The Clunkster

Beauty

Physician's Formula's Organic Wear Natural Origin Work It! Full! Flared! Fit! Mascara

Beauty, Beauty Review, Cruelty-FreeKristenComment

You all know how much I love my eyelashes. Mascara is the most important part of my makeup routine, so I’ve been on the hunt for a mascara that I really, really love. Last year, I tried out Physician’s Formula’s Organic Wear Natural Origin Work It! Full! Flared! Fit! Mascara. That was fun to type.

The reason I took a look at Physician’s Formula’s products in CVS was because the mascara that I was using previously was starting to make my eyes really itchy, and I knew that Physician’s Formula uses hypoallergenic ingredients. I wanted to find something that stayed on really well, since that was also a problem I was having, but my number one concern was the itchiness. Thankfully, I found this mascara (I can’t type all those exclamation points again), which claimed to address both concerns.

The packaging of this mascara claims that this formula is “guaranteed to last through your toughest workout,” and “delivers maximum strength adherence.” So I figured this was the one to try.

The Pros

This mascara definitely didn’t make my eyes itchy, but I’m not sure if I can attribute that to the organic ingredients. I love a good all-natural formula, but since I bought this mascara I’ve used organic formulas that make me itchy and non-organic formulas that don’t. So I don’t really think it’s relevant.

I’m a really big fan of the brush. It covers a lot of ground and its bristles get in between my lashes, which I really love. I like mascara better when it helps me define and lift my lashes as opposed to giving them volume, which is exactly what this mascara did. I love the way it looks on my lashes. This mascara indeed makes me feel both “Full!” and “Flared!”

The Con

I’m such a fan of Physician’s Formula’s mission to use organic ingredients to help sensitive skin. But I can’t ignore that the claims that this mascara is “10K Proof. Gym Proof. Sweat Proof. Water Resistant,” are completely untrue. After about a week of wearing this mascara, I found myself crying in public (hey, it happens to the best of us). I wiped away my tears and honestly didn’t think about how I looked because I was wearing my new rigorously waterproof mascara.

Guys. I got home and looked in the mirror, and I had mascara all over my face. Literally all over my face.

Usually, when I cry with makeup on, my mascara gets clumpy and stubborn, so when I wipe my tears things just get a little sticky but I only look a little bit like a raccoon. In this case, however, my tears took the formula and collected it into small pools under my eyes which then descended down my face in small rivers. And wiping my tears didn’t help things at all!

I really don’t mean to be harsh, but I was very disappointed with this part of the formula because Physician’s Formula claimed that this mascara is “rigorously tested to withstand your most athletic activities,” but it couldn’t withstand an anxiety attack on the T. Since this was a big part of why I decided to purchase this mascara, I felt really let down.

We were rooting for you, Physician’s Formula. We were all rooting for you.

Overall though, I definitely recommend this mascara for days when you know for a fact you won’t be crying or for days you don’t care if you have Physician’s Formula decorating your cheeks. I really loved the way this formula made my lashes look, so I would only use it when I would go out or to top off my lashes after I used another mascara. I’m done with the tube now, and I don’t think I’d purchase it again, but I’m happy I gave this brand a try. I probably won’t buy any other Physician’s Formula products in the future because I don’t trust a lot of what they say now, to be honest. But if Physician’s Formula works for you, I’m so happy!


For more information about going cruelty-free, check out PETA’s Searchable Database or Cruelty-Free Kitty’s alphabetized list of cruelty-free brands.

Codi Olive Nourishing and Rejuvenating Hand and Body Lotion

Cruelty-Free, Beauty, Beauty ReviewKristenComment

Hey cutie patooties! I don’t know about you all, but I love getting my nails done. The people that work at my nail salon know exactly what they’re doing. I always leave with a smile and beautiful nails. So when they gave my mom and I these Codi lotions for Christmas, I knew they would be great.

I tend to get really dry hands in the winter. Like, cracking and bleeding dry. I keep this tube of lotion by my door so I always remember to put it on before I go outside. During the colder months, I put my gloves on to seal it. My hands stayed really hydrated. There were some periods of time where I’d forget to use this lotion, and my hands would get stingy and gross again. As soon as I started using it again, they would heal.

The smell is also heavenly. I’ve never had anything olive scented before, and I’m obsessed. I think it smells like the nail salon; it puts me at ease and makes me feel special. I just really love manicures, you guys.

I very highly recommend this lotion, especially if you have really damaged hands, like me. I really have nothing bad to say about it. It’s even cruelty-free!

For more information about going cruelty-free, check out PETA’s Searchable Database or Cruelty-Free Kitty’s alphabetized list of cruelty-free brands.

nyx total control drop foundation review!

Cruelty-Free, Beauty, Beauty ReviewKristenComment

Hello hello hello! I hope your week has been going well so far. I’m heading into a busy couple of weeks, but it’s a fun busy, which is nice. Since I graduated in December, it hasn’t set in that the end of the school year is quickly approaching for everyone else, and all ~those~ activities are happening. Wild.

I am so excited for this review! I’ve reviewed a couple foundations in the past and I’m usually annoyed with them. I felt like any foundation I used had something wrong with it and I was just waiting for the bottle to run out. But then! I saw the NYX rack at Target and rubbed some of NYX’s Total Control Drop Foundation on my wrist and loved it. It blended into my skin so well.

This is definitely a new favorite product of mine. This foundation checks all of my boxes (again, sounding like a Bachelor contestant). It’s cruelty-free, smells amazing, blends so well, lasts all day, and looks great on my face. I use the Light Ivory shade.

I think the only bad thing I could say about it is that it runs out pretty quickly, but that could also be because I always squeeze too much out of the dropper. I’ve never used a drop foundation before, and it was definitely an adventure. I love it, but it wasn’t horrible, aside from me possibly wasting a lot of foundation and making a mess sometimes. My Spatty doesn’t fit in the bottle, which makes me sad. There’s not a lot of ways to stretch it along without shaking it and hitting it on your hand a lot.

Overall though, I’m a really big fan of this foundation, and I highly recommend it if you’re looking for something new. I’m not surprised, because everything I have from NYX is amazing. I just started using their primer, so I’ll have that review coming for you soon!

For more information about going cruelty-free, check out PETA’s Searchable Database or Cruelty-Free Kitty’s alphabetized list of cruelty-free brands.

bite beauty's matte crème lip crayon (in glacé)

Cruelty-Free, Beauty, Beauty ReviewKristenComment

Hey cuties! I have another cruelty-free beauty review for you today. I got a birthday present from Sephora back in November (thanks, VIB rewards!) with a bunch of goodies from Bite Beauty. I’ve been wanting to give them a try since I wrote an article about them for a past internship, and learned about how cool they were. They’re a certified clean brand on Sephora’s website. Today, I’ll be reviewing Bite’s Matte Crème Lip Crayon in Glacé.

I’d never used a lip crayon this thin before, so I was a little nervous about giving this a try. I started by lining my lips, which I never do (I tried once and it was a fail), and continued coloring in my lips from the outside in, playing with the angles of the crayon a little bit. Because it was so fine, I could use as little or as much as I wanted, and touch up little areas. I had a lot of control, which I loved.

Hands down, my favorite thing about this lip crayon is the color. I did my nails a similar color when I took these photos, so I was thriving. I really love the way this color looks with my skin and features. I’ve been looking for a neutral-ish berry pink color like this for a while, so I’m really happy this was in my birthday present.

As much as I love this color, this formula does have its drawbacks. For starters, I don’t find it as hydrating as its description boasts, but I also haven’t tried it with my Agave Lip Balm yet, so stay tuned! The dryness made it difficult to reapply. Since my lips were a little too matte and dry, the crayon would sometimes snag or clump.

This is also supposed to be a long-lasting formula, and it definitely is, but I find that the color fades and changes into something more tan, and I have to reapply it more often to make sure the color remains the same. It dries out like a lip stain, which I really don’t like.

Though I’m hesitant to fully endorse this formula, I personally think the color and precision of the lip crayon are worth it over the dryness and fading. I definitely want to give more Bite Beauty products a try, like the Amuse Bouche Lipstick and Agave Lip Balm that were also in my birthday present. Stay tuned for more cruelty-free beauty reviews coming your way!

For more information about going cruelty-free, check out PETA’s Searchable Database or Cruelty-Free Kitty’s alphabetized list of cruelty-free brands.

shea moisture's 100% virgin coconut oil daily hydration conditioner review

Cruelty-Free, Beauty, Beauty ReviewKristenComment

Hey beauties! I have a new review for you! I truly love doing these reviews, I just tend to take more time with them because I like to give you guys the most accurate information. I like to give things enough time to ~do their magic~.

Today, I’m reviewing Shea Moisture’s 100% Virgin Coconut Oil Daily Hydration Conditioner. I ran out of Lush’s Jungle a while ago, so I decided to switch things up a bit and try something from Shea Moisture. I reviewed their 100% Virgin Coconut Oil Daily Hydration Glow Priming Moisturizer a while back, and I loved it so much! So when I saw this conditioner at CVS, I knew it would be just as good, and I was so right.

One of the things that really stands out to me whenever I use Shea Moisture products is their amazing list of ingredients! I love cruelty-free brands, but Shea Moisture is free of so many things I didn’t even know were bad for you. I added them to my list of things to learn about, so I’ll let you know what I find out! This conditioner is free of sulfates, parabens, mineral oil, propylene glycol, phthalates, and petrolatum. So many funny words.

Anyway, I’m so happy I gave this conditioner a try! Shea Moisture did not let me down. I really love the pump design of this bottle. It’s really easy to use in the shower. It also smells freakin’ amazing. You all know how much I love my scents, but I especially love them when I’m showering. It completes the experience! And who doesn’t love coconut?

Scents aside, this conditioner really works. My hair is thick and gets dry really easily, but this conditioner does an awesome job of keeping it super soft and hydrated. Conditioner tends to make my hair greasy, but Shea Moisture’s doesn’t. This conditioner checks off all my boxes and more. I sound like a Bachelor contestant.

I highly recommend this conditioner. Since I’m running out of shampoo, I think I’m gonna try some from Shea Moisture next! Have you tried any of their products before? Let me know in the comments!

For more information about going cruelty-free, check out PETA’s Searchable Database or Cruelty-Free Kitty’s alphabetized list of cruelty-free brands.