Do you pay attention to ingredient labels?

With all the drama in the Indie community I wonder if everyone pays attention to mainstream companies as well. I feel that Indie brands are under a magnifying glass 24/7 and mainstream aren't. Is it that they have money to do lab tests that you trust them more? Well I decided to actually look at mainstream ingredient labels to see if there was anything that looked suspicious. There is one brand in the mix that most consider Indie, but i do not. What do you think? Anything that seems like it doesn't belong? Here is the link to the FDA's table of approved color additives.

#1
All shades contain:
Talc, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Propylparaben, Butylparaben, BHA. May Contain: Kaolin, Nylon-6, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Polyglyceryl-3 Disostearate, Isostearyl Neopentanoate, Polybutene, Butyl Stearate, Red 27 Lake, Yellow 5 Lake, Titanium Dioxide, Mica, Red 7 Lake, Ultramarines, Iron Oxides, Carmine, Blue 1 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake, Red 30, Manganese Violet, Red 21 Lake, Yellow 10 Lake, Chromium Oxide Greens.

#2

All shades contain:
Talc, Zinc Stearate, Magnesium Carbonate, Octyl Palmitate, Methylparaben, Propylparaben. May Contain: Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxide, Chromium Oxide, Green, Ferric Ferrocyanide, Carmine.

#3

Ingredients: Talc, Zinc Sterate. May Contain: Octyl Palmitate, Kaolin, Calcium Sterate, Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, Bismuth Oxychloride, Carmine, Manganese Violet, Ultramarine Blue, Ultramarine Pink, D&C Blue #1 – Aluminum Lake, D&C Blue #2 – Aluminum Lake, D&C Yellow #5 – Aluminum Lake, D&C Yellow #6 – Aluminum Lake, D&C Red #6 – Barium Lake, D&C Red #7 – Calcium Lake, D&C Red #21 – Aluminum Lake, D&C Red #27 – Zirconium Lake, D&C Red #8 – Sodium Lake, Bronze Powder

#4

Ingredients: Talc, Zinc Sterate. May Contain: Octyl Palmitate, Kaolin, Calcium Sterate, Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, Bismuth Oxychloride, Carmine, Manganese Violet, Ultramarine Blue, Ultramarine Pink, D&C Blue #1 – Aluminum Lake, D&C Blue #2 – Aluminum Lake, D&C Yellow #5 – Aluminum Lake, D&C Yellow #6 – Aluminum Lake, D&C Red #6 – Barium Lake, D&C Red #7 – Calcium Lake, D&C Red #21 – Aluminum Lake, D&C Red #27 – Zirconium Lake, D&C Red #8 – Sodium Lake, Bronze Powder

#5

Mica, Zinc Stearate, Imethicone, Squalane, Silica, Lauroyl Lysine, Trimyristin, Phenoxyethano, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Potassium Sorbate, Glyceryl Caprylate. May Contain +/-: Iron Oxides (CI 77491, Ci 77492, Ci 77499), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891 ), Ultramarines (CI 77007), Manganese Violet (CI 77742), Carmine (CI 75470), Ferric Ferrocyanide (CI 77510), Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090:2), Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140:1), Bismuth Oxychloride (CI 77163), Chromium Hydroxide Green (CI 77289).

And what does may contain mean? Is it in there is it not?

Here are some indie brands just for comparison:

#1

Ingredients: mica, titanium dioxide, iron oxide, ultramarines, magnesium myristrate, chromium oxide and carnauba wax.

#2

Ultramarine Blue Pigment, Zinc Oxide, Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxide, Tin Oxide.

#3

Mica, Titainium Dioxide, Iron Oxide, Tin Oxide, Calcium Aluminim Bororsilicate, and Silica

#4

Ingredients: Red #40 Lake

#5

Mica. May contain: Iron Oxides, Titanium Dioxide, Manganese Violet, Ultramarines, Tin Oxide, Chromium Oxide, Copper Powder, Bronze Powder, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate,Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, FD&C Blue#1, FD&C Red#40, FD&C Yellow#5, Ferric Ferrocyanide, Silica,Styrene/PVP Copolymer, Myristyl Myristate.

Hi there

It has been a really long time since I have posted on here. Since then I started my own company, Black Rose Minerals. That is keeping me busy. I don't know how often I will be posting on here, but i will try to. I did start a blog for BRM you can follow me there as well. For now if you haven't already check out: http://www.blackroseminerals.com

See ya soon

Review: OPI Shrek Nail Polish Collection

When i heard about these a few weeks ago i was excited and looked for them everywhere. I shop online for my nail polish for the most part so as i went to my regular spot head2toe i did not find OPI anywhere as they had previously done so. After looking i finally found them on transdesign.com, but it did state they were liquidating their OPI stock. By the way the service at transdesign was awesome no problems and fast shipping. I went ahead and ordered the whole collection. Apparently there is some lawsuit or something, i'm not quite sure on the details as to why websites are no longer selling OPI. The collection consists of two green, two blues and two purples. One dark and one light. PIctures will be down below. I don't know if i am the only one, but i don't really see the color correlations for all of the characters. The ones that make sense to me are the green for Shrek and Fiona. The purple a little for Donkey, but i would have expected a more grey purple. The blue's don't make sense to me at all. I like the colors nonetheless. All the formulations are creams no shimmer anywhere to be seen. So far i have only tried one, the light blue shade, What's with the Cattitude? I found the formula to be really streaky. I have never had issues with other OPI polishes being streaky. I thought that after the second coat everything would clear up, but no. None of the swatches i saw on various blogs indicated that it would be streaky. I am disappointed that it is so streaky and I'm hoping that the rest won't be streaky. Only time will tell.

Left to Right: Who the Shrek Are You?, Fiercely Fiona, What's with the Cattitude?, Ogre-the Top Blues, Funky Donkey and Rumple's Wiggin.'

Please excuse the sloppiness this is What's with the Cattitude this is with seche vite..not sure if you can see the streakiness. All the pictures are two coats.

This is up close: What's with the Cattitude with seche vite

What's with the Cattitude no top coat here you can see the streaks.

Who the Shrek Are You? and Fiercely Fiona

What's with the Cattitude? and Ogre-the Top Blue

Funky Donkey and Rumple's Wiggin'


Disclaimer: This is solely my opinion and my experience with these products your experience can differ from mine. I am not affiliated with any of the companies mentioned above.

Review: E.L.F. Studio Face Primer

I was really excited when i found out ELF released the studio primer. It is only $6, which is a bargain compared to the most popular smashbox photofinish, which i conveniently was out of and was cringing spending about $30 bucks to replace, especially since i do not quite love it. I have been using the ELF primer for months now and my only complaint is the packaging. The pump is great, but the plastic tube in the inside does not go all the way down and the product clings to the sides and i thought i was out, but there is still product left on the bottom and on the sides that is really difficult to get to. I think that it would be much better if it was packaged in a squeeze tube. On to the positives now. You only need about half a pump or less and it feel a tad greasy when you rub it in, but it dries to a nice finish. It has a light gel consistency and it is clear. To me it is just a good or better than the smashbox one. For me it makes my revlon colorstay foundation blend so much better. For me it is a bargain at $6 and you can find it here:http://www.eyeslipsface.com/studio/face/primer. ELF always has some kind of coupon code and they offer many great products at very good prices.

Don't spend any money!!!!

So I have been unemployed for almost two months and have been on a "forced" no buy regime. Well sort of because i have cheated a few times, but nothing in excess. I am going to say, but this is hard quite a bit. As I am trying to start my own business most of my money has gone there. Cause let me tell you it is expensive. I have been debating asking my father for investment money not much only about $500 or so, but have not quite decided yet as he has many expenses as well. This is very hard for me with a few MAC collections, spring nail polish releases and the general i wants. It has not been easy to resist considering i do a lot of my shopping on-line. My dad tried to take my credit cards away, but i told him that was not necessary because i don't need them to do on-line shopping. As a way to relieve my shopping habit i have window shopped on-line. A little pathetic maybe, but its hard what can i say. I have gone on to my favorite sites and placed things in my cart, but i haven't checked out. The first thing i am going to do when i find a job is most likely go on a huge shopping spree. I have things lined up. It is very hard to only buy things that i need as opposed to wants. Since i can justify buying a mascara tube as a need when really it is a want because to be truthful i don't wear it on a normal basis and i have a whole bunch already that are unopened waiting to be used. But it is always tempting to try a new mascara and say it is a need item. Well eyeshadow is not a need for me i think have every color imaginable and plus i'm making the stuff myself so i guess i can stay away from that unless its a super special color. Pretty much i have kept make-up buying for the most part to essentials like foundation, primer and make-up remover wipes. I must confess that i did cheat a bit the other day when in my email inbox along with twitter and facebook i saw that Urban Decay is having their friends and family sale. Its 30% off that does not happen all the time so i went on the site telling myself to only put stuff in the cart with the intention of not actually checking out. Well that was a bust, i ended up ordering the setting spray for oily skin, the de-slick in a tube and three eyeshadows. So i was naughty, but its extremely hard not to shop when i used to all the time. I do have to remember i have no steady stream of income. Unemployment doesn't cover my bills so i need to not spend money on things that are not a necessity. So wish me luck on not shopping for wants!

Repackaging????!!!!

I have been researching online since i am mixing micas, ultramarines, oxides, etc to create new colors. As i was googling i came across many blogs that mention lime crime and other companies that repackage. That triggered me to think about some colors i have purchased from different companies that are the same. When i received them i noticed they were similar or the same, but didn't really think about it. These are just two examples: beauty from the earth and glamour doll eyes. So Fantasy (this particular color is no longer available) from BFTE and dinospotz from GDE look similar and isis from BFTE and lovers lane from GDE look the similar (swatches down below).

Then i went back to the websites to see if anything was mentioned and on GDE there is an asterisk next to colors that say that it is an unblended pigment and to look at their FAQ to get a full description. Something that i did not pay attention to the first few times that i ordered. I have also seen many gurus on youtube praising the repackaged pigments. In the regular line not including the twi shadows 43/75 listings are repackaged. In the eyelights collection all but one are repackaged, which are probably just glitters from coastal scents. In the twi shadows collection only one is repackaged. On the BFTE website i could not find anywhere that mentioned anything about repackaging, of course it could be there i just didn't see it. After further googling they do admit to repacking and have removed most of the them. BFTE offers 32 repackaged colors. I tried to look at all the ones that have been created, but the repackaged colors appear on the breakdown of listings as well. I just went to both websites and looked for myself. All in all the GDE website is easier to navigate with respect to what is repackaged and what is not the BFTE site is a lot harder since the repackaged colors appear in all the listings not just the primary colors. If a company is going to offer repackaging it is only fair that they are clearly stated so that the custumer knows exactly what is being purchased. I will still buy from GDE, though i will only buy shadows that were created as i can purchase the repackaged ones on my own for way cheaper. I will probably continue to buy from BFTE in the future though i will be more leery as i have to cross reference the primary colors section. They do offer way more colors that they have created as opposed to repackaged though. It would just be easier if they were clearly noted. As far as i have researched both companies have admitted to repackaging. I guess i was being naive when i purchased pigments thinking that all companies offered a unique product. I don't understand how a company can just take an unblended pigment and call it their own. It's not their creation, even if they are putting in "filler," so why put a company label on it and say its your color...i just don't think it is right, but that is just me.


These are dry swatches: Fantasy BFTE, DinoSpotz GDE and Chameleon fine TKB


These are dry swatches: Isis BFTE, Lovers Lane GDE and Crucible Red TKB

Stuff i'm working on

Okay so i was recently laid off and i am having a hard time finding a new job so since i love make-up why not start my own company? I have been fiddling around with making my own pigments so after much research i decided i am going to sell eyeshadows. I have created about 45 different eyeshadows so far. I am hopefully less than a month away from unveiling my store. I have a name for my company in mind just trying to make sure it sounds decent.