Kokie Cosmetics ~ Unicorn inspired Nails #2

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Round two of Unicorn Nails :) This time more soft and girly look. 

Last week Unicorn nails check here.

I am really impressed with Kokie Cosmetics nail polishes. 

The ones I used applied so nice and went on without chipping for over 5 days! 

I really love the way my mani turned out :) Cute, girly and sparkly! 

The polishes I used :

* Berries N Cream ~ pale peachy pink. Very pretty soft and pretty. But even after two coats looked a bit streaky and uneven. I fixed it with the glitter polishes tho. And I really like the way it turned out

* Wishful ~ gorgeous sheer glittery topper. This gives this mermaid kinda sheen to the nails, it looks so good on the Berries N Cream.  I painted over BNC on the middle finger, can you tell? On the pinky I applied all three of the polishes. 

* Celestial ~ beautiful rose gold holographic glitter. OMg looks so good on :) I am a sucker for anything rose gold :) This is a great as a topper :)  Isn't it gorgeous! I am in love you guys!

I still have few more polishes by Kokie Cosmetics that I need to put out to test. So far I really like them. For $6 you can't go wrong. Plus they are Cruelty free! So there you go! 

* nail polishes were send to me by Kokie Cosmetics and Octoly for my #honestopinion #octolyfamily #gifted

Brand Focus ~ Nyakio Beauty

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Nyakio Beauty, owned by  first generation American of Kenyan descent, Nyakio Grieco. Ever since she was  little girl she spent a lot of time traveling to Kenya to see her grandmother. While there, Nyakio would learn family beauty secrets, that  later would spark her interest in skin care.

Her 16 piece skin care collection launched at Ulta Beauty few months ago.  

It is priced form $22 to $49. The brand uses amazing hydrating ingredients like neroli, maracuja, sweet almond and marula oil. Most of her faboulus ingriedients can be found all over the globe, Kenya, India (tamanu), Egypt (chamomile), Mali (baobab), Peru (quinoa).

I really like how the inside of the packaging looks like! 

I have 4 products that I will share my opinion on :)

Sweet Almond Cleansing Oil Balm ~  I really love the idea of double cleanse. For a quite some time I been using oils first and than I would follow up with my cleansing gel or balm. This balm to oil gently melts away makeup and dirt. it Smells wonderful too! Too be honest with this particular product i don't even need to follow up with any other cleansing products. It literally take it all off. But there is a con with this. If you take it off with water it get so greasy! like I need to use a paper towel to clean up all the,mess. Once that is done my skin does feel hydrated and clean. There is no makeup or greasy residue left.  I believe that people with dry skin would love this cleansing oil balm.  I am not a fan. I use L'Occitane  Cleansing oil and I think it works better in my opinion :) $28

Baobab Youth Infused Daily Defense Creme ~ Oh my goodness this creme smells so good! Moisturizer feels really lightweight and absorbs quickly leaving skin so soft and beautiful. My skin feels hydrated with out being greasy. I use it night time . for day time I reach for moisturizer with spf in it.  $35

Chamomile Soothing Sleep Mask ~ this ultra hydrating overnight facial mask instantly quenches skin with intense, lasting moisture and nourishment. This comforting cream works with skin's natrual nighttime recovery process to calm and rejuvenate tired looking skin with soothing blend of Chamomile, Calendula and Aloe Vera, With that said this is by far my favorite product.  Oh god how I love sleep masks! I do think they work wonders to the skin. And this one is no different/ Especially now, I been working a lot and myself and my skin feels tired. Once I apply this mask at least three times a week I can see a difference! My skin feels hydrated, calm and  well rested. I use it with Baobab daily moisturizer. I have to say once its on my face I feel more relax and I sleep better :) Definitely a must have in my routine . $35

Kenyan Coffee Lip Polish ~ did someone say coffee? Another great product by the brand. Lip scrubs and any kind of lip polishes are my jam. Well hello I been wearing matte liquid lipsticks and you know they are drying as hell. So a good scrub is a must have to get rid of the dry skin off my lips. I simply squeeze small amount and rub on my lips. I rinse with warm water. My lips feel really soft and plump :) After words I apply a lip balm for extra moisture. $24

Overall this brand is pricey I know , but at the same time is good. They use organic and natural ingredients and plus its cruelty free! No harmful ingredients what so ever. My personal favorites is the duo that I use night time Baobab creme and Chamomile Mask. 

You can find above products and more at Ulta near you :) 

Things You Should Know About Cruelty Free Cosmetics

Hi Loves! 

Today I coming to you with a quest posts from ZARA. 

Zara is a blogger over at High Style Life. She is mommy of three: two kids and puppy. She is also a designer and freelance writer. Passionate about traveling, hiking, cycling and yoga.She also writes out the things that inspire her , mostly healthy lifestyle, fashion and beauty tips. 

I hope you guys will find this post a good read. I personally love cruelty free beauty and I been using makeup and beauty products that Cruelty free daily. I mean you can also find some 'non' cruelty free products on my page. It is only because I like some of them and I am on search for cruelty free dupe. 

Without more saying lets jump to post that lovely Zara wrote for me :) 

I don’t know about you, but I began noticing just how much the internet is filled with ‘Faith in Humanity Lost’ and ‘Faith in Humanity Restored’ posts. People from all over the world step out of their way to share heart-warming stories of people helping each other, or chilling stories of cruelties and sadness. I have personally decided long ago that I will do whatever I can to make this world a better place, and that meant cruelty-free approach to life, cosmetics included.

Why do we ignore labels?

I have noticed that people generally look at the label to see who makes the product, the shade of lipstick or eye shadow, or in rare cases the list of ingredients. People who scan the labels and look for ‘cruelty-free’ signs are very rare, and that makes me sad. I remember coming across a photo of a bunny wearing eye shadow and I was appalled! Millions of animals are going through painful and uncomfortable processes so that new makeup can be out on the market. Now, unless a product has the ‘Leaping Bunny Symbol’, I’m not buying it.

What I am using

After a very extensive and thorough research, I have settled with a few brands that I like; their policies are transparent and are always cruelty-free. I love beautiful fruit-pigmented eye shadow from 100% Pure, while concealer and lipsticks I get mostly from Nyx cosmetics. ‘Cruelty-free makeup brushes’ means that they are made from synthetic fibres, and while I heard people avoid using these brushes because they are not natural, I refuse to use anything that was animal-made. When it comes to cleansing products, most commonly opt for Cosmedix Purity Deep Cleansing kit that contains the most essential products I need to keep my skin fresh and healthy. I also started making my own body scrubs from coffee and coconut oil, and face masks from eggs and olive oil; and I have to say that I’m much more satisfied with the results.

What are the alternatives?

As I mentioned with makeup brushes, it is not always black and white, and sometimes you will have to pause and think about your priorities before you make a decision. Vegan makeup means that there are no animal products inside, which also implies that no animals were harmed while it was made, but it also means that there are usually synthetic ingredients used as an alternative. On the other hand, organic makeup means that everything inside is natural, but it also includes things like beeswax or honey, which some of people who are vegan would not like. In the end, you will have to read the label carefully and make a decision.

Where you can find the right cosmetics?

The key is to be informed and know what you are looking for: is mineral-based makeup right for you or are you interested in organic makeup more? Is vegan makeup too much or the right choice for you? It will eventually be your decision, but it is always good to know that famous brands such as Lush cosmetics, Nyx, and Urban Decay are among the best cruelty-free brands on the market, especially since I personally love their products and I’m satisfied with the results.

I know that this seems irrelevant to many, but to me it represents just one of the small but effective ways to change the world by doing what is right. There is more than enough cruelty present everywhere, and I for my part choose to use cruelty-free cosmetics that not only make me look good on the outside, but it also makes me feel good on the inside too.

Hope you all enjoyed it and thank you Zatra for this post :)