In November 2016, I started my journey without makeup. This was a sudden decision on my part after realizing that my cosmetics were taking a toll on my skin. After two weeks of "No Makeup November," the dry, flaky patches and blemishes on my face were gone. My eyes were no longer puffy and my skin showed a radiance that I hadn't seen since high school.
By December, I started to miss the creativity and artistry associated with cosmetics so I decided to begin looking into all-natural makeup and skincare. During my research, I came across Lauren Brooke Cosmetiques, an all-natural, organic, cruelty-free cosmetics brand.
* Product and/or service provided for review without cost. As always, all opinions are my own. Please view my full disclosure.
What drew me to Lauren Brooke Cosmetiques was their purely natural, organic products that contain no parabens, harsh chemicals, or unnecessary preservatives or fillers. These products are designed both to enhance and nourish the skin versus simply covering imperfections.
As an animal lover, I was also moved by the fact that Lauren Brooke Cosmetiques is certified Cruelty-Free through The Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics (CCIC) Leaping Bunny Program and PETA's Beauty Without Bunnies program.
Here's what I tried out:
- Two Step Cleansing System - Anti-Aging & Moisturizing
- Creme Foundations - Neutral 10, 20, 30 - Cool 10, 20, 30 - Warm 10, 20, 30
- Pressed Foundations - Neutral 10, 20, 30 - Cool 10, 20, 30 - Warm 10, 20, 30
- Organic Rejuvenating Coffee Body Scrub
- Organic Intensive Skin Thérapie
I waited anxiously for the arrival of these samples. My first-impression was with the packaging. The samples came in biodegradable bags!
This increased my excitement—it's obvious that Lauren Brooke Cosmetiques cares about their environmental impact!
With that said, I bet you're just as anxious as I was to learn more about these products. Let's move on, shall we?
With that said, I bet you're just as anxious as I was to learn more about these products. Let's move on, shall we?
Anti-Aging and Moisturizing Two-Step Skincare System
The Lauren Brooke Cosmetiques Two Step Cleansing System comes with a cleansing oil and finishing cloths. To use this product, you add a few pumps of the oil to your hands and gently rub it on your face to draw out impurities. Next, you use the finishing cloths to remove any excess oil, dirt, debris, and makeup—yes, it even removes waterproof makeup.
The cleansing oil spreads smoothly across the skin. With only two to three pumps, you can cover your entire face. It leaves your skin feeling soft and smelling clean, with floral overtones.
The cleansing oil spreads smoothly across the skin. With only two to three pumps, you can cover your entire face. It leaves your skin feeling soft and smelling clean, with floral overtones.
The wipes are very thick and soft. They left my skin fresh and clean. I did not experience any skin irritation with the Two-Step Cleansing System. After a week of use, my skin was noticeably more radiant and soft.
Check out my video to learn more about using the Two Step Cleansing System.
Get all-natural skincare samples! Pick up a sample of the Cleansing Oil for $2.50, a sample of the Finishing Cloths for $3, or the full size Two Step Cleansing System Bundle for $25.50.
Natural Creme Foundation
Out of all of the samples I received, I was most excited to try the all-natural Creme Foundation.
After opening the samples, I was amazed at how thick these foundations were. To know that this formula is all-natural using pigments from the earth is quite amazing—many times, all-natural foundations are thin and offer little to no coverage. The Lauren Brooke Cosmetiques Creme Foundations, however, offered medium coverage with one swipe.
Check out the swatches of the Creme Foundations below.
After opening the samples, I was amazed at how thick these foundations were. To know that this formula is all-natural using pigments from the earth is quite amazing—many times, all-natural foundations are thin and offer little to no coverage. The Lauren Brooke Cosmetiques Creme Foundations, however, offered medium coverage with one swipe.
Check out the swatches of the Creme Foundations below.
All-Natural Foundation Swatches
I am quite pale, especially in the winter. The lightest sample shade that I received was Neutral 10. This shade closely matched the skin on my face. Please note, that while these are the only shades that I received, Lauren Brooke Cosmetiques does offer both lighter and darker shades than what is shown in the image above.
All of the Creme Foundations are blendable and you can even mix shades together to get a specific tone that blends with your complexion.
Here is a before and after image of me without and with the Creme Foundation.
As you can see, the Creme Foundation covered the redness around my eyes and really smoothed and evened out my skin tone. My face does look a little flat, but this was prior to contouring. Speaking of contouring, you can use a darker shade of the Creme Foundations to add more dimension to your face.
Because of the extra creaminess, I'm not sure how it would hold up by itself on a humid summer day. This is why I always set my makeup with some kind of powder formula. Lauren Brooke Cosmetiques offers an all-natural, organic Finishing Powder that can be used to brush over powder or creme foundations to add a smooth, matte finish. You can also use the Finishing Powder under foundation for extra oil control, and to prevent your makeup from sliding off.
I did not receive a sample of the Finishing Powder, so I cannot comment on it's effectiveness.
I did not receive a sample of the Finishing Powder, so I cannot comment on it's effectiveness.
Overall, I am impressed with the Creme Foundation. The all-natural, organic foundation is a very creamy formula that has an SPF rating of 28. I would love to try it with the Finishing Powder, too, so I intend to pick up that product in the future.
This is my first experience with an all-natural makeup. I was expecting it to be a lighter coverage but I was pleasantly surprised with the medium coverage. If you're looking for a lighter coverage, Lauren Brooke Cosmetiques offers a product called Silk Veil, which is a light coverage powder foundation.
For those of you looking for additional coverage, Lauren Brooke Cosmetiques also offers an all-natural under eye concealer called Luminous Eyes Corrective Concealer. It's designed to remove under-eye circles and nourish the sensitive skin under the eyes. Also, try the Luminous Face Highlighters to highlight and accentuate your features.
Get Creme Foundation samples! Small samples are $1.50 each. You can also get the full size Creme Foundation for $29.95.
Pressed Foundation
I received nine shades of the Pressed Foundation. This is an organic, all-natural pressed foundation that gives the face a matte finish. I, personally, used it to set my creme foundation and also add a little dimension with a darker shade (Warm 20).
The Pressed Foundation provides a lightweight, medium coverage. As mentioned, I use it to set the Creme Foundation, but I also use it when I need a quick, on-the-go cover up.
I definitely prefer the Pressed Foundation with the Creme Foundation. Separately, I don't feel that the coverage is all that great (when compared to the Creme Foundation), although it is sufficient.
Get samples of the pressed foundation for $2.50 each. The full-size product is $28.
Below is a video of me using both the Two-Step Cleansing System and the Creme and Powder Foundations.
Organic Rejuvenating Coffee Scrub
The Organic Rejuvenating Coffee Scrub and the Organic Intensive Skin Thérapie came together in a stacked duo-container.
The all-natural Coffee Scrub has an intoxicating fragrance. Although I'm not a coffee drinker, I've always loved the fragrant scent of natural ground coffee beans. It's a nostalgic scent for me and takes me back to warm spring days spent with my paternal grandparents. It is a fragrance that will wake up your senses, so it's perfect for a morning facial scrub.
This formula utilizes specific ingredients designed to exfoliate and soften dry, dehydrated skin. Coffee beans, brown sugar, Shea butter, and cocoa butter are used to create an exfoliating scrub that removes dead skin cells, hydrates, tightens, and brightens. The sample that I received came with a small scoop to make removing and applying the product a little easier.
After using the Organic Rejuvenating Coffee Scrub on my feet, I noticed that the calluses had started to soften. While they weren't completely removed after three uses, I would bet that with a daily two week application, there would be no sign of them.
This one comes highly recommended, especially for foot care.
Pick up a sample of the Organic Rejuvenating Coffee Scrub for $1.50 (or $3 for both the scrub and the Skin Thérapie. The full size product is $15 and the bundle is $17.50 (save 20%).
Organic Intensive Skin Thérapie
The Organic Intensive Skin Thérapie is formulated to soothe and heal dry skin, including cracked lips, hands, and feet. It's best when used in combination with the Organic Rejuvenating Coffee Scrub.
Here in Ohio, where the winters are cold and dry, my skin begins to resemble sandpaper after a few months. This product was perfect for relieving the dry, cracked skin on my hands and for moisturizing my feet after exfoliating. I also used the Organic Intensive Skin Thérapie on my dry cuticles, which get really bad in the winter.
It works because it utilizes coconut oil, jojoba oil, plantain, burdock, and comfrey. It's designed to rejuvenate the skin, promote antioxidant and enzyme activity, and to stimulate collagen. It heals, reduces irritation, alleviates redness, lubricates, and improves elasticity.
The formula is creamy with a wonderful fragrance and a delicious taste when used on the lips.
Check out what the Organic Intensive Skin Thérapie did for my dry, cracked, and wrinkled lips.
The above image was after gently exfoliating with the Rejuvenating Coffee Scrub. I do understand that the Coffee Scrub is designed for the body, but I used a small amount on my lips. It was a little salty, so I would definitely recommend opting for the all-natural organic lip scrub; I'm sure it tastes better. Despite the taste, the lip scrub did remove some dead skin from my lips.
After I used the scrub, I applied the Organic Intensive Skin Thérapie. It smoothed my lips and made them noticeably softer. It also smoothed out the lines.
All-in-all, I am very pleased with Lauren Brooke Cosmetiques. As mentioned previously, this is my very first experience with all-natural makeup and it was a positive one.
This brand comes highly recommended from yours truly. If you're interested in trying out the products, definitely purchase some of the small samples to get a feel for how they work on your skin.
Check out Lauren Brooke Cosmetiques All-Natural Makeup and Skincare Products!
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