The Organic Face Product Review!

Hello Glams and Geeks! Welcome back to the blog! Today’s post will be focusing on an organic cosmetics company, The Organic Face, that were super sweet and sent me two of their products to try and review. Before we begin, I would like to post my disclaimer: Yes, these products were sent to me free, for trial and reviewing purposes. All opinions shared in this post are genuinely my own. I was not paid to advertise or promote the company or their products. With that being said, I’d like to say that I am very appreciative of them for the opportunity to be able to try out what they’ve sent me, and in return, promise to share my honest thoughts and opinions in this post.

The Organic Face sent me two products (of my choice) to try out. I chose their Luminous Liquid Foundation in the shade Caramel, which retails for $34.99, and their Femme Fatale Shadow Quad in the shade Downtown, retails at $24.99. I was most drawn to these two as I’m a sucker for anything that is said to be “luminous” and am a huge fan of neutral tones, so these two products really drew me in. Now onto the reviewing!

First, let’s talk about their Luminous Liquid Foundation in the shade Caramel. When they asked me to choose two products of my choice, I already knew that I was curious about what an organic foundation would look and feel like on the skin, so it was a no brainer for me to select this as my first item. Thank you to The Organic Face for matching me correctly, as I had originally asked for the shade Almond, described as a shade for medium complexions. Instead, they sent me Caramel, for deep medium complexions, which actually was a perfect match for me. I have been using this as my go-to foundation for the last few weeks to really try out the product and see how it feels on my skin overtime. My feelings on this are that the shade matches my complexion perfectly and the formula blends effortlessly into the skin. I applied it with a foundation brush and then blended it with a Beauty Blender. It is a creamy formula, medium to full coverage, which worked beautifully to cover up my rosacea. My cheeks are always rosy and sometimes difficult to neutralize and cover, and this foundation did an amazing job at covering it up without needing multiple layers or products to get the job done. I will also mention that for anyone with skin sensitivity, like myself, this product may be something for you to consider, as it didn’t trigger my rosacea to heat up or react in any negative way.

 Now, here’s something that I feel is important to address as it may reflect your impression of the foundation: despite it having the word “luminous” in its title, this applies more like a matte foundation. Once applied and settled, it doesn’t give you a dewy finish the way you’d expect a luminous foundation to, but instead, it gives you a bright, healthy complexion due to its base ingredient, kaolin clay, a natural brightener. This foundation is formulated with a beautiful blend of ingredients, such as natural peptides, Green Tea, Vitamins B and C, and Pomegranate, all of which work together to help brighten your complexion, antioxidize, protect, heal, and moisturize your skin! It also has SPF 20 to help protect against harmful UVA and UVB rays, making this product a go-to for anyone who is looking for a multifunctional foundation.

The second product we’ll be talking about is their Femme Fatale Shadow Quad in the shade Downtown. This palette offers four gorgeous neutral shades: Bronze, Dark Chocolate, Sandstone, and Glimmer Nude. The shades are perfect for creating a multitude of looks, for day and night. Each of the shades contain shimmer to them, and apply effortlessly to the skin. With one swipe, the shadow transfers a richly pigmented shade to your eyes. In addition to being able to create a variety of looks with this palette, you can also use the shade Glimmer Nude as a highlight on the skin.

Shown above, I’ve applied the shade to my cheek bones, along my nose and swept over my cupid’s bow to demonstrate how it looks when worn as an all-over highlight. For an organic shadow, these offer rich pigment and full coverage, and are deliciously blendable. In the photo, I’ve used all four shades to create a vampy smoky eye, using Dark Chocolate as the base color. What I love about these shadows is that you can apply them dry or wet, creating different effects depending on how you apply them. For example, when using Dark Chocolate on the lid, I applied it first wet to create a base, then dry to ensure durability. I did the same with Glimmer Nude, however, I applied it dry along my brow bone and the inner corners of my eyes, and wet, when used as a highlight along my face.

All in all, I have to say that my first impression of using organic products was a positive one. I have heard many things about organic products not being durable or long-wearing enough, or that organic brands do not offer enough variety of colors, and that their products may lack pigmentation. However, I’m happy to say that The Organic Face has created a line of beautiful products, packed with rich pigmentation, opacity, durability, and blendability. Their products applied effortlessly and lasted all day; I wore my smoky eye out for dinner and a movie, and it lasted without creasing or fading. After having such a great experience with their products, I can say that I love the feel of organic, and cannot wait to try more products from their line.

If you’d like to learn more about this brand or about what ingredients are in their products, click here to head on over to their website. Also, be sure to check them out on Instagram to see more gorgeous looks created with their wonderful products, @TheOrganicFace. Thank you once again to The Organic Face for your generosity, and for giving me the opportunity to try and share your products here with everyone. Thanks for stopping by and hope you’ll join me next time, here on The Glam Geek Confessional!

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Lush Aromaco and The Greeench Review

Hello Glams and Geeks! Welcome back to the blog! In today’s post, I will be talking about my experience with trying out two natural deodorants that I purchased from Lush, Aromaco and The Greeench, as well as share with you some information that I learned about switching to natural deodorants. If you are considering going natural or trying out deodorants from Lush, this post will make your transition an easy one!

For a while, I have contemplated switching to natural deodorant, but had some concerns that always held me back, such as “Will it last all day?” “Will it keep me smelling fresh?” “Will it hold out during vigorous activity or in humid weathers?” Naturally, these are just some of the concerns that can arise, that may make someone new to this change, a bit hesitant. So, to help make this transition an easy one, I took to the internet to do some research to find a natural deodorant that is affordable, effective, and durable enough to meet my needs. While many options came up, the ones that really seemed to work well for many people are the Lush deodorants. They are reasonably priced (with the exception of their Dirty Body Spray - $19.95), ranging from $6.95 to $10.95. They offer various forms of deodorants, such as bars, powders, and sprays, so there are plenty of options! Their scents are very unique and earthy, making them wearable for both men and women. They are also vegan and made with natural and safe synthetic ingredients, making them safer than commercial deodorants, which include Aluminum, Parabens, and other harmful ingredients.

When I went to my local Lush store, I spoke with a sales associate who was very helpful, and I was given some great information that definitely came in handy during my trial of their deodorants. First, we spoke about why you should NOT use an antiperspirant. Anything that blocks the lymph nodes from excreting toxins from the body is very harmful for you. It prevents the body from balancing your PH levels and hormone functions, and can lead to a disruption in certain body processes such as your menstrual cycle. It can also result in the development of cancer in the body, such as breast cancer, or lymph node cancer, due to the antiperspirant ingredients trapping those toxins directly into the gland.

Next, we spoke about some possibilities that CAN occur during the first few weeks of switching to natural deodorant. I was informed that it takes the body anywhere from 14-21 days to naturally detox itself, pushing out any harmful elements from the body through your pores and underarms. It was recommended to me by the Lush associate, to allow my body to fully push through this period, to really see how the product works for me after toxin-elimination. During this process, it is possible that the skin may become irritated, possibly inflamed or chafe. In some cases, this may not be a worrisome issue, as it can be treated with Benadryl or A&D ointment (preferably applied at bedtime), and will go away within a few days. In others, if irritation continues after 7-10 days with the application of the ointments, I suggest discontinuing use of the product immediately! If irritation occurs, or worsens, it is possible you may have experienced an allergic reaction to the products, and should seek medical attention to properly care for your rash.

Lastly, I was informed that should I ever decide to switch back to using a regular deodorant, to ensure that it is just a deodorant and NOT an antiperspirant, as you want to allow your body to continue filtering out toxins as it did with the natural deodorant. I recommend researching some deodorizing alternatives that are free in any harmful ingredients, including, but not limited to Aluminum.

Now that you know what to expect, how to handle a rash should one occur, and what to do in the event of discontinued-use, let’s talk a bit about both Aromaco and The Greeench.

Aromaco is a deodorizing bar, which smells of patchouli oil and feels very moisturizing on the skin. Containing a total of 8 ingredients, this bar is said to be the gentlest deodorant offered by Lush, and includes Witch Hazel, Chamomile Vinegar, and Patchouli oil to help keep you smelling and feeling fresh all day long.

Because this is a wax-like bar, it is important to know that it doesn’t feel quite like a traditional deodorant. You will rub it on the same way, but rather than it transferring a cream-like product to your skin, it is coating the skin with a sheer layer of oils to keep the skin soft and lightly scented. This may cause chafing beneath the arms, so be sure to refer to the information provided above to know what should be expected. Also, because of the wax-like feel, this bar may tend to harden on the surface. Do not worry, as this is a quick fix! I urge you not to shave the edges, as this was recommended by multiple people online and by the employees at Lush. Simply use a towel, preferably one that will not be used on your face or body (try a paper towel, for example), and rub the hardened parts against the towel to remove the hard layer, and to shave off only what is necessary. This will help preserve the amount of product, and is much easier and safer than shaving it with a knife.

The Greeench is a deodorizing powder, which smells like a perfect blend of herbs, including Sage, Thyme oil, Tea Tree Oil, and Rosemary. When applied, this delivers a refreshing, minty-tingle to the skin, leaving you feeling cool and clean and dry throughout the day.

Because this is a powder, this may be a little messy to apply. I recommend storing the product in a box or container to preserve it, and purchasing a powder puff to make applying it an easier, neater process.

Throughout my trial period, I must say I really loved the light yet rich scent of Aromaco. It is a very clean fragrance, which really held up to all of my daily activities, including working out. Not once did I ever feel or smell bad. In fact, I felt that because it was oil-based, it held up better than any commercial deodorant I have used in the past. Now, here is where things took an unfortunate turn for me. After about two weeks of using this, I was very happy with it and was so excited that I actually found such a great natural deodorant. During my second week of using this, I began to notice darkening underneath my arms. I didn’t feel any irritation nor did I notice any inflammation, so I continued to use it. As this is a wax-like bar (same consistency of soy-candle wax, yet much softer upon application), I figured the rubbing of the bar was creating this darkness on my skin. I read some reviews on Google, and learned that this is normal during any transition from Aluminum-based deodorant to a natural one, so I dismissed the issue. A few days later, I began noticing that my skin was starting to chafe horribly, becoming red around the darkened areas and developed some dry patches. I stopped all use of it immediately, using only The Greeench powder instead. After discontinuing use, there is still some darkness, and some redness under my arms, as well as extreme irritation and sensitivity. I have continued to treat my skin with A & D ointment, and use The Greeench on its own.

When I began this trial, I spent one week using both deodorants paired together. I noticed that when they are used together, they provide maximum strength, Aromaco acting as the base and scent, while The Greeench kept me dry. Together, they created the perfect blend for me. The second week, I used Aromaco on its own, and was pleased with how it held up in regards to fighting odor. I didn’t experience any moisture other than that provided by the oils in Aromaco, nor did I feel sweaty, unless I was exercising or outdoors for long periods of time. The third week, I used The Greeench on its own. While I did notice that this kept me dry throughout the day, I felt the need to reapply this at varying times as this is great for keeping moisture at bay, but not for fighting odor. Because this is a sheer powder, it works great with something as a base to hold it in place all day. I plan to use this as an at-home deodorant, or whenever I know I won’t be doing any extreme activity.

Although my experience was bittersweet with trying these deodorants, I want to mention that despite my rash, I did really like both Aromaco and The Greeench. I do not want my experience to discourage anyone from personally trying either one, as everyone is different, and I believe I may have experienced an allergic reaction to the ingredients or that my sensitive skin could not adapt to the rubbing whenever I applied the Aromaco bar. I recommend when trying both products, to definitely observe your skin and be cautious of any signs or symptoms of irritation. I also suggest reading reviews online to see if there are other deodorants from their store that seem more suitable and are to your liking. I thank you so much for taking the time to read my Lush review and wish everyone giving this a try a wonderful experience. If you do give them a try, let me know here on the blog, or leave a comment on Instagram (@TheGlamGeekConfessional).