Product-analysis: YSL Rouge Volupte SPF 15 in Lingerie Pink

Perhaps I need an intervention; my obsession for beautiful containers has taken me to a new low. I bought a $34 lipstick that I know I can’t use. Does it make it less insane if I used a giftcard on it? I sure hope so. Otherwise, someone start Makeupholics Anonymous and sign me up.

I’ve known my lips to be allergic to chemical sunscreens since I was 11. Apparently, that fact was not enough to discourage me from lemming Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupte SPF 15. Raves for YSL Rouge Volupte have caught wild fire within the online beauty community. Everyone has been singing praises for its buttery texture, completely opaque coverage and unique formula. But never mind that, I was a fool looking up Youtube reviews on Rouge Volupte simply to catch glimpses of its beautiful lipstick case. A picture is worth a thousand words so I’ll show you just that. Hopefully that’ll suffice in communicating how stunningly gorgeous this lipstick is.

The case exudes such glamour, it’s sickening. I’m particularly smitten with the case for Lingerie Pink, which is the shade I purchased. The creamy bubblegum pink on the outer case matches the lipstick color and it is such a stark contrast against the nearly gaudy gold case. I LOVE it! The Cherry on top is the dainty little mirror on top of the case cap. Going through the motions of whipping this baby out of my purse just oozes pure sass.

And of course I tried the lipstick- you think I’m going to acquire a $34 lipstick and not touch the lipstick? That’s crazy talk! Upon first swipe, my jaw dropped at its consistency: ultra-creamy, ultra-plush and ultra-opaque. It was like the lipstick had well-oiled wheels underneath; it glided on effortlessly. The pale cream pink looks great when swatched but it showed a lot of white on my lips, despite my having pale, cool-toned Asian skin. The coverage was more opaque than many concealers I’ve seen, it was insane.

Lingerie Pink is perhaps the most reviewed color on the internet. To be honest, the shade looked mostly unflattering because it was overused and abused. Even so, I can see why it’s popular. The shade has zero shimmer and looks absolutely beautiful when it’s sheered out and worn strategically. I dotted on a tiny bit of lip stain unto the center of my lips and applied this very lightly to my outer lips (where you would wear lipliners) and blended the lines. I’ve never liked wearing lipsticks because I just don’t understand the concept of it. It always looks so made-up and unflattering. But this shade somehow defines and brightens lips without looking artificial. It’s a very strange effect coming from this synthetic shade of pink, but I like it.
So now I’m starting to like this $34 lipstick that I’m allergic to- great. It’s launched this lipstick kick I’m in, I just want to find the same shimmer-free shade but in a less artificial formula. It’d be nice if the formula is long-lasting too. Any recommendations for me?

Here’s my disclaimer: I write extremely researched reviews after extensive, self-conducted testing. I do not review products I dislike; it's a waste of time and typing skills. This review contains a product I purchased. I was not paid to write this review. My first priority is to my readers; company gratis does not guarantee placement. Affiliate and non-affiliate links are provided to inform readers of where to purchase products. All in all, you can be sure that items seen on my website are the very few products that qualify for recommendation after rigorous testing.

Farmgirl beauty secret #18: Rosewater.

This multi-purpose beauty product is available everywhere and it’s a must-have for every beauty arsenal.

Transform cakey foundation and powder into makeup that looks like second skin. Lightly mist face with Rosewater, let it dry for 5 seconds. Cover and lightly touch face with a sheet of tissue for 2-3 seconds to redistribute and set makeup.

For a fresh, glowy décolleté that lasts: mist Rosewater on neck, chest & shoulders and follow with a light application of coconut oil. Try this on your legs too!

Dull, lifeless hair? Spritz locks with rose water (avoid the roots) to revive hair.

Dry mouth and bad breath? Rosewater quickly doubles as a breath cleanser when you’re in a pinch. The subtly floral scent does wonders at counteracting bad breath.

Rosewater is also extremely gentle on skin, keep a small bottle of it in your purse or at the office and use as a refreshing facial mist, breath freshener and aromatherapy!

Here’s my disclaimer: I write extremely researched reviews after extensive, self-conducted testing. I do not review products I dislike; it's a waste of time and typing skills. This review contains a product I purchased. I was not paid to write this review. My first priority is to my readers; company gratis does not guarantee placement. Affiliate and non-affiliate links are provided to inform readers of where to purchase products. All in all, you can be sure that items seen on my website are the very few products that qualify for recommendation after rigorous testing.

Farmgirl Beauty Secret #64: Using charcoal supplement as a detoxifying scalp treatment.

For those who purchased the Activated Charcoal supplement recommended in Farmgirl Beauty Secret #61, another great way to take advantage of this clarifying and detoxifying supplement is to use it as a scalp treatment! If you have oily, irritated or dandruff-prone scalp, Activated Charcoal is a godsend. Simply open capsule by pulling the 2 ends of capsule apart and pour content on dry scalp. Massage the charcoal powder into scalp and leave on for atleast 10 minutes (or for as long as you can withstand it. It’s not uncomfortable, your scalp just looks black!). Shampoo and condition as usual. Whenever I do this treatment, I am left with squeaky clean hair and AWESOME volume at the roots. It’s also oddly satisfying to see the charcoal tint rinse out of my hair and down the drain. Those with dark hair can also use charcoal powder as a dry shampoo when you massage a tiny bit onto scalp and brush hair to distribute. For those with light hair colors who are using this as a pre-shampoo scalp treatment, start by using only a portion of the capsule to make sure the residue isn't so intensive that it darkens your hair (any residue you see is temporary, which can be removed by a more thorough cleansing/conditioning process).

I got inspiration for this when I was given a sample of an expensive Japanese charcoal shampoo. While it did contain “charcoal extract” and I enjoyed the sample, the charcoal ingredient wasn’t particularly high on the ingredient list and they added iron oxides to give the shampoo that dramatic, glossy black shade (this tells me they skimped on the charcoal). By using the Activated Charcoal supplement, the cleansing and volumizing effect was dramatically increased, and at a fraction of the cost to boot! This treatment also turns any shampoo into a clarifying shampoo, so there’s one less bottle in the shower to clutter space.


Here’s my disclaimer: I write extremely researched reviews after extensive, self-conducted testing. I do not review products I dislike; it's a waste of time and typing skills. This review contains products I purchased. I was not paid to write this review. My first priority is to my readers; company gratis does not guarantee placement. Affiliate and non-affiliate links are provided to inform readers of where to purchase products. All in all, you can be sure that items seen on my website are the very few products that qualify for recommendation after rigorous testing.

Product-analysis: 100% Pure Cocoa Pigmented Bronzer + Farmgirl Beauty Secret #84

As discriminating as I am with ingredients, I have a perpetual soft spot for products housed in gorgeous containers. I’ve fell victim to the lure of beautiful packaging more times than I’d like to admit, having purchased beauty products solely for its outward appearance. Shallow? Yes. Ignorant? Blissfully! Now if only natural/green beauty companies would start realizing how desirable beautiful packaging is to the average makeup addict, I wouldn’t have to be so shallow and ignorant, now would I?! Imagine having the best of both worlds: acquiring a stunning compact that opens to reveal makeup that is good and nutritious for your skin. That is exactly what I found with 100% Pure Cocoa Pigmented Bronzer. Check it out, the ingredient list reads nearly like a chocolate fondue:

Cocoa Powder, Cocoa Butter, Powdered Pigments of Cacao, Apricot, Peach, Pomegranate, Blackberry, Raspberry, Coffee, Papaya, Tomato, Black Tea and Acai, Vitamin E (a-tocopherol), Lavender Flower Powder, Rosehip Oil, Avocado Butter, Mica (natural mineral shimmer), Vitamin A (a-palmitate), Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)

Since reading about the antioxidant benefits of cacao, I’ve been looking for a skincare treatment that contains this delicious ingredient. Before discovering this bronzer, I attempted to make my own chocolate bronzer by further pulverizing cocoa powder in a blender (Where do I come up with this stuff?!). My homemade concoction didn’t work out too well. It just didn’t adhere to the skin smoothly and looked, yes, like I’ve smeared cocoa powder on my face. This bronzer, on the other hand, provided a soft kiss of color that glided on like velvet (I apply with their Cruelty-free Kabuki Brush that is made of baby-soft (and animal-free) hair). The powder itself is matte but there a miniscule amount of shimmer particles throughout the matte powder. All in all, this is a great bronzer with natural ingredients. To think I can reap the benefits of chocolate in this decadent bronzer makes the beautiful compact an extra perk. I would happily use this even if it wasn’t housed in such a gorgeous metallic maroon-chocolate mirrored compact. But since it does, I can skip that thought and proceed with the ogling. This is the only beautiful compact I own that travels well as it is extremely sturdy and well made. I would absolutely go gaga if they housed all of their powder and solid-cream products in this case!

Farmgirl Beauty Secret # 84: Avoid the ingredients Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide in bronzers and contour powders. This nifty bronzer also doubles as an excellent contour powder since it comes in subtle shades that are not orange-based and the 2 darkers shades are deep enough to contour with. Most importantly, it doesn’t contain Titanium Dioxide or Zinc Oxide. These are great sunblocking mineral ingredients but they also give a white, opaque appearance to the skin, especially when there’s a camera flash involved (ever wonder why your foundation look whiter in photographs?). Anyone who has taken art class in school knows that dark colors recede while light colors highlight and bring forward. For this reason, having Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide in bronzers and contour powders is quite the contradiction, in my opinion. By avoiding these ingredients in bronzers and contour powders, you’ll find that you can bronze/contour with much less product. The sunkissed look you achieve will look more natural and less made up, especially in front of the camera.


Here’s my disclaimer: I write extremely researched reviews after extensive, self-conducted testing. I do not review products I dislike; it's a waste of time and typing skills. This review contains gratis sent by company due to interest in feedbacks. My first priority is to my readers; company gratis does not guarantee placement. Affiliate and non-affiliate links are provided to inform readers of where to purchase products. All in all, you can be sure that items seen on my website are the very few products that qualify for recommendation after rigorous testing.