Talk About Cosmetics - bareMinerals Invisible Light Translucent Powder Duo

Last year for Mother’s Day my beautiful, sweet, thoughtful furbaby, Hunter, got me the bareMinerals Invisible Light Translucent Powder Duo that I’d had my eye on since it launched. When I say Hunter got it for me I obviously mean his Grandmother helped him, because he’s a cat and he doesn’t have opposable thumbs to place an online order or money. Do any of you furmommies get gifts from your furbabies? Hunter is very thoughtful, so he’s always surprising me with adorable gifts. Anyway, this duo sounded so great that I just wanted it desperately and was so excited to be able to add it to my collection.

Funny enough, the reviews aren’t great on the bareMinerals website but they’re better at Sephora. I absolutely adore it. I have used it every single time I have worn makeup since I received it, over a year ago now, and I have so much left that I imagine I’ll be happily using it for a very long time to come.

I have really dry skin so powder has never really been an option for me although I think it’s an imperative step in the makeup process; especially to set the makeup and make it last. I had been looking for a powder that was appropriate for my dry skin for a long time and this one turned out to be amazing for me.

The really simple, sturdy and pretty black compact (ignore the scratches in the above photo) houses one matte and one glowy ultra-silky, fine, baked translucent powder. It also has a great mirror. The matte side does a fantastic job of setting makeup without ever looking powdery or cakey. It never clings to any dry patches and seems to slightly blur my skin and make my makeup last all day. The glow side is perfect for enhancing cheekbones with a gorgeous and natural looking highlight. I like wearing it on its own for a subtle glow or layering it over the top of a liquid or cream highlight.

I don’t even know if I can describe how luxurious these powders feel. They’re absolutely stunning. They feel creamy and beyond soft. I’ve actually never felt a powder that is this silky before and can’t think of another product to liken them to.

If you’re oily skinned and looking for a powder with super oil absorbing powers or a blinding highlight then you probably won’t like this product but if you like a soft and subtle look then you’ll most likely adore this like I do. And like I briefly touched on above, a little goes a long way so this will last so long. The powders are each domed so you get a lot of product for your buck. It’s $32, which might seem a bit steep for a basic product but I personally think it’s totally worth every cent. I will rebuy this if I ever run out.  

Talk About Hair Care - My Hair Dance

As much as I like to try different products I’m actually very set in my hair care ways and hate experimenting because I rarely like anything that goes on my scalp or strands. The reason is because my scalp is so sensitive. It’s actually stupid how sensitive it is, seriously. I’ve been using Desert Essence’s Fragrance-Free Shampoo for years because it doesn’t cause any irritation and is truly unscented but I’ve been using My Hair Dance and have really been enjoying some of the products from their line. 

The Nature’s Treatment Shampoo is my absolute favorite product from the brand. This shampoo is really exhilarating, refreshing, and revitalizing. It stimulates hair follicles and greatly improves scalp health while still being very gentle. It’s a bit of thin formula that doesn’t lather much (although, no natural shampoo should lather very much) but spreads easily through the hair. It feels very cooling and tingly, which always makes me think it’s doing some serious work. The shampoo itself has a strong yet pleasant peppermint scent (the only smell I can handle and actually enjoy) but once you rinse it out there is no residual smell left behind. I’ve found that it’s helped my itchy scalp so much and make my hair really soft, shiny, and smooth. I don’t even need to follow up with conditioner. I adore this stuff!

It is a treatment shampoo so you do need to let it sit on your scalp for 2 minutes. You also need to be sure to shake the bottle before each use. My tip for all treatment shampoo is to do a quick preliminary wash and then apply more and let it sit. This way it can penetrate down to the scalp without any oil getting in the way. My finicky scalp is doing a lot better than it has in a very long time so I’m very pleased with the results.

I’ve also been enjoying the Hair and Root Stimulator but I have to tell you upfront that I haven’t been using it as per the directions. This spray is made to promote healthy hair growth and boost the scalp's blood circulation. I’ve been using it as a treatment leading up to a shower instead of using it after a shower because of the strong, although not unpleasant, scent. I spray it on and leave it for an hour or two before I hop in the shower and rinse it out. You’re meant to use it after shampooing or overnight but it’s too strongly scented for me. I really enjoy the cooling and tingly way it makes my scalp feel. I’ve noticed much less itchiness and flakiness since I’ve started using it.

The other product I’ve been using is the Rejuvenating Hair Oil, which can be used in several different ways. It’s a blend of Walnut, Argan, Avocado, Wheat Germ, Coconut, Grapeseed oils and Shea Butter that smells like almond and reminds me of school Jergens lotion; a scent that is nice and light. I like to use this stuff as a sort of leave in conditioner/frizz fighter/shine enhancer/heat protector. I apply a very small amount to my ends and voila, soft, shiny hair. It makes my hair feel strong and healthy. You can also use it as an oil treatment for a deep conditioning effect.

They also offer an Ultra-Light Instant Conditioning Spray, Moisture and Strength Conditioner, and Silky Touch Dry Shampoo. Both the conditioner and conditioning spray have lemongrass and there is no scent I dislike more than lemongrass so I haven’t used either product but I do intend to take the Silky Touch Dry Shampoo camping with me this summer so I’ll keep you updated on that.

My Hair Dance products are very affordable, something that is often difficult to find in the natural beauty world. The products are cruelty-free and formulated with healthy, beneficial ingredients. If you’ve got scalp issues, like me, I think you might really enjoy the range. You can learn more about the brand and their products by visiting their website.

(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 Skin Care - SanRe Organic Skinfood

Mother and daughter duo, Sandra and Regina, are the masterminds behind SanRe Organic Skinfood, a company dedicated to creating truly healthy and organic handcrafted beauty products. Each product is personally crafted, tested, improved, finalized and produced by them in small batches to guarantee freshness and quality. They use only USDA Certified Organic ingredients when possible and are firmly committed to staying away from animal based ingredients (besides honey and beeswax) and being completely cruelty-free. Their line features products with healthy ingredients and an ethical stance about animals and the environment so you never have to worry about what you’re slathering on your skin or anything else, for that matter.

My absolute favorite product I’ve tried from SanRe is their Siesta Sunset Avocado and Sea Buckthorn Cream. This stuff is SO good! I mean it, SO good! I can’t tell you how good it is without capitalizing the SO and even then I’m not sure I can explain how good it is. It might just be the richest and luxurious cream I have ever tried before. It’s very heavy and feels thick, and a little greasy, on the skin but that’s not a problem for me. I wake up in the morning after applying it with the most supple, silky skin ever. It plumps up any fine lines, gets rid of any dry spots, and provides my skin with much-needed moisture that goes beyond the surface of my skin. It is so nourishing and is an absolute dream for my dry skin. I can’t say enough good things about this! The ingredients list is wonderful, the texture and scent are great, and the effect it has on my skin is awe-inspiring.

The Like a Baby stick is a really easy to use skin balm in a convenient tube. It also comes in a jar but I love the ease of application with the almost deodorant-like stick. This balm is made with Organic Virgin Olive Oil, Organic Tamanu Oil, Organic Carnauba Wax, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Calendula Oil & Organic Neem Oil. It’s deeply soothing and works great on any dry bits of skin or irritation; I especially love it on my cuticles! My Dad likes this a lot, too. He gets really dry hands and spots on his arms so it’s perfect for him!

To learn more about SanRe Organic Skinfood you can visit their website by clicking here. 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.) 

Talk About Cosmetics - Ilia Tinted Lip Conditioner Trio

I love lip products. In fact, I think lipstick might be my favorite type of cosmetic. Actually, I don’t know about that because it’s too hard to choose just one favorite but I really do adore lipstick. I think there is something so wonderfully transformative about a swipe or two of a flattering lipstick applied to the lips. It’s like magic, or like the icing on top of a cake, or maybe the cherry on top of a hot fudge sundae

Anyway, enough with the weird metaphors (I guess I have food on the brain) because I’ve got the Ilia Tinted Lip Conditioner Trio on the agenda for today and it’s a good one so let’s get started!



My parents got me this for my birthday. I found it on Anthrpologie.com and put it on my wish list. When I opened it on my special day it made me smile because it’s even better in person that I thought it would be! These are the smallest and cutest little lippies I have ever seen!



I’m a huge fan of Ilia and have done a review on Beautiful Basics in the past (you can find that here) and a couple of years ago my Mom surprised me with Shell Shock which became my absolute favorite lip product of life. I love their Tinted Lip Conditioners so this set was a match made in beauty heaven for me!

I have a secret to tell you, I’ve never finished an entire lipstick before it goes bad so this size is a dream come true! This set comes with 3 of their Tinted Lip Conditioners that are miniaturized down to an adorable 1.4 gram (or .04 ounce) size. They’re perfectly portable and can fit in your smallest clutch or your tightest jean pocket.



It’s important to note that the lipsticks are housed in plastic tubes instead of the classic Ilia metal but that doesn’t bother me. As for the shades, you get Blossom Lady, Bang Bang, and Arabian Knights in the box. Let’s take a minute to talk about how beautiful the box itself is. It’s sturdy and beautiful with its pink and rose gold aesthetic. Back to the colors inside the box, though, which are all so pretty.

Blossom Lady is a gorgeous pink shade, perfect for daily wear. It’s such a pretty pink color that looks very feminine and soft. Bang Bang is a classic, but easy to wear, red that is absolutely gorgeous. Arabian Knights is a buildable berry shade that is super flattering on.

Top Left: Arabian Knights   Top Right: Bang Bang
Bottom Left: Blossom Lady

The Ilia Tinted Lip Conditioners are a really cool hybrid product. They are super nourishing and hydrating on the lips so they feel like a lip balm but they pack a pretty punch of color that is more reminiscent of a lipstick. The colors are effortless and can be applied for a sheer wash of color or built up for a more intense and opaque look. They are truly versatile!

As with all Ilia products, these little babies are cruelty-free, gluten-free and made with certified organic ingredients. They’re beautiful, nontoxic, and so fun to wear! This set is a winner in my book! Thanks, Mom and Dad!

Have you tried any products from Ilia? Do you have a favorite? 
Let me know in the comments below!