Priced from $2.50 to $5.90, Darling Girl Cosmetics are a very affordable way to try out a wide range of indie products--lip glosses, eye shadows, blushes and bronzers, lip balm, nail polishes, and more!  I really like that there are different sizing/packaging options--I was given a few sample baggies and a petit to test out. These are great for those new to indie products, as they have medium pigmentation (which is a little more forgiving), but good length of wear when combined with primer. Unlike some indie eyeshadows, these were decently pigmented even when used dry, but I found them a bit difficult to use as the colors got a little muddy and I found them a little harder to blend than my usual shadows. I love that there's no animal testing, and that there are swatches of every color product.

Lipgloss+Spandex rating:

Alima Pure is a company I’m really excited about. They have foundation, primer, concealer, bronzer, blush, eyeshadow, eyeliner, lip balm, and brushes that are vegan, cruelty-free, and free of irritants such as bismuth oxychloride. They’re so convinced you’ll love their product that Alima has a guarantee that you’ll love any full sized product that you purchase, or you can return it within 30 days. 

I’ve been wanting to try Alima products for awhile, since I’ve heard fabulous reviews about them on MakeupAlley, and they’ve been featured in Whole Living, Allure, Glamour, Nylon, Real Simple, Body+Soul, and other magazines. And when I found out that their company is in my hometown of Portland, Oregon, I was super stoked. I’ve got a lot of hometown pride. I was born and raised in the Pacifc Northwest (Portland/Vancouver) and it’s a pretty great place to live. Yeah, there is a lot of rain, a lot of hippies/protesters and a lot of all around weirdness. But it also has breweries, vinyards, shopping, scenery, outdoor activities, art, beaches, mountains and awesome indie companies, like Alice Cosmetics.

I was sent the Let Them Eat Cake collection. Unfortuantely, this particular limited edition collection is no longer available, but there are over 100 other eyeshadows to choose from, and they have new limited edition seasonal collections coming out all the time.

So let’s take a bite... I mean... a look.

“Created to take the heat, like the women who wear it. Heat and perspiration-resistant cosmetics that help improve your skins natural, healthy appearance."


I was really excited about the opportunity to test out rae cosmetics! They care about makeup and fitness too--it seems like so many people think those two interests are mutually exclusive, but it's nice to see that there are companies and consumers who love both.

rae cosmetics promises that their products won't smear, cake, or smudge, no matter what the weather, or what activity you're doing. Their ingredients are hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic, and cruelty-free. They use minimal product packaging to reduce waste, and they donate all of the proceeds from their Smartie lipgloss to Girlstart, a non-profit helping girls succeed in math, science, technology, and engineering. That's awesome. 

rae cosmetics sent me their tinted moisturizer, blush, and mascara to test out.

All too frequently, cosmetic companies promise unbelievably fabulous results. And I personally feel that major mineral makeup companies do this more than other types of makeup, and have built an empire based on partial truths and dissing traditional makeup. I appreciate that indie mineral makeup companies avoid this, and I REALLY appreciate that Alice Cosmetics actually addresses this issue head on. This is what they have to say:

• We promise not to make exaggerated claims about mineral makeup.
  
• We promise not to confuse cosmetics with a good skin care regimen.
  
• We promise to bring you the best formulations of mineral makeup on the market and the best new ways to apply it.
  
• We promise not to cut corners and compromise quality.
  
• We promise to avoid hype and hyperbole.
  
• We promise not to dazzle you with made-up words like redensify, bioactives, and mattifiers.
  
• And we promise not to overpromise!
  

Additionally, there’s no animal testing and they claim to have feather-light makeup that is water resistant, non-reactive, and safe for sensitive skin. Although sometimes I hesitate to order from online-only sellers, Alice Cosmetics has great customer service and a fantastic return policy. There’s $5.95 flat rate shipping on all orders, and you can return within 5 days for any reason that you’re dissatisfied (customer pays return postage, does not apply to samples). 

I tested out four eye shadow samples, and also a mineral veil sample. All of the samples come in mini sifter jars--I really like that their samples come in practical packaging, and have a good amount of product as well.