Farmhouse Fresh Haul and a Mother's Day Gift

Disclaimer: I purchased this.

I've been a fan of Farmhouse Fresh products ever since I picked up a few of their products from a local spa about 4 years ago. So, when I received an email letting me know they had a special going on, I moseyed on over to see what new products they might have. I picked something new and an old favorite, so let's take a closer look!

The old favorite is the One Fine Day Shea Sugar Face Polish ($25). It's a gentle cleanser and exfoliator that is targeted towards dry and sensitive skin, but I find it works well for oily skin as well.

I like using it a few times a week as my morning cleanser, although it s gentle enough to use daily if you prefer. The scent (grapefruit and citrus oils) is lovely and puts me in a good mood, and my skin is left feeling smooth, clean and soft. My first jar lasted me well over a year, and I'm happy to have another!

The something new are two All-Purpose Shea Butter Balms ($12.50) in Marshmellow Melt (scented with all natural tonka bean and sandalwood), and A la Mode (reminiscent of old fashioned vanilla churned ice cream). 

The fragrances on both of these is soft but does linger for a while, and indeed I need to sniff my hands in order to detect them. I'm okay with that, as I will wear them mainly at night, when I tend to have my hands near my face. I wore Marshmellow Melt last night and could smell the scent when I woke up throughout the night due to thunderstorms. 

There are several oils and seed butters in these balms (coconut, soybean, shea butter, mango, cocoa, and apricot) so they are oily in texture. While they do sink nicely into the skin after a few minutes, they are not the kind of balm I would put on when I need to do something with my hands right afterwards. Hence, perfect for night time when I want a more emollient and heavy duty moisturizer for my hands and feet. I bet these will work wonders on my cuticles as well.

For the free shea butter body lotion, I chose Marshmellow Melt ($30) as a Mother's Day present for my mom. She loves body lotions and I keep her in good stock :-) The glass pump bottle feels luxurious and the packaging is lovely.

I love the ethos of Farmhouse Fresh, with their focus on natural/organic ingredients and animal rescue (you can read about those here), and appreciate the little extra touches on the packaging and a $5 off code for my next purchase. They were also extremely generous with samples, including some lovely postcards! 

The free shea butter body lotion GWP runs through May 7th if you would like to indulge, and mine arrived 3 days after ordering, so you should receive it in plenty of time for Mother's Day if you are gifting. You can also check out my reviews on Hello Yellow Shea Butter, Fresh Honeysuckle Blood Orange Custard, Honey Heel Glaze, and the Fluffy Bunny Shea Butter Hand Lotion if you need other gift ideas. I've yet to be disappointed by any of the products I've tried, although I will say the Whoopie! Cream scent is not my favorite :-)

Bubble & Bee Body Butters

Disclaimer: I purchased these.

It's that time of year where I break out my heavy hitter body moisturizers, as falling temps and dryer air take a toll on my skin. Bubble & Bee recently held their Friends & Family sale, which I used as an excuse to replenish my stock of their organic body butters as well as pick up a Christmas gift or two for family, all at 30% off their regular $24.95 price.

If you are unfamiliar with Bubble & Bee Organic, it's a company based in Utah that makes natural and organic deodorants, body butters, soaps, lip balms, facial toners and cleansers, and well, lots more. I'm partial to their deodorants and body butters, although I did branch out and buy a few other products this go around, which I'll talk more about in another post.

I purchased the unscented version as a gift for Scrooge an aunt , but she has now decided we don't need to give gifts to each other this Christmas, so it will be staying with me. When I'm attending meetings at the hospitals I try to not wear scented products, plus on days I want to customize scent I think adding a few drops of my Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab perfume oils to this will work quite well.

The Almond & Coconut is a gift for my mother, as I know she enjoys both of those scent notes. I have not smelled this particular scent yet, and I'm interested in how the cinnamon essential oil fits in.

For myself I chose the Peppermint & Vanilla and the Sugar & Spice scents. I finished my first tub of Sugar & Spice last year and it's the perfect scent for fall and winter. It's a seasonal scent that is not available year round, but I've truly not found a more realistic spice scent than this one - which makes sense seeing it does contain actual spices (cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, ginger and brown sugar). The shelf life on these is listed as 10 months after opening, but I had one open for three years that did not go bad.

Peppermint & Vanilla sounded perfect for this time of year as well, and it smells minty and warm at the same time. Is that possible? The mint is the more dominant scent, yet there is an underlying richness that comes from the vanilla and gives it a bit more complexity.  I do find that the scent on this one fades after a few hours, whereas the Sugar & Spice fragrance lasts all day.

The texture is whipped yet dense, and since these are composed of various oils plus shea butter, will melt when exposed to high temperatures. I opted for the cold pack shipping feature as temps here in Mobile were still in the 80's when I ordered, and everything arrived in good order.  I find these are heavier than most other body butters, but they do melt/absorb nicely into the skin and their concentration is what makes them such heavy hitters when it comes to winter dry skin.  Their density is also because they are not water based, so a little goes a long way.

The label around the containers peels off, and on the inside was some info about nourishing your skin from within with their FlaxPro Flax seeds ($14.99). Since I did order a container, I thought I would show you that as well. I liked the idea of being able to eat these without having to grind, and they do have a nice nutty taste. I've added them to my smoothies and think they will make a nice salad topper as well.

Bubble & Bee Organic has periodic sales that you can be notified about if you sign up at their site. I've also got a 20% off code that was sent in my box "share20", so I'm passing it along to you (it is not an affiliate code and I get no benefit).  Sample sizes of many of the products are available, which is how I tried out their many deodorants before happening upon my favorite (Vanilla Orange).  The Vanilla Orange body butter is fantastic as well, but I've still got half a tub of that one ☺☺☺☺.  Happy Thanksgiving to all who are celebrating!

Orange Vanilla Body Butter and Pit Putty Cream by Bubble & Bee

I've been a fan of Bubble & Bee's products for several years now, in particularly their body butters and their natural deodorant Pit Putty Creams. A recent scent offering in Orange Vanilla had me pairing both for a deliciously scrumptious scent that reminds me a bit of orangesicle cake. Yum.

Orangesicle Bundt Cake, source Simple Nourished Living

I noticed that this version of Bubble & Bee's 100% organic body butter had undergone a slight formula change from one I bought a couple of years back in the Sugar & Spice scent (review here), in that macadamia and olive oils are no longer in the mix.  I think that helped cut down on the greasy after feel I experienced with Sugar & Spice, although I love that scent to death. It's a go to cold weather body butter for me, especially around Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Orange Vanilla is still a dense body butter with exceptional skin conditioning ingredients, namely organic shea butter, organic coconut oil with retained coconut meat, organic jojoba oil, organic sunflower oil, organic vanilla extract, and organic sweet orange essential oil.  If the zombie apocalypse does come, I'm pretty sure I could eat these and be okay.

I know some people don't like having to apply cream deodorants with their fingers, but it's not a big deal to me.  I've had good success with the Bubble & Bee Pit Putty Creams in a variety of scents (you can previous reviews here and here), and Orange Vanilla's formula did not let me down.  I live in a semi-tropical, hot and humid climate and I find that I can get through an average day just fine with these. Do they keep me scentless when I'm mowing the grass in 90+ degree weather?  No.  Nor do these take me through say, 18 hours of wear. These natural deodorants do have their limits, but I like 'em.

The body butters come in two sizes, 4 oz for $16.95 and 8 oz for $24.95.  I just ran out of the 4 oz version I bought, and I'll be going back for more! The Pit Putty Creams are $10.85 and a jar lasts me about 3 months with daily use.

Body butter

Pit Putty Cream

Savannah Bee Royal Jelly Body Butters

I was fortunate to win these Savannah Bee Royal Jelly Body Butters in a giveaway hosted by Beauty InfoZone recently.  At first I thought I'd give them to my mom for mother's day, but I really wanted them all for myself.   So, I kept them :-)

They would make a lovely gift, as the packaging is top of the line.  From the gift bag to the sturdy boxes to the lovely design and colors, they make a wonderful impression.

These are the mini-sizes jars (1.65 oz) and fit nicely in the palm of my hand.  Fortunately, the texture of the cream is dense and a little goes a long way.  I've been using them mainly as a hand cream before I go to bed, as the fragrance helps relax me and I love a rich cream on my hands at night.

My favorite of the two scents is the sensitive skin version, which features the fragrance of chamomile combined with myrrh.  The scent is mild but lasts, as I've smelled traces of it when I wake up in the morning.  You get idea of how rich this is from the ingredient list:

Ingredients:  purified water, organic aloe vera leaf juice, vegetable glycerin, isoamyl laurate, cetearyl alcohol, babassu butter, hydrogenated cocoglycerides, glyceryl stearate citrate, capuacu butter, cocoa butter, ethylhexyl olivate, d-panthenol (provitamin b5), sodium behenoyl lactylate, lauryl laurate, olive oil unsaponifiables, chamomile extract (caprylic/capric triglyceride & anthemis nobilis flower extract), pecan oil, shea butter, natural BEESWAX, orange peel wax, glyceryl caprylate, raw ROYAL JELLY, chondrus crispus extract & glucose, sodium levulinate, natural alpha bisabolol, cetyl hydroxyethyl cellulose, PROPOLIS extract, sodium anisate, potassium sorbate, HONEY, allantoin, d-alpha tocopherol (natural vitamin e), sea buckthorn fruit oil, may chung oil, myrrh oil, orange peel extract, sodium phytate (naturally derived from rice bran), patchouli oil, camphor oil

The original formula has a fragrance of wild berries and vanilla combined with  rose and gardenia.  It's very nice as well and I can definitely smell the blackberries.  Think "blackberries growing in a field" as opposed to "blackberry jam" - really quite lovely.

The mini-jar gift set is $26, and if you sign up at Savannah Bee's web site you can get a 10% off coupon code for your first purchase.  I'm happy to have discovered Savannah Bee via the giveaway and am perusing the site to see what else they offer!

Body America Organics with Attitude!

Packaging does make a difference.  Rarely do I buy based soley on looks, but I'd be lying if I said it didn't influence me.  However, what really drew me in was the 75% off sign at RiteAid.  I have no idea why RiteAid has frequent 75% off sales, but they do.  Maybe it's because they are phasing out brands or making room for new packaging or seasonal items.  So, given a 75% off sale, pretty packaging, and an "organics with attitude" tag, I bought this vanilla strawberry scented body butter.

I need another body butter like I need.....you can fill in the blanks.  Having said that, I'm seriously considering stalking the other RiteAids in town to stock up on this heavily discounted and not that easy to find brand.  I'd never heard of it, and I'm not entirely convinced Body America hasn't gone out of business or something.  Their web site hasn't been updated in eons, although the parent company does still list them as a brand.

These come in the tub shown and well as a hygienic pump applicator.  I bought the pump version for my mother in the Southern Belle scent, which is peach mango.  She really liked it, as did I.  The scents are realistic without being heavy or cloying.  So, if you see these at 75% off, I'd say give 'em a whirl.  Regular retail at RiteAid is $9.99, so I payed about $2.49. 

Pure Fiji Body Butter

Pure Fiji Coconut body butter

Pure Fiji is a line of body and hair care products that use traditional South Pacific and Fijian blends to nourish, moisturize, and beautify skin and hair.  Marketed as a way to "bring paradise home!", the blend of Virgin Coconut Oil, Dilo, Sekeci and Macadaemia oils used in their products is a potent natural source of Omega 3′s and 6′s.  This blend is rich in Lauric Acid, an essential fatty acid that is found in breast milk.  The Pure Fiji blend is similar in structure to skin's naturally occurring oils, helping with absorption, and has natural anti-fungal and antibacterial qualities which help skin to boost it's own natural defenses.  The essential fatty acids in the blend also act as a natural antihistamine, helping to sooth itchy, inflamed, or irritated skin.

Coconut Milk & Honey, Pineapple, Coconut, and Mango Pure Fiji body butters

Pure Fiji is made in the capital city of Suva at a state-of-the-art facility where passive solar dryers are used and nut oils are wild-harvested and cold pressed in the villages that supply them, an indication of the eco-system consciousness of the company.  Spa linens and staff uniforms are sun dried, eliminating the need for electricity. Other green practices include recycling the chaff and seed casings from the nuts into the factory gardens – which acts as a nursery for Pure Fiji’s tree planting programs along the coastline.  This garden also supplies fresh flowers for the spa and fresh vegetables for the factory staff.  The Pure Fiji blog goes into more detail on the company's philosophy and practices - it sounds like a lovely place to work!

The body butters are rich and creamy and do a great job at moisturizing and soothing skin. In addition to the exotic nut oil blend, they contain milk proteins, soy, and passionflower.  Out of the 10 available fragrances, I've tried and loved the four pictured above.  I get more compliments when I wear the Coconut or Pineapple than any other body butter I've worn.  These are quite scented and have good staying power, so if scented products aren't your thing, steer clear.  The Milk & Honey fragrance is the mildest and the Mango the strongest, and I had a spa worker who told me she mixes the Coconut with the Mango or Pineapple when she wants to cut their scent a bit, as the Coconut calms them down. 

These lovelies cost from $34.95 to $39.95 depending on the scent, and can be purchased online at Pure Fiji, other online retailers, or at spas that carry them.   

Bubble and Bee Organic Body Butter

 In my quest to find an effective natural deodorant, I learned about Bubble & Bee Organic, a company based in Bountiful, Utah.  The founder, Stephanie Greenwood, with a chemistry background and concerned about the "hidden ingredients" found in many products, decided to make her own products using simple, organic ingredients.  Stephanie is also the author of the blog Chemical of the Day, a very useful site for learning about the ingredients used in beauty products.  I've now purchased several Bubble & Bee products and the first I'll be reviewing is the Sugar & Spice body butter. 

This is possibly the richest body butter I've ever used.  The consistency reminds me of butter cream frosting and the smell of spice cake.  Or possibly any of the other wonderful things baked around Thanksgiving and Christmas...pumpkin pie, gingerbread cookies....but I digress.  I think the fact that brown sugar and spices are included in the body butter make this inevitable.  When first applied, you can actually feel a slight grittiness which must be the sugar and spices - but don't worry, they blend in quickly.  Those with sensitive skin may want to make note of this, however, in case of irritation.  Other scents are available in Coconut & Lime, Vanilla & Raspberry, and Jasmine.  I love that they also include an unscented version, which is perfect for those scent averse or for those in environments with a no scent policy (healthcare, for example).  I have smelled the Coconut & Lime and it would make a great summer scent.  Sugar & Spice became my go to holiday scent - it really is scrumptious. 

A possible down side for some may be that it is too rich.  This is a heavy body butter and if you don't like lotions that you can tell are on your skin, you may not like this.  You can see how emollient it is in the pictures here and how it leaves a sheen on the skin, which I guess could be great for bare summer legs and arms.  It could also possibly leave oil marks on delicate fabrics.  Personally, I find it perfect for cold winter days when I'm wearing my long johns and corduroy pants or bundled up in my fleece pj's. 

Bubble & Bee Organic Body Butters can be purchased in 4 oz. jars for $16.95 or 8 oz. jars for $24.95.  Or, if you want to sample before committing to a larger size, trial sizes are available for $3.99.  Since these are 100% organic and don't contain the preservatives found in many products, shelf life is listed as 10 months. 

Ingredients:  Organic shea butter, organic coconut oil with retained coconut meat, organic macadamia nut oil, organic almond oil, organic jojoba oil, organic olive and organic coconut oil infused with brown sugar and spices.