Why Are You Blogging?

I wanted to write a post about why I decided to start a beauty blog. So here goes:

I've been stressed out. A lot.  Mostly about my health, trying to find good doctors who know what they are doing, and trying to find the right dosing of medicine for me to feel better. (I have underactive thyroid--but that's a whole other story). I realized I was spending so much time focused on my health that I wasn't enjoying life. What's the point of fighting to feel well if you're going to fight the fight from bed? I needed something to distract me from the day to day anxiety. I could still work on being a better me, but I could also focus that effort on my outsides as well as my insides. I realized that the better I felt on the outside translated to feeling confident, happy, calmer, on the inside. 

And so a beauty obsession was born. I saw a meme somewhere recently that fits me to a T. I'm either disinterested in something, or I'm obsessed with it. There is no in-between.  So  now I'm obsessed. I wear makeup almost every day and I'm always on the lookout for a new fun product. I wanted a place to catalog my looks, share ideas, and collaborate with a friend who also enjoys make-up. So Slug Beauty was born. The name is derived from our college days at U.C. Santa Cruz - the school mascot is the banana slug, and university is where we met! You can take the girl out of UCSC, but you can't take the UCSC out of us. :)

When I started wearing makeup, I realized some of the stuff I was wearing was irritating my skin or eyes. I have Celiac Disease AND a wheat allergy, but I never thought that I had to worry about my makeup being gluten-free. But I realized when I wore the gluten-free products, my eyes didn't irritate me. I slowly began to research products that are gluten-free and high quality.  Not everything I own is currently "safe" for me, but I'm making a big effort to only buy stuff going forward that is.  I started emailing companies regarding their gluten-free status and I wanted to share with you some of my findings! If you're getting itchy skin, red eyes, tearing eyes (that's my biggest dilemma), maybe try some of the products I've grown to love to see if it helps you too!  This isn't a comprehensive list, and if you're Celiac like me, please do your own research because product information is constantly changing. 

E.L.F. 
All gluten free. I don't like the eyeshadow primer because it doesn't work very well, and the eyeshadows are weak because they're not very pigmented, but the company claims all their products are totally gluten-free. I have a couple of eyeliners and I'm open to trying new items.  

NARS
Claims to be gluten-free but reviews are shady. Use with caution. I've never gotten any of their makeup so I cannot speak to the quality but it's supposedly very high end. I may try in the future, but it's pricey. 

Laura Mercier 
Never received a reply to my email inquiry, so I won't buy them! 

Nyx
Never received a reply to my email inquiry so I won't buy them! 

Urban Decay
All eyeshadows, including the palettes, are gluten-free. The 24/7 liners are NOT safe which is really too bad. I love love love the quality of them. But I tried to use them and my eyes were super watery, so I cannot.  I LOVE their eyeshadows. A lot of the colors are bold and bright, which can be fun, but hard to incorporate into the office environment. However, their Naked palettes are very versatile. I have Naked3, and I'm debating purchasing another. 

Too Faced
Gluten-free except for the borderline lip liner. I LOVE my palette from them and I'll definitely be buying more! 

Honeybee Gardens 
An entirely gluten-free company! I have a few eyeshadows and a liner from them. Great customer service.

Red Apple Lipstick
The best gluten-free lipstick out there! Very pigmented and buttery smooth. Even if you're not gluten-free, you need to buy their lipstick.

Physician's Formula 
They claim to be gluten-free but they refuse to respond to emails requesting to know where they derive their tocopheral.   I may try their products in the future and see if I get a reaction. But I'm not going out of my way to buy their products. 

That's it for today! I will post more next time. I hope you enjoyed learning why I wanted to write a blog and share what I've learned. Happy makeup-ing! 

-Ami