Hey gals--as you know, I've recently tried out Alice Cosmetics (check out my review here), an indie mineral makeup company. They've offered to provide THREE prizes to my followers! Use the rafflecopter form below to enter the giveaway. :) 21 Comments  Jen Lancaster is my favorite author. She's hilarious without being obscene (that's hard to find these days!). I've read several of her memoirs, and was actually laughing out loud at times. My fiancé thought I was going crazy. I lent a few friends my copy of Bitter is the New Black, and we've all gotten hooked. Since then, we've bought and traded the rest of her books ad well (and I totally developed a girl crush on her). We were really excited to hear that Jen would be in the area promoting her newest book, Jeneration X. We hit up happy hour and then staked out sime seats at Barnes and Nobles for the signing. Jen was awesome. She's just as funny in person as she is in her books! And she even humored me and wrote in my book that I'm her new new best friend. If you haven't read her books, you should. Really. Who's your favorite author? Have you met them?
 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:
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. Bonus points if you laughed at my Parks and Rec reference!!! :) But really, I need more of this beer as soon as possible. It's Rogue brewery's Voodoo Doughnut Bacon Maple Ale. A little sweet, a little smoky and super delicious. And it comes in an AWESOME pink bottle. *swoon*  Have you tried this yet? Do you want to? I went snowboarding on Sunday and finally felt like I was getting the hang of it again! I hadn't been since middle school, but my fiance and I got spring season passes, and this was our fourth time up together. I'm somewhat accident prone and did something bad to my thumb and to my arm already (pulled muscles or something) in addition to the expected bruises and stuff, but I felt less frustrated this last trip. 
The bad news is that I caught my little boy's tummy bug and felt terrible enough to leave work early today. I don't usually get this kind of sick and I really didn't want to have all of my work pile up, but man, I felt like a little kid again. I just wanted to lie in bed and not do anything, even though it was a gorgeous day. And I had to eat plain foods like toast and bananas and rice. Apparently a bunch of crud has been going around, so I'm not super surprised but I HATE BEING SICK. Somehow, I usually manage to stay healthy.  I kind of wish I had an awesome sister with whom I could co-found a makeup business... And while I don’t have any sisters, I can live vicariously through the founders of SweetPea & Fay, Katrina and Amanda. This duo created a 100% natural, hand-crafted makeup line using their knowledge as a licensed skin care therapist and as a makeup artist. Their focus is on professional quality makeup that’s affordable and free of harmful ingredients, as well as being cruelty free. SweetPea & Fay Mineral Eyeshadow $4.99 for 1.0 gram Ingredients: Mica, sericite, titanium dioxide, iron oxide, tin oxide Shades: Granny Panties-nude/sand with golden/silver shimmer when wet Pandimonium-mint green when dry, green patina with golden shimmer Chupacabra-shimmery darkened taupe when dry, chocolate brown with bronze when wet I love that there are swatches of every shade of eye shadow on their website! It's really helpful, especially for mineral eye shadows, which tend to be more variable than regular eye shadows when comparing the appearance of the product in the pan/jar to the swatch. They're really affordable and pretty decent in terms of texture and pigmentation. For me, they have pretty standard length of wear, and with a primer they last all day. I like that these shadows come in a sifter jar--that makes them slightly less messy compared to other mineral shadow. Lipgloss +Spandex: 
SweetPea & Fay Lip Balm $4.99 for 1.0 gram Ingredients: Beeswax, Caruba wax, extra virgin olive oil, mica, french vanilla flavor oil, stevia, titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, tin oxide Shades: Crop Circles-orangey tan cream Ghost of Petra-hot pink creme Apparition-soft pearl pink with shimmer These are great tinted lip balms. They have a faint vanilla scent and come in clear plastic mini tubes--all details that I like. Crop Circles really didn't look good on me, and Apparition was a touch frosty for my skin tone, but I loooooove Ghost of Petra. The color is gorgeous and can easily be built up by layering on the balm, and it also leaves your lips with a nice stain. The price is pretty good as well. Lipgloss + Spandex rating:   SweetPea & Fay also carries loose mineral powder foundation, liquid lipstick, and lip gloss.  
I'm superrrrr excited, because the editors over at New Beauty magazine asked me if they could use the pictures and parts of my Revitalash review on We Heart This in the Spring/Summer issue of New Beauty. Stef, Tyna and I were incredibly excited about this opportunity, but I didn't want to get my hopes up until I actually SAW that I'd made it into the print edition. Here I am!!! 
I'm on the website too! (at the very bottom). 
Ok, so it's not a HUGE thing, but when you're an up-and-coming beauty blogger, it's pretty exciting. :) 
Cruelty free and vegan International shipping Discounts for makeup artists Free shipping over $50 
Medusa's Makeup Eye Dust $7.00 for 1.5 grams "This is Medusa's Make-Up most inspiring product. People can not get enough of it! This Eye Dust is truly an amazing mineral eye shadow in the form of fine loose powder, think powdered sugar. This all natural mineral eye dust is by far the best in the industry. It glides on the skin like silk and wears well all day long. Each color carries it's own characteristics, some shimmer, sparkle, some have iridescence and many are highly pigmented. Apply "Stick It" for dramatic effect. Can be applied to eyes, lips & face." Ingredients: Titanium Dioxide, Mica, Iron Oxide.
Medusa's Makeup Eye Dust comes in 48 gorgeous colors, in every color of the rainbow. I tried out two shades--Counterfeit, which is a shimmery sea foam green or like an iridescent insect wing, and Mary Jane, a lovely shade of olive. They are so incredibly pretty to look at, especially when applied wet! The texture is just beautifully smooth, and the pigmentation is wonderful. These pigments do a good job lasting all day long, whether used as shadow or eyeliner (I always use eye primer though). I feel that these colors are really unique. They're quite affordable, and are comparably priced to MAC's pigment per gram, but you can buy smaller quantities, which I prefer. My only complaint is that a sifter is not included, but it can be purchased on their website. I'm a little clumsy and spilled a little pigment in the sink a few times :( But I can't get over how pretty the colors are! Because I really enjoyed the Eye Dust, I think I'd like to try the Medusa's Makeup Pressed Shadows next (24 shades, $8.00 for 2 grams). Lipgloss+Spandex rating: 
Medusa's Makeup Lip Gloss $8.00 for 0.25 fl oz. Buy all 12 shades for only $29.00! (limited time offer) "This rich and luxurious gloss glides on smooth and moisturizes your kisser. We have also added delicious flavors for each of our vibrant 12 shades." Ingredients: Silica, Polybutene, Microcrystalline Wax, Octyl Palmitate, Methylaraben, Propylparaben, Paraffinum Liquidum,Butylated Hyclroxy, Fragrance, Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxide.
I tested out Temptation, which they describe as a deep eggplant, but I feel is more like a brick/berry red with multi colored iridescent microglitter. The pigmentation is versatile--this gloss can be built up a little or it can be sheered out. There is a faint grape scent that I don't mind. The texture is nice and smooth, and it feels really good on my lips. Medusa's Makeup lip gloss is actually quite moisturizing, even after the color has worn off. I like the cute packaging--the pink lightning bolt on the handle is awesome, and the big doe foot applicator makes it easy to apply. It's also affordable. I do wish there were a greater color selection, and there's just a tiny something in the formula that's missing, but I can't figure out what it is. Still, it's a really good gloss. 
About Concrete Minerals: “Hellbent to create sexy, richly-pigmented mineral makeup that's not only healthy, but reminds us why being a girl is badass! We should never feel burdened by makeup, we should cherish the opportunity to play with it! CM products are bold, sexy and unique, just like the girls who love us! Concrete Minerals products contain no nonsense, commonly referred to as Parabens, Fragrances, Nano-particles, Bismuth Oxychloride, Talc or other cheap fillers.” Additionally, there’s no animal testing, 98% of products are vegan and clearly marked. And while I don’t usually order products I can’t test out, Concrete Minerals has US flat rate shipping $2.99 for orders under $50 and FREE shipping over $50, and 100% satisfaction guarantee within 14 days of purchase. They even have international shipping! Concrete Minerals Sexy Lips Lip Tint $5.99 for 0.15 oz (4.25 grams) About: "All Sexy Lips lip tints are 100% vegan! While not scented or flavored, each lip tint includes a hint of fresh peppermint! Lip tints are buildable -- apply lightly to moisturize and tint lips or to further increase color intensity, apply multiple coats. Use caution with kisses, all lip tints containing dyes may potentially stain!" INGREDIENTS: Ricinus communis (castor) seed oil, cannabis sativa (hemp) seed oil, euphorbia cerifera (candelilla) wax, theobroma cacao (cocoa) seed butter, mentha piperita (peppermint) essential oil, tocopherol (vitamin e), rosmarius officinalis (rosemary) essential oil MAY CONTAIN: Mica, titanium dioxide, iron oxide, tin oxide, D&C Red #6, D&C Red #7, D&C Red #27, D&C Red #40, FD&C Blue #1, FD&C Yellow #5 Review: I tested out Rocket, which I would describe as hot pink with superfine microglitter. The color is definitely bright, but can be worn lightly for a less bold look, or layered on til it’s quite bright. Even so, it was forgiving when I applied it without a mirror. It has a nice faint peppermint scent that I really like. It definitely will leave a stain on your lips, but it stains evenly, much better than other tinted lip balms that I’ve tried. It’s not as moisturizing as a regular lip balm, but for a tinted balm, it does a good job. I also like that it’s a regular sized tube of balm (instead of the skinny kind). Pros: -Awesome color selection -Inexpensive -Feels good on lips -Cute packagin Cons: -None! Swatches: 
Honestly, this is one of my most favorite tinted lip balms ever. The price is right, and the product is fabulous. I will definitely be repurchasing these, and I’ll be giving them to friends as gifts too! L+G rating: 
About Concrete Minerals: “Hellbent to create sexy, richly-pigmented mineral makeup that's not only healthy, but reminds us why being a girl is badass! We should never feel burdened by makeup, we should cherish the opportunity to play with it! CM products are bold, sexy and unique, just like the girls who love us! Concrete Minerals products contain no nonsense, commonly referred to as Parabens, Fragrances, Nano-particles, Bismuth Oxychloride, Talc or other cheap fillers.” Additionally, there’s no animal testing, 98% of products are vegan and clearly marked. And while I don’t usually order products I can’t test out, Concrete Minerals has US flat rate shipping $2.99 for orders under $50 and FREE shipping over $50, and 100% satisfaction guarantee within 14 days of purchase. They even have international shipping! Concrete Minerals Eyeshadow $6.99 for 0.05 oz (1.5 grams) About: "Try applying mineral eyeshadow with a dampened brush for a more dramatic look (perfect for creating a smoky-eye effect). To further increase color intensity, try first applying an eyeshadow primer. All mineral eyeshadows can also be applied wet as a liner!" I got to test out four awesome shades: Jezebel, Troublemaker, Smut, and Revolver. Check out the swatches below (all of the swatches are on top of Concrete Minerals Electric Eye Primer--which I reviewed last week). Jezebel-(Shimmery purple) INGREDIENTS: Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxide, Tin Oxide, Boron Nitride
|  Hi, I'm Marilyn, and this is my blog! I'm a twenty-something living in the Pacific Northwest. I have an obsession with makeup, and sometimes I actually go to the gym, run, lift, or do yoga. I also write over at WeHeartThis.
 
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