Natural Makeup Blog

There has been a lot of talk lately about the possible respiratory concerns from powder makeup.

When using powder foundations there are 4 key items to be aware of:

1) Ingredients

1) Particle size

2) Binding agents

2) Application techniques

Lauren Brooke Cosmetiques has been aware of these concerns, and because of their commitment to creating safe and healthy cosmetics for women, have designed their Foundation Powders specifically with these four points and your health in mind!

First, their powders have been formulated with NO titanium dioxide because test results have found this ingredient to have possible links to respiratory cancers.  Second, they use NO nano-sized particles in any of their powders because these particles are small enough to be transferred through the skin as well as on a cellular level, especially when inhaled.  Third, Organic Jojoba Oil is infused into their powders to help bind loose particles together and create a ‘weightier’ powder, which keeps it on the applicator and face, instead of floating in the air for possible inhalation.  Lastly, each powder container contains a deluxe satin puff.  These puffs can be used to wipe the powder on the face, instead of using a brush, which tends to create more dust when applying.  After applying the powder with the puff, then a Kabuki or Powder brush can be used to create a smooth, finished look.

Integrating the healthiest ingredients, larger particle sizes, plant-based organic binding agents, and dustless application tools and techniques into a powder makes Lauren Brooke Cosmetiques Foundation Powders the healthiest powders available for you and your overall health!

EDTA stands for Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid .  This used in products as a preservative.  It is not only used in cosmetic and beauty products, but is also used as a preservative in foods.  This chemical compound is made from formaldehyde, ethylenediamine,  and sodium cyanide – all toxic chemicals.

EDTA is also a chelating agent, which means it has a capacity to bind metal ions.  Because of this ability to bind heavy metals, it can cause different health problems and is linked to heavy metal toxicity.

While reading ingredient labels, find natural makeup and beauty products – not to mention foods – that don’t have this ingredient!

One great tip for beautiful cheeks is to lightly brush over your blush color with a small amount of natural Foundation or Finishing Powder.  This creates a smooth, blended look and helps to avoid showing any lines, streaks or darker areas created while applying.

It’s a mouth full, but what is it and where does it come from?

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride is derived from coconut oil.  Coconut oil is different than other plant-derived oils.  It has a very high melting point of around 76 degrees Fahrenheit/24 degrees Celcius, and it consists of many different fatty acids, most of which are Caprylic and Capric fatty acids.

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, or Fractionated Coconut Oil as it is sometimes called, is created by separating the caprylic and capric fatty acids (or medium chain fatty acids) from the long chain fatty acids in coconut oil.  This separation is done physically by a press or centrifuge, so there are no chemicals or solvents used in the process.

Because of this, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride is a safe and natural ingredient that can be used in natural makeup and body care products!

Mineral Makeup can be quick and easy to apply, but sometimes too much powder can get into the top of the jar and spill, making it hard to control.

Here’s a quick tip to help manage the mess:

1) When you first open the jar, keep the sifter sticker on (If sticker has already been removed, clean the sifter and cover holes with a small strip of tape).

2) Get pin or thumbtack and push tip through several of the sifter holes.

3) To apply your makeup, turn the jar upside down (with the lid still on).  Tap it a few times on the counter to get a small amount through the holes.

When you open the lid there will be smaller, more manageable amounts in the lid to use.   If you want more powder to come out each time, simply add more holes!

If you’ve been noticing more wrinkles around your eyes after applying Powder Foundation, try Lauren Brooke Organic Facial Serum.  This serum combines wonderful skin-friendly oils that help those wrinkles disappear!

A wonderful tip after applying Powder Foundation is to put a drop or two of the Facial Serum on your fingertips and gently tap it under your eyes.  This helps to both moisturize your skin as well as blend the powder so it doesn’t settle in the fine lines and make them more noticeable.  Try it and see!

Puffs?  Is there something important about puffs?

Our answer is ‘Yes’.  Why?

Because Mineral makeup can cause respiratory problems, especially if it has Titanium Dioxide in it. On a scale of 0-10 with 10 being the most toxic, the Environmental Working Group has rated Titanium Dioxide up to a 6 in powder products because of studies showing negative respiratory and cardiovascular effects that can even turn carcinogenic when it is in products that can be inhaled.

Because of these dangerous side-effects, Lauren Brooke Cosmetique powders have been specifically formulated without Titanium Dioxide.  In addition, each Lauren Brooke Foundation and Facial Powder comes with a deluxe puff for easy application and to decrease the possibility of any powder inhalation while applying.  So you can be assured that any Lauren Brooke product will be healthy for your skin, your body, and your health!

After finding their skin tone and exploring possible eyeshadow shades on women I’m doing makeovers on, I like to have them just look at the color options and tell me which ones they like.

I have found if you don’t like the color, even if it is supposed to be the ‘right’ tone, you won’t feel as good with it or enjoy wearing it as much.

There is one thing I love to think about from my A.P. English class in High School.  After learning all year long about all the how-to’s and rules to writing with the english language, we were reading poetry from some of the great authors.  A student commented on how these poems didn’t follow the writing and language rules and asked the teacher why these writers could break the rules we had just learned, but we had to write according to the rules.  Her wonderful comment was, ”As soon as you know the rules as well as they did, then you can break them.”

My suggestion to you is similar:  Now that you know the ‘color rules’on finding skin tones and the accompanying colors, you can use them when you want to, but sometimes you just need to find what colors make you smile and wear them!

Women with pale skin can sometimes come across as sickly-looking. Put on some cheek color to minimize the whiteness. Cheek colors come in various beautiful shades you will delight experimenting with.

Apply these to:

~ Add depth and color to your face
~ Subtly contour your cheekbones
~ Compliment your facial features
~ Give you a more radiant look

Maybe raw meat isn’t such a good idea, but eating raw plant-based foods are going to give you the best health results of any diet for anti-aging skin care.  A good rule of thumb is:  “Keep it as close to the way it grows as possible”, which means staying away from processed, bleached, packaged, and canned foods as much as you can.  

Many people have found amazing benefits by eating more naturally in the form of raw fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds.  In fact, raw food has found it’s way into many lives simply because of the incredible health benefits experienced.   Only living plants can give us the nutrients and energy our skin and bodies need to grow, heal and stay looking and feeling young.

For more information about raw food, click the following links:  http://www.rawmelissa.com/ , http://www.thebestofrawfood.com/