Acquired Aesthetics: Nature of Beauty (Plus 15% Off Discount Code!)
Finally: after much trepidation and a little help from my friends at Nature of Beauty, I got the chance to try all natural makeup.
As most of you know, I have rosacea, which means that along with all the usual makeup issues – clumping mascara, smearing eyeshadow, lipstick in the “I’m almost thirty” creases around my lips – I also have to make sure my base (or foundation) gives me decent coverage without being cakey or thick. I also like to keep my daytime makeup as natural-looking as possible (or, if I can manage it, not wear makeup at all) but with a day job is at a “professional office” and a penchant for lookin’ extra pretty, I like to wear something on a day-to-day basis.
The good people over at the Nature of Beauty heard about my natural makeup concerns and decided to make the process easier by sending me some free samples of three of their products: Logona Tinted Day Cream, Couleur Caramel Mascara, and Couleur Caramel Eyeshadow.
First thing’s first: these three products are the only things I’m wearing in this photo (and the one below). No concealer, no powder, no eye liner, no lipstick. (Okay, Burts Bees chapstick, but that’s it.) The only editing I’ve done is to fix the general lighting; I haven’t removed a single blemish or stray hair, or gone crazy with the contrast. Just me and the makeup.
Logona Tinted Day Cream
Because I’m prone to oiliness, Nature of Beauty sent me the matte version of their Logona Tinted Day Cream, which comes in both Beige Gold and and Golden Bronze. (Girls with dry or combination skin should go for the non-matte version.) It freaked me out at first, because it smells nothing like normal tinted moisturizers, but that’s because it’s completely natural: almond oil, jojoba, and cocoa butter keep it smooth, calendula extract balances the skin, and natural Vitamin E heals and protects. (Even the perfumes are all natural essential oils.)
Logona Tinted Day Cream: $16 for 30ml.
Old product: Clinique Moisture Sheer Tint: $27 for 40ml…and NOT natural.
Verdict: Logona is all natural and cheaper, even with shipping. Win-win.
Couleur Caramel Eyeshadow
Okay, bloggers, help me out here: how the hell do you photograph eyeshadow accurately? I didn’t skimp with this, and yet the photographs I took don’t do it a bit of justice. Nature of Beauty sent me four of the above shades: Pearly Golden Sand, Pearly Coppered Brown, Pearly Red Brown and Matte Intense Brown. That’s three shimmery colors and a matte, all of which glide on really smoothly and blend surprisingly well, even with those tough-to-use sponge brushes that come in a typical compact. (However, I recommend you pick up an all-natural brush instead.)
I used the Matte Intense Brown to give my sparse eyebrows a little pop, and the color stuck like glue: no running, no creases (even in the fold of my lid) and no irritation.
Couleur Caramel Eyeshadow: $13.99 per shadow.
Old product: MAC: $14.50 each.
Verdict: All natural, no smudging, no holier-than-thou salesgirls pressuring me into buying brushes. Ahem.
Couleur Caramel Mascara
Out of everything Nature of Beauty sent me, my favorite is the Couleur Caramel Mascara. I got a clear snap of my lashes in the photo below, so you can see the application in as much detail as possible. It’s also the better shot of the Couleur Caramel eyeshadows, which are natural and subdued, but still sparkly, but the mascara is my real favorite here. Along with the aesthetic benefits (a thick first application without clumps or “spider lashes”), Couleur Caramel’s mascara made me realize that my old mascara (Maybeline Great Lash, “America’s #1 Mascara”) was causing my eyelashes to break off, and I didn’t even know it.
I didn’t realize the connection until I’d been using it for a week or so: not only had I gotten used to finding a tan mascara tube instead of the usual green and pink, as well as the thinner brush with tightly-packed bristles, but I’d also gotten used to seeing longer lashes in the mirror every morning.
That’s because non-natural mascaras can keep lashes from “breathing,” and cause them to dry out. Dry lashes equals brittle lashes, which equals broken lashes. (This is yet another reason to not leave your makeup on all night: the longer you wear mascara, the more likely your lashes are to break.) Though I can’t be certain my lashes are more durable than they were before – I didn’t measure them or anything – I do know that they appear longer, fuller and smoother than they did a month ago.
Couleur Caramel Mascara: $22.49.
Old product: Maybeline Great Lash Conditioning Mascara: $6.99.
Verdict: My lashes are longer and prettier, and I’m creeped out that I didn’t even notice them breaking. What do you think I’m going to use from now on? Price be damned.
Conclusion: Natural Makeup Is Awesome…and 15% Off.
So there you have it. I was really impressed with all three of these samples, and wanted to thank Nature of Beauty for their generosity, so I emailed them. It was at that point that Nature of Beauty got even more generous and offered to give my readers (that would be all of you) a 15% discount on anything in their store.* Not just the things I tried – though I highly recommend them – but anything, including makeup, skin care, hair care, men’s products, mom and baby products (including my favorite lotion and milk and oat bath by Erba Organics [review here]).
Just type AESTHETIC15 in the coupon section at checkout, and a 15% discount will be applied to your entire order.
…and don’t forget to make use of the “sample” section, while you’re at it.
*There’s one exception: Jane Iredale. Other than that, the discount is site-wide.
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[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Jen, Jen, Jen, The Demoiselles, Miss Elle and others. Miss Elle said: RT @craftyasparagus: Why yes: I did find mineral makeup that works – even mascara. (Plus, a 15% off discount code!) http://bit.ly/9EVSbb [...]
Absolutely love this review. I am a huge fan of mineral makeups and lately have been scoping out the all natural stuff (ala Burt’s Bees). If you can find a way to photo the eyeshadow I would definitely be interested in checking it out! <3
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