BECCA Powder Foundation

For Valentines Day I was treated to a little BECCA. I’m so intrigued by this brand in general but I find the products to be a little pricey. From what I’ve seen where the brand is extremely strong is in their powders. I had pretty high hopes for this powder foundation.

BECCA Perfect Skin Mineral Powder Foundation – $48.00 CAD

I have the shade Shell and it’s a great match for me. It’s described as a fair beige with neutral undertones. The packaging is the same for all BECCA powders, super sturdy, ruberized and has quite a weight to it. The compact has a nice sized mirror on the inside. You get a little pouch for the compact which I don’t think I’ll ever use, and an equally useless sponge. I appreciate the thought but to me this is just unnecessary.

BECCA boasts that this powder is only filled with good ingredients, and doesn’t have any skin irritants like phenoxyethanol, oil, fragrance, alcohol, chemical dyes, talc, or other fillers. The consistency is really smooth, nicely pigmented and applies evenly.

I use this to set my foundation instead of a mineral foundation. It does have a nice coverage to it for a powder, however it’s nothing more than a light coverage, instead it does have a really nice blurring property. I could see just using this and a little concealer for a good skin day. The product has no scent, and keeps my skin mattified all day. I find I just need to apply it to my T-zone and any areas I’ve used concealer.

What I mostly love about this powder is that it doesn’t cake up at all. You can build the coverage and not look like you’ve applied a million layers of powder. It sits really nicely on the skin, doesn’t cling to dry patches – in fact it makes them appear better, all while looking very natural.

The only downside I can think of is the price. It’s extremely expensive for a powder that I feel as though I’m going through quickly. It’s a nice treat yourself kind of product.

Talk soon,

Xx Brianna

A Bit of a Rant

I’ve been mulling over this post for a few days, and it was actually spawned by looking up Nuxe’s animal testing policy. As someone who strictly purchases cruelty free personal care and cosmetic products, I almost always have my phone out when I’m at the drugstore or department store looking at make up.

I looked up Nuxe’s animal testing policy. While on their website they flat out say they do not test on animals and they comply with the European Union ban on animal testing (the company is based in France), external sources tell another story. I have found that you can never trust a company’s statement on animal testing (as proven by Bath and Body Works this year).

So I dug a little deeper and I found this blog post by the lovely Suzi, who reached out to Nuxe. In one reply she received, the first was completely generic, Nuxe states that while they regret the situation in China, they to sell in the market, as proven by having a Chinese website.

My gripe is this: you openly state that you and your suppliers don’t test on animals, you list off the alternative testing methods you use, and yet you lay down and let a country test on your behalf so you can make a buck. To me this kind of tactic that seems to be quite popular amongst cosmetic companies and is so brutal. For someone passively searching for a testing policy, the one on Nuxe’s website seems crystal clear, however it’s entirely untrue.

This also leads me to clarify my own stance on animal testing and what I personally consider to be cruelty free. There’s a bit of a variance on what people deem to be cruelty free, and the main issue seems to come from parent companies who test on animals owning cruelty free companies. This is a slippery slope when it comes to being cruelty free. Let me clarify with an example. Burt’s Bees itself does not test it’s finished products or ingredients on animals and is Leaping Bunny certified. Burt’s Bees, however, is owned by Clorox, a company that does conduct animal testing on it’s products and ingredients. So here’s the rub – do you buy from Burt’s Bees even though some of your money is going to end up in the pockets of Clorox?

This is a question of ethics. Do you avoid a company with a testing parent company because your money will ultimately end up funding these tests, OR do you reward a cruelty free company that has remained cruelty free after ownership changes? For me and what I’m personally comfortable with, I am ok with purchasing products from companies with testing parent companies. Here’s why:

The products and ingredients I have bought have not been tested on animals, have not caused animals any harm, and reward a company for being cruelty free. I have decided not to punish a company for wanting to expand their product’s reach through ownership, especially in the cases like Urban Decay, Burt’s Bees, and The Body Shop who have gone the extra mile and become Leaping Bunny Certified. Leaping Bunny is the gold standard for being cruelty free, and is very rigorous and costly to become certified. How is buying from a company owned by a testing parent company different than a company selling in China? Companies that sell in China sign over testing rights, passively allowing their products to be tested, unlike parent company owned brands.

I really encourage you to do some digging on your favorite companies’ testing policies and determine for yourself where you stand on animal testing. If you are not ok with parent companies, that’s fantastic, if you are, great. What I appreciate is that people care about animals and do not want to see them tortured needlessly.

Talk soon,

Xx Brianna

Diamonds

It’s insane to think about, but holiday season is upon us. Christmas is just around the corner, and I’ve seen holiday gift guides popping up on my YouTube subscriptions. To me, this is a little early, as exams start next week, but to each their own. I find the best way to get your make up look holiday ready is to throw some shimmer on it.

Sonia Kashuk Pearlescence Longwear Cream in Diamond – $8.99 CAD

If you’re like me, practically the entirety of your make up stash is matte. A little boost to your make up collection could be this cream shadow from Sonia Kashuk. I picked this up on a whim quite some time ago, but being stuck in a rut filled with matte eye shadows, I just recently got around to incorporating this into my make up looks.

This cream shadow comes in a tube with a doe foot applicator. The formula claims to be long wearing and nourishing to the skin. The formula is super smooth and easy to apply, and although there is shimmer in the formula, I don’t find it to be chunky or off putting.

I picked up the shade Diamond because I thought it would work great as a shimmery base for any look. There are 3 other shades in the range, Moonstone, Quartz, and Tiger’s Eye. All 3 of the other shades are much deeper. The shade diamond is a very true cool cream shade with white glitter.

The finish is most definitely a satin finish. There’s no crazy chunks of glitter here, and it’s definitely not a metallic finish. I find that when I use this as a base, and layer on matte shadows, it creates such a subtle yet pulled together look. One thing I would like to mention is that this cream shadow is tacky before it sets, so it’s important to wait until any tackyness goes away before you start applying powder shadows, otherwise things can get out of hand really quickly. There’s no creasing or budging once it does set.

In the photos above I have the Pearlescent Longwear Cream in Diamond all over the lid, and a medium brown powder shadow fanned through the crease. For the holidays, or any occasion where you want to add a little shine without going overboard, this is a fantastic addition to any collection.

Talk soon,

Xx Brianna