My Autumn 2015 Look: Burgundy and Gold

My Autumn 2015 Look: Burgundy and Gold by kkangshi

ULTA Fall 2015 Inspired Products

ULTA Fall 2015 Inspired Products by kkangshi featuring pink lips makeup

Ulta had an beautiful new fall look on their website here. I wanted to try to keep the same style, but try my own spin on it. So I give you:

How to get the same gorgeous look with these "green" alternatives! 

Keeping with the dark blue "petrol" eyes, try applying Zuzu Black Pearl to your lash line and smudging slightly before it dries. Then go over with Everyday Mineral Eyeliner in Blue velvet, blending up  and out from the lash line. To balance out the edgy look of the smokey eye, try Ilia's soft pink lip gloss in "The Butterfly and I". Lastly, if you already have the platinum blonde and want to add a hint of rosy highlights, lightly mist hair with water and then dust a bright rosy blush with a fan brush!

Liquid Eyeliner Black Pearl

Everyday Mineral's Blue Velvet Mineral Eyeliner

jane iredale White Fan Brush, 0.24 oz.

ILIA Beauty Lip Gloss - The Butterfly and I (Peach)

Upgrade your Lemon Shampoo!

Upgrade your Lemon Shampoo! by kkangshi featuring fruit wall art

There is nothing HERBAL about Herbal Essences shampoo. Loaded with nasty parabens and sulfates, it's not worth your time or money. However if you love that sweet lemony scent, and deep cleansing feel, try upgrading to Avalon Organics Lemon Clarifying Shampoo!

5 Free Nail Polish Isn't Always Safe!

Over the past year, there has been TONS of buzz regarding the Mentality Nail Polish scandal, which left many customers with Onychomycosis (nail fungus) and chemical burns!  Adverse reactions included nail lifting, burning, redness, and pretty much just the entire nail dying and falling off. X_X 

One of the most disheartening (and scary) part about this whole scandal was that these products were praised as a 5-Free nail polishes! We tend to blindly trust nail polishes marketed as such because they are free of 5 of the worse chemicals usually found in nail polishes: Toluene, Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP), Formaldehyde, Formaldehyde Resin, and Camphor. However, just because they may not give you cancer in the long run doesn't mean they are completely safe!

Long story short, this is another example of how scary it is that the FDA doesn't require companies to test their products before selling them! To make this all even more pathetic, Mentality Nail Polish complained their lack of testing was due to the fact that it was too expensive to do (though it was later pointed out that it would have been only ~$1000)!

In general, when shopping for any sort of cosmetic that will be absorbed into your body, try to focus on companies you trust. Larger companies have more resources (and more to lose if something goes bad), so they may do a better job at testing for safety. However, some of theses massive corporations will still try to cut corner to increase profits. Indie companies on the other hand, like Mentality Nail Polish, will also cut corners due to lack of resources and experience. Personally I try to find the companies in the middle: large enough to have good resources, but not so big they only care abut the bottom line. As always, try to choose a company that is dedicated to it's customers and it's cause.

Here are some of my (personally-tested and approved) favorites:

Nail Polish I Heart You By 100% Pure
Vapour Organic Beauty Vernissage 3-Free Nail Lacquer-Captive
Mineral Fusion Natural Nail Polish, Coral Reef, 0.33 Ounce
Nail Lacquer Or Rose 10 ml by Kure Bazaar
Zoya - Nail Polish Summertime Summer Collection Sooki - 0.5 oz.

~KK

Your Purest Makeup Remover Ever!

It's pretty indisputable that RMS Beauty Raw Coconut Cream-2.5 oz.
is probably the BEST makeup remover for green beauty! That is because it is made from pure, unrefined coconut oil, which naturally has antibacterial, antifungal and antimicrobial properties. This all natural cream liquefies when warmed and easily smooths over makeup, wiping it cleanly off. It can also double as a moisturizer to nourish any dry skin on your body. RMS promises it's product "superior over 'other cold pressed coconut oil on the market.'"

However if the $7.20/oz price tag for RMS is a little outside your price range, then try using Organic Fiji Raw Organic Coconut Oil, 13-Ounce Jars, which is steal at $1.02/oz! This product is made in the USA and is USDA Certified Organic! Even better, with all your extra, you can make little gifts for all your friends and family using these cute refillable cosmetic jars!

However, if what you want is pure bliss and the most luxurious product money can buy, then splurge on Cocovit Coconut Oil. It has only has a hint of a coconut smell, since they implement a special extraction process that does not use any heat (much like RMS I assume). Whatever your choice, know that you have found the purest and best makeup remover of all: coconut oil!

~KK

Why autumn is the best time to buy foundation!

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Liquid foundation can be great! It gives wonderful coverage, is easy to blend, it comes in so many shades to match you skin tone. However, it also can also be time-consuming to put on in the morning, expensive, and heavy feeling on your face. The average liquid foundation expires in 6-12 months, and if you're anything like me, you never go through a whole bottle before it comes time to chuck it. 

So how do you get the most out of this pricey product? Find a way to use it all year round! Here's what I do:

1. Purchase your foundation in the beginning of fall. The short days and overcast skies of these darker months are wonderful for keeping harsh sunlight off your look (foundation can appear cakey under full sun). Try also experimenting with more dramatic looks, like burgundy lips and smokey eyes, which compliment well with full coverage foundation. 
2. As spring rolls around, you can lighten the look buy making a tinted moisturizer by mixing 1 part liquid foundation to 1 part moisturizer. My personal favorite blend is Vapour Organic Beauty Atmosphere Soft Focus Foundation - s120 and 100% Pure Purity Hydrating Lotion, 1.6 Fluid Ounce
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3. Lastly, in the summer you won't need to splurge on a new tinted sunscreen since you can simply mix 1 part of your same liquid foundation with 1 part sunscreen. Personally, I really love Loving Naturals Clear Body SPF 30+
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The One and Only Facewash You'll Ever Need

This has been my go-to face was for years! For just pennies per use, this face wash will give you sparkly, clean skin using no harsh chemicals or toxins. Also, by diluting the solution and putting it in a foaming soap dispenser, you'll stretch those pennies even more. Now you'll have enough to last you the whole year, with extra left over for your significant other, you friends, you mom, your mom's mom, your mother-in-law.., and her mom…. You get the point) I find one foaming pump is all I need to create a thick enough lather for my whole face. If your face is prone to dryness, just follow up with your favorite moisturizer (try one with SPF like this one from Juice Beauty)

For more eco-chic beauty tips, check out my blog at KathyKang.com