Brands

So many people have asked me what brand I use or recommend. I have always had a mixture of brands in my make-up. Over the years the kit has evolved and refined. When I started about 7 years ago I had all sort- Boots, M&S, Virgin, L'oreal, Maxfactor, Estee Lauder, Chanel, Dior, YSL etc. I used all those brands till 2005 or so when I started developing an awareness of toxic chemicals. I got rid of most of them and went for a MAC make-over. For me, MAC is good, but only in photographs. It has a false appearance about it when you are out and about i.e. everyone knows you are wearing a foundation! The same annoying problem with fashion fair and they both contain things you should be wary of.
Then I discovered a brand known as Artistry. Artistry is good but the colours are too mild. I love one thing about artistry and that is their sheer lipsticks. It's a glossy lipstick so your lips do not feel dry from wearing it. However as much as I love Artistry, it does contain some things I am not happy about.
E. Funkhouser is another brand I love. It has bold colours which do justice to coloured skin. However I do not like that it has so much glitter. I don't know what I have against glitter but it is not my thing. The other thing is the eye-shadows fade before you even go far. I have found this with almost all the make-up brands I have used.
I have never been one for cheap cosmetics after I invested in one which burned my forehead. Not that I love the expensive ones, but I'm always of the opinion, there's a reason A is cheaper than B!
A while ago I disposed of most of my cosmetics and replacing them is going to be a nightmare. These things should be replaced gradually (or each by each as my good friend will say). I have been looking seriously into Jane Iredale. It's a very pure mineral cosmetic line. I've always known about mineral cosmetics but they have never interested me because I have never been able to decide which brand to buy from. Even the mineral cosmetics have different levels of purity. Just because it is mineral does not make it good.

As for skin care, I have always been a cleanse-tone-moisturise-occasionally exfoliate person. Initially it was Clearasil and co but I think you are actually better off scraping your face against the wall than using those brands. Then I tried fashion fair which made me very unhappy after spending £37! Finally I discovered artistry and have always used artistry because it is so good and so well researched, until recently when they decided to add alcohol to their cleanser :( Besides the aim is to be organic here.
So Now I'm into Miessence which is a strictly organic brand but it's one of those networking brands and you have to look for a supplier, like Artistry and Amway. So I temporarily have no skin care brand and I'm feeling the effects (it's probably psychological). Gosh I can't wait to have my own brand. It should be fun...