Naturalla Beauty

  

Green beauty is booming these days, which means a TON of exciting new product releases.  For spring, I've put together a list of some of the best launches that have grabbed my attention recently -- most are available now, with a couple scheduled to release over the next few weeks.    



Maya Chia Highlight of the Day // Birchrose + Co Glow Serums
Technically Maya Chia's Highlight of the Day launched a few months ago, but since healthy, glowy skin is always on trend for spring and summer and I, for one, am still eyeing it, I'm adding it here anyways!  Both Highlight of the Day and Birchrose + Co's Glow Serums are nourishing oil-based serums enhanced with mineral pigments for a beautiful glow or iridescence.  Both are available in more than one shade to suit a variety of looks and skin tones.  

Stark Petrichor Toner
Stark's products, which are formulated with weather and environmental stresses in mind rather than traditional skin types, have been on my radar for quite a while, but I haven't actually tried anything yet.  I love that Jess, Stark's founder, has taken a less traditional approach to the beauty industry and is passionate about creating luxury products without insane luxury price tags.  It's, of course, right up my ally.  Along with the already available City Recalibrating Oil, I've got my eye on the new Petrichor Toner, available for presale this week.  Petrichor is described as a protective and purifying mist that's supposed to feed your skin, calm inflammation, fight free radicals, and act as an antioxidant shield from the environment.  Sounds pretty dreamy, right? 

Mabrook & Co. Clean Sprays // Clean Candles // Clean Dry Shampoo // Clean Lip Balm
[Full Disclosure: I work part-time for Mabrook & Co., but that doesn't make their new releases any less great.  I was not asked or paid to include them here.]
Mabrook & Co. started out making just deodorant, but they've recently expanded the line quite a bit with dry shampoo, multipurpose aromatherapy sprays, soy wax candles, and lip balm.  My favorite of the new products is the Glow Spray, an uplifting mist that perfectly blends together crisp mint and zesty citrus.  It makes a great cooling and tingly face mist and also works well as a room spray or body mist.  The Clean Dry Shampoo is another big standout.   

RMS Beauty Signature Sets
RMS products are pretty pricey and the pots last a long time, so I was so stoked to see the new Signature Sets, which offer a way to try out multiple products from the brand at a significantly lower cost than purchasing everything individually.  There are two sets available, each containing five of RMS's most popular products: two lip2cheeks, two highlighters/bronzer, and one lip & skin balm.  It's a lot of bang for your buck -- I've got my eye on the Mod Collection for sure! 

Alima Pure Eye Primer // Ilia Beauty On & On Eye Primer // Batty's Bath Eye Stick It To Em Eyeshadow Primer
For as long as I've been into green beauty, eye shadow primers have been hard to come by, but not any more!  I've spotted three new ones in the last couple months alone -- from Ilia Beauty, Alima Pure, and Batty's Bath.  All three promise a better surface for eye shadow application, longer wear, and no creasing.  Ilia's does contain dimethicone, if that's a concern, but the other two are silicone-free.

Inika at The Choosy Chick
I've played around with Inika, an Australian certified organic, vegan, and cruelty free makeup line, a little, but they've always been a challenging brand to get a hold of here in North America.  No longer!  The Choosy Chick, one of my favorite green beauty shops, has become the first US online retailer to carry Inika's products and I couldn't be happier to have easy access to this wonderful line.  I highly recommend the Cream Eye Shadows -- they double as beautiful subtle face highlights -- and I'm definitely eyeing up a few other things too!    

Pacifica Spring Makeup Collection
Pacifica makes great inexpensive clean makeup and their upcoming spring releases look pretty amazing!  The new makeup collection consists of four completely new products: liquid lipsticks, liquid strobe highlighters, a mattifying powder, and an opalescent highlighting powder -- and three new eye shadow palettes.  If you're in the US, the new products launch at Ulta in April, and hopefully elsewhere shortly thereafter.

Rocky Mountain Soap Wellness Bombs
Rocky Mountain Soap is one of my favorite bath and body companies and the newly launched Wellness Bombs sound fantastic!  Basically, they're the company's bath bombs taken to the next level -- enhanced with essential oils that specifically target different wellness concerns.  Whether you're looking to unwind and destress or re-energize, the Wellness Bombs have you covered!

What new products have caught your eye?

Last week's gift guide covered gifts suitable for introducing a newbie to green beauty and today, I want to flip to the complete other end of the spectrum: shopping for the experienced green beauty lover.  She's already a clean beauty devotee and has sampled the gamut herself.  In a lot of ways, I think this is one of the most challenging giftees to shop for, but I've put together a good mix of new releases and lesser known companies and products to help you out.  
Rachel's Plan Bee x kimberlyloc Limited Edition Body Oil
A collaboration between Rachel's Plan Bee and Kim of kimberlyloc.com, this limited edition body oil features two types of jasmine, rose, vanilla, and sweet orange.  The company's original body oil is a firm favorite of mine that hydrates like a dream without leaving your skin feeling greasy or coated, and I have no doubt that the jasmine-infused oil is equally beautiful for jasmine and floral lovers.  

Henné Organics Luxury Organic Lip Balm
USDA certified organic, made with minimal ingredients, and packaged in beautiful and luxe Miron glass,  Henné Organics lip balm epitomizes elegant simplicity and is just the thing for the tough-to-shop-for green beauty lover.  After all, who doesn't love a good lip balm - especially in the dead of winter?

Ilia Beauty Fall/Winter Collection
Ilia recently expanded their collection to include eyeliners, shadow sticks, and liquid foundation.  I'm swooning over the idea of twist up liners - virtually unheard of from natural brands - and the shadow sticks look great too!  I haven't heard a lot about the foundation so far, but so long as you're confident in your ability to color match your recipient's skintone, it could make a lovely gift too.

NCLA Nail Lacquers
I don't see NCLA talked about a lot, but these 5-free and vegan lacquers are one of my favorite nail polish formulas.  They dry quickly and wear well, and with tons of colors, multiple finishes and several different gift set options, there's lots to choose from!

A Fantastic Face Mask
What beauty junkie doesn't love a good face mask?  Pictured above are Balanced Guru's Calming Masque - a favorite of mine that equally detoxifies and soothes the skin - and two that are new to me: Corpa Flora's berry-packed Caviar Rouge and Consonant's multitasking (exfoliating, detoxifying + moisturizing) DHE Mask.  All three brands have excellent products but tend to fly slightly under the radar in the green beauty community.  

An Essential Oil Diffuser
Essential oil diffusers are great for scenting your home, setting a mood, and purifying the air.  Pictured above is Young Living's Dew Drop, the one I'm currently using.  I like it because it's quiet and it creates enough of a scent throw to be noticeable throughout a large room or even an entire floor.  Because it uses water to create a cool mist, it also acts as a small-scale humidifier, so it's great for keeping skin hydrated too.  

Napa Organics Plum Oil / Océopin Maritime Pine Seed Oil
Any green beauty devotee is sure to have tried their share of oils, but they may not be familiar with these two lesser-known beauties.  Both are harvested in limited quantities - in California and southern France, respectively - and are rich in vitamins and antioxidants that are great for cell renewal and maintaining the skin's elasticity and barrier function.  Napa Organics' Plum Kernel Oil has a light almond/cherry scent and is excellent for balancing oil production and minimizing the appearance of scars and fine lines.  And, Océopin's Maritime Pine Seed Oil, which uses a patented cold extraction method to extract oil from the pine cones of organic Maritime pine trees, has an extremely high antioxidant content that actively protects against skin aggressors and free radicals. 

What would you suggest when shopping for a fellow green beauty lover?  

Avalon Organics Clarifying Lemon Shampoo
I bought this when I was having issues with buildup and an oily scalp and alternated between it and another non-clarifying shampoo.  The combination worked well without over-stripping or drying out my hair.  I figured out a few months ago that my scalp problems were more likely a mild case of seborrheic dermatitis, rather than just oilyness, and started treating that internally with oregano oil, and since then, my scalp issues have stopped, so I don't have any need for a clarifying shampoo anymore.  
Repurchase? For the time being, no.

Rachel's Plan Bee Original Body Polish*   [Review]
I've raved about the Rachel's Plan Bee body polishes several times now, so I won't go into too much detail here. These are one of my favorite scrubs.  The texture is perfect, they don't separate, and they're highly moisturizing, but not overly greasy or oily.
Repurchase? Yes.  There are a couple different scents I want to try in the future.

Meow Meow Tweet Grapefruit Mint Soap
I have problems with some bar soaps drying out my hands in the winter and unfortunately this was one of them.  The soap smelled nice and has worked great during the summer, but I had to put it away in the colder months when my hands became dry and cracked.
Repurchase?  Probably not.

Desert Essence Italian Lemon Hand and Body Lotion
I really enjoyed this lotion.  It was scented with only essential oils and had a much milder fragrance than most Desert Essence products.  My big nitpick is with the packaging.  The label started wearing off early and quickly began shedding blue flakes.  In and of itself, not terrible, but the flakes would magnetize and stick to anywhere I applied lotion, which became a big nuisance.  
Repurchase? Maybe.  The lotion itself was great, but I'm not sure I want to deal with the hassle of the label again.

Nourish Organic Wild Berries Body Wash
I featured this in my most recent favorites post, which is a pretty good hint about how I feel about this product.  Nourish's body washes are a longtime favorite of mine and the berry scent is really lovely.  It's sweet and fruity but also has an herbal/fresh note that keeps it from being overly saccharine or sickly.  
Repurchase? Yes.



Weleda Almond Soothing Facial Oil*   [Review]
This is a great multi-purpose oil to have on hand.  Made with just almond and plum kernel oils, it has a light marzipan-y scent and is very soothing and gentle on the skin.  I liked it a lot as both a regular face oil and to remove eye makeup, and I even used the last inch or so of the bottle as an allover body oil.  I'm actually very tempted to buy it again specifically to use on my body, as it left me with the softest skin ever.
Repurchase? Maybe.

Weleda Rosemary Conditioning Hair Oil*   [Review]
I mostly used this oil as a leave-in on my ends, but I also used it as a pre-shower treatment a couple times too.  Honestly, my hair is easygoing when it comes to oils, so I don't notice a huge difference between different ones, but this one worked well.  It smelled like rosemary and did a good job taming minor frizz and flyaway hairs. 
Repurchase? I'm not sure

Acure Marula Oil
I'm a little conflicted on this marula oil.  I loved it at first, but partway through the bottle, it stopped agreeing with me.  It stopped absorbing into my skin at all and would just sit on top and feel greasy.  I used the last half as a body oil and while it was fine in that capacity, it wasn't anything spectacular.
Repurchase? Probably not.

Yarok Feed Your Ends Leave-In Conditioner
I used another mini Feed Your Ends a couple years ago, and while the first one didn't impress me all that much, I really loved it this time around.  On my hair, it feels very lightweight and non-greasy and I also enjoy Yarok's signature lemon scent.  I used the spray mainly as a refresher on dry second-day hair, but it's also marketed as a heat protectant.  
Repurchase? Yes.  I have a couple other hair products to use up first, but I think this will be my next purchase after those.



Triumph & Disaster Old Fashioned Shave Cream (samples)
Triumph & Disaster is marketed as a men's line, but the Shave Cream certainly works for women too.  With a lotiony consistency and a great cushiony feel, it worked really well and, though definitely more of a masculine scent, I thought it smelled great too.  That said, as much as I enjoyed it, as someone who doesn't even buy shave cream half the time - that's what failed conditioners are for! - I can't see myself spending the extra money on a higher end shave cream.  tl;dr: Great product, but a little pricey for what it is.
Repurchase? I doubt it.  

Weleda White Mallow and Calendula Face Creams (samples)
I've used samples of both of these creams before, and they're okay.  The White Mallow contains coconut oil, which doesn't tend to agree with my face, and I don't love the scent of Weleda's Calendula line, so I actually used these sachets on my body, not my face.
Repurchase? No.

Studio 78 Off We Go Concealer in At Dawn (01) (sample)
I'm going to do a full review of this concealer once I get around to ordering the full size, so I'll save the details for that post.  Needless to say, I like it.  It's a much-talked about product amongst green bloggers, but I'd say it's worth the hype.
Repurchase? Yes, I plan to very soon.

Ilia Vivid Concealer in Cassava (C1) (sample)
The concealer itself was okay - light to medium coverage and nothing extraordinary - but what tipped this product over for me was the smell.  I don't even know what it smelled like, but it was fairly strong and I was not a fan.  I know I swatched this in The Detox Market a few months ago and I don't remember noticing a smell then, so I'm wondering if this sample just went off or something.
Repurchase? Definitely not.

Mineral Foundation Samples
I've been working through an accumulation of mineral foundation samples the last couple months.  I ran out of ones that actually matched me, so this batch is a mix of ones that, by themselves, did not, but I was able to mix and tinker between the lot to make them work.  Lucy Minerals is still the biggest standout for me and unmatched by any other mineral foundation I've tried in terms of both coverage and lasting power.  I also like Urban Minerals a lot and The All Natural Face foundation is okay too, though pretty light coverage.  As I've said before, I'm not a big fan of the Alima Pure foundation, which I find disappears off my face by halfway through the day.
Repurchase? I'm leaning towards going back to Lucy Minerals when I next need foundation, but I'd also consider purchasing Urban Minerals.

Real Purity Desert Rose Blush (sample)
Desert Rose is a very pigmented matte mauvey-rose shade.  I liked it, but it needed extra care and blending to not look ridiculous and clown-like on my fair skin.  I enjoyed using the sample, but considering the number of blushes I have and the little bit of extra work this one required, I'm not sure I liked it enough for a full size purchase.
Repurchase? Probably not.

Total Products Used Up in July
Skincare: 2  (Lip Balms: 0)
Bodycare: 4
Haircare:  3
Makeup: 0
Skin/Body/Hair Samples: 5
Makeup Samples: 7

Total Products Used Up in 2015
Skincare: 23 (Lip Balms: 7)
Bodycare: 28
Haircare:  9
Makeup: 9
Skin/Body/Hair Samples: 54 
Makeup Samples: 19

With so many amazing products out there, it can sometimes be nice to try a sample before committing to a full-size.  That's why I was so excited to realize that Fresh Faced has started selling samples!  (Or maybe they've always sold them and I just never noticed?)  While doing some late night gift shopping, I decided to pick up a few tiny goodies for myself as well.


Here's what I chose:
Kahina Antioxidant Mask
May Lindstrom The Problem Solver 
May Lindstrom The Clean Dirt
Stark Green Tea Mask
Yarok Styling Whip
One Love Organics Vitamin B Cleansing Oil
One Love Organics Vitamin E Eye Balm
One Love Organics Morning Glory Brightening Complexion Booster
One Love Organics Supercritical Chia Oil
Ilia Lipstick in In My Room
Ilia Tinted Lip Conditioner in Nobody's Baby
Vapour Lipstick in Possess

Fresh Faced also generously threw in a few extra samples (not pictured):
Rahua Shampoo & Conditioner
Kahina Eye Serum
Kahina FEZ Body Serum

A lot of new-to-me brands in this pile and I'm excited to get to try everything out.  I've been really into face masks lately, so it'll be fun to test out a couple new ones.  I'm also extra stoked to try the Kahina samples, as I've already fallen hard for their cleanser (more on that very soon!)  

Have you used any of these products?  Do you like samples or are you more of a straight-to-the-full-size kind of person?