Natural Make up Review: Inika Liquid Foundation

Inika Liquid Foundation

I have been so enjoying my Inika products that I thought I should review another. As mineral powder blush is all the rage in natural make up lines, I thought I would try out a liquid foundation for a bit of contrast. As it is also a certified organic product, with 76% of ingredients certified organic, I just found it too hard to resist. Liquid foundations are often a good choice for those with drier skin types or older skin. I sampled both Cream and Beige and while both were ok for my complexion I decided on Beige.Inika_logo_black

As always if you don’t want to read the details, just scroll down to the summary at the bottom for the review in a nutshell.

Packaging

Something I really like is that you can buy small sample tubes of the colours so you can see which one works before forking out the money for the full size bottle. The postage involved in doing this is somewhat offset by the discount they give you if you go on to purchase the product ( I think it was $5 or $10 dollars from memory). Also, the little tubes are great for travelling!

The full sized product comes in a black pump bottle in 30ml (1.01oz). It is easy to use and hasn’t leaked despite me taking it make up bags and on planes. The gold writing at the back started to fade after regular use although strangely the front didn’t!Natural make up for dancers

Wearability

Like with the Inika Organic Crème Eye Shadow in Champagne I previously reviewed I preferred to use my fingers to apply this product to my face. It provides moderate coverage of imperfections and looks quite natural on. It can leave a slight residue in creases but not every time so perhaps I just have applied it a little bit thick on occasion.

Overall I am deeply impressed with this product.

It withstood the ultimate test!

48 hrs of solid travel with around 20 of those hours on a plane with the ultra skin drying air conditioning.

I came off the plane actually looking OK! It’s never happened before and is partly due to the fact that I uncharacteristically got a few hours sleep but the make up held up. I didn’t think to remove the make up and reapply. I was just trying to endure the torture of long haul travel. I did touch it up a bit in the last few hours on the last flight but it barely needed doing. My skin was not dry and flaking by the end and even better was not irritated by the fact I had worn my foundation for 2 days straight. Seriously, what more can you ask for?

Would it work for stage? Yes. I have worn it in performance and it was fine. I did add a finishing powder but after my aero plane experience I doubt it is necessary. It’s lasting power makes it a good choice however it may not be thick enough to cover serious skin issues or heavy lighting but for most performance works well.

Belly dancer blogging in the sun

Blogging on the go! Writing to you from Switzerland. At the end of hard day of being a tourist, wearing Inika Foundation in beige.

Safety

This product is already reviewed by the EWG data base, however I think the rating is unfairly high. It ranks it overall as moderately toxic (4)mostly because of the grape fruit seed oil that it ranks as a 6 in safety. This is quite crazy. For one, there isn’t any listed in the ingredients online and secondly because organic grapefruit seed oil is not likely to be contaminated. That was the main warning mentioned -the potential for contamination of the ingredients, but organic production reduces the chances of this significantly so the warning and ratings seem high to me. On investigation of the ingredients myself, I believe it should have a low toxicity rating.

Ingredients

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice*, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil*, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil*, Lecithin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Aqua ( Water), Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter*, Iron Oxides (CI 77492), Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil*, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed butter*, Oleyl Oleate, Rosa Eglentaria Seed ( Rosehip) Oil*, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Oil*, Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil*, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil*, Cananga Odorata Flower ( Ylang Ylang) Oil*, Pelargonium Roseum Leaf Oil*,, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil*, Cymbopogon Martini Oil*, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil*,, Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed ( Tamanu )Oil *, Calendula Officinalis Flower*, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit ( Kakadu Plum) Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Tocopherol (Natural Vitamin E), Glyceryl Caprylate, Iron Oxides (CI 77491), Hydroxyethylcellulose, Iron Oxides (CI 77499), Alcohol, p-Anisic Acid, Glycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate. * Certified Organic

logotib logovegan logorecycle logoitorganic logocrueltyfree logohalal

From the Inika website:

  • No petrochemicals and other synthetic substances
  • Non-organic products of animal origins
  • No talc
  • No fragrances and other colour components of non-organic or synthetic origin
  • Anti-microbial agents not produced from organic sources
  • No chelating agents based on EDTA and its salt
  • No fatty chain source material of petrochemical origin
  • No sulphonation, ethoxylation or propoxylation
  • No alkyl sulphates (eg sodium lauryl sulphate, sodium coco sulphate, ammonium lauryl sulphate)
  • No alkyl ether sulphates (eg sodium laureth sulphate, ammonium laureth sulphate)
  • No polyethylene glycol (PEGS)
  • No polysorbates (eg polysorbate 20)
  • No ethanolamides (eg cocamide DEA, cocamide MEA)
  • No chemically synthesized sunscreens
  • No potentially harmful preservatives such as parabens, sodium benzoate & parfuminika_mineral_organic_cosmetics

My summary: 4.5/5

Product: Inika Truly Organic Liquid Foundation in beige and cream
Effectiveness: 5
Packaging: 4.5
Safety: 4.5
Suitable for day wear: Yes
Suitable for stage: Yes
Price:
AUSTRALASIA : $65 AUD online
AMERICAS: $50US
UK & EUROPE: £29.50
NEW ZEALAND: $69.99NZ
Where can I buy it: click here
Locals you can also buy it at Kaboodle in Sawtell and Beauty on the Promenade in Coffs Harbour, Studio 287 Coramba and from Millissa Rossow at Moonee Beach.

I have no affiliation with Inika.

Powder vs Liquid Foundation. What’s your preference? Comment below.

Liked this review? Jade publishes natural make up reviews for home use and stage and is passionate about dancers looking fabulous without toxic ingredients. Follow the blog so you can save money and buy what works best.

A natural solution to eye shadow fall out – Natural make up review

Inika Organic Crème Eye Shadow

Sick of fall out from your eye shadow? This could be the solution you have been looking for. Today’s review is on Inika’s organic crème eye shadow in champagne.

As always if you don’t want to read the details, just scroll down to the summary at the bottom for the review in a nutshell.Jade belly dance natural make up review (3)

Packaging

I have never tried a cream based eye shadow before and was intrigued by how it is packaged. It comes in a little black box that reveals a   7ml/ 0.26oz  bottle. The screw top lid covers an extended nozzle and it functions more like a tube, in that you squeeze out the product. My first attempt to use it resulted in me squeezing out far too much, I discovered that you don’t need a lot to get a good effect (approx. the size of a large pinhead)

inika_mineral_organic_cosmetics

Wearability

I tried applying this with a brush, and also a cotton tip but ended up using my finger in preference. I found it easier to blend this way. I was interested to see how it would function when combined with the darker powdered eye shadow that I was using as an accent. I was pleasantly surprised that it was not too much of an issue to use two products of such different consistency. It takes a little practice to get use to it but it’s pretty forgiving being so light a colour. It’s the kind of make up even the biggest newbie should be able to handle as there is no fall out (i.e. the little sprinkles that fall over your face when you apply powders).

‘Champagne’ is really more of a highlight –  a bright neutral tone with a sparkle. I would suggest that if you want to use it with powdered products that you apply it first, let it dry and then continue. To make the highlight more noticeable though, apply afterwards with a very small amount on a cotton tip and go gently when blending.champagne_colour_for_eyes_swatch

This is a great product for daily use and is such an easy to combine shade – you could use it with almost any colour combination. Inika also sells this in the darker “Cappuccino” variety.  Together with Champagne, I would surmise that it would be a great, super easy natural look with just a touch of sparkle useful for day wear.

Being a moist eye shadow, it felt less drying to the eyes. The Inika website talks about its hydrating formula and that it is ‘crease-proof’. I found these claims to be quite true and think it would be particularly nice for older women.Champagne_Cr__me_50fde9db9f32c_110x110

Just because they were there when I first opened the package, I also tried this out on one of my teenage students, and my 7yr old daughter. Neither was wearing any make up at the time and even though this product seems to be getting marketed more as a brow highlighter than an eye shadow per se, it went really well with their youthful skin. I will put it on my daughter for World Belly Dance day this year which is a day time, outdoor family friendly event in Bellingen. Full stage make up would be garish under the circumstances but a bit of a light sparkle should look nice while she is performing.

As far as stage use is concerned – well, it could be useful as a hydrating undercoat and brow highlighter but it is quite subtle. It does last well and survive performance but it may not become one of your essentials in your stage make up bag.

Safety

As this product is not already reviewed by the EWG data base, I entered every ingredient by hand and can say the vast majority of them score a 0 for toxicity, which is commendable. All the others were low toxicity except for sodium hydroxide which scored 3 /9. As I stated before, I trust the ingredients list of this product enough that I would allow my 7yr old to use it.

It’s also certified organic, Yipee!logoitorganic

Ingredients

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Mica, Glycerin, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Butyrospermum Parkii(Shea) Butter, Cetearyl Alcohol, Titanium Dioxide, Natural Tocopherol, Simmondsia Chinensis(Jojoba) Seed Oil, Glyceryl Caprylate, Persea Gratissima
(Avocado)Oil, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, Prunis Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Iron Oxides(CI 77491), Iron Oxides(CI 77492), Ferric Ferrocyanide, p-Anisic Acid, Water, Sodium Hydroxide.
Expirers : 12 months after opening

OFC_logo_dec10 logohalal logocrueltyfree  logorecycle logotib logovegan

From the Inika website:

  •  No petrochemicals and other synthetic substances
  • Non-organic products of animal origins
  • No talc
  • No fragrances and other colour components of non-organic or synthetic origin
  • Anti-microbial agents not produced from organic sources
  • No chelating agents based on EDTA and its salt
  • No fatty chain source material of petrochemical origin
  • No sulphonation, ethoxylation or propoxylation
  • No alkyl sulphates (eg sodium lauryl sulphate, sodium coco sulphate, ammonium lauryl sulphate)
  • No alkyl ether sulphates (eg sodium laureth sulphate, ammonium laureth sulphate)
  • No polyethylene glycol (PEGS)
  • No polysorbates (eg polysorbate 20)
  • No ethanolamides (eg cocamide DEA, cocamide MEA)
  • No chemically synthesized sunscreens
  • No potentially harmful preservatives such as parabens, sodium benzoate & parfum

 My summary: 5/5

Product: Inika Organic Crème Eye Shadow in Champagne
Effectiveness: 5
Packaging: 4.5
Safety: 5
Suitable for day wear: Definitely
Suitable for stage: possibly (as a highlighter)
 
Price:
AUSTRALASIA : $39 AUD online
AMERICAS:  $25US but only the cappuccino is available
UK & EUROPE: £18
NEW ZEALAND: $39NZ
Where can I buy it: Online for Aussies – click here. For the rest of the world click here
Locals you can also buy it at Kaboodle in Sawtell and Beauty on the Promenade in Coffs Harbour, Studio 287 Coramba and from Millissa Rossow at Moonee Beach.

I have no affiliation with Inika although they did send me this product as a free trial to review.

Have you tried creme eye shadow before? Please feel free to comment below and tell me your experience or to ask a question.

Liked this review? Jade publishes natural make up reviews for home use and stage and is passionate about dancers looking fabulous without toxic ingredients.  Follow the blog so you can save money and buy what works best.

Natural cosmetics review – Vrindavan Perfume Oil

When I look at new perfumes I often wonder – ‘Do we have a safe scent for those that care for their health or yet another toxic cocktail?’ I one find almost all mainstream perfumes and synthetic scents quite nauseating. I feel sick almost straight away and the feeling doesn’t leave until I get away from the smell.

This review was born when I noticed a “natural’ perfume on the market by Vrindavan Organic and I wondered if I could tolerate it. I figure that I am the perfect person to try it on because I can tolerate most pure essential oils but not the cheaper ‘fragrance oils’.

I chose Himalayan Sunset – roll on perfume oil for this trial.

Packaging

Vrindavan Organic perfume oil comes in slim glass 10ml bottles just a bit longer than a standard lipstick case. They have a black plastic lid and underneath a little roll on applicator just like a mini roll-on deodorant bottle.

The art work is unsophisticated but the shape and size of the bottle makes it quite convenient to put in your handbag, make up bag or glove box.  Actually it was the packaging that made me buy the product because my first thought was “Why would I buy that when I could just carry a bottle of essential oil around?” Then I realised that firstly, – some essential oil bottles leak when not upright and secondly this provided the opportunity to wear a blend without having to mess around finding and trialling small bottles. I carried the Himalayan Sunset oil dutifully around in my handbag for a week and happily, it didn’t leak.

Wearability

Well I can’t compare this to standard perfumes because I can’t wear them but the scent lasted easily most of the day. I found it too strong a smell for me when placed around the nape of the neck or behind the ears but when I applied it arm pit level or lower I found the smell quite pleasant.

I chose the ‘Himalayan’ option as I prefer smells that are not too flowery however they had several other blend options in the display to suit different moods and tastes and currently have several blends on sale on their website (see below for link).

It is suitable for both everyday use and performance use. Using this will have you still smelling nice after your show even if you are sweating and your deodorant has let you down.

Safety

I couldn’t check the ingredients list against the EWG data base this time because it is undergoing a facelift and not available at present. I had to go old school and consult those dusty rectangular shapes on my bookcaseJ. Luckily I have 4 books on aromatherapy from my days of studying natural medicine.

Ingredients: Camellia, Ylang Ylang, Nutmeg, Palmarosa and Patchouli essential oils

Modern felucca, sadly without the beautiful scented sails. The Nile, Egypt 2012 photo by Jodie Storrm

According to “Practical Aromatherapy by Penny Rich” Ylang-ylang is useful for calming tension, lifting negative moods and increasing sensuality! Probably not a bad one to include before a performance! Both ylang- ylang and patchouli oil are considered safe for home use she says. As far as the other oils are concerned they are not among the  most commonly used oils so information was scarce -I could only find nutmeg listed as common in centuries old recipes but as we use it as a spice in cooking too and have done so for millennia I am confident of its safety.

I also found out that Cleopatra not only wore essential oils but had the sails of her ship soaked in them to add fragrance to her travels. How divine!! 1 Choosing a perfume blend that is made of essential oil may be adding a whole new level of authenticity to your dance!

An actual allergy to the plant used in the oil would probably be the only danger but that is the case with any product.

Here’s what Vrindavan says of this product on its website:-

Certified organic Himalayan Sunset perfume oil is made with certified organic camellia oil and a Vrindavan Natural Body Care special blend of certified organic essential oils.

Not tested on animals

My summary: 5/5

Product: Vrindavan Perfume Oil

Effectiveness: 5

Packaging: 4.5

Safety: 4.5

Size: 0.15 oz

Suitable for day wear: yes,

Suitable for stage: yes

Price: $14.95 online or a different scent on special for $9.95AUD

Where can I buy it: I purchased this at the Bellingen Amcal chemist but it is easily available to anyone online

As with all my natural make-up posts to date – I have no affiliation with Vrindavan.

Liked this review? Jade publishes natural make up reviews for home use and stage mostly on Mondays.  Follow the blog so you can save money and buy what works best.

Do you wear perfume for performances?  What’s your favourite? Comment below.

  1. Aromatherapy by Judith Jackson

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