Girls playing grown-up. Grown-ups playing girls.

Samples from The All Natural Face - affordable & a great way to find the colours you like

Ok, so I do LOVE playing make-up, but until I found mineral make-up last year I have almost given up using it altogether as it kept on irritating my skin & my eyes.

The foundation that always feels too thick, or too drying or covers but in blotches & no matter how much you scrub your face it ends up all wrong. Or when you've been at the computer for a hole day starring at the screen & end up rubbing your eyes & the mascara & the eyeshadow get in and sting so bad you have to run into the bathroom to wash them off. All that is not fun!

But fun is exactly what I think make up should be. Maybe that's just a little girl in me that used to love playing with her mother's lipsticks & mascaras. Or the teenager that wants to look pretty & is ready to experiment with orange eyeshadow & blue mascara. Or the grown woman that has finally found what suits her, but from time to time would still love to try something different.

And while mineral make up might not glue itself to my face as the conventional one does, nor stay for 24h and then to be scratched off with more chemicals, these days I wouldn't use any other, even if it does mean re-applying it from time to time. All you need to do to take it off is simply washing it off with water & gently pat your face dry with a towel, or, if you're as lazy as me, simply fall asleep still wearing it for that slightly sultry&messy bed eyes look in the morning ;D

So this is why I'd like to let you know about the mineral make up & the great sellers I have come across that are making, wearing & selling it directly.

The All Natural Face is run by Crystal & on her website you'll find an amazing array of everything you need for your make-up & face: foundations, eyeshadows, primers, serums, and lots more. If you're not sure about the exact colour or shade, there are plenty of foundation samples & eyeshadow samples to choose from so no more buying a whole pot & not using it. I love her Lengthening and Volumizing Mascara in All Natural Black.


PUREnatualMinerals is run by Rose who creates my favourite mineral powder foundation. You'll find great selection of mineral make-up items in her shop & also yummy lip care.

Both sellers make, use themselves & sell make up that doesn't contain any harmful ingredients & is suitable even for the sensitive skin, and if you have a kid or a teenager you will certainly appreciate this (queue orange eyeshadow & blue mascara!) :) . And both sellers have been extremely helpful in helping me find what I've been looking for in make-up - the right shade, colour, feel, something that I enjoy wearing & something that is fun, just as make-up should be. & Whatever your age may be, I'm sure you'll love playing with what you receive in packages from them - I certainly do! :D

Ocean Green eyeshadow & Vegan Mascara in All Natural Black

Synergy

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=113153

Ok, sometimes I'm too lazy, or simply don't have enough time to search in order to find new items for my next treasury. But I love making treasuries. So, often I go to the shops of the Jet & McEtsy teams I'm in & pick something I like there or something that fits the theme. Recently, for the first time in about half a year, I began using Pounce feature on Etsy again in order to find items for my treasuries. It has a choice of Undiscovered/Just Sold. This treasury was made with some items using this feature & featuring sellers who haven't yet had any sales on Etsy and/or have recently joined. Plus, some new items from my 'old' favourites. & While I like finding new items & sellers and making a treasury with lots of 'fresh' talent, it got me thinking - what about those that only had a sale or two? Their shops would not show up in Pounce & it would be much harder to find them on Etsy if not searching the particular thing they're making/selling. More often than not, it's hard for people to start an online shop & get some exposure for it & get it 'off the ground' - I would not say that my own shop is 'off the ground' yet! & this is something that Etsy is failing at - giving equal & regular exposure and promotion to all its sellers. They seem to strive for a certain aesthetic, a brand, but for a site that is supposedly promotes handmade it fails to realise that handmade is not just one aesthetic, it's not just one fashion, one trend - it's a community (however un-uniformed) & in a community every member has to have a voice & some attention. Not least because each seller tries to promote their Etsy shop wherever they can & by extent Etsy itself, so it doesn't seem that much to ask that Etsy promotes its sellers in return. Does it?