Review: Beauty Bar Baby

No parabens, sulfates, talc, preservatives, fragrances, dyes or fillers.  Almost 400 items to choose from.  Various sizes and prices on products with 5 gram shadow pots as low as $3... I could go on and on and all of these rave reviews are about one shop offering cruelty-free and vegan makeup: Beauty Bar Baby.  I was in awe over the variety and, of course, purchased plenty for sampling.  I've split the review into two parts, eyes and lips.  I have so many lovely photos to share, let's get to it!

The Eyes:

BBB offers an overwhelming range of shades and formulas from duo chromes to glitters to matte finish eye shadows. Below are some swatches for your viewing pleasure:

From left to right, $3 each for 5 gram pots: 'Lectric Pink (glitter) over Sephora's glitter primer, Enchantress (matte) on bare skin, Santa's Suit (duo chrome) on bare skin, and That's Really Bananas! (duo chrome) on bare skin. 

The glitter, like other formulas, does not adhere to skin without some type of primer or adhesive.  Beauty Bar Baby's is a bit different, however.  It appears to be a glitter/pigment hybrid so you're getting an extra bump in color with the glitz of your traditional glitter. 

The above is an eye look utilizing the 'Lectric Pink glitter.  It is far more sparkly in person; it's tough to capture glitter in a photograph.

Enchantress is a lovely, gray based lilac.  Santa's Suit is my favorite of the bunch, a red/gold/green shift with more sparkle then most duo chromes I've come across in the market.  That's Really Banana's is a true yellow to iridescent shift that is surprisingly wearable.  I used it in the look below:

The Lips:

Under the luscious lips category, BBB offers more formulas than colors, and that's just fine by me.  I had to have a lip balm in Pumpkin Spice ($2.75); it's smooth and silky and the fragrance is the finest I have come across in handmade lip balms.  Below are swatches of the lipstick and Lip Potions I got my hands on:

From top to bottom ($6 each): Unicorn Kisses lipstick in Princess Candace, Lip Potion in Stroke of Midnight, and Lip Potion in Ritualistic.  Below are some swatches on the lips for another look at these goodies:

A look using Princess Candace semi-matte lipstick.  This stuff is like butter!  It is smooth and opaque and is the consistency of melted lipstick in a tube.  It is best applied with a brush even though packaged in a lip balm tube.  If you want opaque coverage that is mostly a matte finish without all the dryness, this is the formula for you. 

Above is Stroke of Midnight.  It is packaged in a 5 gram pot and requires a brush to apply it.  It is a very thick, very pigmented gloss texture that can work as a sheer wash of color, or become opaque with a heavier application.  It's a glossy finish, as well.  Same applies for Ritualistic, below:

The Pros:

Everything was priced below $10, and at just $3 for eye shadow pots, you can afford some fun, fashion forward colors you may otherwise pass up if you're on a budget.  The eye shadows - particularly the duo chromes - have more sparkle to them then I am accustom to and I love them.  They are absolutely beautiful and I have found no sparkle to compare as yet.  Princess Candace, from the Unicorn Kisses collection, feels amazing on and that is rare for matte finish lipsticks.  I am terribly impressed with the Lip Potions too, as you can wear them in many different ways.  I swatched them heavily in the photos, but they can be used as a light gloss, or added to a lip balm, the possibilities are endless.  

The Cons:

If you plan on achieving full coverage with the Lip Potions, you'll likely need a similarly colored base lipstick or it can look splotchy.  Without lip liner, the Lip Potions also tend to bleed.  It takes some doing, but they're wonderful and easy to use if you apply a sheer coat.  

Bonus Information:

Overall, I am very pleased with everything I purchased and, if you are reading this now (September 23, 2014) I urge you to rush on over to Beauty Bar Baby's shop because the seller is offering a limited edition Halloween collection!  It is available for pre-order now and is $23 and filled with tons of goodies.  Did I mention it is packaged in an adorable wooden coffin?  I know I'm excited about it!

Review: My Beauty Addiction Cosmetics

I have a tiny obsession with lipstick, stains, glosses, etc.  I find lip cosmetics a simple way to update your look in a flash.  In my never ending search for fun and fabulous lip colors, I am always pleased when I stumble upon cruelty-free brands that offer various formulas and tons of color options.  I was delighted to find 5-year-old handmade brand MBA Cosmetics.  With over 600 items to choose from including eye shadow, body products and, of course, lipsticks galore, I was sold.  Lip sticks and glazes range from $4.75 to $7.50 - how affordable!  Not to mention bundle specials (5 for $20 on Sugar Babies? Yes, please!).

As pictured above, I purchased the Whipped Soap Souffle in "Hello Sugar," Petite Lip Paint in "Burlesque," and Sugar Babies in "Breathless."  The "Passionfruit" loose shadow was a freebie sample.  The souffle is the consistency of room temperature butter, all creamy and smooth.  The first two ingredients, glycerin and almond oil, are incredibly moisturizing and leave skin feeling soft even without a separate moisturizer.  Delicious!  But onto the cosmetics...

The HD lip paints are described as being the most highly pigmented lipsticks of the bunch.  Velvety smooth and hydrating, they offer superb, opaque coverage with a semi-matte finish.  The photo above is "Burlesque" and was taken in natural light, no flash and no filtering or editing has been done.

The Pros:

This little tube is packed with pigment and feels wonderfully smooth on the lips - no dry out!  I got wonderful coverage from just one coat and didn't feel the need for a lip liner.  There are so many colors to choose from; novelty colors like brilliant green and banana yellow, and nudes and pinks galore.  There are also various forms of the lip paint.  You can purchase the same formula in a tube or in a pot for application with a brush.  Depending on what you choose, prices range from under $5 to $7.50.  For the price, this is a must have.

The Cons:

The main issue for this lipstick is staying power.  Because this is a very hydrating formula, you may not get the longest lasting wear without a lip primer.  If cutesy packaging is a must for you, this very functional brand may not initially catch your eye - however, it appears from some of the photos on the seller's site that the packaging may be getting an upgrade to sleeker black tubes.

The aptly named Sugar Babies apply like a gloss but deliver the pigmentation of a lipstick.  They smell like a sugary vanilla cupcake and offer a shiny, non-sticky finish.  The photo above is "Breathless" and was taken in natural light, no flash and no filtering or editing has been done.  Depending on how the light hits it, it's a dark, stormy gray/blue/purple.

The Pros:

They smell sweet enough to eat and come in an amazing selection of colors.  Given the reasonable price tag, I wanted to try a color I'd never consider otherwise.  This jojoba oil based gloss is not sticky, yet delivers lots of shine.  This formula mixes easily with other lip glosses to boot!  At just $4.75 I could easily see myself stocking up on many of the colors available.  The coverage is quite impressive for a gloss, though not quite what I'd consider a liquid lipstick.

The Cons:

Again, don't let the simple packaging fool you - unless simple packaging just isn't doable for your personal collection.  This particular color, "Breathless," does temporarily stain my lips, but can be wiped away easily with makeup remover or plain old cleanser and water. 

If color and value are important to you, look no further than MBA Cosmetics.  I am quite sure I'll be placing another order in the near future. 

Tutorial: Neutral to Night Out

You already know how versatile makeup is.  You can easily go from a soft daytime look to something more dramatic for an evening out.  We all want to amp it up a bit for a night out on the town, but have you tried neutrals at night?  Neutral... The word doesn't exactly stir visions of sexy smoky eyes, but try this look out for yourself and you may just be pleasantly surprised. 

Step 1: Foundation 

Any good look begins with a good foundation.  I have seen my fair share of fashion magazines trying to convince women that "a dab" of concealer is all you need - false.  The reality is even supermodels wear a full face of foundation, or enjoy the glories of Photoshop.  Your skin produces oil naturally, and environmental factors can dry out your skin; all of this can be controlled by foundation.  Foundation suggestions?  LORAC Cococin' Cream Foundation, Bare Minerals Original Foundation, or The Body Shop's Oil-Free SPF 15 Foundation  

Step 2: Base Shadow

Once your foundation is set, select your eye shadow palette.  Since your eyes are the focal point of your face and, therefore, your makeup, starting there helps you build the total look.  Prime eyes with your favorite, pre-shadow primer.  My current favorite? NYX HD Eye Shadow Base (did I mention it is under $10? Bonus!).  

Select a shimmery neutral shade, something to add light to your eye without heavy glitter.  I'm loving Pacifica's Duo 1:

Swipe the lighter shade from the inner corner of your eye all the way along the brow bone, blending with a soft brush toward the outer corner.  Next, apply the darker shade across your eyelid.

Step 3: Eye Shadow

Any shade from copper to dark chocolate is in the "neutrals" family and can be a part of your nighttime look.  I chose two shades from Urban Decay's Mariposa Palette: Rockstar, a purple-based dark brown, and Gunmetal (don't forget to go to your Naked palettes for other choice shades).

Follow the crease of your eye - the space between your eyelid and your brow bone.  Blend Gunmetal along the crease of your eye and follow up with Rockstar around the outer 1/4 of your eye lid.  Remember to use a fluffy shadow blush to blend everything together.

Remember the shimmery neutrals you started with?  They'll help to make blending easier and give the entire look a glow.  Tip:  Note how I've applied the darker shade at an angle starting from the outer corner of my eye and angling up toward the end of my eyebrow.  This helps to give your eye a naturally lifted look.

Step 4: Liner, Mascara, Brows

No look can be complete without a swipe of eyeliner and mascara.  Urban Decay's 24-7 eye pencils are soft and smudge-able, making it more difficult to mess up a smoky eye liner.  Simply drag the pencil along your upper lid, staying close to your lashes.  Use your fingertip or an eyeshadow sponge to gently smudge the liner.  Next, add your favorite mascara.  Start at the root of your eyelashes and wiggle the brush upward to the tip of lashes. Don't forget to comb your brows and set them with a brow gel (colored or clear depending upon your preference).

 

Step 5: Bronzer

A woman who loves her makeup cannot live without a matte bronzer.  These beautiful creatures add color and are perfect for contouring.  Too much shimmer in a bronzer can draw attention to enlarged pores and fine lines whereas a matte bronzer draws attention to your cheekbones.  I'm loving Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer.  Suck in your cheeks and find the angle of your cheekbones.  Brush your matte bronzer along this angle, which is below the apple of your cheeks (the apple is that wonderful, pinch-able part of your cheek that is front and center when you smile).  Blend upward toward your hairline.

Step 6: Lips

Apply a neutral gloss or shimmery lipstick in a neutral shade.  I used Impulse Cosmetics (see my review on these lipsticks) Opaque Matte Lipstick in Ever After.  Voila!  Your look is complete!

All of the angles you added will give you a quick face lift and add subtle sheen that won't age you.  You can experiment with the shades you already used and lighten your hand for daytime.  Now, bust out your favorite neutrals and get your night started.