Tiny Hacks of Cosmetic Life

Hey everyone! Mmmh, I've missed this blog so much.  I was busy with piano performance exam and all other dream-realisation projects! :D At least now I'm not thinking about the exam and one of my to-do-list has been done: to change Lai Maheswari's strings.  Horray! Now Lai sounds so...soooooo alto! :))

OKAY.  Enough with the greeting.  Ahay. How's your life, Cuties? Mine is good. I've been decluttering a lot! Don't forget to visit my garage sale page: Huraya Garage Sale.  You might find a goodie you want to adopt so much! ;)

Another division I try to reduce is...sure, my cosmetics! I'm using them religiously so it will be effective and useful, not being a rubbish.  And I'm still going.  No matter what.  But the happiest part of it is: the tricks! Tricks of what? Of substitution.  Hm? You don't get it? We can substitute almost anything, with many, many ways, and it will save your cash & space! I will talk about the 'closet-minimalizing' effect on me later, but today: SUBSTITUTION!

For example? 
Change your body lotion to some plant-based oil.  The best candidate is Virgin Coconut Oil.  It's local, natural, and perfect for tropical country like our beloved Indonesia. :)
If you need the oil that is more moisturizing, well, I recommend using Olive Oil or Grapeseed Oil.  There are still so many alternatives out there.  Please make your research. :D

Why? 
Body lotions are such a waste of money--at least for me.  We buy a bottle or fragrance and random oils and emulsifier plus dangerous preservatives, sometimes we get bored with the scent and leave it until it's too old to be applied and gross.  There are natural and organic body lotions out there.  But we still don't purchase them to get the 100% function, right? Sometimes we just want the scent...or anything else, or you just need a lotion.  Naturally, our skin will be alright without some lotion or butter.  If you leave in tropical country, it's even more vivid to say that.  Yes, some people have dry, flaky skin.  And the only thing you need might be: a whole cacao butter or virgin coconut oil / olive oil / canary oil, etc.  Who can even guarantee that the mix of Propylene Glycol and Parabens, with flowers and shea butter added may make your skin healthier? And it's more expensive than anything, if you count carefully.

Another idea? 
Perfume! I know, I love those beautiful fragrance bottles, too.  Pretty eau de toilette products everywhere.  New arrivals of body mist from your favourite brand. Tempting! I know that feeling, pretty ladies. I was there.  In the position of 'oh how I want to grab anything my eyes see'.  But, inhale, exhale.  It's unhealthy.  For you, your wallet, and Earth.  I know many girls are frustated to see bottles of fragrances on the box.  All half-empty but not finished yet for a looong time. You tend to get bored to some scent a lot.  Then you adopt another alternatives.  And another...and another.  I know that.  Once, I had 3 scents at the same period: floral solid perfume in a tin jar, edt in a beautiful glass bottle, a body mist in plastic spray...and I don't even use them periodically or alphabetically or anything! I only want them to stay because I think I'll be weary with same fragrances all the time. So they stay quite full for months.  Voila.  A clutter.

So...
Now I live with no edt at all.  Nor solid perfume or body mist.  WHAT? Yes.  I reduce meat consumption too (now officially a half-time Pescaterian), so I don't have too many body odour source, though.  And, since I don't use deodorant for health reason ( aluminum chlorohydrate issue), actually, the armpit is happier.  Somehow. Plus, my choices of shower soap.  Those synthetic-fragrances in the general soaps cause trouble on me.  First, it gets me dizzy. Second, it's boring. Haha. Just call me a hippie, people!

Anyway, everytime I want to have some specific scent, I take a small bottle of Nicole's Naturals' fragrance oil.  Just that.  A drop or two and let your bloodstream behind the neck and on the wrist work! Seriously.  If the magazine says we should spritz the perfume on that area, yes, it's true. And it works boldly with fragrance oil.  Better if you have essential oil! :D I don't want to buy too much bottles of oils, so I haven't get an essential oil.

If you want to have a great sticky scent, the more portable fragrance, use lip balm.  Lip balm with your favourite fragrance.  Make sure it's a clear lip balm, natural, even better the organic one.  Find one with shea butter or plantbased wax.  Don't find one with petroleum-based-wax.  If you wanna be vegan in cosmetic life, don't drop your choice on beeswax.  Read the ingredients.  If you can't find the ingredients list, don't trust.  Except you cook them yourself! Hahaha. As simple as that. Apply on 'fragrance-carrier' areas.  Finished.  The ozone is safe.  You're safe. You're ready to rock!

And again...
Hm, okay.  Blusher and lipstick have the same philosophy, right? They give you a shade of red or pink.  Or peach. Alright. You name it.  Purple... LOL.  If you're not a cosplayer, or a theatre actor, or wayang wong actress, do you need 10 lipsticks and 5 blush ons in your shelf?  Let me repeat the question.  DO YOU? :))
Haha, sorry.  Too much Capslock. But, really, DO YOU NEED THAT MUCH IN YOUR LIFE? They will be so useless in the end (please note, now we're talking about the-daily-life-without-being-a-performer).

Everytime you're going to buy a new one, please ask yourself: Will you use your magenta lipstick everyday? Will you love the lipstick you're going to bring to the cashier throughfully? Have your cheeks pale enough to be blushed again by some powder?

And please note that...you can buy a lipstick and use it as a blusher, too.  So it's better to find the lipstick with safe ingredients.  Because you'll swallow some part of it, and you'll apply the small amount on your skin. Avoid petroleum and mineral oil.  NO. And avoid carmine.  It's a bug being crushed.  Choose mineral colours or fruit-dyed, or anything you can spell.


Ah, I'm sleepy now.  Let's stop for a while.  And rethink of our consumptive habits. :)