I was instinctively drawn to the skincare brand Mad Hippie because I myself am a mad hippie!

But as I am also a serious skincare fanatic, products need more than just a clever name to capture my interest.

I like my skincare products to be highly natural. And full of top notch quality ingredients. And I want them to work!

So when I read the ingredients in Mad Hippie skincare products and saw that they were loaded with super star ingredients from natural sources, I was very eager to try them and see just how well they work.

A quick word about the brand…  Mad Hippie is a small, new-ish American cosmetics brand from Austin, Texas. Their products are made with a high content of natural ingredients.

Though they do not carry the organic label, it does not necessarily mean that they are cutting corners. I’ve found some cosmetics brands before who refuse to put the organic label on their products because they do not agree with how low the standards are in order for a company to be labelled organic.

Maybe Mad Hippie is one of them? I promise I will look further into this matter of why they do not have the organic label on their products.

In any case, on to my review of the two Mad Hippie products that I’ve been using for the past six weeks… the Vitamin C Serum and the Eye Cream!

MAD HIPPIE VITAMIN C SERUM

This serum is packed with eight active ingredients, including Vitamin C and E, Hyaluronic Acid, and Ferulic Acid.

Vitamin C is a powerful anti-oxidant in skincare. It fights against free radical damage and slows down aging. It has been shown to regenerate collagen and improve the appearance of wrinkles. In addition, Vitamin C lightens pigmentation and helps to brighten your overall complexion.

I was originally looking at Skinceutical’s C E Ferulic treatment, which costs a whopping $153.00! But then I saw that Mad Hippie’s Vitamin C serum also contains Vitamin E and ferulic acid, for less than a fourth of the price. Obviously, I went with Mad Hippie.

Vitamin E and Ferulic Acid are also anti-oxidants that can prevent the signs of aging and protect against environmental pollutants as well as against the damaging effects of UV rays.

How To Use: The serum comes in a glass bottle with a glass dropper. This actually makes it really easy to apply. You can use the serum either in the morning or the evening. And then follow it up with your regular moisturizer.

My experience: I only use this serum once every third night. If you’re curious as to what my skincare routine is like, you can read about it here. When I do use this serum, I tend to be very generous with it. I put a drop on my forehead, each cheek, my chin and my nose. I then lightly massage it onto my skin with my fingertips.

The serum comes out as a clear liquid, with a sticky gel-like consistency. The scent is light and pleasant, with sweet floral overtones.

Once the serum is absorbed, I noticed that my skin feels taut immediately afterwards and takes on a bright sheen.

The Results: …are amazing! However, they became only apparent to me after one month of use.

And what did I notice? The lines that were forming around my mouth and on my forehead have been visibly reduced. My skin feels smoother and firmer. The dark blemishes on my check have lightened. And my complexion has overall become brighter.

What I Like About Mad Hippie’s Vitamin C Serum:

- The results!
- Reduced lines
- Smooth, firm skin
- Lightened blemishes
- Brighter complexion
- The price is really good for what it does
- Easy to use with the dropper
- Loaded with great ingredients
- Flower Power packaging!

What I Don’t Like About It:
- It could be a little more hydrating

How Much: $27.19 for 30 ml / 1.02 fl oz on iherb.com

Would I Buy It Again: Definitely!

Ingredients: 

Water Deionized, Vitamin C (Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate), Alkyl Benzoate, Vegetable Glycerin, Water, Glycerin, Sodium Levulinate, Sodium Anisate, Clary Sage (Salvia Sclarea), Grapefruit (Citrus Grandis), Hyaluronic acid, Amorphophallus Konjac Root Powder, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf, Vitamin E (Tocotrienol), Ferulic acid, Chamomile Flower Extract (Recutita Matricaria), Sodium Phytate, Xanthum Gum, Hydroxyethylcellulose

MAD HIPPE EYE CREAM

This eye cream is loaded with 16 Active Ingredients. Jeeze Louise, right?

The featured active ingredients are peptides, ceramides, pomegranate and white tea. But what caught my attention in the first place were the Vitamin K, Vitamin C and Vitamin E. 

Vitamin K is an ingredient to look for if you suffer from dark under eye circles. The eye cream also contains titanium dioxide, which has sun-protective properties and helps to prevent further darkening of the skin.

So, I specifically chose this cream with the hope that it would help to banish my dark under eye circles.

How To Use: The cream comes in an air-tight plastic bottle with a pump. You gently massage the cream onto the skin beside & below the eyes. And you’re supposed to use this twice daily.

My experience: So I actually use this cream once a day, as I still have another cream that I’m trying to finish. The texture of the cream is light and absorbs easily. The scent subtly hints of berries.

The cream feels soothing and is excellent at hydrating the skin around my eyes! It also works well under makeup.

Results: The cream is very good at hydrating the delicate skin around my eyes. It feels soothing and helps reduce puffiness.

The ingredients are supposed to help protect my skin against external aggressors and thus, slow down the formation of wrinkles and sagging. But the result of such preventive measures are hard to assess.

As far as reducing the appearance of dark circles under my eyes however… I can’t say that it’s helped too much.

What I Like About Mad Hippie’s Eye Cream:

- Hydrating
- Soothing
- Reduces puffiness
- Loaded with great ingredients
- Helps to protect the skin against external aggressors
- Helps to strengthen the skin and reinforce collagen production
- Works well under makeup
- The price isn’t too bad for what it does
- Flower Power packaging!

What I Don’t Like About It:

- Not that effective at banishing my dark circles

How Much: $19.99 for 15 ml / 0.5 fl oz on iherb.com

Would I Buy It Again: I wouldn’t say it’s high on my re-purchase list.

Ingredients: 

Water, Niacinamide, Regu-Age, Eyeliss, Haloxyl, Matrixyl 3000, Glycerin, Vitamin K ( Phytonadione ), Titanium Dioxide, Vitamin E (Tocopheryl Acetate), Squalene, Cholecalciferol, Vitamin C (Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate), Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Argan Oil, Potassium Sorbate, Chamomile Flower Extract (Recutita Matricaria), Vitamin E Acetate, Ceramide 3, Buckwheat Wax, White Tea (Camellia Sinensis Extract), Pomegranate Seed Oil (Punica Granatum), Sorbic Acid

Concluding Thoughts

I was very pleased with Mad Hippie’s Vitamin C serum!

But I was rather disappointed with the Eye Cream. Too bad! Keep in mind that I was looking for very specific results. So the eye cream might work quite well for you.

Also, Mad Hippie offers a 100% money-back guarantee if you are unhappy with a product and you return the unused portion within 60 days.

So I’d say, it’s well worth the risk of giving Mad Hippie a try!

Would you give Mad Hippie a try? Also, if you’ve had great results from an eye cream–especially at reducing dark under-eye circles, I’d love to know about it!

I’ve pretty much given up trying to do anything about my dark under eye circles.

A while ago, I wrote a post about the different health issues that can cause them and the measures you can take to reduce their appearance.

And although there are times when the skin under my eyes seem to recover some of their brightness, for the most part, my dark under eye circles are here to stay!

So I’ve resorted to covering them up with make-up. Hooray for make-up and the ability to hide your imperfections!

Here are four concealers that you can find in my beauty cabinet…

1) Fake Up By Benefit

Despite the rather superficial sounding name, Fake Up concealer gives the most natural looking coverage of any concealer I’ve ever tried. Not only does it conceal dark blemishes, it also works to hydrate the delicate skin under the eyes. The resulting look is brightened skin and no cakeyness!

The Positives: Natural, luminescent coverage. Hydrated skin. No creases.

The Negatives: Holy smokes, the price! Also, coverage is not long lasting.

How Much: $24 at Sephora for 3.5 g

2) Collections Lasting Perfection Ultimate Wear Concealer

I received the Collections Lasting Perfection Concealer from a Beauty Swap. Unfortunately, the medium color is much too pale for my skin tone. But that hasn’t stopped me from trying it out. And yes, it really is as long-lasting as other bloggers have claimed.

The positives: It’s incredibly long-lasting, you need to use only a small amount to get the coverage that you need, and it’s very price-friendly.

The negatives: It tends to settle in the creases.

How Much: £4.19 on Boots for 4.0 g

3) Yves Rocher Flawless Finish Corrector

Technically this isn’t a concealer. It’s a corrector. But I’ve used this alone, as well as in combination with a different concealer. It just depends on how bad my under eye circles look on any given day. I also use this to cover other dark blemishes before applying foundation.

The positives: Good coverage. Lasts long. Goes on lightly and does not settle in creases.  Multi-purpose. Price-friendly.

The negatives: Goes on dry and the tint is a bit dull.

How Much: €7.5 at Yves Rocher for 5g

4) MAC Pro Longwear Concealer

For the longest time, this was the only concealer I used. And I was quite happy with it. So I’m not sure what it was about this concealer that made me start looking for others. Maybe it was because I found it difficult to apply. Or maybe I felt like it made my skin look dry and take on an orange tint. In any case, there are still a lot of redeeming qualities about this concealer.

The positives: Great coverage! Long lasting. Goes on smooth. Does not settle in the creases. A little goes a long way.

The negatives: The pump is tricky. Usually, you will end up taking out a lot more than what you need. Dries out quickly, so it’s hard to apply. And as I already mentioned, it makes my skin look dry and take on an orange tint after a while.

How Much: $18 at MAC for 9ml

Can you guess which concealer is my favorite? 

Naturally, my favorite is Fake Up By Benefit. Because the resulting look is so natural and luminescent. And to top it off, my skin feels comfortably hydrated.

(No Concealer)

(With Concealer)

But, (with the exception of the Collection Concealer because it’s the wrong color), I still find that the other concealers have their occasional use.

And you, do you use concealers to cover up your dark under-eye circles? If so, which products do you use?

What makes mineral makeup so great is not so much the natural minerals that it contains, but rather, all the other ingredients that are left out.

Because it does not contain preservatives, fragrance, and chemical dyes, mineral makeup is suitable for people who suffer from skin sensitivities.

It is also oil-free and made up of inorganic minerals, which means there is less potential for bacteria growth. So mineral makeup is especially useful for people with acne-prone skin. 

Most importantly, mineral makeup provides a wide spectrum of UVB and UVA sun protection.

The main ingredients in mineral makeup are zinc oxide and titanium dioxide—which are physical sunscreens that provide broad-spectrum sun protection against UVA and UVB rays. But I’ll make a special note on that later.

BARE ESCENTUALS

Although there are many companies today who carry their own line of mineral makeup, I have a great affinity for Bare Escentuals because it was one of the original, if not the first, cosmetic company to bring out and popularize mineral makeup in the 70s. 

I’ve been using Bare Escentuals’ bareMinerals Ready SPF 20 Foundation for over two weeks now. And I’ve got to say…

This powder foundation is ZE BEST I’VE EVER HAD!

 

The powder: A solid, pressed powder that provides medium to full coverage and wide spectrum protection against the sun (SPF 20).

The Ready foundation comes in a wide variety of shades, so it’s easy to find a color that perfectly suits your skin tone.

I use the R330 
color, for tan skin with yellow-olive undertones.

Bare Escentuals claims that wearing this foundation can increase hydration levels in the skin up to 108% after 12 hours of wear, due to their SeaNutritive Mineral Complex formula that contains humic acid and mineral-encapsulated glycerin.

How To Use: I use a kabuki powder brush to apply this powder in sweeping, circular strokes. And that has always given me a smooth finish. There is a bareMinerals Precision Brush that you can buy (at 28 euros) with this foundation. Though I’ve read that applying this with a foundation sponge works just as well.

My Experience: This powder glides on like silk. It blends well and provides excellent coverage. You can easily layer on where you need more coverage. It’s a very light powder, you can’t see it at all! There’s no cakeyness, or powder settling in creases. And a little goes a long way for covering blemishes.

The Result: A natural, glowy, dewy and even complexion that lasts for hours and hours.

I can’t say that using this foundation increased the level of hydration on my face. But it does help retain moisture for areas on my face that tend to dry out.

What I Like About It:
- Smooth, luminous finish
- The resulting look is very subtle and natural
- Great, long-lasting coverage
- My skin can breathe and feel comfortable
- Provides protection against the sun
- Easy to re-apply (for sun protection purposes)
- Clean and simple ingredients
- Simple packaging

What I Don’t Like About It:
- Opening the container is a bit tricky
- It would be great if they could make the packaging re-fillable to limit the impact on the environment

How Much: 28,00€

Would I Buy It Again: YESSSS. It’s a bit pricey, but as I said, a little goes a long way. And the resulting look is just flawless. So this will probably be my favorite powder foundation for a while.

Ingredients: Boron Mitride, Titanium Dioxide, Octyldodecyl stearoyl stearate, caprylic/capric triglyceride, glycerin, magnesium silicate, nylon-12, humic acids, rosa canna fruit oil, jojoba esters, corallina officanilis extract, Lecithin, Betain, Algae Extract. May contain (+/-): Mica, Zinc Oxide (CI77947), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Titanium Dioxide (CI77891).

Closing Thoughts: With so many shades to choose from, it’s better to go out to a store and be color matched in person than buying this online.

Also, be aware that in order to be completely protected from the sun, you’d have to put on layers and layers of this stuff on your face. This is true for pretty much all foundations that claim to protect you from the sun. So if that’s not the kind of look you’re going for, then I suggest wearing a moisturizer with SPF underneath the powder.

There’s so much to be said about sunscreen and SPF in products. But that’s a subject that we will revisit in future posts.

What about you? Have you tried this product before? What is your current favorite foundation?