Naturalla Beauty

The one good thing about waiting so long to write up my empties is that I actually had time to accumulate a decent pile of finished makeup!  Using up makeup takes forever, but it's always so satisfying, isn't it?  Here's everything that I finished off in the last few months:

  

Face
Juice Beauty's Stem Cellular Repair CC Cream makes a nice lightweight base.  It offers minimal coverage, but has a pretty, glowy finish.  Natural Glow, the lightest shade, was a great color match for me too.  The scent is the one negative of this product, although by midway through the tube, I was mostly used to it.  The CC Cream smells strongly like petitgrain, which if you aren't familiar with it, has quite a grassy/herbal scent.

I didn't notice any skincare benefits or reduced dark circles from Alba Botanica's Fast Fix for Undereye Circles, but it works pretty well as a yellow-toned color corrector.  It's a little sheer, so most often I used it layered under another concealer.  Alima Pure's Luminous Shimmer Blushes are a fantastic formula and Guava, since discontinued, was a beautiful shimmery peach.  I wish it was still available -- it was a great natural, easy-to-wear color!

Eyes
Zuzu Luxe Onyx Mascara is a longtime favorite of mine -- I've probably used 15 or 20 tubes of it over the years!  It doesn't give the most dramatic lashes, but it's great for a natural look and doesn't smudge or flake at all.  I've even made it through a few snowstorms with intact lashes with this guy!  The Ashley Morgan Cosmetics Black Mascara (now Purely Lulu) was a new discovery for me and a great one!  It's very black and creates beautiful, fluttery lashes.  Both mascaras are also good for sensitive eyes.

Zuzu Luxe's Russet Eyebrow Pencil was, I believe, my very first brow purchase.  I found the color slightly too warm-toned with my natural hair color, but since henna-ing my hair the last couple months, that warmth became a positive.  Color aside, Zuzu's brow pencils have a good, solid formula that goes on nicely and lasts the entire day without budging.    

I still have a ridiculous number of eye shadow samples, but at least I finished off a few more!  Silk Naturals Nekkid Eye Shadow, a supposed dupe for MAC Naked Lunch, is a shimmery pink/pale rose gold.  It's a great all-over the lid shade.  Cheeky Cosmetics Espresso Eye Shadow, a rich and pigmented matte dark brown, was another hit and fantastic as a powder eyeliner.  Lucy Minerals' Creamy White Eye Shadow is a powder, but one with a super creamy feel, similar to the company's foundation, and I liked it a lot as a brow bone highlight.  I used up samples of Silk Naturals' Beach Bunny and Malibu Miss, both technically bronzers, as eye shadows too.  Both are mid-toned warm/yellow browns -- one shimmery, one matte -- which are exactly the kinds of colors I wear in the crease most days, and the sheerer bronzer formula made blending super easy.  Since I'm not much of a bronzer wearer, I was happy to move the samples out this way instead.

Lips
I hear so many people say that they never get through lip balm, but that's clearly not an issue for me!  Rachel's Plan Bee's Lip Balm completely saved my lips last winter when nothing else was working and I'll always have a soft spot for it for that alone!  I prefer the Peppermint to this one, the Natural Flavor, but both are fantastically nourishing and buttery.  I also really enjoyed the Duckish Grapefruit Lip Balm.  It has a slightly heavier formula -- although not uncomfortably so -- and makes the perfect protective lip cover for braving the cold.  This is what I've been wearing for late night winter dog walks where the temperature is regularly around -10°C.  The Savannah Bee Co. Wild Blackberry Beeswax & Propolis Lip Balm was also great.  Less of a heavy hitter than the first two, but it still worked well and the blackberry scent is fantastic -- sweet and fruity without smelling fake or cloying.  Compared to the other three, the Sierra Bees Organic Unflavored Lip Balm was a little unimpressive.  Sierra Bees is one of iHerb's own brands and the lip balms are both certified organic and super inexpensive.  I have nothing bad to say about them -- they're good balms and the price alone (currently $2.95 for an 8-pack!) always has me tempted to throw a pack into my cart, but I realize there are other balms -- like the other three here -- that I like more. 

Nails
Priti NYC's Soy Nail Polish Remover is my gold standard for nail polish remover.  It removes polish well, doesn't dry out nails or cuticles, and it has absolutely no nasty polish remover smell.  I have mixed feelings about the Suncoat Nail Polish Remover Gel, a gel that you're supposed to spread onto the nails and let sit for 2 minutes before wiping off.  By itself, you need to reapply many times to fully remove polish -- really not worth the time or effort -- however as the first step in removing tricky glitter polishes, I did like it.  I'd leave the gel on for closer to 5 minutes and then remove it and go back in with a regular liquid remover like the Priti NYC.  I'd never recommend the Gel Remover on its own, but it definitely helpful in breaking down difficult glitter polishes.  I loved the Pacifica Gloss Top & Base Coat at first, but it was ultimately disappointing.  You can't really tell in the photo, but the bottle is only about halfway done and it doesn't work at all anymore.  The polish is gloopy and has started to dry on the nails with bubbles and divets.  I'm kind of bummed to chuck it, but it's basically unusable at this point and just ruins otherwise good manicures/pedicures.  

And that's a wrap!  I'm so happy to finally get rid of all this beauty trash!

I'm not one for professional pedicures, but I do enjoy taking a little extra time to do my own, at home version.  I don't think we appreciate just how much of a beating our feet take until sandal season is upon us, but those tootsies definitely deserve some TLC too!  I've gotten into a bit of a routine with my feet pampering products recently, so I thought I'd share those with you, as well as a new nail polish find that's perfect for summer.  


Priti NYC Soy Nail Polish Remover
Switching from conventional nail polish remover is a challenge, but Priti makes it a little easier.  Along with the toxins, you can say goodbye to dried out nails and that horrible acetone smell.  The Soy Nail Polish Remover actually leaves your nails feeling moisturized and cared for, and rather than smelling like chemical solvents, it has a subtle lemongrass scent.   (There's also an unscented version available.)  And, yes, it actually works too.  You'll want to allow a little extra time for glitter polishes, but everything else comes off pretty darn easily.

Rachel's Plan Bee Body Polish*
I love a good DIY scrub, but there's something extra special about the Rachel's Plan Bee Body Polishes.  Aside from smelling great - this one is the company's signature vanilla/citrus scent - they also have the most perfect consistency.  There's no separating, and with ingredients like shea butter and Moroccan lava clay, the texture is buttery rather than oily, like you find with a lot of other scrubs.  The sugar crystals are gentle enough for your entire body, but with a little extra buffing, they easily take on rough, seasoned feet too. 

Ellovi Mint Chocolate Butter
I've been savoring this small sample that came in a Petit Vour box several months back and happily a small amount goes a long way with this product, so it's still hanging on.  With only six ingredients - macadamia oil, coconut oil, cocoa butter, shea butter, non-GMO corn starch, and peppermint essential oil - Ellovi Butter is a smooth, rich moisturizer that actually has the consistency of soft butter.  It's an intense moisturizer that melts into the skin beautifully and is perfect for feet or other extra dry spots, though you could, of course, use it on the rest of your body too.  I also can't get enough of the Mint Chocolate scent.  It's reminiscent of Thin Mints or mint chocolate chip ice cream: minty and chocolatey, but not overly sweet or cloying.  

Sheswai Lacquer in Good Vibes
Early this spring, I got a random yearning for a particular shade of yellow nail polish - something bright (but not neon) and with a cream finish - and ever since then, I've been on the hunt for what's turned out to be a surprisingly illusive shade.  So, when I spotted Good Vibes on sale from Clementine Fields, I quickly snagged a bottle.  I will say, while the color is on point, the formula isn't the best.  This is the only Sheswai polish I've used, so I don't know if it's the individual color or the entire line, but Good Vibes needs a little more work than your average nail polish.  I wasn't at all impressed the first time I wore it, but after redoing my nails, I've realized the key is multiple thin coats and plenty of drying time in between.  It's certainly a fussier polish, as yellow polishes tend to be, but the color really is beautiful for this time of year.

Pacifica 7 Free Gloss Top & Base Coat
I bought this a couple months ago and I have nothing bad to say about it.  It's great as a base coat to prevent staining and also as a top coat, lending a great, glossy finish.  And, it also works well to smooth out rougher glitter polishes and dries pretty quickly too.  I'll definitely be trying more Pacifica polishes in the future!

The nail polishes may change, but the rest of the products stay pretty constant.  What are your mani/pedi essentials?

I think I've finally figured out this empties thing.  Focus on one product at a time.  Sounds pretty common sense, right?  If you're rotating between five cleansers, it's going to take you a good, long while to finish any.  On the other hand, if you're using just one, you'll get to the bottom a heck of a lot quicker.  Sure, I've known it for a while, but I've never seen it in action quite as blatantly as this past month.  Let's talk about what I finished up in June...


Repurchase? Probably not.  There are other shampoos and conditioners I like more.

Boo Bamboo Exfoliating Body Wash*   [Review]
This is a nice body wash with a light berry scent and the perfect amount of grittiness for an exfoliating product of this type.  Not enough grit to class it as a full-on scrub, but enough that I knew it was there and could tell it was doing something.
Repurchase? Maybe.  The ingredients aren't quite as natural as I'd like, but I'd consider it.

Acure Mint + Echinacea Stem Cell Shampoo and Conditioner 
My mom ran out of her regular shampoo and conditioner and ended up finishing these off while I was using all that Weleda, but I'm including them anyways, since I'd say I used at least 7/8 of both before starting on Weleda's challenge.  My mom was a fan, and I liked them too, just not as much as Acure's Argan + Argan Stem Cell variety.  The shampoos seem pretty comparable - other than scent - but the mint conditioner is lighter and not as hydrating as the argan.
Repurchase? Doubtful.  I've re-ordered the Argan set to replace these.

Beautiful Curls Curl Reviving Tonic   [Review]
This is a great product.  I use it on days when I don't wash my hair and it does just what the name suggests: revives my second day, slept on curls.  I've already started on a new bottle.
Repurchase? Yes.

Skin Essence Organics Facial in a Jar   [Review]
Facial in a Jar is one of those powder products that does double duty as either a scrub or a mask.  Initially, I just used it as a mask, but this past month, I really enjoyed mixing it with my Shea Terra Argan Oil & Acacia Honey Cleanser to make a scrub.  Some of the powder + a pump of the Shea Terra cleanser = honey scrubby goodness.
Repurchase? Probably not.  I might try to DIY my own version at some point in the future though.

Blissoma Bright Eye Vitalizing Nutrient Serum
The ingredients in this eye serum are pretty amazing, but unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be and I ended up with sore, puffy, swollen eyes within a couple days of starting to use it.  Extra sad, because before the reaction, my under eye area was looking pretty phenomenal.  Bright is packed with antioxidants and nutrients and I remember reading somewhere that you could use it on any areas that had experienced sun damage, so for the sake of using it up, I started applying it on my shoulders, decollete, and the backs of my hands.  I wouldn't buy it just for that, but I did notice an improvement in the health and appearance of those areas while I was using it.
Repurchase? No.

Priti NYC Nail Polish Remover Wipe   [Review]
I wasn't going to include these wipes anymore until I finished up the whole set, but after last month's disappointment with them, I wanted to include one more to make sure you guys knew that they're still fabulous.  Glitter polishes are a struggle, but for everything else, these are a great option.
Repurchase? Maybe.  I still think I want to try the liquid remover next.

Young Living Lavender and Frankincense Essential Oils
Both of these are staples for me.  Lavender is basically good for everything, and frankincense has a whole host of uses too.  I use both of them on blemishes, and I like mixing a couple drops of frankincense into my clay masks as well.  I always stress the importance of research when it comes to essential oils, since purity, method of extraction, and processing are all very important when it comes to the final product you're buying.  I'm confident in the quality of Young Living's oils and will continue to buy them.
Repurchase? Yes, I've already cracked open new bottles of both.

Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap in Peppermint and Citrus Orange (samples)
I've got a big, open bottle of the unscented Dr. Bronner's, but I didn't see the point of hanging on to samples anymore, so I used these this month instead.  Dr. Bronner's has a million uses, but what I use it for most often is washing my makeup brushes.
Repurchase? Yes, but I'll probably stick with the unscented one.

Nuka Candy Cane Soap
I had a different Nuka soap in my last empties post, but in case you missed it, Nuka is a local, Ontario soap company that's sold in bulk at my Whole Foods.  Candy Cane was a seasonal scent I picked up around the holidays, but I didn't end up using it until this month, since I found these soaps too drying on my hands in the winter.  Now that it's warmer, I like them and the Candy Cane scent was nice enough, if nothing especially spectacular.
Repurchase? Sure.  I have a lot of soap at the moment, but I'd at least give these soaps a browse the next time I'm at Whole Foods.

Silk Naturals Vegan Kisser Slicker in Shine
I think the Vegan Kisser Slickers, are my favorite formula of Silk Naturals lip products.  Shine doesn't seem to be available anymore, but it was their untinted one.  It gives a slight glossy look to the lips, but I bought it specifically to use as a lip balm, since the formula is very hydrating.  It worked great, but the Vegan Kisser Slickers are pretty soft to begin with, and Shine, without any pigments, is even more so - almost a jelly-like consistency - so the tube got used up really quickly.
Repurchase? Not sure.

Hurraw! Coffee Bean Lip Balm   [Review]
I like Hurraw!'s lip balms.  They sink into your lips and feel like they're really nourishing them.  Coffee Bean is a sweet coffee scent that's not so much straight up coffee beans as it is something like a Frappuccino.  I liked it, but Hurraw! has so many choices that I tend to pick a new flavour every time I buy one.
Repurchase? Yes, but probably in a different flavour.

It's that time again: empties!  I couldn't fit everything into one photo, so I guess this was a good month for finishing things up.  Sometimes I feel like these posts are just rehashing reviews or other blog posts, but this time around, there are several things that never quite made it to other posts, so it should be interesting...



Nürish Organic Rejuven-EIGHT Day Cream*  [Review]
This day cream's impressive ingredient list features manuka honey,  raspberry seed oil, blueberry seed oil, cranberry seed oil, pomegranate extract, and broccoli seed oil - to name just a few.  It's a soothing, lightweight moisturizer that's great for reducing redness.  I did find it left my skin a little shinier than usual when used in the morning, but I had no problem using it at night, so I enjoyed it that way.  
Repurchase? Probably not.  I'm really much more into face oils these days.

Kinky Curly Spiral Spritz  
There's a full review forthcoming on this product, so I won't go into too many details here.  I've been searching for a less expensive replacement for my much loved Intelligent Nutrients Styling Gel, and the Spiral Spritz is my favorite so far.  It's a light, aloe-based hair gel that works really well for scrunching curls.  It gives a light hold and doesn't leave hair feeling crunchy or sticky.
Repurchase? Yes, I already have.

South of France Lemon Mint Liquid Soap   [Review]
This is my second bottle of this castile soap, which I mainly used as a body wash.  When I bought it, Lemon Mint was the only scent that was made with only essential oils, but it's since been discontinued.  I'm not sure if the newly overhauled South of France line has any products without fragrance.  
Repurchase? No longer available.

Deep Steep Tangerine Melon Body Lotion
Tangerine Melon is my favorite Deep Steep scent, but even so, I found this lotion a little too heavily scented for me.  Compared to the body butter, the lotion is lighter and rubs into the skin a lot easier, but it also has retinyl palmitate (retinyl palmitate + sun exposure has been linked to cancer.)
Repurchase? The body lotion?  No.  This scent in other products?  Very likely.

Deep Steep Lavender Chamomile Hand Cream
This was a extra tester I was given at work (points to you if you noticed the 'try me' sticker in the photo.)  I liked the hand cream, but it feels very similar to Deep Steep's body butters, so I'm not convinced it's worth spending roughly the same amount for a tube 1/3 of the size.  If you want something small to carry with you, go for it, but otherwise, I'd recommend just buying the body butter.  
Repurchase? Probably not.

Now Foods Vanilla Lip Balm   [Review]
I was pretty unimpressed with this balm initially, but I pulled it out again recently in my quest to finish up all my started lip balms and it was decent.  It's on the waxier side - the first ingredient is beeswax - but once you warm it up a little, it's pretty nice.  It's definitely not a one-swipe balm, but if you don't mind taking an extra minute or two, it does a pretty good job.   
Repurchase? Probably not.  There are other lip balms I like more.

Kynk Shea Moi
Shea Moi is a raw, whipped shea butter, enriched with rice bran oil and scented with lemongrass and geranium.  I think I got a funny batch, as this smelled burnt and I know from selling Kynk at work that they don't all smell that way.  The burnt + lemongrass combo reminded me of a barbecue, so it got delegated to my feet, where I wouldn't smell it as much.  The actual product worked well, but the smell totally turned me off.  
Repurchase? No.

Kynk In the Raw
In the Raw is pure, raw shea butter that's been whipped to a lighter consistency.  This had a little of that burnt smell too, although much less than the Shea Moi.  Looking at Kynk's website just now, they do say that "shea butter has a slightly smokey and nutty aroma acquired from traditional extraction methods," so I guess that's what I'm smelling in these, although I've not experienced that with any other shea butter products.  
Repurchase? Probably not. I think I'll try whipping shea butter myself though, as the lighter texture was really nice.



Boo Bamboo Makeup Remover Wipes*   [Review]
As face wipes go, I think Boo Bamboo's are the cream of the crop.  They remove every speck of makeup - even mascara and eyeliner - without a struggle and have never bothered my skin in the slightest.  I prefer not to use wipes on an everyday basis, but if I was buying them for a special occasion or travel, these would be the ones I'd buy.   
Repurchase? Very likely.

Kaia Juicy Bamboo Bamboo Cleansing Cloths
After the Boo Bamboo, I was on a bit of a wipes kick and dug these out of my sample box to try.  They do an okay job removing makeup, but they also left my face feeling a little dry and irritated. 
Repurchase? No.

Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Castile Soap (samples)
An old favorite and something I always keep on hand.  I used these two samples to clean my makeup brushes, but there really are a million and one uses for Dr. Bronner's.  
Repurchase? Maybe.  The unscented is still my favorite.

Priti NYC Soy Nail Polish Remover Wipes   [Review]
I've been consistently impressed with these wipes, so it was a sad day when I found a polish that this wipe could not beat.  We all know glitter polishes are terrible for removing, and Priti's wipe could not budge Color Club's Apollo Star.  I'm not sure if it was just a question of needing more actual product than the wipe holds or just a horrible polish to remove, but I ended up doing a two step process with Suncoat's Gel Remover, followed by Sante's remover on top of the Priti wipe, and it still was a struggle to get off!  
Repurchase? Possibly.  I still have several wipes left, but I think I want to try the liquid remover next time.

Silk Naturals Sleep in a Jar in Light Peach   [Review]  
I'm not sure if this is my second or third jar of Sleep in a Jar, but needless to say, I'm a fan.  I used to use it on its own, but these days I prefer using it to set another, cream concealer.  It doesn't give a ton of coverage, but it's excellent at brightening up the under eye area.  
Repurchase? Yes, I already have.

Silk Naturals Perfecting Powder (sample)
I generally use powder foundations, but I like using a finishing powder on top of certain parts of my face.  The Perfecting Powder was fine - did the job - but it didn't stand out much either.
Repurchase? Not sure.  I have a few samples of other finishing powders I want to try first.

Urban Minerals Foundation in Missus Multicultural (sample)*   [Review]
Urban Minerals is a local-to-me mineral makeup line with a focus on accommodating all skin tones.  What's unique about the foundation - beyond the extensive color range - is that it includes a whole host of skin-friendly ingredients like nettle, aloe, chamomile, calendula, marshmallow, sea buckthorn, and white willow bark.  When I first wrote my review, I thought Missus Multicultural was my best match, but I may need to revisit that, as coming out of this long winter, I think it was a little too dark for me.
Repurchase? Not right away.  I have several other mineral foundations I want to work through.

Cee Cee & Bee Café Mocha Soap
I was lucky enough to win four travel size Cee Cee & Bee soaps in a giveaway from Natural Kath and of the lot, Café Mocha is the one I gravitated to first.  It's palm oil free, and produces a rich, creamy lather that smells like a yummy mix of coffee and chocolate.  Coffee grounds also provide a light exfoliation.  Just a personal preference, but as someone who generally only uses bar soap on my hands, I've realized I much prefer smooth soaps, without any exfoliating particles, so I found myself wishing it didn't have the coffee grounds.  
Repurchase? Probably not this specific one, but there are a couple others Cee Cee & Bee soaps I've got my eye on.

Nuka Lime Spearmint Green Tea Soap
Nuka is an Ontario company whose palm oil free soaps are sold in bulk at my Whole Foods.  I bought this way back in December and used half the bar then, before deciding it was too drying on my hands.  Now that the weather's warmed up, it's been quite lovely and I haven't found it drying at all.  The blend of lime, spearmint, and green tea also smells fantastic.  
Repurchase? Very likely, but only in the warmer months.

The whole idea of natural nail polish remover (and nail polish, for that matter) is a bit of a fallacy, but there are definitely healthier options than your conventional acetone remover.  It's been a long journey, filled with multiple removers and very mixed results, but I've finally found one I'm happy with, so I figured there was no better time to do a comparison post than now.  None of these removers wipe polish off with the ease of acetone, so a lot of it comes down to how much time and effort you're willing to put into removing your nail polish.  The other big factor for me is scent.  Keep reading to hear the good, the bad, and the downright ugly of these four non-toxic nail polish removers.





The smell!  Oh god, the smell!  Imagine the most horrendous fake vanilla scent crossed with acetone, and you get how No Miss' Almost Natural Nail Polish Remover smells.  And, don't think that you can escape it by washing your hands/feet afterwards.  Oh no, the smell hangs around for a good 12-24 hours, no matter what you do.  Showers, socks, and even essential oils are all powerless against the nauseating scent.  I last used this probably 5+ years ago and it's just been idling in my cupboard ever since.

If you can get past the smell, it does the job removing polish, although it does take scrubbing and multiple applications of remover.  Time-wise, it'll run you about 30 minutes.

Ingredients: Fruit acid solvent (Methyl-Pentan-2 One, Multi-fruit Acids), Amber Acid (derived from plant lichens), Deionized Water, Vitamin A, Natural Vanilla Fragrance