Nu Evolution Cosmetics

Review by Lisa VanWilliams

Sandra and Nadine started Nu Evolution because they believe people should be able to look stylishly fabulous without putting your health at risk. The two New York fashion mavens launched their green line of natural and organic cosmetics in 2014. The duo has combined backgrounds of business, marketing, fashion, culinary, & interior design and together they were inspired to create these high quality beauty products. They offer lipsticks, lip gloss, bronzer, camo cream, pressed & loose powder foundations, complete coverage foundation, mascara, and pressed blush.

They also state the following on their webpage, "The most shocking truth that we have learned on our journey is that your skin absorbs more than 60% of what is applied topically; whether it's your makeup, lotion, shampoo, soap, deodorant, etc. This means your pores are drinking up a toxic cocktail that goes directly into your bloodstream."

Check your beauty products and look for toxic ingredients. Nu Evolution goes over some of the toxins to watch out for in other products on their website. Nasty things like parabens, artificial dyes, and formaldehyde to name a few. Nu Evolution offers a sophisticated seasonal color palettes, great packaging, and they allow you to continue a healthy lifestyle from the outside in. Plus, they are cruelty-free, with gluten free, & vegan-friendly options.

Sandra and Nadine were kind enough to send me a few of their awesome products to check out for myself. I looked at the Lip Glosses in colors Fig & Riviera. The glosses go for $28 each. Fig is one of their best sellers. It's a plum lip gloss with a hint of gold shimmer and it's a great anytime of day color to wear. The gloss lasted a little longer than I expected and it even made it through the morning coffee. Most glosses don't last the first cup. Riviera is a sunrise melon lip gloss with a splash of peach and lot of shine, easy to see why it's another best seller. It's very natural and light and adds a subtle sexy appeal to your lips. They have 18 colors in total to pick from. They also offer 13 different colored lipsticks that go for $30 a piece. The glosses are moisturizing and they go on smoothly without feeling tacky.

My pick of the bunch is the eyeshadow color St. Tropez, which is an exotic sand eyeshadow with an exquisite shimmer. Its looks lovely in the sunlight and it looks especially good with nice tan skin. The eyeshadows go for $25 each. I even did some yard work with the eyeshadow on and it did not crease or move at all in mid 80 temps....almost waterproof....impressive! Really loving the longevity and color :) They have 16 colors in total to pick from in matte or shimmering metallic options.

I also tried the defining and volumizing mascara in black. It goes for $28. It has a nice thick brush to achieve a luxurious glam look. It's not flaky and it took me a few coats to get the fuller look I like. It lasted all day.

Great organic cosmetics I would recommend if you want to be beautiful without the junk.

All products are made in the U.S.A.

To find out more about Nu Evolution or order some items, please go to:
http://www.nuevolutioncosmetics.com/

Cotton Candy Grapes

If you have been seeing your Facebook feed blow up with pictures and people talking about cotton candy grapes you might be curious. I was. I found some last night at Whole Foods in Connecticut and they are fabulous as everyone says they are. They really taste like cotton candy and it's mind-blowing. I have been passing them out to strangers to try and they are floored. Now's the time to try them as they are only in season mid-August through September! They are grown in Kern and Tulare counties out in California.

Are they genetically modified you ask? No! They are not, they are completely natural. They are a result of cross-pollinating different grape species by hand. They try thousands of combinations but only a few hit the excellent mark and are brought to market. They are not injecting each grape with some cotton candy flavoring or putting it in the soil.

They cotton candy grapes (20%)do contain a little more natural sugar than regular table grapes (17%), but they are still packed with nutrients. They have other flavors as well like gums drops, moon drops, tear drops, and more.

They sell for around $4.49 a pound. You can find out more about the cotton candy grapes and other flavors they have here: http://grapery.biz/index.php/grapes/cotton-candy

These are currently being sold in Connecticut at various locations in these stores (you can always call before you go to check if they have them in stock): Big Y, Sam's Club, Whole Foods, Stop and Shop, The Fresh Market, and Fresh Direct.

To find a location near you that sells them, you can check here:
http://grapery.biz/index.php/stores

Good Earth Beauty - Lip Scrub

Review by Lisa VanWilliams

These all natural lip scrubs from Good Earth Beauty are scrumptious and a great way to exfoliate and moisturize your lips. These come in cute little 1 oz jars and you can get the whole set for $22. That includes the chocolate, cherry vanilla, and strawberry. Individually they sell for $8.25 and the flavors to choose from are: bubble gum, cherry vanilla, chocolate, lavender vanilla, pink lemonade, strawberry, or vanilla.

These smell GREAT and they will leave your lips tingling but then they are soft and supple. The jars tend to leak a little bit during shipping but oils are hard to contain. Just wipe them off when you take them out of the packaging. This is a great gift or treat for a friend. My pick of the bunch was Strawberry, but they all smell/taste equally delicious..just depends on your mood.
You can find out more about the company and order here:
https://www.goodearthbeauty.com/lip-scrub-all-natural-set-3-ice-cream-flavors

They also sell lip balms for $4.99 in the same great flavors to apply after your scrub.

Good Earth Beauty is a small family owned business and they created to business so consumers could shop with a clear conscience. They carry all natural and/or organic products that are all cruelty free.

Save 10% off with code - GEB10