Using the Axiology Lip to Lid Balmies

Recently Axiology sent a few items to me to try out and review. As always my opinions are completely my own. I was very excited about these products though because one thing I have been trying to do in my life is to reduce waste.

Axiology has more or less the same mission, although on a much grander scale than mine. Enter the Lip to Lid Balmies. A zero waste Multi use cosmetic crayon. I have the two pack or Nude Plum and Rose which is described as…

Lip-to-Lid Balmies are plastic-free, multi-use crayons for eyes, lips and cheeks. Packed with oils, butters, and antioxidants such as hemp, and plum oil to nourish and hydrate skin. 100% vegan, cruelty-free and palm oil-free. Made with 9 natural ingredients.

Ingredients:Ricinus communis (castor) seed oil*, Helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil*, Garcinia indica (kokum) seed butter, Helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed wax, Cannabis sativa (hemp) seed oil*, Sambucus nigra fruit extract, Prunus domestica (plum) seed oil, Tocopherol**, Azadirachta indica seed oil*

I know I normally only talk about ingredients in skincare but these are well worth talking about here. These products are vegan so they use sunflower seed wax instead of beeswax. If you look down the list it is pretty easy to see it is not a bad list of ingredients. I’ll admit I did have to look up kokum seed butter and nigra fruit extract but the others are items I would not mind seeing in my skincare. (and those I wouldn’t mind either I just had to look them up.) In case you were wondering kokum seed butter is an emollient and nigra fruit extract is also known as black elderberry and has antioxidant properties.

And both are more in keeping with skincare than makeup.

Usually.

While I have the two balmies, they do come in trios and even a Super Fan Pack with fourteen of these little crayons. Personally I was quite stunned by the array of colors available. I have been using these for various functions for the past few weeks (almost a month now actually). They are multi use items designed for use on the eye lids, cheeks and lips.

The first thing you notice when they arrive is that the outer packaging is completely recyclable. It is all paper and it quickly breaks down and can be sent off to the recycling no muss np fuss. We actually needed some dry material for our compost (we are a bit heavy on the coffee grounds) and so I tore the packaging into small bits and added it to it. The packaging is no more.

Inside, the container for the balmies is also made of recycled paper and ou yeah, the actually wrapping for the cosmetic crayon? Yup, that’s paper too. As you use the balmie it wears down and you just peel off the paper and keep using it until there is nothing left.

It is quite an interesting design. I imagine those last little bits of product might get a bit messy, but it will take a while to get there and they would only be a mess when it got down to the last little nub as the paper does go all the way to the base of the crayon and so should hold on until the very end if you are careful with your unwrapping.

I will say that while using these I did sort of want a Cruella Deville style cigarette holder to put them in. I think if Axiology ever decides to expand a bamboo holder in that style (without the hole for smoking) would be quite the classy addition. But that might just be me.

First, let’s talk eyes.

I really liked the way that I could draw a line with the product on the outer corner of my eye and then use a finger tip to blend it towards the center. Whether it is the product or these colors I don’t know but with that approach I managed a real natural sort of look. Just a little hint of color to give a little life to the face. I did try to build up the products and I was able to deepen the tone, but in truth when used as shadows these are really on the more natural side than they are the ultra glam side. The color can be deepened but the nude plum and the rose really leaned towards the natural low makeup kind of looks. I will say that while it is easy to blend, once it is in place it stays all day.

The cheeks were interesting.

I think because I so recently used the Axiology Color Cream which I have to be honest is now my standard for cream blushes, this fell a little short. The formula is fine, but the fine point didn’t work as well for me on the cheeks. These products want to draw a line. I did try and draw a circle and then blend, but the trick is you have to move really fast. Once these balmies are in place they want to stay in place. Which is great for makeup longevity but was not the best with the pointed crayon. I did have better success flipping the crayon over and using the flat bottom of the crayon but to use it I had to peel back the paper and so it left product exposed on both sides and that sort of meant it got all over my hand from the back when I went to use the pointy end.

While it can be used as a cheek product, and will look good on the cheeks, I think I am going to stick with the Color Creams for the cheeks. The shape is just better suited for the cheek area.

And finally the lips.

These Balmies were amazing on the lips. they are creamy and pigmented. The shades I have are more in the my lips but better sort of range. Again, that is just for these shades, there might be more dramatic shades in the box. But quite honestly I loved these. On the lips they feel like lip balm rather than lipstick. They don’t have the often waxy texture of a bullet style lipstick, they really just feel like a nice light lip balm. It also lends itself to a more natural look. It is a matte finish, however I found that pretty much any clear gloss will go over them really well and look good. I used the Revolution pout Balm and they looked great.

The one thing they don’t do is cover up any lip damage. if you have a dry spot on your lips then it does kind of show given the lightness of the formula. It will not irritate your lips though even if they are chapped which is nice. It is just not going to give you that super smooth look to your lips. It is not pigmented for that and it isn’t that dense a formula. However the point does allow you to trace your lips well so you don’t need a lip liner. And actually with this set if you are looking to do your liner one shade darker than your lip color and blend a little bit, the plum works well as a liner and the rose for infill.

Over all i was very impressed with Axiology’s Lip to Lid Balmies. They work well for different uses and are easy to use. There is a good amount of product so it will last a long time. The placement of the paper is designed to let you use the entire product with no fuss (unless you peel it back and try to use the back end). For me the cheeks were not my favorite use and that had more to do with the shape pf the product and the cat that I knew Axiology’s Color Cream was just a fantastic cheek product. If you are looking for products (and brands) that provide good products while reducing plastic, metal and other unrecyclable packaging I think that Axiology should be on your list to check out. Personally I will use these two crayons down to nubs and plan to keep them hand this summer when my default makeup look is low to no makeup for most of my week. I think Axiology’s Lip to Lid Balmies are a product I will keep around for a long time to come.

Face Mask Friday Super Green Detox

Like pretty much everyone in the world at this point, it has been a bit stressful for me this week. I know that’s a bit like saying rain is wet, but for me this means I’ve had more breakouts than usual. So in addition to using my face mask Friday as a moment to relax and just be in my skin rather than worry about the rest of the world, I chose my mask with my skin in mind.

I used a sheet mask today, partially because it had the properties I wanted and partially because I’m always a little hesitant to get involved in anything I can’t drop in an instant after something happens. Wednesday we had to go to the ER and managed to get out of the house in less than two minutes. Everything is fine, no lasting damage and my baby has a new prescription but a sheet mask I could take off in a flash made me more comfortable in my relaxing than a regular mask would today.

The sheet mask I chose was the Super Green Detox Kale and Charcoal Detox Facial Mask from Pacifica. I have used these several times in the past and I have to say they are one of my favorite sheet masks, especially when my skin is acting up due to stress. It is designed to alleviate clogged pores and to deal with blemish prone skin types. While that isn’t normally me, I do like to keep these on hand for moments where they are needed. I sometimes get hormonal breakouts but I am partial to stress related breakouts. Just masking in general helps me settle and the charcoal and nutrient goodness helps calm a bit of the break outs so they disappear faster.

100 percent vegan and cruelty free. Shop now at PacificaBeauty.com!

Yup breathing deeply, lighting candles (I’m using my Fern and Leather candle from this month’s Vella box if you are trying to build a sensory picture in your head. I’ll pretty much be using it until next month’s box to be honest.) and charcoal, the secret to dealing with stress related breakouts. At least for me.

When I opened the package I took a sniff. Are you surprised? I smell everything. The scent was fresh and green, a fact I am pretty sure is a combination from the kale, cilantro and green tea. It is a clean and fresh scent.

The mask is black which I’m guessing is due to the charcoal. One interesting feature of the mask is that the eye holes are heart shaped. While cute, I personally am not a fan of the hears over the eyes. And no it isn’t that I don’t like hearts, it is that they leave too much of my under eye exposed and the little point comes down too far over my eyelid. I had to move it around a bit and get the heart all bent out of shape for it to work right for me.

I’m sure there is a metaphor in there somewhere, but we’ll just leave it be for now.

The shape of the eye cuts outs are really the only thing I don’t care for in this mask. Once I realigned the holes so my eyes were just right, I lay down for twenty minutes of quiet. It was really nice. The mask tingled in a pleasing way that made me feel like it was working.

And it was quite soothing.

Even if i did look like a romantically inclined bank robber.

When the time was up, I took off the mask and patted the serum into my skin. For some reason it is only after I pat the remaining serum in that this mask starts to feel really cool against my skin. It tingles when it is on and cools when removed. My skin felt refreshed. I think it also helped that I was in a room with the windows shut while I rested in my mask. Tree pollen is really high today and the bedroom has the air purifier running so laying down with the mask and breathing the extra clean air didn’t hurt. It probably gave the mask a helping hand so I feel less puffy eyed than I did earlier. Which is a nice side benefit, although I can’t really credit the mask entirely for that. I can say that post masking, I will be staying inside and flushing my system out with as much water as I can possibly handle. On the days when I have inhaled too much pollen, flooding my system is actually the perfect way to go for me.

Free gifts on all orders over $25. Only at Pacifica Beauty!

Luckily we have a new air cartridge in the Soda Stream for me to use. I might actually play a game with myself to ensure the water is consumed. I’m planning to full up all of my water bottles with carbonated water and see how many I can empty before dinner. As I have a couple of water bottles on their last legs this game might be the last hurrah for them before they make their way to the recycling bin.

I know it’s not much of a game but if I’m going to tackle the last of my early spring gardening chores this weekend, I need to start with a clean system. Otherwise the trees will take me down.

So the pre-weekend allergy season cleansing began with the Super Green Detox mask from Pacifica and twenty minutes of calm breathing. Not a bad start, although this was the last Pacifica sheet mask I had in my collection. As allergy season is only just kicking off, I’m going to need to order a restock as I suspect the trees aren’t done with me yet. I don’t know what everyone out there has planned for their weekend, but I hope you have a fun, and safe one.

Alight Clean Foundation from Pacifica; the next contestant in my foundation quest

I know several of you are thinking, wait, I thought the Becca Foundation was scheduled to be next. It was but then Pacifica very kindly sent me several products to try, the Alight Clean Foundation being one of them and when the package arrived I got so excited I went ahead and opened it. Since I hadn’t yet opened the Becca Foundation I am holding it for the next segment and going with the Pacifica one since it is now opened.

100 percent vegan and cruelty free. Shop now at PacificaBeauty.com!

I swear with any packages I become like a three year old at a birthday party. I must open and play. The only thing that saved the Becca from being opened on the spot was that it came in BoxyCharm on a day when I received several packages.

First off, I need to say this product was gifted to my by Pacifica and I do have a code for you to use it is MIMSY15. It doesn’t give me anything, but it does give you a discount.

So on with the review.

First off for those who don’t know, Pacifica offers vegan and cruelty free products. Their offerings range from make-up and skin care to bath and body products as well as fragrances. Their skin care, fragrances and body products are sold at Target. The target near me never has any of their makeup products, at least not that I can find. they could be hiding, but I’ve never found them. The makeup products are carried at Ulta. There is no Sephora near me so I can’t check, but I believe they are sold there as well. They are of course sold on-line on the company’s website.

Free gifts on all orders over $25. Only at Pacifica Beauty!

One of the things that I absolutely love about this company is that while they offer a lot of clean products, the prices are really affordable. This foundation costs $16 and comes in thirty seperate shades. You can go clean without breaking the bank. Of course that depends on whether or not you like the product. So let’s get into it.

First of this is the Alight Clean Foundation. It is listed as oil free, anti shine and with a satin finish. According to the website…

clean face, no product, just so you see the blank canvas

Get the flawless coverage of your dreams in 30 shades designed for real skin tones with the Pacifica Alight Clean Foundation. This innovative, non-comedogenic, dermatologist tested formula goes on smooth, covers pores and lasts throughout the day. This formula is free of silicone, parabens, phthalates, talc, BHA, BHT, petroleum and drying alcohols (and a huge list of other things your skin doesn’t love).

Immediate results: Flawless, seamless coverage, Skin feels clean, More radiant, healthy looking skin, Pore free appearance and vibrant, Lasts day to night

Just the foundation on my skin (I shifted so I was less in shadoe it really isn’t that light)

After 6 weeks of use: Skin looks more healthy, Skin feels smoother

While I haven’t used it for a full six weeks I did put it through my usual trial. I applied the foundation first to bare skin and then on subsequent days with a variety of primers underneath.

The foundation comes in a glass bottle with a pump. I really like the pump foundations as I find it an easy way to keep things clean. I’m not a total slob but sometimes products have a way of getting everywhere. One pump was all I needed to cover my entire face. There is almost no scent to the foundation and it smooths over the face easily. There was no oxidation that I noticed so if you go with this foundation, you are going to want to go with a shade close to your skin tone. It is pretty forgiving though so if you don’t get an exact match you should be okay if you come close.

It is very much a medium coverage foundation. It isn’t going to give you that mask like appearance but it does a good job of covering minor blemishes so I didn’t need a lot of concealer. In fact I only used it on my under eyes and not on any dark spots on my face. I’m personally happy about that because I don’t like using a lot of concealer as it tends to weigh down my skin and add texture if I use too much.

This foundation applied well and didn’t settle into my fine lines, which I appreciated. After applying I went through my usual routine. In my initial tests I am trying to use all of the same face products, only changing out the lips and the eyes. Incidentally in case you were looking at the early photos and the laster photos and thinking the lips look very similar in them, I did not reapply the lipstick. On a whim I picked up the Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink liquid lipstick (shade lover if you are wondering) and wow did it live up to it’s name. I’ll be posting a lipstick review soon so I won’t say anything more, I just wanted to clarify for the photo.

close up at the start of the day (yeah, I fixed the eyeliner before continuing with my day)

Once on the foundation melted into my skin. While I’ll have to get back to you on the skin care aspects of this product, I have to say after only a few days of use I can believe the claims have some validity. It felt more like applying a moisturizer than it did a foundation.

But it did give me medium coverage which I liked.

In these photos I wore the foundation for about nine hours. Around hour seven I noticed a little shine in the t-zone, but it wasn’t anything major. I was sans powder compact at the time so I didn’t powder off the shine. No one remarked on it and in the end of the day photos you can see my nose is a little on the shiny side, but everything else looks relatively okay. I think if I had taken a moment to powder off my nose, there would be very little change. the foundation stayed put and didn’t pill up around the nose or mouth, nor settle into fine lines. I was quite pleased with it’s performance.

End of the day nine hours after application

I will say that I did prefer using a primer under this foundation. I found a pore filling foundation gave me a smoother over all look to the skin from start to finish. This foundation behaved beautifully with all of the primers I tried it with. There were no adverse reactions to pairing it with any of them. I have not tried a primer from Pacifica yet, but I think I am definitely going to have to pick it up in the near future. Prior to this I only used skin care items from them, not makeup. Given the performance of the foundation and the affordable pricing, I think a shopping adventure is in my near future.

end of the day close up. A little shiny on the nose and chin but over all not bad.

The Alight Clean Foundation is a welcome addition to the extended testing I will be doing on this segment of foundations. That’s right the first segment’s line up is complete. All five of this first batch of foundations are lined up on my dressing table. In the next month or two I will see which ones I reach for consistently and which ones I don’t. Then I will be back with the details of why I reach for certain foundations more than others. Two of them will make it on to an additional test competing against the best two from the next selection of products I test. I’m hoping to find one daily favorite out of the lot. Barring one holy grail foundation, I am hoping to find a few that I know I can reach for consistently with no trouble.

The five foundations in this segment’s line up: Pacifica, Too Faced, Ulta, Wander and ELF. which one(s) will come out on top?

As I mentioned above, Pacifica very kindly gave me a discount code for anyone to use if they are looking to try out their products, whether this foundation or any other. The code is MIMSY15 and I don’t get anything from it if you use it. It’s just a little something extra for you. Just enter it in the coupon code section at checkout. Personally, I am going to check out what other products they have that I might want to try.