About Face: Lorde (Part 2)

Here's the second half of a 2-part post about finding healthy(er) products to copy the signature look of the hard-working, successful, beautiful Lorde.

First, foundation and concealer. By all means, go bare-faced if it suits you. If it doesn't, don't feel bad. Just don't do that heavy pancake thing that too many of us girls of the 90s grew up on. Really, don't be afraid to let those freckles or other points of interest peer through. After all, that's your face. That's your beauty.

Side note on foundations/primers: You may notice that the products I'm listing don't have added SPF. That's NOT because you can skip the sunscreen. It's simply because none of the combo products use sunscreen ingredients that are safe. Apply your sunscreen BEFORE your cosmetics, to reduce the chalkiness from the mineral ingredients.

EWG gives L'Oreal's Magic Smooth Souffle (MSRP $15.95USD) a rating of '1' -- with limited data -- for all shades. It's encouraging, but doesn't mean all L'Oreal products rate well. Another product with similar rating and similar ingredients is Pur Minerals Correcting Primer (MSRP $31.00USD). I don't like the use of the word 'correcting' because of the negative implication, but we'll take whatever options we can get.

Over at GoodGuide, L'Oreal's Infallible Never Fail Concealer gets top marks in the health category. 

I am surprised at the number of powder-based products -- either loose or pressed powder -- that are getting good ratings from either site. But that's another post for another day. We have makeup to buy and try.

Next, the liner. The good news is that you don't have to splurge to get a really good kohl. Last year I reviewed Neutrogena's Nourishing Eye Liner (see the original post here) and my preference for it still stands. It goes on smoothly, comes in a nice selection of shades, and removes easily. Best part -- it's in nearly any drugstore and costs under $10!  GoodGuide gives it an '8' for health.

If you want to spend a bit more, Urban Decay's 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils retail for $20. Only some shades get good health ratings from GoodGuide (see the full list here), so take care when you pick your poison.

A dramatic eye just doesn't happen without mascara. Check out my review for Big Blink Mascara by Pur here. They're now calling it 'Big Look' -- check it here. GoodGuide gives top health scores to mascaras from Shu Uemura, The Body Shop and Maybelline, among others (the full list is here). EWG gives Ecco Bella a great score with the best data (most of the other top scoring products are based on limited data, which I take to mean limited ingredient data). 

Last, but not least, the lip. Lorde's uber-hip pout is dressed up with really dark, really matte colors. GoodGuide's favorite matte lip is from Golden Rose, scoring an '8' for health, but the product isn't on the Golden Rose website. EWG gives Revlon's matte lipstick a '2' rating but with limited data. Turns out this is the trickiest part to replicating Lorde's look. I'm going to keep looking.

On the hunt for safer cosmetics,
Jazzy

 

About Face: Lorde (Part 1)

Call all the ladies out
They're in their finery

Lorde. So, so many reasons to love her. But this tweet of hers might very well be my favorite:

I love that she so willingly makes an example of herself -- in all the best ways. So that's why Lorde gets the spotlight in the latest About Face feature. About Face is where we break down popular cosmetic styles to get you the look you want with all the toxic junk. 

(this will actually be a 2-part post because the early drafts were getting really long and I felt like I was rambling and well, you get the idea...)

Lorde's style is feminine without being fussy, polished but not overdone, fresh with just the right amount of edge. The cornerstone of her look are those eyes. Really, Lorde rocks some serious liner. More than that, though, is the way her liner makes her eyes pop without ten layers of shadow. The beauty is in the simplicity. And you can see how the simple eye makeup plays off her light skin and easy hair. It's a whole package, and she's nailed it.

Now, we don't cover technique here. That would be...rather...disastrous. If you want tips on drawing the perfect line or blending the perfect highlighter, hit up YouTube. I mean, there are just way too many variables to finding the right winged eye style: face shape, eye/hair color, hair length, skin tone, brow shape, so on and so forth. 

BUT, if you want to know which products won't leech nasty things into your body, keep on clicking and reading! In the next half of this post, we will find products you could use to get your own version of Lorde's finery -- all products that score decent ratings through either EWG's Skin Deep or GoodGuide (or both). 

Stay tuned!
-- Jazzy

About Face: Paris Fashion Week

Fashion Week in Paris -- what better place to start our new About Face series!

Now the majority of us don't live in the 'couture' world -- I mean, I'm too cheap to pay $16 for natural body lotion -- but there's no denying that the style trends in our favorite stores are born on the runways.

So what's coming down the line? I perused the major collections, looking for beauty styles that are current but wearable. After all, few of us can rock the heavy winged lid or glittered lashes as a day look (but if you can, go for it!). While each fashion house used a specific look to showcase its collection, there were a few common, and very current, trends: