Talk About Cosmetics - Osmosis Mineral Matte Eye Shadow Duos

It's so easy to fall into a makeup rut. It's like we get stuck on autopilot using the same products to create the same look sometimes. I, however, love to play with different products so when I find a brand I've never tried before I get really excited. I had heard a little bit about Osmosis Cosmeceuticals but had never tried any of their products until their Mineral Matte Eye Shadow Duos came into my life. I'm going to kind of spoil the rest of this review by simply saying that I'm completely in love with these pigmented little gems.

There are 5 duos and I've tried 3 of these pretty pairs. Matte is my absolute favorite formula when it comes to anything I apply on my lids so these were made for people like me. They have become my go-to's because they are the most perfect staple shadows for everyday wear that you'll ever come across.

There are 2 purple toned duos (Mystic Mulberry and Crimson Cream) and 3 that are brown-based, which are the ones that I selected.

Chocolate Brulee is a dark neutral brown paired with a light cream.

Sienna Dusk is a very warm pair featuring a medium red-based brown and a light tan.

Truffle Bliss is a combination of a medium cool-toned brown and a light greige.

I love all 3 duos. I expected to love Truffle Bliss most, though, but this summer I've been all about the really warm colors so I've been gravitating towards Sienna Dusk a lot. Chocolate Brulee is a great pair to grab when you're wanting to make a look more dramatic. I think you can easily wear a single duo for a great full look but you can also mix and match to create a custom look if you so choose.

The formulation is so smooth and beautiful. If these babies are any indication of how good the rest of this line is I'll need to pick some other products up ASAP. They are beyond nice. They're rich and luxurious, which isn't something I would normally say to describe eye shadow. They are buttery and softer than soft. They blend so easily and last wonderfully throughout the day. They are seriously long-wearing. I'm really impressed with the pigmentation and the quality of these shadows. The darker shades are especially incredible.

You can apply these for a soft look whether you're going for that "no-makeup-makeup look" or create a romantic, flirty look or build them up for something more dramatic. They're really versatile.

The only thing I don't love is that they have a bit of a rose scent to them. The smell doesn't linger, though, so it's something I don't really mind in the end but it's just something to note.

The packaging is also really great. I like how simple they are. The cases are magnetized so the lids stay closed and if you have more than one they actually stay together, which is nice.

The brand is Leaping Bunny Certified. They also use non-toxic ingredients to create their products and they believe in being good for our bodies and also the environment. Their website states, "We maintain sustainability by using recyclable packaging and materials, BPA and BPS free bottles, and using natural or eco certified ingredients. We design our products to have minimal packaging and maximize the bottle usage so there is limited waste. We are compliant with California Prop 65 as well as the California Air Resource Board with all of our ingredients. Osmosis continues sustainability support by respecting animal life and does not test or harm animals."

Here are some swatches. 

Truffle Bliss, Chocolate Brulee, & Sienna Dusk

I'll post a photo of me wearing these once I start feeling better. By the way, thank you all so much for being so understanding during my health crisis. I appreciate the kind words and well wishes more than I can explain.

To learn more about the company you can visit 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.) 

Summer 2017 Giveaway

Summer is almost over. Excuse me while I go cry in a dark corner for a while. Just kidding... sort of! I just can't believe fall is already knocking on our proverbial doorstep. How does time go by so quickly?

I usually do a giveaway like this with products perfect for the warmer weather at the beginning of the season but this summer has been kind of crazy for my family and I. If you don't follow Beautiful Basics - The Sick Life then you're probably not aware of my health problems, as well as my Dads. He hasn't been well all summer, in and out of the hospital, and then last week I wound up in the ER with the worst pain I have ever been so unfortunate to experience. I ended up with a diagnosis of Trigeminal Neuralgia and I've been put on a medication that is making me feel not so good. That's why I didn't post last week and why I'm keeping it pretty simple with a giveaway this week.

On a side note, you can check out the blog post talking about my new diagnosis by clicking here or you can just visit The Sick Life by clicking here if you're interested.

Okay, on to the giveaway! That's why you're really here, anyway, so I won't keep you from it any longer!

The winner will be receiving some skin care goodies from Goddess Garden, Pacifica, and some cute little baby samples.

This giveaway is open Worldwide. You can do as many or as few of the options below that you would like, except for the one mandatory free entry. All entries will be verified. This giveaway isn't sponsored in any way. Good luck!


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Talk About Green Cleaning - Meliora Laundry Powder

On the Beautiful Basics Facebook page, I admitted to you all that I’ve been using Tide Free and Gentle laundry detergent. I can’t even tell you how many natural detergents I’ve tried without finding one that didn’t make me itchy or make my clothes smell weird or leave them feeling kind of gross and stiff. It was the last toxic product I was using in my home and it always bummed me out so much because Tide isn’t an animal-friendly company, nor is it environmentally friendly. I knew it wasn’t a healthy product but I was still shocked when I saw that Tide Free and Gentle received an F on EWG’s Guide to Healthy Cleaning.

My Mom did a lot of research trying to find something non-toxic, gentle, efficient and cruelty-free so when she discovered Meliora she just went for it and placed an order. I wasn’t super hopeful since my past experiences with natural laundry products hasn’t been great but I was very pleasantly surprised and we have now found our perfect, safe detergent.

Meliora means “Better” in Latin and their products are vegan, cruelty-free and healthy as well as totally safe for our bodies and the planet. The Laundry Powder comes in 3 scents (Lavender, Lemon, or Lemon-Lavender-Clove) as well as their original unscented (which is what my family and I use) and works for standard or HE washers.

The unscented is made with Sodium Bicarbonate, Sodium Carbonate, Vegetable Soap [Sodium Cocoate, Glycerin, Coconut Oil, Water]. If you choose a scented version you get this same formula with added Certified Organic essential oils. The ingredients list is simple and straightforward so you’ll never heave to wonder and worry about what ingredients are lurking in the cardboard and steel canister. You can click this link to check out the explanation of why these use each of the ingredients that they do and to find out more about the product in general.

They received an A on EWG so that’s a massive improvement and I find that it works just as well, if not better since it puts my mind and my green-loving heart at ease, than any other detergent I’ve ever tried. It does such a good job of cleaning my laundry and making them feel really nice, too. You only need half a scoop (if you’re using an HE washer like me) so a little will go a very, very long way.

We even placed another order with Meliora and ordered the 500 HE loads refill set so it’s safe to say that I plan on using this wonderful powder product indefinitely and can’t recommend it enough. You can learn more about the company by clicking here. You can also find them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Talk About Cosmetics - BROWFOOD Tinted Brow Enhancing Gelfix

I really like doing my brows when I’m wearing makeup because I feel like it’s the perfect finishing touch for any look, simple or glam, but I hate when they look too intense or dramatic. I recently noticed in some pictures of me (the last few look photos on Instagram and previous posts, actually) that my eyebrows looked insane. I was using a brow gel that was about 5 shades too dark and way too opaque. My Mom had been commenting for weeks how I looked different but we couldn’t figure out why, until I noticed how silly my brows looked in those photos.

Once I realized what was happening I tossed that stuff out immediately and repurchased my all-time favorite brow product. I received a deluxe sample from Sephora of the BROWFOOD Tinted Brow Enhancing Gelfix and even though I really, really liked it I didn’t think it was necessarily a must have. Boy, was I wrong! It is and I’m so glad it’s back in my life.

This product comes in Blonde, Brunette, Dark Brunette as well as Clear. LASHFOOD is a certified cruelty-free company and their products are formulated without toxic ingredients like Parabens, Sulfates, Phthalates or Phenoxyethanol, to name a few.

I use Brunette and it’s the perfect color for me. It’s neither too warm nor too cool and is instead the perfect neutral brown shade that adds some oomph to brows. It defines and thickens thanks to microfibers that plump up existing brow hair and makes brows look lush quickly and easily. Think of it kind of like extensions for your brow! It also makes them feel super soft and conditioned, never crispy.

When I use this product my brows always look like a slightly better version of their normal selves. It always looks natural and effortless, which is exactly what I look for in a brow product. This formula also includes a Nano-Peptide Complex that supports brow follicles to give natural brows a fuller, healthier, and stronger appearance with continued use.

I’m so thankful to have found a fuss-free product that turns my decent brows into great brows. I purchased mine at Sephora.