Testing Clean Beauty: Drugstore and High-end

Years ago I became interested in changing some of my products to those that contained less chemicals. For some reason I decided to opt for paraben free and sulfate free haircare, and more natural lotions and lip balms, but the rest of my routine stayed pretty much the same. 

Lately I’ve seen a lot more about clean beauty, especially makeup and skincare, and a lot of the products looked really great to me. Here are two drugstore and two high end clean beauty products that I’ve tried recently. 

This post contains affiliate links. So if you make a purchase using my link, I’ll receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. 

Skincare

Pixi Glow Tonic

Pixi claims the Glow Tonic is supposed to help exfoliate and purify skin, soothe and hydrate, reduce the appearance of pores, and accelerate cell renewal.

I guess I can’t really give a full review of the Glow Tonic this quickly, as I’ve only been using it for a little over a week. However, I do feel like my skin feels softer since I’ve been using it, which in turn helps my makeup to go on smoother, and overall just look nicer.

The very first time I used the Pixi Glow Tonic it did sting my skin a tiny bit, and then the feeling went away pretty quickly. I haven’t had any problems with it since, and I’ve used it once or twice each day (Pixi says to use it twice a day). I’m sharing this because I don’t have particularly sensitive skin, so this might be something to keep in mind if you do.

Drunk Elephant Umbra Tinte

I’ve heard so many good things about Drunk Elephant products that I had to finally try something. I went with the Drunk Elephant Umbra Tint.

Drunk Elephant’s Umbra Tinte is a natural sunscreen with a little bit of a tint to it (hence the name). It doesn’t contain any chemical sunscreen ingredients. 

According to Drunk Elephant’s website: “Drunk Elephant is committed to using only ingredients that either directly benefit the skin’s health or support the integrity and effectiveness of our formulations”.

This is a product that is kind of hard to review, as sunscreen is something that you don’t usually notice when you wear it. I wouldn’t say the tint of the sunscreen is very dark, it just gives a bit of extra glow to your skin. They do also have an untinted version.

Makeup

Cover FX Monochromatic Matte + Shimmer Blush Duo in Mojave Mauve

Cover FX states their products are “Vegan and cruelty-free makeup, made with safe, high-performing ingredients. Always Free Of: Parabens, Gluten, Mineral Oil, Fragrance, Talc, Alkyl Sulfates and Phthalates”.

I’ll admit, this blush duo was a total impulse buy. I was walking by the Cover FX area at Sephora and got sucked in by how pretty these blushes looked and the clean beauty seal.

I’ve really been loving the way this shade looks on my skin. I think it’s great for summer because it looks like a natural flush you’d get from being outside. I use the matte shade first, then add a bit of the shimmer shade almost as a highlight. The blush duos come in six shades. It seems like there is a shade that would suit just about any skin tone.

Burt’s Bees Liquid Lipstick in Blush Brook

You’re probably familiar with Burt’s Bees. I think everyone has seen those golden tubes of lip balm. Burt’s Bees uses natural ingediants in their products, doesn’t test on animals, and tries to use recycled items in their packaging. They aren’t considered vegan like some of the other brands, because they do use beeswax in their products. 

I’ve been wanting to try some of Burt’s Bees makeup for a while, but I had never been able to find much in stores near me. I was in a different area when I found what appeared to be their whole line.

When I first tried this lip color I didn’t love it. I’ve figured out that I was skeptical at first because this is more of a glossy liquid lipstick, and I’ve become so used to mattes. It really is a nice change though! I will say it isn’t as opaque as a lot of liquid lipsticks, but I still think it looks really nice on. 

As you can see the color is similar to how it looks in the tube, but I would say it’s more sheer. I’ve used all of the clean beauty products here. As for the rest of my makeup, it’s pretty much this routine.

Final Thoughts

Overall when I use these products I just feel like my face looks nice. My skin is smooth and has a glow. The cheek and lip products compliment each other well. I’ve just really been enjoying these products, and I think these clean beauty items will continue to be  a big part of my skincare and makeup routine.

Have you tried any clean beauty products? I’d love to know your thoughts on them!