Maia's Minerals Review
So I was contacted by lovely Maia's Minerals people via Instagram a while ago to see if I'd like to try some of their products. Well, let me see, natural mineral products with clean ingredients that rate 0-2 on EWG? YES PLEASE! :) :) :) I was pleasantly surprised, not only by the amount of products I got (you can see them in the photo above, so many samples with a few full size products) but by the products themselves, they act and feel like regular products, just have no nasties in them, I am so impressed! The company is certified cruelty free, which is awesome, also listed as a safe cosmetics company on safecosmetics.org and has 399 products listed on Skin Deep Database on EWG, all rated 0-2, very low toxicity! I was like a kid in a candy store and still am :) Now it's been a few weeks that I could chance to play with the products, so I could post a review, not just first impressions post. So let's begin, shall we?
Lipsticks
My eye was drawn to lovely hot pink lipstick called Lust at first, and let me tell you it is gorgeous! Perfect for upcoming summer, I think I found my perfect hot pink shade! And as we all ladies know, that is a big deal :)
Here you can see swatches of the lipsticks Ruby Red and Lust, both swiped twice, but even one layer is very pigmented, I am impressed! Wears well throughout the day, you might need to re-apply it after eating, but you have to do that with regular lipsticks as well, so it really stands up on it's own. The feel is very nice and creamy, very moisturising to the lips, no drying at all!
Ingredients are clearly listed, and I really respect companies who do that, so you can look and decide for yourself if you are comfortable using them!As you can see, they are full of moisturising oils and organic butters, and I don't see beeswax in here, only candelilla wax, which makes them vegan friendly! ingredients can vary slightly from colour to colour:
Lust: Red 28, Red 22, BIS(GLYCIDOXYPHENYL)PROPANE/BISAMINOMETHYLNORBORNANE COPOLYMER, Kaolinite, Organic Pomegranate Seed Butter, Avocado Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Sesame Seed Oil, Organic Rosemary Oleoresin, Organic Shea Butter, Organic Cocoa Butter and Candelilla Wax.
Ruby Red: Mica, Zinc Oxide, Kaolinite, Organic Pomegranate Seed Butter, Avocado Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Sesame Seed Oil, Organic Rosemary Oleoresin, Organic Shea Butter, Organic Cocoa Butter, Candelilla Wax.
Would I buy it? Yes and a million times yes!
Lip and cheek stains
Ingredients: Organic Pomegranate Seed Oil, Organic Avocado Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, Organic Beeswax, Candelilla Wax, Organic Shea Butter, Organic Cocoa Butter, Mica, Kaolinite and Rose Essential Oil.
My experience with these products is only positive, all colours are gorgeous, and not only the stains are pigmented and long lasting, they are enriched with anti oxidants and anti aging vitamins, awesome! These not only look good, they also treating your skin while you are wearing them.
The swatches you can see here are: from the top left: first two are lip and cheek stains in Chaste and Holy, and the last two are lipstick samples in Valentine Treat and Orchid.
The bottom pic is full size lip and cheek stain in Harmony, looks a bit brown in the swatch, but the colour is more on the aubergine side or maroon?
Would I buy them? Without a doubt, yes.
Blush
comes in 13 shades, so you have a good choice here, I got four shades as you can see from the picture, from the left to the right : Rosy Brown, like the name says, rosy brown shimmery shade, Delicious Peach, again, brown-y peachy shade with a gold undertone, shimmery one again, next is Crimson Kiss, my fave from the bunch I got, reminds me of Nars Orgasm, has gorgeous gold sparkle to it, and the last one is French Rose, fab baby pink colour, very light and has no shimmer in it.
My experience with them - I really enjoyed them, have just enough pigment for a sheer was of colour on the cheeks if you like natural look, but can really be built up if you prefer your blushes to show! The first two in the picture can be used as a bronzer if you are a pale girl, or even as eyeshadow, it only shows that mineral make up can be so versatile. You can even dab a little on your lipstick to add some more dimension and sparkle.
Ingredients: Mica, Kaolinite and Magnesium Stearate and corn starch in some cases.
Would I buy it? I would buy Crimson Kiss as I really love that shade, the other blushes I could take it or leave it.
Eyeshadows
Again, just like lipstics and stains, really heavily pigmented and that what impressed me about it, as so many other brands eyeshadows I've tried the pigmentation doesn't even come close to these. And can we take a moment to appreciate the fabulous shades? It really proves the doubters and critics wrong, you CAN have all the shades in the world when switching to natural and organic beauty products! In my experience they lasted about 6 hours on me, but bear in mind I don't use primers, if you put primer under them, they wouldn't budge!
Ingredients: vary from shade to shade, I will list them all here, and you please check their website for individual shade ingredients if you are concerned: ultramarine blues and pinks, iron oxides, kaolinite, boron nitride, and manganese violet. That's it. Again, I really appreciate when companies clearly list all the ingredients, so you know exactly what are you getting.
Would I buy them? Yes.
Lip Liner
I got mine in Summer Wine which is gorgeous light brown shade with gold shimmer to it. Really creamy and pigmented, lasts like a regular lip pencil does, a few hours. My only problem with this (and the eye pencil too) is the packaging, or the cap to be exact, it would not stay on no matter what, so you have to be careful not to lose it, because I feel the pencil would dry out very quickly if the cap would be lost. Comes in 13 shades, so you do have a great choice there.
Ingredients: Avocado Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Sesame Seed Oil, Organic Shea Butter, Organic Cocoa Butter, Candelilla Wax, Organic Rosemary Oleoresin, Mica and Kaolinite.
Would I buy it? I must confess I am not big on using lip liners, but if I were to get it I would, something hot pink to match the Lust lippie. I like the clean ingredients in this product, so l would recommend it if you are looking for a natural lip liner.
Eye Liner
Mine came in black, and I was in need for a good eyeliner pencil, as I am about to finish Bad Gal pencil and was not sure what to get, so this came in time and very handy at that, so it's very much appreciated! Well, it did not blew me away, as it transfers to the upper lid straight away and does not last all day, so I not sure how I feel about it yet, maybe all natural pencils are like that? If you have more experience than me in natural eye liners, please comment and tell me? On the plus side it's suitable for sensitive eyes and didn't irritate mine in the slightest.
Ingredients: Organic Jojoba Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Organic Cocoa Butter, Organic Beeswax, Candelilla Wax, Carnauba Wax, Mica and Modified Corn Starch.
Would I buy it? Yes, loving the clean ingredients! Performance wise I don't know any better natural eyeliners yet.
*update - lovely Poppy from Maia's Minerals told me this is to be used as kohl in the waterline, and for the upper lid they have liquid eyeliner which lasts so much better. Whoops :)
Mineral Powder Foundation
Comes in 23 shades, so you have a fair bit of choice when it comes to choosing colour, however the ones I got were either too pale or too yellow for my skintone, and that's only half of the problem, the bit that concerned me the most was very light coverage, I tried it multiple ways and with multiple brushes, kabuki, Real Techniques Expert face brush (which gives good coverage), even flat foundation brush, tried dry application and wet application as suggested in their website, and yet nothing worked for me. I would describe it as a light coverage, maybe you can build it up to medium, but very light medium! And I found out I have to use tons of products, to build it up, 3-4 times the amount you would need with other mineral foundations. It would be perfect for you if you have perfect skin to begin with, but if you are a gal like me with something to hide then I am afraid it's not for you. This didn't cover any spots or acne scars or sun damage, but to be fair I tried another organic mineral foundation and it behaved exactly the same way, too light with no coverage, so I am guessing it's hard to make organic mineral foundation that would behave like "normal" high street foundations?
Here you can see the pic of the foundation that matched me the most called Sandy Brown, which was too dark and a bit too yellow for me, but then again all other were way too white.
Ingredients: Iron Oxide, Titanium Dioxide, Organic Arrowroot Powder and Kaolinite.
Would I buy it? Sadly no, I need much greater coverage than that. But I can appreciate that company offers samples so you can try small at first to see if you will like it.
Bronzers:
Both bronzers I got a chance to try are in the picture above swatched next to the the foundation. I got Perfect Feel which you can see in the middle, well, you probably can't see it as it blends into my skin so well, so as you can guess, that didn't work for me as a bronzer, plus it has way more shimmer for my liking, but it makes a perfect eyeshadow :) And the one on the right is called Ultimate Feel, which I liked a lot, much more matte than the other one, very pigmented, so I would recommend using a light hand with this, and I think the pot will last you a lifetime, as you need so little.
Ingredients: Mica, Kaolinite and Titanium Dioxide.
Would I buy it? Yes.
Here's a pic of me using all Maias Mineral Galaxy make up, all except concealer and mascara. I have to note that I like "no make up make up" look, but if you want, you can cake it up and it will stay put.
Aaand skincare:
Daily Renewal Facial Serum
This was a love at first sight until it became a love/hate thing. Let me explain - this oil is amazing for reducing redness in the skin, as well as subsiding any kind of scars only after a few days use! I couldn't believe how much redness was gone from my cheeks after the first use, hence the love at the first sight, and then I tried to use it as my daily serum until the smell has become unbearable, hence the love/hate thing. The thing is, while it's amazing for your skin, it has a very strong smell to it, and at first I couldn't put my finger on it until I've read the ingredients list a week later, neem is the culprit! While it is very good ingredient, it does have a distinctive smell, and if you've smelled neem at least once in your life you will know what I am talking about!
So I think I overdid it a bit, in fairness I tried to see how long this teeny tiny 0.1oz (or 3ml) sample will last me, because I used it twice a day for a week and it's down a couple a mll only, which makes it very economical. I would encourage you to try sample first, you will get a couple weeks use out of it, and that's plenty of time to see if it suits you.
Ingredients:Organic Rosehip Seed Oil, Evening Primrose Oil, Organic Pumpkin Seed Oil, Carrot Seed oil, Organic Rice Bran Oil, Organic Hazelnut Oil, Neem Oil, Soy Lecithin and Vegetable Glycerin.
Would I buy it? Yes. Even with a smell issue this oil does and amazing things to the skin. I think I would add some essential oil to it?
Manuka honey mask
Here's what the description on the website says:
This mask hydrates and soothes the skin very well. The texture of the skin improves within a week as this mask is enriched with natural minerals, vitamins and enzymes. Manuka Honey is the best in fighting against the aging problems; it has natural anti-oxidants which give a positive response to the skin cells. It also promotes collagen naturally and this mask also provides protection against the damage caused by the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiations.
This mask has very powerful antibacterial and antimicrobial properties. It restores the moisture of the skin and makes it softer and younger looking. It is very effective in treating skin blemishes, acne's and scars because it penetrates deep into the skin and its wonderful properties kill bacteria and don’t dry the skin out.
My impressions of it: I love this mask! I love manuka mask in general, but this has much more good ingredients to it than my usual two or three ingredients concoction. Again, 1oz size will last you for multiple applications! I left it on the skin for recommended 15 mins, because the cinnamon in it is a bit overpowering and I had to take the mask off because of the tingling, but oh boy, this mask will perform miracles on the skin. Truly the natures collagen that our skin needs, who needs botox right?
Ingredients: Manuka Honey, Organic Rosehip Seed Oil, Horsetail Extract, Calendula Extract, Organic Comfrey Leaves Extract, Aloe Vera Extract, Cinnamon Essential Oil and Rose Flower Water.
Would I buy it? 10000% YES!
Face and body cream
Ingredients: Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Organic Avocado Oil, Organic Sweet Almond Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, Organic Beeswax, Virgin Coconut Oil, Olive Butter, Distilled Water, Xanthan Gum, Lemon Essential Oil & Orange Essential Oil.
All natural, stuff you can pronounce and know exactly what it is! I love that this cream doesn't have any alcohols in it, which most of the creams tend to have for some weird reason, and which tends to break out and dry out my skin. This cream is the opposite! Very moisturising and nourishing, suited my dry and sensitive face perfectly, no reactions, no breakouts, no whiteheads, yipee!! Also smells very nice.
Would I buy it? Yes.
Purifying French Clay Papaya Mask
If you use clay masks you know how good this thing is, if you're new to it, please go and see the description bit on the website. Clay masks will draw all the gunk out of your skin and pores, so if you are oily skin gal (or a teen upset be acne) this is going to be your best fried. If you are dry skin gal like me, proceed with caution, but proceed nonetheless, just mix it with something moisturising, manuka would be a good choice, or yogurt, or rose water. This mask will stimulate blood & lymph circulation, removes dead skin cells and tighten the pores. All good things, right?
This bit is taken from their website, and I didn't even know it can pull toxins out, amazing!
This mask contains a huge amount of mineral oxides such as magnesium, selenium, calcium, copper, potassium, phosphorous etc. It has a substance that absorbs toxins, heavy metals, and pulls them out from the body. It tones and helps to strengthen connective tissues of the skin. Papaya contains an excellent source of vitamins, minerals and enzymes. After using it, skin feels fresh, smooth and radiant. Helps balance the body's PH level.
Ingredients: Green Clay, Kaolinite and Papaya Powder.
Would I buy it? Yes, without a doubt.
Conclusions? I would highly recommend this brand and this company, and no, I am not paid to say that! They didn't even ask me to write this
extensive review just to be clear, and they send me products without
even knowing what do I look like! yes, I got the products for free, but
that where the story ends, the opinions are mine and mine alone, I am
not sponsored or affiliated with them. I think you get my point. so let's see what I thought in overall, shall we?
I really liked vast majority of the products with two small exceptions, but that is to expected, right? There are good and some bad products in every brands, I never came across one that everything is perfect. My thoughts on the company? It gets two big thumbs up from me, clean and natural ingredients, colour make up is fantastic, skincare - amazing! The manuka honey mask with the daily renewal serum together made such a difference in my skin! I can't stop touching my face, it's so soft and smooth with much brighter apperance and the redness is reduced greatly. Amazing stuff. All that while using no toxic chemicals in the products, amazing or what? No green washing at all, ingredients are clearly listed on all the packaging and on the website, but I feel you can trust any product from them, as all rate 0-2 on toxicity on EWG. Also the companies that do samples of their products get extra brownie points from me, and they have plenty of samples, most of which retail for around two dollar mark. Also the prices are reasonable, it is what you would expect for a good products, most of the stuff retails for 20 dollars or less, with a few exceptions.
Oh, and here's the website if you interested:
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Let me know if you used anything from this brand and what did you liked? If it's new to you, are you interested? Let's talk :) I really hope you found this review helpful! Also if you've any questions, shoot :)
Phew, that was a mouthful! It took me all day! Where do bloggers find time for this?
That is all for now.
Take care!
Lots of Love,
Renata.
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