geoGIRL KOC (Kiss on Cheek) Cream Blush in Eco Pink and Eco Bronze

This post is VERY late, almost a year late. But I'm finally getting around to it. This is my review for the geoGIRL KOC (Kiss on Cheek) Cream Blushes, $5. I purchased Eco Pink (light baby pink with no shimmer) and Eco Bronze (reddish bronze with shimmer) shown below. Sorry some of the pics are a bit blurry! I purchased mine at Walmart but you can also find them online at Amazon, Drugstore.com, and other retailers.

 Eco Pink in tube.

 Eco Bronze in tube.

 Swatches L-R: Eco Pink, Eco Bronze

I chose these colors after looking at some pictures online, but was sort of guesstimating since screen settings may vary and the swatches on the packaging are not very accurate. Eco Pink was about the color I was expecting, and is a good every day color for me. Eco Bronze was much redder than I anticipated - I was hoping for a browner color I could use as a bronzer. I was disappointed that Eco Bronze wasn't the color I thought it would be, but I think the color will be good for contouring.

These blushes comes in a stick with the company name printed on the side and the color name labeled on the bottom. A plastic cap protects the product before it is opened for the first time. My stick of Eco Bronze actually popped out with the plastic cap, which I've heard is a common problem, but I pushed it back in and it hasn't fallen out since. Generally I like the stick applicator because it is so easy to use - I just dab some product on and blend.

 

Eco Pink packaging.

Eco Bronze with plastic cap.

I have included the product ingredients below. Main ingredients include castor seed oil, beeswax, candelilla wax and soybean oil. Because of the oil and wax base the blushes are smooth and creamy but they can feel a bit heavy on the cheeks. Almost like you put lip balm on your cheeks. Also because of the oil and wax bases, these babies caused some minor breakouts on my cheeks. I don't use them much for this reason, but I haven't gotten around to tossing them yet. Definitely not a re-purchase for me, but I'm glad I tried them.

My last complaint: You don't get much product with these, only 4 grams (about the same amount of product as the normal stick lip balm). The small amount of product accommodates the low price point, but next time I think I'll save my money for a bigger and better performing blush, even if it's more expensive.

Hope my review is interesting and/or helpful! Have a good week!

Green Beauty Blog Rating: *****

LEAP Organics

Recently I stumbled across LEAP Organics, a company which makes and sells organic soaps and skin care items. LEAP Organics is seriously committed to creating superior organic products in an eco-conscious way - all ingredients are organically and sustainably farmed and the business even runs on renewable energies! LEAP Organics products are cruelty-free and are not tested on animals. All of the products are vegan except for the lip balm, which contains beeswax. The prices are reasonable (from $3.49 for a lip balm to $16.99 for a face lotion) and 1% of the company's revenues are donated to non-profit environmental groups. The product packaging is gorgeous, not to mention fully recyclable or biodegradable. I love animals, so I was a fan right off the bat!

The soaps, body washes and lip balms all come in three scents:

-Lemongrass with Orange & Lime
-Lavender with Clove & Orange
-Eucalyptus with Mint & Anise

I'm most excited about the Lavender scent, but I would love to sniff them all.

Aren't these soaps beautiful? I can't believe they're only $5 each!

20% Off All Green & Natural Items at Drugstore.com

Popping my head out of the cave I've been hiding in to say, "Hi!!!". Also, in honor of Earth Day (April 22), Drugstore.com is offering 20% off all items in their green & natural department. As always, orders over $25 ship for free! I'm already filling up my cart...

P.S. While shopping around I ran across these and was almost knocked over by the burst of nostalgia. I love those fishy bottles :)

Beauty Origins

I was a late bloomer when it came to makeup. When I was 16 my Mom literally dragged me to the mall for my first makeup appointment (to be fair, she wasn't forcing me to wear makeup, but wanted me to at least give it a try). After wandering around the various beauty counters I chose Benefit for my first appointment. Some of my friends were already using Benefit products, and I appreciated the line's fun, girl-friendly approach to makeup. My Benefit makeup artist was fantastic - she recommended products that weren't intimidating to a first-time makeup user AND complimented my features and complexion! I used many of those products for years, and even have some in my makeup bag now! Just for kicks, below are the first makeup products I ever used.

Benefit Eyeshadow in Shimmy

Shimmy was a peachy bronze shimmer - an easy neutral for a new makeup user. The color really accentuated my green eyes and I ended up using every last bit of this shadow. This product has since been discontinued, but Benefit and many other companies make warm neutral shimmers that could be dupes.

 

Benefit Face Powder in Dandelion

Blush for dummies: This sheer pink powder was pretty much impossible to over-do, and I liked the way it brightened my complexion. I still have a box of it in my makeup bag!

Benefit The Gloss in Kiss Me

Kiss Me was a clear fuchsia gloss that smelled like strawberries and gave lips a light but noticeable tint. This cult favorite was re-released several times, and is now available in the form of Benefit's Ultra Shine lip gloss in Kiss You. From what I've heard Kiss You is slightly more pigmented that Kiss Me and contains a bit of shimmer. A mini size of Kiss You is available in Benefit's LE Ticket to Glossytown lip gloss set (6 glosses for $24) for those interested :)

Benefit Plush Mascara in Eggplant

The eggplant color of this mascara made my green eyes pop an the formula was great. I used this stuff for years before it was discontinued. Benefit now carries another purple mascara, BADgal Plum Mascara, which I find to be redder and brighter than the Plush Mascara in Eggplant. The BADgal mascara brush is also much larger, which some people may prefer. Personally I find the large brush to be a bit unwieldy, but maybe that's because I'm clumsy and accident-prone :P


So those are the origins of my makeup story! Do you have a story about your early makeup years you'd like to share? Are there any products from the early days that you still use, or were discontinued and you miss?

Lip du Jour

Lately my lip du jour has been a wash of geoGirl lipshine in Pomegranate over a layer of lip balm. After applying lip balm I smooth on a few layers of the geogirl Lipshine and then blend everything together with my finger. The result is a sheer, semi-matte tint that's bright but very wearable. This look is super easy and cheap to create - all you need is a good lip balm, which can be had for just a few bucks, plus the geoGirl lipshine, which retails for about $4.

I find that the geoGirl lipshines do best over a layer of lip balm as their thick, slightly waxy texture can cause product to get stuck on rough spots or settle into fine lines. Still, for their price they deliver good pigmentation, contain mostly natural ingredients, and come in mostly recyclable packaging.

No lip balm, no nothing!

1 layer lip balm + 2-3 layers geoGirl lipshine in Pomegranate

If anyone is curious, the lip balm I used for these pictures is Kiss My Face SPF 15 Lip Balm in Sliced Peach, which is one of my favorites.

Hope you enjoy! I'm trying to get more pictures of my mug up on this blog, and slowly work toward some Face of the Day posts. Time permitting, of course!