Naturalla Beauty

My last purchase before diving headfirst into #NoBuyJanuary was Lily Lolo's Rose Glow Shimmer Strips.  I'd had my eye on them since they first launched and when I saw they were discounted in Lily Lolo's Boxing Day sale, I couldn't resist any longer.




The Shimmer Strips, reminiscent of conventional favorites like Bobbi Brown's shimmer bricks, are sheer, shimmery powders with a multitude of uses.  You can use the colours individually as eye shadow or swirl them all together and apply as either a light blush or highlight.

I'll admit, I was first sold more by the appearance/packaging than the actual product.  Luxe and beautiful pressed products like this are still pretty rare in green makeup and I'm silly enough that just looking at this on my vanity makes me a bit happy.  

As it turns out, beyond just how it looks in the pan, Rose Glow does indeed make a gorgeous peachy-pink highlight.  It's shimmery but not sparkly and applies sheerly, giving you the option to wear it lightly as a subtle highlight or build it up to a more obvious one.  I do find it has more shimmer than I prefer in a blush, but if you like a shimmery blush (and have perfect, poreless skin), it might be your cup of tea that way too.

Individual colors and all swirled together

The Bottom Line
LOVE!  Rose Glow is a unique product in my collection and I'm glad I decided to pick it up.  It's a versatile highlighter that, depending on application, works equally well for day and night looks.

The best part?  Rose Glow (and its bronzey counterpart, Honey Glow) are still on sale for £13.  These are limited edition product though, so if you're interested in picking one up, I recommend doing it soon, before they're gone!


Ingredients: Mica, Octyldodecanol, Zea Mays Starch/ Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Candelilla Cera / Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Magnesium Stearate, Ricinus Communis Oil/Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Polyglyceryl-2 Isostearate/Dimer Dilinoleate Copolymer, Glyceryl Caprylate, P-Anisic Acid, Cinnamic Acid May Contain: CI 77891(Titanium Dioxide), CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499 (Iron Oxides), CI 75470 (Carmine)

Something you might not know about me?  Whether I'm on a spending ban or not, I'm pretty much always keeping a product wishlist.  Sure, the specifics change, but there's pretty well always something I'm eyeing on the horizon.  I've even dedicated an entire pinterest board to the subject!  

Here's what's topped my list through this month without shopping....


Stark Skincare
I've had my eye on Stark pretty much since they first launched, so it's kind of crazy that I still haven't tried anything from the line!   The new Neroli Midnight Oil sounds incredible and just might be the product that makes me take that plunge.  Among other great oils, it features evening primrose, camellia (green tea) seed, oat, raspberry, and pomegranate seed oils, as well as cocoa and mango butters.  Sounds pretty dreamy, no?

I've also got a slight obsession with argan oil, so the Argan Lip Treatment sounds pretty perfect to me.  I'm loving the simple luxury of a lip balm made only with argan oil, cocoa butter, candelila wax, vitamin E, and essential oils.

Saje Natural Wellness
Saje is a Canadian company that sells a whole host of products - everything from skincare and bodycare to essential oils and natural health products.  I've got my eye on the Sunshine Smoothie Exfoliating Tamarind Body Scrub, which combines exotic tamarind with apricot seed powder, shea butter and sweet almond, jojoba, and safflower oils.  The King & I Body Wash sounds pretty amazing too: lemongrass, lime, frankincense, bergamot, ginger, and grapefruit essential oils housed in a castile soap base made from coconut, olive, and jojoba oils. 

Genfiore Cosmetics
Genfiore is a pretty new company that I first stumbled across on Twitter.  The whole range looks gorgeous, but I've particularly got my eye on the pressed bronzers and eye shadows.  I get so excited to see natural companies making pressed makeup products and these look fantastic.  They're made with buriti fruit oil and herbal extracts and don't contain any of the usual silicones or other nasties.  

Hand Cream
Polar Vortex temperatures have wreaked havoc on my hands over the last couple weeks, which has left me searching for the Goldilocks of handcreams: something that nourishes like a balm but rubs in well and won't leave my hands too greasy.  The current contenders: John Masters Organics Cacao & Cupuacu Hand & Body Butter and Juice Beauty Green Apple Age Defy Hand Cream. 

Have you tried any of these?  What's on your wishlist right now?



Disclosure: Contains affiliate links.

One Love Organics has been on my radar for quite some time, so when I ordered some samples from Fresh Faced back in November, several One Love Organics products were, not surprisingly, some of the first items to make it into my cart.  After trying them out for the last several weeks, here are my thoughts...


Vitamin B Active Moisture Cleansing  Oil and Makeup Remover
This cleanser has gotten a lot of hype in the green beauty world and I can understand why!  It deep cleans your skin and removes makeup like an oil, but add a little water and it emulsifies into a milky cleanser that rinses off easily.  It also contains papain, a fruit enzyme, that gently exfoliates and softens the skin and has a yummy tropical (coconut-pineapple?) scent.   

Morning Glory Brightening Complexion Booster
Hands down, my favorite of the four products, Morning Glory is an incredibly light serum that my skin just loves.  Made with raspberry leaf, lemon balm and peppermint, it's high in anti-inflammatory ingredients and antioxidants that work to both tone the skin and reduce redness and puffiness.  The serum is a cheery green color, smells fresh, and leaves my skin looking glowy, healthy, and visibly more radiant.  It isn't near enough moisture for my skin by itself, but I've been enjoying mixing a couple drops with other face oils.  

Vitamin E Active Moisture Eye Balm
The Vitamin E Eye Balm is a thick balm that smells like a mix of lavender and fennel.  I loved it - both on my eyes and other dry patches on my face - during the insane cold spell (-40°C!) a few weeks ago, but I find it too heavy for everyday use since the weather has gotten somewhat warmer.  I also started noticing milia under my eyes, but I've since switched to using it just a couple night a week and they've gone away.  Alternating between the eye balm and another, much lighter eye cream has been working well.  

Supercritical Chia Oil
I'm a little neutral on this one.  Like the seeds themselves, chia oil is full of omega-3s, antioxidants and vitamins, but I haven't noticed any change in my skin since incorporating this single-ingredient oil into my routine.  It is, of course, entirely possible that I just haven't used the oil long enough to see results.  It's quite light, which is great in terms of absorption, but I have to mix it with heavier oils for my skin to feel sufficiently hydrated.  I'll use up the sample, but it's unlikely I'll be buying the full size.  

So, a bit of a mixed bag!  I loved Morning Glory and the Vitamin B Cleanser, am a little mixed on the Vitamin E Eye Balm, and wasn't wowed by the Supercritical Chia Oil.  That said, all of them were more than worth the $0.75 I paid from Fresh Faced!  And, now that I've started, there are a couple other One Love Organics products I've got my eye on as well...

Have you used any of these?  What are your favorites from One Love Organics?

January's spending ban is already more than half done!  I've really started to get into it this week.  I've re-homed a couple products and identified others that I want to finish up quickly. I've also gone through a good number of samples, although I'll probably hold off on writing about most of those until they can be featured in various Sample Stash posts.  

As for spending, I still have yet to buy anything beauty-related this month.  My inbox has been inundated with emails about January sales and while I've given several of them a browse, I'm still holding strong.  It's been a busy month, so I also haven't just reallocated that money into other spending, which is what I half expected to happen. 

#NoBuyJanuary also seemed like a great time for another DIY post.  It's been a while since my last one!  Let's talk about mixing your own face oils and serums...



As much as I love the many gorgeous oil blends being made by green skincare companies, I also love the both the creative element and flexibility of mixing up my own.  Face oils are probably one of the easiest things you can DIY and the results can be pretty phenomenal.  It's also a great way to use up oils that individually might not do everything you want them to.  

Sometimes I combine oils in a bottle, but more often I just mix a few different oils in the palm of my hand before each application.  

Just stir together and apply to your face!

Most recently, I've been combining equal parts of:

Pai's Rosehip Bioregenerate Oil - contains both rosehip seed and fruit oils and is one of the most concentrated rosehip oils on the market.  High levels of Trans Retinoic Acid act as a "natural retinol" and converts to Vitamin A without causing irritation.  Rosehip has been proven to improve the appearance of scars, stretch marks, sun damage, and fine lines.

Goji Seed Oil - is high in antioxidants and essential fatty acids, which protect and repair the skin.  It also contains large amounts of vitamin E that helps neutralize free radicals and improves skin elasticity and firmness.  

Jojoba Oil - is a liquid wax that closely resembles your skin's own sebum.  It's both moisturizing and good for helping regulate oil production.

The combination of the three has been keeping my skin happy and healthy for about two months now.  It hydrates well and also absorbs quickly without leaving any greasy residue.  



And the best part of making your own face oils/serums? 
You can use almost any oils you like!  I recommend using oils that are organic, when possible, as well as cold-pressed and unrefined, since these retain the most nutrients and are extracted without chemical additives.  

Some other basics to keep in mind:

Individual Qualities of Each Oil
If there's a specific skin concern you're trying to address (ie. acne, fine lines, hyperpigmentation, etc.), what oils are best for it?  Also consider the 'feel' of the oils - are they light in texture or heavy?  How quickly do they absorb into the skin?    

Do you want to include essential oils and/or herbs?  
Both can be used for fragrance and/or their individual properties.  If you don't mind taking the time, it's simple to infuse your oils with dried herbs.  When selecting essential oils, I recommend avoiding citrus oils (and others) that increase sun sensitivity.

Will you need to include a preservative?  
If your blend is just oils, then the answer is probably no, although you may want to include antioxidants like Vitamin E or rosemary extract to prolong shelf life. 

Now, go forth and blend your own face oils!  Super easy and you just might be surprised by how great it turns out...

There's no getting around it: I'm pretty picky about scents.  There are a lot of times that I find myself loving everything about a product EXCEPT how it smells.  Inspired by that, plus the "Best of 2013" lists that are popping up everywhere, I want to talk about some products that I think smell amazing.  And, while the scents may be what got these products featured in today's post, the best part is that every single one of them is also fantastic beyond just how they smell!



Deep Steep Candy Mint Foot Cream
A combination of refreshing peppermint and sweet cocoa butter have this cream smelling like delicious candy canes.  It's rich but rubs in easily, so although it's marketed as a foot cream, I find it equally good on my hands.  

Ella's Botanicals Lemon Meringue Hydrating Lotion
Another dessert-y scent, Ella's Lemon Meringue Lotion blends together lemon and vanilla and smells like delicious lemon cake.  It's also completely non-greasy and moisturizes like a dream.

Young Living Stress Away
I can't imagine doing a list of smells without including some kind of essential oil.  Stress Away is a blend of vanilla, lime, copaiba, cedarwood, ocotea, and lavender that smells pretty phenomenal.  It's sweet but also a little woodsy from the cedarwood and is great for destressing and relaxation.  

Kahina Giving Beauty Facial Cleanser   [Full Review]
I've raved about this cleanser several times now, but I'm not sure I've fully expressed just how much I love the scent!  It's a hard one to describe - soft, sweet and a little floral, but also fresh and kind of herbal.  The main scent notes are neroli and blue tansy.  

Skin Essence Organics Chocolate Mandarin Hand & Body Balm
Made with cocoa butter, mandarin, and sweet orange, Skin Essence's balm smells exactly like a Terry's Chocolate Orange.  It's also intensely hydrating and great for sealing in moisture.  It can be a little greasy when you first apply it, so it's great for right before bed, when you can let it soak in and work its magic without having to immediately touch a million and one things.

Nourish Organic Almond Vanilla Body Wash   [Full Review]
Nourish's body washes are creamy and quite moisturizing and the almond vanilla scent is so yummy!  It's sweet but not sickly and makes me feel like I'm washing myself with cake batter.

KYI Lavender Chamomile Sweet Almond Softening Oil   [Full Review]
KYI's Softening Oils are fantastic body oils and the lavender chamomile scent is hard to top.  I mostly smell chamomile, with just a hint of lavender.  It's soft, relaxing and soothing - especially perfect at night.

Lina Hanson Global Body Serum   [Full Review]
Another citrus and vanilla scent - although this time it's yuzu, grapefruit, and vanilla - Lina's Global Body Serum smells like the grown up version of Ella's lotion. It's still decadent, but less of a foodie scent.  The serum is also packed with oils that heal and nourish the skin and is one of the quickest absorbing body oils I've used, making it a great time saver too!

Weleda Sea Buckthorn
I've mentioned multiple times how much I adore Weleda's Sea Buckthorn products.  The scent is bright, fresh and citrusy, and always reminds me of The Body Shop's Satsuma, which I loved as a teen.  (Keep in mind that I haven't actually smelled Satsuma in years, so I could be completely wrong about the resemblance.)  I like the whole line, but my top picks are the body wash and hand cream.  


Somewhat ironically, compiling this list ended up being kind of eyeopening for me.  Before this, if you were to ask me what kinds of scents I gravitate towards, I'd have been quick to identify fresh, citrusy, or minty ones.  So, it surprised me how many of my favorite smells are pretty sweet.  Nothing too sugary or candy-like, but sweet nonetheless.  Funny how that turned out!

What kinds of scents do you enjoy most?  Any standouts?




Contains affiliate links