Lead in lipsticks? Not in this one!

Have you been following the news about lead in lipsticks? Scary stuff ... especially if you have little one who likes to play dress up and sneaks some of Mommy's lipstick from time to time!

Well, I have good news! Canadian company Leaf and Bud Naturals has a wonderful new lipstick from Suncoat that is free of lead ... and a lot of other unsafe ingredients!

I placed an order from Leaf and Bud Naturals a few weeks ago (thanks to a generous gift certificate from my daughter, Bethany). When I received the package, there were a couple free bonuses in the box; one of which was a full-size tube of Suncoat Natural Lip Stick in Almond Frost. I was pleased and eager to try it!

My first reaction, after I'd opened the attractive green box, was one of surprise. The tube was unlike anything I'd ever seen. Instead of the usual plastic, this lipstick was encased in bamboo! How wonderful is that? Bamboo is highly renewable, as the fastest growing grass around! And check out how gorgeous this is (in an earthy, eco-friendly way).

I immediately applied it to my lips, and admit, I was a bit disappointed. It didn't apply as smoothly as I expected. But then, I had to ask myself, "Is it because I'm just used to all the unsafe crap in my usual lipsticks?" Oops. That's probably it. And, the bottom line is, I rarely wear lipstick. I'm partial to lip gloss or chapstick. So, naturally, the application would be a bit 'rougher' than I'm accustomed to.

This is a 'moisturizing' lipstick, however, so my expectation was to feel immediate moisture on my lips. That didn't happen. However, 'moisturizing' doesn't always occur instantaneously, right? It's more of a conditioner that takes repeated application.

So, after dealing with how it felt, I determined I wasn't happy with how it looked. On me, at least. And that is simply because of my age. My lips are getting old, and frosted lipstick just exaggerates that. At my age, believe me, you don't want anything that exaggerates it!

I decided to give the lipstick to my daughter, Bethany, who is naturally beautiful. The lipstick just enhances her beauty. She had the same reaction that I had to the bamboo tube! We love it and wish more companies were going this route.

Bethany likes the look of the Almond Frost, which works much better on her younger, fuller lips. She, too, is used to gloss and chapstick, so the drier consistency of the lipstick required some acclimation. She's wearing it everyday, however, appreciating the 'safety' factor, especially in light of all the 'lead in lipstick' news of late.

For me, a non-frosted formula would be better. It's just one of the endless changes women my age have to adapt to. There's a trade-off for me, though. I get to be a grandma. I'll deal with the other changes! Lincoln and Laura make it worth it!

If you're unfamiliar with Leaf and Bud Naturals, you don't know what you're missing. I can't say enough good about them! This is what they say on their About Us page:

"We truly care about the well-being of you and your family, so we bring you trusted natural, organic, vegan, vegetarian gluten free and cruelty free products and brands at fair prices."

And they do truly care ... at least that's been my experience since discovering them a couple of years ago. Plus, they have a Certified Aesthetician available to answer any questions customers may have. Allin and Catriona Faragalli are not just about selling products! They're about making lives better.

Here's some of the information they provide about the Suncoat Natural Lip Stick:

• All natural, safe and non toxic
• No paraben preservatives, no petrochemicals, no artificial colors or chemicals
• Natural renewable bamboo cartridge
• Made in Canada

And, of course, that means, there is NO LEAD. Period. None.

Check it out for yourself. And while you're there, peruse the site for more wonderful Leaf and Bud Naturals products.

Reviewing it for you,

Hana