Indie companies

Hello my lovelies. Well, the holidays are in full swing. I’ve got all the decorations except the tree put up. Christmas presents are bought and wrapped. The last present, for my wonderful boyfriend, is being delivered on the 23rd. I don’t have to cook this year as we are going to NC to spend the holidays with my boyfriend’s father and brother. I will be picking my daughter up on the 26th to spend a week here with us. So now let’s talk Makeup.

There have been so many new releases happening lately that I would need a millionaire boyfriend with a black American Express to afford it all. There are sales and discounts everywhere. I did take advantage of a couple of the indie brand sales though. Y’all know how I feel about indie companies.

Here are a few, but by no means a complete list, of my favorite indie companies.

COASTAL SCENTS Here. They have some of the best brushes. You can purchase sets as well as individual brushes. You can purchase synthetic and natural brushes and all of there products are cruelty free with the packaging being 100% recyclable.  There formulations are paraben, gluten, oxybenzone, TEA/DEA/MEA and propylene glycol free.  Coastal Scents provides a full range of products from eyeshadows and mascara to concealers and lipsticks.  They are very affordable with top notch customer service.   Check out their holiday sales. You can find them on Instagram too.

MAEDER MAKEUP LABS  Here. Caroline Maeder (May-der) is an amazing lady.  She’s a medical assistant, phlebotomist, CNA and mom of 3. When she had an allergic reaction to a talc based powder she decided to venture into the world of cosmetics to formulate a brand of cosmetics that were vegan and cruelty free. All of her products are handmade too. The medical theme of her products stems from her back ground. Eyeshadow shades like Ooze, a bright yellow, DNA, a deep red (and the only product that is not vegan because of the Carmine), Decay, a beautiful gold. Skin Grafts, her highlighters are fantastic. There are liquid lips like Hematology which is my fave and Liquid Lithiums which are liquid illuminators.  During this season, Caroline is offering 25 days of Christmas deals so click on the link and check out her shop.

QUEEN LUX COSMETICS  Here. If you are a glitter freak then this is the shop for you. You can find pressed glitters, loose glitters, makeup brushes, lipsticks, liquid illuminators and eyeshadow palettes. I have one of their liquid lips and the Princess Palette. Their products are cruelty free and vegan approved. The cool thing about Queen Lux is that no matter your complexion, you can find something that works for you. Their prices are very competitive also. Queen Lux also has a blog that you can get to through the link I provided.

SYDNEY GRACE Here. This company was formerly known as Feather River Body. Their products are cruelty free, paraben free, silicone free and made in the USA. Products include cream highlighters, loose highlighters, shadows, loose pigments and glitters, blushes and lip creams. You can purchase singles and palettes. I love the shadows that I’ve purchased. They are so pigmented I barely had to touch the pans and they blended fantastically. I can’t wait to enlarge my collection.


These are just a few of my favorite indie companies. I will do a part two when I’ve tried out more companies. If there are any indie companies that you like, please leave me a comment below or DM me on IG @emilythubbron. I would love to hear of more indie companies. All 4 of these companies can be found on IG too.

Starting in the new year, I’m going to start a series using one new product per week. So for 2018 I will review 52 new products. Make sure to stay tuned. Oh my bank account is not going to be happy 🤪. Also the first week of January I will be doing my favorite products for 2017. I was shocked by some of them for sure.

Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy your weekend.
Emily

Coastal Scents

Hello my lovelies. Hope y’all are having a fantastic weekend. It’s been chilly and windy here today. Did some shopping for Thanksgiving today too. Still have a few things to pick up but I’m sure I will forget something. I always do. But, let’s talk makeup!!!

I am a huge supporter of small businesses. My love of it started, I think, because my dad and uncle both had there own trucking companies. I was dad’s bookkeeper and I began to realize how much behind the scenes stuff there is to owning your own company. When you see what we call here in the south, a mom and pop store, most people think, “How nice. They bake cookies all day and sell them.” Or candles, or jewelry or whatever the case may be. They don’t realize the time, energy, dedication, blood, sweat and tears that goes into getting a business up and running. Not to mention the lack of sleep, family time and vacations. The budgeting. Skipped meals. The piles of red tape with the IRS. Knowing and keeping up to date on tax laws and proceedures. It takes a lot more than most people realize.

With an indie makeup company, you have the added stress of deciding whether or not to become cruelty free or vegan then researching where to source these types of ingredients. Then it’s the worry over formulation. Ingredients that will be safe for all skin types, etc. There are many aspects to owning your own brand. It’s hard work. And honestly, word of mouth is the best advertisement for an indie company. No matter what the product.

Today I’m going to review an indie company that I recently ordered from. Coastalscents. They are located in Delaware. They are cruelty free with over 800 products. The company was started in 2005. The have very fast shipping times and also do international shipping. And the prices???  Holy moley. Very affordable.

For my first order I took advantage of a sale going on at the time. I purchased the Style Eyes Collection which includes 3-8 shadow Palettes in a heavy duty cardboard case. The cost? $4.95. Then I ordered some brushes which were 50% off. I purchased my first pencil brush, my first small detail brush and a couple blending, a crease brush and two angled brushes. With shipping my order came to right around $22. Not bad at all.

Let’s talk Shadows. Each palette is designed for a specific look. Social Eyes is lots of shimmers and pretty Smokey colors. Formal Eyes is your neutrals and Glamour Eyes is bold and dark. You can use them separately or combine them to create your own unique look.  Each palette has a small mirror and a magnetic closure. As for the colors themselves, you can see how nicely they swatch. Most of them are very creamy and buttery. There are a couple of the more glittery shades that feel more coarse, but I think that’s par for the course. I wore these Shadows for two days and there was no creasing or flaking. There is a bit of fallout but that’s not a huge deal for me. I just take my fluffy brush and whisk it away. I had no sensitivity to these Shadows at all and with Auto Immune issues that’s saying a lot. 

The brushes are fabulous. I always wash my brushes before using them to remove any dust or particles that may be left over from production and these did well. The bristles are very soft on the crease and blending brushes. The pencil brush is a bit dense but I like that when applying shadow to the outer and inner corner of my lids. The detail brush is just perfect. Great shape and just the right density. The angled brushes worked great for lining my lower lash line  

So, final thoughts....I’m sold. I will definitely be ordering from Coastalscents again. Most likely after Christmas when my wallet isn’t crying as hard. You can’t beat the price point and fast shipping. And the most important for me?  They are an indie brand and in my mind I’m helping someone put food on their table and a roof over their head. 

Thanks for joining me today. I hope you enjoyed this review. If you know of any indie brands that you love and think they have awesome products, please let me know in the comments below. Enjoy the rest of your weekend. 

SuperShock Shadows

Welcome back to my blog. Today I’m super excited to give you some first impressions of my recent order from Colourpop. I ordered on Nov. 10th and received my complete order on Nov. 13th. That’s a great delivery time.

For those of you who don’t know about Colourpop, they are based in California and their products are made in the USA. They were founded in 2014, so they haven’t been around long. Colourpop is a cruelty free company. They have a nice range off products including lip products, eye products and face products. Now, let’s talk Makeup!!!

I ordered 9 of the Super Shock Shadows, one of the Super Nova Shadows, a Concealer and a liquid lip. Let’s talk about the concealer first.

I have heard great things about this concealer. I’ve heard it called a dupe for Tarte’s Shape Tape, which I adore but hate how expensive it is. Y’all know I’m all about saving some dollar bills. So, the No Filter Concealer comes in 15 Shades. Since I am transparent I ordered Fair 5. On Colourpop’s website it has 4.5 Stars. The site states, “Our lightweight, creamy concealer was formulated with soft blurring pigments to give you a creaseproof,matte finish. No filter needed. “.  There is 4 grams of product in the tube and costs $6. I used it today for the first time and I liked it. It worked well with my foundation, blending was very easy and it even stayed on my nose. I would say it’s a very close dupe for the Shape Tape.

Next is the Ultra Matte Lip. I purchased the color Avenue. It will cost you $6 for a 3.2 gram tube.  According to the site, “This thin, lightweight formula smoothly glides on the lips leaving SUPER intense pigment with a bold, ultra matte look. It is very long-wearing and 100% kiss proof.”  I must say that this claim is true. 😁. It stayed put. Almost all day. I was pleasantly surprised. I have a hard time with lipstick of any kind staying on but this one has lasting power.

Ok. Now on to the Shadows. If you have never used one of these super shock Shadows be prepared. It’s completely different than a normal pressed powder Shadow. I was definitely not ready. When I went to swatch it, I pressed a bit hard and left my fingerprint in the top of the pot. Imagine my surprise. I thought I had ruined it. Lol. They are extremely creamy and soft. The pattern on the top is pretty too.

The description on the site and on the card that came with the Shadows state, “Our famous long wearing creme powder formula with a unique bouncy like texture delivers bold color with one swipe without creasing, fading or fallout.”  You can apply them with your finger for maximum coverage or with a synthetic brush for easy blending. Make sure it’s a synthetic brush so the product doesn’t soak into the bristles. You need to use a light hand when dipping your brush too. It’s very easy to leave marks if you press too hard. Once applied, the creme turns powdery and blends very nicely. I used an eyeshadow primer as well as a light transition color before applying them. I wanted to use all 9 but figured that might be a bit much. 😂😂.

Here are swatches of the colors I purchased along with the Super Nova Shadow in Firecracker.

Tassel is a true bright white with silver glitter

Firecracker is the liquid Super Nova Shadow that is a cool toned Burgundy with gold duochrome and silver, gold and green glitter

Dynasty is a matte blackened red

Paradox is a warm satin burgundy

Drift is a satin true cranberry

Summer Side is a matte, rich red brown

Elixir is a matte terra-cotta 

Shop is a matte deep coral

Coconut is a satin bright teal

Roulette is a matte true black

I am so in love with Colourpop now. I can see myself owning every color of these Super Shock Shadows. Lol. Oh my poor wallet. They are worth getting. Colourpop has sales all the time too. So be on the lookout for those.  

As far as wearability these Shadows did great. No flaking, creasing or fall out. 

I have also placed orders with 2 indie brands so reviews will be coming on those. 

Setting Sprays

Welcome back to my blog. Yesterday I talked about an unusual primer that really works. I am honestly thinking that it is going to become my holy grail, ride or die primer. I’ve still got a few that I am testing out and I’ll do reviews on those but I am leaning towards the Monistat. That still sounds so weird to me. Lol.

Today my review is a setting spray. Now I went years and years without using one of these sprays. When I was a teen, we didn’t have setting sprays. Nowadays there are hundreds of them. Matte finish. Dewey finish. Long lasting. 16 hour. Oil control. You name it you can find a setting spray for it.

I’ve tried a few so far and honestly, it seems they all work the same for the most part. I haven’t been able to try the high end ones so I can only attest to drugstore brands. I don’t really care for the E.L.F.  Mist and Set. The nozzle allows too much of a forceful spray to come out.  If that isn’t an issue for you then it may work for you. You can purchase it anywhere E.L.F. products are sold or online. It costs about $3 for 2 fl oz of spray.

The next one, Milani’s Make It Last, is pretty good. The nozzle delivers an even mist. On their website it states that this spray keeps that just applied look for up to 16 hours. It claims to prime, correct and set your makeup without creases or smudges, prevents fading and shine. Provides a matte finish. The first ingredient is water. The second is alcohol denate. It will cost you around $10 for 2.03 fl oz. You can purchase it at most drugstores and Target stores. I like this one. It works well and my makeup stays put. I haven’t tested the 16 hour claim yet though. The only draw back is the fragrance. Remember that big container of powder with the giant pouf on your grandmothers dresser? Well that’s the smell. It’s very strong when first applied but after drying the scent fades. I use a fan to dry it quickly. 😁

The next sprays I’ve tried are the NYX Matte Finish and the Dewey Finish. These are not my favorites. I honestly can’t see a difference between the two. The spray from the nozzle is even and soft and there isn’t a scent. They seem to work fairly well locking my makeup down. I find NYX at my local Target store.  There isn’t a huge description of either one on the website. The matte finish does have 4.5 stars and the Dewey finish has 4.6. Both have water and alcohol listed as the first two ingredients. These will run you $8 for 2 oz of product.


My favorite setting spray so far is by Hard Candy. I have only found one product from this company that I haven’t liked. They have two setting sprays....both are Fast and Fabulous Sheer Envy sprays, one just offers added oil control.  Some of the claims are that it is a 12 hour spray, reduces the need for touch up throughout the day, helps prevent your makeup from melting, fading and settling into fine lines.  The nozzle is fantastic. You get a fine, smooth mist that dries fairly quickly. I live in an area where our summers are very humid and I used this spray all summer. My makeup stayed on beautifully. I pay right around $8 for 2.2 oz of spray and one bottle lasts me about a month. Hard Candy is also cruelty free.

I have the L’oreal Infallible setting spray to try but I want to finish my open ones first. I am hoping to order the Gerard Slay all Day in a couple of weeks. I’ve heard great things about that one. The only high end one I really want to try is Urban Decay’s All Nighter.

I would love to know y’all’s favorite setting sprays. Leave me a comment or send me a message on Instagram @emilythubbron.

Thanks for stopping by. It means a lot. See ya next time. 

Unusual Primer

Hello my beauties. Tonight I want to tell you about a product that makes an amazing primer but is a bit unusual. When I first heard about it, I was like “Eeww, there is no way in hell I am putting that on my face!”  To me it was just gross but I heard a couple of the more popular beauty gurus on YouTube saying it worked amazingly well.

 So, a couple weeks ago I decided to bite the bullet and give it a go.  Let me just say I was shook. Blown away. I couldn’t believe how well it actually worked. Wanna know what this product is???

Yep. That’s right. Monistat Chafing Gel. Told you it was a bit unusual and kinda gross.  So, I looked up this product on their website and here are some of the things I found......Protects skin with a smooth, breathable moisture control barrier. So to me that means it’s going to help prevent my makeup from becoming splotchy and cakey from oil and sweat. Fights friction and relieves irritation...okay, not much friction on the face but some products do cause irritation so this should help, right?  Helps reduce the appearance of redness after shaving or waxing the bikini area. Think eyebrows, upper lips, chins. Combines the protective benefits of lotion and powder.  

The first ingredient is dimethicone, just like a lot of primers including the Smashbox Primer. This gel also contains Vitamin E and aloe. It’s fragrance free and formulated to let your skin breathe. With all the crap I put on my face my skin needs to breathe. 

The next question is what did it feel like on the skin?  It’s a clear gel and was very silky in texture. I have large pores around my nose and on my cheeks. I have a few scars too. After applying the gel over my whole face, I let it set for a couple of minutes. My skin was soft and smooth with a matte finish. 

Now to apply foundation and concealer. The first day I used Rimmel’s Clean Finish Foundation and Match Perfection Concealer. I applied both with a damp beauty blender from Eco Tools. (Reviews on these products coming soon).  The foundation applied beautifully as did the concealer. No streaks or dry patches to be seen. My pores disappeared too. I finished applying the rest of my makeup and went about my day. 

I obsessively checked in the mirror every chance I got to see how it was holding up. Holy smokes. No touch ups were needed at all. I couldn’t believe it. My makeup held up better than ever before.  Here is what my makeup looked like after 10 hours. 

Pretty good huh?  I have used this gel for 4 days now. Each time using a different foundation just to see if it reacted differently and nope. Same results. Almost perfect makeup all day. 

My final, honest opinion?  I’m hooked. I love it. It’s the best primer I’ve used thus far. I do believe this is my holy grail, ride or die primer. 

Here’s the nitty gritty details:  Can be found in most drugstore/superstores where Monistat products are sold, or you can order online. 

Comes in a squeeze tube containing 1.5 oz of product

Cost ranges from $6.99 to $8.00

Thank you for stopping by today. I hope you enjoyed this post. I have quite a few reviews almost ready including an order from Colourpop that my BF got me as an early birthday present and should be here Monday. 

Why Not? Wednesday

Hello folks. How are ya?

Today I want to discuss something that kinda bothers me. It’s about makeup colors. There are all kinds of “rules” out there about what colors you should wear....soft or neutral eyes with bold lips, bold eyes with nude lips, but never both together. Make your cheeks pop but mute your eyes and lips. If you are a Spring you should wear these colors, if you are Winter, those colors. If you are under 40 or over 70 you can wear whatever you want. Well, guess what?!?  I call bulls**t.

I’m almost 45 years old. 19 days away to be exact and I think I can wear whatever colors I feel like. Granted, I’ve learned over the years that some colors do look better on me than others but if I want to wear a pop of lime green on my eyelids or a glittery inner corner why not?  If I choose to wear a really dark Smokey Eye, why not?  How about a bright red lip?  Why not?

  It seems like women in my age bracket are supposed to be muted and demure. Screw that. I’m having the time of my life and living life to the fullest. The way I see it, it’s my face and that means my rules. Makeup is one size fits all as Patrick Starrr says. Now, I am smart enough to know that just because a shirt says one size fits all doesn’t make it true. As a big girl, I’ve learned the hard way that OSFA is not always the case just as I’ve learned that some of the looks on social media will not work for me. It would be Halloween 365 if I tried that. But, if a certain color makes me feel beautiful and sexy why shouldn’t I wear it?  Beauty is more than skin deep and it’s just makeup. At the end of the day it washes away.

So, ladies, and gentlemen, be bold. You do you. Don’t let someone else’s opinion sway your decision. Wear that hooker red lipstick or that glittery purple eyeshadow. It’s your face babes and if it makes you happy, who cares what others think.

Here’s my MOTD and guess what?  I’m wearing bold red lipstick!  And I got a couple of compliments while I was out and about.

Thanks for stopping by today. Make sure you come back tomorrow for a review of the makeup I am wearing today. ❤️❤️

Tool Tuesday

I have found the best little tool ever!!  How many of you can never get that last little bit of moisturizer out of the tube, bottle or jar?  How about your foundation or concealer?  Ever wished you had something to get that last bit of your favorite lipstick out of the tube because you have a hot date and that color looks fantastic on you?  I have. But now I don’t have that problem.

While wandering in the cosmetic aisles at Walmart I happen to spy this little guy....

Say hello to Spatty. No, I didn’t give it a pet name lol, that’s what it’s called. The back of the package states...No more wasted product, Flexible tip, Does not absorb product, Gets in all the hard to reach places. Dishwasher safe. Reusable. FDA approved. BPA free. Fits into virtually any product with a narrow opening, allowing you to get every last ounce of  your product and keeps money in your product. On their website, www.thespatty.com there are two pink cosmetic spattys, a 6 inch and a 12 inch. There are also ones for use in the kitchen (blue), crafting (red), and home and auto (grey). Now, they are made identically and come in the same sizes but are different colors that I’m guessing help you differentiate between them. 

Also on their website they make this claim...Consumer Reports conducted a study in which they determined we throw away 25% of product when it’s no longer easy to get out of the container. To put this in perspective, if you spend $40 on a bottle of foundation, Spatty will help you recover that lost 25% saving you $10 in product. To take that one step further, if you go through one bottle of foundation per month, Spatty could potentially save you $120 per year. 

This product was featured on the popular tv show Shark Tank also. Cheryl Rigdon, the inventor of the Spatty, invented Spatty after becoming frustrated with not being able to get all of her higher end products out of their containers. A portion of the sales goes to Water For Life, a program to help everyone have clean drinking water. 

And just for the record, no, this post is not sponsored. All of the statements above came either from the back of the packaging or the website and you may go and read them for yourself. 

A few weeks ago I was sent a trial of some new skin care and I was down to the nitty gritty. I love this skin care but unfortunately cannot buy full size bottles until after Christmas. After seeing Spatty on the shelf, a mental picture hit me and Spatty found a new home. That night after cleansing my face I took a pair of scissors and cut the end off of the trial sized tube. Dang y’all. You should have seen how much product was left in the tube. I would have normally thrown it away because I couldn’t squeeze any more out. Spatty helped me get three more nights of product out of the tube. I was pretty impressed. After using it, I just cleaned it, dried it off and put it in my tool caddy. And the best part...both ends are useable. There is a little ball on the end that works great for dotting on your foundation or concealer. 😁😁. 

I believe this is the best $5 I have spent in a while. And with the tip being silicone it will last quite a long time. 

Thanks for stopping by today. I truly appreciate it. Come back tomorrow for Why Not Wednesday. You never know what I will be trying out.