Naturalla Beauty

This time of year, it's super important to exfoliate your skin.  The colder weather makes our skin more susceptible to moisture loss, and if you aren't sloughing off any already dead skin, it's that much harder to keep your skin hydrated.  There are plenty of different ways to exfoliate, but one of the simplest is to use a scrub like Nourish's Organic Body Polish.

Product Description: Every shower or bath brings with it the opportunity to renew and refresh skin, leaving it smooth and glowing with good health. Simply cleanse with the USDA certified organic blend of ground murumuru and cupuacu seeds, corn cob nutrients, forbidden and jade pearl rice, nourishing aloe, and pomegranate oil. Gentle enough to use every day.

Ingredients: Organic aloe barbadensis leaf juice, organic cocos nucifera (coconut) oil, purified water, potassium hydroxide, organic helianthus annuus (sunfower) seed oil, organic sesamum indicum (sesame) seed oil, organic jade pearl rice, organic cyamopsis tetragonoloba (guar) gum, organic cocos nucifera (coconut) milk, tocopherol (vitamin E), organic punica granatum (pomegranate) seed oil, organic theobroma grandiflorum (cupuacu) seed, organic astrocaryum (murumuru) seed, organic forbidden rice, organic corn cob grit, organic camellia sinensis leaf (green tea) extract.

Price: $9.99 from Nourish or $8.25 from Vitacost

My Thoughts: This is a fantastic product to have in your beauty arsenal.  Unlike a lot of other scrubs that are oil based, Nourish's Body Polish is a scrub housed in a castile soap base.  This means that while it exfoliates, it also lathers up and serves as a body wash too.  Also, while a lot of other scrubs are made from sugar or salt, the grittiness here is from two kinds of rice, corn grits, and murumuru and cupuacu seeds.  It's all finely milled and it really is gentle enough to use every day, just like Nourish claims.  It's also not scented, though the ingredients do give it a light, fresh, slightly starchy smell, kind of like cornmeal.  

The combination of being unscented and the gentleness of the exfoliants convinced me to try it as a face scrub and I've been loving using it on my face also.  Sometimes I do wish it was a little rougher for my body, but that same gentleness makes it perfect for the face, where it leaves my skin cleansed, exfoliated, and super soft.  For that reason, I wouldn't change a thing about this product!  It's become my new favorite face scrub and I've also been enjoying it as a body polish in rotation with other coarser scrubs.  

The Bottom Line: Nourish's products have awesome ingredients, are super affordable, and if the body polish is anything to go on, are fantastic quality too.  I'll definitely be checking out more of their line in the future!

And, in case you're new to Vitacost, you can save $10 off your first order by signing up here. 

Before I jump into things, I should probably mention that I'm pretty new to wearing blush.  In fact, until a couple months ago, blush was the one makeup product I avoided like the plague.  Recently, however, I've become a convert and have come to appreciate how even a subtle blush can really add dimension to the face.  With that in mind, I've got my latest blush discoveries from Alima Pure to share with you today.

Alima Pure is a mineral makeup company founded on the old adage of less is more.  Less ingredients, but still maximum quality and impact.  They make a whole range of products, including more than 60 foundation shades and both matte and shimmer lines of eyeshadow and blush.  Today, I've got five blushes to show you: four from their Luminous Shimmer line and one of their Satin Mattes.

Price: Full Size: $20; Sample: $1.50

Ingredients: Mica (CI 77019), May contain [+/-]: Iron oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), titanium dioxide (CI 77891).

Clockwise from top left: Freja, Sospiro, Rosa, Mimosa, Guava

Colours
Rosa: "Soft, shimmery pink for light to medium skin. Like a bouquet of pink roses for your cheeks, but without the thorns, Rosa is what a blush was meant to be!"    
A really pretty cool pink.  Gives a nice 'barely there' flush.

Guava: "Warm peach packed with gold. The perfect date-night blush, the luminous finish looks gorgeous in candlelight, and the peachy-pink tone is soft and feminine without seeming too innocent."  
Glowy bronzy-peach.   

Freja: :Light-to-medium warm pink with very subtle shimmer. Afraid of sparkle, but want a bit of the glow that a shimmer blush can give? Freja is your goddess! Almost matte, but better, and looks great on most skins."    
Warm, peachy-tan shade with very little shimmer.  Looks very natural.

Sospiro: "Intense coral-pink with golden sparkle. Strolling through Venice in the sunshine? Sospiro is the perfect blush to make sure that your vacation pictures capture that radiant glow!"   
To me, this reads more as a coppery russet than a coral or pink.  Surprisingly wearable, even on my fair skin.

Mimosa: "Pale peachy pink for fair skin. Are you a little blush-shy? Want a hint of pink, but don’t want to be overwhelmed by it? Mimosa is your new best friend."    
Pretty colour, but unfortunately, it doesn't really show up on my cheeks!  

Left to Right: Rosa, Mimosa, Guava, Freja, Sospiro

My Thoughts: Judging by these five colours, the formulas of both the matte and shimmer blushes are impeccable.  I'd say they have medium pigmentation, which just so happens to be my personal preference for blush.  They're pigmented enough that a little product goes a long way, but not so pigmented that they go on splotchy or are hard to blend.  Just the opposite in fact; they blend very easily and I'm not left struggling with any harsh lines or blush stripes.  I like applying loose blushes with a duo-fiber brush, first stippling the colour on and then blending it out, and this method works beautifully with these blushes. 

I will say I was a little underwhelmed when I first saw the blushes in their jars, but even just swatching them, I was a much happier camper.  The only one I was disappointed with is Mimosa, and only because it's so pale as to be almost invisible on my cheeks.  Other than that, I'm really happy with the colours I chose.  The shimmer blushes have a definite sheen to them, but it's not anything even close to obnoxious or chunky glitter.  None of the these shades are super bright or dramatic; rather, they're fantastic everyday colours that I can see myself reaching for a lot!

And now, for something I haven't done before!  Here's a quick FOTD wearing Sospiro:


Face
> Honeybee Gardens Pressed Mineral Foundation in Geisha
> Silk Naturals Sleep in a Jar in Light Peach
> Alima Pure Luminous Shimmer Blush in Saspiro

Eyes
> Pollen Cosmetics Eyeshadow in Future Sunrise
> ZuzuLuxe Mascara in Onyx

Lips
> Silk Naturals Buttercream Lip Glaze in Dame

I'm going to come right out and say it: I'm not that great at moisturizing.  Sure, I do a fine job moisturizing my face, but when it comes to my body, it's a step I often skip.  Lotions and butters can take too long to absorb and often need to be reapplied frequently to reap the benefits.  There are tons of body oils on the market too and I've often wondered if an oil might be more effective.  That said, the frugalista in me has always scoffed at buying something that would be cheaper and, at least in theory, very simple to make myself.  I'm happy to report, after finally trying my hand at concocting my own, it really is just as easy as I was hoping! 

Ingredients 
1/8 cup sunflower oil
1/2 teaspoon argan oil
4 Vitamin E capsules, punctured and drained
5 drops orange essential oil
2 drops cassia essential oil
3 drops copaiba essential oil

I mixed the sunflower oil, argan oil, and Vitamin E together until well combined.  Then I played around with the essential oils until I was happy with the scent.  Can't get much easier than that!


My Thoughts
I'm happy to report that this works amazingly.  I've been much better about moisturizing and have been using it every other day after I shower.  I towel off just a little and then quickly apply the oil all over, avoiding any sensitive bits.  The slight dampness left on my skin helps the oil to soak right in without leaving any greasy residue.  It does such a good job moisturizing that I don't find I need to reapply between showers.  If you do want to use it on completely dry skin, it takes a little longer to absorb, but it still works great.

The smell is perfect for this time of year too.  I shower at night and I can smell the oil on me, at least through the next morning.  It also works great as a perfume oil.  Once the smell wears off, I've been dabbing a little on my pulse points so I can luxuriate even longer in the warm, cinnamony goodness. 

Other Tips 

• Make sure you are using high quality essential oils.  My choice is still Young Living, since I know they are free of any additives and processed without chemicals.
• You can scent your oil however you like, but take into consideration the individual properties of any essential oils you are using.  For example:
• Orange oil is photosensitive, meaning it increases sun sensitivity.  I use the oil at night, so I'm not overly concerned, but if you are planning to use it during the day, you might want to avoid citrus oils.
• Cassia is a hot oil.  Keep hot oils to a minimum or you risk discomfort or burning on application. 
• You can vary the base oils too.  I used mainly sunflower oil and boosted it with argan oil and Vitamin E, since I already had those on hand, but other oils like jojoba, grapeseed, sesame, or a mix of more than one of these, would also be effective.
• Store in a glass container.  Essential oils can eat through plastic, which aside from being potentially messy, means that the toxins in the plastic can leech into your oil.  Not good!

What's your favorite moisturizer?  Ever tried making your own body oil?

I don't know about you, but for me, one of the dangerous things about reading beauty blogs and hearing about so many fantastic-sounding products is that it can make me want to spend spend spend.  Instead of just giving in to this, I try mull things over by keeping lists of things that catch my eye.  That way, I can come back to them in a bit and see what I actually want to buy and what was more of just a fleeting whim.

I thought it might be fun to share a few things that are currently on my makeup wishlist. 






Andalou Naturals All in One Beauty Balm 
(Sheer Tint with SPF 30)
BB Creams are all the rage these days, and while I've come across a couple others from more natural brands, Andalou's is the first I've found with an ingredient list I'd be comfortable using.  This promises to renew and brighten the skin while providing sheer coverage and SPF 30 sun protection.  Priced at only $19.95, it's pretty affordable too!











Vapour Organic Beauty Illusionist Concealer and Elixir Plumping Lip Gloss
Vapour is one of those brands that I've heard amazing things about for years and yet somehow I've never managed to try.  Generally I'm really happy with how my Silk Naturals Sleep in a Jar performs, but there are days when I'd like a little more coverage, which is where this concealer would come in.  As for the lip gloss, I don't think I've ever used a plumping gloss before and I'm intrigued.  Not gonna lie, most of Vapour's line is pretty tempting!








Mineral Fusion Bronzer/Highlighter in Luster
I don't see Mineral Fusion's products talked about much, but I played around with their eyeshadows the last time I was at Whole Foods and I was happily surprised - they're smooth, creamy and nicely pigmented.  Unfortunately, on closer ingredient examination, the eyeshadows contain phenoxyethanol, which I prefer to avoid, so I've switched my fixation to this gorgeous bronzer/highlighter duo, which,  delightfully, is phenoxyethanol free.







   




Sheswai Nail Laquer
I've been all about browsing nail polishes lately, and these two from Sheswai have perked my interest.  Fersure is a deeper red, perfect for fall, and Stoned is a beautiful pebble gray/mauvey nude shade.  Both are colours I could see myself reaching for a good deal.











What products have caught your eye lately?  And am I the only one who keeps lists of things to potentially buy at a later date?  I'd love to know if you do this too! 

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Dana M. of Mother Nature's Snuggery!  Congratulations!  I've sent you an email, so please get back to me with your address and I'll get your prize sent off to you ASAP.

If you didn't win, not to worry...there's always next time!  I've got a couple other giveaways up my sleeve yet:)

And, for some random puppy cuteness, I'll leave you with these photos of Spencer and Rowan (my puppy niece) having a cuddle.  As you can see, they're good friends!