Phthalates, Hormones, Makeup, Yay!

 A Surprising Cause of Early Menopause more info from this blog.  (from k.snyder blog)
"A recent study, however, suggests a very surprising cause of early menopause: wearing too much makeup. Yes, it’s true! Makeup can affect your body’s sacred hormonal cycles. Who knew? Many types of makeup contain chemicals called pthalates – a family of chemicals also known as plasticizers. These chemicals are present in a number of petroleum products, and have been found in a number of articles humans use and absorb including makeup, nail polish, household cleaners, air fresheners and food packaging. Along with exposure to phthalates via makeup and household cleaners, packaged foods provide a significant source of phthalate exposure.
According to the study, women with the highest levels of phthalates in their urine went through menopause an average of 2.3 years earlier than their lower phthalates counterparts, and some women were going through menopause as early as 15 years prematurely.

Dangers of Phthalates

According to the Environmental Working Group, phthalates present a number of health hazards to humans, including:

• Disrupted endocrine function
• Reduced sperm counts in men
• Testicular atrophy
• Increased risk of liver cancer

Scary stuff. Further, the EWG states the effect of phthalate contamination in the human body is cumulative and the negative effects compound as levels increase. About 84 percent of the population shows phthalate contamination at any given time, according to the EWG. It’s so prevalent now that we’ve all most like had lots of exposure. Don’t let that dishearten you though, as there is lots we can do to prevent lots more future exposure (keep reading).

Makeup 1.5

Original post date 1/26/08 ( man how time flys)

More thoughts on Sheer Miracle.

Yesterday I put makeup on for the first time in 8 days. :) I used my sheer miracle for the second time and I really really like it. I think I am getting the hang of the yellow concealer. I just put a very thin layer on my finger and used it on my inner eye circles and around my nose. You have to layer it and I also put a little of the foundation in those areas to tone down the yellow. I think I may have also found a use for the sample foundation that was too light, I used that on top of the yellow concealer. I love the glow finishing powder. Really pretty. Maybe I need to take a before picture, but do I really want to show people that? I'm not sure. Anyway here are pics of me making some neat faces, taking pics of myself in the bathroom. I don't know ifyou can look at them in the orignial large size to really see the makeup when I did it yesterday. The only foundation/powder/concealer/bronzer I have on is sheer miracle.

update* I don't use the yellow concealer anymore, I use the wideawake concealer even on blemishes and the foundation itself for concealer.

Makeup 1.0

Original post date 1/24/08

My Preliminary  Sheer Miracle makeup review
I sent emails recently about mineral makeup and also the link to http://www.safecosmetics.org/, it has a list of companies who have signed a pact not to put hazardous ingredients in it's products. There is also http://www.cosmeticdatabase.com/splash.php?URI=%2Findex.php where you search products, companies, ingredients etc; it's daunting esspecially if you are on a budget and just can't order awesome organic stuff off the internet. (http://www.sheermiracle.com/) (they signed the safe cosmetic pact)
Back to my sheer miracle review. I've only used the products once since I haven't been out of the house but once in the past 2 weeks! I ordered samples of the foundation, 2 different colors, the glow finishing powder, the bronzer and yellow concealer, all loose powder. I also got the small flat bronzer brush. The foundations I tried were light warm and medium light neutral. At first I thought the lighter would match since I'm pretty fair but it made me look pasty and lighter than my neck and chest. (I don't tan in the winter) I then did the medium light neutral and it matched very well. It was the first foundation that didn't make me look pasty or orangey. It matched my neck a chest, a more olive tone. The trick for me was to get a small amount of powder in the lid each time and swirl my brush in it and make sure it had a light, even coat, they have application tips online. I thought the finishing powder was very pretty too. You have to work with it, at least for me the first time lots of blending and adding a little at a time, the bronzer I thought was very nice as well, nice non orangey adjustable color, a little goes a long way. The only thing I'm not sold on yet is the concealer, I think I needed to moisturize my dry spots better, it's really important to be well moisturized before applying the makeup. I also didn't have a small brush and I just didn't think it hid my dark inner eye circles very well, but like I say, I didn't have a small brush as I would've liked and I've used this all once. I wore it for an evening grocery shopping, I thought it stayed in place very well. I believe, no matter what you order it's 5.50 to ship and I ordered friday evening and got it the next thurs. They are out of Arizona. Also my friend Katie just started using Sheer Cover which she loves but to compare pricing, I believe she said she pays 14.99 for 4 grams and Sheer Miracle is 18.50 for 10 grams weight ( 30 grams volume) Sheer Cover has not signed the safe cosmetics pact. So that's my latest thoughts on Sheer Miracle. I'm really interested in trying their emu oil. But only as resources allow! :) Any feedback is welcome!

Makeup 2.0

Original post date 3/28/08
For the 4 of you that have expressed interest in my beauty blogging, this is for you, ha! Ok after noticing that in one of the pictures from Easter that my face looked darker than my neck, the king of all makeup offenses, I went back to my clinique training days, got out both of my sheer miracle powders and did the stripe thing on the jaw line, took a mirror the front window and let the analyzing begin. I did about six stripes on different parts of my face and analyzed how they blended etc; I thought the lighter of the two shades, the light warm, seemed to disappear and blend the best. So even though the shade I thought was my shade, the medium light neutral which is their most popular shade is a smidge too dark. Another thing I figured out today is that the foundation works as good as their yellow concealer at, well, concealing. I got out my 2$ shadow brush from walmart that I use for the concealer and it worked great. So the great news is, before I purchased the big size, I figured out my color, that only took 3 months...:) and now I can just use the foundation as the concealer so I saved money not having to buy the concealer. I'll probably just use the darker in case, yeah right, my face gets darker in the summer...Also, I have barely put a dent in my little samples! I wear makeup about twice a week but really that's awesome I think! I am planning on ordering the foundation, Sienna Rose Mineral Blush, Copper Shadow.

*update, if you can believe it I still have not run out of the blush!!  I still have my sample of bronzer I use a lot in the summer and I use the medium light neutral in the summer as well.  Also for a more smokey brown I mix their black shadow with the copper shadow, probably 1/3 black to 2/3 copper.  All their stuff lasts a long time.

Glow

Original post date 1/18/09
Ok another thing I love I've had for a year. Sheer Miracle Glow Finishing Powder. I love this in the winter, it gives you a dewy, glowing look esspecially great when you're dry in the winter months. I usually use the matte finishing powder because I'm oily, but for this winter and last, I love this stuff, and I still have plenty from my little 2.50 sample I got a year ago. So I still love my sheer miracle makeup and I'm not even half way through it, now granted if I wore make more than 2-3 times a week I would've have so much, but worth the money to me for what it is. All natural and I the customer service is really good and prompt. My blush lid cracked and they sent me new one right away and have been great at answering my questions and have given me no problem with returns. ( I got an eyeshadow that just wasn't my color once) Iherb also gets 5 stars from me for customer service as I've had things leak and get lost in the mail they are great at making things right. Click the powder to go the website and check it out if you're interested.

Wide Awake Eye

Original post date 5/29/10

Wide Awake Pink Concealer for Dark Under Eye Circles click on this link, go, go NOW!! ok sorry, I'm still pregnant so I may as well blog... I need a break from the sun and heat anyway. So last week I ordered my summer shade from sheer miracle, ( did I mention they have me 10$ off just for blogging/linking to them, which I had done a long time ago, so that was a nice perk) I also decided to order for 2.50 the sample of the pink concealer. The sample was no bigger than a pea and I thought, GEE... that's minute... well a little goes a long way and this is stuff works awesome!!! It's really hydating and smoothing, really smoothing and does a great job masking the darkness I have on the inner corner of my eyes. I feel like all other concealers sort of magnified any texture or fine line issues, but this is quite something in my opinion, you aren't supposed to use it on the whole under eye, just the darkness, I just dabbed a little and blended. It wears amazing throughout the day and I don't know why... but it almost feels like my skin there has been smoothed too, weird, but good. ;) Did I mention all natural?? Oh and I don't know if was just my skin tone but I thought I might really have to work at blending it since it is a pink concealer but it really doesn't go on that pink at all.

MyChelle Dermaceuticals, Fabulous Eye Cream, .5 fl oz (15 ml) Another eye fave. I have been using this for months, and it has really helped smooth my eye area as well, it has retinol but it's really gentle, and I feel like I'm a good judge of that because ever since highschool my left eye is really sensitive and will get itchy and puffy if I get something too harsh near it. Good ingredients.