Naturalla Beauty

This month, I really focused on using up products that were nearly finished or that had been hanging around for a while, so this latest batch of empties is even more satisfying than usual.  Here's what's headed for the bin:



Nourish Organic Coconut & Argan Body Wash
I've talked about Nourish's body washes many times before, so I'll keep it brief.  The Coconut & Argan line isn't available online anymore, but if you can find it in stores, I'd recommend it.  The body wash has more of a tropical/floral scent than a coconut one and was one of my favorites from Nourish.  Any of the company's body washes are great though.  They're very creamy and hydrating, but also produce a decent lather.
Repurchase?  Eventually, yes.  I've got a few other bottles that I picked up on Black Friday to use first.

Leap Organics Eucalyptus, Mint & Anise Body Wash   [Review]
I enjoyed this, but it is intensely minty.  It's great during the summer or after a sweaty workout, but in the colder months, it sometimes left me feeling chilled.  I didn't notice any eucalyptus or anise in the scent, just a whole lot of peppermint.
Repurchase? Yes, but I want to try a different scent next.

Sibu Beauty Sea Buckthorn Moisturizing Body Cream*   [Review]
This falls kind of mid-way between a lotion and a body butter.  It's a thicker, richer cream that provides a good boost of moisture to the skin, while still sinking in and absorbing really easily.  The cream has a triple dose of sea buckthorn from the seed oil, fruit oil, and fruit pulp and I really liked having that extra nourishment in a body product.  I also used this as a hand cream and it worked great for that as well. 
Repurchase? Yes.  I have other lotions/creams I want to work through first, but I would buy it again in the future.

Weleda Skin Food
I've been using this same tube of Skin Food for two or three years now and I noticed a couple months ago that it was expiring in April.  If ever there was a product I was proud of using up, it's this right here.  I made a concentrated effort to use it nearly every day and went through the last third of the tube just in the past month or so.  I like Skin Food, but mostly in small doses like on my elbows, so it's just not something I go through very quickly.
Repurchase? I'm not sure.  I think I've found other products I like slightly more, but I do have another (thankfully smaller) tube to use before I have to decide.

Rocky Mountain Soap Co. Vanilla Candy Cane Body Butter   [Review]
I've never been a huge fan of lotion bars or solid body butters before, but I was really impressed with this one from Rocky Mountain Soap.  I loved the Vanilla Candy Cane scent and the bar itself was creamier and less waxy than other similar products I've used, so it melted into the skin really easily.  The flip side of that is that the bar melted away pretty quickly and I didn't feel like I got a ton of use out of it.  This was just a mini size though - I  imagine a full size would last a good bit longer.  
Repurchase? Yes, I think so.

Ella's Botanicals Skin Soother Bar
Ella's Skin Soother is a soap I always go back to and one that's especially great in the winter.  I pulled this out after my hands had been completely dried out by another bar soap and its gentle blend of olive oil, hemp oil, and oatmeal helped turn things around in no time.
Repurchase? Yes, definitely.

Crazy Rumors Plum & Peppermint Lip Balm
I find myself a little hot and cold on Crazy Rumors lip balms, mainly dependent on the individual scents.  Plum & Peppermint was very fruity with just a touch of mint and I loved it.  I used the entire tube - start to finish - in about three weeks, which is sort of crazy.
Repurchase? Yes, I've already picked up a couple different scents to try.

F. Miller Skincare Body Oil (sample)
I quite enjoyed this oil.  It had a light feel and absorbed quickly, but really left my skin feeling nourished. The scent was nice enough too, although not necessarily a standout for me - a mix of earthy and citrus notes from neroli, bergamot, grapefruit, frankincense, and palmarosa essential oils.    
Repurchase? Probably not, just because of how pricey it is.  I'm not really one to spend a lot on body oils.

Earthbody Dream Body Oil* (sample)
Another body oil hit, this one courtesy of a Petit Vour box several months back.  Dream is a little thicker and richer, compared to the F. Miller one, but I enjoyed it as well.  Earthbody's skincare is inspired by Ayurvedic principals and I love that the body oils are made not only with carrier and essential oils, but also infused with herbs.  
Repurchase? Yes.  I'm curious to try a couple other scents too.

Green People Intensive Repair Conditioner (sample)
I've used multiple samples of this conditioner and there are things I really like about it.  It has a moderately thin consistency, making it very easy to work through the hair and it leaves my hair feeling very silky and soft.  It also does a good job minimizing frizz and leaves my curls looking nicely defined.  I'm not crazy about the rose geranium scent though, which is what has always stopped me from purchasing a full size.
Repurchase? Probably not.

Suki Transformative Cleansing Clay (sample)
I loved this as a mask when I was first introduced to it a couple years ago, but this time around, I wasn't as impressed.  I'm not sure if my skin has changed or if I've just found other masks that work better for me, but I wasn't wow-ed.  
Repurchase? I doubt it.

And that's it!  I'm glad I decided to keep count this year as I'm really enjoying keeping an eye on the numbers and being able to see what products I consistently get through.  (Apparently I use a lot of lip balm!)  It's also nice to know I'm making progress on my samples, even when it may not seem like it to look at how many still remain.   

March
Skincare: 1 (Lip Balms: 1)
Body/Hair:  5
Makeup: 0
Skin/Body/Hair Samples: 5
Makeup Samples: 0

2015 Total
Skincare: 11 (Lip Balms: 4)
Body/Hair: 14
Makeup: 5
Skin/Body/Hair Samples: 24  (I realized I hadn't been counting items from my Sample Stash posts, 
                                                                       which is why this number jumped so much this month.)
Makeup Samples: 2

What products have you finished recently?  If you've done one recently, feel free to link to your empties post in the comments too - I love reading these!  

It's that time again!  I didn't use up that much stuff this month, but I was able to finish off a couple products I'd been wanting to be rid of, so I'm happy about that.  I also used up some makeup and cleared out my open mascaras, which is always a good thing.  Here's a look at February's empties:



KYI Unscented Sweet Almond Softening Oil*   [Review]
I really like the entire KYI line and the Almond Softening Oil is no exception.  It's gentle, very hydrating, and more affordable than a lot of other comparable body oils.  The Unscented version is just almond oil, so I wouldn't go out of my way to re-buy it, but I do want to pick up more of the Chamomile Lavender - my favorite KYI scent - at some point.

Also, in case you missed it in the sidebar, you can save 10% off any KYI purchase with the code "NB10." Code is valid through the end of April. 

La Mav Cranberry Bio Exfoliating Scrub*   [Review]
This is a great face scrub.  It does a good job exfoliating without ever feeling harsh or overly abrasive, and my skin always looked extra healthy and luminous after using it.  I like to try new scrubs - in fact, I don't know that I've ever bought the same one more than once - but I did really enjoy this one.

Earthbody Brighten Cleanser & Mask
I got this trial size in one of my first Petit Vour boxes and I think it's one of the best products they've included to date.  Described as a "superfruit enzyme powder," Brighten takes Moroccan rhassoul clay and elevates it to a higher level with thirteen different plant and fruit powders.  I never tried it as a cleanser, but I loved using it as a mask.  I can't justify buying another mask until I go through a few of the other ones I currently have, but I'll miss having this in rotation in the meantime.

Shiro Cosmetics Default Lip Balm
Default is the untinted version of Shiro's Intertubes.  I loved the (now discontinued) Intertube formula, so when Shiro released an untinted version a few years ago, I rushed to buy several of these pots.  Unfortunately, I never thought it worked as well in a pot.  Depending on the temperature in your home, it tends to be very solid, making it difficult to apply.  I also found the texture of these specific ones to be somewhat gritty and chunky, and although it was probably just crystallized shea butter, I didn't enjoy it.  All in all, even though the actual formula worked great on my lips, I'm not sorry to see the end of these.

Boo Bamboo Line Lifting Face Cream*   [Review]
I mentioned I was trying to use this up in last week's What I Do With Products I Don't Love post, so it shouldn't be too surprising that I'm happy to see the end of this cream.  I used most of the pot as a body moisturizer, and while I ended up actually enjoying it that way, I wouldn't buy it for that purpose alone.

Young Living Thieves Waterless Hand Purifier
I don't use much hand sanitizer, but I like to carry one in my bag for those "just in case" moments.  This is my favorite - and really the only one I buy - because I like the ingredients, the gel consistency and that it's non-sticky and doesn't smell like alcohol.  I also love how tiny and compact the bottle is.  

Blissoma Pure Sensitive Skin Soothing Complex
Another of my favorite products to come in a Petit Vour box!  My skin went a little haywire towards the beginning of the winter and Pure is the product that calmed it down. Made without essential oils, fragrance, alcohol or other irritants, Pure instead contains shea butter, marshmallow root,  plantain, self heal and more, and is one of the most soothing moisturizers I've used.  Definitely a product I can see myself purchasing in full size in the future.

The All Natural Face Olive Squalane Oil
More costly squalane oils from Indie Lee and Peter Thomas Roth have garnered a lot of positive attention, so when I spotted this rollerball from The All Natural Face selling for a mere $5, I couldn't resist adding it to my most recent order.  As it turns out, it didn't do much for me.  From everything I've read, squalane is supposed to be non-greasy and quick to absorb, but I found the opposite with this - it felt heavy and just sat on top of my skin, never really soaking in.  I'm still curious how the more expensive squalane oils might compare, particularly the sugar cane-derived Peter Thomas Roth one, but this one was not a hit.

Honeybee Gardens Pressed Mineral Foundation in Geisha   [Review]
I think I've gone through four or five pans of this foundation in the last couple years and it's still one of my favorites.  I love how natural it looks on the skin, as well as how incredibly quick it is to buff on in the mornings.  It works great on its own, but can also be used to add an extra layer of coverage on top of cream or liquid products.  I've heard the foundation has been slightly reformulated, which is always a little concerning, but I've got one more pan I'd previously bought before I need to worry about that.

Pollen & Wax Apollo Cleansing Milk   [Review]
Another product I'm happy to be done with!  Apollo just didn't work for my skin in any way, shape or form.  I tried it as a daily cleanser, a weekly exfoliant, and even on my body, and it left me consistently underwhelmed.

Rocky Mountain Soap Co. Vanilla Candy Cane Soap (mini)   [Review]
This soap came in a holiday kit and I liked it a lot.  It lathered well, smelled great, and didn't dry out my skin.  The Vanilla Candy Cane scent isn't available right now, but I'd buy it again next Christmas.  I'm also curious to try other Rocky Mountain Soap scents.

Une Beauty Skin Glow Pencil in G02   [Review]
This pencil, topped with a little Silk Naturals Sleep in a Jar, has been my favorite under eye concealer combo for the last couple years, so I was pretty gutted when Une discontinued this product.  I had a brief happy dance moment when they re-released it (in the bigger stick I'd always longed for too!), quickly followed by more disappointment when I realized they didn't re-release this particular color.  I'm still on the hunt for a replacement, so if there are any great under eye concealers I need to try, please leave them in the comments!

Zuzu Luxe Onyx Mascara
My old standby, favorite mascara.  I love pretty much everything about this, but especially that it doesn't irritate my eyes or smudge.  I've somehow accumulated a ton of new mascaras to try, but I've bought too many tubes of this to count and I'm sure I'll go back to it again.

Lily Lolo Vegan Black Mascara*   [Review]
And, my new favorite mascara.  This gives impressive volume - the best of any natural mascara I've used - and I love it about as much as the Zuzu Luxe.  My only slight complaint is that the tube got used up/dried out pretty quickly.  I'm strict about tossing mascaras after three months - four tops - and I rarely have a mascara actually dry out or feel empty in that time, but the Lily Lolo started feeling dry and became harder to work with right around the two month mark.  It was still usable for a few more weeks, but not nearly as awesome as when it was fresh.  I just received a replacement tube in the February Petit Vour box (full write up on that box coming very soon!) and I'm sure, despite its shorter lifespan, that I'll buy it again in the future as well.  

The black mascara is back in stock and I still have a Lily Lolo discount code, if you're wanting to try this or anything else from Lily Lolo - "naturallabeauty" will get you 20% off sitewide (US website only).  

Benecos Just Black Multi-Effect Mascara
I had the weirdest experience with this mascara.  Every time I wore it and went outside in the sun, I'd see black spots.  Finally I connected the spots to this mascara, but it was pretty disconcerting before I figured out what was causing them!  I really don't understand it either, as the mascara itself wasn't anything special.  It didn't make my lashes significantly longer, darker, or thicker than any other mascara, so I don't understand why the Benecos was so much in my line of vision.  I only ended up using this a handful of times, and I haven't touched it since the summer, but it's completely dried out now, so it's got to go!

Have you finished any products recently?  

February
Skincare: 6 (Lip Balms: 1)
Body/Hair: 2 
Makeup: 5
Skin/Body/Hair Samples: 2
Makeup Samples: 0

2015 Total
Skincare: 10 (Lip Balms: 3)
Body/Hair: 9
Makeup: 5
Skin/Body/HairSamples: 13
Makeup Samples: 2

My last Sample Stash post was just a week ago, but what can I say, the samples, they just don't end!  Here's the most recent batch I've been working on:



EarthBody Dream Body Oil
This is the second EarthBody product I've received in a Petit Vour box, and they've both been awesome.  The body oil, which includes nourishing jojoba and rosehip seed oils, is perfect for deeply moisturizing and protecting your skin through these colder months.  Dream is scented with frankincense, lavender, chamomile, and sandalwood, and it smells lovely.  The frankincense and sandalwood add a earthy and woodsy element that really elevates it above your standard lavender-chamomile scent.  

Nonie of Beverly Hills AHA! Body Lotion
Nonie of Beverly Hills recently sent me some products from their skincare line to try (more on those later) and they also included this sample of the body lotion.  Like most of the line, the body lotion is made with naturally occuring alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) from various fruit extracts, so it acts as a gentle chemical exfoliant.  It's the first body lotion I've used with AHA's, and it's great.  I can just imagine the acids going all ninja on any dead skin or impurities, since what's left behind is so incredibly smooth and soft!  It also smells yummy, like lemon ice.

Dr. Alkaitis Organic Soothing Gel
The Soothing Gel has been well hyped by several different green bloggers recently and I was curious to try it for myself.  It's essentially a whole bunch of healing herbs and botanicals - nettle, sea oak, kelp, and chamomile, to name just a few - in an aloe and witch hazel base.  It has a watery-gel consistency. 

November's Petit Vour box* was co-curated with Ashlee Piper of The Little Foxes, a compassionate lifestyle blog.  The box contained products from four luxury boutique brands that are intended to simultaneously pamper and treat the body.  I love supporting small, independant brands, so I'm ecstatic to see that this month's box is 100% smaller companies.  Here's what came in the box:



Caru Skincare Rose Facial Serum (Sample Value ±$4)
Caru's Rose Serum is an oil blend formulated to hydrate and nourish the skin.  It's a mix of jojoba, pomegranate, evening primrose, and rosehip oils, with rose absolute and carrot seed, geranium, and palmarosa essential oils.  It has a pretty heady rose scent for me, but I've heard really good things about Caru's products.  

Au Naturale Creme Eye Shadow + Creme Concealer (Unknown Sample Value) 
Au Naturale is consistently raved about and I don't think it's an exaggeration to say I've been meaning to try something from their line for years.  I received the creme concealer in Beige, the company's second lightest shade and while I thought it looked dark in the pot, it's actually a pretty perfect match for my skin.  Palma, the creme eye shadow I received, is a shimmery gold/bronze that's just gorgeous.  Both products are very creamy and they're really great sample sizes too.  The box also included a coupon code for 25% off an Au Naturale order, good through the end of the year.  

French Girl Organics Cerise Mineral Lip Tint ($11)
On an everyday basis, I'm all about the tinted lip balms, so this 92% organic lip tint is bound to come in handy.  From the name, I was expecting it to smell like cherries, but that turned out to just be the color.  The lip tint is instead scented with geranium and peppermint essential oils.

Earthbody Sacred Skincare Dream Body Oil (Sample Value ±$5.75)
There was an Earthbody face mask in the PV box a few months ago and I loved it,  so I was excited to see another Earthbody product this month.  The body oil is made with organic safflower, grape seed, sweet almond, jojoba, and rosehip seed oils and is scented with a blend of lavender, chamomile, frankincense, rosewood, and sandalwood.  I can't wait to use this!



The Bottom Line
As far as I'm concerned, this was a pretty stellar box!  I'm most excited about the Earthbody oil and the Au Naturale samples, but the other two items were by no means duds.  This box totally epitomizes everything I love about Petit Vour: great ingredients, lesser known brands, and gorgeous, indulgent products!

Petit Vour boxes retail for $15 (US) / $23 (Canada) / $30 (International) and individual products can also be bought in the Petit Vour shop.   

You know what they say about good things coming in small packages?  Never more true than with these skincare minis.  They may not be the biggest, but all three are pretty darn fantastic.  


Hush & Dotti Original Balm Cleanser
Hush & Dotti is a vegan, cruelty free skincare line committed to making high quality, natural and organic small batch products.  As I understand it, the Balm Cleanser was the company's inaugural creation and what started it all.  Cleansing with a balm always feels a bit strange to me, but I've enjoyed using this one nonetheless, particularly during the transition to drier fall weather.  The balm is rich and buttery, but not at all waxy, so it wipes off easily and doesn't leave your face feeling coated.  Instead, you're left with soft, hydrated, touchable skin.  Hush & Dotti's formula is also coconut oil free, great for those of us who can't tolerate coconut oil on the face.  The cleanser also has a really pleasant, slightly spicey, herbal scent.  

Kaia Bamboo Tapioca Beads*
Kaia's Bamboo Tapioca Beads are a dry powder that - once activated with the liquid of your choice - can be used as either an exfoliating cleanser or a face mask.  Composed mainly of bamboo, tapioca, and kaolin clay, the powder is gentle, but also very effective.  The powder form may seem like extra effort, but I really love how it allows you to easily customize it, just by switching up the liquid component.  You can use anything from water to tea, an oil, honey, yogurt, or even a liquid face cleanser.  Whatever you choose to use, the beads leave your face feeling smooth and refreshed and they smell great too - fresh and citrusy!

Earthbody Brighten Cleanser + Mask* 
Brighten is a rhassoul clay-based cleanser/mask that came in the August Petit Vour box and has quickly become a favorite.  It's packed with thirteen plant and fruit powders, including acai, papaya, guava, mangosteen, and pineapple to "firm, lift, and hydrate without depleting essential moisture."  I've only used it as a mask thus far, but it can also be used as a rinse off cleanser.  

Have you tried any of these?

I get so excited every time the pink Petit Vour box gets to my door.  This monthly subscription box showcases products that are not only vegan and cruelty free, but also predominantly natural.  The theme for August's box* is Beauty School and the box comes complete with products and tips to help you become your own beauty expert.  Here's what was included:


Beauty Without Cruelty Eyeliner in Soft Brown ($18.50)
I haven't tried anything from Beauty Without Cruelty, but I'm always happy to have another eyeliner.  The ingredients look good and are even free of palm oil, which is rarer than you might think.  The brown color is perfect for me too, since more times than not I go for brown eyeliner over black.  From swatching it on my hand, I'd say the pencil takes a couple swipes to warm up and then it does go on nice and creamy.

Harvey Prince Journey (Sample Value Unknown)
I'm really not a perfume girl, but I do appreciate that Harvey Prince's scents are mostly natural and are completely free of pthalates, parabens, sulfates, benzene, and other toxic chemicals commonly found in synthetic perfume.  Journey is described as exotic, awakening and transformative, and has notes of Indonesian clove bud, Australian sandalwood, Moroccan rose, French bergamot, Indian tuberose, Japanese orange flower, Lebanese cedarwood, Turkish cyclamen, and South African freesia.  

Rosemira Organics Sweet Coconut Body Butter (Sample Value ±$5)
I've heard good things about Rosemira and this body butter, made with unrefined, organic coconut oil and mango butter sounds lovely.  It's scented with sweet orange and vanilla essential oils, which, in combination with the coconut oil, give the butter a gorgeous, light, tropical scent.  Summer weather means it arrived to me somewhat melted, but I'm eager to give it a try once it has a chance to solidify again. 

Mi-Me Tangerine Lip Butter ($5)
Mi-Me isn't a brand I've heard of before, but the lip butter seems really nice.  Made with coconut oil, shea butter, mango butter, avocado butter, tucuma butter, murumuru butter, cupuacu butter, candelilla wax, vitamin E, and tangerine essential oil, it goes on smoothly and seems to just melt into your lips.  

Earthbody Brighten Cleanser & Mask (Sample Value ±$7)
For me, this was the most exciting product in the box.  Earthbody's line is rooted in the principles of Ayurveda and Brighten is a mix of rhassoul clay and thirteen plant and fruit extracts, including mangosteen, guava, papaya, pineapple and acai.  It's described as a superfruit enzyme powder and can be used as either a cleanser or a mask.



The Bottom Line
I've been happy with all the Petit Vour boxes I've received, but I've got to say, I think this month has been my favorite.  I'm most excited for the Earthbody cleanser & mask, but I'm also really happy to have the chance to try the Beauty Without Cruelty eyeliner, Mi-Me lip butter, and Rosemira body butter.  Personally, I won't make use of the perfume sample, but even without it, the value of the box exceeds the cost of a subscription.  August's total value weighs in at around $35.50.  

Petit Vour boxes retail for $15 (US) / $23 (Canada) / $30 (International) and individual products can also be bought in the Petit Vour shop.