Whilst I'm defiantly more of a hair care and skin care kinda gal, when it comes to make-up it's a certainly a new lipstick that gets me more pumped than anything else (a new nail varnish shade comes a close second). The most recent addition to my expanding collection is by 100% vegan lip stick brand Lippy Girl in the colour Son of a Brick*.  

What immediately caught my eye about this collection (aside from being 100% vegan) is the wide colour selection, and colours that are a bit different to the norm. There's no blue shades of the like, but they have shades of pink and red which aren't the 'default' colour (if you get what I mean?). I settled on Son of a Brick after Googling swatches and decided that my collection needed a new orange. 

So far I only own one orange lipstick and that is Gosh in Flirty Orange (seen in this outfit post). And good jolly it's ORANGE and not something I'd pop on unless I'm heading on a night out. Son of a Brick is a much more wearable orange, and has a rusty tone to it. If you're quite new to orange lipstick and not sure if it will suit you it's a much better starter shade. Or if you just prefer your lipstick colours to be of a more subtler persuasion but don't want to miss out on the orange trend.

Below is a picture of me wearing along with my daily make-up (ignore the tired would-rather-be-in-bed face - this was 8:30pm last night).

If you've been a reader since the start you'll be aware that I used to be a dancer. Admittedly I use that term quite lightly: I was in the university dance team and whilst I did take part in competitions I stuck mainly to the performance side of things, and began to step aside as the team got bigger and some serious talent began to move into the ranks. 

But no matter how long you've been reading, you'll probably be quite unaware that I used to be a massive fan of - wait for it - The Pussycat Dolls. And by fan I mean I could name the members who weren't Nicole Sherwhatsherface. In fact during my dancing years my inspiration was Kimberley Wyatt, (who was regularly described in YouTube comments as 'the hot blonde one') and I'd always intently watch out for her in music videos totally ignoring the one everyone else could name...

So when it was announced that Ms Wyatt had teamed up to be the face a cruelty-free make-up company which was also based out of my home city of Aberdeeen, those fan girl feels creeped up all over me. But my list of brands to try is abnormally lengthy, so I never quite got around to purchasing anything but thankfully Beautiful Movements and Cruelty-free International sent me over a few things to try anyway! 

The first product in the collection is their Prime & Create Mixing Medium*. When I first received this I began using it as if it was a regular primer, erm no. This is actually something you mix in with your mineral foundation powder to create something a bit thicker and matt (because mineral make-up is typically not what you purchase when you want full coverage) and can be used to create liquid eyeliner out of eyeshadow. As a primer, it didn't work at all well (maybe cause it wasn't meant to?) but as a product which allows someone to create liquid foundation out of mineral powder it went down a storm. 

Another product I received was the Mineral Finishing Powder in Dewy Perfection*. The only other finishing powder I have used has been from Arbonne, which is annoyingly slightly too dark for me. The Dewy Perfection was the perfect shade for my face and blended right in. In terms of quality I would say it was...good. The Arbonne one was deifnetly of higher quality, but it is twice the price. 

The final product I received was the Beautiful Lips Lipgloss in Jewel. The swatches on the website make this look a lot more pink than it is in real life. When I tried this one what came out was the perfect day/work shade for me. It doesn't differ that far from my natural lip colour but having a slick of this one them makes me a look a lot more polished and done up. However, as with most lip glosses the stay power isn't all that long, so remember to pop in your handbag!

I'd recommend this for you if: you love mineral make-up but wish you could have it in liquid form (and are also a Kimberley Wyatt fangirl). 

I wouldn't recommend this for you if: you want something very pigmented. 

Lipgloss ingredients:Natural Wax Jelly, Oleic/linoleic/linolenic polyglycerides Sucrose acetate isobutyrate, Simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil, Ricinus communis (castor) seed oil, Mica, CI77891, Medium chain triglcerides, Berry fruits flavour fla 12996, Ci77742, Tocopheryl acetate, Silica, CI77491, CI77007, Tin oxide, May Contain CI77742, 77491, 77492. 

Prime and Create Mixing Medium Ingredients: Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone/Vinyl, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Yclomethicone and Aloe, Barbadenss Leaf Extract, Caprylyl, Silica, Isocetech 10. 

Mineral Finishing Powder Ingredients: Mica, CI77019, zinc oxide, may contain CI77007, CI77491, CI77499. 

A bronzer is such a simple yet great addition to a daily make-up routine. Whether it's to add a sunkissed glow or a bit of definition to the cheekbones, a bit of bronzer always comes recommend. However being a pale girl finding a great bronzer can be difficult as many of them can leave me looking a bit tangoed or with a tan that is obviously fake.  I have for a long time loved The Body Shop light bronzer however since the whole Chinese airport situation I've not felt comfortable purchasing from them and have been on the hunt for a replacement (you read my recent review of the Dusty Girls Bronzer here). 

So when the online store NaturalCollection.com got in contact asking if I wanted to try something from their beauty and wellness range I was drawn to the duo bronzer from TanOrganic*. One half the of the product is a matt bronzer whilst the other half is a shimmery bronze with a touch of gold. The packaging is also nice but in a very subdue way. A great look on a grown-up dressing table. 

I was disappointed by the bronzer side, as it really lacks pigment. I'm not super pale but fair enough that I have to be very careful applying bronzer, but I had to apply a lot of this product for it to be noticeable. However I loved the shimmer side of the bronzer and found it perfect for highlighting. It's a very light shimmer when applied so it's great to perk up the skin on a 'no make-up day'. If you're familiar with the Pacifica Alight BB Cream then I found it gave a similar effect. The staying power was also perfect and there was still shimmer on my skin when I got home from a day in the office. 

I'd recommend this product if: you're in the market for a product that gently adds shimmer to the face and are as pale as me, or paler. 

I wouldn't buy this if: you're after a pigmented bronzer or have a darker skintone than myself. 

Ingredients: Mica, Zea Mays Stahc/Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Zinc Stearate, Octylodecanol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glyceryl Caprylate, Dehydroacetic Acid, Sorbic Acid, Cera Alba (Beeswax), Simmondisia Chinensis Oil/Simmondisia Chinensis (Jojoba) Oil, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil/Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil. (+/-) May Contain: CI 77491 (Iron Oxides), CI 77492 (Iron Oxides), CI 77499 (Iron Oxides), CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide). 

And for clarification I only noticed reading the ingredients after receiving this product that it contains beeswax. It was listed as vegan on the website so I'll have the brand clarify if this is artificial beeswax. 

Have you tried anything from the Tan Organic range? What did you think?

A type of make-up I've always felt to be a hit or miss has been mineral make-up. And I have, for the most part, stayed clear. But very recently Australian mineral make-up company Dusty Girls* got in contact asking if I wanted to try a few pieces from their range. Admittedly I was a bit hesitant given my general feelings regarding parting with money for mineral products, but I decided to give it a bash. And I was pleasantly surprised. So the very first review of any mineral product on my blog (in the whole four years it has been running) is going to be surprisingly positive! 

First up we have their Natural Mineral Blush in Pink Ladies. Almost always, I'm a peach girl with my blush. However when I watched back my one month balcony garden video I realllly felt the lipstick and the peach blush didn't go and it was time to invest in a bigger blush collection. The first time I swirled this product on my face I was immediately taken aback by how pigmented it was! This is a very pigmented blush which you'll need to apply gently, or if you like your blush very vibrant then it'll be right up your street. The shade itself I would say is a baby pink - perfect for pale girls. Also the staying power was what I would consider to be of average quality - I used it for work (a very small amount, mind you!) and did find myself wanting to give myself another application at lunch time (bare in mind I do have very oily skin). 

Second up I received their Natural Mineral Bronzer in Sunshine. Just like the blusher this is a very pigmented product. It only comes in one shade so be careful pale ladies. I have quite fair skin (not ridiculously pale) and it still worked well for me - with very gentle and careful application! The bronzer and blusher come in the same size of case, and it's a very generous case as of that and I believe I'll own this product for a very long time! 

Finally, I have the Night Fall Natural Mineral Mascara which is the first mineral mascara that has ever come into my possession. It's a small fibre brush and gets all the small eyelashes. It has quite an everyday normal effect on my eyelashes (does that make sense?) which isn't too wowza but you can still tell I'm wearing mascara. The only negative point is that it's not waterproof so not one to wear to a wedding or during hayfever season. 

Round-up

Pros: very pigmented, cute packaging, blush and bronzer are large sizes, mascara has a small brush.

Cons: mascara is not waterproof. 

About Dusty Girls

Dusty Girls are a 100% vegan Australian mineral make-up company. They are part of MooGoo who specialise in skincare for problem skin and have long been included in my cruelty-free brand list.