I don't know about you guys, but I feel like my undereye-circles appeared overnight! I've been noticing this more and more (especially in photos). I was very curious to try the Under Eye Brightener from the brand I Am Green Minded . This product is a loose powder and comes in a container with a sifter  and is meant to be poured onto the lid. The powder is a light-pink color. (Photos Below).

Price: $21.00

Product claims (from website): 

1. Neutralize - Universal shade transforms the dark circles
2. Lightens over time - Infuses a cosmeceutical, botanical blend of extracts, to lighten dark under eye circles over time
3. Zero Comedogenic - Will not clog pores

The "whitening over time" claim did scare me at first because I thought there must be some sort of chemical in there. However, this product lists licorice root as an ingredient, which contains glabridin; Glabridin has natural whitening properties. This product also has caffeine which improves circulation and cucumber to help soothe the eyes. There are  tons of other great vitamins and ingredients as well. 

How I apply:

I sprinkle some of the product onto the lid and take some on a medium-sized fluffy brush. I carefully apply a light layer by gently pressing the brush under my eye. I repeat this process until I get the desired coverage. I'm careful not to apply too much.

Photo Below: Under Eye Brightener was applied only on the right under eye. You can definitely see a difference in brightness.

Pros:

I really like this product for brightening the under-eye. I've found the best way to apply is with no concealer under and adding a little at a time. I like to use this on days when I want to wear little to no makeup and want my eyes to look nice and awake. If applied correctly, this is a wonderful product for under-eyes! Also, it is important to moisturize the skin because the consistency of the Under Eye Brightener is of  a dryer mineral powder. 

Cons:

I've used this product maybe about ten times now and have yet to see any actual whitening happen. I've tried this product over the RMS concealer and it made my skin look cake-y and also dry. I also found that if I apply too much, it starts to look dry and also it can almost make my under eyes TOO bright. 

Ingredients (from website) : Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, Kaolin Clay, Boron Nitride, Serecite Mica, Iron Oxides. Bright eyes blend: Glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice root), Cucumis Sativa Extract (cucumber), camellia sinensis (green tea), Paullinia cupana (caffeine extract), Aesulus hippocastanum (horse chestnut), Olea europaea (olive leaf), Hippophae rhamnoides ( Sea Buckthorn), Rosa canina (rose hip).

 nt wt 0.06-0.07oz / 1.7-2.1g

Let me start out by talking a little bit about my skin. I have acne prone skin! I started getting pimples in middle school and had a crazy amount of acne in high school. I'm talking bit pimples and really red skin. I started to see a dermatologist around that time and was prescribed an antibiotic as well as a cream and toner. I used the stuff prescribed for about a year before I decided my skin had improved enough to stop using it. 

Now let's fast forward to my skin now, I no longer have a crazy acne problem but my skin is still very acne prone! If I touch an area of my face too much, I break out. If I fall asleep with makeup on (which I unfortunately still do once in a while), I breakout. If I'm sweating a lot and aren't able to get to my skincare soon enough, I can breakout. So I'm very breakout prone. I also have a lot of acne scars and larger pores in some areas from when I (stupidly-don't do it!) use to pop pimples when I was younger. I have combination skin, which means I get oily in my t-zone (forehead, nose, chin, cheeks) but I need to heavily moisturize still because I get dry everywhere else. 

Okaaaay so, I like to use an acne treatment pretty much every day in my skincare routine. When I switched over to green beauty, I quickly bought a natural face wash and beauty oil to moisturize. I started noticing many bloggers mention the Kypris Clearing Serum that was suppose to work wonders for acne. Now, I had already spent nearly $70 on her Antioxidant Dew (which I love and don't for one second regret) so I decided to try to find something similar for a smaller cost. I googled organic clearing serum and was so happy to see Juice Beauty had a product called the Blemish Clearing Serum. I read  reviews and everyone who tried seemed to love it. I found it at Ulta for $29 which was awesome. The product is Certified Organic and the ingredients are super clean. It does contain 0.75% Salicylic Acid, so if you're sensitive or allergic to it I'd avoid this product.  I'll list the ingredients below but you can find them here. 

How I apply: I like to wash my face first with whatever face wash I'm using (I try a new one each time and haven't found one I LOVE yet, so let me know if you recommend one) I apply the Blemish Clearing Serum next using 2 drops on my face (they are rather large drops), I wait till that absorbs and once it does it leaves my face a little dry needing moisture (sort of a stiff) , last I apply a mixture of the Kypris Antioxidant Dew and the Acure Argan Oil. I've had this for about 6 months and i'm finally all out, although I did knock it over spilling out a lot of it.

This Product contains 2 fl oz (60ml) 

My Thoughts On The Product:

After just a few days, your acne WILL get better. This product really goes in, fights, and heals blemishes. I noticed a great improvement in my skin's texture as well. One thing I will say is my skin became ADDICTED  to it. If I ever stayed away from home and forgot my Clearing Serum, my skin would go back to breaking out. I don't know the scientific reason behind this, but it's strange. I will definitely have to always have this in my skincare routine! It's a Holy Grail of mine for acne for sure!

Hello! My name is Brenda and for my first post I thought it would be a good idea to post a little product breakdown of my 'no-makeup look'. For my next post, I'll introduce myself and speak a little more about why green beauty is important to me. So as for this look, I use to just walk out the door with nothing on my face but recently I've realized that I wanted to evoke a more polished appearance. Could be something that came with growing up a little bit, i don't know! I also now have dark under eye circle and bags which isn't the end of the world, but it's nice that I can cover them up when I want to. A little makeup when I'm going to be running errands is my go-to..it's a look that isn't going to feel like a mask, yet is going to just let inner beauty shine through. Best of all, you won't feel guilty because all the products used are all pretty natural and won't cause any breakouts! This look is super easy to recreate!

XoXo Brenda

Products Used