Guest posts are super awesome!  You know why?  Well for a few reasons really...

1.) I get to spend time talking to some of my favorite girls on collaborations. 
2.) I get to have more awesome content on Nosh & Nurture, and they get some shout-out love.
3.) Some days I get really busy at work, and then get really tired, and it's awesome to have one of my girls be like, "oh hey, I got this one." 

I love them.

So today is apparently National Lipstick Day.  I saw it all over Instagram, so I asked my beautiful sister who is a beauty writer and cosmetology student to write a great little piece on how we can get a better pout.  

Take it away Ash...

For more tips from Ashley, follow her on Instagram at @AVMakeup_Artistry

Let's face it, a girl wants to look beautiful.  I believe it is deeply encoded somewhere in our DNA. But here's the problem with that little fact...

Make-up contains chemicals and toxins.

Chemicals and toxins like phthalate's, lead, ammonia, parabens, fragrance (not the natural pretty kind) and lanolin. 

And these chemicals and toxins are bad. Very bad in fact, and have been proven to cause all sorts of nasty problems like cancer, reproductive challenges and allergies. I made a pocket-printable for you to keep in your purse of all the really nasty ones. 

That's just not worth it in my opinion to feel pretty. Now a small disclaimer before I go raving about my mineral make-up findings. All products pose a risk for those that are sensitive and it's not great to have even mineral makeup on your face or eyes overnight, but unless we are willing to go outside, find some red rock powder and make our own rouge (didn't think so), then it's definitely a healthier way to go. 

So as I started to overhaul my beauty bag, one of the first companies I stumbled upon was Mineral Fusion.   More specifically their mascara.  It was love at first swipe.  It's long lasting, gives full lashes, comes in true jet black (or brown if you prefer) and most importantly, no gross chemicals. 

My eyes have become very sensitive in the last couple of years.  Baby blues that use to take all kinds of torture on sets and at photo shoots, covered in heavy products from MAC, will now become red or swollen if I sleep in ANY product overnight.  But I have found that this mascara is gentle enough that I can wear it all day and night to magazine events.  It also washes off easily. 

Another product I love in the line are the pencils.  The eyeliner is creamy and glides on smooth and I love the deep black color it gives for dramatic eyes, and the brown eye pencil is PERFECT for filling out my eye brows. My brows are very small, and I like to draw them on when I want to look more "done up." 

And finally, their eye shadows.  I ADORE these. I've tried MANY mineral eye shadows and most don't give dark pigment which I crave for nights out.  Mineral Fusion color pots come in an assortment of colors and these two are my personal favorite for blue eyes. The gold and brown mix I use for day time, and for more dramatic eyes to bring out my eyes natural blue, I use the blue and deep green palette.  They glide on smooth, the color lasts and they wash off easily as well. 

Overall, I recommend this line to anyone seeking a healthier alternative for the beauty bag. 

If you have any questions on my beauty routine, contact me here.
For more information on Mineral Fusion, visit http://www.mineralfusion.com

*this post is not in any way sponsored by Mineral Fusion. These are my honest, personal opinions of all items within.