So, yesterday, I started to tell you about my visit to the Ottawa store Terra20. My goal was to go in to the store and learn a bit more about commonly used chemicals in cosmetics, try out some of Terra20’s safer cosmetic brands, and then share it all with you.
At the Terra20 store, like most other large department stores, you are welcome to come in and receive a complimentary makeover. I’ve done this before at other makeup counters … Clinque, Mac, Estee Lauder. And now I would try out a line of cosmetics called Daniel Thompson Beauty. This product line is only available in select spas and retail stores, and Terra20 is one of them.
Daniel Thompson is a Canadian who hails from Toronto. On his website, it is noted that his collection is refined without using the following potential irritants: talc, oils, coal tar dyes, waxes or synthetic fragrances. He’s developed a high-end product on par with the likes of others in the industry, but he’s made a choice to be careful and transparent with his ingredient choices.
To start with, Krystal, who works in the cosmetics section of Terra20, applied a powder foundation. I was a tad skeptical because I’d heard that a cream foundation is better on skin of my vintage because powder accented wrinkles. But apparently, it is loose powder that accents the wrinkles rather than this type of powder, which is mineral-based. In the end, I was pleased with the look of the foundation powder. Plus, it is so much easier to apply that a liquid foundation!
Next, she spent a bit of time trying to lighten the dark circles around my eyes … ha! Good luck with that! I’ve given up on trying to cover those up ages ago. She used what looked like a combination of a marker and a brush that applied a white liquid. Apparently the product is created using mika, which reflects the light. It is a pretty simple application process really — just dab the brush around the inner eyes. It did help, but only a little. Genetics is hard to fight!
Now, one interesting thing about these mineral-based products is that they are really versatile — you can use the same product as eyeshadow, blush, and even lip colour. Below is a shot of the colour palette that Krystal chose for me. I am naturally attracted to coppers and autumn colours, so this was all good with me.
One thing I’m kind of picky about it lipstick and lip gloss. I find I’m often turned off by the scent and taste of many lip glosses. I think this might have something to do with my gums being really sensitive, but regardless, I’ve tossed many an expensive lip gloss to the bin because I just couldn’t wear it. Happily, I didn’t notice any scent or taste with these glosses and the texture felt quite natural.
In the end, I think that my “after” shot does indeed look better than my “before” shot, but that wasn’t actually my goal. My goal was to find safer cosmetics that performed as well as my standard fare. I kept my makeup on until the end of the day and before washing my face that night, I took a good look. Everything had held up perfectly except for perhaps the creases in the eye shadow that had appeared. My face wasn’t shiny, the mascara was intact, and all looked as good as this ol’ face was gonna get!
Here is the mandatory awkward, close-up “after” shot of my face:
My conclusion? Yes! Safer cosmetics perform just as well, if not better, than their high-end equivalents at the department stores. I’m sold on switching over. But it won’t be an immediate switch … high-end makeup is expensive and I’ll be doing a transition over time.
To help me a long with my transition, Terra20 gave me a $50 gift certificate. But don’t worry, I got your back! They have also generously provided a $100 gift certificate for a giveaway!
One reader will win this $100 gift certificate by random draw next Monday. In order to win, please:
- Be available to pick up your certificate from Terra20 within two weeks of winning.
- Read this blog post and then leave a comment below telling me if you found any of the information surprising
Good luck!
P.S. The lucky winner from last Monday’s giveaway of a Blurb Book is Louise G! Congrats Louise! I’ll be in touch via email.
Edited to add: Guess what? Terra20 is thrilled with all of your interest in safer cosmetics and has offered another $50 gift certificate so that one more reader can have a chance to make the transition over to eco-products! So that means that I will randomly draw for a $100 gift certificate AND a $50 gift certificate! But, don’t forget to follow the instructions above, okay?
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