Being a vegan and cruelty-free blogger, there is one name that excites me more than any other, and that is Cruelty Free International. You may not recognise the name, but I'm sure you'd recognise their leaping bunny logo, after all, it is the gold standard in cruelty-free beauty and lifestyle products. You can imagine how thrilled I was to open an email from them asking if I was interested in working with them. I was sent some products from Beautiful Movements*, a new make-up brand co-founded by Kimberly Wyatt of The Pussycat Dolls, and today I'd like to share my reviews with you.
Blusher - Peachy Glow
I have to admit that I've never been a massive fan of mineral make-up, certainly not if it's unpressed. I find loose powder products to be too messy for my liking usually, but I was interested to see how the blush from this collection held up. Thanks to its packaging I'm happy to say that It's really easy to use and doesn't create any mess at all. As you can see, the large plastic jar which contains the blush has a great little twist mechanism which stops the loose powder from escaping, and also means that it's easy to control how much you want to use. Simply shake a small amount of product into the lid and swirl your blush brush into it, once you're done twist the mechanism closed and no powder will escape.
I've been loving peachy shades on my cheeks recently, however, I think this one is a little too warm for my skin tone. It looks really pretty layered over a pink cream blush but isn't something that I can pull off on its own. Although the shade name hints that it's going to contain some shimmer, I didn't find that at all, it certainly appears more matte on the skin, something which I was pleased about as that's the finish I usually wear on a day to day basis. As for lasting power, I've found that it totally depends on which base I use. With certain foundations, it'll last all day, but with a lighter CC cream it doesn't hold up too well past the three or four-hour mark. That's often the case with blushes, though, so isn't something that concerns me. There's currently only one other shade available, Velvet Dawn which looks like a lovely neutral pink, and I think I'll be buying that next time I put an order in.
Eyeshadow - Platinum Tiara
This reminds me a lot of a Barry M Dazzle Dust, in both shade and formulation, that's not necessarily a bad thing, I used to love Dazzle Dusts, but as most of you will probably agree, they're just too messy. This eyeshadow is loose and comes in a small plastic pot with a twist off top, unfortunately, I think the packaging really lets it down. I find that anytime I open it it goes everywhere, and that's something that really bothers me. For that reason, this isn't something that I'm going to be reaching for on a regular basis even though the shade is really cool-toned and wearable, with the perfect amount of glitter to make your eyes 'pop' without being overdone. I really hope that Beautiful Movements decide to do pressed eyeshadows in the future because I can imagine this being an amazing one to add to your collection then. Because I have hooded eyes I always need to use a base under my shadows, and with my ELF primer this lasts really well, well into the evening after applying it at around 9 am.
Lash Thickening Mascara
I was so excited to try out this mascara, but sadly I wasn't impressed with it at all. I've only ever used one fibre mascara before and it made my lashes look amazing; They were thick, curled and long, and they stayed that way all day. Unfortunately, I can't say the same of this one. The brush is pretty decent, though it's not my favourite kind, and it was easy to work with. The formula wasn't too wet or too dry the first time I used it which makes a nice change, I often open mascaras and don't use them for a few weeks until they've dried up a bit, but there was none of that here. My only issue came when I applied it to my lashes.
The colour is beautifully jet black, but that's where the positives ended for me. I didn't see any increase in thickness, length or curl and the fibres went everywhere. My cheeks were covered, so I brushed them away and carried on with my day. After a couple of hours, I looked in the mirror and I had tiny black speckles all over my face again. So, not only did I see very little difference in my lashes but it actually caused issues over time. I'm glad that I tried this on a day where I didn't have to leave the house or I'd have been really embarrassed.
All in all I think it's safe to say that I have mixed feeling about Beautiful Movements; I like the blush but the shade isn't quite right for me, I like the effect of the eyeshadow and the colour is beautiful, but I dislike the packaging, and the mascara was a total bust. Of course, these are just my opinions and what doesn't work for me may be perfect for you, so I always encourage you to try things for yourself and see what you think of them, especially if you're a fan of mineral make-up already. I'm still interested in the brand and plan on picking up some more things from their collection, so I'll be sure to report back with my thoughts on those.
Over All Thoughts
All in all I think it's safe to say that I have mixed feeling about Beautiful Movements; I like the blush but the shade isn't quite right for me, I like the effect of the eyeshadow and the colour is beautiful, but I dislike the packaging, and the mascara was a total bust. Of course, these are just my opinions and what doesn't work for me may be perfect for you, so I always encourage you to try things for yourself and see what you think of them, especially if you're a fan of mineral make-up already. I'm still interested in the brand and plan on picking up some more things from their collection, so I'll be sure to report back with my thoughts on those.
Go Cruelty-Free
If you're an animal lover, and most of us would identify as such, why not put your money where your mouth is and take the pledge to go cruelty-free? The best way to tell companies that we won't put up with their unnecessary, barbaric and often irrelevant animal experiments is to vote with our wallets. Just imagine if enough people stopped buying from brands who still perform animal experiments, they'd have no choice but to stop and change their ways. By taking the pledge, not only are you making your voice heard, but you could also be in with a chance of winning a hamper full of amazing cruelty-free products. What are you waiting for?
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*PR sample, you can read my full disclosure policy here.
