All-natural bath & body oil with a musky, alluring scent by Teadora!

A nourishing bath and body oil with a sexy all-natural scent by Teadora:

Teadora Rainforest at Dusk Nourishing Bath & Body Oil

I can’t seem to get enough of Teadora products! I found their lip butter to be delectable, and their shampoo and conditioner to be an amazing sensory experience; now, I just love Teadora’s Rainforest at Dusk Nourishing Bath & Body Oil. Like its title suggests, this product is meant to either be applied directly onto skin for some great hydration – or it can be dispersed (a few drops) into a nice bath.

This is a dry oil – one that absorbs into the skin immediately, and is thus a very convenient “oil” option, since oftentimes body oils can take a while to absorb. The body oil leaves a lovely, healthy sheen to the skin and protects the skin from getting dry. The scent is wonderful – earthy, grassy, musky – but not at all strong, making it a great choice for fragrance-sensitive individuals. Check out the amazing, skin-loving ingredients in this wonderful body oil:

Organic Tinctorious (Safflower) Seed Oil, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Kosher Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Berthorlletia Excelsa (Brazil Nut) Seed Oil, Organic Rosa Canina/Rosa Rubiginosa (Rose Hip) Seed Oil, Orbignya Oleifera (Babassu) Seed Oil, Eugenia Unifloran (Pitanga) Leaf Oil, Organic Mauritia Flexuosa (Buriti) Fruit Oil, Passiflora Edulis (Purple Passionfruit) Seed Oil, Argania Spinosa (Argan) Oil, Salvia Hispanica (Chia) Oil, Non-GMO Tocopherol (Mixed-Ester) Vitamin E, Retinol Palmitate (Vitamin A), Argania Spinosa Sprout Cell Extract (and) Isolmalt (and) Lecithin (and) Sodium Benzoate (and) Aqua, Natural Fragrance.

Teadora is a Brazilian-ingredient-inspired natural cosmetics company that produces fair-trade sourced, carbon-reduction focused, sustainably harvested, recyclable, biodegradable and cruelty free products. Teadora is also a company that focuses on formulating sensory-stimulating products, through their commitment to naturally-derived fragrances – inspired by the Brazilian rainforest! 

Teadora is definitely a company worth checking out (click to get to Teadora’s website). If you love rainforest-inspired scents like chocolate, açai berries, rainforest wood, musk, and jungle flowers and plants, Teadora's products are especially for you. The products personally remind me of my sensory experience at a spa in the Mayan Riviera that I visited for my honeymoon! Stay tuned for some additional reviews of other Teadora products that I have tried recently!

Be sure to follow this blog to keep up to date with various natural beauty and healthy lifestyle tips and reviews. This blog is meant to be a helpful tool for people who are looking to switch to natural cosmetics, but who don't know where to start. I post positive reviews and articles about products that have worked well for me personally. Hopefully these articles are helpful to my readers in helping them choose makeup and skincare that are non-toxic and all-natural!

Teadora Rainforest at Dusk Nourishing Bath & Body Oil

All-natural and non-toxic lipstick option by Honeybee Gardens!

Get some sexy, shimmery & metallic nude lips with Honeybee Gardens' "San Francisco":

Honeybee Gardens Truly Natural lipstick in "San Francisco"

I am generally a bright colors kinda gal, so nude lipsticks are not usually my go-to lip product. When I do wear lipstick, I like to feel perked up by a vibrant color on my pout (otherwise I’ll just wear a lip balm or gloss and let my natural lip color shine through). But when choosing some samples of Honeybee Gardens’ lipstick a few weeks ago, I decided to also try one of their lighter colors. The Honeybee Gardens website does not describe this color as “nude”, but I personally consider it a nude, since it’s such a light shade.

The shade is “San Francisco”, and as shown in the photos above, one can’t deny that it’s a lovely, flattering shade. This light neutral color has notes of pink and peach, with fine grains of shimmer that produce a metallic effect. I find that really cool – and if I am going to paint my lips with something that is lighter than my natural lip color, I’d at least like to have a cool effect like a shimmer or a metallic sheen.

Honeybee Gardens Truly Natural lipsticks are – as their title suggests – all-natural, as well as paraben free, mineral oil free, and FD&C color free. This particular shade of lipstick is formulated using 

Honeybee Gardens’ new vegan formula, which uses the following ingredients:

Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil*, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil*, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil *, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax*, Trioctyldodecyl Citrate, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter+, Thymus Vulgaris (Thyme) Oil, Tocopherol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenethyl alcohol. May Contain: Mica, Titanium Dioxide (CI77891), Iron Oxide (CI77491, CI77492, CI77499, CI 45410).
* = certified organic ingredients; + = certified Fair Trade.

This is the second Honeybee Gardens shade of lipstick I have reviewed (the first was “Queen Bee”,which is definitely a gorgeous color of lipstick everyone should see to believe). I have been super impressed with these lipstick formulas. They are non-drying, stay put for a long time, and have vibrant pigments. The formulas feel velvety and leave lips soft and protected.

Be sure to follow this blog to keep up to date with various natural beauty and healthy lifestyle tips and reviews. This blog is meant to be a helpful tool for people who are looking to switch to natural cosmetics, but who don't know where to start. I post positive reviews and articles about products that have worked well for me personally. Hopefully these articles are helpful to my readers, in helping them choose makeup and skincare that are toxin-free and all-natural!

Great eye shadow and mascara combo for blue eyes!

Make blue eyes pop with green beauty brands Silk Naturals and Zuzu Luxe:

 Make your blue eyes pop!

Looking for some great natural / organic make-up companies to try? Check out Silk Naturals and Zuzu Luxe.

In case you haven't tried it yet, Silk Naturals makes amazing eye shadow! It is incredibly pigmented, has a soft velvety feel, and the company carries a huge assortment of colors. Zuzu Luxe formulates one of my favorite mascaras, which is made from natural ingredients; the application of the mascara is super smooth and easy. The formula is light and gel-like in texture, which great for lengthening, but not really for volumizing - it's really great for a natural look. I decided to write a short post about these products because I came up with a wonderful combination for blue eyes. I think these colors would work well on any eye color, but it's especially flattering for those baby blues!

Here’s how to get the look and check out the photos below for a closer look:

1) Silk Naturals Stick 'Em eye shadow enhancer / primer over entire lid
2) Silk Naturals mineral eye shadow in ‘Burnout’ in crease and on the outer side of eyelid, and just above the eye crease
3) Silk Naturals mineral eye shadow in ‘Element’ on inner side of eyelid and just above the eye crease
4) Silk Naturals mineral eye shadow in ‘Saint’ gently dabbed above the other two colors, but not quite up to the brow bone.
5) Zuzu Luxe mascara in ‘Navy’

Be sure to follow this blog to keep up to date with various natural beauty and healthy lifestyle tips and reviews. This blog is meant to be a helpful tool for people who are looking to switch to natural cosmetics, but who don't know where to start. I post positive reviews and articles about products that have worked well for me personally. Hopefully these articles are helpful to my readers, in helping them choose makeup and skincare that are toxin-free and all-natural!

Superb all-natural lip gloss option!

Soft and shiny lips with Acure Organics' "Date Worthy" Lip Lush:

Acure Lip Lush in "Date Worthy" shown on the lips, in the tube, and swatched on hand thickly, then spread to show sheerness of the color. The swatches are shown in outdoor natural light and shot with flash, for comparison.

I had a feeling I would like the Lip Lush formula, since I featured Acure’s dark chocolate and mint argan oil lip balm in a previous post that spotlighted several awesome natural lip balms. The dark chocolate and mint lip balm is truly one of the most deliciously smelling (and tasting) lip balms I have ever tried, so it was no surprise to me that the Lip Lush formula smells (and tastes) delicious too! OK, for the record – I don’t eat my lip products – but everyone ends up licking off some of what they put on their lips – and when that happens whilst wearing Acure’s lip products, it just happens to be a pleasant experience!

More importantly though, it’s essential for people to research what they put on their lips because of the inevitable ingestion of lip products. Acure’s Lip Lush formula includes the following ingredients, which look fantastic to me:

Ricinus Communis (Castor) Oil*, Cera Alba* (Beeswax), Brassica Campestris Fordii (Rapeseed) Copolymer, Natural Flavors* (Gluten Free), Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter*, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax*, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter*, Tocopherol, Argania Spinosa (Argan) Nut Oil*, Glycyrrhizic Acid (from Licorice Root), Silica, Mica (CI 77019), Iron Oxide (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Carmine (CI 75470) Glycerin, Xanthan, Leontopodium Alpinum (Edelweiss) Stem Cell Culture, Echinacea Angustrifolia (Echinacea) Stem Cell Culture; (*Certified Organic).

The particular color I am spotlighting in this article is the “Date Worthy” Lip Lush, which is a very neutral, peachy pink-brown color that is basically the same color as my lips. For me, it’s a great protective balm that shines my lips, for a natural look enhancement! As a lip gloss – it certainly does what it’s supposed to do because it essentially makes your lips look super, duper shiny!

The formula of this lip gloss is very sheer and not sticky on the lips. If swatched thickly on the hand, it looks like it could be fairly pigmented, but as you can see in the slideshow, where I smudged the color into the skin, the sheerness is quite evident. For those of you who are looking for thicker, very pigmented lip gloss, be aware that this is more of protective, sheer lip shine, no matter what color you get (stay tuned for some reviews of other shades of Acure’s fantastic Lip Lush).

The packaging of this Lip Lush is just like the Victoria’s Secret lip glosses, which I used to love before I switched to all-natural makeup. Obviously Acure’s lip gloss is a non-toxic option, ingredients-wise, and I do love these containers for the application process. I personally prefer these containers over the typical lip gloss containers with wands.

Be sure to follow this blog to keep up to date with various natural beauty and healthy lifestyle tips and reviews. This blog is meant to be a helpful tool for people who are looking to switch to natural cosmetics, but who don't know where to start. I post positive reviews and articles about products that have worked well for me personally. Hopefully these articles are helpful to my readers in helping them choose makeup and skincare that are non-toxic and all-natural!

Another great non-toxic shampoo and conditioner option, this time by Teadora!

Wash your hair in the "Rainforest" with Teadora's shampoo and conditioner:

Today I have a spotlight on another wonderful product by Teadora: their Rainforest at Dawn Shampoo and Conditioner duo! After using this duo, my hair shines beautifully, and even seems to have a lift in volume right after washing! The formulas are vegan, and free of all harsh chemicals, including the big no-no’s like parabens, synthetic fragrances, phthalates, and sulfates. The shampoo and conditioner are also silicone-free and gluten-free. But let's talk about the scent of these hair products, because the all-natural fragrance that has notes of wood, earth, musk, grass and...well - rainforest air - is really unique and invigorating. The scent is not too strong, but it's truly "rainforest" smell is just an amazing sensory experience. I would call the scent more of a masculine scent too, but it's perfect for both men and women. This is a great option for natural shampoo and conditioner, and definitely worth a try for anyone looking to switch to all-natural beauty products!

Teadora is a Brazilian-ingredient-inspired natural cosmetics company that produces fair-trade sourced, carbon-reduction focused, sustainably harvested, recyclable, biodegradable and cruelty free products. Teadora is also a company that focuses on formulating sensory-stimulating products, through their commitment to naturally-derived fragrances – inspired by the Brazilian rainforest! 

Teadora is definitely a company worth checking out (click here to get to Teadora’s website). If you love rainforest-inspired scents like chocolate, açai berries, rainforest wood, musk, and jungle flowers and plants, Teadora's products are especially for you. The products personally remind me of my sensory experience at a spa in the Mayan Riviera that I visited for my honeymoon! Stay tuned for some additional reviews of other Teadora products that I have tried recently!

Follow this column to keep up to date with various natural beauty and healthy lifestyle tips and reviews. This blog is meant to be a helpful tool for people who are looking to switch to natural cosmetics, but who don't know where to start. I post positive reviews and articles about products that have worked well for me personally. Hopefully these articles are helpful to my readers in helping them choose makeup and skincare that are toxin-free and all-natural!

Teadora's scrumptious lip butter!

Yummy smelling and tasting Teadora lip butter both exfoliates and moisturizes lips! It's all-natural too! Check out the review below:

Teadora’s Rainforest at Dusk Lip Butter in the flavor “Açaí-Açu”

Teadora’s Rainforest at Dusk Lip Butter in the flavor “Açaí-Açu” is a fantastic lip butter that leaves lips revitalized, healed and ultra soft! This lip butter provides antioxidant and vitamin benefits to your lips, and also has a dual-action purpose, in that this butter exfoliates the lips, but also hydrates them immensely. The scent (coming from all-natural essential oils) and flavor (also natural) are truly delectable. I could seriously eat this stuff! And I would probably be fine if I did, since the ingredients are simply a marvelous concoction of organic butters, oils and waxes. Take a look at the ingredients list below:

Organic Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Organic Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Astrocaryum Murumuru (Murumuru) Seed Butter , Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter, Theobroma Grandiflorum (Cupuaçu) Seed Butter, Organic Euterpe Oleracea Fruit (Açaí) Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Wax, Organic Mauritia Flexuosa Fruit (Buriti) Oil, Bertholletia Excelsa Seed (Brazil Nut) Oil, Non-GMO Tocopherol (mixed Ester – Vitamin E), Carapa Guianensis (Andiroba) Nut Oil, Eugenia Uniflora Fruit (Pitanga) Extract, Ascorbyl Palmitate (Vitamin C), Passiflora Incarnata (Passionfruit) Seed Oil, Organic Stevia Rebaudiana Bertoni, Natural Flavor.

The texture of this lip butter, as with most natural lip butter products, feels a bit solid to the touch, but will gently melt under your fingertip and allow you to scoop a tiny amount to apply to the lips. A little bit goes a long way because this stuff melts a bit and allows for easy spreading. The texture is also a bit grainy, which is what gives the lip butter the exfoliating properties, and helps remove any excess dry skin from the lips. If I put this lip butter on before bed, my lips are perfectly smooth in the morning when I wake up!

Teadora is a Brazilian-ingredient-inspired natural cosmetics company that produces fair-trade sourced, carbon-reduction focused, sustainably harvested, recyclable, biodegradable and cruelty free products. Teadora is also a company that focuses on formulating sensory-stimulating products, through their commitment to naturally-derived fragrances – inspired by the Brazilian rainforest! 

Teadora is definitely a company worth checking out (click here to get to Teadora’s website). If you love rainforest-inspired scents like chocolate, açai berries, rainforest wood, musk, and jungle flowers and plants, Teadora's products are especially for you. The products personally remind me of my sensory experience at a spa in the Mayan Riviera that I visited for my honeymoon! Stay tuned for some additional reviews of other Teadora products that I have tried recently!

Be sure to follow to this blog to keep up to date with various natural beauty and healthy lifestyle tips and reviews. This column is meant to be a helpful tool for people who are looking to switch to natural cosmetics, but who don't know where to start. I post positive reviews and articles about products that have worked well for me personally. Hopefully these articles are helpful to my readers in helping them choose makeup and skincare that are toxin-free and all-natural!

A must-try awesome all-natural body wash by Beecology

Beecology Grapefruit & Lemongrass Body Wash:

NOTE: company has since changed name to Beessential

Beecology Grapefruit & Lemongrass Body Wash, by Beessential, is just another superb product by this all-natural skincare company! With its revitalizing scent of lemongrass and refreshing citrus aroma from grapefruit essential oil, this body wash is a real treat of aromatherapy in the shower. This is one of the few body washes that I've used that actually leaves my skin softer after use, unlike most shower gels that seem to strip the skin of moisture (despite claiming the opposite on their labels). I have previously reviewed Beessential's Peppermint Body Wash and Lavender & Bergamot Foaming Hand Soap, both of which I showered with compliments! The folks at Beessential have really formulated some amazing, moisturizing, and effective body care products that deserve greater exposure - because I can't imagine someone not liking the products.

This particular body wash is really wonderful. Along with its aromatic properties, the formula is very emollient and foams easily. It seems a bit watery at first, but that is because you only need a tiny bit, so I would caution people to be careful how much product they pump out of the bottle (one pump is certainly enough for one shower). And since you only need a little bit to take advantage of the sudsy, yummy-smelling goodness of this body wash, the 8 oz. bottle lasts forever!

Beessential is an Ohio-based natural skincare company, which produces lip balms, body lotions, body washes, soap, foaming liquid hand wash, hair shampoo and hair conditioner, using naturally derived ingredients that are healthy and safe for our bodies. Much like when choosing your groceries, it's usually best to choose products that have a relatively short ingredient list. Check out the simple and awesome list of ingredients that this company uses to create this fantastic body wash: the Saponified Oils of: Coconut, Olive, Hemp, Vegetable Glycerin, Aloe, Guar Gum, Honey, Grapefruit and Lemongrass Essential Oils, Rosemary Essential Oil, Citric Acid. It does not really get any more natural than that! And the best part – it actually works amazingly!!

Follow this blog to keep up to date with various natural beauty and healthy lifestyle tips and reviews. This blog is meant to be a helpful tool for people who are looking to switch to natural cosmetics, but who don't know where to start. I post positive reviews and articles about products that have worked well for me personally. Hopefully these articles are helpful to my readers, in helping them choose makeup and skincare that are toxin-free and all-natural!

The most gorgeous shade of lipstick ever - 'Queen Bee' by Honeybee Gardens!

Check out this simply gorgeous, all-natural shade of red by Honeybee Gardens. This vegan red by Honeybee Gardens is paraben-free and FD&C color free too!

Honeybee Gardens’ Truly Natural Lipstick in the shade “Queen Bee” is one of the most gorgeous shades of lipstick that I have come across. Queen Bee is a bright, warm red with pink undertones. This color is so vibrant and fresh, and because of the pink / blue undertones shining through this warm color, this shade does not make the teeth look yellow! Check out the photos below for a close-up look at the lipstick, and also photos of the lipstick on my lips in indoor and outdoor light. These photos show how the lipstick appears when swiped twice over each lip, without blotting.

The formula of the lipstick glides on easily, is quite pigmented, and is not drying at all. Actually, you can see in the pictures how shiny this lipstick is, which also gives away the lipstick’s moisturizing qualities. The lipstick does leave a very gentle, beautiful stain on the lips after hours of wear (and it does last for hours).

Here is the ingredients’ list for this vegan, paraben-free and FD&C color-free lipstick:

Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil*, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil*, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil *, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax*, Trioctyldodecyl Citrate, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter+, Thymus Vulgaris (Thyme) Oil, Tocopherol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenethyl alcohol. May Contain: Mica, Titanium Dioxide (CI77891), Iron Oxide (CI77491, CI77492, CI77499, CI 45410) (*certified organic ingredients; + certified Fair Trade).

Honeybee Gardens is a veteran brand in the natural cosmetics industry. They have a huge range of products, from hairspray, to soap, to makeup. Visit Honeybee Gardens’ website for a look at all their offerings. I've always been impressed with whatever I have tried from Honeybee Gardens, and their products are also very affordable. The company also offers samples of many of their products, so customers can try small amounts before committing to buying full-size amounts. That’s always helpful for those who are trying to find the best natural brands for themselves.

Be sure to follow this blog for various natural beauty and healthy lifestyle tips and reviews. This blog is meant to be a helpful tool for people who are looking to switch to natural cosmetics, but who don't know where to start. I post do-it-yourself natural remedy tips, as well as positive reviews and articles about toxin-free products that have worked well for me personally. Hopefully these articles are helpful to my readers, helping them choose makeup and skincare that are healthier both outside our bodies and inside!

Acure offers organic, toxin-free facial skincare!

Check out this awesome toxin-free toning and moisturizing facial duo by Acure. All Acure products are sourced responsibly and made with natural ingredients. 

Acure is a new organic skincare company that has recently gained a lot of popularity with natural beauty enthusiasts. Not only are their products effective, but they are also reasonably priced and produced in an environmentally conscious way. This company has pledged to protect the environment.

But let’s get down to the effectiveness of Acure’s facial toner and day cream because, just like Acure quotes on its website, “It’s not enough to be natural… it also has to work.” And from my experience thus far, these facial skincare products work wonderfully!

Acure’s Facial Toner is good for normal skin and also oily problematic skin. I love that the toner is in a spray bottle, which is super convenient, and also reminds us that we don’t have to necessarily use facial pads each time we apply toner (quite wasteful if you think about it). The organic short list of ingredients is as follows: Fair Trade Organic Rooibos, Organic Calendula, Organic Chamomile, Organic Witch Hazel, Organic Bulgarian Rose Water (Hydrasol), Organic Glycerin. That is it! It reminds me of some of the toners my grandma and mother used to make from scratch, using simple, natural ingredients that refresh and tone the skin. The natural scent is also refreshing (not too strong for those sensitive to aromas). To me the strongest notes in the scent come from the rose water, chamomile and rooibos tea. I found this toner to be calming, and it definitely seems to help with reducing skin irritation and break outs.

Acure’s new Day Cream With Gotu Kola Stem Cells is just as awesome as Acure’s Facial Toner!

First off, let’s take a look at the skin-loving ingredients in this moisturizer: Organic Curoxidant™ Blend [(Organic Euterpe Oleracea (Acai) Berry, Organic Rubus Fruticosus (Blackberry), Organic Rosa Canina (Rosehips), Organic Punica granatum (Pomegranate), Organic Calendula Officinalis (Calendula), Organic Matricaria Recutita (Chamomile), Fair Trade Organic Aspalanthus Linearis (Rooibos)], Organic Aloe Barbensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice, Cetearyl Alcohol, Fair Trade Organic Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Organic Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate SE (Vegetable Derived), Vegetable Glycerin, Organic Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Oil, Infusion of Organic Calendula Officinalis Flower in Organic Olea Europaea (Olive) Oil, Glucono Delta Lactone (Fermented Sugar), Centella Asiatica (Gotu Kola) Stem Cell Culture, Marrubium vulgare (White Horehound) Stem Cell Culture, Echinacea Stem Cell Culture, Fermented Resveratrol Extract (Probiotic), Organic Argan Oil, CoQ10, Olive Leaf extract, Organic Chlorella Pyrenoidosa (Chlorella Growth Factor), Citrus Reticulata (Red Mandarin) Oil, D-Alpha Tocoperyl Acetate (Natural Vitamin E), Organic Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Oil, Potassium Sorbate, Eugenia Caryophyllus (Clove) Bud Oil.

This day cream just about has it all when it comes to the best natural skin food! Acure has formulated its new skincare line with two main cutting-edge ingredients: chlorella growth factor and active stem cells, both clinically proven to help protect skin from aging. The formula of this day cream absorbs so easily into the skin, leaving a matte finish, which is unusual for facial moisturizers – especially natural ones! It also has a lovely, very light, citrusy and refreshing scent, with high notes of the red mandarin oil found in the ingredients.

For anyone looking for an awesome option for organic, all-natural, non-toxic skincare, Acure is a must-try! Follow this blog to keep up to date with natural beauty and healthy lifestyle articles and reviews!

Beautiful all-natural lipstick by Gabriel Cosmetics!

From vampy to berry-kissed, wearing Gabriel Cosmetics' lipstick in "Meritage":

 Gabriel Lipstick in "Meritage", in the tube

 Above: Gabriel Lipstick in "Meritage", applied in two swipes on lips, for a vampy, deep purple look! Photo: Andre Surma Fine Art Photographer.

 Above: Gabriel Lipstick in "Meritage", swiped on hand with natural light

Above: Gabriel Lipstick in "Meritage", blotted out with tissue, for a gorgeous berry hue! 

I love the natural cosmetics brands Gabriel Cosmetics and Zuzu Luxe (in case you are not familiar with either brand, Zuzu Luxe is actually a makeup line, also formulated by Gabriel Cosmetics)! I wrote two recent reviews praising Gabriel's amazing Marine Lip Treatment (click here to see the review), and ZuzuLuxe's awesome lipstick (click here to see that review), and this review is now going to praise Gabriel's gluten-free lipstick in the shade "Meritage". Meritage is a wonderfully versatile shade of lipstick because it can be worn thickly or lightly, for two very different looks.

When the lipstick is applied without blotting the color out, you get a deep, vampy, dark purple hue, for a very dramatic look. When blotted out after application, or if you simply apply the lipstick by gently tapping your lips with it (without sliding the lipstick across the mouth), the result is a gorgeous, vibrant berry shade that is one of my favorite renditions of the "radiant orchid" color that I have seen (I personally believe that the “radiant orchid” shade should never go out of season). If you check out the photos, there are pictures of the lipstick itself (which looks very purple in the tube), the shade swatched on my hand in natural light, the lipstick on the lips applied thickly, and the lipstick as it appears on the lips when gently blotted with a tissue.

This paraben-free, gluten-free and all-natural lipstick is super pigmented! The color also stays on for a long time and leaves a lovely stain on the lips after a few hours' wear (just a side note: the stain can easily be removed by applying some lip balm and wiping the lips). The formula of this lipstick is fairly thick, though I found it to be less thick than Zuzu Luxe lipstick (which I also adore). Also, comparing the Gabriel lipstick to Zuzu Luxe lipstick, I did find that Gabriel lipstick is slightly more moisturizing and feels a bit wetter; because of this, I don't need a lip balm underneath this lipstick. As can be seen in the photos, when applied thickly, this lipstick is quite shiny, but when blotted out, the subdued shade is matte, with just a bit of gentle, healthy-looking sheen.

Check out the Gabriel Cosmetics website for more information on this company's truly awesome products.

Follow this blog to keep up to date with various natural beauty and healthy lifestyle tips and reviews. This blog is meant to be a helpful tool for people who are looking to switch to natural cosmetics, but who don't know where to start. I post reviews and articles about products that have worked well for me personally. Hopefully these articles are helpful to my readers, in helping them choose makeup and skincare that are toxin-free and all-natural!