From the very beginning of my Gluten Free makeup search, Afterglow has stood out. Their website rocks, they have all the information I can think of anyone wanting to know about their products right on the website and I have heard many glowing reviews of their makeup. So naturally, I’ve been very curious to test Afterglow out for myself.
And now finally, I have. 😀 My Mom ordered a bit for herself and graciously has allowed me to raid it for purely test purposes (you’ve no idea how much I sacrifice for y’all). So thanks Mom!!
Here’s what we’ve got:
- Organic Aloe Concealer
- Organic Triple Eye Treatment
- Organic Mineral Foundation
- Organic Mineral Blush
- Organic Setting Powder
- Organic Color Lock
- Ultra Matte Eyeshadow
- Mineral Eyeshadow
- Powder Eyeliner
In short, I love this makeup. The concealer is like a magic eraser, the foundation is smooth and has good cover, the blush is totally natural, the setting powder really polishes it off, the color lock works well and is super gentle and the eyeshadows and liners are vivid, smooth and lovely.
That’s about the gist of it there; keep reading to hear my more detailed review.
Organic Aloe Concealer
This stuff is incredible. I can watch my widdle red spot vanish before my eyes like magic. The only possible downside is that if the skin is a bit rough there, it does not smooth the crevices very well, leaving an uneven coating. But then, I think most concealers do that too.
Organic Triple Eye Treatment
Honestly, I haven’t really used this much. Mom does though and she tells me it works quite well. Not only does she love the way it handles the puffiness and covers the dark circles, she loves the properties this oh-so-much-more-than-a-concealer has in the “anti-aging” department. Trust me folks, she looks smashing now and has on several occasions been mistaken for my sister. But if anything is going to keep those youthful eyes of hers looking youthful, the natural herbs should do it better than anything else.
Organic Mineral Foundation
This stuff is wow. It goes on smooth, evens out my complexion, does not look flaky and lasts really well. I love it! I can’t really describe how wonderful it feels to my skin. So silky, so gentle… Impressive.
Organic Mineral Blush
This blush has a remarkably natural look to this. It really adds such a lovely healthy glow! So many blushes look “painted”, which I personally can’t stand. As a matter of fact, I hate that look so much that I usually completely avoid blush in an effort to stay completely away from it. But the natural translucency of this mineral makeup allows me to softly layer subtle tones in such a way that it looks utterly real. No painting here ladies! But if you do like a bright blush look, there is plenty of color in the powder to allow you to amp up the rouge to the maximum level.
Organic Setting Powder
This evened out the foundation, smoothed the finish and, when using the translucent powder, took nothing away from the color of the foundation. Superb stuff! Another of my Mom’s favorites.
Organic Color Lock
I was amazed at how gentle this was. It was like water on my eyelids! I used it like a primer, but just discovered that it’s also used to mix with the eyeshadows and liners to create liquid shadows and liners. Heh, trust me to plunge ahead without reading all the instructions until much later… 9_9 Anyway, using it as a primer seemed to work very well. As I first dabbed a few drops on the Color Lock seemed a bit liquid-y, but did not drip like I was afraid it would. It seemed to intensify the colors of the eyeshadows and lent a very smooth base to paint on. And it dropped the creasing to a minimum.
Ultra Matte Eyeshadow, Mineral Eyeshadow & Powder Eyeliner
What is interesting about these three products is that they are designed to be used practically wherever on your eye you want to use them. The eyeliner can be used as a shadow, or the shadow can be used as an eyeliner, etc. The eyeliners are more jewel toned, while the shadows are more natural. They’re all simply gorgeous! Take note, though, that without a primer they tend to crease rather badly.
But what I really love about these eyeshadows and eyeliners is their versatility. Like the blush, they have this amazing translucency which lends itself to layering, mixing, using various amounts of shadow. I’ve been able to use the very dark, very rich Ultra Matte “Cocoa” as a soft, naked looking shadow on my lid. Sometimes, I put a bit too much of the eyeliner “Deep Eggplant” on my lid, so I put a dark layer of “Cocoa” in the crease, then covered my entire eye, brow bone, lid and crease with the Mineral Eyeshadow “Snow”. The almost white powder blended into the Eggplant and Cocoa, brightening the colors and adding a soft glow without looking dusted in powered sugar. Oh, how much time I’ve spent marveling over these eyeshadows. I am a total fan now. Major LOVE!
Closing thoughts
I love Afterglow. Oh, did I say that already? Sorry. Lemme try to think of another way to sum this up. Ummm… How about… Afterglow is stellar!! Oh, too repetitive? Oops. Ummm…. Afterglow is a wonderful company dedicated to natural makeup that is kind to our skin, kind to the environment and kind to Celiacs. And did I mention that their makeup is incredible?
Someday, I would like to try their lip stuff, especially the “Courage” lipstick. My hankering for a really red lipstick hasn’t been fulfilled yet. But for now, I’m delighted with the Afterglow stuff that I have snitch from my Mom. This stuff is truly awesome.