Today, I want to share some products I've been loving recently. These might be better described as joint summer/fall favourites, but, regardless, they're items that have stood out to me over the last several months, while I've been away from the blog.
T•Langhans Liquid Castile Soap*
The Liquid Castile Soap is a traditional handcrafted olive oil castile soap that cleanses without drying or stripping the skin, plus it smells incredible. The company doesn't disclose the exact essential oils used in their House Blend, but it's a beautiful multi-layered fresh-floral-herbal-earthy scent that I can't get enough of! Clearly describing scents is not my forte, but take my word for it, it's so lovely. Or, if you're in the GTA, give it a sniff at one of several restaurants.
The soap has a thicker, less runny consistency than many castile soaps, and it works incredibly well as a hand soap or body wash. I also adore the elegant glass packaging, which looks beautiful sitting on a counter. Now that it’s that time of year, I can't help thinking that both the soap and its matching Hand & Body Cream -- also fantastic! -- would make such a perfect hostess gift too.
I did a full brand spotlight and review of Iremia in the spring and I’m still just as smitten with the line today. I pulled the Protective Cream out as soon as the colder weather started rolling in and it's been a total standout once again. This rich moisturizer is packed with nourishing ingredients like avocado and jojoba oils, cocoa butter, and beeswax, and it does an excellent job tackling dryness and creating a protective barrier to lock in moisture and keep out external stressors. It’s not heavy or greasy, just potent, plush and nourishing. I really can’t think of a better moisturizer for our dry Canadian winters!
Kariderm Organic Mint Lip Balm*
Made with 35% organic fair trade shea butter, organic sunflower and extra virgin olive oils, and organic beeswax, this is a wonderful lip balm year-round. The formula is a little soft in the tube and has a unique, almost gel-like feel on the lips. Not oily and not waxy, but something else entirely. The balm is very moisturizing, lasts well on the lips, and is wonderful for protecting against the elements. Peppermint and spearmint essential oils give this flavour a slight minty tingle, but the balm is also available in Vanilla, if that’s not your thing.
I’ve been working at finishing skincare products vs. buying more these last few months and I managed to run through my daily chemical exfoliants and acid products, leaving a little more noticeable texture on my skin. Instead of rushing out to buy something new, I started looping this mask in more frequently and have been very impressed.
The Flash Mask uses pomegranate enzymes and fruit extracts containing natural AHA’s and salicylic acid to gently exfoliate and brighten the skin. It's effective, but also gentle enough to use 2-3 times per week, and, as the name suggests only needs a few minutes to do it’s thing, so it's a great one if you're short on time. I will say, I don't completely love how the Flash Mask smells -- it reminds me a lot of salon hair products -- but it's a manageable scent and the mask is pretty phenomenal otherwise.
Pacifica Pink Nudes Palette
Pink Nudes was my first experience with Pacifica eye shadows, and I haven't been disappointed! I bought the palette looking for matte shadows to complement the abundance of shimmer shades already in my stash, and it's done exactly that. With 10 functional matte shades - a mix of pinky/red tones and warm neutrals - it’s a perfect everyday palette. I don’t wear all matte looks very often, so I usually pull in a shimmer on the lid, but the palette has everything else I need for a great eye look. (You can use it alone too, of course, if matte eyes are more your jam.) The shadows are easy to work with, nicely pigmented and very blendable.
SoulTree, an Indian Ayurvedic line with a focus on natural ingredients and ethical practices, launched in Canada earlier this year and I had the chance to try out a few products over the summer. The Nutgrass Face Wash is a beautiful soap-free gel cleanser that was an instant hit. The wash is made with chamomile, nutgrass, neem, and turmeric and is intended for oily and combination skin, but it’s gentle enough that I think it would suit all but the very dryest skin. The Face Wash is non-stripping, cleans well, removes face makeup, and smells lovely and citrusy. I’ve been swimming in cleansers the last couple months as a CertClean Awards judge, and I still find myself reaching for this at least every other day, which really says it all.
What products have you been loving recently?
*Press sample.
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