Talk About Cosmetics - Kosås Cosmetics (Part 2!)

In February I was lucky enough to get to try Kosås Cosmetics and when I shared my review (here) I told how in love with the line I was. Well, flash forward to today and I’m even more smitten with this beautiful range thanks to their four recently launched additions to the collection. Kosås  Cosmetics now has an all-star roster of eight easy to wear and ultra flattering lipsticks.

These eight MVLs (most valuable lipsticks) are made in small, handmade batches in Los Angeles, and are cruelty free and beautifully formulated to be creamy, yet weightless as well as hydrating, long-wearing and pretty much perfect; I mean these are seriously dreamy. I couldn’t have dreamed up a more perfect lipstick if I tried with all my might. Bonus, they smell (and taste) really nice!

My ridiculously sensitive and reactive lips are left nourished and feeling really moisturized. Each one of these magic little lip bullets feels like a really luxurious lip balm with a gorgeous color that will suit anyone and everyone. These are not your typical lipsticks and are very low maintenance, easy to apply and wear, and each shade does something really wonderful; somehow each shade is really wearable and looks great once applied. Each shade perks up my complexion and makes me look and feel perfectly put together without feeling like I’m over the top.

Stardust is described as a sheer neutral nude with pink and brown undertones with a hydrated finish. This is the perfect warm weather nude shade and I’ve been wearing it a lot with bronze tones for the perfect sun kissed look. This might be my perfect pinky nude shade and it has become my daily go-to! I’m not sure if this one or Rosewater is my ultimate favorite. It amps up my natural lips and makes them look plump and really healthy. Love it!

Thrillest is described as a full-coverage and semi-matte playful poppy red with a bright orange lean. This shade is so much fun! It’s perfect for summer because it’s vibrant, warm, and totally eye-catching. It’s a lot brighter than it appears on first glance and makes me look so perky and alive! I do like to sort of sheer it out a bit, though, since the color is so opaque.

Royal is described as a full-coverage and semi-matte warm, modern purple. The thought of purple on my lips has always scared me a bit and I thought I wouldn’t really like Royal very much. This shade, however, surprised me. It is a beautiful shade that looks sort of like a purple mauve once applied and I really like it!

Electra is described as a full-coverage and semi-matte luscious rasberry red with cool neutral undertones. This one is a boldly bright but wearable that looks super fun and flirty. I like to apply a thin layer of this particular lipstick and then blend it out with my finger for a softer stain-like look.

I am nothing short of impressed and head over heels in love with Kosås Cosmetics and all eight of their stunning shades. I reach for one of these square black tubes of luscious lipstick more than any other product and I can’t recommend them enough to you. I can promise you that you’ll love them just as much as I do, because there’s nothing in the formula or the shade range that isn’t lovable.

You can learn more about the brand by visiting their website. You can also find them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

(FTC: These products were sent to me for free for review consideration. I am not being compensated for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.) 

May Goodbeing Review + GIVEAWAY

So…. I’m not really in love with my May Goodbeing box. I know, sad. It’s okay, though, because it’s bound to happen at some point in time, right? Not every single person receiving a subscription box will be totally happy with it, but there is always the potential for the next box to be incredible.

I said this last month, too, but I’m not really sure how this box was customized based on my preferences. I can’t handle any smell and every single item, with the exception of the mascara (which I love!), has a pretty strong scent.

If you’re unfamiliar with Goodbeing here’s a quick breakdown – Goodbeing is a customizable subscription service with several different plans to choose from. You can purchase a subscription or a single box for yourself or as a gift for someone else. Depending on which plan you purchase you can pay as little as $18 for a subscription or $21 per box if you would prefer to pay as you go. Each month you will receive 4-5 trial-sized (and sometimes even full sized) products that have been selected for you based on your member profile. You get to tell Goodbeing exactly what you like and dislike in the in depth survey you are asked to fill out when you sign up. You can specify scents you like and dislike, particular shades of cosmetics you’re interested in, and what your skin is like.

You can also check out my past Goodbeing reviews by clicking on the month – December, January, February, March, and April.

This month I received:

Pacifica Dream Big Mascara

Province Apothecary Replenishing + Enhancing Eye Serum

Board & Batten Regenerating Steam - Herbal Facial with Vitamin E Serum

Green & Gorgeous Organics Lavender Dry Shampoo

Moondani Naturals Breath Spray

Pacifica actually sent me their Dream Big Mascara a couple of months ago (check out my review by clicking here) and it’s become my absolute favorite. This magical tube of mascara, alone, retails for $16. You have to try it for yourself. It’s good stuff!

As for everything else, it’s a no go for me. The Breath Spray will be going to my Dad. I can’t try anything else but that means each of these items will be going towards the next natural beauty bag giveaway that I host so it’s a win for you guys!

I’m going to try to fix my profile to hopefully get things I can fall in love with next month. 

If you're interested in signing up for Goodbeing you can click here to receive a free bonus item in your first box! If you want the chance to win a Goodbeing box use the Rafflecopter form below to enter. Open only to those of you in the US. All entries will be verified. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Talk About Cosmetics - Honeybee Gardens Truly Natural Lipstick in South Beach

Lipstick and I have a bond that runs pretty deep. Nothing makes a sick girl, which I am, or anyone, really, feel more put together than a swipe or two of a flattering shade of lipstick. There is something really special about lipstick and the brightening and uplifting effect that it has on the face.

We all have a go-to shade that makes us feel happy, healthy, and ready to take on the world and mine is coral. When I saw the three new gorgeous shades from Honeybee Gardens I fell hard for South Beach, a matte described as a bright coral with a red undertone, and knew I couldn’t live without it!

Okay, that’s dramatic, but I really wanted it and when I saw that Honeybee Gardens was looking for ambassadors I reached out to the company and was selected. If you’re not familiar with Honeybee Gardens you should head over to their website to learn more about the company and their offerings because their range is full of beautiful, healthy, and affordable products that are never tested on animals. This green brand is gaining popularity in the mainstream beauty world, as well, and can be found at big box stores like beauty giant Ulta and Target.

Let’s talk more about the South Beach shade of their line of creamy, dreamy, and easy to apply Truly NaturalLipsticks. For a cool $12.99 you’re getting a product that is luxurious and pigmented; seeming more like a premium product that’s a bit heavy on the bank account rather than one that retails for under $15. You’re also getting an all-star roster of good for you and good for the planet (vegan, too!) ingredients.

This lipstick glides on like a silky serum providing the lips with comfortable color that lasts and lasts. If you’ve been around Beautiful Basics for a while now you already know this but if you’re new here (welcome! I’m so happy to have you here!) I have ridiculously and highly reactive lips that don’t take kindly to many products but this particular lipstick is so gentle and hydrating that my lips sing a happy song and do a little dance once I apply it. Sorry, I got a little carried away there. To put it simply, my lips love this stuff and I love the beautiful color!

I’ve been in love with the Ilia Tinted Lip Conditioner in Shell Shock for a couple of years now but this little gem is a near perfect dupe at half the price!

You can find out more about Honeybee Gardens by clicking here. You can also find them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Check out the entire range of Truly Natural Lipstick and let me know which one is screaming your name! Do you have a signature shade or a lip color you naturally gravitate towards? Let me know!

(FTC: These products were sent to me for free for review consideration. I am not being compensated for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.)

Talk About Cosmetics - Ere Perez

Foundation is a difficult product for me to fall in love with. It’s not because I haven’t tried or that there aren’t any good ones out there, because there are, but more the fact that I don’t like covering my face with makeup. I’ve always been a fan of using concealer and applying it to the areas that need some coverage and keeping the rest of my skin bare and clean. I hate when it looks like I’m wearing a weird full coverage mask and I’ve always believed that doing it this way keeps skin looking younger and fresher than blending foundation over your entire face.

I’m excited to be able to tell you that I recently found a foundation that I actually like! I think it looks and feels fabulous on my skin and I’m a big fan! I’m talking about the Ere Perez Oat Milk Foundation and it’s incredibly weightless and smooth, but natural looking, formula. I seriously can’t feel this stuff on my skin!

It magically allows my skin to breathe while making my complexion look even and healthy. I would say that it has a light to medium coverage, depending on how you apply it – my preferred method is with a damp beauty blender, and it lasts a really long time with no uneven or patchy fading throughout the day. It has no scent and feels incredibly gentle, making it perfect for those of us with sensitivities. It’s not greasy in the least bit and has an almost waxy feeling that feels protective and nourishing. It does go on a bit dry and sets pretty fast so you need to work quickly and in small areas when blending out.

I have mostly dry skin, and a normal t-zone, but have found that it doesn’t cling to any dry patches or have any issues with shine breaking through after a few hours of wear. It doesn’t gather in my fine lines or accentuate my pores. It looks nice right away but I think it looks even better after it’s been on for a while. It actually makes my skin feel quite balanced. I don’t even need to powder it to set it. It seems to be completely transfer resistant.

I did have trouble picking a shade from the website and couldn’t decide between Light and Light-Medium. I went for light even though I’m not extremely fair and the shade seems pretty perfect and blends seamlessly into my skin. And I can always use bronzer to warm up my skin if I get a tan in the midst of summer.

Left: No Makeup
Right: Foundation done

Here are the color descriptions:

Light - for the fairest skins.

Light-Medium - for honey blondes, light-brunettes and light freckles.

Medium - for middle-of-the-spectrum skin. For those whose skin goes noticeably darker in summer, for olive and yellow-based skins.

Dark - for deep skin tones that are brown or caramel based.

I wasn’t totally sold on the idea of the Beautiful Beetroot Check and Lip Tint Joy and didn’t think I’d like it very much but was still curious. First of all, it smells like a natural version of cherry Twizzlers. If you’re familiar with my blog than you know that I like products to be unscented but I actually really, really love the way this smells (and tastes!).

It stains your lips with a (buildable) touch of color that lasts and lasts. It’s so easy to use thanks to the rollerball applicator but can also be used with a brush. It leaves my lips looking so flirty and cherry stained. I can already tell you this is going to be my go-to summer lippie. It does cling a bit to any dry skin on the lips but the formula itself is not drying or irritating at all. If you want some extra moisture you can easily apply a lip balm over top since it’s a stain. It is transfer resistant when dry. I also like that it comes in a plastic bottle because it’s safe for gals on the go.

I don’t like it on my cheeks, though, because it’s a bit too red since I have a natural pinkness already. I also find that since it dries so quickly it’s a bit hard to blend out.

A finished look featuring the products mentioned in this post
(Please forgive how tired I look, I'm ill and had a hard time getting a perfect photo)

To learn more about the company or their products you can visit their website. You can also find them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Have you tried anything from Ere Perez? Have your eye on any of their products? Leave me a comment and let me know!

(FTC: These products were sent to me for free for review consideration. I am not being compensated for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.)