Life is Short. Buy the Makeup.

One of my biggest goals for last year was to go completely Cruelty-Free and promote only Cruelty-Free brands. On my journey, I realized there are different ways to classify Cruelty-Free and it is not black and white. As Ulta is one of the largest cosmetic retailers....and also where I happen to work....I thought I would show you guys how shop truly Cruelty-Free at Ulta. This list will not include Vegan or Non-Toxic only brands. Those shopping guides will be coming up soon! Let's get started!

Physicians Formula has launched their Organic Wear Bright Boost Oil Elixir for Spring 2017! This oil retails for $14.99 (1 fl oz) is available online at Ulta and available soon in-stores. Brighten Up for the Day! Physician's Formula Organic Wear Bright Boost Oil Elixir is a lightweight and fast-absorbing texture that leaves a smooth, non-sticky finish, melting onto the skin, leaving it silky, soft, and never greasy. Signs of aging appear visibly reduced while skin appears smoother, more radiant, revived, rejuvenated, and nourished instantly! Featuring a proprietary Bright Boosting Blend loaded with natural antioxidants to promote beautiful skin instantly and long-term with continued use. Bright Boosting Blend includes an energizing blend, featuring Mongongo Oil and Rhodiola Extract, enhances moisturization and helps boost radiance. 100% of the ingredients are of a natural origin 99.5% organic ingredients The oil is "free of harsh chemicals, synthe...

There is a stereotype about Green Beauty lovers and "Hippies"---as my brother often calls me---that we either don't wear foundation or that we wear tinted moisturizers without any coverage and call it good. WRONG I love full coverage and I love matte. Both of which are not very common in the Green Beauty world.  Here are my current Organic Foundations---liquids, creams, and powders. I will also include some foundations I have tried in the past but no longer have in my collection. As always, every product I mention is Cruelty-Free. Let's get started!

Cruelty-Free & Vegan Beauty Favorites Instead of doing my Monthly Favorites for August, I thought I would share with you guys my "ride or die" beauty products that are Cruelty-Free and Vegan! These are products I love year round and will continue to repurchase. Many of these products will come as no surprise---they're repeat favorites. However, if you're trying to go Cruelty-Free, Vegan, or both---and you prefer to shop Green---these beauties are staples in any beauty routine!  Let's get into it!

Ulta Haul | Cruelty Free We all know how it goes, there's a sale going on at Ulta---AND YOU HAVE POINTS! I decided to buy some backups of my favorite Physicians Formula products while they were 40% off and take advantage of $12 in points and finally purchase an It Cosmetics brush. These items are Cruelty Free, and are products I would highly recommend to anyone looking for some good Cruelty Free beauty products! Let's get started!

April Beauty Favorites I can't tell you how crazy of a month April has been! I'm glad the month is over, as I will be in Boston at the beginning of May, and if you'd like to check out some pictures from my trip, head over to Instagram (@justineolson93), I am always posting there about future blog posts. Every one of these favorites are cruelty free! Let's get into it!

January 2016 Beauty Favorites The first month of the new year is already gone, and this month has been rough for my skin. Word of advise, don't consume too much sugar, what you eat directly affects your skin.  With that in mind, here are some favorites for the month of January. The majority are new products, but I will link all of my reviews to each product below. Let's get started!

Physicians Formula Coconut Water Primer One of the newest products Physicians Formula has launched is their Argan Wear 2-in-1 Argan Oil & Coconut Water Primer . This retails for $14.99 (1.0 oz) and is available in-store and online at Ulta , CVS ,  and other retailers where Physicians Formula is carried. Primer waters seem to be the latest trend in makeup, following suit to the Smashbox Primer Water. Is it worth the $15? Let's get in to the review!

Physicians Formula Organic Wear Work It! There are so many new products at the drugstore, and since transitioning to more natural beauty products, there was only a few products I was really interested in. One of which is the new products from the Physicians Formula Organic Wear line! The Physicians Formula Organic Wear Work It! Marathonista Tinted Moisturizer SPF 40 retails for $14.99 (1.2 oz) and is available online and in-store at Ulta , CVS , and locations that carry Physicians Formula. Let's get in to the review!

Well, it's officially the end of 2015, it's cliche but this year really did fly by. I am so excited for 2016, lot's of great changes are happening for me! But today, let's go through some of the beauty products that I have absolutely fallen in love with this year! This list covers just cosmetics. Let's get started!

Physicians Formula Organic Wear Tinted Moisturizer On my journey to finding less toxic beauty options, Physicians Formula, a very popular drugstore brand, came up quite a bit. While the brand is not completely free of parabens, their Organic Wear line is 100% free of parabens, harsh chemicals, and synthetic preservatives. So when I found that the Physicians Formula Organic Wear Tinted Moisturizer , was on clearance at my local Ulta, I figured it would be a great time to try it out. This retails for $11.99 (1.5 fl oz) and is available in-store and online at Ulta , Walmart, and the Physicians Formula Website . Let's get in to the review!

The Best Physicians Formula Products This week, Physicians Formula is 40% off at Ulta ! As the line is one of the pricier lines available at the drugstore, and you can always top the sale off with their $3.50 off $10 coupon, I thought I would give you guys my take on the best Physicians Formula products! Some of these products I no longer have in my collection, but I would recommend none the less. While most of Physicians Formula is paraben-free, there are some great products in the line that do contain parabens, so I will not being recommending those products. Let's get in to the list!

The Best Paraben-Free Products at the Drugstore Today I have put together a list of the best paraben-free makeup products available at the drugstore! You may be surprised by how many drugstore, and high-end, products that contain parabens and other harmful ingredients. Every single product is a favorite of mine and I would highly recommend! Here are some of the best paraben-free products at the drugstore!

August Beauty Favorites Well, the Summer is officially over, but that means Halloween, wearing boots and jackets, and of course rocking a dark lip is back in style! I've already been wearing some Fall inspired looks, I can't help it, when drops below 60 degrees, my mind screams, FALL! So here are some things I've been loving this past month, some things I have had for a while, others are new.  Let's get right in to my August Favorites!

How to Shop Healthy & Non-Toxic at Ulta and Sephora I have been on a mission to make my beauty routine less toxic, which includes my haircare, body care, and cosmetics! While a lot of organic brands are not yet widely available in-stores, I know many of you have access to Ulta and Sephora! So today I thought I would show you guys how you can shop for some amazing organic, non-toxic, and paraben-free products at Ulta and Sephora! So let's get started! (Updated for 2020 HERE )

Physicians Formula 40% off at Shopko It's a little late in the week to alert you guys to this sale, but now until July 25th, all Physicians Formula products are 40% off at Shopko ! Shopko locations are common in the Midwest, so if you are outside of the Midwest in the United States, keep an eye out at your local drugstores for sales like this. Physicians Formula is also available at Ulta, Target, Walmart, and select drugstore locations.  Let's get in to some of the products I would highly recommend!

It's time for empties again! I have quite a few this time, many of them deluxe sample sizes. I've been trying many new skincare items and using up some staple items in my routine.  Let's get in to what items I would and would not re-purchase. Here are my thoughts and mini reviews! 

Ulta Haul This week at Ulta, ALL   Physicians Formula, Almay, Revlon, and Maybelline are 40% off ! As an added bonus, all red tag clearance items were an additional 50% off last weekend! So you know I had to pick up a few new things! All of the times you'll see here were either on sale or on clearance. I also used coupons from Almay and Maybelline that saved me another $5! Note, you can always top manufacturers coupons with Ulta coupons.  Let's get started!

Favorite Long-Wearing Eyeliners For the longest time I was constantly trying to find an eyeliner that would not run and transfer on my face. My eyelids are very oily so almost every eyeliner I tried would transfer and need touch ups during the day. Here are a few eyeliners I have that do not run down my face or transfer. If you have bad allergies, oily eyelids, or just have very long days and don't want to fuss with fixing up your makeup, check these out! Also, none of these eyeliners irritate my eyes. Let's get started!

March Makeup & Beauty Favorites So March has come and gone already, that means one thing for me, one month left till I graduate college! My mom keeps saying I have been waiting for this day since kindergarden, she could not be any more correct. I did not wear a lot of makeup this month. My focus this month was to get rid of the gross amount of acne that popped up on my face due to the Tarte Maracuja Oil I tried out, full review HERE. Most of my favorites this month were new products, so you will definitely be able to find these products in-store, some you will have to find online. So let's get started!