Phyrra

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The Best Cruelty-Free Foundations for Under $15

The Best Cruelty-Free Foundations for Under $15 - Phyrra is an alternative gothic beauty & lifestyle blog. Reviews & more by Cordelia Frost.

Hex Squad, I know we're all watching our budgets right now. So I put together a roundup of the Best Cruelty-Free Foundations for Under $15, organized by skin type so you can skip the scroll and find what works for you.

Inside the post: 🖤 Normal to Dry Skin picks (the category most underserved at the drugstore) 🖤 All Skin Types versatile options 🖤 Normal to Oily and Combination Skin recommendations 🖤 An FAQ on cruelty-free vs vegan, undertone shopping, and why dry skin foundations cost more 🖤 My personal complexion preferences and current favorites

Brands featured include Silk Naturals, Aromaleigh, CoverGirl, L.A. Girl, Essence, e.l.f., Milani, NYX, plus K-beauty cushions from UNLEASHIA and TIRTIR.

[phyrra]

Laura Geller Baked Balance-n-Brighten Foundation Review: A Love Letter and a Shade Range Wake-Up Call

Laura Geller Baked Balance-n-Brighten Foundation Review: A Love Letter and a Shade Range Wake-Up Call by Cordelia Frost.

I've been wearing Laura Geller Baked Balance-n-Brighten for fifteen years. The formula is one of the gentlest powder foundations on the market, accepted by the National Rosacea Society, recognized by the National Psoriasis Foundation, cruelty-free, vegan.

But in 2026 it still only comes in nine shades. Zero true cool tones. Nothing deeper than Toffee. One pale option that pulls warm pink.

Full review on the blog, plus the eleven shades I'd add if I were consulting on a range expansion.

[phyrra]

How to Spot a Dropshipping Beauty Brand: 9 Warning Signs

A dropshipping beauty brand can look polished, European, and cruelty-free. Here are 9 warning signs to spot one before you spend a euro.

Something has been driving me up the wall lately and I finally wrote about it. You know those fake indie beauty brands that have been showing up in everyone's Instagram and TikTok feeds? The ones with the polished founder backstory, the magical color-changing foundation, the soft European aesthetic?

A lot of them aren't real. They're Shopify storefronts run by people who set up the whole operation in a weekend, dropship rebranded AliExpress products to your door, and disappear when you ask for a refund. They use AI-generated About pages. They invent founders. They claim cruelty-free with zero certification.

After 18 years writing about indie beauty, I put together a guide with the 9 warning signs I use to vet a brand before I buy. For anyone who has wanted to support a real indie and ended up uncertain whether the brand they liked was even a real company.

If you've ever been fooled by one, you're absolutely not alone. I have been too.

[phyrra]

Bellabeautebar Dead Roses Palette Review

Bellabeautebar Dead Roses Palette Review - Phyrra is an alt gothic beauty & lifestyle blog. Review by indie makeup expert Cordelia Frost.

dead roses, dying relationships, and a palette named after both 🥀

new review up: the Bellabeautebar Dead Roses Palette. 7 multichromes, 2 duochromes, 7 mattes, all named after the stages of a relationship falling apart. shade names include Bite Me, Thank U Next, ABCDE FU, and Drop Dead, which is honestly all the marketing I needed.

cruelty free, vegan, Leaping Bunny certified. swatches on very fair skin and full thoughts on the formula at Phyrra.net

[phyrra]

Naked Chocolate Whey Protein Powder and Naked Collagen Peptides Review: The Cleanest Grass Fed Protein I've Tried in 2026

Honest review of Naked Chocolate Whey Protein Powder and Naked Collagen Peptides. Grass fed, third party tested, 3 ingredients, no artificia

AD |

sponsored review for a brand I've actually used since 2019

ok so here's the thing about protein powder that nobody talks about: most of them aren't tested for heavy metals. like at all.

the 2018 Clean Label Project study tested popular protein powders on the market and found measurable levels of lead, cadmium, arsenic, and mercury in a significant number of them. plant based powders tested worse than whey but neither category was clean across the board. and most major brands don't voluntarily disclose third party testing results because they don't have to, which honestly tells you everything you need to know.

Dave and I went down this rabbit hole years ago and ended up settling on Naked Nutrition because they're one of the very few brands that does independent third party testing for heavy metals, pesticides, and contaminants on every single product. they're also NSF certified, which verifies content accuracy and safe contaminant levels.

their Chocolate Naked Whey has three ingredients (grass fed whey, organic coconut sugar, organic cacao). their Collagen Peptides has one ingredient (bovine hide collagen peptides from pasture raised european cows). no artificial sweeteners, no fillers, no proprietary blends, none of the usual supplement industry nonsense.

i've been using both daily for years. the collagen in particular has been meaningful for me because i have hypermobility, which is a connective tissue issue, and consistent collagen peptides have genuinely helped with my joint comfort and skin elasticity over time.

full review on phyrra dot net if you want the deep dive, including taste notes, pricing, and the difference between whey protein and collagen peptides for anyone confused about which one to use (spoiler: i take both, they do different things).

just. please check if your protein powder brand third party tests. it matters more than the marketing wants you to think.

🖤

[phyrra]

me, an American Goth in the Netherlands, trying to find an electric car that:

won't scrape every wall in a Dutch parking garage

has enough doors for two standard poodles

won't kill me

isn't a Tesla

anyway I bought a Polestar 2 and wrote a whole review about it

Polestar 2 Review: Why This Electric Car Is Perfect for Life in the Netherlands

Polestar 2 Review: Why This Electric Car Is Perfect for Life in the Netherlands for my family. By Cordelia Frost.

[phyrra]

The European indie beauty scene is making some of the boldest cruelty-free makeup I've seen in two decades of covering indie brands.

Gothic packaging from actually goth-owned brands. Multichromes and duochromes that shift like magic. Eyeliners creamy enough for sensitive eyes. Refillable compacts that cut packaging waste. And cool-toned shades that are ACTUALLY cool-toned.

I put together a guide to the European cruelty-free indie brands I've bought and loved. New post on the blog.

Send this to your friend who loves indie makeup or save it for your next haul.

Link in bio for the full post, sensitive skin picks, and FAQ. https://phyrra.net/best-european-cruelty-free-indie-beauty-brands-to-try-now.html

[phyrra]

AD From Drab to Fab: How to Dye Hair Extensions and Revamp Your Style! Featuring Irresistible

How to Dye Hair Extensions

How to Dye Hair Extensions - I show you how to dye Irresistible Me clip-in volumizer platinum blonde (#60) and how to care for extensions

[phyrra]

Hello friends! Today I've got a sponsored blog post about the new Supergreat App! I tell you all about this supportive, kind beauty community. No mean girls allowed! Head over to my blog to learn more! AD https://phyrra.net/is-supergreat-app-legit-what-is-supergreat-app.html

[phyrra]

Interested in designer perfume with an affordable price tag? Check out my Dossier Review! AD https://phyrra.net/premium-fragrances-for-everyone-a-dossier-perfume-review.html

[phyrra]

Find you someone who looks at you the way @wh0rizen and I look at each other. It's amazing to have a partner who is always on my team. Want to know the secret to a great relationship? Lean in on repairing, not being right. I don't care about being right, I care about having a great relationship with my partners. I can't wait to do more photoshoots together with Dave. I hope your week is off to a fantastic start! Phenomenal Photographer: @kblv.photography Extraordinary Location: @studioxolv Kitsch Style By: @Starrly_Sinful EYES @urbandecaycosmetics Sin Eyeshadow Primer @nablacosmetics Venom (Wildberry cutie palette) and Cupid's Arrow #4 (black) @terra_moonscosmetics Moon Tide and Blood Moon @lethalcosmetics Remission and Calcination @thrivecausemetics Liquid Lash Extensions Mascara @limecrimemakeup Sea Witch Bushy Brows FACE @danessa_myricks Yummy Skin Blurring Balm in Universal @misshaus Perfect Cover BB Cream SPF 42 13 Bright Beige @aromaleighcosmetics Ostara and Kupala LIPS @aboutfacebeauty 4ever Flame Matte Fix Lip Pencil @kaleidosmakeup Fiamma Cloud Lab Lip Clay

[phyrra]

AD Hello, beautiful creatures! Today I'm debuting a new alternative fashion brand on the blog, Brain Rot Apparel! See what makes them unique! https://phyrra.net/brain-rot-apparel-alternative-fashion.html

[phyrra]

I'd rather be a Scream Queen tonight!

Original photo & one that @starrly_sinful created using an app.

[phyrra]

Time is an illusion, merely a social construct. Oh right, it's that time of year that we 'fall back' to return to standard time. Yuck. I'd rather be a mermaid. Photographer @sveinnphotography Styling by @spellbound_designs

[phyrra]

Love these colors for Autumn! #PhyrrasFault #lethalcosmetics #neverblendin #hoodedeyesarebeautiful #makeupover40 #terramoonscosmetics #hoodedeyesmakeup #eyemakeupideas #shopmystash #halloweenmakeup #newmakeup #HalloweenVibes #AutumnVibes #FallVibes #indiemakeup #indiecosmetics #veganmakeup #crueltyfreebeauty #shopsmallbusiness #indiemakeupbrands #beautynews #diypalette #newpalette #trendingmakeup #trendingmakeupbrand #multichromes #indiemakeupandmore #RomanticGoth #GothVibes (at Tampa, Florida) https://www.instagram.com/p/CjtLdvmu1To/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[phyrra]

Remember the beautiful DIY @gothiccharmschool palette I created with @lethalcosmetics and @terra_moonscosmetics? Well, here's a beautiful red Gothic Charm School look I created, plus a how-to tutorial for it on the blog! https://phyrra.net/red-gothic-charm-school-palette-look-on-hooded-eyes.html #PhyrrasFault #lethalcosmetics #neverblendin #hoodedeyesarebeautiful #makeupover40 #terramoonscosmetics #hoodedeyesmakeup #eyemakeupideas #shopmystash #halloweenmakeup #newmakeup #HalloweenVibes #AutumnVibes #FallVibes #indiemakeup #indiecosmetics #veganmakeup #crueltyfreebeauty #shopsmallbusiness #indiemakeupbrands #beautynews #diypalette #newpalette #trendingmakeup #trendingmakeupbrand #multichromes #indiemakeupandmore #RomanticGoth #GothVibes (at Tampa, Florida) https://www.instagram.com/p/CjsqJndOgM-/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[phyrra]

I know you love Halloween as much as I do, so I wanted to tell you to come to Rox Rooftop at the CURRENT Hotel for the Boos and Booze Costume Party, the best Halloween Party in Tampa! GET YOUR EVENTBRITE TICKET HERE! https://bit.ly/3CW1m8y WHERE @currenttampa The Boos and Booze Costume Party is for 21 and up, and a costume is required. I’m dressing up as the Goddess Persephone for Halloween this year. The Rox Rooftop Bar is a fabulous cocktail lounge, and you get a beautiful 360° view of the Tampa skyline, so in addition to a Costume Contest with prizes, great music, and more, you’ll have some lovely photo ops. The Grand Prize is a two night stay at the CURRENT Hotel! I know Dave and I want to plan a weekend away there. Let me know if you're going to go! #PhyrrasFault #roxrooftopbartampa #halloween2022 #currenthoteltampa #currenthotel #rooftop #rooftopparty #craftcocktails #mixology #rooftopvibes #gimmieasip #tampafoodies #rooftopbar #roxrooftop #currenttampa (at Tampa, Florida) https://www.instagram.com/p/CjrQTnWO-qf/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=