Naturalla Beauty

I'm a couple days behind schedule, but here it is: my final empties post of 2015.  If you aren't familiar with these, this is where I show you the products I've finished up in the last month and give you my final impressions after using the entire thing to completion.  I was also curious to see how many products I actually use over a year, so I've been tracking total counts in various categories over the course of 2015.  The final results will be at the bottom of this post.  


Beautiful Curls Curl Reviving Tonic
I've gone through four or five bottles of this spray over the last couple years.  It's fantastic on second day hair and really does revive and refresh curls, just as the name says.  Unfortunately the ingredients/formula changed a few months ago and it now includes phenoxyethanol, an ingredient I prefer not to use.
Repurchase? No.  I have one more bottle of the old formula, but after that I won't be buying any more.

Intelligent Nutrients Harmonic Shampoo   [Review]
I included this shampoo in my Top 15 Products of 2015, which pretty much says it all!  It's a great shampoo that gets the scalp very clean without making hair dry or brittle.  I still have 1/2 or 1/3 of a bottle of the matching conditioner, but I'll finish that off with other shampoos.  
Repurchase? Yes, but not immediately.

Scentuals Bodycare Moisturizing Grapefruit Body Wash*   [Review]
This was a nice body wash.  I liked the grapefruit scent and it was actually quite moisturizing.  The texture is interesting too - kind of a creamy midway point between a typical body wash and aloe vera gel.  I used a good portion of the bottle to wash my makeup brushes and it worked really well for that purpose as well.  
Repurchase? Probably not.  I liked it, but there are other body washes I like more.

Nourish Organic Coconut & Argan Body Wash
Nourish's Body Wash is another product that made it onto my Top 15 of 2015 and is something I've gone through numerous bottles of.  Funny story about this one: I'm a big fan of the Coconut & Argan scent and had tucked this bottle away for most of the year after finding out it had been discontinued.  So, imagine my surprise to finally open it and discover the contents were actually the Almond Vanilla Body Wash!  Not a bad scent by any means, just pretty funny under the circumstances.  
Repurchase? Yes!  Obviously not in this scent, but I'll definitely be buying others.  

Young Living Grapefruit Lip Balm
I like the Young Living lip balms, but the grapefruit one isn't my favorite.  It smells lovely, but I don't find it as hydrating as the Lavender, which is my favorite.
Repurchase? Yes, but probably not this scent.

Balanced Guru Calming Masque  [Review]
Yet another Top 15 of 2015 product!  I've gone through a few of these small jars now and it's still one of my all-time favorite masks.  
Repurchase? Yes! I already have.

Sibu Beauty Sea Buckthorn Purifying Mask
I'm not as crazy obsessed with this mask as with the Balanced Guru, but I do like it.  It's pretty gentle and the fact that it's pre-mixed in a tube makes it super quick and easy - perfect for in the shower or other instances when I was short on time.
Repurchase? Maybe.



Weleda Pomegranate Firming Serum + Day Cream (samples)
I like a lot of Weleda products, but the serums just don't work for my skin.  They're glycerin-based and my face tends to break out from a lot of glycerin.  Since I didn't want the samples to go to waste, I used them on my chest and they worked nicely there.  The serum is hydrating but ultra-lightweight.  It sinks in almost instantly, leaving skin basically dry to the touch.  The Firming Day Cream was nice enough too, but after only one packet, it didn't make a huge impression.
Repurchase? No.

Sibu Beauty Sea Buckthorn Hydrating Serum
Another glycerin-based serum that I didn't have very high expectations for, but I ended up really liking it.  I also used it on my chest rather than my face, and it seemed to make the skin in that area look smoother and more even, even just in the five or six days the sample packet lasted.
Repurchase? Possibly.

Darling Girl Cosmetics Dr. Pepper Cake Eye Shadow (sample)
Darling Girl makes some of my favorite shadows, both in color and formula.  Dr. Pepper Cake - now discontinued - was a beautiful complex neutral: a shimmery mid-toned brown with some pink/mauve reflects.
Repurchase? Not possible.

Odacité Intensive Hand & Heel Therapy* (sample)   [Review]
I loved this cream and used it very sparingly to make the sample last.  It's a rich cream, but absorbs quickly to deeply nourish hands, feet, and other dry areas.  The ingredients are also wonderful.
Repurchase? Maybe.

Total Products Used Up in December
Skincare: 3 (Lip Balms: 1)
Bodycare: 2
Haircare: 2
Makeup: 0
Skin/Body/Hair Samples: 7
Makeup Samples: 1

Total Products Used Up in 2015
Skincare: 40 (Lip Balms: 11)
Bodycare: 40
Haircare:  12
Makeup: 15
Skin/Body/Hair Samples: 75 
Makeup Samples: 33

Total Full Size Products: 107 (!!!!)
Total Samples: 108

And that's a wrap!  I had fun tracking numbers this year and it really is interesting to see the rate at which you go through different kinds of products.  Having a better idea of how long things actually last has also made me more conscious when making purchases the last several months.  

What surprised me the most?
i) That I go through about a lip balm a month
ii) How few hair products I actually use.  Definitely something to keep in mind before stockpiling shampoos!

Thanks for sticking with me through this series!  I'm thinking of changing up how I do empties for 2016 - either by not doing them every single month, or maybe just showing noteworthy products, since some things seem repetitive after a certain point.  Let me know if you like these posts as they are, or if you have any ideas for mixing it up!

Latest empties post ever?  Pretty much.  I had this almost completely drafted and ready to go Monday and then got hit with what I thought was food poisoning, but later realized - when the rest of my house came down with it a couple days later - was some kind of nasty stomach virus.  Either way, it meant I wasn't able to get this up until now.  So, somewhat belated, here's what I finished up during October:



The Honest Co. Honest Wipes*
Technically these are diaper wipes, but not having anyone in diapers, I used them to remove makeup instead.  I can't speak to how well they work for diapering, but they were only so-so on my face.
Repurchase? No.

KYI Unscented Argan Oil Serum with Vitamin C*   [Review]
I really like how minimal the ingredients in KYI's products are, and this serum is no exception.  Made of just argan oil and vitamin C, it's a great oil for hydrating and brightening the skin.  The serum uses tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, an oil soluble form of vitamin C that's much more stable than the more frequently used ascorbic acid, so you don't have to worry about the vitamin C breaking down or degrading the formula.  Initially I used this as a face serum, but after setting it aside for a few months, I ended up using the second half of the bottle as a body oil.  
Repurchase? Not right away.

Kahina Giving Beauty Facial Cleanser   [Review]
I've raved about Kahina's cleanser many times, but it really is one of my all time favorite cleansers.  It's gentle, creamy without being overly heavy, and the 200 ml bottle lasts ages!  It also removes makeup - even toughies like mascara and eyeliner - and thanks to blue tansy and neroli essential oils, smells pretty darn amazing.  I would (and frequently do!) recommend this cleanser for almost anyone.  
Repurchase? Yes!

Acure Argan + Argan Stem Cell Shampoo   [Review]
Another favorite of mine, this shampoo is one of the best I've found for my curly hair.  I've gone through multiple bottles before and just recommitted to a giant 24 oz. bottle of the stuff.
Repurchase? Yes, I already have.

Earthpaste Lemon Twist Toothpaste   [Review]
This fall marks two years of using Earthpaste, but this was my first tube of the Lemon Twist flavor.  I enjoyed it while I was using it, but since switching back to one of the mint ones, I realize the lemon doesn't leave your mouth as fresh as the other flavors.
Repurchase? Yes, but probably not this flavor.

Scentuals Goat Milk Mint Soap*   [Review]
I've really enjoyed using this soap.  It lathers well, smells great, and doesn't dry out my hands.  It's also lasted me longer than any other bar soap I can recall!  Seriously, I've been using this same bar of soap since the summer and I've still got a small sliver hanging on in my soap dish.  Yes, I generally only use bar soaps on my hands, but that's still significantly longer than other soaps last me.  
Repurchase? Probably not.  I prefer to buy palm oil free options.

Frangipani Regenerating Flower Cream*   [Review]
A nice cream made from a nourishing base of rosewater, almond oil, rosehip seed oil, and beeswax.  I didn't love the floral scent and I found it a little too rich for my face, but I did enjoy using it on my hands and legs, especially before bed.  
Repurchase? Probably not.  

Pollen & Wax Lapiz Facial Toner   [Review]
It's really hard for me to find a toner that blows me away and sadly, this one just didn't do it.  I ended up repurposing it as a spray deodorant for days when I'd shaved.  My Weleda deodorant, which contains alcohol, can sting quite a bit after shaving, but Lapiz's gentle blend of aloe, calendula, lavender, and chamomile was soothing and did a pretty decent job keeping odors away as well.
Repurchase? No.

Zuzu Luxe Onyx Mascara   [Review]
I can't even count how many tubes of this mascara I've gone through over the years.  It may not be the most dramatic mascara out there, but it doesn't irritate my eyes and once it's on, it doesn't go anywhere, which makes it the one I always come back to.
Repurchase? Yes, I already have.

Hurraw! Mint Lip Balm   [Review]
If you like tingly peppermint lip balms, Hurraw!'s mint balm is for you.  It's not my favorite for winter - both because of the cooling peppermint tingle and Hurraw!'s thinner formula - but I can see myself possibly buying it again in the spring/summer.
Repurchase? Maybe.

Epic Blend Hemp Mint Lip Balm   [Review]
In case you couldn't tell that I like mint lip balms, I managed to finish two in the same month!  Epic Blend's balm packs a seriously minty punch, but, unlike the Hurraw!, it doesn't make your mouth feel cold or tingly.  Epic Blend balms give a lot of moisture and also have that perfect balance where they protect your lips, but don't feel waxy or heavy.   I'm a big fan!
Repurchase? Yes, definitely.



Kaia Juicy Bamboo Cleansing Cloth 
I like how convenient the individually wrapped cloths are for carrying in your purse, but there are other wipes I like more.    
Repurchase? Probably not.

Dr. Bronner's Spearmint Peppermint Shikakai Soap (sample)
From other reviews I'd read, I didn't have very high expectations for this soap, but I ended up really liking it.  It didn't dry out my skin and the Spearmint Peppermint scent was nice and fresh.
Repurchase? Maybe.

Suki Creamy Foaming Cleanser (samples)   [Review]
I have a tendency to hoard samples, so even though I knew I liked this cleanser, I'd been resisting using these samples.  I think calling this a foaming cleanser is a bit of an exaggeration, but it does lather slightly.  I like it, but I'm not sure I like it enough to commit to a full sized bottle.  
Repurchase? Probably not.

Suki Pure Facial Moisture - Balancing (samples)   [Review]
Another victim of sample hoarding.  I'd previously found the Balancing Oil very helpful for "time of the month" skin, so I'd tucked these away in case of a skin emergency.  When I finally pulled them out, my skin was not at its best, but not at its worst either.  These samples gave me about a week's worth of oil, but sadly, I just didn't find the results anywhere near as spectacular this time around.  
Repurchase? Not sure.

Weleda Calendula Shampoo & Body Wash (samples)
I liked this, but I'd probably be more likely to buy one of Weleda's creamy body washes over this, since I like a few of those scents a lot more than the Calendula.  
Repurchase? No.

Along with the lip goodies I wrote about yesterday, I've also been trying out a bunch of body products from Scentuals Bodycare.  I've got a good number of things to talk about, so let's jump right in!





Grapefruit Moisturizing Body Wash
I featured this body wash in my recent What's in My Shower post and said that it felt like a cross between aloe vera gel and a creamy body wash.  I still think that's the best description I can come up with and it makes sense too, since, instead of water, Scentuals body washes are made of 76% aloe vera.  The resulting wash is incredibly gentle and cleanses without leaving the skin feeling dry or stripped.  

Goat Milk Mint Soap
This soap is another favorite.  It's moisturizing and easily produces a rich lather that's not drying in the least.  The scent is fresh and minty and the bar has lasted me a good long while too.  

ScentFree Hand and Body Lotion
I specifically requested a couple unscented products, since that's often my preference for lotions and moisturizers.  Made with aloe, avocado oil, and shea butter, the ScentFree lotion has a bit of weight to it and moisturizes really thoroughly.  It takes a bit to fully work it in, but it's worth the effort.   I notice my skin is extra soft on days when I've used this lotion.  

ScentFree Daily Skin Repair
The Daily Skin Repair is a moisturizing balm, packaged in a convenient stick format.  It's made with coconut oil and lots of rich butters - cocoa, shea, and mango - but no waxes, so it absorbs well and doesn't just sit on top of the skin.  It's a solid product, but it softens on contact with the warmth of your skin.  It's also sensitive to ambient temperature.  In fact, mine melted and leaked a little when it was shipped to me during a hot spell.  It hardens again without issue, but is something to keep in mind if you're looking for a product to carry around with you.


Tangerine Dream Hand and Body Lotion
The Tangerine Dream lotion has a slightly different formula from the ScentFree one and feels a little lighter going on.  I love how it smells in the bottle - very similar to the Vanilla Citrus lip conditioner - but on my skin, the sweet scent changes and becomes almost sour.  It's not heavily scented, so I doubt anyone but me even notices I'm wearing it, but it does somewhat diminish my enjoyment of this product.  

Vanilla Velvet Hand & Foot Repair Cream
The Hand & Foot Repair Cream has the most gorgeous consistency.  It's a rich, whipped lotion that I've used both on my hands and feet, and also as an all over moisturizer.   The Vanilla Velvet scent is nice, but quite strong.  The scent combines Tahitian vanilla, French vanilla, Indian sandalwood and citrus, and is sweet, but with a richer depth from the sandalwood.  

The ingredients for this product just list fragrance, but when I asked for more information, I was informed that it is natural fragrance and phthalate free.  The fragrance also makes up only 0.6% of the formula of the Hand & Foot cream.    

Vanilla Velvet Hydrating Body Spray
The Hydrating Body Sprays are water based, but they also include vegetable glycerin for a touch of moisture.  As many of you will already know, I'm not a big perfume/body spray user and I found the Vanilla Velvet scent a little overpowering in this form.  If you're someone who likes stronger fragrances or who enjoys layering your scents, however, you might get on really well with these body sprays.


Bug Off! Insect Repellant Spray
Bug Off! is an essential oil based bug spray.  I mostly smell citronella and basil, but it also includes eucalyptus, lemon eucalyptus, lavender, orange, lemongrass, rosemary, tea tree, cedarwood, and catnip.  Being confined to the city this summer, I wouldn't say I've tested this under the most buggy conditions, but it's worked well for the backyard and nighttime dog walking.  

The Bottom Line
After trying a good selection of products these last couple months, I'm pretty confident in saying that Scentuals is a line worth checking out.  They have a huge selection of body products, as well as smaller baby and face lines.  There are plenty of 100% natural options - those scented with only essential oils - as well as ones that include natural fragrance.  Everything is also clearly labelled, so there's no confusion about which you are receiving.  With the selection and affordable price point, Scentuals kind of reminds me of the natural version of something like Bath & Body Works!  

Don't forget, you can save an extra 20% off Scentuals products with the code caitie_20.  If you're in Canada, the company also offers free shipping on orders of $75+.

You can also follow Scentuals on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.  Watch for sales + giveaways - they're very generous on social media!

Towards the beginning of the summer, I was contacted by Scentuals Bodycare and sent a box of goodies to try out.  Scentuals is a natural bath and body care company that handmakes all its products in British Columbia, Canada.   Like many other natural companies, the line was created by Mai Mowrey, after a family illness spurred her on to research and learn about the toxic impact of conventional personal care products.  Scentuals sources pure, natural ingredients and aims to provide great quality bath and body care at an affordable price point.

The company has an extensive product line up and was generous enough to send me several things to try, so I'm going to review everything in two parts.  Today I want to talk about all things lips.

100% Natural Lip Conditioners
If you like your lip balms thick and buttery, these are worth checking out.  Made with shea and cocoa butters and coconut, jojoba, castor seed, and hemp oils, they're some of the richest, creamiest lip balms I've used.  They're pretty well matte on the lips and make a great base for lipstick, and they also smell divine.  The Vanilla Citrus smells just like a creamsicle, while the Chocolate Mousse scent reminds me of chocolate ice cream.


100% Natural Tinted Lip Moisturizers 
With a similar formula to the lip conditioners, these tinted balms combine moisture and color.  They're not your run of the mill, barely there tinted lip balms either.  Three of the four shades actually pack a serious punch of color.


Sultry - "a sexy shimmery bronze with a cinnamon flavour."  Sultry is the most shimmery of the bunch and also one of the more pigmented.  The cinnamon scent is pretty light.

Bombshell - "a classic merlot red with cherry flavour."  My favorite of the four, Bombshell is a deeper red with some berry tones.  It has no noticeable shimmer and is basically as pigmented as a lipstick.

Passion - "a sophisticated dark pink with citrus flavour."  Passion also has visible shimmer, but not nearly as much as Sultry.  I like the citrus scent and the color is probably the most natural of the bunch.  It makes a good, everyday lip.

Flirt - "an innocent, shimmery pink with wild rose flavour."  I can see the shimmer in the tube and in the swatch, but I really don't notice it on the lips.  Flirt is the most sheer of the four, giving the lips just a hint of pink.  It's a pretty color, but the rose scent is not my cup of tea.


The Bottom Line
With the exception of Flirt - which is really just a scent preference - I'm pretty smitten with all of these.  The colors are beautiful and both the untinted lip conditioners and the tinted lip moisturizers do a good job protecting and hydrating your lips.  I expect they'll be great in the colder months as well.

I've got lots more Scentuals products to talk about, so keep an eye out for Part II.  In the meantime, Scentuals has offered a 20% discount for my readers with the code caitie_20.  If you're in Canada, the company also offers free shipping on orders of $75+.

You can also follow Scentuals on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.  Watch for sales + giveaways - they're very generous on social media!

There's something delightfully nosey about watching What's in My Shower videos on Youtube, and even though I don't make videos, I thought I'd give you all the chance to poke around in my shower.  This is completely candid and without any editing of products, so you'll get to see it all: what I love, what I'm trying to use up, and what I'd half forgotten was even in there.  Here goes!


The Body Washes
I'm a bit of a shower gel/body wash junkie, so I really enjoy having a couple different ones to switch between.  I've praised Nourish's body washes over and over and I've almost always got one of them on the go.  Spiced Orange is not very spicy at all and has more of a candy-orange scent than anything else, but I've been enjoying it nonetheless.  Another citrus option is Scentuals' Grapefruit Body Wash*, one of the newer additions to my shower.  It's super gentle and the creamy consistency reminds me of a cross between aloe vera gel and a rich body wash.  Lastly, we have Leap Organic's Eucalyptus, Mint & Anise Body Wash, which is heavy on the peppermint and super refreshing in warmer weather - it's kind of like air conditioning in a bottle!  

The Shampoos

Acure Organics' Argan + Argan Stem Cell Shampoo has been a longtime favorite.  It's great for curls or anyone looking for a hydrating shampoo that won't weigh down your hair.  I like to rotate between the Acure and a more clarifying shampoo, which is where the Avalon Organics Clarifying Lemon Shampoo comes in.  I've only had it for a short time, but so far so good.  I use it about once every week or week and a half, to get rid of any buildup.  I'm also slowly working through Carina's Daily Moisturizing Shampoo.  It's a castile-based shampoo with a nice tropical, pineapple scent, but I don't find it does much for my hair.

The Conditioners
Acure Organics' Argan + Argan Stem Cell Conditioner is my favorite in this category as well and is what I use on a day-to-day basis.  Weleda's Oat Replenishing Treatment* is the last holdout from when I did the 30-Day #WeledaHairDare in the spring.  It's an intense conditioner, meant to be used as an occasional deep conditioning treatment, but it's not something I reach for very often at all.  I don't love the powdery, sweet tonka bean scent, and I'm not convinced it does anything more for my hair than a regular conditioning with the Acure.

The Randoms
I rarely buy actual shaving products, but Kiss My Face's Key Lime Moisture Shave has been nice for a change.  The pump is convenient and it has a light, refreshing scent and a creamy consistency that does the job well.  It's also super inexpensive and the 11-ounce bottle lasts just about forever.  Curelle's Build-Up Remover is an interesting product that you're meant to use in conjunction with your regular shampoo to get rid of product build up, mineral residue from tap water, or chlorine from pool water.  I don't know how it performs in the other regards, but I haven't found it very effective at cutting through ordinary product build-up.  I'm still on the fence about the Preserve razor, although I'm liking it slightly more than when I first reviewed it.  I just don't feel like I get as close of a shave as I'd like, plus because of how rigid it is, I still end up nicking myself a lot more than with other razors.  Lastly, the body brush is something I picked up at a local health food store.  It doesn't actually live in my shower, but I like to dry brush with it a couple times a week, before my shower, so I decided to sneak it in here anyways.  Dry brushing is great for both your skin and your lymphatic system.


And that's it!  I hope you enjoyed this quick peek behind my shower curtain.  Lining everything up, it seems like a lot of products, but - with a couple exceptions - they all do get used on a regular basis.  Some products, like the body washes, change pretty frequently, while others, like the Acure shampoo and conditioner, tend to remain as constants.  As you may have noticed, I don't keep any face products in the shower.  Instead, I just grab what I want to use  at the time - usually a scrub of some sort - and bring it in with me.  

What does your shower look like?  Clean and streamlined, or more of a product explosion like mine?