THE PIP BOX BEAUTY ADVENT CALENDAR 2019 UNBOXING, REVIEW

THE PIP BOX BEAUTY ADVENT CALENDAR 2019 UNBOXING, REVIEW

Vegan Cosmetopia Digest   Monday, December 09, 2019

It is their second-ever beauty advent calendar, and it contains 20 full-sized products and four travel sized products from 21 brands, and NO product repeats from the last year. That's the way to go!
Meet The Pip Box. They are a vegan, cruelty-free monthly beauty box that ship worldwide. When I heard they were doing an advent calendar, I snapped it up, and guess what? It sold out while still on pre-order! Never managed to launch!
Despite having a beauty box, they assured me that there would be just the TWO products that had appeared in the beauty box - from Jan/Feb 2019. All other products in this advent calendar, I was assured, would be spankin' new. LookFantastic - and other advent calendars guilty of a bazillion product repeats - are you listening?

Scroll down for the unboxing and review of The Pip Box cruelty-free, vegan beauty advent calendar for 2019.

affiliate

Beauty Expert, LookFantastic Exclusive Beauty Box Collections Feb '19

Beauty Expert, LookFantastic Exclusive Beauty Box Collections Feb '19

Vegan Cosmetopia Digest   Thursday, February 07, 2019

In February 2019, two exclusive beauty boxes are launching. These are not monthly subscriptions, but one-off seasonal curations that contain only full-sized products, and are worth a lot more than the asking price.
The first is the Beauty Expert Collection - The Vegan Edition, with fully #veganbeauty products.
The second one is LookFantastic's Rose Collection for Valentine's Day, where all products are rose-themed.
The Beauty Expert Vegan Collection costs £80 and is worth £180+, while the LookFantastic Valentine's Day box costs £60 and is worth more than £150. Both ship worldwide.

Scroll down for more information, spoilers, and contents of Beauty Expert and LookFantastic Beauty Collections for February 2019.

 affiliate

Best Eyeshadow Palettes for Fall 2017

Best Eyeshadow Palettes for Fall 2017

Wycon Cosmetopia Digest   Tuesday, October 17, 2017

My favourite eye makeup for this time of the year involves orange, and ruddy hues. And, we've seen a plethora of palettes with those shades recently. To the extent where you might as well label burnt orange the eyeshadow colour of the year.
I've picked my favourite cruelty-free eyeshadow palettes in terms of pigmentation, performance, and shade choices, and have swatches and eye makeup looks for each palette - do watch this video, give me a thumbs-up, and subscribe to my channel. 


There are older releases in here, such as Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance, and newer launches such as TheBalm's Nude Beach, reviewed here. All palettes mentioned in this video are cruelty-free.

I prefer the burnt-orange/ruddy palette to the beige and brown based neutrals that were in vogue not so long ago. The former adds a bit of interest to my skintone, while remaining subtle enough for day-wear.

Which is your favourite palette for Fall 2017? Tell me in the comment box below.

SHOP THE BEST FALL 2017 EYESHADOW PALETTES:

Affiliate Links

Huda Beauty Liquid Mattes Review, Swatches: Icon, Trendsetter, Trophy Wife

Huda Beauty Liquid Mattes Review, Swatches: Icon, Trendsetter, Trophy Wife

Swatches Cosmetopia Digest   Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Having used more than 40 DIFFERENT brands of long-wearing liquid lipsticks - epic post on these coming up - I can tell you the Huda Beauty Liquid Lip Mattes are the kindest, least drying, lightest, and runniest. They are as pigmented and opaque as can be. They smell tropical and fresh without being overpowering.
Huda Kattan is Dubai's most successful beauty blogger. Her products always sell out in Sephora Dubai outlets - I ought to know, having been embroiled in a race for them more than once and come off worst.
Huda's Liquid Matte lipsticks come in 16 shades, from pale neutrals to 1990s browns and brights, deeps and vampy shades. These come with matching "lip contour" pencils - I haven't bought these yet because I'm one of those disorganised people who misplaces lip pencils (and tweezers and hair brushes) all the time and would have to spend half my life searching. 

Scroll down for the review of the Huda Beauty Liquid Matte Lipsticks.

affiliate

REN Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask Review

REN Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask Review

Vegan Cosmetopia Digest   Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Clean skincare is British beauty brand REN's USP. I haven't come across a single REN product I didn't love, from their eye cream to the ClearCalm Clay Cleanser.
REN products are always free of parabens, sulphates, silicones, PEGs, TEA, DEA, glycols, mineral oil, petrolatum, synthetic fragrance and artificial colours. Nor are they tested on animals.
You must have seen samples of the REN Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask in some of my empties posts. It is a "potent bio-active peel mask designed to renew the complexion, reduce fine lines and dramatically improve skintone."

Scroll down for more on the REN Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask. 

affiliate. pr sample

Antonia Burrell Forest Dew Skin Conditioner Review, How To Use

Antonia Burrell Forest Dew Skin Conditioner Review, How To Use

Toner Cosmetopia Digest   Thursday, October 06, 2016

Antonia Burrell Forest Dew Skin Conditioner is versatile. It is a one-step product. It is a layer-able product. It is a moisturiser. It is a toner. It is a serum. It is an essence. It is a conditioner for the skin. What it really IS, is incredibly lush, nourishing, pampering, and gentle. Not to mention sustainably made, and cruelty-free.
Antonia Burrell, a UK-based faciallist with more than 20 years' experience, is Associate Lecturer at the London College of Fashion. Her Holistic Skincare collection is a range of multi-tasking products that are a natural blend of potent, predominantly organic, pure, bio-active plant extracts. The Forest Dew Skin Conditioner is my favourite in the range, and a part of my daily skincare routine.

Scroll down for more on the Antonia Burrell Forest Dew Skin Conditioner.

affiliate

Vegan Cuts August 2016 Beauty Box Review

Vegan Cuts August 2016 Beauty Box Review

Yes To Carrots Cosmetopia Digest   Wednesday, September 07, 2016

With postal systems across the world being paranoid about terrorism right now, every package coming into and going out of any country is taking ages to arrive at their ultimate destination. That's why I only got my August Vegan Cuts beauty box in September. At least they didn't confiscate the whole thing and accuse me of smuggling state secrets.
Vegan Cuts is a cruelty-free, vegan beauty subscription that ships worldwide. The boxes contain a mix of four to seven makeup and skincare products, including full sizes, and the average worth of a box ranges from $40 to $60. Best of all, they promise never to include a foil sachet. This alone makes them look good in my book. They will be releasing a quarterly makeup-only beauty box shortly.

Scroll down for the review of the August 2016 Vegan Cuts Beauty Box.

 affiliate . pr sample

Why You Need The Best Of Sigma Makeup Brush Set

Why You Need The Best Of Sigma Makeup Brush Set

Tools Cosmetopia Digest   Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Is there any makeup user who does not love Sigma's makeup brushes? Luxuriously crafted, cruelty-free, soft, dense Sigmax bristles in heavy wooden handles and chrome ferrules, with a two-year warranty - what's not to love?
Choosing the right Sigma brushes can be confusing. There are six different eyeliner brushes. Ten blending brushes for eyeshadows. Which do you pick - where do you start?
Thankfully, Sigma themselves have provided the answer. A comprehensive, seven-brush set of four eye makeup brushes and three face makeup brushes - their seven bestselling brushes.

Scroll down for more on the Best of Sigma makeup brush set.

pr sample . affiliate

Belli Skincare Face Wash, Eye Cream, Hydrator: For Glowing Skin

Belli Skincare Face Wash, Eye Cream, Hydrator: For Glowing Skin

Treatment Cosmetopia Digest   Tuesday, August 02, 2016

A couple of years ago, "glowing" skin meant oily in my book, and I was doing all I could to make my skin as dry as a desert. Harsh treatments; little hydration. A huge protest later, my skin got its message across - the glow comes from within as fresh skin is revealed, is a sign of health as dead cells are cleared away, and can be achieved with active ingredients such as alpha-hydroxy acids, which increase the rate of cell turnover and replacement.
The world of skincare acids can be daunting. One of the gentler AHAs out there is lactic acid, which occurs naturally in our bodies. American brand Belli Skincare incorporate lactic acid in their products.

Scroll down for review of Belli Skincare Facial Wash, Eye Cream and Healthy Glow Hydrator - a harm-free, pregnancy-safe range for glowing skin.

pr sample

RealHer Cosmetics Moisturising Lipsticks Review, Swatches

RealHer Cosmetics Moisturising Lipsticks Review, Swatches

Swatches Cosmetopia Digest   Friday, July 08, 2016

Cruelty-free and natural beauty brand RealHer Cosmetics was founded in 2015. The brand supports empowerment for women and donates 20% of their profits to the American Association of University Women, a 100-year-old NPO that promotes equity for women and girls, through leadership programmes, advocacy, education and research.
At the moment, RealHer only offers Moisturising Lipsticks in their range, but word is that they will expand to include more makeup products soon. There are five shades in the range.

Scroll down for the review and swatches of RealHer Cosmetics Moisturising Lipsticks.

pr sample

Julie Hewett Breathless Makeup Palette Review, Swatches, EOTDs

Julie Hewett Breathless Makeup Palette Review, Swatches, EOTDs

Swatches Cosmetopia Digest   Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Why isn't Hollywood makeup artist Julie Hewett's cruelty-free makeup collection more famous?
Just LOOK at those shades! Rosy, taupey, purpley and peachy neutrals. Of course I had to have them!
Julie Hewett decided to launch her own line of products when working on Pearl Harbour, after she found there was a dearth of products that could be used for the "old Hollywood glamour" look. So how did I get to know of her makeup?
In December, when my skin was so bad that I could not even cleanse properly, let alone moisturise, I had to rely on face mists for moisturising . I picked Julie Hewett's vegan Cucumber Water on a whim and fell in love with the mist - it smells just like cucumber and feels divine on the skin. I knew I would explore more from the brand before long. 

Scroll down for review and swatches of the Julie Hewett Breathless Makeup Palette, and an eye makeup look.

Affiliate link

Vegan Cuts Beauty Box May 2016

Vegan Cuts Beauty Box May 2016

Vegan Cuts Cosmetopia Digest   Saturday, May 28, 2016

A 100% cruelty-free and vegan beauty subscription that ships worldwide, Vegan Cuts has been on my must-try list for a while now. I have particularly loved their special assorted beauty kits - see my review of the Vegan Cuts Essentials Box here. Their Summertime Adventures Beauty Box is on sale for just $23 - see contents here`. Monthly boxes cost $22.95, with long-term subscriptions costing less per box.
The May 2016 box (PR sample) is Summer-special, curated to keep you feeling "sweet in the heat". There are five products in the box, of which three are full-sized.

Scroll down for the review of the Vegan Cuts Beauty Box for May 2016. 

 PR sample

Best Skincare Discovery And Starter Sets

Best Skincare Discovery And Starter Sets

Treatment Cosmetopia Digest   Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Ever invested in expensive skincare, only to find that the product does not work for you, or worse, breaks you out? I bought two bottles of Lancome Visionnaire as soon as it came out, after all the hype about the international waiting list. Wham - my face was an explosion in a fireworks factory. Luckily for me, I was able to palm them off on my Mum who was not affected adversely by the product.
Most brands do not give out samples these days unless you buy something from their counters first, which means you try-when-you-buy instead of try-before-you-buy.
Fortunately, several brands now offer discovery kits with trial sizes of their key products, so you can actually go through a whole routine for a couple of days, before deciding to invest further. Plus, these are ideal for travel.
Here are a few sampler kits that I have tried over the last few months - individual reviews to follow later. These would also make nifty gifts for Mothers' Day, birthdays or special occasions. Everything shown here ships worldwide.

Scroll down to know more about nine of the best skincare discovery and starter sets available. 

Island Kiss Tropique Pomade Lip Moisturisers

Island Kiss Tropique Pomade Lip Moisturisers

Skin care Cosmetopia Digest   Monday, March 28, 2016

Bad beauty habit confession: I tend to bite, pinch, poke, pull, scratch and chew my lips when stressed. And peel my nails, but we can psychoanalyse me another day. End result: I have seriously flaky, dry lips all the time. Which means I run through lip balms faster than I should.
Enter Island Kiss Tropique Lip Pomades (PR Sample). These are 100% natural, phthalate-, lead-, sulphate-, petroleum and paraben-free lip moisturisers, made of cold-pressed plant-based essential oils and butters. I have three from their 2016 Collection to show you.

Scroll down for a closer look at Island Kiss Tropique Pomade Lip Moisturisers. 

Why You Need Wayne Goss Makeup Brushes

Why You Need Wayne Goss Makeup Brushes

Wayne Goss Cosmetopia Digest   Tuesday, February 09, 2016

Ever since I bought my first Wayne Goss brush last November - see here - my older makeup brushes have been languishing in oblivion while the WG brushes have not left the top of my vanity.
Believe me, the hype is real. Every bit of it. All my other brushes are just knocked out of the ball park with these.
Before we go any further - I bought these. Wayne Goss has no idea I exist. I gain nothing except maybe lose a few hours taking photos, writing, cropping and so on.

Scroll down for deets on all the Wayne Goss makeup brushes and how I use them.

Glam Guru Israel Beauty Box for Holiday 2015 Review

Glam Guru Israel Beauty Box for Holiday 2015 Review

Unboxing Cosmetopia Digest   Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Last month, I told you I was awaiting the latest Glam Guru Beauty Box, released for the Jewish New Year - here it is!
For latecomers, Glam Guru is a seasonal Israeli beauty box I first discovered back in 2013, when this blog was at a nascent stage. They ship worldwide tracked from Israel. They release customisable boxes packed with goodies. You can check out all my Glam Guru unboxings here. Incidentally, it is the only beauty box from which I have repurchased products immediately.
The good thing about getting beauty boxes from around the world is that you stand to discover local goodies from several regions. And, believe me, there are some beauty treasures in Israel that my skin just loves.
The new Glam Guru boxes are customised according to your beauty profile. The box design is beautiful; bridal, even - look! 

Scroll down for my review and unboxing of the Glam Guru Israel Beauty Box for Holiday 2015.

Cellnique Acne Banisher Pack Review, Results

Cellnique Acne Banisher Pack Review, Results

Treatment Cosmetopia Digest   Monday, October 19, 2015

Of all beauty bloggers - bloggers or humans, even - my acne is probably the worst. You will agree when you see the graphic, scary photos further below. Acne struck the day I turned 21, and has been visiting on and off ever since. And, no, I did not have acne as a teen. Paradox, what?
I have tried everything except Accutane (my derm won't prescribe it) - doxycycline tablets, topical applications of tretinoin, Retin-A, Clindamycin, Adalpalene Gel, Epiduo (combo), Azelaic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Sulphur-based products, Korean AC treatments, Benzoyl Peroxide from 2.5 to 10 per cent - you name it, I have used it. Which means my skin is in bad shape.

My latest breakout, in August after a lot of air travel, was a veritable nightmare. I stopped doing full-face makeup looks. People were kind enough to point out that I had bad acne, in case I had missed seeing it. My GP recommended a bunch of hormone tests and scans (all normal).
When I heard about the Cellnique Paramedical Acne Banisher Kit (PR Sample), I did not have much faith that it would work. Nonetheless, I tried it, and recorded my results over six weeks, as you will see below.

Scroll down for my experiences with the Cellnique Acne Banisher Pack and before and after results.

WARNING: GRAPHIC PHOTOS FURTHER BELOW.

Look Good Feel Better Makeup Brushes

Look Good Feel Better Makeup Brushes

Tools Cosmetopia Digest   Thursday, October 15, 2015

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Although spared (thus far) dealing with breast cancer in particular, my Gramps - known as the "godfather" of the shipping industry in my city - was diagnosed with cancer last year so I know at first-hand the turmoil the disease, its diagnosis and treatment can cause in the lives of the patient and their family.
Look Good Feel Better is an organisation that supports women and teens who are struggling with visible side-effects of cancer treatment. Some of these side-effects can be damaging to self-esteem and confidence and I know some extrovert ladies who completely stopped venturing out after they started chemo. The organisation provides free hair, skincare and makeup services and workshops to women and teens, and thereby gives them a sense of normalcy. When I found Look Good Feel Better makeup brushes on FeelUnique, I bought some at once.

Scroll down for my thoughts on the Look Good Feel Better Makeup Brushes.

Beessential Skin Care Products: Body Cream, Lip Balm, Body Wash and Soap Review

Beessential Skin Care Products: Body Cream, Lip Balm, Body Wash and Soap Review

Soaps Cosmetopia Digest   Tuesday, October 06, 2015

Whenever we went to his place, my Gramps always tried to give his grandchildren wholesome and, as he called it, "pure" food. He kept a vegetable garden, and grew mango, papaya, banana and guava trees in his backyard. He knew a person who kept cows and got them to deliver fresh milk every morning and evening. He also kept bees for honey. This was part of a cooperative - they would come over to check the bees and collect the honey and beeswax. We would get a share of the honey - I can taste the wild, rich flavour even today. Best of all, the bees NEVER stung. Gramps moved house recently and had to give up up bees and fresh milk and is only creating a new garden. But he instilled in all of us a preference for fresh, handmade, natural produce and products created with care and love.
More than 15 years ago, Ohio-based Amy and David Rzepka began keeping bees on their family farm, when a co-worker asked if they would look after a hive he could no longer care for. One day, David took a look at his shampoo label and was shocked by some of the chemicals listed. A health-conscious couple who wanted their children to eat healthy, they decided to manufacture skin and hair care products from the honey, propolis and beeswax in their own hives.
The process began nine years ago in their basement. Today, they run an established manufacturing unit and their family business, named Beessential, is known for 100% natural, environment-friendly products hand-made in the US using pure honey, beeswax and other harm-free ingredients. 

Scroll down for more about Beessential products and my thoughts on them.

Maple Holistics Hair Care Giveaway (US only)

Maple Holistics Hair Care Giveaway (US only)

Vegan Cosmetopia Digest   Sunday, September 20, 2015

Aromatherapy-based, vegan, and cruelty-free, Maple Holistics products contain no sulphates and are safe for coloured hair. They have offered a shampoo and a conditioner (towel in photo not included!) for my friends in the US to try. Since the majority of my readership is from the US, I am delighted to host this giveaway for you people.
So, what will you be winning? An Argan Shampoo and a Silk 18 Conditioner, from Maple Holistics (again, towel in photo is not included). Both are suited for all hair types. The Argan Shampoo contains a plethora of ingredients such as - duh - argan oil, peach kernel, jojoba, avocado, camellia seed, almond oil, botanical keratin and honey and vanilla. Six essential oils in there.
The Silk 18 condish has silk amino acids, shea butter, green tea, aloe vera, seabuckthorn, pomegranate, hibiscus, argan, jojoba, vanilla and botanical keratin.
Sounds good? Want these? Here are the rules and the giveaway widget.