Holiskin Chamomile ACV Facial Toner*
Holiskin really emphasizes simple formulas made from high quality ingredients, and this toner, a blend of Roman chamomile hydrosol and raw organic unfiltered apple cider vinegar is exactly that. Apple cider vinegar toners are a bit much for my skin every day, but I enjoyed using this a couple times a week. Repurchase? Maybe. I'm on a homemade toner kick at present.
Province Apothecary Invigorating + Balancing Toner with Rose & Geranium
Neither rose or geranium are favorites of mine, so I was surprised how much I liked this toner! To me, it smelled more like patchouli than anything else, but it wasn't an overpowering patchouli scent either. Overall, just a pretty blend and my skin seemed to like it too.
Repurchase? Maybe.
Repurchase? Maybe.
Andalou Naturals Probiotic + C Renewal Cream // Purple Carrot + C Luminous Night Cream
Andalou Naturals makes great basic and affordable moisturizers and these two, both part of the brightening line, are my favorites to date. The Probiotic + C Renewal Cream is lightweight and absorbs super quickly, while the Purple Carrot + C Night Cream is significantly richer, but still not heavy. The Night Cream truly did have me waking up the next morning with more luminous skin, but its grape juice-like scent took a little getting used to. Repurchase? Yes. I've still got mini tubes of both of these, but I would rebuy one or both in the future.
Face Wipes
I'm not a fan of using face wipes on the daily for environmental reasons, but sometimes needs will. The drain in my bathroom sink has been having issues the last few months (clearly it's all glamour, all the time here!) and since it does better without a lot of oils or makeup going down, I'm reluctantly using wipes for the time being. I still use a separate oil cleanser/makeup remover to make sure everything comes off, but instead of using a washcloth, I wipe it all away with a disposable wipe. Then, I follow up with water and a second cleanser as usual.
Both the Kaia Juicy Bamboo Natural Facial Cleansing Cloths and the Boo Bamboo Skin Balancing Makeup Remover Wipes are made of bamboo, which from everything I've read biodegrades within a few months, so there's that at least. The Kaia cloths smell better and feel a little more luxurious, plus I love the fully closeable container, but they're also more expensive and sting my eyes. Otherwise, the two are fairly comparable - both remove makeup decently well, don't irritate my skin, and are Canadian-owned companies. Repurchase? Boo Bamboo, yes. These are probably my favorite wipes and, as a bonus, I can usually find them discounted at Winners. Kaia, I'm not sure.
Young Living Lavender, Peppermint + Frankincense Essential Oils
MLM's get a lot of flack in the green community, but I've only had positive experiences with Young Living and will continue to purchase from them. Whatever your thoughts on the business model, my bottom line has always been quality and I believe YL sells some of the highest quality oils available.
I use all three of these on a regular basis. Lavender and frankincense are two of my favorites for just about any skin concern, and I also use lavender for headaches, de-stressing, and relaxation. Peppermint is great for digestive upsets, congestion, muscle pain, and again, headaches. Repurchase? Yes. These are staples for me and I've already replaced all three.
Lip Balms
Finishing lip balms is never an issue for me! I loved the Rachel's Plan Bee Peppermint Lip Balm, which Rachel kindly sent me when I mentioned I was having issues keeping my lips protected in the cold weather this winter. It strikes that perfect balance between a healing balm that treats any damage already there and a more occlusive, protective formula that blankets your lips in such a way as to prevent further chapping.
The Sierra Bees Tamanu & Tea Tree Lip Balm tasted awful - like straight up tea tree oil - but I did get used to it, and I have no complaints in terms of how it worked. The Sierra Bees lip balms are generally a great formula and, taste aside, if you're someone who deals with cold sores, I think this is a great option as both tamanu and tea tree oils are great preventatives. I don't personally get cold sores, so I'll likely stick to the other, yummier flavors in future.
I like Epic Blend's lip balms a lot too, although the Pineapple- Mint* is not my favorite from them. Part of the vegan line, it's a little thinner and more slippery than the company's other two formulas, and although the pineapple and mint pairing worked, it wasn't a flavor I'd necessarily rush back to.
Repurchase? Rachel's Plan Bee, definitely! Both the Sierra Bees and Epic Blend I'd buy again in different flavors.
Tinted Lip Balms
I've been making an effort to use more colored lip products and have managed to finish off several tinted balms as a result! Ellovi's Tinted Lip Butter came in a Petit Vour box a while back. It has the same great formula as their original lip butter and gives a nice subtle red color to the lips, courtesy of an alkanet root infusion.
Brija Cosmetics' Jelly Balms are a moisturizing, softer lip formula, so they get used up pretty quickly, but I enjoyed this one while it lasted. Sparkles, a shimmery peach, was a limited edition color with added cocoa butter, and I'm not sure if it was the slightly different formula or the more subtle/nude color, but it worked a lot better than, Yvonne, the other Jelly Balm I have, which tends to go on a little patchy.
The Yes to Carrots Colorbalms are long discontinued, but I do like them. Peachy Keen was a pretty orange/peach, but Soft Plum leaned a little more brown than I like one me, so I used it mainly when I was at home. I finished Peachy Keen completely, but started getting a slight reaction from Soft Plum and gave up on it with about a third still left.
Repurchase? Yes to the Ellovi. Neither this particular Brija color or the Yes to Carrots are sold anymore.
Dr. Hauschka Volume Mascara
This was a good mascara! It was very black, provided good volume, and didn't give me any problems with irritation, smudging, or flaking. I don't have anything negative to say about it, but at the same time there are other mascaras I like more. Repurchase? Probably not.
Lauren Brooke Cosmetiques Finishing Powder
I got this as a freebie from Lauren Brooke a long time ago and I loved it! The tiniest bit did a great job diffusing fine lines and never left skin looking dry or makeup cakey. Repurchase? Maybe. I'm using a different finishing powder now, but I'd definitely consider buying this again in the future.
Silk Naturals Tchotchke Sheer Blush
I love the Silk Naturals blushes! Tchotchke was a pretty nude-pink, but it had a bit too much shimmer for me. Some days it was okay, and others, my cheeks had a slightly metallic sheen that I wasn't crazy about. Repurchase? Not this particular shade.
Eye Shadow Samples
My loose eye shadow stash is ridiculous, so I'm still actively trying to work through some colors. Thing is, even samples tend to last 10-20 uses, so it's taking a bit of time! I love Cheeky Cosmetics eye shadows, and all three shades - Moroccan Sunset, Sugarplum, and Mauvelous - were beautiful. The other three, from Pollen Cosmetics, Persephone Minerals, and Sassy Minerals, were also great, but none of the three companies are in business anymore from what I can tell. Repurchase? No, but only because I have still have so many eye shadows! I'd come back to Cheeky Cosmetics when I do need more.
*Press sample
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Huuuuuge empties! My empties box is overflowing and I'm in no way near motivated to go through that box... I'm thinking of doing it the video way, but so camera-shy! Good to hear about the Andalou cream moisturizers. They need to work on their scents though - mine also has a predominant berry scent and I wish it wasn't that way! Anyway, what's the best tinted lip balm you've tried so far?
ReplyDeleteI'm right there with you with being camera shy! I keep meaning to make more videos but the whole idea is so daunting, even having done couple last year. It's funny with Andalou because I've really liked the scents of the cleansers/scrub, but the moisturizers can be a bit overwhelming. I think I used the berry one a while back too.
DeleteThe Mineral Fusion Sheer Moisture Lip Tints are one of my very favorite lip products. They're basically tinted lip balms in crayon form -- depending on the shade, they go from very sheer to more pigmented. I also really like the tinted balms from Everyday Minerals and the Kari Gran Lip Whips :)
Thanks Caitie, very good to know! I love my Kari Gran Jolene sample right now and also have a full size of the original tinted one. Thinking if there are any others in tube form that's great and affordable. I think my lips are sensitive to tinted balms sometimes--they can cause them to flake more--maybe it's the pigment used? But I also need something that's not too sheer coz my lips are so pale! #catch22
DeleteNot sure if it's the pigments or what -- I have that happen with certain lip products too, even a couple regular balms. The Everyday Minerals ones are really great for just a classic, tube tinted balm though. In my experience, the darker shades are less sheer than the lighter/more nude ones:)
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