Lemon Sugar Facial Scrub by Andalou Naturals

Disclaimer: I purchased this.

Andalou Naturals is fast becoming one of my favorite skincare companies. I've already talked about my love for their DIY Booster SPF30 Facial Serum, and now I'm adding the Lemon Sugar Facial Scrub to the greatest hits list. I love this stuff.

Targeted towards oily and overactive skin (hello, me), this organic cane sugar, manuka honey and meyer lemon based exfoliating scrub smells and feels divine. Andalou's products all contain something known as ''fruit stem cell science", which as far as I can tell means apple, grape, argan oil, or alpine rose stem cells plus other bioactive ingredients included in the mix.  Looks like the sugar scrub has apple and grape stem cells.

You may be familiar with some of the other companies that the founders of Andalou Naturals have started, such as Avalon Organics, Alba Botanica, Sonoma Soap Company, or Unpetroleum. Andalou Naturals is their most recent venture, and is the first non-GMO verified beauty company. Plus, the products are reasonably priced. Seriously, I'm smitten.

I like using the sugar scrub about twice a week in the mornings.  I'll put about a nickels worth in the palm of my hand with just a few drops of water, rub my hands together and then massage my face.  Less water means more scrubbing action, but the sugar granules are fairly fine in nature so it does not feel overly abrasive. After a minute or so the sugar scrub has become a rich cream that smells divine and tastes great, should you get any in your mouth. Afterwards, my skin feels soft, smooth, hydrated, and happy. That's right, happy. I just got an email letting me know that Andalou Naturals is having a 30% off sale through February 20th, so now is the time to dip your toe in (Code: VDAY). They've got some nice sampler sets to get you started. I've tried several and liked most of them thus far (packaging recently changed, just as a FYI).

DYI Facial Toner/Makeup Setting Spray

Disclaimer: I purchased these.

Hope your 2017 is off to a good start! I'm still mulling over my beauty/wellness resolutions for this year, but I'm pretty sure one is going to be spend less money and use up what I already own. To that end, here is one successful strategy I've adopted. Way back in July I decided to try making my own makeup setting spray, and I'm now on my third batch and have been pleased with the results. For reference, I've got aging but oily skin and using a facial spray after applying my makeup helps to "set" my makeup and meld the creams and powders together, giving a more natural looking appearance (hopefully).

Manuka oil and Tea Tree oil from Pacific Resources International

I also want a spray with ingredients that can potentially help my skin beyond just setting my makeup, so after doing a bit of research I settled on the following ingredients for my concoction:

• Witch hazel: strong antioxidant and astringent properties and helps to kill bacteria on your skin
• Vegetable glycerin: natural humectant and helps to maintain skin's water balance
• Aloe vera liquid: antimicrobial properties, soothes, cools, and hydrates skin

• Rose hip seed oil: antioxidant rich (vitamins E, C, D, B-carotene, and a form of A) to help fight free radicals, essential fatty acids to help heal skin and improve skin texture and pigmentation

• Manuka oil: antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, helps promote new cell growth. Manuka bushes grow only in New Zealand, and I purchased my oil from Pacific Resources International. You could substitute Tea Tree oil for Manuka oil, as they have similar properties.

As you can see below, the oils do not mix with the other ingredients so I always make sure to vigorously shake the bottle prior to applying. I eyeball the amounts, with witch hazel and aloe vera juice comprising the majority, about a tablespoon of glycerin, and vigorous shakes of the rose hop/manuka oils. Manuka oil has a pungent smell very similar to tea tree oil, so that and the witch hazel are the dominant fragrances. It's a little funky but I've grown to like it.

All of the other ingredients were purchased from iherb.com, and I purchased several aluminum spray bottles when drugstore.com was going out of business. Iherb.com has really replaced drugstore.com for me, and I like their loyalty program which gives you a percentage back to be used in the next 60 days on new purchases. 

This is one of the DYI projects that I can say has been a complete success for me. It also helps me resist buying items like Urban Decay's newly packaged setting sprays, which are $31 for a 4 ounce bottle. I feel like the ingredients I'm using are "cleaner" and I'm getting good results at a fraction of the cost, which is a win/win in my book. 

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!

Intelligent Nutrients Anti-Aging Body & Hair Elixir: Innercalm Wind Down

Disclaimer: I purchased this.

This has been the summer of body oils for me. I use them after showering to lock in moisture and after doing yoga for a quick body massage. Consequently, I've been searching for oils that are good for me while still providing a pleasing sensory experience. Enter Innercalm Wind Down by Intelligent Nutrients ($54 for 3.4 oz), which calls itself an anti-aging total body elixir.

Intelligent Nutrients was founded by Horst Rechelbacker, the guy who brought Aveda into the world.  All of the products are certified organic, vegan, cruelty-free, and made from plants.  You can read more about the company ethos here - it's impressive.

Using Ayurvedic principles based on the body's vibrational zones (Chakras), Innercalm #5 (throat center) is is supposed to smell like a clean citrus by way of Morocco, with sweet orange, white grapefruit and mandarin mingling with warm floral notes of neroli and petitgrain to create a calm and tranquil combination. It succeeds in that area, although the scent lasts for only a few hours at best.  My skin remains soft and silky for the entire day, however.

Ingredients: Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil,1 Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil,1 Argania Spinosa (Argan) Kernel Oil,1 Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil,1 Nigella Sativa (Black Cumin) Seed Oil,1,2 Cucurbita Pepo (Pumpkin) Seed Oil,1,2 Rubus Idaeus (Red Raspberry) Seed Oil,1,2 Vitis Vinifera (Red Grape) Seed Oil,1,2 Vaccinium Macrocarpon (Cranberry) Seed Oil,1,2 Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil,1 Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Peel Oil,1 Citrus Nobilis (Mandarin Orange) Peel Oil,1 Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil,1 Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Oil,1 Citrus Reticulata (Tangerine) Leaf Oil,1 Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil,1 Citrus Aurantium Amara (Bitter Orange) Peel Oil,1 Cymbopogon Martini (Palmarosa) Oil,1 Elletaria Cardamomum (Cardamom) Seed Oil,1 Citrus Aurantium Amara Dulcis (Orange) Flower Oil,1 Vetiveria Zizanoides (Vetiver) Root Oil,1 Hibiscus Abelmoschuus (Ambrette) Extract,1 Limonene,1,3 Linalool,1,3 Geraniol,1,3 Tocopherol (Vitamin E)

1 Certified Organic 
2 Antioxidant Intellimune¨ Seed Oil Complex
3 Naturally Occurring In Essential Oils

Innercalm is out of stock right now at Intelligent Nutrients and I purchased my 1.7 oz bottle on sale at beauty.com, which leads me to believe this particular scent is being discontinued.  There are 7 different body and hair elixirs, however, so there are others to try out. Good stuff, and I'm glad this brand in now on my radar.

Sugar Plum Revitalizing Masque by Eminence Organics

Disclaimer:  I purchased this.

I've been trying to up my skin care game, which includes using facial masks on a more regular basis.  Eminence Organics has long be a favorite brand of mine when it comes to masks, so I dug out the two remaining products I still have. Today I'll be showing you the holiday appropriate Sugar Plum Revitalizing Masque ($54).

Disclaimer:  these have been living unopened in my refrigerator for quite a while, so I wasn't even sure if they were still good.  Fortunately, they smell and look okay, but it was a toss up considering these are made predominately with all natural/organic ingredients and no preservatives. I'm not sure why I've been hoarding these for so long, I need to stop that!

You can see previous reviews of Eminence products here and here so I won't go into great detail about the company, but I do like their aesthetic and the broad range of products that addresses pretty much every skin care issue you can think of.

The Sugar Plum masque is designed to rejuvenate, plump, and bring oxygen to the skin and features the following ingredients:

• Plum: high in phytonutrients to help ease the signs the aging

• Red Clover: high in antioxidants to improve texture of skin

• Raspberry Leaf: high in vitamins and antioxidants to fight the visible signs of aging

• Honey: supports the skin with moisture

• Biocomplex™: a booster of antioxidants, vitamins, Coenzyme Q10, and Alpha Lipoic Acid to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and improve the appearance of skin

The consistency is very much like a plum puree or jam, and it even tastes slightly sweet.  Many of Eminence's masks are what I would call "active", in that you can feel them doing things to your skin.  I could feel a slight tingling for the 10 minutes I had Sugar Plum on my face.

Notice how the box label said Sugar Plum would leave you with a rosy glow? Well, there is definitely something in the mask that reddened the sides of my face. Whether that is irritation or by design I'm not really sure, but I had no long lasting irritation and the redness faded in about 15 minutes.  I've experienced this to a much greater degree with one other Eminence masque, but that was expected as it was the Lime Stimulating Masque that is designed to improve circulation and the instructions warn you that redness can last up to 2 hours.  It was probably one of my favorites.

I'm pretty sure the people at Beautypedia (Paula's Choice) would do nothing but poo poo Eminence Organics - I  could swear I've read some reviews of Eminence on her site before but I can't find them now, hmm.   Eminence products are pricey without a doubt, but I remain a fan.

NVEY ECO Hydrating Lustres in Amour Rose and Flirt

Disclaimer:  I purchased these.

NVEY ECO is an Australian organic makeup brand (no parabens, petrochemicals, or synthetic fragrances) launched in 2005, and the few products I've tried thus far have been LOVELY.  These two lip glosses are no exception, I'm happy to report! 

Featuring coconut and castor oils, honeysuckle extract, orange oil and natural beeswax, I'm finding the formula comfortable and slightly hydrating while providing enough color that I don't feel that I need to use these only as lipstick toppers.  In fact, Flirt is more along the lines of a lipstick creme, although it can be sheered out for a less intense look.

Amour Rose is the sheerer of the two, although it still provides enough color to tint my lips pink.  I was prepared to not like this color when looking at the tube, as I though it would veer '80's frosty pink.  It doesn't, fortunately!

Flirt is a brick toned reddish brown, and I've been reaching for this more often than I expected.  I've had these for months, as they were a GWP from when I bought two NVEY ECO blushes from Ulta, and because my expectations were low I'm just now getting around to wearing them.  Now, these  will definitely be promoted to my purse, I like them so much.

Amour Rose

The tubes are smaller at .28 oz. and the price is $17, but if you are looking for a good organic lip product that is a cross between a gloss and a lipstick, these are definite contenders!

Flirt

NVEY ECO Blushing Bliss 958

Disclosure:  I purchased this.

NVEY ECO was not a brand I was familiar with, but I noticed them on Ulta's site a few months back and decided to try out a few items.  So, a little background about the brand in case it's new to you too.  NVEY ECO is an Australian organic makeup brand (no parabens, petrochemicals, or synthetic fragrances) launched in 2005.  Their philosophy is that going green with your makeup should not mean poorer performance or application, so they focus on unique production methods to retain the organic profile while delivering long lasting color and performance.

Today I'll be showing you one of the powder blushes I got, Blushing Bliss 958.  I would describe Blushing Bliss as a soft, neutral leaning medium pink.  The blushes feature a talc free formula, and I'm impressed with the ingredient list that includes a blend of corn silk, chamomile and jojoba oil, along with Vitamins A, C, E to help protect skin from free radicals.  Full ingredient list is included at the bottom of the post.

Pigmentation is good and seamless color is easily built up in a few swipes.  While Blushing Bliss is by no means a shimmer blush, it is far from flat and contains tiny gold flecks that leaves the skin with a realistic and skin enhancing flush of color.  I'm impressed, actually!  Blushes or skin finishing powders that leave my skin looking better than it really is are not an everyday occurrence and are limited to just a few brands at this point (Estee Lauder blushes, Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders).   Blushing Bliss may have joined those ranks!

NVEY ECO blushes retail for $19 at Ulta, where I purchased mine.  At NVEY ECO's site and others such as Dermstore, they are $30, so that's interesting.  Ulta only has 4 of the 9 available shades listed, but if they have a color you like, that would be a good starting point to try them out, IMO.