Rocia Cosmetics REVIEW
Whenever I talk to people about going toxin-free, cosmetics are one area that I usually hear: "but the natural stuff just doesn't work for me". There are a lot of natural cosmetics companies out there and they are definitely not all created equal. And cosmetics that work for you are hard to find - because we are all different, with different skin and different habits and activity levels. I previously reviewed Earth Lab Cosmetics and liked them, but the only product I really loved from there was the mascara. I still hadn't found the foundation/concealer combo that was perfect for me. Until now.
Rocia is a Canadian company that makes all-natural skincare, cosmetics, and body care products that are gluten-free and vegan-friendly. Their motto is "...for the health of your skin" and their product ingredients demonstrate that well!
Mineral Foundation & Mixer Base
I first fell in love with mineral makeup many years ago using Bare Escentuals. Then I found out that they didn't disclose their full ingredients list and their products were getting less-than-stellar scores on the Environmental Working Group database. When I tried Earth Lab Cosmetics mineral foundation, it took a lot of trial and error to get it right and not accentuate the lines on my face. My skin has changed quite a bit since pregnancy and beyond, so the combo of oily patches and dry patches is challenging. I was finding that mineral powder would just outline dry patches and make them look even worse.
When I saw that Rocia carried a Mixer Base that you could add the Mineral Foundation to, I was very intrigued. You can essentially make a liquid foundation that add as much coverage as you want depending on how much Foundation you mix in (I got the Natural Mineral Foundation, one of the popular medium shades). I LOVE that you can customize it this way! I squeezed a bit of Mixer Base into my hand and then shook in some foundation powder, mixed it with my finger and applied onto my face. Oh my - this stuff really is SILKY SMOOTH! It feels AMAZING on my skin, even lovelier than many lotions I've tried! I applied a bit more to areas that needed concealing, and it worked wonderfully. I love how versatile these 2 products are together, and I think I have finally found my perfect solution! Plus the Mineral Foundation has titanium dioxide as well as zinc oxide so it offers sun protection as well.
Mixer Base ingredients: water (distilled), fractionated coconut oil, organic jojoba oil, abies picea (spruce knot) extract, cetearyl gluoside (and) cetearyl alcohol, radish root ferment filtrate, aloe butter, citrus gradis (grapefruit) seed extract.
Natural Mineral Foundation ingredients: mica, titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, silica, boron nitride, iron oxides, ultramarines
Smudge-Proof Mascara
Ah, mascara. Pretty much every natural mascara I have tried does smudge after several hours. I was impressed with how the Earth Lab mascara fared but it did eventually smudge. I figured I just have greasy eyes that make mascara inevitably smudge. So the fact that this mascara is called "smudge-proof" - well, let's just say I was skeptical. But willing to try.
I was pleasantly surprised.
It didn't smudge! It lasted through a whole workday (by the end of which, ANY OTHER mascara I've tried has smudged), and several social gatherings where I would definitely get smudgy in the past. I'm excited and very pleased!
Smudge-Proof Mascara ingredients: water (distilled), rice bran wax, olive oil, cetyl alcohol (natural coconut-derived emulsifier), carnuba wax, candelilla wax, organic vegetable glycerin, stearic acid (natural vegetable sourced), acacia gum, iron oxides, aminomethyl propanediol, phenoxyethanol
Pearl Mineral Makeup
I tried the Pearl Mineral Makeup eyeshadow in Bronzed Beige, which is subtle and lovely. It goes on easily and smoothly, and you don't need to apply much at all. I really like the luminescent finish that adds a little extra something while still looking very natural.
Bronzed Beige (Pearl) Mineral Makeup ingredients: mica, iron oxides, ultramarines, titanium dioxide, calcium carbonate