Eye Makeup that Gives

Personally, I like buying things that give back. It makes me feel good that part of the proceeds are going to good causes, and I still get something myself too! So I looked around and found some neat eye products to show you!


First up is Josie Maran's Instant Natural Volume Argan Oil Mascara in Pitch Black. This is a long wearing mascara that gives to a charity called City of Hope. The idea is that every mascara you buy one goes to a woman suffering through cancer treatment for the first 5000 mascaras sold. After that $1.00 from each purchase through August 2012 will go to City of Hope's research, treatment and education of women's cancers. How great is that?

Smashbox's Wish for the Perfect Pencils is next. This pack of four long lasting waterproof colours, includes Onyx (black), Graphite (silver), Orchid (Dark Purple) and 14 K (Gold). They all look shimmery and I'm personally loving the colours. For only $16 USD, each package donates $1.00 USD to Children's Miracle Network up to $25,000 dollars. This seems like it will be a lovely gift for a friend or yourself!

BCA Pink Eyelash Curler by Sephora is a pink coloured $16.00 USD eyelash curler with silicone grip pads. $1.00 USD from each purchase goes towards the Breast Cancer Research Foundation which works on finding ways to prevent breast cancer and towards finding a cure.

Ole Henriksen Purifying Makeup Removal Pads are last but not least. During October, 5% of every tub sold is going to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. Each of the 75 pads is soaked in completely oil-free, soothing extracts and vitamins. They say it's safe for contact wearers and doesn't leave a greasy residue. This costs $25 USD.

Anyone else have any great buys that give back for eye make-up?

Best Nail Polish Removal System

I know, I know, you're all looking at screen wondering if I'm crazy for putting a tub on here. You can't pour from a tub onto a pad easily, right? And you are correct, BUT this simple tub holds a wonder originally brought to us from the seas. Sponge.

The Life Brand (found in Shopper's Drug Marts here in Canada) has honestly gone up in respect for me by coming out with this product. It's simple, it generates less waste, it costs less overall and it makes removing all kinds of nail polish (even glitters!) a breeze. Here's how it works:

Above view of the screw top lid

1) Unscrew the easy open top and remove the plastic seal

2) Locate the centre opening in the nail-polish-remover-soaked sponge. It should be a cross or an x shape.

3) Place finger inside and gently rub back and forth against the sponge. The sponge will easily brush away the polish without the normal rubbing needed with a cotton pad.

4) Presto! Your done!

It takes a bit longer with glitter of course but it's still much faster than normal as the bubbles in the sponge often catch on the glitter particles and pull it off. You might get some sponge breakage from this but only small pieces usually.

All in all, ever since I discovered this, I'm never going back to removing my nail polish regularily on my fingers again. Unfortunately, it doesn't work quite the same with toes as toes are stubby and lack fine motor movements (i.e. your toe kicks out and the tub falls over spilling the polish remover inside- I haven't tried it but I can totally see myself doing this), thus making me use normal cotton pads soaked in remover for toe nail polish.

You will have to replace this every once in a while as the sponge will eventually start to disintegrate from the polish remover (and get quite grungy looking) but it will last you easily 6 months if when it becomes a little drier due to evaporation you add some more polish remover to the tub yourself. 

I got mine for under five Canadian dollars at my local Shopper's Drug Mart and this is my second tub. They come in four varieties: Apricot, Lemon, Regular, and Acetone-free. The one pictured is lemon, but I think I could stand the smell of Apricot a little more. They still smell strongly of nail-polish remover but  they have a slight fruit scent to slightly tone it down (or at least not demand total attention of your sense of smell at once!) If you think about it the pros out weigh the cons.

Pros:

• Less polish remover used as it's used again and again each time you remove polish in the tub. 
• The tub cuts down on evaporation of the remover you are using while attending to each nail
• No cotton pad waste
• About the cost of regular remover
• Quicker removal time

Cons:

• Sponge will disintegrate with use
• The sponge starts looking dirty quickly (its all the polish colours mixed together)
• Only available in Canada

Overall, I love these as it makes removal pretty much one-handed so I can type/scroll/click the remote with the other at the same time. If you get the chance I recommend giving one of these a try!

Rating: 9/10 Because the sponge does fall to pieces with time and use

Skunk Smell

I don't know about anyone else, but to me an attractive trait is to smell nice, or at the very least not smell bad. The other night, my little dog Peppermint, fondly nicknamed Pepi, decided he would play with the visiting skunk at 4:00 in the morning and so promptly pestered my mom into letting him outside. I'm sure you understand the wonderful connotations of this as he returned quickly with a large yellow patch and squinty eyes. So, in case you love animals and also want to smell good even if they decide to become Pepe Le Pew, here's the best formula I've come across to getting rid of the stink.

From Google Images

For the Dog you'll need (all available at any drug store)
- 1 quart Hydrogen Peroxide 3%
- 1/4 cup baking soda
- Liquid Dish Soap (the gentler the better)
- Rubber or Latex Gloves
- An Open air tub

Directions:
1. Mix all the ingredients together in the open air tub, it will fizz this is the desired effect because the bubbles are oxygen being released to powerfully remove the smell molecules.
2. Immediately place dog in the tub and soak/massage the mixture into their coat for at least 5 minutes. Keep out of their eyes, nose, mouth, and ears or it will cause them pain. For the head you can carefully apply or multiple websites online suggest gentle douche solution as an alternative. (I've not used this, so I can't vouch for the effectiveness).
3. Wash them off with clean water (like with a spray hose as I did). And Presto clean little white dog again :D.

NOTE: Do NOT mix the solution together in a closed container, the release of oxygen will cause it to explode (not like fire explode, but like shaken pop can explode)! Also, it won't work if you store it, the solution will either explode from the storage container, or not work at all- it's the fizzyness that makes it work!

Room/Deck:
My recommendation is to hose down as much as you can with water and soap, however the new Febreeze works fairly well for furniture or rugs (though I do suggest airing them outside if you can). Any remaining smell can be captured with the remaining baking soda set out in open dishes around, mixed up every once in a while. The larger the dish and the more spread out the baking soda the more effective it will be (It's a Surface Area thing, I won't bore you with the details).

So, even though this isn't really a cosmetic post for you, it can be for your dog. (Unless of course you decided to go out and visit Mr. Black & White I suppose, lol.) Useful? Not useful? Comments are always welcome!

Peppermint, up close and adorable!