Green Beauty Trials: Mascara for Day & Night.

Why I Decided to Make the Switch.
I've been using the same conventional mascara for over 10 years. I have loved it because it has given me that bright-eyed and bushy-tailed look that I have come to count on. And come to need, especially in these past 3 years of transitioning into motherhood (and lack of sleep-hood). My sister is a green beauty advocate and convinced me to look into the toxic chemicals that are laden in most makeups on the market (including my beloved mascara), and after a few years of me trying to ignore her, I finally did my own research and was appalled. Did you know that the FDA doesn't have to approve ingredients in our makeup? I didn't. This means that manufacturers can put any ingredient in the formulation of cosmetics, with the exception of color additives. Don't believe me, do your own research, friends! It's kind of insane.

The cosmetics we buy at the makeup counter at Macy's or at the drugstore contain parabens, phthalates, PEG compounds and even formaldehyde-releasing preservatives. These chemicals are harmful because they can cause disruption to hormones and have been linked to a variety of cancers - and I wear makeup almost everyday! I've always heard that skin is like a sponge and soaks up everything we put on it. So if you do the math... I've been caking my spongy-skinned body with harmful chemicals for years, all in the name of beauty. That's kind of depressing. But you know what's also depressing? Having to start over with research on natural makeup brands. That just sounds exhausting. And expensive.

Where I Turned.
I was honestly at a loss for where to begin. How do I know which brands are "good"? How do I know which websites carry everything I need? I'm guessing Sephora isn't going to be carrying the hippie-dippie hemp-laden makeup I would probably have to turn to (I'm a little heartbroken about having to break up with my twice-yearly Sephora purchases - I loved all those samples and reward points!) But after consulting my sis, she pointed me in the direction of The Detox Market, an online retailer that carries a range of mid-to-luxury beauty products. She also directed me to Fig & Flower, an Atlanta beauty boutique specializing in natural, vegan-friendly products. These two sources were a game changer for me, and this is where I was able to find most everything I've been trialing for the past two months. I'll share more about them in the coming month with my other makeup sampling, but today I want to focus on the mascara hunt.

Natural Mascara? Is that a thing?
I learned pretty quickly that it's challenging to find a green, non-toxic mascara made with naturally-derived ingredients that actually performs well. Boo. But after some frustrating searches (and trials) I finally landed on some satisfying options!

Mascaras I Tried:
- 100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Mascara - While I have come to love this brand for other products, this mascara did nothing for me. When I say nothing, I mean nothing - other than bum me out.

- Kjaer Weis Mascara - I really wanted to like this mascara, mainly because this brand's aesthetic and packaging are super luxe and chic (I mean, check out this and this. Oooh la la.) But you can't like a mascara just because it comes in a pretty tube! This mascara provides extremely minimal bright-eyed and bushy-tailed-ness, which is really what I'm looking for. Moving on.

- Lily Lolo Mascara - Ding ding ding ding! We have a winner! This mascara is the gold standard for green makeup for a reason - it performs just as well as a conventional lengthening mascara. The brush is full and gives my lashes a really great wake-up, lengthening, separating and ever so slightly thickening. I love wearing this mascara without any other eye make up because it really makes my eyes pop. I'm super pleased and you will find me wearing this most days.

- Beautycounter Volumizing Mascara - I didn't really want to like Beautycounter makeup because everyone is talking about it these days, but gosh darn it, this stuff is spectacular. This mascara does everything Lily Lolo does along with an extra va-va-voom of thickening. This is the perfect mascara for a smoky eye and a more dramatic evening look. The one drawback to this mascara is that you have to remove it with makeup remover. I'm kind of lazy and like the ability to wash off makeup with regular face wash, but with this mascara I've been using these Pacifica Cleansing Wipes and they do the trick. If you're interested in giving this mascara a try, reach out to my girl Hannah Tanner and she will hook you up (and probably throw in a few samples because she's awesome like that :)

My Recommendation:
I love the Lily Lolo Mascara for an easy daytime look. Think the 5-minute face. I love the Beautycounter Volumizing Mascara for a more dramatic look, like a date night or super pulled-together look. I'm honestly surprised that I found these options that performed so well, and this gave me hope and excitement for the rest of my makeup trials! During the month of September I will be sharing more green beauty finds, including foundation, concealer, blush and lipstick, so stay tuned friends!

Just as an FYI, this is not a sponsored post. While I sometimes use affiliate links (which means I may earn a commission if you purchase a product through the link I provide), I personally paid for every product I sampled during the past two months of the beauty trials. I want you to know that even when posts are sponsored, I always share my honest opinion of the product/service. If you have questions about this please check out my disclosure policy or feel free to shoot me an email. Thanks for letting me share my heart with you!