Not All That Glitter Is Gold

I love anything that shimmers from makeup to nail polish, but it never occurred to me where that shine actually comes from until after watching The Dark Secret Behind Your Favorite Makeup Products, a documentary that exposes child labor on Mica Mining, the dark side of beauty is that, not all that glitter is gold. 

So what exactly is Mica? It is a naturally occurring mineral dust often found in foundations, as filler in cement and asphalt and as insulation material in electric cables. Mica is pretty much everywhere, so to speak, it is used in construction materials that require the use of protective gear and masks when exposed, as prolonged exposure may cause lung scarring. Mica can be found in Russia, China, Finland, U.S., and Canada but India is the largest producer of this mineral. 

Mica is mined by children as early as four or five years old because their hands are small enough to fit into the tight crevices where it is commonly found. Imagine the children in remote villages of Jharkhand and Bihar who risk their lives every single day going inside dangerous caves without protection because there is no vital means of livelihood in the area. Children have died in collapsed mines but those who survived still kept coming back because they are left with no choice to sustain their lives. According to Responsible Mica Initiative that about 25% of the world production of mica comes from illegal collection in North-East India where more than 20,000 children are working in extremely harsh conditions to support their family (source: https://www.responsible-mica-initiative.com/the-mica-issue.html). Mica being linked to child labor is known to the cosmetic industry but laxity is the problem that is why even vegan makeup brands have no guarantees that it is cruelty-free for children. There are makeup brands, however, that are working towards ethically sourced mica such as Sephora Collection, Revlon, Estee Lauder Companies (which includes Bobbi Brown, Becca, Smashbox, Tom Ford Beauty, Clinique and Too Faced), L'Oreal Companies (such as Urban Decay, Maybelline, Essie and NYX) just to name a few (link to source here).

The mica miners of India

As a vegan, it hit hard me that supporting cruelty-free brands is NOT enough. Yes, animals are the most abused living beings on this planet but it does not mean that humans especially children do not experience cruelty as well. The ugly truth about the beauty industry is child labor. Slavery is very rampant not just in the beauty industry but pretty much in every industry and the only way to make it stop is to discontinue support for brands that continue to enslave and take advantage of helpless human beings just for profit. 

A little bit of compassion goes a long way so please, take child labor out of your cosmetics. 

A Dose of "Berry Me"

Product in review:  "Berry Me" by Dose Of Colors

I guess I'm addicted to liquid-matte lipsticks recently I've been comparing which brand is the matte-iest of them all. When Limecrime popularized 'vegan and cruelty free' makeup (vegan meaning they use minerals and plant based/organic ingredients and cruelty free or not tested on animals), a lot of new and cheaper, cosmetic brands came out with the same claim which is good because this simply means that more women are opting for environment and animal friendly cosmetics. 

I stumbled upon Dose Of Colors while browsing Instagram photos from some makeup artists that I've been following. I've never owned any velvet colored lipstick in the past so why not try something like "Berry Me"? According to their website, their products are vegan free, cruelty free, gluten free (allergen free) and paraben free (paraben are cosmetic preservatives). This shade look a little like a mixture of pink and purple on their website so I was a little surprised when I opened the bottle because it's almost fuschia pink to me, just a little bit darker. I was a little disappointed at first and I'm not sure if I can even pull off such strong color but after applying and letting it dry for a few seconds, I realized that it wasn't so bad after all, it's kinda cute actually. The bottle is more decent compared to LA Splash, well it has to be since it is more expensive too. I like the lip applicator better as well, it's not as messy so it's easier to manage the amount of liquid that you will put on your lips. The website suggested to exfoliate lips before use since this will really leave your lips dry just like any other matte lipstick. True to their word, it is long wearing. I think this shade is perfect if you want to highlight your lips and go easy on your eyes. 

Berry, Berry Me!

Dose of Colors is a good brand and of good quality but have limited colors to choose from. I hope in the future they'll come up with more unique colors. I think Pretty Zombie Cosmetics is a good alternative if you are looking for almost similar shades but cheaper.          

Product Description:

Our liquid lipstick is a velvety high-fashion matte finish which envelops lips in a rich color. Glides on smoothly and stays put throughout the day.

• Vegan

• Cruelty Free 

• Gluten Free 

• Paraben Free

Tips: Exfoliate lips before use. Avoid greasy food.

Ingredients:

Isododecane Synthetic Beeswax VP/Hexadecene Copolymer Octyldodecanol Cyclopentasiloxane C18-36 Acid Triglyceride Disteardimonium Hectorite Phenoxyethanol Alcohol denatured Ethylhexylglycerin MAY CONTAIN: ± D&C Red No.28 Aluminum Lake (CI 45410) FD&C Red No.40 Aluminum Lake (CI 16035) Titanium dioxide (CI 77891) FD&C Yellow No 5 Lake (CI 19140) Aluminum Oxide Red 6 Lake (CI 15850) D&C Red 27 Lake (CI 45410) FD&C Red 7 Calcium Lake (CI 15850:1) Iron Oxides (CI 77499) FD&C Blue No.1 Aluminum Lake (CI 42090).

In the mood for Melt Darkroom (A review)

Melt owners Lora 
Arellano and Dana Bomar

Darkroom is 
here to stay

When Melt Darkroom was launched late last year everyone got excited about this beet colored lipstick thanks to the creative minds of Melt's lady bosses Laura Arellano and Dana Bonar who are professional MUA themselves. Just an FYI, Laura is Rihanna's makeup artist and behind most of her looks in her music videos so you know what to expect from ladies who know makeup so well. 

Nope, it's not a shoe box. 
Just my lippie!

Freebies

My first purchase of Melt are By Starlight and Space Cake because Blow and DGAF were out of stock during that time. I instantly fell in love with both, it screams 'me'! I don't care whenever I get weird stares from people like I'm from another planet or something. I love wearing daring lipsticks not because I want attention but I just love make up so much someday I swear I will make a living out of it, lol. I became obsessed with super pigmented lipsticks and eyeshadows I tried other makeup brands and lippie shades such as Five 11 Cosmetics' Free (Almost blue green in color) and Manic Panic's After Midnight (Electric Blue). I've been stalking Melt's website to see what's new until about a week ago they reached 1 million followers on Instagram so they had a 24 hour SALE offering 25% off on every product just by using the code "meltmilli". I wasted no time and bought Darkroom immediately before it's sold out.

Darkroom swatch

My Melt box came via USPS a week after I placed my order which is fast for international orders it usually takes a month to arrive. My very first Melt package came in a white box, now it's black so there's quite a mystery in there. Unboxing this product is the most exciting part. What I loved about Melt is that no matter what the quantity of your order, you always get a postcard and a cute freebie, (sweet!). I got a pocket mirror then, this time it's a mini Space Cake lipstick keychain (yay!). Melt just so love their customers you will feel it at the very moment you opened that box. I'm just really happy with the packaging to start with. 

The signature scent of vanilla and clay stays with Darkroom. I still like the gooey texture it glides easily but compared to By Starlight, it doesn't leave a pink stain when you remove it like a lip tattoo or something. It's still long wearing though not as matte compared to other liquid to matte lipsticks (read my previous review about La Splash Cosmetics in Ghoulish). Great news is, Darkroom doesn't leave your lips dry but applying a small amount of lip moisturizer before and after wouldn't hurt. A lip primer is a must for every MUA but I think any Melt lipstick is good to go with or without it. 

NYX Siren is a good dupe for Darkroom 
and Maison for Limecrime's Salem

Lovin' my Darkroom

Melt Darkroom is good to have especially if you like to play with colors a lot just like myself and would like to try something different, either you're going for a grunge look or simply want to look elegant on a night out. Price wise, there are cheaper alternatives in the market but bear in mind that quality makeup ain't cheap although surprisingly, some cheaper brands can come up with a better version so it would really help to read product reviews before buying. Better yet look for a product's 'dupe' (duplicate) but make sure it is safe to use. Since I'm an animal lover I go for cruelty free, vegan makeup just like Melt and Limecrime. I've been a NYX fan because their makeup is affordable and the quality is good too. I've purchased NYX Siren in the past and I noticed that it is a good dupe of Darkroom. I have NYX Maison too because I was so in love with Limecrime's Salem then. La Splash in Ghoulish became so popular because it is the best dupe of Limecrime's Cashmiere at the moment.

I'm still a Melt fan and looking forward to try their new products in the future. I'm still in the hunt for cheaper alternatives because makeup is forever. So there.