LA Girl Cruelty Free BB Cream

As the weather gets warmer I like to go lighter on the base. I put aside heavier coverage products and pull out something that makes my skin look a little bit more even but still able to breath. I don't mind my imperfections peeking through. My all time favourite base that fits these criteria is the Armani Luminescence CC Bright Moisturiser SPF 35. However, I wanted to find a more reasonably priced alternative. That is when I bumped into LA Girl Pro BB Cream and I have been using it religiously ever since.

La Girl Pro BB Creams

La Girl is an affordable US based brand that offers a variety of makeup products. I have previously raved about their concealers. If you are curious you can give it a read here. These Pro BB Creams are cruelty free, paraben free and fragrance free. They come in a variety of shades ranging from fair to dark. I am sure you can find one suitable for yourself. I initially picked up the Natural one but it ended up being slightly too dark, so I placed another order for the Light version. Now that I have a little bit more colour I like to mix the two together. They have one variant in between Light and Natural which is the Light Medium and I am guessing that one is probably an ideal match for me. I am an NC25-30 in MAC for reference. 

L-R: La Girl Pro BB Cream in Light and Natural

The consistency of these BB Creams is very pleasant. It is not too thick nor runny. It blends in easily and you can apply it with your fingers or a buffing brush. If I am in a hurry I just slap it on with my fingers and I am out of the door. It offers a light coverage but it is buildable. It will not cover imperfections, scaring or discolouration. I would suggest using a concealer for those areas. This BB cream provides a satin finish. I like to set it with a powder in any case, just because I have combination skin.  It wears beautifully through the day and you don't feel like you have anything on your face. In about 5 hours I would need to touch up with powder or blotting papers since I do get oily, but that happens with any foundation, bb cream or cc cream. 

The best part about this product besides everything else I mentioned is that it's affordable. It retails for 5,50$ and you get 30ml of product. I purchased mine from BeautyJoint. The only downside and a big bummer is that it does not have an SPF factor. I always apply a separate SPF or a moisturiser with an SPF regardless, so it is not really a deal breaker for me. But I can understand how it can be for some people. Although, if you are going somewhere where you will be photographed it is a good choice. The flash will not reflect off you as bad and cause a stark white face, which usually happens when you wear a base with high SPF. 

Overall I think this is a great product. It is moisturising, evens out skin tone and is good for those days when you can't be arsed to do the whole makeup shebang. If it is crucial for your base to have an SPF protection, I would naturally suggest skipping this one. 

Do you have any suggestions for an affordable light weight BB or CC creams with SPF? I would love to know!

Cheers,
Muffy

Kiehl's Lip Balm #1 vs Lush Honey Trap

Nobody likes the look and feel of dry lips. Lip balm is an essential product in anybody's everyday routine. Despite being such a staple, it is difficult to find one that actually works. Now I became even more picky as I want it to be cruelty free, paraben free and do it's job. Lately I have been testing out Kiehl's Lip Balm #1 and Lush's Honey Trap lip balm. If you want to hear my thoughts, then keep on reading!

Kiehl's Lip Balm #1 and Lush Honey Trap Lip Balm

Kiehl's lip balm comes in a squeeze tube which I think is a big plus, as you don't have to dip your finger to get the product out. You get 15ml of product, and it retails for 8,00€, which is reasonable. It doesn't have any distinguishable fragrance, but to me it is very reminiscent of vaseline scent. My biggest problem with this lip balm is the consistency. It is very slippery, it doesn't absorb into my lips and just pretty much sits on top of them. Hence, you are left with a glossy finish on your lips. The list of ingredients is not too impressive either. At the very top you get Petrolatum and a few natural ingredients appear at the end like the Aloe Leaf Extract. Kiehl's is considered a brand that tests on animals since its products are sold in China, which requires imported cosmetics be tested on animals.

Lush Honey Trap Lip Balm and Kiehl's Lip Balm #1 Packaging

Next up is the Honey Trap lip balm from Lush. Unlike Kiehl's lip balm it comes in a pot so you have to scoop the product out, which I am a little bit iffy about. It comes with 8g of product and is sold for 11,50€. I really like the consistency, it is very moisturising without feeling greasy. It gives your lips a slight sheen but nothing too glossy. I personally really like the scent, I can definitely pick up the notes of honey and vanilla. In term of ingredients it is packed with nourishing goodies like shea butter, almond oil, honey and extra virgin olive oil. It does contain Beeswax, so it is not suitable for vegans. But don't you despair, Lush also has a vegan version called None of Your Beesewax. It replaces beeswax with an extra virgin coconut oil and shea butter to give it a light texture and a slip. Among other ingredients are exotic mandarin oil, murumuru and cupuaçu butters. I don't own this one but I tried it at the store and I think I will be picking it up when I run out of the Honey Trap.

Overall my verdict is that Kiehl's lip balm #1 is an overrated vaseline with not so good ingredients. Honey Trap on the other hand
ticks all the boxes for me: it is cruelty free, paraben free and helps my dry lips. If you are looking to try a new lip balm, I say skip Kiehl's and check out Lush's Honey Trap instead! You can get it at your nearest Lush store or online. 

If you know of a good cruelty free, paraben free lip balm with an spf, let me know!

Cheers,
Muffy

LA Girl Cruelty Free Concealers

I am bringing to you a product that does not leave my makeup bag. Recently I stumbled upon a brand called LA Girl, which happens to offer concealers that cover dark circles and are also cruelty free. These are LA Girl Pro Conceal Concealers. As you can see from the pictures below these puppies are very well loved. LA Girl is a USA based company that offers a wide range of products. I have not tried anything else from their line, but I am tempted to pick up their Pro BB cream. 

LA Girl Pro Conceal Concealers

La Girl Pro Conceal comes in a vast array of colours ranging from fairest up to deeper skin tones. They have an assortment of 20 shades, which means there is a shade for everyone! Since I ordered these online, I was not sure which shade would be the right match for me. Thus I went ahead and picked up two colours: Natural and Creamy Beige. Natural is more of a pinkier tone while Creamy Beige leans more towards yellow / salmon. I use both interchangeably. Usually if I want more of a highlighted look, I go for Natural and if I want more of a subtle look I use Creamy Beige. For reference I have an olive complexion with warm undertones, and I am NC25-NC30 in MAC. 

R-L : LA Girl Pro Conceal in Natural and Creamy Beige

LA Girl Pro Conceal Concealer's Applicator

These concealers have a very light texture and blend like a dream. Sometimes I use a brush to blend them out and other times I prefer to use my fingers. Either way works great. La Girl Pro Conceal does not crease on me. I usually set it with a powder (I use MAC Emphasize but any finely milled powder will do). I have tried a number of mass market concealers and all of them creased on me regardless if I set them with powder or not.

I like that it comes in a tube and has a brush-like applicator, which makes it easy to distribute the product. I will say that it might get a bit challenging and messy to squeeze the product out of the tube if you start pressing randomly. Just press from the end like you would with toothpaste to avoid said mess. You get 8g of product per tube.

I think these concealers are worth looking into if you are on a budget and want a product that complies with your ethical standards. I will surely be placing an order when I run out.

Shop for LA Girl Pro Conceal Concealers:

BeautyJoint - Worldwide shipping. Price is $2,99 plus additional shipping charges based on weight. You can toggle currency settings at the top right corner of the website to save yourself the trouble of manual conversion.

Ebay - Free international shipping. Price is $5,39. 

Cheers,
Muffy