The Beauty Archive- Scandinavian Vegan Lipsticks

More More More great vegan lipsticks!!!
You have been warned I wanted to step by step give all my favourite vegan lipsticks their very own blog post.

Today I am telling you all about The Beauty Archive, a Scandinavian organic & vegan lipstick brand.
Those Swedes are known for their great minimal design, so it's no surprise that these little lipstick pots look all kinds of contemporary and perfected this whole simplicity theme. A square little white box, black typography and a cute little glass jar filled with high-quality lip colour. They are certified cruelty-free too: YAY!!!! The glass jar can be reused or recycled!
I will certainly keep mine, they are a handy little size.

These are perfect for all brides to be, professional makeup artists and the every day green beauty goddess alike. There is the Wedding Collection: The lip balm is called Wedding Cake! There is also a shade named "I DO" as well as "Bridesmaids Blush" which are very pretty pink hues.
The colours are all spot on, very wearable and just beautiful!

For me as a pro artist, the packaging is fantastic, as I apply lipstick always with a brush and have to scoop or scrape the colour, so there is no point in having a beautiful bullet lipstick...
For personal use, I love that a jar encourages people to apply lipstick with fingers, which always gives such a beautiful finish!

What else can I tell you about these beauties? They tick all the boxes: Great quality pigment, soft and creamy to apply, hydrating and have a good staying power.
There are a few different finishes and types:

The Lip Balm
Called Wedding Cake is a sweet little thing. Does what you want it to do makes your lips look luscious and hydrated.

The Lip Tints
When pressed into the lips and used and blotted correctly these cutie pies have a good staying power. All shades are real winners! Leaving a very contemporary stained finish on the lips they are amazing for every day or if you love that more effortless look.

The Lip Creams
Come in two shades: A classic Red and a perfect nude. They are called Timeless and Effortless and that says it all really. They are creamy and have a really nice lipstick texture, not sticky or gooey. Just a really good lipstick.
 

Goddess On The Go - The balm every artist should own

Every makeup artist needs a multipurpose miracle balm in their kit! It's the secret to subtle highlights, perfectly prepped lips and it quickly fixes any dry or flakey skin! Unfortunately most conventional ones are petrochemical based (Lucas Paw Paw/ Eight Hour Cream etc) and most natural ones aren't vegan! This one ticks ALL the boxes! Thank you Edible Beauty you have done it again: another masterpiece that deserves cult status!

Konjac Sponges THE Alternative To Scrub, Brush & Co

I have just discovered the benefits of cleansing with a natural Konjac Sponge.
Something so small and simple can actually make such a big positive impact on the skin.

 It wasn't until WYLD send me some of their beautifully packaged and organic sponges that I used one on my own skin.

My own experience cleansing with a Konjac Sponge

Winter really kicked in this week and between the cold air in the early mornings when I took Dalston for his walks and the dry warm air streaming from our heaters to keep our place toasty for baby Faye my skin really suffered. It showed up redness, dryness and flakiness and small areas of congestion.
I immediately exfoliated my skin and repeatedly used nourishing leave-on masks, which has been helpful but it's not a good idea to use a scrub on a daily basis.
I needed something more gentle and that's where the Konjac Sponge came in. I used one with Pink Clay, mainly because I liked the colour, but also because its suitable for sensitive skin.
This was a godsend, especially during this week that I am home alone with bub & pup. Which gave me little time for my own skincare and grooming...
This was SO easy to use and just felt beautiful. Very soft and somewhat silky. I used it without cleanser as I wasn't wearing heavy makeup it cleaned my skin very well, but it also seemed to buff the dry flaky areas and cleansed away impurities around my nose.

What is a Konjac Sponge?
Konjac or Elephant Yam is a plant native to Asia. While the potato-like root is eaten, it has also traditionally been used to create these little sponges.
Wyld sponges are pure and don't contain any . Often Charcoal or pink clay are added for their skincare benefits. Wyld uses natural activated bamboo charcoal to draw out excess oil, zap bacteria and detoxify, this is great for oily and combination skin. The other option is infused with French Pink Clay to cleanse and nourish skin while drawing out excess oil for a rosy glow, suitable for all skins including the most sensitive.

Benefits of cleansing with a Konjac Sponge
It increases circulation, exfoliates and cleanses pores.
It's packed with natural vitamins & minerals.
It is completely natural, non-toxic and eco-friendly especially compared to conventional exfoliant scrubs which contain microbeads. (microbeads are an environmental hazard polluting water and endangering marine life)
Suitable for daily use and all skin types.

How To Use a Konjac Sponge
Easy Peasy: You just wet it with water and use circular motions to cleanse your face.
It can be used purely with water or with your favourite cleanser. A sponge should be replaced every 1-2 months.

Have you tried Konjac Sponges before?

Vegan Luxe Lipsticks By Axiology

I was planning on writing a post about vegan lipsticks from different brands and featuring my favourites when I realised that each brand that brings a fabulous vegan lipstick to market (and they are far and few between!) deserves their very own post. So, today it is all about Axiology.

While there is an abundance of toxin-free and cruelty-free lipsticks the vegan ones are still rare.
And then there are vegan lipsticks which aren't all that toxin-free and natural...
In my pro-kit, I combine different cruelty-free brands with vegan lipsticks to get a good colour and texture variety which I need as a pro artist.
In my personal beauty bag, I am extra picky and use vegan&toxin-free lippies.
I will step by step introduce these goodies to you!
The other week I also mentioned some vegan lipsticks here in care you missed it.

AXIOLOGY

The outer
The lipstick brand with the unique triangular boxes and shiny golden luxe packaging. I love having a shiny blingy luxe lipstick and think this brand really nailed the packaging.

The Inner
Creamy lipsticks that glide on with ease. The texture is light and not greasy. The colours have a shimmer which makes lips look plump and voluminous. These beauties smell and taste of natural orange oil. Axiology has a large range of colours, from wearable nudes to funky bold colours.

The Company
Crafted in Oregon, USA by vOwner Ericka. She understands eco credentials and lives a vegan lifestyle, so I am not surprised by the quality, ethics and strict pure natural formulation of these treasures. Definitely one of these amazing small businesses that I am proud to support.

The Verdict
Perfect luxury lipstick for your own handbag! Feels hydrating, not greasy and leaves a beautiful shimmer. If you are after a matte colour, this isn't for you.
For the pro artists out there, this is a slightly sheer and shimmery range that still delivers true colour, a great addition to your matte, high-pigmented collection.
I love mine! My personal Favourite Colour is "Vibration"
All shades are shown on lips on the website which gives you a very accurate idea of the colour along side with swatches. I found this very helpful.

 

P.S: They just came out with some crayons as well! I can't wait to try. Please let me know if you have gotten your lips on some already. I am all ears :)

tmf vegan makeup review

I finally got the chance to try out some tmf makeup products. I have been intrigued by this Australian brand, as it's vegan, cruelty-free and uses a lot of organic ingredients too.
The packaging is very simple, practical and minimal and the line is supposed to be designed with pro artists in mind. It just sounded like the perfect alternative to a brand like MAC (which does test on animals and contains way too many questionable potentially toxic ingredients for my liking)
tmf stands for The Makeup Factory, just in case you were wondering.
I received an Essentials collection, which contained a variety of products to get an idea of the quality, ingedients and performance. There are still lots of products that I haven't been able to try as of yet though (I would love to try the concealer and liquid foundation!) and I will keep you up to date when I do.  Of course, please feel free to comment for feedback and share your own experience with this brand or any questions.
My favourites were:

LIPSTICK
First I have to say that it makes me very happy when I find vegan lipsticks, as they are very rare even with cruelty-free and organic brands, most do contain beeswax. Tmf makes it clear with their range called Vegan Lips. that their range is 100% free of animal products, which scores extra points with me! The lipsticks are matte and packed with pigment! Definitely a very professional product and long wearing too. They apply very smoothly and not much product is needed. I will have to grab some more of these beautiful colours for my kit. They aren't your creamy, nourishing lipstick, but rather a great colour, long-wearing matte kind. If you are in need for extra shine simply add their lip gloss over the top.

Highlighter
The Pure Skin Glow is a lightweight fluid that can be mixed with liquid foundation for a dewy finish or used on its own as a beautiful highlight. I really liked that this one is not sparkly or overly shiny, it's subtle and sophisticated and can be used in real life without looking like a disco ball! I am definitely a fan of this one.

Pure Skin Base
This is a lovely lightweight, hydrating primer. I would recommend it for dry to normal/combination skin. This is not a mattifying product, but one that makes your foundation last. You can use mineral powder or liquid over the top and it will prolong the wear of your foundation, make it glide on easily and save you from needing too much foundation and ending up with a cake face. Pure Skin Base is a really good primer for most skin types.

The Verdict...
I love the pigment, textures and simple professional packaging. Extra brownie points for being vegan. Extra points for being a local, Australian company that strives to manufacture here too.
I am especially impressed with the Vegan Lipsticks. Another plus is that they offer free shipping within Australia!

I am disappointed that the full ingredients aren't listed on their website. As they market themselves as toxin-free & cruelty-free and have organic written on their packaging, I feel that this is very important information for their customers and for me as a pro artist too. I won't buy products without knowing what is inside.
Their preservative is Phenoxyethanol, which is allowed to be used in organic products but is not my first choice. The products are silicone based, which again is allowed in natural formulations and I do also like the professional results this gives, yet it's important to mention.
I personally don't wear silicon on my skin day to day but do use it in my professional kit for its performance.

The products are not certified organic nor have any natural cosmetics certifications.
TMF is in the process of being certified cruelty-free though, according to the founder, who ensured me that they are working on it. The quality is right up their with the professional brands and I would love to include more of these products into my kit.