Sephora Inspired Brush Holder: Alternative Filler - Poly Pellets!

I think Koren is wonderful. I learn so many beauty tips from his YouTube channel: EnKoreMakeup. When I saw his "Sephora Inspired Brush Holder" video, I had to try it.



The Sephora Inspired Brush Holder is a brilliant idea. It helps keep your brushes separated from each other, and looks really pretty. I especially love how it keeps my short-handled brushes floating on top, because I had trouble figuring out how to best store them. They usually get lost in a regular cup with my other brushes.

Koren used Colorfill vase filler. So I bought the same thing from Michaels.

Unfortunately, Colorfill didn't work out so well for me. The problem was that the pieces are jagged, not round, and tend to flake from any kind of friction. This seems intentional because it gives the filler a crystallized appearance. But unfortunately, this is a problem in a brush holder, because you will be taking your brushes in and out of your holder on a regular basis. This will make the Colorfill material grind against each other and create even more flakes.

Here's my Japonesque foundation brush in a cup of Colorfill:



My brush handle is covered with schmutz!



I wasn't thrilled about this. (Do I sound a bit anal? Hee hee. I confess.) Yet I continued to use my pretty new brush holder anyway, because I loved it.

But I finally had to put the Colorfill away when I noticed that my brushes were feeling gritty, and began poking me as I was blending makeup on my eyelids. (I wash my brushes frequently, so I don't think they were dirty.) I couldn't see it, but I suspect that it was those darned Colorfill flakes getting into my brushes.

So I began looking around for alternatives to the Colorfill. I tried to use mini marbles that I found at Michaels, as suggested by Temptalia. Unfortunately, the mini marbles were just too big. It was hard to put my brushes into the holder, I had to jam them in really hard. And I could only fit a few in there. And the marbles were quite expensive, too.

Then I finally found the perfect solution: Poly-Pellets!

Poly-Pellets are small plastic pellets, and they are used as stuffing for weighted dolls like Beanie Babies. They are non-toxic and washable. They are made of 100% polypropylene, which is used to make Tupperware, among many other things. Hopefully that will give you a better idea about what they look and feel like. The shape and size resemble rice kernels. They are lightweight and smooth, and will not harm your brushes.

A close-up of the Poly-Pellets:



I was able to buy Poly-Pellets at Michaels, near the yarn section. They cost $7.99 for a 2 lb. bag. (Colorfill costs $5.99 for a 1 lb. bag at Michaels, so Poly-Pellets are cheaper. Another plus.)

So here are my brush holders now filled with Poly-Pellets:



I was able to fill 3 holders from one bag. The two on the left are 6-inch hurricane vases I bought from Michaels ($6.99 each). The one on the right is my makeup brush holder from Glitzy Glam. I'm also showing you a picture of my empty Poly-Pellets bag, because it looks different from the one on the website.

I am really loving the Poly-Pellets. They work very well and look great. I can take my brushes in and out of the holders with ease, and the brushes stay put and upright perfectly. And best of all, my brushes are schmutz-free!

Also, I recently learned that using decorative sand vase filler is not a good idea, either, because it can scratch up your brushes. (Here's an example shared by educatedbiatch.)

So it looks like not all types of vase fillers work well for making Sephora Inspired Brush Holders. I hope my suggestion helped you. Enjoy your cute new schmutz- & scratch-free brush holders!

Lip Balm Mania #3: Buddha Balm by Karma Creatives

I believe this is my first post in which I bash a product. Hmmm. I started this blog only to share things that I like. But sometimes, I come across something that I really don't like. And this time, I decided I'd share that, too.

As I said in a previous post, I'm a fan of lip balms in the vintage-y sliding tins. They are just so cute. So when I saw these Buddha Balms, I had to buy some. I was so sure I was going to like them, so I ended up treating myself to: Grape Soda, Grapefruit, Root Beer, and Watermelon.

The packaging is ever so cute. No complaints there. And the scent is pretty great. As soon as I took a whiff of each, I knew I'd love these, the Grapefruit most of all.

And? I was wrong.

The consistency is too waxy. It's a lot of work to coat my lips, and once it's on my lips, the surface feels ... well, a lot like car wax. As in squeaky. Not good.

The second thing I didn't like about these balms is the taste. I don't usually care about the taste of lip balms - I don't lick or chew on my lips that much. If it happens to be flavored, fine. If not, no matter. But these balms are flavored with saccharine. And it's gross.

Having downed a ton of Diet Coke in my life, I don't have a problem with saccharine in general. But with these balms, I can taste it perpetually without trying to. The chemical aftertaste creeps into my mouth and lingers all day, and remains even after eating, drinking, and wiping off the balm.

Which brings me to the fact that these balms are near impossible to wipe off! Due to their tacky car-wax-like consistency, even washing the balm off my mouth with soap and water didn't get rid of it completely. The icky squeaky texture remained, and so did the nasty taste. Ugh.

But I'm not done. There are even more reasons to dislike these balms.

First, the container is labeled "petroleum free," but the ingredient list says it contains microcrystalline wax, which is a by-product of petroleum refining, just like petrolatum and other petro-chemicals. So it's just wordplay. Lame.

Second, the container is also labeled, "contains natural ingredients." What does that even mean? These contain some natural ingredients, but also contains chemicals. Again, this is wordplay designed to create the illusion of a natural product. Not cool.

Lastly, the contained is also labeled, "Do not use on cut or broken skin." Hrm. So if my lips are chapped, I can't use these? A lip balm that can't be used on chapped lips ... Fail!

So I didn't like these Buddha Balms at all. Cute packaging, wonderful scent ... but the balms themselves had terrible texture, taste, and misleading claims. Oh, and you can't use it when your lips are chapped. A lip balm is a pretty simple thing, you'd think. But this was downright useless.

Lip Balm Mania #2: ChapStick 100% Naturals

Good old ChapStick.

For years I've used and enjoyed classic ChapStick. When I was a kid, I always thought it looked like candle wax, and preferred the softer consistency of Vaseline. But when I gave the classic ChapStick a try, I was pleasantly surprised by how smooth it was. So for years, ChapStick has been a mainstay in my lip balm collection. Never a favorite - it's just so boring - but always there somewhere in my purse. When my lips got chapped, I was glad it was there.

But now that I've made the decision to use more natural lip balms, regular ChapStick, with its 44% petrolatum, preservatives (e.g., parabens), and other chemicals, has now been retired to the back of the drawer.

I've been enjoying shopping for more natural lip balms online. There are so many great products out there, once I took the time to look around. But what about at your local chain drugstore? Could I find any natural options there? Sometimes you need some lip balm now, and don't have the time to shop online.

So I was pleasantly surprised to learn that good ol' ChapStick has 100% natural products, called Botanical Medley and Lip Butter.

The ingredient lists are indeed all natural. No petro-chemicals or preservatives here:

Botanical Medley ingredients:
Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Jojoba Esters, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Beeswax, Natural Flavors, Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Butyrospermum (Shea Butter) Extract, Tocopherol

Lip Butter ingredients:
Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Jojoba Esters, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Flavors, Beeswax, Copernicia Cerifera (Camauba) Wax, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Glycine Soja (Soybean) Lipids, Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed (Mango Butter), Octyldodecanol, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil (Olive Butter), Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil (Avocado Butter), Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Seed Oil (Raspberry Butter), Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol

The only ingredient I do not recognize is Octyldodecanol in Lip Butter, which, according to Wikipedia is some type of alcohol.

All natural is great, but the real question is: How is the balm? Quite nice! It has a very slight but pleasant scent, and the application is nice and smooth. It's not heavy on my lips, and they felt very soft and moisturized. Thumbs up!

The only drawback of the 100% Naturals Chapsticks is that it's more expensive than regular ChapStick. I paid $2.99 for the Botanical Medley at my local Rite-Aid, while the regular ChapStick cost $1.89.

I'm quite impressed by ChapStick's natural lip balm. It's nice to know that I can find an all-natural option at any major drugstore. This is certainly a better option than Blistex Herbal Answer, which does contain natural ingredients, but also contains silicones, preservatives, and petro-chemicals.

Lip Balm Mania #1: Vintage Sister

I first learned about Vintage Sister lip balms from pinkiecharm on YouTube. (She reviews beauty products, and her videos are so much fun!) She's like the official ambassador for Vintage Sister. Anyway, hearing her talking about how great they were made me want them, too.

And they are great! Look how flippin' cute they are!

When it comes to lip balm, nothing beats the convenience of a twist-up stick. But I've always loved jars, tubs, etc. And I am especially a sucker for old-fashioned tins, which is part of the reason why I liked Rosebud Salve so much. I don't know why, I guess it's the cute packaging. And there's something about making a big production out of the task, langorously running my finger over my lips - it's a ritual, a little bit of "me time." (And a true lip balm addict like me always has backup sticks for those times when our hands might be a little grubby.)

There are a ton of great scents available on the site, including many dessert-based, fruit-based, and even drink-based ones. Each balm has a different cute cartoon of a girl on it. And the old-fashioned sliding tins? Love! I feel like Gidget.

Another great thing about these balms is their scent. Soooo yummy! So far I own six of them: Green Apple, Cookies & Cream, Blue Raspberry, Orange Dream, Cherry Cola, and Blueberry Cheesecake (on sale this month!) Each one smells so delicious. Yes, I went a little bit crazy. But you know what's crazier? I can't wait to order more!

But the best thing about these balms is the texture and how they work. Cute packaging and great scent aside, they really moisturize and protect my lips. The balm is creamy and buttery, but without being goopy and squishy. I'm pretty picky about lip balms, and I wouldn't love these if they only looked and smelled pretty, but didn't perform.

(Hey, Miss Blue Raspberry looks a bit like Jane Lane from Daria!)

And the ingredients seem pretty natural, without a lot of synthetic, chemical stuff. Looks like it's petrolatum-free, too, although they don't make a big deal advertising this fact.

So if you're into cute lip balms, you've got to try these.

Ingredients:
Glycine Soja Oil (soybean oil), Cera Alba (Beeswax), Helianthus Annus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) Fruit,Tocopherol Acetate (Vitamin E), Natural Additive (as sweetener), Color, Flavor

Lip Balm - No More Petro-Chemicals?

Something different from Asia-town posts!

My new obsession is lip balm. For years, I've been using and buying the same lip balms over and over, and it was time for a change. My previous lip balms were:

• Vaseline

• regular Chapstick

• Philosophy Kiss Me

• Palmer's Cocoa Butter Swivel Stick

• the Oprah-approved Smith's Rosebud Salve, and Smith's Strawberry Lip Balm.

A pretty boring collection of lip balm, but they worked fine at keeping my lips from becoming chapped.

Lately, people are becoming concerned about petro-chemicals such as petrolatum, mineral oil, and microcrystalline wax, which are by-products of petroleum refining. Some believe that it's potentially harmful. You'll find sources on the internet that say it's toxic, but I think they might be a little alarmist. And they're often trying to sell you some sort of natural product as an alternative.

I'll be honest - I don't know if it's toxic or not. I know that mineral oil is used on babies, and even ingested as a laxative. I know that I've been rubbing Vaseline, 100% petrolatum, on my lips for years. I also know that it's an ingredient in a ton of other lotions and creams. Every single one of my previous lip balms contains some type of petro-chemical. It's an ingredient in Neosporin ointment. It won't be easy to completely eliminate it.

But I do think there is a better argument to avoid petro-chemicals than possible toxicity - they are a non-renewable resource. So it's more eco-friendly to use products that are made from natural materials like beeswax or plant-based materials (e.g., cocoa butter, shea butter, etc.)

So I've decided to make a switch, and phase out my current lip balm collection and replace them with petro-chemical-free balms.

Plus, it's another excuse to go shopping.

Good Stuff at Your Local Asia-town, Part 4

More kitchenware again. And yes, we're still in Asia-town.

Today's item is not Asian-made. It's a French-made glass casserole by Luminarc.



This particular model is called Vitroline. You can use it in the stovetop, oven, microwave, and even the freezer. The best thing about this glass casserole is that it's so clean. There is absolutely no food residue you need to scour off, and no coating to wear out. And it conducts heat really well. Even after you take it off the heat, the liquid bubbles for a good long while.

I guess the French are good at making these stovetop "cocottes," with all the braising they do? I don't know that much about French cooking, but I do like their pots.

So these Luminarc casseroles are fantastic. I've got the 2 liter size, which is a good versatile middle size. The design on mine is the same as the above photo. Although the pot is made in France, the design must be Korean, because it's emblazoned with these delightful bits of Konglish:

You will surely be satisfied with our Herb garden
When you are tired of other products

Unique and fresh life on the table
Would you mind enjoying your meals
with our creative
and special Herb garden cookwares

How friggin' hilarious is that? Real conversation starter, isn't it?

As of now, I've been unable to find these Luminarc casseroles anywhere outside of Korean houseware shops. I'm not sure why these glass stovetop casseroles aren't more available in the U.S. People seem to like the Visions cookware by Corning, and this is the same thing, but costs much less.

If you like the Visions Corning pots, Luminarc also makes clear amber pots, called Amberline:

I paid $36.99 for mine at Chung's Appliance.