As you've probably noticed already, Naturalla Beauty has a new look! I'm not all that skilled in blog design or coding, so I finally decided it was worth spending a little money and hiring someone to get the site looking how I wanted it to, and there you have it! There are still one or two kinks to be worked out, so bear with me on those, but I'm super excited about it and really happy with how it all turned out.
Back on topic: July empties! I know everyone says this, but I can't believe it's August already. This month has really flown by, but somewhere in there I still managed to finish up a good number of products:
Acure Cocoa Butter + CoQ10 Body Lotion [Review]
I love this lotion! It's a great moisturizer that rubs in easily and doesn't leave your skin feeling greasy or tacky. I like that it's unscented (and without any icky unscented scent), but there are also other options if you prefer your lotions to be scented.
Repurchase? Yes, I already have.
Green Beaver Grapefruit Facial Cleanser (sample)
Green Beaver is an affordable, Canadian line, and I was happy to get my hands on a sample of their gel cleanser. It worked well, but sometimes left my face feeling a little tight and dry. It also contains grapefruit seed extract, which isn't my favorite ingredient to be using all the time.
Repurchase? Probably not.
Honeybee Gardens Pressed Mineral Foundation in Geisha [Review]
This is one of my top foundation picks and something I've written about multiple times before. I love that it can be used lightly as a setting powder or built up to a nice, flawless finish on it's own. I should probably mention that while I love the powder itself, I do not recommend spending the extra money on the compact, which is not airtight and will leak powder everywhere. I've been keeping my refill in the plastic packaging this time around, and while it's not especially pretty, it's an improvement - at least I don't have powder flying everywhere!
Repurchase? The foundation, yes, I already have. The compact, no.
Blum Oil Absorbing Facial Tissues
These are pretty standard blotting papers, not a whole lot to say. My only complaint is that even though the papers are standard sized, the packaging is quite bulky and cumbersome.
Repurchase? Maybe.
KYI Sweet Almond Softening Oil (samples) [Review]
I've recently become something of a body oil convert, which I credit to a combination of these oils and Lina Hanson's Body Serum. I'm still slowly working my way through a full size of the unscented softening oil, but these samples of the litsea cubeba and chamomile lavender scents got used up pretty quickly.
Repurchase? Yes.
Young Living Sandalwood Moisture Cream
I've alternated between this cream and Young Living's Boswellia Wrinkle Cream for years and gotten great results from both, particularly when my skin used to be more acne-prone. I've been trying out some new skin care recently, but I could see myself going back to this moisturizer in the future.
Repurchase? Probably.
Peppermint Earthpaste Toothpaste [Review]
Love this toothpaste! It's glycerin-free and leaves my teeth feeling smooth and clean and my mouth feeling fresh. The wintergreen flavor is my favorite, but the peppermint is good too.
Repurchase? Yes.
Young Living Lavender Lip Balm [Review]
One of my favorite lip balms, this is moisturizing but not greasy, and it lasts on your lips really well. I even used the end of the tube to keep my eyebrows in place. (Eyebrow gel - who needs it?!)
Repurchase? Yes, definitely.
Evan Healy French Rose Clay (sample)
I regularly do green clay masks, but the pink, which is a combination of rose kaolin and Moroccan rhassoul clays, made a nice change. It was a little gentler than the clay I usually use, but it definitely still did the trick. I could also clearly see all the gunk it sucked out of my pores, which was fun, if a little gross.
Repurchase? Maybe.
Weleda Almond Soothing Cleansing Lotion (sample)
Super gentle cleanser. I love how simple the ingredients are and it left my skin feeling cleansed but not dry in the least. It's probably the closest thing I've found to a cold cream, so if you're looking for a natural replacement, definitely check this out! I used it like a standard cleanser, on damp skin and rinsed off, but I could also see it working when applied to dry skin and just wiped off.
Repurchase? Maybe.
Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Castile Soap (sample)
Pretty standard stuff if you're into natural products, Dr. Bronner's has a hundred and one uses. I used the sample to clean my makeup brushes. I don't mind the peppermint, but I generally go for the unscented one.
Repurchase? Yes.
Ella's Botanicals Bar Soap in Chai Latte, Lavender Bliss, and Lemon Zing (samples)
Ella's is a lovely Toronto company, but I'm a little mixed on these soaps. Ingredient-wise, I love that the soaps are made without palm oil, but I wish the company used something other than canola oil, since that brings with it a whole host of GMO concerns. I also didn't like the lavender scent, but I enjoyed the chai and lemon ones.
Repurchase? Maybe.
What did you use up this month?
Your blog looks so pretty and clean! When I make my way through my body butters and lotions I have, I'd love to try that Acure lotion. I love using castile soap for cleaning makeup brushes. Have you tried making foaming hand soap with it yet. It's super easy. http://saintschick.blogspot.com/2013/07/diy-foaming-hand-soap.html
ReplyDeleteThanks! I haven't made foaming soap with Dr. Bronner's, but I have done it with shower gel. It's a great way to stretch your soap :)
DeleteI've just started using this Acure Moisturizer, and I agree that it's pretty darn awesome. I'm hard-core addicted to their body washes.
ReplyDeleteI haven't tried their body washes yet! Must get on that :)
DeleteLove your new blog layout :)Great post :)
ReplyDeleteThank you! :)
DeleteI love the new layout. Great collection of empties, love Dr Bronner as you know, wish Acure & Earthpaste were easily available over here as everyone across the pond seems to enjoy their products
ReplyDeleteThanks! I have to order my Acure from the US too. I keep hoping they'll make it to Canada one of these days!
Deleteooh i might try that acure body lotion :) I liked the other one, but not a fan of the smell so I like that this is fragrance free :) love the new look of the blog! x
ReplyDeleteThanks! I love the unscented :) I haven't tried any of the scents for that reason - I'm worried that I might not like the smell either!
DeleteAcure rocks! I love their lemongrass lotion.
ReplyDeleteYour new blog design is awesome! Very clean and pretty.
Thanks! Clean is exactly what I was going for, the busyness of the old design was starting to get to me!
DeleteI really need to try that Earthpaste!
ReplyDeleteYou should! It's a great toothpaste :)
DeleteIt looks really good! I always like seeing your favourites as there are usually quite a few brands that I've never heard of. More internet surfing goodness coming up. :)
ReplyDeleteHephzibah x
Thanks! Your blog has introduced me to several new brands too :)
DeleteI love that Honeybee Gardens powder. I wish my skin wasn't too dry to just use it as my powder foundation.
ReplyDeleteOh, that's too bad. I use it occasionally as a setting powder, but I mostly use it on its own!
DeleteI love the Acure Body Lotion too, it's one of my favorites. I like the scented ones but would also like to try the unscented to layer with body oils.
ReplyDelete