Ecco Bella - All Natural Organic Beauty

Review by Lisa VanWilliams

Ecco Bella translates to "Behold Beautiful", and Sally Malanga started the whole company because of her disgust with the use of animals for product testing.  She now has a full line of organic & cruelty free beauty products and a percentage of profits is donated towards non-profit agencies like: Friends of Animals, Primarily Primates, Mylestone Equine Rescue, Bringing Awareness to the Suffering of Animals, and Animal Place. The line is mostly vegan (a few items contain carmine), paraben free, gluten free, and they use Flowercolor which is earth minerals infused with flower wax so it's suppose to last longer on your skin. If your looking to check out some chemical free cosmetics, here's a great place to start.

They have a great palette of eyeshadows, lipsticks, smoothers, glosses, & pencils. They also have wonderful little black refillable compacts so you can mix and match color combo's. The products do not come in cases, but it would be a one time purchase (the cases are around $10 each). Ecco Bella also offers skin care products, body care, hair care, and parfums.

They sent me a few products to check out for myself. My pick of the bunch is the Natural Blush in Wild Rose ($15.95 case not included). A little goes a long way, and it lasts for hours. It comes in seven shades total if you need something lighter or darker. It's a strong color that goes on easily. Normally, I have to go over my cheeks a few times to get my desired look, but this worked in one swipe.

My next pick is the Flowercolor Lipstick ($19.95). We tried Latte which is a medium brown. It goes on smoothly with no feathering and it lasts a while. Total of 17 different colors to pick from whatever colors would look best on you.

The Natural Eyeshadows ($14.95) in Clay and Fawn are great neutral colors for any base or daytime look. I applied one coat on in the morning and it did not last very long. So, I applied some more on thicker around noontime, and it held out for the rest of the day. Great colors, just go heavy for longevity. It you like very natural, one coat would be fine.

Lastly, we tried the Flowercolor Mascara ($19.95) which is a lightweight mascara. It comes in brown or black. We tried the black. It's great at not clumping, it provides great length, and it lasts all day. I could not achieve much volume, but the length is there. I like this for daytime wear as I prefer a more dramatic volumized look at night. It has a dainty little brush and it's easy to apply to every lash (even in the nooks).

Ecco Bella is available several locations, and you can search the store locator to find the one nearest you here: http://www.eccobella.com/store-locator/

You can also order all their products directly from their website here: http://www.eccobella.com/

KIKO MILANO

Review by Lisa VanWilliams

KIKO MILANO is an Italian professional cosmetics brand that has been around since 1997. There are three locations in Connecticut where you can find them: New Haven Yale Campus, Danbury Mall, & Trumbull Mall. I stopped in on the Yale New Haven location and the stores are serious enough to compete with any Sephora or Ulta. They have over 1,200 really affordable products to pick and sample from. It's overwhelming and as a true makeup hoarder, I want to try everything. The KIKO girls are quick to offer assistance or answer any questions on any of the items.

KIKO MILANO sent me some of their newest limited edition collection called "THE ARTIST" to check out for myself and give you the low down.

The Glacial Light Soft Sifter Foundation ($15) is very lightweight and provided light coverage. It has a great design and the top to the foundation secures it tightly so that no leaks happen if the case is tipped. I used the Artist Foundation Face Brush ($15) to apply the foundation. The brush is really nice, great color, the bristles are made from soft synthetic fibers. It did a good job on coverage with the brush, then I evened it out with my blender.

The Fine Art Eye Pencil ($7) is triangular shaped pencil. I tried the Stylish Ebony which is a medium brown color. The eyeliner needs to be applied again after 4 hours. Not great for longevity & smudging.

The Signature Eyemarker ($8) in black is my pick of the bunch. Cat eyes made easy for the beginner! Long-lasting, smudge proof, quick drying, no crumbling and the spatula tip applicator is easy to work with.

The Artist Stroke Mineral Loose Eyeshadow ($8) is really nice. They have 6 great colors to pick from in the "The Artist" Collection. I tried the Masterpiece Green which a great shade of emerald green. I used it just above my eyelids and used the Signature Eyemarker over it for a dramatic look.

Lastly, I tried the Colour Click Lipstick ($8) in Impressionista Red which is a great Gwen Stefani red lip popping color. Any cloudy day will surely be brightened by this little eye catcher. This also comes in 6 colors to pick from in the collection.

To find out more about KIKO MILANO, and view all of the products they have available, please go to: http://www.kikocosmetics.com/en-us/

To find a location near you, please go to: http://www.kikocosmetics.com/en-us/utils/store-locator.html

Here are some pictures of the Yale Campus store:

Mally Beauty

Review by Lisa VanWilliams

Mally Roncal has been a makeup artist to celebs like Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna, Angelina Jolie, and Heidi Klum, before she started her own line almost ten years ago. Mally now has a full line of cosmetics, makeup, and beauty supplies.

I am in love with the Volumizing Mascara ($20), and when I had it on, even my BFF noticed my lashes and asked what brand. QVC has over 1,460 5 star reviews on it as well. Big, thick, long lashes in a only a few coats. It does not flake or clump all day either.

I am also loving the Evercolor Starlight Waterproof Eyeliners ($18). The liner lasts all day with no touch ups necessary. It glides on smoothly and does not run. The pen is great for a crisp line above, below, or inside the lash line.

I love the Kona color pencil. It's like a dark brown almost black color.  I also have the Ice Blue and I can't wait for Summer to wear that one.

The High-Shine Liquid Lipstick Pens ($20 each) will look sexy on your vanity, or in the your purse with animal print wrapped around. The cases are really nice quality and the pens have a small brush on the end. The brush is easy to work with and draw a clean line around the edges. It has great shine and there are tons of color options to pick from. It will need to be reapplied every hour.

Thanks for the samplers Mally!! I am hooked on the mascara & liner now.

To find out more about Mally and order, or to find out where you can find a local retailer, please visit:
http://www.mallybeauty.com/

Fierce & Sophisticated beauty!