Naturalla Beauty

There are lots of new and exciting things going on in the green beauty world right now and today I'm excited to introduce POLYN, a fantastic new skincare brand I've had the pleasure of trying out.  POLYN is the latest addition to SKINourishment, a 20-year old natural skincare company best known for its climbOn and crossFIXE products designed for athletes and sports enthusiasts.  

Created by aromatherapist and Eastern medicine practitioner Polly Glasse, POLYN blends together its founder's background in science, aromatherapy, and Eastern healing modalities to create carefully crafted skincare products that are vegan and certified cruelty-free by PETA, and that also meet standards set out by the European Union's stricter regulatory bodies.  

This post is kindly sponsored by POLYN, but all thoughts and opinions are, as always, my own.

POLYN's products are made in small batches in Texas from top quality, non-GMO and food grade ingredients and are free of unnecessary toxins and fillers.  Everything is completely free of synthetic ingredients, 100% natural and plant-based, and addresses skin needs while offering aromatherapeutic benefits at the same time.  




I've been trying out three of POLYN's core face products -- the Invigorating Face Wash, Regenerative Face Serum, and Cooling Under Eye Serum -- and I'm eager to share my thoughts on everything.  
 
Foamy cleansers that don't strip or dry out your skin can be hard to come by, but that's exactly what POLYN has achieved with the Invigorating Face Wash.  With a castile soap base and a foaming pump, the wash creates a light foam that lathers, glides over the skin easily and rinses away completely with a quick splash of water.  My favorite way to use it has been as the second step in a nighttime double cleansing routine.  I go in first with an oil cleanser to remove my makeup, followed by the Invigorating Face Wash, which gets rid of any leftover oil or makeup residue and deep cleans my skin.

The mild castile base is boosted with horsetail, coltsfoot, ashwagandha, and willow bark extracts, herbs rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and silica.  The Face Wash also contains peppermint essential oil, which gives the wash a gentle but invigorating tingle.  It leaves your face with that super fresh and clean feeling that so many people look for in a cleanser, without any of the negative stripping or drying effects of an actual squeaky clean wash.


In addition to tuberose wax, the serum is power-packed with great ingredients: olive, argan, rosehip, red raspberry, and sea buckthorn oils, shea butter, willow bark, coltsfoot, ashwagandha, ginseng, and helichrysum extracts, and cedarwood, petitgrain, ylang ylang, and ginger essential oils.  All this goodness combines together to create a serum designed to stimulate collagen production, promote healthy cell turnover, and rejuvenate and refresh both the skin and mind.

The serum has a vibrant color and a creamy feel.  The first couple times I used it, it pumped out a little extra oil that wasn't fully mixed in, but after a couple applications and some vigorous shaking, everything was re-incorporated and I haven't had any separation since.  The serum is intensely hydrating and nourishing and feels very lush and creamy on the skin.  At the same time, it absorbs quickly, leaving skin plump, moisturized, super soft, and ready for makeup or additional skincare steps.


The Cooling Under Eye Serum is an aloe vera-based gel made with many of the same plant extracts and oils as the Face Wash and Regenerative Serum.  It also includes two of my favorites: meadowfoam oil and frankincense essential oil and was formulated to diminish fine lines and minimize dark circles.  Since dark circles and under eye puffiness sometimes feel like the bane of my existence, I was pretty excited to test this one out.  

The Eye Serum has a lightweight feel, but offers a generous dose of hydration nonetheless.  The serum feels cool and refreshing, even at room temperature, and really does visibly reduce eye puffiness and bags within a few minutes of application.  I haven't noticed a significant difference on my dark circles, but I generally find they're more a product of sleep and other lifestyle factors anyways.  The serum plumps the skin, reduces puffiness, and leaves a fantastic smooth canvas that's perfect for makeup application.  POLYN also suggests using it all over your face for extra moisture and rejuvenation.


POLYN has made it their mission to create 100% plant-based products that improve the quality of our lives, our animals, and our planet, and that care and attention really does come through in the company's products.  I've thoroughly enjoyed all three items, but I'm especially smitten with the Regenerative Face Serum.  Without waxing too poetic, I feel like the Face Serum, in particular, epitomizes everything I look for in healthy beauty products.  It has fantastic ingredients, feels really beautiful and luxurious to use, but doesn't have an outrageous, over the top price tag that would put it out of reach for many people.  

With top notch ingredients, recyclable and environmentally conscious packaging, generous product sizes, affordable prices, and gentle and effective products, POLYN is definitely a line I'll be keeping an eye on!     

Receive 20% off until May 31, 2017 with the coupon code "SKINLOVESPLANTS"

I also spotted the three products I tried temporarily bundled for a super bargain at $39.95 (that's just $4 more than my beloved Regenerating Face Serum on its own!)  Plus, get a free Illuminating Face Oil with the coupon code "TV" 

Have you tried anything from POLYN or the other SKINourishment brands?  

Intelligent Nutrients hair care often sails under the radar in the green beauty blogosphere, but their products are truly some of the best!  If Rahua and Yarok are the current darlings of the mid- to high-end green hair world, then Intelligent Nutrients is their steady, classic counterpart that never goes out of style.  Started in 1995 by Horst Rechelbacher (who first founded Aveda in the 70's), Intelligent Nutrients has weathered all the ups and downs of the last 20 years of the green beauty movement and they're still going strong with exciting new product launches all the time.

Many will remember when the video of Horst drinking Intelligent Nutrients hair spray circulated a few years ago, and indeed the company was founded on the principle that no ingredient should be used unless it's completely non-toxic and edible.  As such, the line, which includes hair care, skincare, body products, perfumes, and even supplements, holds itself to pretty strict ingredient standards.  And, all levels - from raw ingredients to finished products, manufacturing, storage, and shipping - are regularly third part audited to ensure everything stays up to par.  Many products are certified organic and everything is cruelty free (Leaping Bunny certified) and manufactured using 100% renewable energy.  



The Harmonic Shampoo and Conditioner are described as "anti-aging, antioxidant rich, volumizing, super smooth, non-frizzy, scalp and hair nourishing shampoo [and] conditioner with color protection."  That's a lot of big claims, but I think the duo does pretty well on all accounts!

The shampoo has a creamy consistency straight out of the bottle, but it lathers surprisingly well and does a good job cleansing without stripping the hair.  It has a gorgeous minty-herbal scent and feels quite tingly and invigorating on the scalp.  According to the bottle, you can use this everywhere - head to toe - potentially making it a great multi-use product too.

The conditioner isn't overly thick, but it's thick enough that it can be a little challenging to squeeze out of the hard plastic bottle.  Packaging aside, I really have nothing bad to say.  The conditioner feels very hydrating, tames frizz, does a good job detangling, and leaves my hair soft and easy to comb through.  It smells a little different from the shampoo, though still predominantly minty and herbal. 

Both the shampoo and conditioner are made with Intelligent Nutrients' Intellimune Complex, a super-antioxidant blend found in many of the company's products.  Intellimune is a blend of cold-pressed fruit and vegetable seed oils designed to fight free radicals, reduce inflammation, protect healthy cellular activity and growth, and help slow premature aging and disease.  I have no way to gauge most of those, but I certainly appreciate the inclusion of so many nourishing, luxurious and organic oils, including buriti, pumpkin seed, black cumin seed, red raspberry seed, red grape seed, and cranberry seed, which don't often feature in hair products.  

Whether it's the Intellimune Complex or the formula as a whole, the duo leaves my scalp healthy and my hair nicely nourished without weighing it down.  

The Bottom Line
At $25 and $27 respectively ($33.50 and $36.99 in Canada), the Harmonic Shampoo and Conditioner are pricier than my usual hair care staples, but you do get giant 444 ml bottles that'll last you quite some time.  For me, these are more of an occasional treat than an everyday repurchase, but I'm always happy to have them in my shower when I do pick them up.  Both the shampoo and conditioner have top notch ingredients and work very well. I'd highly recommend both.

Have you used anything from Intelligent Nutrients?  I'd love to know your favorites!

I'm pretty smitten with Petit Vour and March's box is no exception  With a spring theme, the box looks to introduce products that will elevate your beauty ritual with purpose and innovation, while also giving you lovely things to look at on your vanity.  Here's what was included:



Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Repair CC Cream (Sample Value ±$11.50)
I haven't tried much from Juice Beauty, but the CC Cream has gotten a lot of good press, so I was happy to see it in this month's box.  I received Natural Glow, the lightest shade, which is a good match for my fair skin.  The coverage is minimal, but it does even things out a little and gives the skin a healthy, dewy finish.  I ended up going over the CC Cream with a light dusting of mineral foundation, but I don't think it's an absolute must to top it with anything, depending on how much coverage you like and how dewy or matte you want to look.   It smells grassy and very much like petit grain essential oil (which it does contain), but the scent isn't overpowering, nor does it linger much past the initial application.  I'll update once I've used it a little more, but first impressions are good!

Metropolis Soap Co. Lavender & Spearmint Lip Cream ($7)
Metropolis Soap Co. isn't a company I'm familiar with, but I'm always happy to try new lip balms and I like how rich and creamy this one feels.  My nose really enjoys the Lavender & Spearmint scent, but it does taste a little soapy on my lips.  I also don't love that it's made with palm oil, which I try to avoid, but since I have it, I'll certainly use and enjoy it.

The Little Alchemist Cacao & Banana Face Glow ($32)
I've heard really great things about The Little Alchemist, so I was excited to give this a try.  In addition to raw cacao and banana, the mask also contains zeolite, clay, and a whole host of superfoods including acai, green papaya, spirulina, maca, and turmeric root.   I tried it out the same day my box arrived and I loved it!  Dry, it smells a little funky - sort of vinegary - but once you add water, the chocolate scent takes over.  I left the mask on for about 10 minutes, as per the instructions, and it left my skin looking healthy and radiant, and with noticeably less visible pores.

Vert Mont Perfumery Eros (Sample Value ±$5.25)
I've made no secret of the fact that I don't love receiving perfume samples, but I do actually like how Eros smells.  A blend of red mandarin, coriander, orris root, patchouli, juniper, and jasmine, it's sweet and earthy and reminds me of incense - only fresher and without the chemically, headache-inducing qualities.  I'm thinking of mixing this into my next body oil concoction.  Vert Mont perfumes are free of synthetics and are hand-mixed blends of essential oils and plant essences in organic sweet almond and jojoba oils.  



The Bottom Line
I really liked the March box.  The Cacao & Banana Face Glow was the biggest standout for me and I'm also really happy to have been able to try the Juice Beauty CC Cream.  The lip cream and perfume were slightly less exciting to me, but they're nice too - I don't think there were any duds in this box!  The total value, at roughly $55, is pretty phenomenal too.

Petit Vour boxes retail for $15 (US) / $23 (Canada) and individual products can also be bought in the Petit Vour shop.   

Je T'aime Petit Vour is a great name for February's box*, both because February is the month  we make a point to celebrate love and because it really is true, I love these boxes!  The name Petit Vour is a play on petit four and is defined on this month's insert as "a small and temptingly luxurious cruelty-free product inspired by a love for animals and the finer things."  Sounds about right to me.  Everything included in the Petit Vour boxes is vegan and cruelty-free and the items featured are predominantly natural products from higher end, luxury brands.  From a natural/non-toxic perspective, I think my ingredients standards are stricter than most, but in the nine boxes I've received, there have only been a couple products I wasn't comfortable using.  I do get sent these for free, but I always give my honest first impressions and opinions on the boxes and the products included.

Let's get on to what you're really here for - February's box, which was a good one.  Here's what was included:



Balanced Guru Scrub Me Body Scrub (Sample Value ±$3)
I love Balanced Guru, so I knew this product would be a win as soon as I pulled it out of the box.  With a base of coffee and raw sugar, Scrub Me is a body scrub, but it can also be (gently!) used on the face.  The texture is a little drier than I'm used to, but I used it on my hands today and it works great.  It smells delicious too, like a mix of fresh ground coffee and spearmint.

My Daughter Fragrances Always Loved (Sample Value ±$2)
I think the only thing I'd change about Petit Vour would be an option to opt out of perfume samples.  I'm just not a perfume person, so they don't get used.  That said, I like that My Daughter Fragrances are free of parabens, phthalates and synthetic fragrance and I've heard good things about them.  I'm sure I can easily find someone to pass this on to.

Ellovi Mint Chocolate Body Butter (Sample Value ±$4)
I love the Ellovi Tinted Lip Butter that came in September's Petit Vour box and the Body Butter is divine as well.  It feels silky and melts into the skin beautifully, plus it smells incredible: just like Thin Mints or mint chocolate chip ice cream.  I foresee a serious obsession with this scent in my future!

Lily Lolo Vegan Mascara ($20)
Petit Vour revealed that the Lily Lolo mascara would be featured in an upcoming box, so I already knew this was coming.  Good natural mascara is hard to find - and good vegan natural mascara is that much harder I'm sure - and I really love this one.  I just threw out my previous tube (reviewed here) so I'm very happy to have another.  This mascara really excels in terms of volume and, in that regard, it's miles above every other natural mascara I've tried.  It smudges a tiny bit towards the end of the day, but nothing terrible, and it has never irritated my sensitive eyes.



The Bottom Line
This is one of my favorite boxes I've received from Petit Vour, so doing the math on it, I was actually a little surprised.  At $29, it's worth more than what you pay, but it's also one of the lower value boxes I've received.  I stumbled onto some of JenLuvsReviews' subscription box reviews recently and she always makes a point to differentiate between actual monetary value (what an item sells for) and personal value (what you would pay or an item) and I think that's key.  Personally, I'll pay $20 for a good natural mascara like the Lily Lolo, which means everything else in the box is just icing.  So, the fact that I also love both the Ellovi butter and the Balanced Guru scrub makes this a pretty stellar box in my mind.

Petit Vour boxes retail for $15 (US) / $23 (Canada) and individual products can also be purchased in the Petit Vour shop.  

What's your favorite subscription box service?  What do you think of the February Petit Vour box?

I was super impressed by Petit Vour's June box, so was really happy to be sent the July one as well.  If you aren't already familiar with it, Petit Vour is a monthly vegan and cruelty free beauty box subscription.  For July's box*, they teamed up with Tashina from Logical Harmony, a vegan lifestyle and beauty blog, to curate a selection of ultimate summer must-haves.  I don't read a lot of vegan blogs, but I actually do read Tashina's, so I was excited to see what goodies she would choose!


LVX Nail Lacquer in Lolli ($16)
I haven't tried these 5-free nail polishes before, but I've heard good things.  Lolli is a pretty pastel pink that, again, is unlike anything else in my small nail polish collection.  I still have the NCLA polish from last month's Petit Vour on my toes, but I'll be swapping it out for this one some time over the weekend.

Pelle Beauty Luxe Face Oil (Sample Value ±$8.50)
Pelle Beauty is actually a local company for me, so it was nice to see their oil included in a US subscription box!  Again, it's a brand I'm familiar with but one I haven't used before.  I believe subscribers received one of a few different oils from Pelle's line and my box included Luxe, an anti-aging oil recommended for all skin types.  The blend contains new-to-me cucumber seed and babassu oils, as well as meadowfoam, ricebran, and fractionated coconut oils, and essential oils of neroli, jasmine, rose, ylang ylang, and sandalwood.  I love testing out new face oils, so I'm happy to see this included in the box.

Modern Minerals Eye Shadow in Cherish ($12.50)
I love mineral eye shadows!  Boxes contained one of a few different shades and I received Cherish, which is a pretty neutral shade, falling somewhere between a shimmery copper and a rose gold.  Modern Minerals leaves out unnecessary fillers like bismuth oxychloride, but this particular color does contain aluminum powder, which I'm a little iffy on.  It's definitely not the worst ingredient out there, but it is one I usually steer clear of.  Tashina posted an eye look using Cherish in the crease, if you'd like a better look at the color.   

Schmidt's Natural Deodorant in Lavender + Sage (Sample Value ±$2.25)
I've used Schmidt's deodorant before and it works really well.  The formula relies on baking soda and arrowroot powder for odor protection and moisture absorption and uses a gentle base of shea and cocoa butters.   I actually already have a full size of the Lavender + Sage, so am planning to pass this sample on to a friend.



Another great box from Petit Vour!  

Boxes retail for  $15 (US) / $23 (Canada) / $30 (International) and with an approximate value of $39.25, you're more than getting your money's worth, wherever you're purchasing from.  I'm really happy to see that Petit Vour is choosing to focus not only on vegan and cruelty free products, but also on natural ones.  Both boxes I've received have been really well curated, with a good mix of skincare, body care, and makeup and a combination of full size and sample items.  I also love that they include both well known and smaller brands.  

Have you tried Petit Vour yet?

Sea buckthorn has gotten a lot of press lately, but if you aren't familiar with it, it's a hearty plant native to Asia and parts of Europe.  The bushes produce an orange berry that's rich in antioxidants, carotenoids, flavonoids, minerals and vitamins and is an excellent source of Omegas 3, 6, and 9, as well as the much rarer Omega 7.  Among other benefits, these four essential fatty acids aid in collagen production and help provide cellular support for healthy skin, hair, and nails.  The unique composition of this berry makes it very effective at soothing and improving a whole host of skin issues including acne, eczema, rosacea, and scarring.  


I had the opportunity to try out Sibu Beauty's Sea Buckthorn Moisturizing Body Cream* and quickly jumped on it.  While many of us look for super, nutrition-packed ingredients when it comes to skincare for our faces, we're less likely to insist on them in body care products.  For me, it's one thing to splurge on something like a face oil, but I'm much more likely to buy a $15 bottle of lotion than a $50 one, regardless of what magical ingredients might be in the more expensive one.  Luckily, Sibu's Body Cream has you covered on both counts.  It's affordably priced and packed with plenty of healing and anti-aging sea buckthorn goodness: the seed oil, fruit oil, and even whole pureed berries.  

Along with all that sea buckthorn, the body cream also contains meadowfoam oil, shea butter, and aloe to moisturize and rejuvenate the skin.  It has a thick, lotion consistency that's rich and hydrating, but still rubs in easily and isn't overly heavy.  I like it a lot as a hand cream too, since it feels substantial and nourishing going on, but sinks in quickly and doesn't leave your hands feeling greasy.  If you've used them before, you'll know that sea buckthorn seed oil is orange and the fruit oil is a vibrant red.  The two oils, plus the pureed berries give a cheery, buttery yellow color to the cream, and essential oils give it a subtle citrus scent that's light and not especially noticeable beyond the initial application.

The Bottom Line
I've been really happy with Sibu's body cream!  It's kind of the best of both worlds: rich and very hydrating, but also absorbs quickly into the skin without any stickiness or oily residue.  It feels great going on and I like knowing that I'm getting additional benefits, beyond those of an ordinary lotion, from all the sea buckthorn.  I also love that Sibu makes use of the entire berry here and includes not only the fruit and seed oils, but also whole, pureed berries.  

All Sibu Beauty products are also non-GMO, cruelty free, and vegan, and the company sources their sea buckthorn through fair trade agreements with local harvesters in Tibet.

Petit Vour is a monthly subscription box dedicated to providing vegan and cruelty free beauty products.  In their own words:

"Beauty is bold.  Beauty is kind.  Beauty is self-expression and emotion, inner glow then outer glow.  We strive to enhance these elements for you and help make it easier in maintaining a compassionate lifestyle.  Every aspect of our beauty box is thought out and constructed to provide you with the highest standards.  To us, that means no animal testing, animal products, parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde, sulfates, and so much more."

The June box* features the Away We Go Travel Collection.  The box was curated "to honor those no-fuss, wanderlusting beauty days."  Here's what was included:




Tay Rosehip Balancing Cleanser with Sea Buckthorn (Sample Value ±$4)
Tay's beautiful bamboo packaging has always caught my eye, but I've never tried anything from the brand.  New cleansers are one of my favorite skincare items to try out, so I'm happy to receive this, though I have been struggling to track down an ingredients list.  

Mun No. 1 Aknari Brightening Youth Serum (Sample Value ±$4.75)
Mun's serum, which consistently garners rave reviews, is made up of only three certified organic ingredients: prickly pear seed oil, argan oil, and rose oil.  The rose has held me back from trying this serum in the past, since as many of you know, it's not my favorite scent, but after smelling the sample, I'm happy to say that the rose isn't overpowering.  With all the accolades, plus a full size ringing in at a steep $95, I'm happy to have the chance to try this oil out in sample size.

NCLA Nail Lacquer in Let's Stay Forever ($16)
My nail polish collection is pretty small and I don't have anything close to this pretty, milky baby blue.  NCLA polishes are both vegan and 5-free, and with polishes retailing for $16, this one item covers the entire cost of the box for US subscribers, and a significant chunk of it for Canadians and Internationals.

EVOLVh UltraShine Moisture Shampoo + Conditioner ($8/$9)
Perfect timing on these two, as I've just run out of shampoo and conditioner and been digging through my sample box to tide me over until my Acure replenishment arrives!  I haven't heard of EVOLVh before, but the ingredients look pretty good.  The scent is a bit perfumey - especially on the conditioner - and reminds me of mainstream, salon hair products, but it's not so strong that I won't still give them a test run.

As an extra perk, the box also includes a coupon code for 20% off purchases at Hipsters for Sisters, which sells designer, eco-friendly, cruelty free belt bags.

The Bottom Line
The Petit Vour Box retails for $15 (US) / $23 (Canada) / $30 (International) and judging by this box, I think you get good value for your money, especially if you're in the States.  I need to check ingredients on the Tay cleanser, but assuming they're okay, I'll be using all five products, which is pretty fantastic for a subscription box.  Petit Vour's main focus is vegan and cruelty free products, but obviously they are interested in natural, non-toxic ingredients as well, which is great.  Going by reviews I've seen of previous boxes, not every product is going to be 100% natural, but the boxes do always at least lean in that direction.

I'm really happy with the contents of the June box, and I do think Petit Vour is worth checking out if you're looking for a monthly subscription box that's cruelty free, vegan, and/or natural.  Full size products are also available in the Petit Vour Shop.  

How cute is that logo?