Naturalla Beauty

This post is going up a few days behind schedule for a number of reasons.  First, I had it in my head I was going to film an empties video this month, but that clearly never panned out.  I've also been struggling with some general camera issues recently.  I've noticed - and you may have too - that for the last several months my photos aren't as crisp as they used to be, especially the right 1/4 or 1/3 of the picture which often ends up particularly fuzzy.  I'm no photography expert, so while I've been frustrated, I've brushed it off as operator error, but I'm wondering if it's really more of a hardware issue.  Any photography/camera wizards, please feel free to weigh in :)

Getting back on topic, lets talk about September empties.  If you aren't familiar with these posts, this is where I give final impressions of products I've used all the way up.  This month's batch is mainly body care, with a few skincare and makeup items as well.



Dr. Hauschka Lemon Lemongrass Vitalising Body Wash   [Review]
A really lovely hydrating body wash reminiscent of a lathering cream cleanser for your face.  Straight out of the bottle, the consistency was similar to that of a thin lotion, but with the addition of water, it foamed up pretty nicely.  If you're familiar with the Weleda Creamy Body Washes, this struck me as pretty similar - not altogether surprising when you consider the shared history of the two brands - and even smelled very close to how I remember Weleda's Citrus scent.
Repurchase? Not sure.  I'd probably choose the less costly Weleda ones instead.  

Kiss My Face Pomegranate Grapefruit Moisture Shave
The Moisture Shaves are my favorite shaving product.  You really can't beat the price and they do a great job.  If you're switching from a conventional shaving foam, there may be an adjustment period, but it's totally worth taking the time to get used to using a cream.  I loved how the Pomegranate Grapefruit scent smelled in the bottle, but on the skin, it was a little too sweet for my nose.  
Repurchase? Yes, but not in this particular scent.

Acure Unscented Ultra-Hydrating Body Lotion   [Review]
This has been my favorite body lotion for several years now, but I've just started on a new tube in the new packaging and I feel like the formula has changed along with the tube.  The ingredients are almost identical - just a few additional extracts in the new one - but the consistency feels a lot more watery than the original. My sister hasn't noticed any change, so maybe I got a dud, but I'm pretty disappointed.  If anyone else has used this in both the new and old packaging, I'd love to know if you noticed any change in the formula! 
Repurchase? Not sure.  

Earthpaste Peppermint Toothpaste   [Review]
Another longtime favorite that I'm not sure I'll be buying anymore!  I went a couple days brushing with just water when I kept forgetting to move the new tube into the bathroom, and I'm convinced my teeth looked whiter during that time than when I started back using the Earthpaste.  I switched to the Peppermint flavor a couple months ago and I wonder if it's somehow - inexplicably - less brightening than the Wintergreen, which is what I've used for most of the last three years, or if Earthpaste in general has been making my teeth duller and less white without me noticing.  
Repurchase? I don't know.

Mamma Oceania Baby Clean Soap*  [Review]
The Mamma Oceania soaps are wonderful unscented soaps handmade in Toronto and the Baby Clean with chamomile, banana, kelp, and oatmeal is my favorite.  It has a slight creamy/clean scent - though there are no added scent ingredients - and is super gentle on the skin.  All the Mamma Oceania soaps are made without palm or canola oil and are very long lasting.  
Repurchase? Yes!  I'm swimming in soaps right now, but I definitely would.

Rocky Mountain Soap Co. Lemongrass Face/Body Bar
Rocky Mountain Soap is another great option for Canadian bar soap.  I love how many different options the company offers and the scents, which are noticeable but not overpowering, have never bothered me.  These are also palm oil free, but they do contain canola oil, which I don't 100% love.  The Lemongrass bar smelled super fresh and citrusy - not overly spicy - and was really lovely to use.  It's labelled for oily/combination skin, but wasn't drying at all.  
Repurchase? Very likely.  Again, not immediately, but it's one I'll keep in mind in the future.  

CleanWell All Natural Hand Sanitizing Wipe
I got this as a sample somewhere and I've carried it around in my purse for probably a year or more.  For my hands, I generally prefer a liquid/gel hand sanitizer, but these wipes are great for quick cleaning or wiping down surfaces.
Repurchase? Maybe.  



Acure Cell Stimulating Facial Mask (sample)   [Review]
As I've said many times before,  I don't generally find pre-mixed masks as effective as powder ones that you activate yourself, but I think they're good to have on hand for those times when you're in a hurry or just can't be bothered to mix something up yourself.  The Acure mask didn't do a lot for me in terms of cleaning pores or detoxifying the skin, but it did leave my skin looking fresh and bright.  It emulsifies with water so most of the product rinses off easily, but I found it tended to leave a slight film on the skin, so I recommend either washing it off in the shower or with a washcloth.  
Repurchase? Maybe.  I have a couple other pre-mixed masks on the go already, but I might come back to it next time I need one.

The Little Alchemist Cacao & Banana Face Glow
This mask came in a Petit Vour box towards the beginning of the year and I quite enjoyed using it.  It's a mix of raw cacao, banana, zeolite, clay, and a variety of superfoods, including acai, green papaya, spirulina, maca, and turmeric root.  As the name suggests, it left my skin fresh and glowy, but only if I spaced out my uses.  I try to mask twice a week and when I used this too close together - more than once every couple weeks - the second use didn't have much effect on my skin at all.  If you're someone with multiple masks to rotate between, it's great, but I wouldn't suggest buying it as your only mask.  
Repurchase? Maybe.

Nonie of Beverly Hills AHA! Brilliant Moisturizer*   [Review]
I really liked this moisturizer!  With 5% AHA from sugarcane and fruit extracts, it provides daily light resurfacing and leaves the skin baby soft.  I noticed tingling from the acids initially, but that dissipated after the first week or so.  This does contain coconut oil, but the balance with the acids meant that it didn't leave my pores congested or clogged like most coconut oil products do.  
Repurchase? Yes!  I'm using something else right now, but I would consider buying it in the future.

Karooch Meadowfoam Seed Oil
I bought this with the intention of using it in a DIY body oil (totally inspired by Stark's Meaowfoam Everybody Oil), but I ended up using it as a makeup remover instead.  It had a great light consistency that made it easy to spread across the skin, but I didn't like how it smelled - kind of seedy and salad dressing-like.  You could probably cover the smell up with essential oils, but I never tried.  
Repurchase? Doubtful.  I'm still curious to try the Stark oil though!

The Body Deli Melon Foaming Cleanser
This cleanser didn't do anything terrible to my skin, but it didn't do anything good either.  With stellar brightening ingredients like turmeric, licorice root, and vitamin B12 , I had pretty high expectations, but it consistently left my skin looking dull and tired.  I tried to use it as a body wash too, but it actually irritated the skin on my body, so I'm just tossing the last third or so of the bottle.  
Repurchase? No.



Everyday Minerals Base: Golden Fair (0W) Matte, Golden Ivory (1W) Semi-Matte + Ivory (1N) Jojoba (samples)
I'm finally nearing the end of all my mineral foundation samples!  I'm pretty confident that Ivory (1N) is my best color from Everyday Minerals and the Semi-Matte formula, with its natural finish, hint of a glow and slightly sheerer coverage than the Matte and Jojoba bases, is my favorite.  Golden Fair (0W) and Golden Ivory (1W) were both far too yellow for my skin.
Repurchase? Yes.  I'm waiting for a full size of the Semi-Matte in Ivory (1N) to arrive.

Cheeky Cosmetics Blonde + Light Brunette Brow Powder (samples)
These were a complete fail for my brows - neither color matched and they were so pigmented as to be difficult to work with - but I liked them both as matte eye shadows.  Light Brunette, in particular, made a great crease/transition shade.
Repurchase? For my brows, definitely not, but I might buy Light Brunette to use as an eye shadow.    


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

Total Products Used Up in 2015
Skincare: 32 (Lip Balms: 8)
Bodycare: 34
Haircare:  10
Makeup: 11
Skin/Body/Hair Samples: 62 
Makeup Samples: 29

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!

A lot of natural skincare puts a big emphasis on plant oils, botanicals, and extracts, and while I'd never complain about that, it's also refreshing to see the market expanding to include product lines taking a slightly different, more scientific approach to non-toxic skincare.  Nonie of Beverly Hills' AHA! Line - "Beauty from the Chemistry of Nature" - combines natural, non-toxic, vegan ingredients and fruit acids from bilberry, sugar cane, maple cane, lemon, and orange.  I don't have a lot of experience using acids in my skincare, so when the company reached out to me late last year, I was very excited to try the products and see what AHA's could do for my skin.



AHA! Skin Cleanser*
The Skin Cleanser is a thick, creamy cleansing lotion that's recommended for use without water.  Similar to old school cold cream cleansing, Nonie of Beverly Hills recommends applying the cleanser to the skin on dry cotton pads.  I've been enjoying this product, although with a slightly modified method.  Rather than using cotton pads, I prefer to massage the cleanser onto a dry face using just my fingers.  It's great for breaking down makeup, even mascara and eyeliner.  Once the product is thoroughly massaged in, I wipe it off with a warm, wet washcloth.  Sometimes I find it can leave behind a slight coating or film on the skin, so I've been using this more as a makeup remover than a full-on cleanser and opting to follow with a different cleanser afterwards.  Used this way - as the first part of a double cleanse - I really like it.  The Skin Cleanser doesn't contain any added AHA's and is quite gentle, even around the eyes.  It also has a nice sweet lemon scent that reminds me of lemon ice.  

AHA! Skin Tonic*
Toners often leave me underwhelmed, but I've actually been quite impressed with this one.  The main ingredient is witch hazel - naturally high in skin toning tannins that are both anti-inflammatory and can help tighten the pores - and since it's alcohol free, the Skin Tonic is also non-drying.  This was the first product I started using from the line and I really saw my pores become visibly cleaner - and thereby slightly less noticeable - within just three or four days of use.  It has a similar lemon scent to the cleanser - perhaps with a hint of something fresher like celery.  Again, the Skin Tonic doesn't contain any added AHA's.  

AHA! Brilliant Moisturizer*
The moisturizers are where the line's namesake AHA's come into play.  With 5% AHA from natural fruit sources, Brilliant is recommended for normal and combination skin and acts as both a moisturizer and a gentle daily exfoliant.  The first few times I used it, I experienced some minor tingling from the acids - though nothing overwhelming - and even that gradually dissipated within the first week or two of use.

Nonie of Beverly Hills suggests working up to twice daily use, but because my skin leans a little more sensitive and I haven't wanted to overdo it with the acids, I've mainly stuck to using Brilliant at night, with another oil or moisturizer in the mornings, and I've still seen good results.  It's a medium-weight moisturizer with the same sweet lemon scent as the cleanser and hydrates well,  absorbs quickly, and isn't the least bit sticky or tacky.

Almost from the very first use, I noticed how soft my skin became.  I usually use manual exfoliants and I've always thought were doing the job, but I don't think my face has ever been this smooth and soft before.  The AHA's really work to resurface and improve skin texture, leaving behind baby soft skin.   I haven't noticed any reduction in my few fine lines, but since AHA's are known to smooth lines, increase cell renewal, and improve collagen production, I'm hoping that will come next!

Brilliant does contain coconut oil, but it hasn't caused any of the usual problems I experience with coconut oil on my face.  Perhaps the acids work to counteract the comedogenic properties of the coconut oil?  Whatever the reason, Brilliant has worked brilliantly (I couldn't resist!) for my skin.  

I also tried a sample of the SPF 15 Sunblock Moisturizer, which takes a little more effort to work into the skin, but has a similar feel and leaves virtually no whitecast behind once you do rub it in fully.  If you prefer your moisturizer with SPF, that's another good option to consider.   



The Bottom Line
I really like this line!  The two definite standouts were the Skin Tonic and the Brilliant Moisturizer.  I've seen a noticeable improvement in my skin from both these products.  I'm not as crazy about the Skin Cleanser by itself as a cleanser, but it's great as a first cleanse to remove makeup.  

I like the sweet lemon scent across the line and that the scent is light, fresh, and not overpowering.  It's something I notice as I use the products, but I don't smell it on my skin throughout the day, which is just how I like these things.  There's a good selection of different moisturizers to suit various skin types and the price point, across the entire line, is also very reasonable, particularly once you factor in the larger-than-average product sizes (7 ounce cleanser and tonic, 1.75/3.5 ounce moisturizers) of the AHA! products.  


Ingredients Note: Many of the product ingredients include a vague "coconut emulsifier."  When I inquired, the company confirmed that this is non-GMO coconut and vegetable sourced glyceryl stearate and not an ethoxylated polysorbate emulsifier. 

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.