadows that do not exude any sheen whatsoever.

Both products come in the same cardboard sleeves as the foundation, which is recyclable, practical and not bulky whatsoever. You can then put the individual pans in the Pure Anada magnetic palette or your own (ex. Zpalette). I personally like that idea, however, some may not so keep that in mind when purchasing. On the plus side, their magnetic palette is quite compact which is great for travelling. It fits 1 cheek colour and 1 foundation, OR 1 cheek colour and 4 shadows, OR 8 shadows.

Cardboard Sleeve

Magnetic Palette

Bronzed Clove is a really pretty pigmented bronzed, almost copper shade. I haven't played much with it on my cheeks and I can't see it being the best of contour shades, however, I have used it as a shadow and love it all over the lid and in the crease. My lids are oily and so it doesn't wear that long without a primer. I will try wearing Bronzed Clove on my cheeks while on vacation and report back on longevity. If you're a bronzed cheek gal, I think you'll really love this! If you're not, then there's 6 other beautiful shades to choose from. Totally eyeing Day Lily, just saying.

These pressed shadows are so pretty and I'm in love with the shades that I received. They're all demi-matte which "are a combination of opaque matte minerals and luminous satin mica", have great pigmentation, are buttery soft, and apply like a dream. Whisper is a fantastic highlight and all over lid colour, I tend to wear this one most often because it just brightens up my eyes. Mirage is lovely all over the lid and as a crease colour. Blackberry is just beautiful! I mean, who doesn't love a rich, true purple? I enjoy wearing this on my lash line for a pop of colour, in the crease, and to smoke out and tone down a smokey eye. Onyx isn't as pigmented as the others, however, I do like to use it to set my liner (whenever I actually wear liner). Again, my lids are oily and therefore wear time isn't that long. With a primer it lasts pretty much all day (7 hours or so), without a primer it lasts maybe a couple of hours. Pressed shadows are my favourite because they're easy to travel with, less messy, can be easily applied with fingers or brushes, and can be stored in a palette (less clutter). I highly, highly recommend these affordable shadows and already have my eye on a couple more shades.

The Pressed Cheek Colour retails for $12 CAN,  Pressed Eye Colour retails for $8 CAN, & the reusable palette retails for $5 CAN. You can purchase them through Pure Anada, Serenity on the Humber Day Spa, and any one of their retailers.

Will you be trying any of Pure Anada's makeup? What would you like to try most?

Left, top to bottom: Bronzed Clove, Whisper, Mirage, Blackberry, & Onyx

Left, top to bottom: Bronzed Clove, Whisper, Mirage, Blackberry, & Onyx

Left to right: Bronzed Clove, Whisper, Mirage, Blackberry, & Onyx

Bottom to top: Bronzed Clove, Whisper, Mirage, Blackberry, & Onyx

Bottom to top: Bronzed Clove, Whisper, Mirage, Blackberry, & Onyx

Left to right: Bronzed Clove, Whisper, Mirage, Blackberry, & Onyx

Cheek Colour Ingredients: Mica (CI 77019), Iron Oxides (CI 77492, CI 77499) Calcium Carbonate, Caprylic Triglyceride *Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba seed oil) Ultramarines (CI 77007), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891) * Certified Organic Ingredient

Eye Colour Ingredients: Mica (CI 77019), Iron Oxides (CI 77492, CI 77499) Calcium Carbonate, Caprylic Triglyceride *Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba seed oil) Ultramarines (CI 77007), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891) * Certified Organic Ingredient

*Product sent for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Sappho Cosmetics Single Pressed Shadows + Blush Review

My plan to write several Sappho reviews, in a row, failed miserably. I already did a review of their fabulous concealers back in June, go read that one first :). There's long been debates (in my head) about whether loose shadow is better than pressed. Personally, pressed is just way more convenient and easier to travel with. Grab and go people, that's what I like. I was pretty excited to see that JoAnn had sent me a customizable palette with several shades of her pressed shadows + a vegan blush.

Bottom L to R: Norma (gold), Turtle (pale pink), Raven (black), Beckitt (green), Chloe (pewter), & TUTZ (blush)

Description

Norma: This soft hilighted gold eyeshadow pairs beautifully with our new deep plum shade Patricia. Use as a lid color  or under brow accent. Subtle and sexy.

Turtle: This mixed pink ivory eyeshadow can augment any makeup

Raven: Raven is a deep pigmented black with the slightest touch of dark blue. Used wet as a liner or dry as a shadow or liner this color is a must for every kit.

Beckitt: Light and airy greens are one of this season's biggest trend. Beckitt is a gorgeous  shimmery sparkly green that looks great against sun kissed skin in the summer and looks festive in the winter.

Chloe: This satiny pewter shade is fantastic for day makeup, and especially great if you want a smoky eye that is not harsh but adds just the right amount of drama to make a statement!

TUTZ Pressed Blush: Introducing our new VEGAN TUTZ BLUSH. Bring light and life to your face with this soft pink blush with a slight blue undertone! To create this blush, various amounts of carefully selected inorganic minerals are ground together, then mixed with almond oil and pressed into a cake. These minerals are of the highest quality and therefore have great depth of pigment, colour and tone.

I'm going to start with the customizable palette, it's alright. It's not the best quality, but I do enjoy the transparent cover that allows me to see what's in it. It also closes pretty tightly, which means that I don't have to worry about it opening while traveling. Is it something that I would drop more than a few bucks on? No. I can appreciate that it's available though, instead of assuming that everyone has a magnetic customizable palette at home. 

Now, the shadows themselves are really nice and their descriptions describe them perfectly...except Raven. I do find they vary in pigmentation intensity though, they're not all amazing across the board. They apply very smoothly given that they feel ever so slightly chalky, they can be built up, and are easy to blend. I'm not sure how long they wear because shadows don't last very long on me, unless I'm using a primer like Urban Decay or Tarte. TUTZ is a vegan blush that is soooooo, so pretty! It's a plumy pink that can be worn with so many different looks, sheered out for a wash of colour or built up for a more dramatic cheek. It also applies really smoothly and is easy to blend.

L to R: Norma, Turtle, & Raven

L to R: Beckitt, Chloe, & TUTZ

My absolute favourite shades, from this palette, are Norma and Chloe which pair beautifully together or alone. Chloe is a stunning pewter shade that I've never seen before and it's the most pigmented of all the shades. Turtle is nice as a wash of colour to neutralize any lid discolourations and it's matte, perfect for lazy days. It would also be perfect for mature women that don't like to wear much makeup. My mom really likes the way Turtle looks on her. Raven was disappointing for me, it's not very pigmented at all. I basically had to build it up below so that you could actually see it. I think this batch might be a dud because it can't even be used wet. I do sometimes apply it on the upper lash line, over liner, just to help the liner last longer. Beckitt is a very pretty shimmering green that I very rarely wear on my lower lash line for a pop of colour. If you love to wear colour, Beckitt would be a perfect shade to start with because it truly is a stunning green. 

All in all, I think both the shadows and blush are worth checking out if you want to treat yourself. Chloe is one that is a must in my collection now. 

Retails for a steep $20 CAN/shadow and $24 CAN/blush.  You can purchase them from Sappho Cosmetics or one of their many retailers across Canada.

Have you ever tried Sappho's pressed shadows? Which shade appeals to you more?

L to R: Norma, Turtle, Raven, Beckitt, Chloe & TUTZ

Ingredients

Norma: Mica, Laurly lysine, Capryl/Capric Triglyceride , Zinc stearate, Zinc oxide. Certified organic Simmondsia Chensis (jojoba oil), Certified organic Argania Spinosa kernel oil.

May contain =/- iron oxides, (CI 77489, CI 77492, CI 77499) Titanium dioxide ( CI 77891) Manganese violet ( CI77742) Ultramarines ( CI77707), Ferric ferrocyanide ( CI77790) Tin oxide ( 77861)

Turtle: Mica, Laurly lysine, Capryl/Capric Triglyceride , Zinc stearate, Zinc oxide. Certified organic Simmondsia Chensis (jojoba oil), Certified organic Argania Spinosa kernel oil.

May contain =/- iron oxides, (CI 77489, CI 77492, CI 77499) Titanium dioxide ( CI 77891)Manganese violet ( CI77742) Ultramarines ( CI77707), Ferric ferrocyanide ( CI77790) Tin oxide ( 77861)

Raven: Mica, Laurly lysine, Capryl/Capric Triglyceride , Zinc stearate, Zinc oxide. Certified organic Simmondsia Chensis (jojoba oil), Certified organic Argania Spinosa kernel oil.

May contain =/- iron oxides, (CI 77489, CI 77492, CI 77499) Titanium dioxide ( CI 77891) Manganese violet ( CI77742) Ultramarines ( CI77707), Ferric ferrocyanide ( CI77790) Tin oxide ( 77861)

Beckitt: Mica, Laurly lysine, Capryl/Capric Triglyceride , Zinc stearate, Zinc oxide. Certified organic Simmondsia Chensis (jojoba oil), Certified organic Argania Spinosa kernel oil.

May contain =/- iron oxides, (CI 77489, CI 77492, CI 77499) Titanium dioxide ( CI 77891) Manganese violet ( CI77742) Ultramarines ( CI77707), Ferric ferrocyanide ( CI77790) Tin oxide ( 77861)

Chloe: Mica, Laurly lysine, Capryl/Capric Triglyceride , Zinc stearate, Zinc oxide. Certified organic Simmondsia Chensis (jojoba oil), Certified organic Argania Spinosa kernel oil

May contain =/- iron oxides, (CI 77489, CI 77492, CI 77499) Titanium dioxide ( CI 77891) Manganese violet ( CI77742) Ultramarines ( CI77707), Ferric ferrocyanide ( CI77790) Tin oxide ( 77861)

TUTZ Pressed Blush: MICA,LAUROYL LYSINE,CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDE,ZINC STEARATE,ZINC OXIDE, SIMMONDSIA CHINENSIS ( certified organic JOJOBA) OIL), Certified organic ARGAN OIl (ARGANIA SPINOSA KERNEL OIL).MAY CONTAIN +/-:IRON OXIDES (CI 77489, CI 77491, CI 77492,CI77499)TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891)ULTRAMARINES (CI 77007)

*These were sent to me by Sappho for my honest review.

Blogiversary: Pure+Simple Giveaway! (CLOSED)

A year already? Where does the time go!? My first blog post was on May 13, 2012, I'm a tad late but HAPPY BIRTHDAY to ME...to my blog? Umm, maybe just a happy birthday will suffice. It's been a fun year of growing, learning, experimenting, and (virtually and personally) meeting some amazing bloggers and companies. I very much appreciate all of the support and kind words that I've received, over the last year, and would like to thank you with a giveaway!

I've teamed up with Pure+Simple to share with you a couple of my favourite products from this fantastic company. The winner will get a Face Colour in Glow, which is my absolute favourite blush of life, and a Calming Cucumber Mask. With Summer around the corner, the mask will be especially cooling after a day of fun in the sun!

This giveaway is open internationally, yippee, and you must enter using Rafflecopter below. Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

The winner is S. Montoya. I had a few issues with Rafflecopter, that's why her name isn't displayed above.  Congrats Sara! 

**A big thank you to Pure+Simple for this giveaway

The All Natural Face Haul #2 + First Impressions + Mini Reviews

The wonderful Caitie, from Naturalla Beauty, had posted on her Facebook page about a fab deal for The All Natural Face from yourbestdeals.com. The deal was $19 for $50 worth of product. Luckily she did because otherwise I would have missed out! Thanks Caitie!

My first ANF haul was pretty exciting. Imagine how much more exciting this haul was for me since I got to try more products! Soooo exciting...until...I received my order. The colours of what I received were just such a let down and you're about to see what I mean.

I'm going to start with the lipstick sampler which comes with five shades of choice, one clear and a lip scrub. I opted out of the scrub because it contains salicylic acid which doesn't react well with my skin. The five shades that I selected were Deep Wine, Sweet Wine, Juicy Plum, Sweetheart Pink and Cherries Jubilee. I ended up receiving two samples of Deep Wine and none of Sweet Wine. Mistakes happen. I was more disappointed to discover that they weren't what I expected in terms of shade, two look the same and one looks more like a gloss (and I'm not talking about the clear sample). They feel more like a gloss than a lipstick and have an odd plastic taste. I tried applying them with a brush and my finger, and they applied better with my finger which is how they were applied with in the pictures below. I doubt I'll be using these samples or purchasing full sizes because the taste honestly makes me gag a little and the shades aren't flattering on me except the Sweetheart Pink.

L TO R: Deep Wine, Sweetheart Pink, Cherries Jubilee & Juicy Plum. Notice how Deep Wine & Cherries Jubilee look the same?



Juicy Plum - not pigmented on the lips at all. Felt like oil being rubbed on my lips.

Deep Wine

Cherries Jubilee



Sweetheart Pink

I then picked up the Diva Eye Stix in Milk and Fawn. Bri, from iluvjesse444, has raved about the stix in Milk for highlighting the inner corners of the eyes and brow bone. How could I not pick it up if she loves it so much!? I really enjoy it! It's creamy and creates a very nice brightening effect, however, be careful with how much you apply. My skin is a bit dry and it clinged to the dry patches on my brow bone the first time that I used it. The second time I used less and it was beautiful. Lesson learnt lol. Fawn on the other hand, isn't nearly as creamy and I found I have to warm it up on the back of my hand before applying it otherwise it tugs at the delicate eye area. All in all, I'm pleased.

Top to Bottom: Milk & Fawn. Better swatch will be below.

Bri also raved about the Magic Vegan Eye Shadow Primer. I originally picked up the Oily Lid Primer which was so disappointing and creased horribly. The Magic Primer is amazing! I've only used is a couple of times but it didn't crease and helped my shadows last. I wouldn't say it lasts ALL day, like Urban Decay's Primer Potion, but it's fantastic for being a natural and vegan primer.

I love lip gloss and thought I might as well try one from the ANF. After spending a very long time going through all of the pictures and descriptions of each gloss to pick a colour that I thought would be great, I decided on Sassy Cherry. Huge mistake. When I think Cherry, I think a beautiful berry shade. Imagine my disappointment when I opened up this gloss and saw how brown it was and to make matters worse, it has the same plastic taste as the lipsticks. The smell/taste doesn't go away, it lingers and that a problem for me because I honestly can't handle it. It looks like a chocolate shade and just looks awful on me. I will not be using this gloss and I won't be trying other shades due to the scent. Perhaps of a little peppermint was added, I would give a different shade a try.

Better swatch will be below.

Here is a swatch of Sassy Cherry Lip Glss (top left corner) and the Diva Stix in Milk & Fawn

My last haul, I picked up the pot cream foundation in True Beige which was too dark for me. This haul, I picked up the same foundation but in Light Beige Warm which matches me much better. I haven't really played with this much so I don't have much to say about it. It's creamy, that's all I got :P

Last but not least, I picked up three cream blushes because they are beyond amazing! It was hard selecting shades, because again, they appear different than what's on the site. I decided on Dusky Rose, Barbie & Touch of Rose. I knew what to expect with Dusky Rose and Barbie because there's a picture of them on TANF cream blush section, however, Touch of Rose was disappointing. It's lighter than what I expected seeing the powdered version. I find it to be more of a bronzey, pink highlight. I'm not thrilled with it, that's for sure. Barbie is really pretty, not as pigmented as the other cream blushes but definitely buildable. Dusky rose is really pretty as well, it blends out to give you a nice "touch of rose" look or you can build it to get a darker rose appearance.

Sorry they're dirty, I swatched them the second I got them and they're hard to clean.
L to R: Dusky Rose, Barbie & Touch of Rose

L to R: Touch of Rose, Barbie & Dusky Rose

I lied, cream blushes weren't last. I got three eye shadow samples in Smolder, Raw Steel and Creme Brulee. I was disappointed with Smolder, it's not as pigmented as I expected. Raw Steel is really pretty, thought it would be darker but it's not bad. Creme Brulee is my favouriteeee! So shimmery and just a great neutral champagne type shade for everyday wear.

This was so much longer than I expected but it's great to see swatches to help you decide what to order, should you choose to order from The All Natural Face. Their products, for the most part, are wonderful and their pricing can't be beat but they need to get up pictures of all of their cream product shades and better pictures/swatches of their lip shades.

What are you most excited to order from The All Natural Face?

The All Natural Face Review

I did a haul and first impressions last month and have played around with every item for a good period of time to come to a conclusion. This is going to be short and sweet; basically a description, verdict and ingredients. To see actual swatches, just click on the link above. Also, I have placed another order since this once and received it but I'm waiting to hear back from Crystal on a few issues I had before putting up another haul.

Here we go!



Description Pot Foundation/Concealer in True Beige: With the new formula you won't lose any of the coverage but the application is much creamier and feels just wonderful! The foundation can be used as a concealer or as a foundation. You get fantastic coverage with this formula!

Verdict: The formula is definitely creamy but the colour doesn't match me at all. I thought maybe I could mix it with the Oily Lid Primer to make my own shade but that was too much effort and didn't work well. Regardless, it didn't seem to cover much or last long but that could be because the colour is off. It is darker than I expected after seeing the powdered version. I did order a new one in my shade and will review that soon.

Ingredients: organic jojoba oil, organic argan oil,candelillia wax, mica, oxides, tuitanium dioxide and zinc oxide(sunscreens). $6.50 USD for 10g.



L to R: Cotton Candy & Peachy Rose

Description Cream Blush: They are sooo smooth on the lips and the color payoff is phenomenal! Our customers ohh and ahhh at the blend ability on the cheeks...but once on the lips...they yell GIMMIE!

Verdict: I am obsessed with these! They blend so easily, are creamy, pigmented and look great on my cheeks and lips! They hold up pretty well throughout the day. My biggest issue with these is that the shades don't translate to the shades you see in the powdered versions online. I was definitely thrown off when I received these, luckily I ended up loving them.

Ingredients: Organic Jojoba Oil, Organic Argan Oil, Candelilia Wax, Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Boron Nitride, Oxides. $5.75 USD.

Vegan Oily Lid Primer in Buff: It stays on forever! I developed this exclusively for oily eyelids but you dont have to have oily lids for this to work if you just want to use it for the buff color. It is not made with drying ingredients so it will not dry out your lids.

Verdict: Save your money, it creases. I tried applying this over Tarte's eye primer and it creased. I have a mini Tarte eye primer which I use if I'm going out because it makes my shadow last all day, but didn't work with this. I tried applying it over an oil absorbing powder, it creased. I applied a little and I applied more, it creased. No matter how much, little or way it was applied, it creased! Such a shame because it works great for neutralizing the lids. I attempted to use this as a concealer on my face, and thought it was a good match at first, but it's a tad light.

Ingredients: Organic Jojoba Oil, Organic Argan Oil, Candelilia Wax, Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, Boron Nitride, Oxides. $3.45 USD for 5g.

I love how affordable and natural all of these products are. The cream blushes are so worth picking up but I warn you now, be careful with colour selection when looking at the powdered blushes.

What are you loving from The All Natural Face?

The All Natural Face Haul + First Impressions!

I first heard of The All Natural Face from Bri (iluvjesse444) on YouTube. She has raved about all of the products that she has tried and I have visited their site regularly, eyeing what I'd like to buy first. I love that everything is so clean, natural, VEGAN and affordable. For those Canadian gals out there, shipping was under $4! How amazing is that!? Nothing turns me off more than paying a ridiculously high shipping fee. Crystal, from TANF, actually makes the products and stands by them 100%. She is incredibly sweet, eager to help and loves to ensure that her customer's are fully happy with their products. Aside from colour selection, I had no hesitation placing my first order.

Here's what I picked up!

L to R: Pot Foundation/concealer in True Beige,
Cream Blush in Cotton Candy and Peachy Rose,
and the Vegan Oily Lid Primer in Buff

Pot Foundation/Concealer in True Beige: This is a creamy and medium coverage concealer. I actually applied it under my eyes to see how much it would cover and how much it would crease, it worked pretty well. It definitely needs to be set with a powder but it didn't crease much. Sadly, the colour is too dark for me but at $6.50 USD for 10g, I'm not going to cry about it. I will be ordering another shade and possibly a pink shade for use under my eyes.

Cream Blush in Cotton Candy: Bri didn't lie, their cream blushes are fantastic! The colour of this one shocked me a bit because it has a strong purple tone to it but looks beautiful on. It's creamy, pigmented and long lasting.

Cream Blush in Peachy Rose: Beautiful colour and I love it as much as Cotton Candy. It's definitely peachy!  Both colours can be sheered out for a wash of colour or built up for more intensity. These are $5.75 USD each and I will be buying more for sure!

Vegan Oily Lid Primer in Buff: This shade is a good match for my skin. It sadly creases on me no matter how much or little I use. I have deep set eyes though, that's probably why I'm more prone to creasing. I'm still playing with it but I think I may end up just using it as a concealer. It was only $3.45 USD.

Crystal also included a mini sample of an eyeshadow and a sampler of all the foundation and concealers shades available. I thought that was fantastic because it now allows me to pick my actual shade and easily order what I need.

L to R: Cream Blush in Cotton Candy,
Cream Blush in Peachy Rose,
Pot Foundation/concealer in True Beige,
and Primer in Buff

L to R: Cream Blush in Cotton Candy,
Cream Blush in Peachy Rose,
Pot Foundation/concealer in True Beige,
and Primer in Buff

What's your favourite product from The All Natural Face? If you haven't tried them yet, what's on your wish list?

Cheeky Cosmetics Samples!

I've been on a makeup kick lately, I want to play around with more natural makeup products and attempt "face of the day" posts. There are so many great companies that provide natural/organic makeup, however, I like to find Canadian brands to support because it's always nice to support local businesses and the economy. 

In my search for natural makeup, I came across Cheeky Cosmetics.  Cheeky Cosmetics is a Canadian brand, that was started by Chantal, and has everything you need for a beautiful makeup look.  You can purchase samples of all of the powder products for $1 and lipstick/gloss for $1.50.  I recently lost my Stila In The Light Palette so I thought I'd grab a bunch of shadow samples since I officially have no eye shadow.  Yup, no shadow.  How do you survive with no shadow? Ugh, it's so hard.

Here's what I picked up!

Top row from left to right, eye shadows in:

Cocoa - dark warm brown (matte)
Pebble - medium light taupe (shimmer)
Truffle - medium dark taupe (glow)
Midnight - dark navy (glow)

Second row from left to right, eye shadows in:

Aubergine - deep eggplant (glow)
Desert Rose - soft, natural rose (shimmer)
Pink Champagne - sheer pink beige (sparkle)
Silk - light beige shimmer (shimmer)

Third row from left to right:

Blush in Cheeky - bright, fresh pink and Flirt - soft, rosy pink
Foundation in Light
Lip gloss in Siren - rich deep berry
Lipstick in Ambrosia - soft, light rose

Here are swatches of all of them in the same order listed above

I haven't used any of the products yet since I literally received them today, however, I will be trying them tomorrow.  From the swatches, I really like cocoa, pebble, truffle, midnight and desert rose the most.  I'm not sure how I feel about the blushes, foundation and lip products though.  We'll see when I try them!

Have you tried Cheeky Cosmetics before?