Naturalla Beauty

The selection of men's products in the green beauty world is nowhere near as extensive as what's out there for us ladies, but there are still a lot of great options.  For this week's gift guide, I've gathered all my favorite green beauty picks for men.  I don't know if it's just the men I know, but I've always found it's a whole lot easier to get a guy to try a product specifically marketed at his demographic, so with that in mind, all of these are either products specifically sold for men or, at the very least, are very gender neutral in appearance.
Ursa Major Daily Skin Care Kit
Ursa Major makes excellent skincare for either men or women, and both the simplicity of their line and their clean aesthetic and branding make them perfect for men.  The Daily Skin Care Set contain everything your man needs for a complete skincare routine: the company's Face Wash (my favorite!), Face Tonic, and Face Balm, as well as 20 Face Wipes.  If you're looking for something a little smaller, the Travel Skin Care Set is another great option.

Schmidt's Deodorant
If your guy has yet to switch from conventional deodorant, Schmidt's is absolutely the way to make a convert out of him.  It's one of the strongest and most effective natural deodorants out there, but it does have a high baking soda content, so sensitive pits beware.   Cedarwood + Juniper is the most typically masculine scent, but there are four other options - including unscented - as well.

Holiskin Beard Oil Sampler
A lot of companies have started offering beard oils, but what I love about Holiskin's sampler is that it lets your guy try out minis of five different ones.  The kit also includes a $10 off coupon he can redeem on the purchase of any full size beard oil, or, maybe amp the gift up even further by switching that out for your own coupon that he can redeem with you for a full size of his favorite.   

Shea Moisture for Men
Shea Moisture's men's line has a good range of products and their affordable prices and wide availability make it easy to put together a custom gift set for any man.  A number of the products in the line do contain Japanese honeysuckle extract, but the two pictured above, the Three Butters Styling Pomade and Tea Tree After Shave & Bump Preventer, among others, do not.

Lip Balm
Everyone uses lip balm, am I right?  For men, I recommend the Stark & Son Matte Lip Balms from Silk Naturals, which moisturize with a completely matte finish, and the Rebel's Refinery Skull Lip Balms, which are rounded, egg-shaped balms like EOS, but look a little more badass thanks to their skull packaging.  Both are sold in a few different flavors.

Badger Deluxe Wet Shave Set
Badger's products are always top notch and the Deluxe Wet Shave Kit is a great gift for the man who's serious about shaving.  It includes a high quality shaving brush and artisan-crafted bowl, as well as Badger's Pre-Shave Oil, Shave Soap, and After Shave Face Tonic.  

Max Green Alchemy Hair Styling Products
Max Green Alchemy products have a light, herbally smell and work great for both men and women.  Whether your guy uses hair gel, paste, or pomade, they've got you covered - with multiple options to spare!
  
Poo Pourri
If you managed to miss Poo Pourri's viral advertising campaign a couple years ago, this somewhat ridiculous product is basically an essential oil spray that gets misted into the toilet before you go number two.  The idea is that it creates a film on the surface of the water that traps odors below, so "you can go and no one else ever has to know."  Yes, you could absolutely DIY something similar, but the Poo Pourri scent names and overall branding make it such a fun gag gift.

What green beauty gifts would you suggest for men?

Every so often it hits me just how strange of a habit saving empties is.  I mean, really,  how did it start?  Did someone just wake up one morning and decide that saving beauty trash was a sensible idea?  Nonetheless, it's pretty ingrained in me now and I can't even imagine throwing these things in the garbage right away!  

This month's batch of empties is oddly free of any body care, but I've got a good bit of skincare, some makeup, and one hair product.  Keep reading for mini reviews and my thoughts on whether these items are worth buying again or not.



Kinky-Curly Spiral Spritz
The Spiral Spritz is a basically a cross between a gel and a serum.  With lavender water and aloe vera as the main ingredients, it gives the hair oil-free moisture and also serves as a lightweight soft-hold gel, courtesy of the remaining ingredients.  It's a repeat empty for me, so you know I love it!
Repurchase? Definitely.  I'm currently using the Intelligent Nutrients Styling Gel, but I'm sure I'll buy this again in the future.

Blûm Naturals Pro Age Daily Cleansing and Makeup Remover Towelettes
I don't use wipes for daily cleansing or makeup removal, but I like keeping a couple individually wrapped ones in my purse for spur of the moment makeup fails or other unexpected situations.  The Blûm ones aren't my favorite wipes, but there aren't a lot of companies that offer individually wrapped ones with clean ingredients and Blûm's are cheap and do the trick.  I only use them occasionally - a box of ten lasts me six months or so - so I'm not overly fussy about which ones I buy.  
Repurchase? Yes.  I bought Blûm's Sensitive wipes to try next, but I'm sure I'll buy these Pro Age ones again too.

Andalou Naturals Citrus Kombucha Cleansing Gel
I've tried a lot of Andalou Naturals products this year and I really think they're one of the best affordable skincare lines out there.  I've dabbled in all four different ranges now and to me, most products seem quite mild and not super "active," which is kind of a double-edged sword.  I'm not convinced they're potent enough to achieve great, transformative skin results, but the upside is that the majority of products are gentle and generally work for virtually any skin type.  The Citrus Kombucha Cleansing Gel, for instance, is part of the Clarifying Line, intended for active, oily, and acne-prone skin, but it worked great on my sensitive normal-to-dry skin too.  The cleanser has great ingredients, smells awesome - like a fresh-cut grapefruit - and lathers without overly drying the skin.  
Repurchase? Yes.



Evolve Gentle Cleansing Melt   [Review]
The Gentle Cleansing Melt is a unique emulsifying balm cleanser.  It starts out as a thick gel, but quickly melts into a thinner balm consistency with the heat of your skin.  Once you add water, it transforms into a milky cleanser that easily rinses away.  Evolve has reformulated this product since I bought it, so I can't speak to the current version, but the one I used was great.  I haven't used anything quite like it before, but I'm curious what else is out there.  If there are similar emulsifying balm-type cleansers that you'd recommend, please leave a comment and let me know!
Repurchase? This version is no longer sold.  I'm not sure if I'll try the new one or not.

Andalou Naturals Super Goji Perfecting Cream
My skin has been preferring cream moisturizers over oils recently and the Super Goji Perfecting Cream is a nice one.  It's sold as part of the Age Defy line and is intended for dry and very dry skin, but I'm not sure I'd agree with that recommendation.  The cream is hydrating but also pretty lightweight, so I don't know if it would be sufficient for super dry skin.  Either way, I really enjoyed it.  It sinks in quickly and never leaves skin feeling tacky or greasy.  Noteworthy ingredients include hyaluronic acid, goji glycopeptides and antioxidants that claim to "deliver collagen and elastin building actives deep into dermal layers, boosting cellular renewal and dramatically transforming tone and texture for younger-looking skin with fewer fine lines and wrinkles."  At 27, I'm no prune face just yet, but I also haven't noticed any difference in the fine lines I do have while using the cream.  It's a great basic moisturizer, but I don't suggest buying it with the highest hopes for wrinkle or fine line reduction.
Repurchase? It's very likely.

Badger Seabuckthorn Face Oil*   [Review]
Like I said, I've temporarily moved away from using most face oils recently, but I did really enjoy the Badger Seabuckthorn Oil while I was using it.  Badger is a great company and the face oils are packed full of great nourishing plant oils and extracts.  The Seabuckthorn, specifically, contains sea buckthorn oil and fruit extract, as well as jojoba, baobab, apricot, and pomegranate oils, rosehip fruit extract, and lavender, geranium, and sweet orange essential oils.  Badger currently sells four different oils to suit various skin types, and for the price - under $20! - I really don't think you can do any better than these USDA certified organic blends!
Repurchase? Not right away, but possibly in the future.

Madara Deep Moisture Fluid (sample)
The Deep Moisture Fluid is an interesting product.  As the name suggests, it has a very fluid, liquidy consistency, but it also does provide a lot of moisture.  I actually found it to sit a little heavy on the skin this time of year.  The scent was pretty grassy - like every other Madara product I've tried - but not offensive.
Repurchase? Probably not.

Trilogy Very Gentle Calming Serum (sample)
This is the first Trilogy product I haven't liked at all.  Both the Cleanser and Moisturizer from the same Calming range are great, but the Serum doesn't absorb well and stays very sticky and tacky on the skin.  It did initially tone down redness on application, but I think it also made me break out.  Not a fan!
Repurchase? No.

Ilike Carotene Essentials Moisturizer* (sample)
Ilike's Carotene Essentials range is specifically targeted at summer skin and I really enjoyed using the moisturizer over the last couple weeks.  It has the same scent as the Carotene Essentials Gel Mask (reviewed here), but while I sometimes find the smell of the mask a little too sweet and even sickly, it didn't bother me in the moisturizer at all, perhaps because it's absorbed more quickly into the skin and doesn't just sit on top for a prolonged period.  The cream itself was really lovely too: hydrating, lightweight and perfect for summer.
Repurchase? Maybe.  I'm not sure it gives enough moisture for my skin in the winter, but I'd consider buying it next summer.



Honeybee Gardens Belgian Chocolate JobaColor Eye Liner
Honeybee Gardens liners are some of my favorites - both for their affordable price point and great performance - but it looks like the company has made some major ingredient changes since I last purchased them.  The biggest difference is that the old formula contained lanolin, while the new one looks to be vegan.  Nothing wrong with that, but I don't like some of the other ingredients that have been added - butylene glycol, for one! - so I won't be buying these any more.
Repurchase? No.  I'll probably replace this with Pacifica's brown liner instead.

Sassy Minerals Rumor Mill and Pixie Sprinkles Eye Shadows (samples)
Sassy Minerals used to be one of the best companies for shimmery and sparkly eye shadows, but they were bought out by LaurEss Mineral Cosmetics a few years ago.  LaurEss carried the same colors, but it looks like they're shutting down as of this summer too.  I initially pulled these samples out just to use them up, but I actually ended up loving both colors and even though I don't need eye shadow, I'm considering ordering one or both from LaurEss before they fully shut down. 
Repurchase? Maybe.

Gabriel Color Black Mascara
The Zuzu Luxe mascara is in my top two mascaras, so I'm always baffled by why the Gabriel Color one, which has the same ingredients and a very similar wand, just doesn't do it for me.  It's an okay mascara, but nothing amazing.
Repurchase? I don't think so.

Pollen Cosmetics Ready Set Go Finishing Powder (sample)
Pollen Cosmetics is another indie makeup company that's no longer in business.  The finishing powder was okay, but nothing spectacular.
Repurchase? Not possible.

Everyday Minerals Ivory (1N) Semi Matte and Matte Base (samples)
Everyday Minerals is the latest company I've been testing in my attempts to pick a new mineral foundation.  Ivory (1N) seems like a good color match for my skin and both the Semi Matte and Matte formulas are nice, depending how you like your skin to look.  The Semi Matte has a slightly more natural finish, which I prefer, but the coverage on both is great.
Repurchase? Probably the Semi Matte.  I still have a sample of the Jojoba Base to try before I decide.

Crazy Rumors Pear & Peppermint Lip Balm
Crazy Rumors has become one of my favorite lip balm companies, but I didn't love this particular one.  It smelled more like a semi-artificial honey scent than either pear or peppermint to me.
Repurchase? Yes, but not this particular flavor.


Total Products Used Up in August
Skincare: 6  (Lip Balms: 1)
Bodycare: 0
Haircare:  1
Makeup: 2
Skin/Body/Hair Samples: 3
Makeup Samples: 5

Total Products Used Up in 2015
Skincare: 29 (Lip Balms: 8)
Bodycare: 28
Haircare:  10
Makeup: 11
Skin/Body/Hair Samples: 59 
Makeup Samples: 24

I can't believe I'm edging towards 100 samples used up this year!  Crazy!

In the four years (!!) since I started this blog, I've gotten a lot of emails and questions about product recommendations, and more specifically, about natural replacements for certain types of products.  With that in mind, I thought it would be fun to do a series of posts encompassing some common questions I've received, as well as some of the products I personally found most difficult to transition to natural and nontoxic options.  Starting us off, let's talk about a product that doesn't get mentioned very much: medicated lip balm.

What's so wrong with medicated lip balm?
In addition to the regular nasties found in conventional lip balm - things like petroleum, silicones, parabens, and synthetic fragrance - medicated lip balms contain ingredients like phenol, an antibacterial and analgesic ingredient linked to neurotoxicity and respiratory, kidney, and cardiovascular problems, docosanol, a topical drug that's been linked to headaches and has not yet been tested for safety with pregnant and breastfeeding women, and chemical sunscreens, linked to free radical damage, cancer, and endocrine and hormone imbalances.  And consider this - the labels on both ChapStick and Blistex Medicated Lip Balms include warnings to "Keep out of reach of children.  If swallowed, get medical help or contact a Poison Control Center right away."  Now, I'm sure they're referring to swallowing larger quantities than a couple swipes across your lips, but do you really want to be putting something with a poison control warning on your mouth??
I'll be totally honest: I've never used a conventional medicated lip balm.  But, from what I've seen, people opt for these choices over regular lip balm for one of three basic reasons: i) to treat cold sores, ii) for sun protection (SPF), or iii) because they like the tingle and/or numbing sensation from phenol, menthol, eucalyptus, camphor, and/or mint.  

So, with that in mind, I've got replacement options to suit all three uses.  I've tried most of them personally, but a couple I've included just based on ingredients and positive hearsay.   

I  also want to mention that I came across more than one article on the habit-forming nature of ingredients like phenol in lip balm, so if you're making the switch, keep in mind that it may take some time to break your lips of that dependency.

Lip Balms for Cold Sores
There's a ton of anecdotal evidence about treating cold sores with the amino acid lysine.  Lysine won't cure the actual herpes virus behind the cold sore, but it's a popular holistic treatment for outbreaks and can both prevent the onset of a sore, if caught early enough, and speed up healing time of any sores that do erupt.  (Along with applying it topically, lysine is great to take internally for cold sores too.)  Other good ingredients to watch for when targeting cold sores are tamanu oil, melissa/lemon balm, and tea tree.  

I don't recommend the popular Quantum lysine lip balms due to their chemical sunscreen content, but MyChelle makes a great alternative.  The Love Your Lips Lip Balms come in four flavors and are made with both lysine and lemon balm.  They don't have any listed SPF content, but they do contain titanium dioxide, so there's a good chance you're getting at least minimal sun protection.

Badger's new Tea Tree & Lemon Balm Herbal Lip Care is another great choice and certified organic as well.  Along with tea tree and lemon balm, it also contains tamanu oil and peppermint oil and menthol crystals for a refreshing minty tingle.  The Herbal Lip Care is available in both Badger's classic lip balm and cocoa butter lip balm formulas.  

Lastly, the Sierra Bees Organic Tamanu & Tea Tree Lip Balm is another good one, although bear in mind that this one does have a pretty strong tea tree oil taste.  It also doesn't seem to be sold on its own right now, just in the Sierra Bees Variety Pack.  

Lip Balms with SPF
As I said before, chemical sunscreens are not ingredients I favor, so these two picks both offer mineral-based sun protection.  My top choice is the Hurraw! Sun Protection Balm with SPF 15, which smells great and is made with non-nano zinc oxide.  It goes on clear, without any whitecast, and is also made with red raspberry seed, sea buckthorn, and pomegranate seed oils, which have SPF and antioxidant properties of their own.

Badger is the first company I think of when it comes to safe sunscreen and their Sunscreen Lip Balm Stick (SPF 15), made with non-nano uncoated zinc oxide, is another good option.  It's unscented and more longwearing than the Hurraw!, but it can leave a whitecast on your lips.  For that reason, this is a great one for layering under a colored lip product.

Lip Balms with a Minty Tingle
The Hurraw! Mint Lip Balm is not for the faint of heart!  I finished my tube a while back, but I remember not wanting to venture outside in the winter with this on because of just how cold and minty it felt on my lips.

For slightly less punch, but still a decent minty tingle, Portland Bee Balm's Oregon Mint Lip Balm is an excellent choice.  With only four ingredients, the peppermint is noticeably tingly, but not as strong as in the Hurraw!  

On the more mild end of the spectrum, Epic Blend's Mint Hemp Lip Balm is fantastic.  It gives just the slightest tingle, but moisturizes like a dream and has a wonderful fresh peppermint/spearmint scent that reminds me of chewing gum. 

Burt's Bees Soothing Lip Balm with Eucalyptus and Menthol also sounds promising, though I haven't used it myself to gauge how strong the cooling sensation actually is. 

And that's a wrap!  Let me know if there are any particular kinds of products you'd like to see featured in upcoming posts for this series.   

It's time for more empties!  These are the products I finished up during the month of May:



Badger Seabuckthorn Face Cleansing Oil*   [Review]
This is a great cleansing oil, although because it contains menthol, I didn't find it comfortable to use around the eyes.  The oil easily removed every speck of makeup, and I liked the fresh feeling the menthol left on the rest of my face.  I've read reviews from people who has no issues, so depending how sensitive you are, it might be fine around the eyes.
Repurchase? Maybe.  I'd probably opt for one of the menthol-free varieties before buying this particular one again.

Nonie of Beverly Hills AHA! Skin Tonic*   [Review]
The Skin Tonic ended up being my favorite product from Nonie of Beverly Hills.  Contrary to the name, it's not an exfoliating toner with AHA's, but rather a gentle witch hazel-based tonic.  My skin does well with witch hazel and I noticed my pores looked smaller and more refined while I was using this.  Even the scent - which I described in my original review as lemon/celery - grew on me by the end of the bottle.
Repurchase? I'm definitely considering it.

Honest Co. Shampoo & Body Wash   [Review]
The Honest Co.'s Sweet Orange Vanilla scent is common across several products in the line, but it smells slightly different in each one and the Shampoo & Body Wash is by far my favorite.  It's a perfect, fruity, juicy creamsicle scent.  The product itself is great too, but what keeps me coming back is the scent.  I don't generally use it as a shampoo, but it works in a pinch.
Repurchase? Yes!  I still have one more bottle, but I could see myself buying more after I finish that one.

Nourish Organic Lemon Thyme Moisturizing Cream Body Wash
Nourish's Body Washes are some of my favorites, but I didn't much care for this particular scent.  It smelled very herbal and almost medicinal.  I ended up going a little heavy handed in the shower in order to get through it quicker.
Repurchase? Yes, but not this particular scent.

Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream
I think this would be a good eye cream for someone without a lot of problems in the eye area, but I need something that targets both dark circles and puffiness and it didn't cut it.  It moisturizes well and makes a good, lightweight base for makeup, but I didn't notice any real difference beyond that.
Repurchase? Very unlikely.

Andalou Naturals Chia + Omega Radiant Skin Polish
I love scrubs, but usually as soon as I finish one up, I'm ready to move on to something new.  Not at all the case with this one!  It has the perfect amount of grit to effectively slough off dead skin, housed in a gentle, creamy base.  It's part of Andalou's Brightening line, and I really did notice my skin looked extra bright and healthy on days when I used this product.  It also never left my skin red or irritated and it smelled like peach pie!  I can see myself coming back to this scrub again and again.    
Repurchase? Definitely!  I have a couple other scrubs I'd like to use up first, but I'm already missing this one!

Curelle Build-Up Remover
Customers used to rave about this product when I worked at the health food store, but it made zero difference on my hair.  The directions say to work it into wet hair, add your regular shampoo, and then rinse both out together.  Maybe it works better on chlorine or mineral build up - which is what it was originally designed for - but it does nothing for product build up or even regular scalp oils.  It did, however, still manage to dry out the lengths of my hair.
Repurchase? No.

Balanced Guru Scrub Me (sample)
I pretty much love everything I've tried from Balanced Guru and this scrub was no exception.  Made with a mix of coffee and raw sugar, it gives a thorough exfoliation, but doesn't feel harsh on the skin.  The texture was a lot drier than most other scrubs I've used, so it washes away cleaner and doesn't leave much of a moisturizing film behind on the skin.  I always moisturize post-shower anyways, so that was fine, and I loved that it didn't muck up the bathtub like a lot of oilier scrubs.  The scent is also lovely: a mix of fresh coffee and spearmint.
Repurchase? I make my own scrubs most of the time, but maybe one day.

Meow Meow Tweet Lavender Deodorant Cream
As long as you aren't overly sensitive to baking soda, this is a great deodorant.  With a softer consistency than many other cream deodorants, it's easy to apply and I found the odor protection lasted all day long.  The baking soda did cause some irritation if I used it too many days in a row, but nowhere near as bad as I've experienced from other deodorants. 
Repurchase? Probably not.  Since finishing this, I've found another baking soda deodorant I like more (more on that soon!) and I'm still curious to try Meow Meow Tweet's Baking Soda Free version too.  

Sante Nail Polish Remover   [Review]
This was a never-ending bottle of nail polish remover!  I bought it over two years ago and aside from a brief dalliance with Priti NYC's remover wipes, this is all I've used in that time.  It works well on cream formulas, but any amount of glitter - or sometimes even a metallic finish - will have you scrubbing your nails for ages to get the polish off.  Aside from its efficacy, my main issue was with how the remover smelled.  Sante advertises an orange scent, but all I smelled was a mix of chemicals and sour milk.  Which wouldn't be so terrible if it didn't linger.  I had to store the bottle triple-bagged just so I wouldn't smell it in the room and any cotton balls I used had to immediately be taken out to the trash.  
Repurchase? No!  I bought Priti's remover way back in November - when I first thought this was going to run out - and I'm happy to finally move on to that.

Urban Minerals Light Mode & Real Vitality Mineral Foundation* (samples)   [Review]
I really like the Urban Minerals foundation, which is made locally here in Toronto.  It has great coverage, wears well throughout the day, and comes in a good range of shades.  The price point is a little higher than some other mineral foundations, but with ingredients like nettle, aloe, chamomile, calendula, marshmallow, sea buckthorn, and white willow bark, it also offers some potential skincare benefits.  Missus Multicultural - which I used up a long time ago - was the best color for my skin, but Light Mode and Real Vitality were both okay matches as well.  
Repurchase? Maybe.  I'm trying to work through all my foundation samples before buying anything new.

Crazy Rumors Leaping Bunny Plum Apricot Lip Balm
Crazy Rumors are one of my favorite lip balm formulas, but I do find the tubes don't last as long as other lip balms.  All Crazy Rumors balms are vegan, cruelty-free, and Leaping Bunny approved and proceeds from this particular flavor go to the Leaping Bunny Program.  It bugs me a little that Crazy Rumors charges $0.50 more to account for the charity donation rather than just donating their own, regular profits, but the Plum Apricot is nice and fruity and I enjoyed using it.
Repurchase? Yes!

The All Natural Face Wedding Day Glow (sample)
I used this as a setting powder but I wasn't crazy about it.  I didn't notice much of a glow and it didn't do much to blur fine lines or imperfections, which is what I mainly look for in a product like this.   
Repurchase? No.

Young Living Sacred Frankincense Essential Oil
So expensive, but so good!  Frankincense has a multitude of uses and can be helpful for skin issues, pain, endocrine and hormone balancing, and mood boosting.  
Repurchase? Yes! I'm currently using regular frankincense, but I would buy this one again in the future.

Physician's Formula 100% Natural Origin Lash Boosting Mascara
I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with this mascara.  When I first opened it, I hated it.  It smeared all over my glasses and never seemed to set, but once the tube dried out a little, it worked much better.  Then, when it got even drier towards the end of the tube, it started smearing again.  It never irritated my eyes and I really liked how it performed in the middle period, but I only got about a month of decent wear.  
Repurchase? Maybe.  I only paid $3 at Winners and if I found it again at that price point, I would give it another try.  I probably wouldn't pay much more.  

Logona Natural Look Mascara
I won this in an Instagram giveaway, otherwise it's not a product I think I ever would have been drawn to.  One of the biggest failings of natural mascaras is that they look too natural, so I'm kind of baffled that anyone would purposely set out to design a product like this, which is the most subtle mascara I've ever used.  It tints the lashes, but doesn't add anything in terms of length or volume.  It also has a strong floral/rose scent that I'd notice on application and removal, as well as periodically throughout the day.
Repurchase? No.



Moisturizer Samples
Kind of a mixed bag.  My favorite of the bunch was the Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Repair Moisturizer, although I wasn't crazy about how grassy it smelled.  The Lavera Calendula and Ginger Mattifying Balancing Cream, on the other end of the spectrum, had a sweet and delicious marshmallow scent, but the cream itself was unimpressive.  I've used samples of the Suki Balancing Day Lotion before and while I imagine it would be a nice product for oilier skin, it's just too light for my needs.  I didn't like the Melvita Nectar Bright Brightening Cream, which just never seemed to absorb fully - to the point that I could see white cream coming off when I washed my face the next morning.  The AromaCrystal Morning Dew Moisturizer and Lavera Mint and Burdock Pore Refining Moisturizing Fluid were both okay, but not anything I would go out of my way to use again.  
Repurchase? The Juice Beauty, maybe.  Probably not any of the others.  

Total Products Used Up in May
Skincare: 5 (Lip Balms: 1 )
Bodycare: 5
Haircare:  1
Makeup: 2
Skin/Body/Hair Samples: 7
Makeup Samples: 3

Total Products Used Up in 2015
Skincare: 18 (Lip Balms: 6)
Bodycare: 20
Haircare:  5
Makeup: 9
Skin/Body/Hair Samples: 36 
Makeup Samples: 11

Where my morning skincare is all about quick and easy products, night is when I like to invest a little more time in my skin.  Just a few years ago, skincare felt like a chore, but these days, I really enjoy the whole process.  One of the biggest changes I've made - and one I'd recommend if you struggle at all with nighttime skincare - is doing the majority of your routine earlier in the evening.  For me, sometimes that means as early as six or seven at night, but at a minimum, it's a couple hours before bed.  The benefits are twofold: if you're using heavier products that take time to sink in, you're less likely to lose them on your pillowcase, and you're also less apt to go to sleep without washing your face due to sheer exhaustion.

In terms of products, the skin does a lot of regenerating when we sleep, so I like to use products with nourishing, reparative ingredients that aid in those processes.  Here's my current lineup:



Badger Seabuckthorn Face Cleansing Oil* / Weleda Soothing Almond Facial Oil*
My favorite way of removing makeup is with an oil, since I've not found anything else as effective at breaking everything down.  I take a couple minutes to thoroughly massage it onto my dry face and then wipe it away with a warm, damp facecloth.  I love the clean, fresh feeling Badger's Seabuckthorn Cleansing Oil gives my face, but because the menthol in it sometimes irritates my eyes, I prefer to use a separate oil to remove eye makeup.  Usually I'd just use almond or jojoba oil, but since running out of all my plain oils, I've been using the Weleda Soothing Almond Facial Oil.  It's a gentle blend of almond and plum kernel oils with blackthorn extract and it works just as well to remove makeup as it does to soothe and moisturize the skin.

Andalou Naturals Citrus Kombucha Cleansing Gel
I like to follow the oil cleansing step with a gel cleanser.  The Citrus Kombucha Cleansing Gel is part of Andalou's Clarifying line for oily and acne prone skin, but it also works well on my normal and generally non-acne prone skin.  The smell reminds me of cutting into a fresh grapefruit, and although the cleanser foams up a moderate amount, it doesn't dry out my face.

On days when I'm not wearing makeup, I skip the oil cleanse and just use either the Cleansing Gel or Andalou's Apricot Probiotic Cleansing Milk, which I talked about in my morning skincare routine.

Nonie of Beverly Hills AHA! Skin Tonic*
Toners aren't a skincare item that really gets me excited, but I do like the AHA! Skin Tonic, which is one of the few products I use both morning and night.  It's gentle and non-drying and I've noticed a visible difference in the appearance of the pores on my nose and cheeks since adding this into my routine.

Nonie of Beverly Hills AHA! Brilliant Moisturizer*
With 5% alpha hydroxy acids from natural fruit sources, Brilliant serves as both a moisturizer and a gentle chemical exfoliant.  In the beginning, I experienced minor tingling from the acids, but after using it on and off for several months, my skin has gotten more used to it and I don't feel anything on application.  This is a great formula because while the acids are pretty gentle, they are still quite effective at resurfacing the skin.  I haven't noticed much difference in terms of fine lines, but my overall skin texture has improved and my skin is the softest I can remember it being in a long time.  

Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream / Holiskin Revitalize Eye Serum*
Like I mentioned, I like to do bulk of my nighttime skincare a couple hours before bed, at which point I'll use the Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream.  I find, no matter how conservatively I apply them, eye oils always manage to seep into my eyes if given the time, so I wait to apply the Revitalize Eye Serum until right before going to sleep.  Holiskin's serum is a light-textured blend of organic apricot kernel, camellia, rosehip seed, and evening primrose oils, plus non-GMO vitamin E, organic calendula extract, and essential oils.  I haven't been using it long enough to remark on its effect on dark circles or fine lines, but it feels very nourishing and does a great job moisturizing the eye area.  I'll update once I've used it for longer.

Rachel's Plan Bee Facial Oil*
Similar to in the morning, I haven't been using face oils every night recently, but on nights when I want a little extra moisture, I'll add in a few drops of Rachel's Plan Bee Facial Oil.  The oil, which smells like a warm vanilla cookie, has just enough weight to it to thoroughly moisturize the skin without any heaviness or greasy feeling.  It works well either applied alone as an additional step or mixed into my moisturizer.

And there you have it!  I've got one more post coming with masks, treatments and occasional products, but day-to-day, this is what I use.  What are your favorite nighttime skincare products?

My relationship with skincare has come a long way in the last few years.  When I first started blogging, I was much more interested in makeup and my skincare routine basically consisted of soap, moisturizer, and an occasional scrub.  I'm not sure exactly when things changed, but I've become quite the skincare enthusiast and my routine is a good bit more involved these days.  

That said, mornings are still all about quick and effective skincare for me.  Whether I'm heading out early or spending the day working from home, I generally don't want to mess with anything too slow or complicated in the morning.  If my skin is acting up, I'll add in an extra product or two, but I'm going to save talking about those for a dedicated post.  On an average day, my morning routine consists of three basic steps: cleanse, tone, and moisturize.   

I do tend to change things up fairly frequently, but - with the exception of one product that you'll see in my night routine - I've used everything in my current rotation for a minimum of three weeks.  



Andalou Naturals Apricot Probiotic Cleansing Milk
As part of Andalou's Age Defying line, the Apricot Probiotic Cleansing Milk is a gentle cleanser designed for dry and sensitive skin.  It's more of a thick cream cleanser than a cleansing milk, but it rinses away clean and doesn't feel overly heavy on my skin.  It leaves my skin feeling clean and extra soft, and it also smells yummy - like peach yogurt.  

Nonie of Beverly Hills AHA! Skin Tonic*
Contrary to the name, the AHA! Skin Tonic is not an exfoliating toner with AHA's, but instead a gentle, witch hazel-based tonic that serves to refresh the skin and prepare it for the next step.  It feels very light and non-sticky on the skin and I love that it doesn't contain any glycerin, as my skin sometimes reacts badly to toners with high amounts of glycerin.

Trilogy Line Smoothing Day Cream
My skin has been doing a lot better with cream moisturizers than oils this winter, so after repeatedly coming across this Trilogy moisturizer on super discount at Winners, I had to try it.  As the name suggests, the Line Smoothing Day Cream is intended to restore hydration and smooth lines.  With a blend of hyaluronic acid and avocado, olive, acai, and evening primrose oils to hydrate and nourish, and botanical hydroxypoline (an amino acid) to stimulate collagen production, improve elasticity and fight free radical damage, it sounds like a moisturizer with a lot going on.  After using it for about a month now, I haven't  noticed any dramatic line smoothing (not that I have a ton of lines/wrinkles to begin with!), but it's a good moisturizer.  The scent is light, it feels very gentle, and it does a good job hydrating the skin.  I don't know where to buy Trilogy products in Canada regularly, but if I come across it at Winners again, I'll definitely pick up a backup.

Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream / La Mav Anti Dark-Circle & Ultra-Firm Eye Gel*
I use these two interchangeably and out of everything in my routine, this is the one area where I'll be happy to switch to something else once these are finished.  Neither are bad products, they just haven't given me the results I was hoping for.  If you're very dry around the eyes, the La Mav - in spite of its seemingly light, gel consistency - is fantastic for hydration, and if you want an eye cream that you can immediately apply makeup on top of, the Balance Me is great in that regard.  Both do also help with minor puffiness, I just wish one of them had been able to do more for my dark circles. 

Badger Sea Buckthorn Face Oil* / Karooch Hazelnut Oil
Most mornings I use the Trilogy moisturizer and call it a day, but if my skin is feeling extra dry, I'll top the moisturizer with a couple drops of these two oils mixed together.  The Badger is super hydrating and the hazelnut oil - my absolute favorite face oil - lightens it up slightly and helps to speed up absorption.  

And there you have it: my current morning skincare routine.  I'll have posts on my nighttime skincare and occasional products and treatments I use coming up in the next couple weeks too, so stay tuned for those!