Make me up not down!

So, about a month ago I decided to start switching over all of my non-natural makeup. This was probably the hardest thing to switch because I must say I am addicted to my MAC pretty hardcore Makeup is something that we let sit on our face most of the day so I decided it was time to go green and slowly start switching things out.

I started doing research online about organic or nearly organic makeup. I wanted something that really worked and didn't cost an arm and a leg. I mean the cheaper the better right? So, what I found was Alima Pure. The reviews we're pretty awesome, the ingredients were great, and the health hazard score was less than a 2. Which if you don't know what that means..it means it has low to no hazardous chemicals in it.
( Skin Deep Health Hazard Database ) Here's the link. You can see how safe your cosmetics really are.

I wanted to order some, but being as it's online I didn't know what color mineral foundation to get. So lucky for me they have this huge diagram online where you can go to kind of guess what your correct shade would be. They also have samples that you can order for only $1.50! I mean how smart is that? So many times I want to buy new makeup, but I have no idea the correct shade, so I guess...and if it's wrong, I paid too much for the wrong color and it all goes to waste. But, with Alima Pure there's no more of that! I ordered 4 different foundations for $1.50 each and found the perfect one for me-- Beige 4. Not to mention these little samples probably will last you a week. so it's a week of makeup for $1.50.. not bad.

Okay, so on to the quality of the makeup... This makeup is top notch..no lie. I actually like it better than my MAC! I never expected that believe me. Alima stays on all day and I don't have to reapply. One thing to do is to make sure your face is moisturized before you put it on because it's like a powder. It goes on like a powder but covers like a foundation..and not in that "yucky, too thick, I can see your makeup kind of way" It's very natural but does some serious coverage. My skin looks and feels like a porcelain doll...except with a little more tan to it. I also noticed that my skin felt like it could breathe and actually cleared up a little bit from just a few days of using this. I don't know if it was a coincidence or not, but my skin even looked better without any makeup.

Now to the price...uh oh what's the damage? Actually it's cheaper than most cosmetic counters at your local Macy's or Sephora. The foundation is only $22 for a full size one and I'm guessing it will last me a long long time..but, I don't wear makeup every day..I probably wear it every other day. I just like to let my skin breathe...although, with this new makeup it might not be necessary.

So, to me Alima Pure is the way to go. Even at drugstores it's not likely that you can find a foundation for less than $12. Not to mention, drugstore foundation probably would tear your skin apart and clog those pores. But I encourage everyone to do their own research and find out what works for them. I'm hooked on Alima Pure not only because they ship free samples of blush or eyeshadow with every order, but because they're affordable, and most importantly clean. I can feel good about putting this makeup on my face.

Alima Pure Website


Good luck on your endeavors!!

Natural Deodorant vs. Aluminum Deodorant

I wanted to write a little bit about deodorant. The underarm stench remover that we got to learn about in late elementary school. When middle school hits, we were all wearing it and we all knew the kids that didn't. It's like magic. One minute you are an awkward middle school kid that smells... well awkward. The next, boom you're the popular kid that has the magic secret---deodorant. But did anyone ever think to look at the ingredients of what your putting on your body? Or why you all of a sudden stop smelling and sweating? I never did...not until recently, but I'm glad I did.

A little info on deodorant- Most of the  main brands contains Aluminum Zirconium... Aluminum! What?  So I'm putting shards of metal into my armpits? Well, not exactly. But you might as well.

What Aluminum Zirconium does is blocks toxins (sweat) from escaping the armpit. So if it blocks the release of toxins where do the toxins go? Well since they can't be released, toxins start to accumulate and build in the lymph nodes near the breast. This is not good. We need to release bad things from our body and when certain products start blocking the release of those things... well I can tell you one thing, it's definitely not healthy.

One study shows a link between breast cancer, shaving, and deodorant. Researchers interviewed over 400 breast cancer survivors about when they started shaving and when they started using deodorant. The women who developed breast cancer at a younger age were the women who started shaving and using deodorant before they were 16. The ones who started shaving and using deodorant at an older age developed breast cancer at a later stage of life. Although this study cannot for sure say that the use of deodorant, especially directly after shaving, results in breast cancer, in my opinion it definitely shows a link between them.

There is also a link between deodorant and Alzheimer's disease. Deodorant and Alzheimer's link

Giving up my aluminum deodorant was one of the hardest things to change. Truth be told, most natural deodorants don't work as well as the Aluminum ones. I tried a few different ones but I found I had to reapply them multiple times a day and I'm not a person that sweats a lot. But if you are, I don't recommend using "Hugo-Naturals."  This deodorant was cheap at only $6 but didn't work at all. It also smelled very earthy and just not good. It's like it almost made me smell worse.

I decided then to splurge and buy a natural deodorant at Sephora. It had good reviews and I must say I'm impressed. It went on like a normal deodorant and it didn't stop me from sweating, but it absorbed any odor that came from the sweat. It worked wonderful for about 9 hours. After 9 hours or a full work day I noticed it wasn't as effective as before. But, if you reapply it, it will cover you again for 8 or 9 hours. It's called "Lavanila" they have different smells but I prefer the lavender vanilla smelling one. It's also $18, not cheap, but it works and so far it's lasted me 2 months and looks like it could go another 4 or 5 more. Lavanila Laboratories at Sephora

I could go on and on and write more studies about aluminum zirconium deodorant, but instead I'll leave it at this. Aluminum Zirconium is bad news. It's very natural to sweat. Sweating gets rid of nasty toxins and it cools us. If there are natural alternatives that work almost as well, then what's the point? Why risk your health and your life for the sake of a few bucks?

Coconut Oil!

I just received my coconut oil package today and I am pumped! I slathered it on my face, body, and hair for 10 minutes before taking a shower. It smells sooo good, feels luxurious, and was only $6 on Amazon! Yay! I can already tell the difference in my skin. My skin is usually dry after taking a shower but today was not the case. I didn't even need lotion, the coconut oil saturated my skin pretty good before taking a shower and only the oily residue rinsed off, leaving soft and supple skin. So far so good.

Some interesting research done on coconut oil....

* Coconut oil is said to be a great conditioner and can help in the regrowth/growth of hair
* It can also be a cure for lice and dandruff
* It is an excellent moisturizer for dry skin
* It is also said to help skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema, and fungal infections
* It has a ton of antioxidants and therefore is said to be a stress reliever,  weight loss helper, and a fighter of premature aging.
* Unlike vegetable oil coconut oil is actually good for the heart
* It's also been called the "fat that can make you thin"
* It's supposed to boost your energy level! woohoo :)* There was also a study done on SIDs in piglets and most of the time the piglets have a 50% survival rate but when they were given MCT which is found in coconut oil there survival rate zoomed to roughly 100%!
* It is said to be completely non-toxic to humans (unless of course you are allergic to coconuts!)

There are also a lot of other benefits- these are just a few key ones.
I'll let you know if this miracle oil is what it's cracked up to be :)

The beginning...

Over the last year or so I started to notice that my once youthful glow was gone, my once shiny hair looked dull, and my energy was zapped. What happened? I was only 26! I had recently gotten married, moved to California from China, and was about to begin a whole new career. So I started to buy new shampoos, new makeup, and the face lotions that promise to restore that "youthful glow". I started exercising more and I must admit that helped my energy a little. But no matter what new miracle products I bought and used nothing was working. I even tried some "natural" products thought to be less harmful for your skin, but those products actually performed worse than the non-natural ones, so I stopped using.

Then about a month ago after I had all but given up I went to Borders. As sad as it is that Borders is closing I was happy to partake in the awesome deals they had on books. So, not even thinking about my beauty regimen I stumbled across this book. " No More Dirty Looks"- O'Connor & Spunt. And I must admit it changed my thinking so much so that it changed my complexion, my hair, and my energy level.

This book was a wake-up call and a stepping stone in the journey that I am currently on into the world of clean beauty. While I do love this book, this blog is in no way an endorsement for it. This blog is just a journal of my experiences and struggles, and what really works (at least for me) and why.