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!  

Picture by Good for Me, Good for You

There's something so nice about supporting local companies, so when I saw Hephzibah of Good for Me, Good for You and Karen of In My Humble Opinion's #InMyBackyard posts, I knew I had to join in.  The idea is to feature companies that are local to you or "in your backyard".  

Happily, Toronto's green beauty scene has been growing by leaps and bounds recently and new lines seem to be popping up all over the place.  Obviously I can't mention them all, so I've narrowed it down to six of my favorites.
Nürish Organics

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Nürish's line was designed to provide effective skincare that enhances the body's own healing mechanisms.  Ingredients are, of course, natural and also mainly organic.  As of now, I've used four of Nürish's eight products and I can tell you they really work.  I first fell hard for Best Scrub Ever (which really is one of the best scrubs I've ever used) and Daily Glow was unbeatable through the polar vortex weather this winter (plus, check out the packed ingredients list on this baby! )

Skin Essence Organics

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Skin Essence's product line is a little more basic, but still very effective.  The standouts for me are definitely the serums - great blends, and again, the ingredients are predominantly organic.  In particular, I think I'll always have a soft spot for Nourish - which I fully credit with turning me into a face oil lover - and Facial in a Jar is one of those great, versatile products that works as both a mask and scrub.

Pretty

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My skin always responds best to simpler products, which is why I love Pretty's philosophy that "less is more" when it comes to skincare.  You won't find any mile-long ingredients lists here, but not to worry, Pretty's products still include plenty of powerful ingredients.  The Pure Radiance Day Cream continues to impress me - it's works beautifully as both a moisturizer and makeup primer - and if you're curious about powder cleansers, the Black Tea and Raw Cocoa Facial Cleansing Grains are also worth a look.

Graydon: Clinical Luxury by Nature

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Graydon focuses on creating pure, plant-based products that are just as effective and luxurious as those from a mainstream luxury brand.  The company also makes a point of sourcing organic, Canadian ingredients whenever possible.  So far, I've only tried the Face Food Mineral Mist, but The Cleanser and The Putty are firmly on my wishlist and are sure to make their way home with me one of these days.

Ella's Botanicals

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Moving into body care, Ella's has a great lineup of soaps, balms, and lotions.  I've enjoyed a lot of the line, though my tops picks would be the super gentle Skin Soother Bar and deliciously-scented Lemon Meringue Lotion.  There are also rumblings that a face line is in the works.

Pure + Simple

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Pure + Simple has their own extensive line of skincare, haircare, body care, and makeup and also has three spa locations to accommodate all your green beauty treatment needs.  I'm a fan of the Eye Brightening Cream (I did end up buying the full size after my review) and the multi-use Face Colors, which, depending on color, work equally well as blush, bronzer, and eyeshadow.

I'd love to know what companies are local to you.  If you do (or have already done) an #InMyBackyard post, feel free to link it in the comments below!

There's no getting around it: I'm pretty picky about scents.  There are a lot of times that I find myself loving everything about a product EXCEPT how it smells.  Inspired by that, plus the "Best of 2013" lists that are popping up everywhere, I want to talk about some products that I think smell amazing.  And, while the scents may be what got these products featured in today's post, the best part is that every single one of them is also fantastic beyond just how they smell!



Deep Steep Candy Mint Foot Cream
A combination of refreshing peppermint and sweet cocoa butter have this cream smelling like delicious candy canes.  It's rich but rubs in easily, so although it's marketed as a foot cream, I find it equally good on my hands.  

Ella's Botanicals Lemon Meringue Hydrating Lotion
Another dessert-y scent, Ella's Lemon Meringue Lotion blends together lemon and vanilla and smells like delicious lemon cake.  It's also completely non-greasy and moisturizes like a dream.

Young Living Stress Away
I can't imagine doing a list of smells without including some kind of essential oil.  Stress Away is a blend of vanilla, lime, copaiba, cedarwood, ocotea, and lavender that smells pretty phenomenal.  It's sweet but also a little woodsy from the cedarwood and is great for destressing and relaxation.  

Kahina Giving Beauty Facial Cleanser   [Full Review]
I've raved about this cleanser several times now, but I'm not sure I've fully expressed just how much I love the scent!  It's a hard one to describe - soft, sweet and a little floral, but also fresh and kind of herbal.  The main scent notes are neroli and blue tansy.  

Skin Essence Organics Chocolate Mandarin Hand & Body Balm
Made with cocoa butter, mandarin, and sweet orange, Skin Essence's balm smells exactly like a Terry's Chocolate Orange.  It's also intensely hydrating and great for sealing in moisture.  It can be a little greasy when you first apply it, so it's great for right before bed, when you can let it soak in and work its magic without having to immediately touch a million and one things.

Nourish Organic Almond Vanilla Body Wash   [Full Review]
Nourish's body washes are creamy and quite moisturizing and the almond vanilla scent is so yummy!  It's sweet but not sickly and makes me feel like I'm washing myself with cake batter.

KYI Lavender Chamomile Sweet Almond Softening Oil   [Full Review]
KYI's Softening Oils are fantastic body oils and the lavender chamomile scent is hard to top.  I mostly smell chamomile, with just a hint of lavender.  It's soft, relaxing and soothing - especially perfect at night.

Lina Hanson Global Body Serum   [Full Review]
Another citrus and vanilla scent - although this time it's yuzu, grapefruit, and vanilla - Lina's Global Body Serum smells like the grown up version of Ella's lotion. It's still decadent, but less of a foodie scent.  The serum is also packed with oils that heal and nourish the skin and is one of the quickest absorbing body oils I've used, making it a great time saver too!

Weleda Sea Buckthorn
I've mentioned multiple times how much I adore Weleda's Sea Buckthorn products.  The scent is bright, fresh and citrusy, and always reminds me of The Body Shop's Satsuma, which I loved as a teen.  (Keep in mind that I haven't actually smelled Satsuma in years, so I could be completely wrong about the resemblance.)  I like the whole line, but my top picks are the body wash and hand cream.  


Somewhat ironically, compiling this list ended up being kind of eyeopening for me.  Before this, if you were to ask me what kinds of scents I gravitate towards, I'd have been quick to identify fresh, citrusy, or minty ones.  So, it surprised me how many of my favorite smells are pretty sweet.  Nothing too sugary or candy-like, but sweet nonetheless.  Funny how that turned out!

What kinds of scents do you enjoy most?  Any standouts?




Contains affiliate links

Not a whole lot used up in November, but since I don't relish the thought of hanging onto these things any longer, I'm doing a post now anyways!



Nourish Exfoliating Body Polish   [Review]
A nice, gentle scrub.  Not very abrasive at all - I was even using it on my face at one point!  Different scent options would make it even better, as this unscented one just smells starchy and cornmeal-esque, which kind of wore on my nerves after a while.
Repurchase? Maybe.

Darling Girl Cosmetics Eye Shadow in Blitzen and Surfrider   [Review]
Darling Girl eye shadows are some of my favorites!  Both of these were light peach shades, which you may have noticed I wear a lot.  Blitzen was a favorite, and while technically discontinued, Susan, DG's founder, found some hanging around that I was able to snatch up.
Repurchase? Blitzen yes, Surfrider, no.

Ella's Botanicals Skin Soother Beauty Bar Soap (sample)
I think I've tried almost all of Ella's bar soaps now and the Skin Soother is definitely my favorite.  It has a different base than the rest of them - olive oil instead of canola - and I like it a lot more.  As the name suggests, it's very gentle and soothing.  It's technically unscented, but it has a delicate, slightly sweet smell that's quite lovely.  
Repurchase? Yes.

Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap in Citrus and Unscented (samples)
Dr. Bronner's is always a staple.  I regularly use it to clean my makeup brushes, hand-wash any delicates, and for a multitude of other jobs as they pop up.  The citrus scent isn't my favorite.
Repurchase? Unscented, yes.

Badger Creamy Cocoa Cocoa Butter Lip Balm
Love, love, love this lip balm!  It's great all year, but especially awesome in the winter, as it really coats and protects your lips against the cold.  Creamy Cocoa doesn't have any added scent, letting the cocoa butter really shine.
Repurchase? Yes.

Young Living Essential Oils Thieves
A blend of clove, cinnamon, rosemary, lemon, and eucalyptus essential oils that's great for the immune system.  I got hit with a cold in the beginning of the month and finished this bottle off while fighting it.
Repurchase? Yes, I already have.

I don't actually have a whole lot of empties to talk about this month.  October is off to a promising start though - I've already got a number of things on their final legs.  Here's what I finished up in September:



Weleda Almond Soothing Cleansing Lotion
As I mentioned in my Sensitive Skin Saviors post, this was the cleanser I turned to when my skin started acting up over the summer.  It's incredibly gentle but still very effective at keeping your skin clean.
Repurchase? Yes, I already have.

Ella's Botanicals Lemon Zing Shower Gel (sample)
Citrus scents are some of my favorites and this was a nice shower gel that smelled lemony fresh.  It lathered nicely and didn't dry out my skin.
Repurchase? Maybe.

Zuzu Luxe Onyx Mascara   [Review]
Zuzu Luxe has been my go-to mascara for years.  It won't give you the most intense, bold lashes, but it never irritates my eyes and it doesn't smudge or flake.  I like to stock up on a couple tubes whenever White Rabbit Beauty has a sale.
Repurchase? Yes, I already have.

Badger Tangerine Breeze Lip Balm
I usually buy Badger's cocoa butter lip balms, but their regular line is nice too.  These are great if you prefer a thinner, slicker balm, versus something thicker and creamier.
Repurchase? Yes.

Sierra Bees Vanilla Lip Balm
Another good lip balm, although I found the vanilla scent got a little sickly towards the end of the tube.  The Sierra Bees lip balms are usually available as freebies with any iherb order.
Repurchase? Yes.

Une Beauty Skin Glow Pencil in GO2   [Review]
I initially purchased this to use in my waterline, and while it works great for that, I actually really like it as an overall concealer.  It does a surprisingly good job brightening up under eye circles and is also great for concealing any redness I get around the sides of my nose.
Repurchase? Definitely.  Thankfully, the lovely Hephzibah from Good for Me Good For You was kind enough to send me a couple backups when I was having a hard time finding somewhere that would still ship Une internationally.

Tata Harper Resurfacing Mask (sample)
If I was picking a winner for most disappointing product of the month, this would be it.  When I saw that Neiman's Idealist had compared Tata's mask to Ren's Glycolactic Radiance Mask (which I desperately want to try, but haven't let myself because of the phenoxyethanol in it), I knew I had to give it a go.  I'm glad I started with a sample, since sadly my skin was not a fan.  It felt okay on, but in 20 minutes I went from having a good, smooth skin day to random bumps all over my cheeks.  No bueno.
Repurchase? No.

Weleda Citrus Creamy Body Wash (sample)
The Citrus scent isn't my favorite from Weleda, but the actual body wash is lovely.  As the name suggests, it creamy and very hydrating.
Repurchase? Yes.  I've already bought a tube in my favorite, Sea Buckthorn scent.


And that's it for September!  What did you use up this month?  If you've done a post, feel free to link it in the comments.

Acure Cocoa Butter + CoQ10 Body Lotion   [Review]
I love this lotion!  It's a great moisturizer that rubs in easily and doesn't leave your skin feeling greasy or tacky.  I like that it's unscented (and without any icky unscented scent), but there are also other options if you prefer your lotions to be scented.
Repurchase? Yes, I already have.

Green Beaver Grapefruit Facial Cleanser (sample)
Green Beaver is an affordable, Canadian line, and I was happy to get my hands on a sample of their gel cleanser.  It worked well, but sometimes left my face feeling a little tight and dry.  It also contains grapefruit seed extract, which isn't my favorite ingredient to be using all the time.
Repurchase? Probably not.

Honeybee Gardens Pressed Mineral Foundation in Geisha   [Review]
This is one of my top foundation picks and something I've written about multiple times before.  I love that it can be used lightly as a setting powder or built up to a nice, flawless finish on it's own.  I should probably mention that while I love the powder itself, I do not recommend spending the extra money on the compact, which is not airtight and will leak powder everywhere.  I've been keeping my refill in the plastic packaging this time around, and while it's not especially pretty, it's an improvement - at least I don't have powder flying everywhere!
Repurchase? The foundation, yes, I already have.  The compact, no.

Blum Oil Absorbing Facial Tissues
These are pretty standard blotting papers, not a whole lot to say.  My only complaint is that even though the papers are standard sized, the packaging is quite bulky and cumbersome.
Repurchase? Maybe.

KYI Sweet Almond Softening Oil (samples)   [Review]
I've recently become something of a body oil convert, which I credit to a combination of these oils and Lina Hanson's Body Serum.  I'm still slowly working my way through a full size of the unscented softening oil, but these samples of the litsea cubeba and chamomile lavender scents got used up pretty quickly.  
Repurchase? Yes.

Young Living Sandalwood Moisture Cream
I've alternated between this cream and Young Living's Boswellia Wrinkle Cream for years and gotten great results from both, particularly when my skin used to be more acne-prone.  I've been trying out some new skin care recently, but I could see myself going back to this moisturizer in the future.  
Repurchase? Probably.

Peppermint Earthpaste Toothpaste   [Review]
Love this toothpaste!  It's glycerin-free and leaves my teeth feeling smooth and clean and my mouth feeling fresh.  The wintergreen flavor is my favorite, but the peppermint is good too.  
Repurchase? Yes.

Young Living Lavender Lip Balm   [Review]
One of my favorite lip balms, this is moisturizing but not greasy, and it lasts on your lips really well.  I even used the end of the tube to keep my eyebrows in place. (Eyebrow gel - who needs it?!) 
Repurchase? Yes, definitely.

Evan Healy French Rose Clay (sample)
I regularly do green clay masks, but the pink, which is a combination of rose kaolin and Moroccan rhassoul clays, made a nice change.  It was a little gentler than the clay I usually use, but it definitely still did the trick.  I could also clearly see all the gunk it sucked out of my pores, which was fun, if a little gross.
Repurchase? Maybe.

Weleda Almond Soothing Cleansing Lotion (sample)
Super gentle cleanser.  I love how simple the ingredients are and it left my skin feeling cleansed but not dry in the least.  It's probably the closest thing I've found to a cold cream, so if you're looking for a natural replacement, definitely check this out!  I used it like a standard cleanser, on damp skin and rinsed off, but I could also see it working when applied to dry skin and just wiped off.
Repurchase? Maybe.

Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Castile Soap (sample)
Pretty standard stuff if you're into natural products, Dr. Bronner's has a hundred and one uses.  I used the sample to clean my makeup brushes.  I don't mind the peppermint, but I generally go for the unscented one.
Repurchase? Yes.

Ella's Botanicals Bar Soap in Chai Latte, Lavender Bliss, and Lemon Zing (samples)
Ella's is a lovely Toronto company, but I'm a little mixed on these soaps.  Ingredient-wise, I love that the soaps are made without palm oil, but I wish the company used something other than canola oil, since that brings with it a whole host of GMO concerns.  I also didn't like the lavender scent, but I enjoyed the chai and lemon ones.
Repurchase? Maybe.

What did you use up this month?