Princess on Birthday Vacation

The Princess is turning the big 4-0 on Monday, so I am heading home to visit the folks this weekend. When I get back, I have a couple contests I want to do to start off 2009 with a bang. So, be sure to pop by again in a few days for more details.

Check It Out: Juliet's Room Organic Skin & Body

I stumbled across an ad for Juliet's Room while reading reviews over at Makeup Alley. I am seriously looking at the AHA lotion below. That is a good price for 4 oz of the stuff.


Renewal AHA Organic Face Lotion
4 fl oz, 118 ml - $22
This facial lotion is a favourite with users. Light enough to wear under make-up, or just on its own. Contains 5% AHA and is safe for regular use.
No Fragrance, Alcohol, or Parabens / 84% Organic

Organic Aloe Juice, Organic Aloe Butter, Apricot Kernel Oil, Emulsifying Wax NF, Palm Stearic Acid, Kosher Vegetable Glycerin, Seaweed Extract, Organic Green Tea Extract, Organic Bilberry Extract, Organic Sugar Cane Extract, Organic Sugar Maple Extract, Organic Orange Extract, Organic Lemon Extract, Organic Cranberry Extract, Vitamin E, Glycolic Acid, Tartaric Acid, Malic Acid, Mango Butter, Shea Butter, Xanthan Gum , Organic Black Willowbark Extract, Mannan, Neem Oil, Rosemary Oleoresin, Tetrasodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Citric Acid



White Chocolate Organic Body Butter
4 fl oz, 118 ml - $22
No Synthetic Fragrance, Alcohol, or Parabens / 74% Organic
Certified Vegan
Organic Aloe Juice, Natural Cocoa Butter, Emulsifying Wax NF, Shea Butter, Organic Jojoba Oil, Kosher Vegetable Glycerin, Vitamin E, Tamanu Foraha Oil, Carrot Oil, Kukui Nut Oil, Borage Oil, Arnica Extract, Vanilla Extract, Black Willow Bark Extract, Mannan, Xanthan Gum, Rosemary Oleoresin, Neem, Tetrasodium Edta, Phenoxyethanol, Citric Acid

Vanilla Brown Sugar Scrub
4.2 oz, 120g - $12
Our popular Brown Sugar Scrub is the most indulgent way to end your shower. Gentle exfoliation and luxurious oils make your skin feel velvety soft. The warm scent of real vanilla will carry you away from your worries! No Synthetic Fragrance, Alcohol, or Parabens

Organic Raw Sugar, Organic Sweet Almond Oil, Rice Bran Oil, Coconut Oil, Meadowfoam Oil, Glycerine, Vitamin E, Vanilla Essential Oil
while reading reviews over at MakeUp Alley. I'm seriously considering picking up their AHA Lotion. I need to replace my

Beware Those Clearance Gift Sets

Ugh. I've just come back from Wal-Mart (crosses self). I was on the prowl for some post Christmas gift perfume. I did pick up a bottle of Hillary Duff for $10 (meh). While I was cruising - and tripping over people, I noticed shelves and shelves of leftover makeup and gift baskets. You need a hazmat suit just to read the labels on those things. I never realized you could put so many bad chemicals into one product. Those gift sets are bad news if you are trying to avoid glowing in the dark. Read your labels and leave those on the shelf. Start 2009 chemical free!

Merry Christmas!

Check It Out: KrugsEcologic @ Etsy

I received a request from Erin at KrugsEcologic to do a post about her Etsy store. Her products are Vegan and Paraben Free. Erin offers a full line of body products, but some are out of stock due to Christmas. Everything will be back soon. The soaps that she sells are just a work of art! They are very pretty and some look like candy. Mmmm....candy.

Be sure and check out her Blog as well. She does an interesting experiment using her soap and using Ivory. You can see how a commercial soap, even as 'gentle' as Ivory, can really do a number on your skin.

Soy Vanilla Latte Soap 6 oz - $7
This bar FEELS as great as it LOOKS, too! This 6 oz bar is made with saponified oils of soy, coconut, palm, and olive oils, gives this soap a full, thick, creamy lather.







Star Anise 6 oz - $7
Made of saponified oils of Coconut, Jojoba, Safflower, Palm, and Soybean...this lather's sure to please! This listing is for a generous 6 oz bar of soap.

Anise is known as a great fisherman or hunter scent, since it masks the human scent - and great for Black Licorice fans, too!

Scrumptious Scrub 8 oz - $15
Made with moisturizing and renewing oils of almond, olive, and soybean, vitamin E and sea salts it's simply a treat for your skin. Olive oil is well known for promoting moisture retention in the skin and vitamin E is a fantastic anti-oxidant. Better yet... even the scent is 100% natural from plant-based essential oils.

This listing is for an 8 oz container of Flora scent (essential oils of rose, ylang ylang, and jasmine). This is such a romantic blend - smells just like a heavenly rose!

VitaCost Mini Haul - Jason Hair & Burt's Bees

Received a mini haul in today from Vitacost.com. I picked up some more Jason organic shampoo and conditioner. I tried Henna this time. There were a lot of good comments about it. I also picked up a couple more of the Desert Essence Coconut lotion (not pictured) and a Burt's Bees Repair Serum.

The Repair Serum has great reviews across the web and is extending what I currently use on my face. I use straight Jojoba oil on my face under my makeup and before I go to bed. I just double what I put on my face in the morning. This serum adds Rosehip oil which is a touted ingredient in most organic anti-aging products.

It comes in a healthy 1 ounce glass container that has a small opening so you only get a drop at a time. I just put some on my hand to test and it has a strong lavender smell that is cut by the other oils. You can really smell each oil that is in this. Fingers cross this is a good product for my skin. Fingers are crossed!

Ingredients: Rosehip seed oil, jojoba oil, lavender oil, tocopheryl acetate (vitamin E), evening primrose oil, borage seed oil, wheat germ oil, hazelnut oil, neroli oil, rose oil, calendula extract, green tea extract, beta carotene, tocopherol, ascorbyl palmitate (Vitamin C), retinyl palmitate (Vitamin A).

More Sale Codes

J. Lynne Cosmetics - 20-30% off of their retired products.

Smoky Mountain Minerals - 30% everything. Code: holly08
This is their best code, so if you have been wondering about them, now is a good time to try one of their packages.

My Skin Looks Great - And Thanks!

Let me start with the thanks. I really appreciate the comments everyone leaves on this blog. I wish I had been able to find something like this blog when I started my Paraben Free journey. It's hard knowing what is a good product and what should be avoided. I still spend hours online and in the store reading labels and even I get bitten now and then.

A couple of posts back, I talked about how my face has been itching and breaking out while using Everyday Minerals foundation. I stopped using their product the day of the post and my skin has already cleared up. Amazing. I have been using Spell's Harmony Foundation and it's a world of difference. It has better coverage than the EM and I can do my entire face in a couple of swipes. I was spending quality time and probably a lot of brush irritation to get the same result with the EM.

I'm not certain what the difference is in these foundations. On the surface, they have the same ingredients. The only difference I can see is the forms of Mica that are used. Spell uses Sericite and Silk Mica.

Spell Harmony Foundation: Sericite Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, Silk Mica: may contain: iron oxides, ultramarine blue

Everyday Minerals Foundation: Mica (CI 77019), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Zinc Oxide (CI 77947), Iron Oxides (CI 77489, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499). May contain: Ultramarines (CI 77007).

Internet Has Been Down

My internet has been on the fritz since Friday. The entire weekend without the innerweb. **SHUDDER** I'm trying to catch up on everything I do throughout the web. I'll be posting some new things on here in the next couple of hours.

Unexpectedly Good: Silknaturals Purple Eyeshadow

I've been meaning to put up a post on this for a while and just keep forgetting. I received a free regular size SilkNaturals I received with an order back in September. I've been wearing it for a couple of weeks now and I have to say this stuff is frigging amazing. I had to laugh when I read in Allure that purple eyeshadow is a Holy Grail color for brown eyes. Yep, sure enough is!

The shade is called 'Vineyard' and is a smoky plum color. Blurb from the website: eyeshadow with a lipgloss purchase I did a Vineyard is kind of a muted purple- but with layers and layers of twinkle added to it. There's a little bit of gold a little bit of green and some other things to create a brilliant multi-faceted color. The pictures and swatches just don't do it justice.

I start out with dark gray liner under my eyes and on my lids, halfway across. I then use the Vineyard with mixing medium. Just a drop of medium is needed and you can turn the minerals completely liquid. Just like painting with watercolors - and no fall out onto your cheeks. I use my Loew Cornell Maxine's Mop and go back and forth my eyelid, just like I was painting. I keep going back and forth with the brush until I hit my eyebrows. The lid will be an elegant plum color and as the shadow thins out, it lightens up to pink on the browbone. One shadow, 30 seconds, done. I used to spend a good 5 minutes per eye mixing all my different colors together.

I would recommend picking up a Vineyard. Everyone who uses it loves it. It's a whopping $3.75! Remember, SilkNaturals also sells clones of popular MAC, Nars, and BB products.

Edit: Since I slacked and didn't post a pic, I found some nice photos that Shizznizzle did of her purple shadow. Not the same product, but you can see how pretty purple looks on brown eyes.

Does Everyday Minerals Make You Itch?

I was driving to work this morning when I realized I was digging at my face. It seriously itched, especially my forehead. I had been using Smoky Mountain Minerals off and on for the past 3 years, but had run out last month and started using a new container of Everyday Minerals I got in a swap on Makeup Alley. The more I itched, the more I thought about it. My skin has been itching and breaking out with these strange pimples for....the past month. Huh, coincidence?

I just don't understand what in the heck is in this stuff that is making me itch and break out like this. The ingredients are basic with no Bismuth, which I know makes me itch. It's the only product in my morning lineup that has changed.

Anyone else have the same experience with Everyday Minerals?

*Fair:
Ingredients: Mica (CI 77019), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Zinc Oxide (CI 77947), Iron Oxides (CI 77489, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499). May contain: Ultramarines (CI 77007).

A Few More Sale Codes

The online folks are pushing hard for those last few Christmas sales. A few codes from today's inbox.

Yves Rocher - $10 off $30. Free ship on $25. Code: 10Off30.
Be sure to read your ingredients list. I think most of their products are Paraben Free.

Elf - $2 shipping on $25 and a free makeup dvd. Code: UPGRADE
Their eyeshadow brush is fantastic, I own several. Stay away from their body products and makeup, they are full of Parabens. Their mineral makeup has Bismuth. Crap, I don't even know why I'm posting their code, hope you like makeup brushes!

Lure Beauty - 15% off order. Code: HOLIDAY

Check It Out: Jergens Naturals Lotion

I spent half an hour on Saturday reading labels at Wal-Mart (crosses self). I was looking for new Paraben Free products that I had not already seen online. Jergens Naturals was the only new product I found on the shelves that passed my label test.

The label claims 92% natural ingredients. It does contain a lot of natural oils and glycerin which is always a good start. I didn't buy any since I am still up to my eyeballs with my Desert Essence.

Size: 16.8 ounces
Price: $7.99

That's a good price for a nice sized jug of lotion.

Ingredients:
Water , Glycerin , Glyceryl Stearate , Myristyl Myristate , Cocoa Seed Butter - Theobroma Cacao , Soybean Oil - Glycine Soja , Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Glycerides , Cetearyl Alcohol , Cyclopentasiloxane , Jojoba Seed Oil - Simmondsia Chinensis , Agave Tequilana Leaf Extract , Opuntia Vulgaris Extract , Sunflower Seed Oil - Helianthus Annuus , Safflower Seed Oil - Carthamus Tinctorius , Meadowfoam Seed OilSeed Oil - Limnanthes Alba , Shea Butter - Butyrospermum Parkii , Olive Oil Unsaponifiables - Olea Europaea , Lecithin , Jojoba Esters , Olive Fruit Oil - Olea Europaea , Oat Kernel Meal - Avena Sativa , Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract , Avocado Oil - Persea Gratissima , Tocopherol - Vitamin E , Ceteareth-20 , Polyglycerin-10 , PEG-100 Stearate , Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer , Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides , Hydrogenated Cottonseed Oil , Fragrance , Sodium Hydroxide , DMDM Hydantoin , Phenoxyethanol , Ethylhexylglycerin , Caramel

Bad News Chemical: Imidazolidinyl Urea

The name isn't the only thing that looks nasty about this common chemical. Imidazolidinyl Urea is put into cosmetics to kill bacteria growth and as a preservative. I have often seen it on labels as a substitute for Parabens. It is a kissing cousin to the Diazolidinyl Urea and is a Formaldehyde releaser.

Imidazolidinyl Urea - cousin to Diazolidinyl and a Formaldehyde releaser
Diazolidinyl Urea - carcinogen
Formaldehyde - carcinogen

Are we there yet?

Wikipedia chemical explanations

Quick finding of products that contain this chemical or the Diaz Urea:
1. My Walgreen's Alpha Hydroxy Cream I love so much. :-<
2. ProActive Acne Solution Kits
3. Yes to Carrots - which has great ingredients, except for this one!
4. Garnier Nutritioniste skin products
5. Gold Bond Lotion

Crabtree & Evelyn Paraben Free Products

I was on the Crabtree & Evelyn website last earlier this week to pick up some home perfume on clearance. I noticed that they carry two different lines that are mostly Paraben Free.

Their Naturals Line is comparable in price and product size to Bath & Body Works.

Naturals Pineapple & Ginger Body Lotion
8.5 fl. oz. - $10 - Sale

Their Aromatherapy Distillation Collection is a bit fancier - and a bit pricier, but still mostly Paraben Free. Remember to always check the ingredients list!



Aromatherapy Conditioning Body Lotion
8.5 fl. oz - $15.60 - Sale

New Spell Cosmetics Goodness

I've been slacking on my blogroll reading and missed a few new releases from Spell Cosmetics. Previous blathering about how I like their products HERE. Remember free shipping and 25% off all purchases if you get their VIP card.

Lotion Sampler Kit
$11.00

Eye Candy Collection
$17

Vamp Up Lip Plumper $14.99

Silk Naturals Christmas Sale

Just had this pop up in my mailbox. Silk Naturals has Christmas specials and purchase bonuses going on. They have great products and are the company that has mineral versions of MAC, Nars, BB, etc. In the forums, you can even REQUEST a dupe of a particular product.

Hello!

I'll admit it- I'm a bit of a procrastinator when it comes to Holiday shopping...I still have to shop for quite a few people (including DH). I'm guessing there are more than a few people like me- so I've decided to extend our Holiday Sale.

I made some special lippies, and a new glow for this sale. The lippies are just what you need for the holiday season- they're sheer, light, fun, but still pretty and polished- and they're chocked full of very nourishing butters. Orders over $10 get a 3-gram jar of Crinoline Glow- our clone of MAC's Pettiecoat mineralize skin finish- it's a beautiful nudish pink with flecks of gold. It's gorgeous dusted on cheekbones, or lovely as a lippie. Orders over $25 get Peace- a very sheer shimmering pink with just a hint of gold- and flavored with vanilla and mint plus Crinoline. Orders over $40 get Joy a reddish coral peach color that's flavored with the most juicy, yummy peach flavor, plus Crinoline and Peace. Orders over $50 get all the free stuff, plus the Kisser Slicker of your choice for FREE! After that for every $25 you spend- you get another free Kisser Slicker!

There's still the $5.00 off shipping for orders over $100, and completely free shipping for orders over $150!

For truly last-minute shoppers- or the still undecided we've also added gift certificates to the site!

The sale ends December 20 so we can ship everything to you in time to put it under the tree.

Thank you again for all of your support- and have a wonderful holiday!

Take care,

Karen and the Silk Naturals Crew

My Vitacost.com Christmas Haul

For your enjoyment, my Christmas haul from Vitacost.com. From my previous posts, their products are fantastic, inexpensive, and easy to order.

Garden Girl Skincare Giveaway

Garden Girl is giving away a full-sized product when you comment the blog through December 12. Roll on over and drop a comment. 'Tis the season for winning!

Garden Girl Blog

Christmas Deals and Sale Codes

Slow day, but my mailbox is busy!

Signature Minerals - Through Dec. 12 - 25% off prices plus another 10% off purchase with code: holiday1008

Ocean Mist Cosmetics - Dec. 10 - 14 - 25% off everything. No codes needed.

Smoky Mountain Minerals - All December - 25% off everything with code: dec08

Paraben Alert codes straight from my in-box. These websites have many products that contain Parabens, but there may be something Paraben Free or some tools you may find.

Urban Decay - Dec 9 - 15 - $1 Shipping. No code needed. Select 'USPS Priority' at checkout.

Kiss My Face - Dec 9 - 10 - 50% off. Their shipping may negate the deal. Code: KMF50

Meow Cosmetics Coupon Codes

Here are a few discount codes I received from Meow Cosmetics. It's their '12 Days of Christmas = 12 Days of Special Promotions'. Previous post on Meow is HERE.

All Codes are Valid from 12/7 (as of the time of this mailing) through 12/19 EST

Free Shipping:
Code: FREESHIPUS (on all UNITED STATES orders)
Code: FREESHIPWORLD (on INTERNATIONAL orders over $75)

% OFF:
Code: Meow20off125 : 20% off orders over $125.00
Code: Meow10off : 10% off all orders, no minimum

One coupon per order.

Reader Questions: Cleanser, Moisturizer, Kids

Here are a couple questions from reader Charisse that I thought I would share.

I just want to know what do you use as a moisturizer/cleanser for your face?
I wipe my makeup and mascara off with a generic baby wipe. I then use 'Desert Essence Thoroughly Clean Face Wash'. I rinse that and then finish with a couple splashes of cold water. I then put on Walgreen's Alpha Hydroxy Face Cream. Keeps everything clear and smooth - mostly. I'm not crazy about some of the ingredients, but at least it works really well and is Paraben Free. I alternate days on the face cream with a homemade mix of Glycerin, Castor Oil and water spray. A generic mix similar to MAC's Fix+ spray. I use Jojoba oil everyday under my makeup.

Also, what can you recommend for kids shampoo and soaps?
Young children don't have hormones going yet to develop the funk of adults. Their basic need is to get the dirt off of them, not to be deodorized. I'd recommend just straight water, but that won't do the job. Simplest is best. I would recommend Castile Soap. Two of the best are by Desert Essence and Dr. Bronners Baby. Dr. Bronner's comes in liquid or bar.

I would recommend buying these products from Vitacost.com, they will be quite a bit cheaper than in the store, even with shipping ($4.99) added in.





Thoroughly Clean Face Wash
Ingredients: Castile Soap, Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, *Organic Tea Tree Oil (Melaleuca Alternifloia), Extracts of Matricaria, Goldenseal, Awapuhi (Hawaiian White Ginger), Bladderwrack, Essential Oil of Palmarosa, Petitgrain, *Organic Lavandine Super & Peppermint Oil.



Dr. Bronner's Liquid Castile Soap - Baby - Mild
Ingredients: Water, Saponified Coconut-Hemp-Olive Oils (with retained Glycerin), Aloe Vera, Olive Fatty Acids, Rosemary Extract.










Dr. Bronner's Baby Mild Soap
Ingredients: Saponfied organic coconut oil*, saponified organic palm oil*, saponified organic olive oil*, organic glycerin, water, organic cannabis sativa (hemp) seed oil, organic simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil, sodium chloride, citric acid and tocopherol (vit. E).
(* Certified Fair Trade by IMO)

Walgreen's Alpha Hydroxy
8% AHA of 70% Solution
Water , Propylene Glycol , Glycolic Acid , Isopropyl Palmitate , Stearic Acid , Ammonium Hydroxide , Glyceryl Stearate , PEG-100 Stearate , Cetyl Alcohol , Isostearic Acid , Dimethicone , Hydroxyethylcellulose , Magnesium Aluminum Silicate , PEG-40 Stearate , Sorbitan Stearate , Sorbic Acid , BHT , Imidazolidinyl Urea

Important: Bodycology Retraction

Boy, I'm ticked! I made a special trip to Big Lots to load up on more Bodycology body butters to add to Paraben Free Christmas boxes. (See my previous post on their products HERE). ALL of their other lotion products other than the Grapefruit flavor had both Methyl and Propylparaben listed on the label. That made me cuss a bit and scratch my head. I get home and start Googling around. Wal-Mart also sells this brand and has the ingredients listing online. I went through all the Bodycology on their website and ran into the exact same thing as Big Lots. I found another flavor (Pomegranate) of their body butter that did not have Parabens listed, even though all the rest did list them.

I sent a note to the Bodycology contact on their website to ask them what the heck is going on with their labeling and what, if any of their products are actually Paraben Free. You know how mad I get when the label does not match what is in the container....

GDA: Yves Rocher 50% Off Sale

Yves Rocher has 50% off most items on their website along with FREE shipping on $15 or more. They have nice perfume and various products. Be sure to check the ingredients listings because there are a few Parabens floating around on the site.

Product Review: Cozy Moments

Store: Cozy Moments
Price: $7.50
Color: Pink Cupcake
Ingredients: Distilled Water, Glycerin, Pure Cane Sugar, Sorbitol, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Shea Butter, Apricot Kernel Oil, Grapeseed Oil, Disodium Lauryl Sulfosuccinate, Sodium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Tetrasodium EDTA, Fragrance, FD&C Colorant.
Performance: 5/5
Overall Rating:4/5

My previous post talking about ordering the products is here. I bought both the body wash and the sugar scrub in Pink Cupcake. The products came quickly and smelled fantastic coming out of the package. The 5 oz jars are plastic and somewhat small, but the product is all the way to the top and very thick. Both the wash and the scrub smell exactly like a cupcake. They were just delicious when taking a bath. The cupcake scent is pretty much gone once you rinse. Bad if you want to continue the smell, but good for me since I like to wear perfume - that doesn't smell like cupcake.

Neither product was especially foamy, but that was fine. The body wash came up with an acceptable foam when used with a scrub cloth. Just a dab will do you with both products, you don't need big scoops for them to do their job.

I would recommend buying the 10 oz so you can use the products without feeling quite so miserly when using them. The 5 oz jars require you to be a bit surgical when dipping product. The 5 oz are a good size for gift baskets or special bath treats.

Holiday Shipping Deadline ♦
Here is the absolute last USPS mail-by dates for making sure presents land under the tree in time:
First Class Mail – December 12, 2008
Priority Mail – December 14, 2008

Mail me if you have a question

I have been going through my blog comments and noticed several people were asking questions in their comments. I have no way to let you know that I have responded unless I have your e-mail, the blog doesn't do it automatically. If you have a question or something you would like me to respond to, please send me a message to my blog e-mail. If it's something others might find useful, I will make a post of it.

parabenfreeprincess@gmail.com

GDA: Free Shipping at Sephora.com

I've never bought anything from Sephora, but I just received an e-mail for free shipping on their site. Be sure to check any ingredients lists, I know they sell a lot of Paraben products.

Free shipping code: SHOPNOW
Good through December 8.

Check It Out: HollyBeth's Natural Body Products

Laura, the Media Relations rep for HollyBeth's Natural Body Products
contacted me and asked me to check out their site.

They have the ingredients listings for each of their products - and their ingredients look good enough to eat. Lots of very impressive natural ingredients.

Blossom Lip Nectar - $7
Ingredients: Shea Butter, Olive Oil, Beeswax, Coconut Oil, Jojoba Oil, Castor Oil, Vitamin E, Geranium Essential Oil, Lavender Essential Oil




Holiday Samplers - $15 each dropped me a note and asked me to check out their site.

Happy Holidays Gift Set

- Marigold & Sweet Basil Shea Butter Hand Cream
- Rose & Geranium Face Moisturizer
- Grits & Honey Scrub
- Flourish Roll-on Perfume Sampler
- Butterfly Lip Nectar

New for the Holiday season – HollyBeth’s Holiday Gift Bags. Each Gift Bag comes with ½ oz sizes of the Marigold & Sweet Basil Shea Butter, Rose & Geranium Face Moisturizer, Grits & Honey Scrub, Butterfly Lip Nectar and a sample of the Flourish Perfume. Comes with a Happy Holidays gift tag. It is an inexpensive treat and fabulous way to introduce a loved one to the HollyBeth line.

Check It Out: Safe Makeup Haven

Reader Ava sent me a very nice note that I inspired her to start her own blog. She goes even further than I do with the chemicals she avoids. Be sure to drop by and check her out!

Safe Makeup Haven

Big Lots Find: Bodycology - $2.50

Yum, yum, yum! I swung by Big Lots on the way home from work to see if they had any new beauty products. Lots of new stuff, but Paraben City. I did discover a gem of a product line - Bodycology. No Parabens, cheap, and it smells REALLY good! I am seriously surprised at how good this smells. I wish Big Lots had more varieties of it, I would have bought them all.

I bought the Sparkling Grapefruit and the stuff really smells like pink grapefruit. I usually never get anything that smells like citrus because they come off smelling like Lemon Pledge or cheap dish detergent. This stuff is rich and smells true as it wears on. The butter is nice and thick and absorbs quickly. I keep sniffing my hands, I can't help it. LOL. Definitely a great deal for the $$$.

The body butter and body cream in the tube were Paraben Free. The body lotion in a pump had Parabens. Go figure. All the products were tagged at $2.50.

Pur Minerals - 20%, Free Shipping

I'm not a fan of Pur Minerals because they use Bismuth (skin irritant) in their products. If you like them, now is the time to stock up.

They also have a B1G1F on a few products: Here

THANKS20 - 20% off your order - Expires 11/30/08
Free Standard Shipping on any order: Expires 12/01/08


Holiday Palette. B1G1F. $25

Smoky Mountain Minerals - 20% Off

SMM is having a Black Friday sale with a 20% off code. You can see my previous posting on them here. They have good deals on mineral makeup kits.

Free shipping. Code: holiday08

Kit shown: $32.95

Cozy Moments Body Products - Free Shipping

Another shout out to Shizznizzle for posting about the free shipping. Cozy Moments is a seller on Etsy who does the handmade body products - the ones that look like cake frosting. Yummy! I have never purchased from there, but I just picked up the Coconut Cream Foaming Bath Cream and the Black Raspberry Sugar Scrub. The prices are very reasonable, so go check it out.

Most of the ingredients are good, but there are a few body creams that contain Parabens, so be sure to read the ingredients!

From the website: USA and Canada orders ship FOR FREE – no matter how much you buy! No lines. No crowds. No worries. Shop all you want and we’ll ship it to you for free via USPS First Class or Priority Mail. All other international orders ship for ½ off!
Sale begins at 12:00 am November 28, 2008 and runs until Monday, December 1, 2008 at midnight.
*Sale cannot be combined with any other discounts.

Black Friday Beauty Deals

Gathering up all the Black Friday beauty deals I can find. Some of the products from these companies do contain Parabens, so be sure to check your ingredients listings before buying!

I'll post any updates I find.

Bath & Body Works - Free Shipping - SHIPFREE
Stay away from their body products unless they specifically say 'Paraben Free'. Lots of nice accessories and smell pretties. Ends Thursday.

Yves Rocher - Free shipping on $15. $10 off $50. 10OFF50.
Read the ingredients. They have nice fragrances.

Lure Beauty - 15% off - HOLIDAY

J. Lynne Cosmetics - $20 off - THANKSGIVING

Spell Cosmetics - 40% off on $25 purchase, free shipping. HOLIDAY

Ocean Mist Cosmetics - 25% off - SAVE25

Organic Girls - 20% off - HOLIDAY08

Earthen Glow Minerals - snatched from Shizznizzle's blog since I didn't get their e-mail. B1G1 Free. EGM is having a "Three (3) day Super Sale", starting Wednesday at 12:00 (Noon) through Saturday 12:00 (Midnight).This special sale applies all Full Size Cosmetic and Lip products.With each purchase of a full size cosmetic or lip product, you may select one of equal or lesser value free of charge. Use the code "BOGO" in "Customer Comments", and tell us your free selections.

Honeybee Gardens

100% Natural Lip Balm - 'Tis the season for soft kisses. 33% OFF! Regularly $2.99, now on sale for $1.99 CODE: THEBALM ShadowColors - Buy 1 Get 1 Free - That's right, get two for only $2.99. At this price, they're going fast! CODE: TWOFER WaterColors Nail Enamel - 15% OFF Regularly $6.99 With Coupon $5.99 CODE: NAIL15 Unfortunately the price of this item will go up very soon, so stock up now! NEW Deluxe Pedicure Kit - A sweet treat for your feet (okay, I'll stop saying that). $1.00 off. With coupon, only $5.99 CODE: PEDI Truly Natural Mascara - Enjoy a great deal on our number one selling product! 20% OFF. Regularly $9.99 With Coupon $7.99 CODE: MASC2 Truly Natural Lipstick - TRY our new shades Dream and Paradise. Or stock up on some of your old favorites. Enjoy $1.50 OFF. Regularly $9.99 With Coupon $8.49 CODE: NEWLIPS Deodorant Powder - You want to smell good when you're getting all those hugs! Enjoy $1.00 OFF. Regularly $5.99 With Coupon $4.99 CODE: DEO Herbal Aftershave - How could we forget the men in our life (not like they would let us!) Save $1.00 on our favorite Herbal Aftershave. Regularly $6.99 With Coupon $5.99 CODE: BOYZ For now, you can only use one coupon per order on the web site. If you call to place your order, you can combine codes. We're working on the web site issue.

Offer Expires: December 15, 2008

Check It Out: She Space/About Face Cosmetics

I have seen people discussing 'She Space' and their products 'About Face Cosmetics' for several months, but never bit because I figured the products contained Paraben. I started digging around and found their ingredients list. Most products do not contain Parabens - always be sure to check the list for individual products!

From their website:

Mineral Lipstick - $12

About Face Cosmetics Product Ingredients (we do not use micronized particles in any of our formulations)

Mineral Lip stick:

Castor seed oil, vegetable oil, meadowforan seed oil, zinc oxide, jojoba oil, candelila wax, beeswax, shea butter, soybean oil, rosemary leaf extract, grape seed oil, cranberry seed oil, sunflower oil, peppermint oil, stearic acid, mica, titanium dioxide, iron oxides

KISSY FACE LIP GLOSS: Lanolin Oil, Polyisobutene, octyldodecyl steraol staerate, beeswax, myristal lactate, ozokerite, carnuba wax. tocopheryl acetate, propylparaben, mica, castor seed oil, and iron oxides

Powder It Finish: Sericite, Mica, Silk, Iron Oxides, Titanium Dioxide

Powder It: Heat It Up: Sericite, Mica, Silk, Iron Oxides, Titanium Dioxide

Powder Blush: Mica, Sericite, Titanium Dioxide, may contain Iron Oxides, Ultra Marines, and Ferric Ferrocyanide

Powder Pigments: Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, Ultra Marines, Chromium Oxide Green, and Ferric Ferrocyanide (FF is generally only used in our brightest blues and purples)

Powder Glow Highlights: Mica, Sericite, Iron Oxides

Cashmere Stockings: Silica, Mica, Iron Oxides

Cashmere Kisses: Silica, Mica, Iron Oxides

Black Out Shadow Primer: lanolin oil, caprylic capric triglyceride, silica, copernica cerifera, carnuba wax, hexadecene copolymer, candellia wax, algae extract, water, propylene glycol, caprylyl glycol, phenoxyethanol, may contain mica, titanium dioxide, iron oxides.

Nude Mood Primer: octyldodecanol, caprylic/capric triglyceride, talc, cyclopentassilocane, castor seed oil, candellila wax, microcrystalline wax, stearalkonium hectorite, tocopheryl acetate, propylparaben, triclosan, titanium dioxide, iron oxides.

Spell Cosmetics - Big Sale Tomorrow!

Starting Wednesday, Spell Cosmetics is offering 40% off orders over $25 with FREE shipping. That's HUGE! The special code is 'Holiday'.

Snatched directly from the Spell Blog:

Its the Spell Cosmetics Holiday Sale!! No more waiting until Cyber Monday or Standing in line the day after Thanksgiving. Starting tomorrow (Wednesday), the Spell Sale starts! 40% off Storewide on all orders of $25.00 or more, and even better if your order totals $20.00 when you checkout, then choose your gift!! You can choose from the "Holiday Gloss Trio" of Silver, Gold and Red--or-- The "Holiday Shadow Trio" of Gold, Deep Green and Holiday Red! The Spell sale this year will run through Monday and Yes! Free Shipping!
So come tomorrow and join us by clicking the photo and shopping away!!! (The Shopping Code to use....is (Holiday)....

Spell Cosmetics 'Spell Girl Contest'

Spell Cosmetics is giving away a makeup kit on their blog. It's a very nice 'I'm a Spell Girl Kit'. Drop your name and e-mail on the link below:

Spell Girl Kit Contest

One entry per person. Contest ends Wed Nov 26 15:53:00 EST 2008, so get on it!