From Kiss and Make Up Blog

WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 2011

Meet the Brand: La Bella Donna

Fun fact: while the term Bella Donna is Italian for "Beautiful Lady," it is also a plant...a member of the deadly nightshade. Years and years ago, drops were made from the belladonna plant that were used by women to dilate their pupils. Apparently, dilated pupils used to be considered attractive, so women would use the drops to look their best. The only problem? Belladonna can cause minor visual distortions, inability to focus on near objects, and increased heart rate. Prolonged usage was reputed to cause blindness.

Fear not...belladonna is no longer used for cosmetic purposes and is not in anything from the brand I'm introducing you to today: La Bella Donna. Just wanted to share my fun facts with you (I was a history major, so give me a break!) and remind you about how far we come with the use of potentially harmful beauty products.

Ok...back to the original point of this post: La Bella Donna Cosmetics! I received a lovely box filled with products to try out. La Bella Donna makes "mineral makeup that is truly good for your skin." Their products include loose mineral foundation, liquid mineral foundation, highlighting creme colors (in moonlight and candlelight), bronzers, concealers, mineral eye shadows, and even mineral makeup for men(!). Their products are all natural, and their mission is to "bridge the gap between wellness and sophisticated beauty." Their foundations contain non-chemical SPF20 and are free of dyes, oils, talc, alcohol and other chemicals.

My favorite product I've tried is their face compact called Vision of Mineral Lights Compact Colours ($45). Here's how they describe this product: "Quads of compressed mineral bronzing colours give your skin an après sun-kissed glow. Naturale-created for those with a more fair complexion and may also be used as eyeshadows. Bronze- utilizes both the skin’s naturally occurring tanning undertones of gold and red. Both colours options are a beauty makeup kit must-have."

I love that this quad of color can be used in so many different ways: as a bronzer, an eyeshadow, etc. You could throw this compact in your bag and be set for the day...nice!

The La Bella Donna products I've tried have been of good quality and have been easy to use. They're a bit spendy, so they're not for everyone. If you have the budget for it, you may want to check this brand out!