In spite of not spending much on beauty products these last several months, I've still managed to get my hands on a few new items. Here are five new things I've been trying out recently, both from new-to-me brands and old favorites:
Isabella's Clearly Wave*
Wave blends together Himalayan sea salt crystals and a base of jojoba and olive oils, creating a unique texturizing oil that's a hybrid between a sea salt spray and a regular hair oil. I don't recommend dousing your hair in the oil - like you might with a watery texturizing spray - but a conservative amount run through the lengths of the hair helps define curls and minimizes frizz without weighing down hair. The scent - a mix of jasmine and basil essential oils - is sweet and floral, with just a hint of earthiness from the basil.
Silk Naturals Brightening Concealer
A recent release, the Brightening Concealers are loose powder concealers with a soft focus, subtly radiant finish. I've used Silk Naturals Sleep in a Jar for years and these seem similar, only amped up a little. They're still sheer, but offer a little more coverage than Sleep in a Jar and do a great job softening and blurring fine lines and small blemishes. Made with silica and ceramic microspheres, they also feel buttery and blend into the skin very easily.
I've been testing out a sample of #2 - advertised as a dupe for Anastasia's Banana Powder - which is a little too dark for me, though it still works okay. Priced at $6.50, the concealers are crazy affordable and I'm already planning to order full sizes of both #1 and #2, as I suspect the two mixed together will make my perfect shade.
Young Living Carrot Seed Oil
Carrot seed oil is extracted from the dried seeds of the wild carrot plant, also known as Queen Anne's lace. It's most often recommended for mature skin and anti-aging, but with a high antioxidant content, natural SPF, antiseptic properties, and radiance boosting effects, carrot seed oil should appeal to virtually everyone. I've only mixed it into face masks so far, but I'm curious to try it other ways too and I'll report back once I've done a little more experimenting.
Andalou Naturals Lime Blossom and Clementine Hand Creams
After seeing Andalou's hand creams recommended by both Mary (Makeup by Mary B) and Nicole (Live It, Love It, Green It), I ordered the Lime Blossom and Clementine varieties from iherb, where they're currently on super sale for $3.99. The two have slightly different ingredients, but both feel nourishing and absorb quickly without any greasy or oily residue. The scents are pretty light, though I'm still surprised how much I love the sweet, tropical scent of the coconut water-infused Lime Blossom. It's not at all a sunscreeny coconut, but it does smell like summer in a bottle with a mix of coconut, lime, and mint. The Clementine is a bright citrus scent and a little more subtle than the Lime Blossom.
Yosh Konjac Cherry Blossom Konjac Sponge*
As soon as I return to cleansing with a konjac sponge, I always wonder what took me so long! The biggest change I notice is just how clean these vegetable fiber sponges keep my pores. Yosh Konjac is a new company to me, but I like that they're Canadian and that the sponges are completely natural, cruelty-free, and free of artificial coloring and preservatives. The Cherry Blossom Sponge is handmade in Japan with 100% pure konjac fibers infused with cherry blossom leaf essence and pink clay and is suitable for all skin types and said to encourage skin revitalization and luminosity.
What new products have you tried recently?
*Press sample
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The product I've tried lately would be one of the Pacifica fragrances. I also have a konjac sponge but it gets dried out and sometimes is resistant to becoming soft right away.
ReplyDeleteI find that too - when I use the sponge everyday, it's easy to rehydrate, but if I skip a few days, it gets very hard again and needs a thorough soaking to soften up!
DeleteAren't konjac sponges great? I just ordered a new one today because the one I have is looking pretty pathetic.
ReplyDeleteThe Grass Skirt
They are! It's been a few months since my last one wore out and I've really missed using one :)
DeleteThat clearly wave spray sounds so good! Ps. How amazing are those hand creams?
ReplyDeleteThey're fantastic! I'm not sure why I waited so long to give them a try :)
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