indie makeup brands

You’ve heard of drugstore makeup and you’ve heard of high end makeup.  Have you tried Indie makeup?

Indie makeup is this whole other side of the cosmetics world.  They are usually operated by one or two people and work from home.  Their products are usually loose minerals but many companies are starting to make things like lipsticks and pressed shadows. 

So, why buy indie?

The main reason I buy from indie companies is because I like to support small businesses. When you buy from these companies you know where your money is going to.  

Face primer from Darling Girl.
Works just as great as stuff from Benefit or MUFE but for a fraction of the price.

Also, indie companies make really unique colors.  The owners really challenge themselves on creating interesting products.  They stay unique in order to not only compete with other indie companies, but also the rest of the cosmetics world.  


They  have some really great prices!  And you can order samples to try stuff out (not everyone wants to commit to a full size neon blue eyeshadow)!

Hair(story)

I had decently long hair and I really don’t know how it happened. One day it was at my shoulders and then it was at my waist. I was like, dude, calm down!  As it grew, I became more and more attached to it.  It came in handy that I didn’t need to do much to “do” my hair as I am lazyyyy when it comes to that part of beauty. I will spend an hour on my makeup, but no more than 10 minutes on my hair.  Top buns became my favorite friend. Messy low buns and side ponytails were always the perfect backup.  It was also great at hiding my face if a breakout was happening.

I forgot why I was making that face but who cares, now it
serves the purpose of showing my hair's wildness.

I used to be pretty impulsive with my hair: from dying to cutting, to even creating pigtails out of chopsticks. I’ve had a-line bobs, multiple colors, and bangs to name just a few.  And these would happen within months of each other.  Then I hit 21 and adulthood was on the horizon.  I needed normal hair in the real world, so I dyed it dark brown and let the layers grow.

Different hair styles from the past 6 years.

Ah, girls and their hair. Hair is synonymous with femininity and desirability, not sure why but it just is (because the Patriarchy that's why!). From dad’s forbidding their wives and daughters from even entering salons (yeah, it still happens) to the “butch” and “lesbian” slurs when the pixie cuts appear in the room, this is an old problem in feminism. The policing of women's hair has been yet another tool for people to control them. And when you add race to the question, well just look up the testimonies of girls dealing with "natural hair" on blogs and YouTube.

Lately, I had been itching to hack it all off. I wanted to take off the weight, but not just literally. I was becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the ~sexiness~ attached to my hair. I wanted to spite all the people that congratulated me on the length, which basically translated to "Yes good, you are an acceptable girl now. Not like you used to be”.  My hair was pulling me down. The longer it got, the more I hid in it.

Feminists have documented this hair dilemma for a long time, it's nothing new. Do a Google search for "feminism and hair" and you will get a reading list to last you the rest of summer.  Most of us don't really think of hair as a political statement, but it definitely is.  From girls cutting it off during personal crisis to punks with liberty spikes, the hair on your head (and everywhere else actually) is a huge political and public statement.  Just remember, you never want to be solely defined by it, well at least I don't. 

So I cut it. Hair grows back anyways.

Despite the face, I'm actually happy about this new cut.
Also, I'm wearing the new awesome Urban Decay Revolution lipstick in Turn On.

P.S. I wish I would have come up with this blog title in college, I would have written my thesis on hair just because of it.

Follow us on BlogLovin!

Google Reader is shutting down today (it's a sad day). But good news, BlogLovin is even better.  If you have too many blogs to follow and can't remember to check some of them, BlogLovin is the perfect way to keep track.  Just make an account, search the blog you want, and subscribe! 

Whenever you log in, all the new posts will be in a feed very much like Twitter or Tumblr, and you can just scroll down to read and catch up.  My favorite part is that it is web based, so you don't have to only be on your computer when you want to check, you can check from anywhere as long as you log into BlogLovin.

It also has a great browse feature for days when you want to find some new people to read.  It lists them by category, so there's more than just Beauty.  I like looking through the Street Style, Photography, and Home Decor top posts.  

Lastly, BlogLovin is friendly to bloggers because in order to read the full post, readers have to click through the link and read it on the blog's domain. This means we don't lose view counts. It helps us keep better track of our visitors and audience.

Click the image below to start an account and subscribe to Those Pore Girls

 

Top 10 Under $10

Emily over at Beauty Broadcast (one of my favorite YouTubers) started a tag called Top 10 under $10.  She lists some great stuff if you want to go check it out.   I thought it be fun to share what my top 10 are.

Rimmel’s Stay Matte Powder in Translucent, $5:  I like this for its quality vs price value.  I like to set my foundation with this when I use a full coverage one as it mattifies and sets it without caking on any more coverage.  Stay Matte keeps me oil-free for only a couple of hours though, but I’m extremely oily.  For the normal person, it should work most of the day.

Revlon Lip Butters, about $6:  My top three shades are Berry Smoothie, Pink Truffle, and Red Velvet.  These, of course, have great pigmentation and comfortable wear.  If you are just started wearing lip products, this is a great place to experiment.  

Wet N Wild “Comfort Zone” palette, $5 – Wet N Wild makes amazing eyeshadows under the Color Icon line, but this palette is worth its own mention.  There are 8 pans, half brown neutrals and half green neutrals that can be combined to make all kinds of looks.  The palette also has a dupe for MAC’s awesome duochrome eyeshadow, “Club”.

Orange Lipstick Collection

It's spring time which means it is time to break out the orange lips!  This season orange and coral will be very popular again, as it usually is. It's also my favorite lipstick color when it comes to brights (vampy purples are my second favorite). Orange just brightens up the face, it looks fun but not intimidating (I reserve reds for that).

 

Seashore Frosts

I'm sure the rest of the beauty blogging world has already posted about the following product, but I love it too much to not rave about it myself too.

Maybelline released their summer collection recently.  I went into Rite Aid for a quick 40% off visit to Wet n Wild when I was stopped in my tracks by the Maybelline display; I finally found them, the 8 limited edition Color Tattoos.  It's those words, LIMITED EDITION, that get me every time. I had heard that Seashore Frosts was the one to get from Nouveau Cheap, so as soon as I saw it I snatched it up.  What if someone had beaten me to it? 

This Color Tattoo is A LOT creamier than the other three I own, it almost feels whipped.  It's super blendable but does need a little bit of build to get an intense color.  It makes a great base for any color, especially if you are looking for some frostiness. 

More pictures after the jump!

Coconut For Your Hair

You know that amazing feeling when you try a new product, let's say shampoo, and your hair air dries perfectly, with waves you didn't even know you had and minimal frizz? Oh, you don't? Well, that's because you've never used a coconut milk shampoo! Seriously, I think I've found the missing link. And it's coconut.

I have thick 2a hair with loose s-waves, a mix of medium and coarse hairs, and a tendency to frizz. My waves fall out really easily, and so I've been searching for products that will help them form better and keep my hair from pouf-ing too much. For a long time, it seemed like that was just too much to ask. But then I found Chagrin Valley Soap & Salve and their amazing Coconut Milk Shampoo Bar. 

Image from Chagrin Valley website

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Spot Concealer

It’s concealer time! 

Today I have the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Spot Concealer (doesn't that just roll off your tongue?). It looks like this.

Ulta website says:

“Revolutionary concealer and vitamin C treatment covers instantly, while fighting dark spots over time. Concentrated Vitamin C formula visibly decreases dark spots in just 4 weeks. Targets signs of aging, dark spots, acne scars and sunspots.”

Spring Break!

Hey all! TPG is on Spring Break this week. We'll be back on Monday with new stuff. Until then, take a look at some of our recent posts. We're really excited about including a more holistic approach to skin care. 

And check out Vanessa's guest playlist this month on Work It, Berk. It features some of our favorite lady jams from the likes of Bey, Mariah, and Lauryn.

Let us know if there's anything you'd like to see on here in the future, and see you soon! (Hopefully, with a tan!)

Holistic Skin Care

Writing a post about taking a more holistic approach to skin care is really daunting! Most of these points deserve a whole book's worth of explanation, but I'll try to consolidate a few tips, and explore them further in later posts. The important thing is to expand the way you think about acne and inflammation, and realize that your skin may be trying to tell you that something else in your body is out of whack.

Acne, and I mean inflamed or cystic acne, is often a result of your body trying to let out toxins. (Not always, but often). Sometimes this is because of poor digestion, or an overworked liver or kidneys. If you're feeling good and staying healthy, your skin should be looking good, too. But it also could mean you're stressed out. Your skin can be remarkably sensitive to stress, whether it's from something obvious like a demanding job, or an underlying stressor like low self-esteem.

I don't pretend to know everything about getting rid of acne*, but I want to list a few things that can help. And sidenote, I'm still all for well-formulated skin care products to help tackle acne while you're working on the getting healthy part, but please be gentle! And, of course, remember that everyone's skin is different, so everyone's acne and acne solution will be different.

The List:

January Rising

Have you heard of OCC Lip Tars?  They're these amazing magical concoctions that work as some kind of liquid lipstick.  You need the tiniest little bead of product to get a super saturated color on your lips that's supposed to last for hours.  You can watch a demo here on how to apply it (and a warning, they're not lipglosses so do not apply as one!).

Photo by Stella Rose Saint Clair. From the Indiegogo page

Ok, so that's pretty cool right?  Well it gets cooler.  One of their employees, January Hunt, is fundraising to have gender reassignment surgery, and OCC (along with January) have created a lip tar specifically for this cause!  The color, a hot pink designed by January herself, is limited edition and will only be sold through this fundraiser.  For a donation of $25 you get a limited edition lip tar and get to contribute to a great cause, 100% of the money goes to January.

This is the Indiegogo page where you can donate. There's 13 days left in the fundraiser and she's almost to her goal, let's help her get there.  Head on over to read more about January, and hopefully get yourself a lip tar (I already did!).  If you can't donate the $25, you can always go lower as any little bit counts.

Changing It Up

My biggest insecurity right now is the skin on my face.  I can’t leave the house without a cake face on.  It doesn’t matter if I look fake, orange, or powdery, I prefer that look over people being able to see my acne and scars.  I have decently "clear" skin right now in regards to acne, I mostly just have white heads.  My cystic mountains have almost disappeared but have left behind hyperpigmentation all over my cheeks and jawline.  I have redness and dark spots and just overall really unhealthy looking skin. If I look at the chart from Friday, my problem areas are my liver, stomach, and large intestine. Which means I HAVE to clean up my system.

I have been talking about bettering my lifestyle for awhile now but just can’t bring myself to do it.  My number one excuse is “I don’t have time”.  I think it’s time I find the time.

Beauty From The Inside Out

Image from rawforbeauty.com

This chart is really cool, and a good reminder that what goes on in the rest of your body affects your skin. Everything in your body is interconnected. What you put into it, and how you take care of yourself, will show up on your face.

While it's fun talking about different skin care and makeup (really, really fun), and important to find safe products that won't break out or irritate your skin, there's only so much you can take care of on the surface. The real work has to be done from the inside out. The best thing you can do for your skin is to lead a healthy lifestyle. You know the deal: eat well (meaning whole, nutritious foods), drink lots of water, get enough sleep, exercise regularly, get some fresh air and sunshine, and minimize stress. Sounds easy, right? Just remember--baby steps.

But, we do want to start addressing the diet and lifestyle component to having healthy skin on Those Pore Girls, because what you put on your body is not nearly as important as what you put in it. And to those of you struggling with cystic acne: these are the kinds of things you have to work on, not your skin care routine. Even if you have acne as a result of hormonal imbalances, those can also be sorted out through eating right and taking care of yourself. Often, people get acne because of allergies and reactions to food (especially dairy and gluten). Everything is interconnected! Food for thought.

By the way, if you want to get started on reading about all of this stuff, we highly recommend checking out The Love Vitamin. Tracy's blog is amazing, thorough, and inspiring. You can read all about her journey to healing her skin through making changes to her diet and lifestyle, and get some seriously awesome tips for yourself, too. (You guys, she doesn't even have to wash her face anymore!) Otherwise, stay tuned.

Drugstore Bronzer and Contour

I was having the hardest time finding the right bronzer for my skin tone. I needed something that would look natural and give me a healthy glow. Except I had no idea what color would work for me! Especially since most bronzers seem to be suited for lighter skin tones. But, I tried out a few things from the drugstore, and I’ve found at least a couple bronzers and contours so far that I think would work well for other girls around my color.

But first a few tips on bronzer and contour:

• When picking an overall bronzer, look for something 2 to 3 shades darker than your skin tone, and warmer than your skin tone. You want something similar to how you would naturally tan.
• For contours, go with something darker and cooler. You want the color to mimic the look of natural shadows on your face, and shadows don’t tend to be orange!
• Bronzer should go on the high points of your face, where you would naturally be kissed by the sun. This means cheekbones, temples, your nose, and chin. I tend to use it all over the perimeter of my face as well.
• Contours should go where you want to emphasize a shadow: under your cheekbones, under your jawline (my fave), the sides of your nose (if you want to slim it down), and the hairline (especially if you have a very high forehead).
• And super important, always remember to bronze all the exposed parts of your skin to match your face, like your neck and chest. Otherwise you’ll look pretty silly!
• No perfectly contoured and bronzed look is complete without a good highlighter, but we'll save that for another post.

And there are swatches for all these products at the end of the post. So let's get to it!

OBSESSED: Rosewater

Those of you who know me in person probably know I'm obsessed with rose-flavored and -scented products. Rose syrup, rosewater, rose tea, rose candles, rose ice cream...you name it! But, rosewater happens to be a wonderful addition to skin care products, and a great toner in its own right.

I use a rosewater toner once or twice a day after cleansing. It's the very gentlest of astringents, so it's perfect for sensitive skin. Rose is also known to be beneficial for mature skin. It's softening, soothing, and smells like heaven. You can see in the picture I also have a bottle of rosewater and glycerin, which is perfect if you have dry skin or live in a dry climate, since glycerin keeps some moisture in your skin. You can use it to refresh your face during the day if it's feeling dry, without messing up your makeup.

Packing Light

This past weekend I drove down to Rosarito for a quick two day trip (I was visiting my grandparents).  As I was frantically packing Saturday morning, I started stuffing makeup into a Hello Kitty cosmetic bag. I usually stuff 2 or 3 of these with brushes, eyeshadow, and lipsticks. This time I took a second to stop and think about it. How many lipsticks have I lost? How many buttery eyeshadows have crumbled beneath the pressure? So I dumped everything and started over.

TPG Approved: Friday Roundup

Happy International Women's Day! 

Here's a roundup of all the stuff TPG approves of this week. 



Into The Gloss | Anti-Aging In Your Twenties: Too Much Too Soon?

Image from Into The Gloss

Into the Gloss did a great piece this week on anti-aging products, and when you should start using them. They get into the dangers of using things like retinols for long periods of time--which apparently end up thinning out your skin a lot. Although ITG does tend to favor expensive products and skin care, you can still take away lots of things from the post, like always protect your face from the sun!

Avalon Organics Vitamin C Renewal Balancing Toner

Image found here.

A few months ago I had this weird urge to start trying out anti-aging products even though I don’t need them yet. I should probably take that as a sign that I’m reading too many beauty blogs. Anyway, I ended up giving most of the stuff away to my mom, but I kept this toner because I liked it a lot. I’m in my early 20s, so the most I really need to do is wear sunscreen regularly, but I this toner also helps with balancing the skin, and getting an even tone.

Some of you may be asking, “Do I need a toner? What do they actually do?” The answer is, for the most part, no. Toners were originally created to balance the pH of the skin after using a harsh soap on the face, back when actual soaps were used. Now that we have gentle, non-soap cleansers, there isn’t a huge need for them. But, a well-formulated toner can be a nice addition to your skin care routine, especially if it contains vitamins and antioxidants.

The Avalon Organics Vitamin C Renewal Balancing Toner works like this, according to the bottle,

American Cream

As you might have noticed by now, I’m a fan of Lush Cosmetics.  I usually stick to the skincare, but since I’m trying to repair my hair, I thought I would try some of those products.  When I bought the Fair Trade Honey shampoo (mentioned in my February favorites) I also bought the American Cream conditioner.  It’s a pretty well known conditioner among the Lushies*, and almost everyone raves about it.  I bought the small bottle because I didn’t want to shell out the $30 for the big bottle.  The 3oz bottle was $10, which is A LOT of money for 3oz of product when you have hair that falls more than halfway down your back. 

From Lush website

The description:

American Cream is our dreamy, medium-strength for soft, shiny and bouncy locks. Softening honey, scalp clarifying lavender and fresh oranges make a conditioner suitable for all hair types to soften rough ends and keep hair calm. Not to mention the absolutely delectable strawberry vanilla cream scent.

Angie's Faves- February Edition

So February is over, and we’re onto March.  Spring collections are out and lipsticks are getting brighter. Here is a list of items I enjoyed this past month. Let’s call them my February Favorites.

 

• Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage foundation- I reviewed this way back in our first TPG post.  I love it so much, I can’t go a day without it.

OBSESSED: SheaMoisture

My SheaMoisture collection

If you’re a curly girl, you probably already know about SheaMoisture, a brand of all natural hair care sold in drugstores like Target and Walgreens. For the rest of you, I have to say, I’m OBSESSED. I’m Latina and  I have thick, wavy hair that’s pretty manageable, but does get dry and frizzy if I don’t take care of it. And I feel like I’ve found my holy grail of hair care products in Shea Moisture.

Their line of hair care products is targeted towards ethnic hair, natural hair, curly girls--which I am not--but the ingredients are so wonderful I had to try them out. Their products are sustainably produced, ethically traded, natural, don’t contain any icky chemicals or preservatives, and they really work. They also have bath and body collections, skin care, baby care, and more. If you’re into natural skin and hair care, you’ll recognize a lot of the ingredients and just how great they are. And, did I mention every bottle runs for $10 at Target? Seriously. 

There are different ranges of products for different hair types, separated by differently colored labels. The yellow label products are made with raw shea butter and are aimed at repairing dry, damaged hair. The black label products are made with African black soap, for dry, itchy scalp. The pink label is made for thick, curly hair, and contains coconut and hibiscus. And the green label, made with organic yucca and baobob, is for fine, thin hair. There are styling products to go with each collection, as well as bath and body products, like lotions and bodywashes. They also seem to have expanded recently: they have baby and kids’ lines, a new hair color system, and a new women’s shave and waxing collection, among others.  

I want to try everything! I have yet to try anything other than their hair care products, but I’ll walk you through the stuff I have purchased and love.

Concealer Wars

Today we are starting our concealer series! We're kind of obsessed with finding the perfect one. To kick things off, we are putting two concealer sticks against each other, one high-end and the other drugstore.  We got Urban Decay’s 24/7 Concealer Stick versus Revlon’s PhotoReady Concealer.  Let’s take a look.

Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush

This is my first foray into the world cream blushes, and I am definitely a convert! They’re subtle but buildable, don’t leave any harsh edges, and melt into your face to give a totally natural flush.

I was looking around for a rosy blush that would be good for a “no-makeup makeup” look and decided on Maybelline’s Dream Bouncy Blush in number 15, Rose Petal. It’s a really lovely color, a pretty pink with a hint of coral that’s just warm enough to work with my skin. I have a medium tan skin tone with mostly yellow undertones. It adds a sheer wash of color to my face that looks fresh, pretty, and healthy. It’s quickly become my new favorite blush! Also, this blush is actually bouncy. Like, if you touch it, it actually bounces back. Which is for some reason kind of exciting!

So pretty.

Lush Skincare

The other day I got a question about the Lush skincare products I use.  Currently in my routine I use Fresh farmacy cleanser, Grease Lightning spot treatment, and Tea Tree Water and Breath of Fresh Air toners. 

Fresh Farmacy is a bar they sell by weight, like their soaps.  It's pink and has a light lavender scent.  Its goal is to calm problematic skin with ingredients that include calamine powder, chamomile, lavender, and tea tree oil.  With my skin type, that sounds like a gold mine!  After you wash your face with this bar, it leaves that tight squeaky feeling which some people don't like, but I'm a fan because it feels clean! This is a harsh cleanser, so use with caution.  I find that Fresh Farmacy helps me with breakouts and eczema symptoms. It works slowly and you don't see changes over night, but then one day you wake up and you feel your soft face and see a glow. I think price wise it's really great because it lasts forever as long as you cut it up in pieces and only use a small piece at a time, and keep it dry when storing it (like any other solid Lush product).  I recommend to definitely ask a Lush employee for a sample before committing to buying a full bar since this product is such a hit or miss for people. 

TPG Approves (and disapproves): Dry Shampoo

Have you all experienced the wonderful world of dry shampoo?  This is a list of different brands we have tried.  Some we love, some we do not.

First, the good stuff



Vanessa's Fave: Batiste - Dry Shampoo - Dark and Deep Brown 

• One of the ingredients is rice starch, whereas most other brands use aluminum starch. I find that the rice starch works better. The Tresemme dry shampoo uses cornstarch, but that is not enough to redeem it! (Read on.)
• I use the dark color for brunettes, which saves me from having white powder in my hair. There are a whole range of scents and colors available.
• It has a really pleasant, light fragrance that's sweet and vaguely reminds me of cocoa.
• Works way better than others I’ve tried.
• $8/bottle, 6.73  oz.
• find at Ulta, Urban Outfitters (they carry the smaller bottles)

Angie's Fave: Suave Professionals Dry Shampoo Spray

• Uses aluminum starch.
• It leaves a white residue but blends in easily if used as directed.
• Really fruity strong smell (that I like, but a lot of people say it's too artificial).
• $2.89-$2.99, 5 oz
• Find in drugstores.
• I love it for the price. It does the job I need for the least amount of money.

Philosophy's Purity Made Simple

For years, the only products I used on my face were (1) Philosophy’s Purity Made Simple, (2) St. Ives Apricot Scrub,and  (3) a Neutrogena moisturizer. I’ve since moved on to hate that scrub, and I’ve started using oils as moisturizer, but Purity is still my favorite cleanser.

Image from Sephora's website

Lots of people rave about Purity because it’s so gentle, but it really gets the job done. According to Philosophy’s website, it is formulated “to gently cleanse, tone, and melt away all face and eye makeup in one simple step, while lightly hydrating the skin.”  It has a creamy texture and a light, herbal scent. It doesn’t lather, but just a pea-sized amount can get my face clean. It removes all my makeup, except waterproof mascara. I sometimes double cleanse when I’m wearing a lot on my face, and it still doesn’t dry me out too much (though keep in mind I do have combination to oily skin). Either way, this cleanser is meant to work for any skin type, even very sensitive skins.

Veronica's Lipsticks

Last week at the Archie’s Girls party I picked up two lipsticks from the Veronica line.  I wanted these two ever since I saw previews of them on instagram and message boards.  Then when Temptalia reviewed them, I was sold.  At the party, the MUA used Beet lip liner from the permanent line on me with Daddy’s Little Girl, and since I got so many compliments, I also bought that.  Plus, it’s a reddish color so it also goes with Ronnie Red.

  

TPG go to MAC: Archie's Girls Collection

The Spring collection is an important one for MAC, sometimes it’s they’re most anticipated one.  This year MAC teamed up with Archie’s comics for a collection that’s supposed to appeal to the Betty or Veronica in you.  Those Pore Girls got a chance to check out the collection last Tuesday at a MAC party, before the collection launched in stores on February 7th.

Archie called us his Veronica's.