Fresh Faced Sample Haul!

Fresh Faced recently started a sample program, which is genius. I love being able to pick up samples of expensive products before committing to full size, makes sense no? Samples are limited to 10 only and shipping still applies if your order is under $75. Since Caitie, from Naturalla Beauty, recently hauled her samples, I thought I'd do the same.

I picked up:

Ilia Femme Fatale and Crimson & Clover

Marie Veronique Organics Everyday Coverage in Light & Medium

W3LL People Universalist Stick in #3 & #8

One Love Organics Vit. E Eye Balm & Cleansing Oil

Rahua Voluminious Shampoo

S.W. Basics Cream

W3LL People Shadow in Holiday (kindly thrown in by Sally, not shown)

Tried any on my list? Let me know what you think of them!

Odacité 10 Day Treatment Set Review

I've heard about and been following Odacité on Twitter for a while now. I was thrilled when they asked if I wanted to try their *10 Day Treatment Set, obviously I said yes. An aesthetician contacted me with several questions to determine my skin type, conditions, and needs and then picked one of the three sets that best fit.

Set for combination skin

Odacité is a FRESH, high end and quality skin care line created by Valérie Grandury. When she was diagnosed with breast cancer, she decided to completely "detox" her life and focus on the healing properties that nature has to offer. She took on a raw food diet and the motto, "It all lies in the freshness of the raw ingredients," which she also applied to her skin care line. Valérie only sources the best organic ingredients and ensures they are used within a certain amount of time to reap the full benefits of each one (See Freshiency Date). An age-defying line that has been loved and accepted by many.

Description: Time to treat your skin. Odacite designed a kit specially for combination skin including 7 products enough for 10 days. All products are freshly made with certified organic ingredients. It includes a cleanser + 2 facial sponges, one toner, one day moisturizer, one night serum, an exfoliant, one hydrating mask and an eye cream. Retails for $29 USD.

Rejuvenating Cleanser: Organic plant extracts, fresh Aloe Vera, cold-pressed oils and floral water make this gentle water-soluble creme cleanser a completely pure healing product. Gentle Coco Glucoside removes surface impuritieswithout disturbing the skin's delicate moisture and oil balance. Tamanu oil from the rainforest of Madagascar aids in the elimination of waste material and toxins from the capillaries. 

Retails for $40 USD for 120 ml/4 oz. Click here for full ingredient list.

This cleanser left my skin feeling super soft and glowy. I also loved that there was no real scent to it, making it ideal for those who are easily offended/irritated. Since it's a milky consistency, I felt like I needed to use a lot more cleanser than usual. It definitely didn't remove makeup all that well either. This would be a great morning or second cleanse, and great for those who don't wear makeup.

Divine Rose & Neroli Balancing Toner Mist: Quickly & effectively balance skin, minimizes the appearance of pores & revitalize overall complexion. Skin instantly feels fresher, looks clearer and radiates a healthy glow. Rose water is known for its sebum-balancing properties. Fresh aloe vera juice keeps skin moist and heals skin from environmental aggressors. Aspen bark extracts work as a potent astringent, helping to minimize pores. 

Retails for $45 USD for 120 ml/4 oz. Click here for full ingredient list.

I saw rose and was automatically turned off but, the scent is so mild and enjoyable! This toner left my skin soft, supple, and balanced. Nothing else to say about it...:)

Jojoba Beads Exfoliant: Remove dead skin & encourage cell renewal. After one application, experience soft & healthier skin. Jojoba Beads are made from 100% pure, natural Jojoba wax, which have no sharp edges. They are superior to other exfoliating agents because they do not leave micro-lacerations. These microscopic cuts could result in premature wrinkles and provide an entrance for bacteria into the skin's surface. GLUTEN FREE. 
Retails for $45 USD for 50 ml/1.7 oz. Click here for full ingredient list.

I should really stop judging products before trying them. I expected this to not exfoliate well, mainly because I prefer chemical exfoliants and find jojoba beads too gentle sometimes. Boy was I wrong! This exfoliant is gentle but extremely effective. It gave me a fantastic exfoliation without irritating it, leaving my skin soft and radiant. Love, love, love!

Deep Hydration Mask: Bring instant rejuvenation to your skin. After just one application see younger, healthier & hydrated skin. Organic Olive and Jojoba oils replace the moisture and elasticity lost due to environment damage. Organic Calendula stimulates microcirculation. Potent antioxidants of natural Vitamin E and organic tea extracts fight free radicals. Natural anti-inflammatory agents of lavender soothe. Hyaluronic Acid plumps fine lines & wrinkles. GLUTEN FREE. 

Retails for $50 USD for 50 ml/1.7 oz. Click here for full ingredient list.

I had really high hopes for this mask and ended up being disappointed. There was a lot of separation between the cream and oils in this mask, even after shaking, and felt like I was rubbing oily wax on my face. I know, I know my explanations are great. Anyway, it just didn't leave my skin as hydrated as I would have liked and left a weird residue. I still have some left though, so I'll update you in an empties.

Beautiful Day Moisturizer:  Healthy, glowing skin that lasts all day. Contains a blend of fresh, organic ingredients that target environmental aggressors to protect and restore softness and elasticity. Pure organic virgin coconut oil boosts skin hydration by locking in moisture. Organic Aloe heals and hydrates. Organic tea extracts act as powerful antioxidants to reverse signs of aging. Organic Jojoba Oil strengthens the skin’s natural moisturizing system. MSM stimulates collagen synthesis, DMAE visibly firms the skin. Long-term use has been clinically proven to greatly decrease the appearance of loose and sagging skin. GLUTEN FREE.
Retails for $75 USD for 60 ml/ 2 oz. Click here for full ingredient list.

When my skin cooperated and had no dry patches, this moisturizer was enough. However, on days when I felt dry or had any dry patches, I definitely needed to use an oil first. It soaks into the skin quickly, never leaving it looking or feeling greasy. Great base for makeup.

Night Time Antioxidants Repair Serum: Skin is deeply nourished & replenished. High concentrations of fresh and clinically proven anti-aging ingredients fight free radical damage toreverse signs of aging while you sleep. Maximizes skin’s natural night repair cycle by allowing you skin to breath. High levels of Tocopherol (natural vitamin E) promotes healing. MSM stimulates collagen synthesis. Hyaluronic Acid plumps fine lines and wrinkles. GLUTEN FREE.

Retails for $120 USD for 60 ml/2 oz. Click here for full ingredient list.

This was my favourite product of the set. It hydrated, plumped, restored, nourished and anything else good that you can think of. My skin loved it and it really did make a difference in the moisture level of my skin. Sometimes I would even use it during the day if my skin was REALLY dry (for whatever reason), and it transformed it.

Ultra Effective Eye Cream: Significantly reduces the depth of wrinkles. Formulated with organic blue green algae tostimulate cell vitality and the renewal of the firming tissues. Organic pomegranate extract contains powerful antioxidants that fight free radicals and help tocounter the aging effects of overexposure to the sun. Tocopherol restores youthful elasticity. Hyaluronic Acid plumps fine lines and wrinkles. GLUTEN FREE.

Retails for $95 USD for 30 ml/.5 oz. Click here for full ingredient list.

This was a fantastic eye cream, it really performed. A little goes a long way and it left my under eyes feeling hydrated and worked well under concealer. As it got colder, I didn't find it was enough for my dry eyes..which hurt my heart.

Conclusion: I love that this line doesn't contain any harsh or strong fragrances/essential oils, for several reasons. Obviously with sample sized products it's hard to notice any anti-aging benefits (softened lines, faded marks, etc) because they only last for a short period of time. None of these products broke me out or irritated my skin and I really loved the toner, exfoliant and night serum. Sadly, it's a line that's currently out of my budget and therefore I will not be picking up full sizes. I highly recommend the set if you're interested in seeing how they react with your skin prior to purchasing full sizes or just to try them in general.

You can purchase the set through Odacité or any of their retailers.

Have you ever tried this brand?

*Product provided for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Graydon Hair Smoothie Review

Conditioner is one of those hair products that I don't really use anymore. Since chopping off my hair (including most of the colour dyed damaged ends), not dying it in almost 2 years, and discovering oils, I really don't have much need for them. With the Yarok shampoo drying out my ends, I decided to give this *Hair Smoothie a go. Keep in mind that I haven't used an actual conditioner in months, my hair is fine but I have lots of it, and I have dermatitis on my scalp. That all impacts how a product works for me, especially this one. I've already reviewed the *All Over Soap and *Sun Cream from Graydon in October and I loved those.

Description: Nourish your lovely locks with nutrient rich ingredients including broccoli seed oil while you infuse your scalp with *healthy hair growth* essential oils of parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. We've been able to create a silicone free formulation that will leave your hair super soft and smooth but not weighed down. Great for all hair types!

I want to touch on broccoli seed oil first, which is a powerhouse antioxidant and rich in fatty acids. It has natural UV protection, deeply penetrates to provide lasting hydration, contains Vitamin C which is great for fighting free radicals and adding shine/glow to your skin and hair, and it replaces silicones. Replaces silicones? It basically has that same texture to it. Once you see the pictures below, you'll get it. This hair smoothie has a very interesting herbal scent. I (personally) find it a tad strong, lingers, and it's not all that enjoyable. It coats my hair and makes it feel super soft and sleek, which would be great for those with damaged/thick/coarse/curly/unruly hair. I use the smallest amount, just on my ends, and find my hair can feel greasy or weighed down if I use too much. I have tried using it on my scalp as well, just to reap the benefits of the essential oil blend, and my hair was a greasy mess. Again, the fact that I haven't used conditioner in a long time could be why my hair is reacting this way to it. Nobody else in my house uses conditioner, so I couldn't ask them to try it out to compare results. I think it is a great product with fantastic ingredients, however, it's just not right for my hair. I've started using it for shaving and it's amazing for that!

Retails for $25 CAN for 8 fl oz/240 ml. Can be purchased through Graydon and any one of her retailers.

Do you use conditioner or have you given it up?

Ingredients: purified water (aqua), vegetable glycerin (glycerol), broccoli seed oil (brassica oleracea italica), sunflower oil (helianthis annus), cetyl alcohol (coconut product), stearyl alcohol (mixed plant), cetrimonium chloride, hydrolyzed soy protein (glycine soja), olive oil (plea europaea), coconut oil (cocos nucifera), green tea extract (camellia sinensis), chlorophyll (chlorophyllin), in a blend of pure essential oils, vitamin e (mixed tocopherols) and nothing else!

*Product provided for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

PurelyGreat Citrus Cream Deodorant Review

My search for a deodorant or combination that works is ongoing. This may be a little too much info but, my pits stink....always. I'll be the first to admit that it's gross and I wish that I could find a deodorant that keeps me stink free all day or almost all day. It's one part of my journey into natural products that I'm not enjoying at all. It was Lisa, from Serenity on the Humber Day Spa, who first told me about PurelyGreat. She swore up and down that it actually works, so I reached out to them and Debbie was kind enough to send me the *Women's Citrus Cream Deodorant.

Description: 
• No more worrying about long-term affects that using aluminum may cause!
• Keep your lymph nodes healthy and let your pits breathe and release those toxins!
• Our natural deoodorant for women is effective, keeps you smelling great and uses natural ingredients
• Essential oils used are good for hormone balancing and deodorizing
• No need to reapply during the day or worrying that you smell!
• Our natural deodorant for women is packaged in eco friendly glass jars
• Purelygreat deodorant is vegan friendly
• Each jar lasts about 2-3 months

First off, this smells like Fruit Loops!!!! Omg, best smelling deodorant ever! Second, it actually works! I was overwhelmed with joy to have found a deodorant that keeps me stink free all day long, whether I'm active or not. Even though many have had a bad reaction to baking soda, I didn't worry or think too much about it. After a week or two in (can't remember now), I experienced inflammed and pissed off pits. I couldn't use any deodorant for almost a week and instead slathered on SBT Diaper Rash Salve, which luckily reduced the redness in 3 days. Lisa had experienced the same thing, must be the baking soda. Ugh, isn't it so sad when you fall in love and the feeling isn't mutual? I like the eco friendly jar, however, it needs to be stirred before each use which can be annoying. Application can be a little gritty and chalky, but it immediately blends into the skin to neutralize odours. To be totally honest, had it not irritated my skin, this would have been holy grail status. I only use this a couple of times a week now, when I know I have a long day at work. Pemberley Jones had mentioned balancing the PH of my pits, via Crunchy Better, which she says has been working for her. Haven't tried it yet, but plan to at some point. I'm not giving up on this deodorant just yet. If you can use baking soda, give this a try! If you can't, join the club of miserable stinky people with me.

Retails for approx. $15 CAN for a 45g jar. They have cream deodorants for men, women, teen girls and teen boys in a variety of scents. Can be purchased through PurelyGreat or you can use their store locator to find a location closest to you.

What deodorant or combo works for you? Can you use baking soda?

Ingredients: natural soda-sodium Bicarbonate U.S.P., corn starch, vegetable glycerin
Essential oils: grapefruit-citrus paradis, orange- citrus sinensis, geranium-pelargonium graveolens, lime key-citrus aurantifolia, cypress-cupresus sempervirens, coriander-coriandrum sativum

*Product provided for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Weleda Calendula Shampoo & Body Wash Review

The Weleda Calendula Baby Face Cream is one of my favourite products of all time and calendula is one of my favourite ingredients of all time. It's perfect for soothing sensitive skin (babies and adults). Since the shampoo and body wash has been on my wish list for far too long, I decided to grab it for my vacay and use it for it's intended purposes.

Description: Formulated with the mildest organic and natural plant-based cleansers, Weleda Calendula Shampoo and Body Wash is gentle and tear-free. Biodynamic® and organic calendula flower extract in this all natural baby shampoo soothes and softens your baby’s hair and skin. Sweet almond oil absorbs fast and easily to keep your baby’s skin and hair from losing precious moisture. The gentle, effective formula of our Weleda Calendula Shampoo and Body Wash has a light and delicate fragrance that turns an ordinary bath time into a full-body pampering.

I love the "light and delicate" fragrance of this wash, those are the perfect words to describe it. It smells like a much less intense version of the face cream. The bottle is beautifully designed and none of it leaked in my suitcase, bonus points! The consistency is milky, very creamy, but it still lathers nicely on a loofa. I think that it would have made more sense for the cap to be on the top of the bottle given the consistency. Won't stop be from using it though, it's all just preference really. My skin is left feeling clean and nourished, and my scalp is left feeling well cleansed and soothed. It provides just enough moisture for my hair that a conditioner isn't necessary. It does what it's supposed to without irritating my skin or scalp. It's another fantastic product from their baby line and one I'll likely keep around.

Retails for approx. $13 CAN for 200ml. Can be purchased through Weleda and most health food stores and online retailers.

What's your favourite Weleda Baby product?  

Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Coco-Glucoside, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Alcohol, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Glycerin, Chondrus Crispus (Carrageenan), Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Xanthan Gum, Lactic Acid, Fragrance (Parfum)*, Limonene*, Linalool*.
*from natural essential oils

Yarok Feed Your Volume Shampoo Review

As a product junkie enthusiast, I'm always looking for the next best thing. As a girl with scalp dermatitis, I'm just looking for a shampoo that doesn't irritate my scalp, yet cleanses my hair well. Bonus points if it helps my dermatitis. Excitement rushed through my body when I received my first bottle of Yarok Feed Your Volume Shampoo. You know, that shampoo that green bloggers world-wide have raved about? The one that transforms your hair from a raggedy mop to voluminous goddess locks? Yup, that one.

Description: Raise your volume and lower your carbon footprint with this luxurious, naturally foaming shampoo. Treat your senses, your hair, and your scalp to an aromatic blend of organic herbs, flowers, vitamins, minerals, and essential oils that visibly plump normal to fine hair. 

I'm going to start off with all the good things this shampoo has to offer. It has a fantastic ingredients list; all very nourishing, stimulating, and strengthening to your hair and scalp. The scent is super lovely, citrusy with a kick. The light plastic bottle comes with a waterproof label that's "80% NON-GMO corn, the most environmentally friendly non-paper material available". They are also completely vegan, free of preservatives and other harsh ingredients. If that wasn't enough, 3% of their annual profits go to protecting Amazon rain forests. Sounds amazing doesn't it? That's why I really, really wanted to love this shampoo. Sadly, it doesn't work well for me. Again, I have dermatitis and my hair is naturally fine (but I have lots of it) with a slight wave. This shampoo left my roots feeling unclean but my ends dry. By the end of the day, it looked as if I hadn't washed my hair in a few days. I'm pretty sure that it made the dermatitis worse because my scalp was always ridiculously itchy. It's a very runny consistency, which means you have to use more product. I won't be repurchasing, however, I still recommend giving it a try if you've been wanting to. It might end up being you holy grail shampoo.

Retails for approx.$27 CAN for 8.5 oz/250ml. I purchased mine from Fresh Faced, but you can also get it from Yarok or any of their other retailers. Check the retailers list for world-wide sellers.

Have you tried this shampoo before? Did it blow your mind or leave you wanting more?

Ingredients: Purified water, decyl glucose, lauryl glucose, coco protein, seaweed extract, organic herbal infusions of coltsfoot and marshmallow root, calendula blossoms, chamomile flowers, chickweed, horsetail, slippery elm, comfrey root, sea buckthorn CO2, nettles, oatstraw, organic essential oils of lavender, atlas cedar, red mandarin, sweet orange, and rosemary, grapefruit seed extract.

My Jamaican Vacation! - Pictures

Hello lovelies! I was planning on doing a post like this when I returned from some fun in the sun, but thought nobody would be interested. Since a few of you have expressed interest, it encouraged me to go ahead and share a few pictures of my trip to Montego Bay, Jamaica. 

 

Please note that there are "selfies" because I find it super awkward to ask strangers to take pictures. Also, the few people we did ask took awful photos and I wasn't about to ask them to retake them.

We stayed at the Iberostar Rose Hall Suites, which is supposedly a 5 star resort. We had a great time and are just thankful to have been able to get away. It was my boyfriend's first vacation (workaholic) and my first in almost 3 years. Jamaica is beautiful and full of amazingly friendly people. They don't let their problems stress them out and maintain a positive attitude (for the post part).

Picture time!

Main lobby. To the right is the check in counter and to the left is the bar!

At the bar are Dirty Bananas!! So.damn.good.

There were 2 pools and a lazy river. Didn't go in any of them because there's pools in Canada.

Where we swam and roasted all week. Eff the pool! lol.

Our friend..they were all over the beach. Luckily, they were scared of humans..therefore harmless.

View from the beach buffet. They only played once or twice while we were there.

Selfieeee! Before we went to dinner.

After dinner at an a la carte, don't remember which one.

Another selfieeee! On my cheeks I have W3LL People multi stick in no. 7. I'm in love with it!!

A blurred selfie.

Taking in my last moments on the beach. Saying goodbye to the beautiful sea.

These are everywhere, so beautiful.

Behind me is the beach buffet.

 

Hope you enjoyed this post. Have you ever been to Jamaica?

 

Sappho Liquid Foundation in Rachel Review

After having this foundation since April, I'm finally getting around to reviewing it. Sorry guys. Sappho is a great Canadian company, created by MUA JoAnn Fowler, that uses natural ingredients. I've already reviewed their concealers, pressed shadows, and blush and it's no secret that the products are wonderful. This *Liquid Foundation is no exception and I've fallen deeply, deeply in love.

Description: Preserved with essential oils and chock full of antioxidants, this liquid mineral foundation suits someone with a medium or very slightly tanned skin tone. The yellow in this foundation counteracts redness . Free of dimethicone, your skin can breathe, so you don't feel as though you are wearing foundation, yet you have great coverage—heaven! Vegan. 30ml.

Liquid foundation has never been a love of mine, mainly because I find it can look super cakey. And I must admit that when JoAnn colour matched me, using the Sappho foundation brush to apply the foundation, I wasn't impressed. Well...I was because it covered all of my imperfections, but for someone who doesn't normally wear full coverage foundation, it looked like cake face. Enter the BeautyBlender. This magical sponge has helped me fall in love. It applies the foundation flawlessly, creating a buildable light to medium coverage that's just enough for everyday wear. The foundation evens out the complexion by reducing any redness and blurs out imperfections like acne and acne scars. It gives the skin a luminous finish that looks incredibly natural. The ingredients are so pure and healing. Go ahead. Scroll down and take a look, I'll wait. Rooibos, calendula, neem, lavender, chamomile? Like really, does it get any better? The essential oil blend give this foundation a herbal scent that may be a bit much for some. I personally don't mind it and find it dissipates throughout the day. Rachel has worked well for me when I have a tan, and after my vacay I just darkened it up with bronzer. When I'm lacking sunshine, it's a tad dark but totally workable. A shade between Rachel and Leisha (shade lighter than Rachel) would be perfect. You can see a comparison of the two on Pure Makeup Blog. There are 3 things that may discourage you from trying this fantastic foundation: 1. There are only 8 shades. 2. It's $52 CAN for 30ml. 3. There is no pump. To that I say: there are samples available, a little goes a long way, and hopefully there will be one soon! I'm head over heels in love with this foundation and would definitely pick up another bottle once I run out. I've been wearing it every single day for the last 2 months and still have 2/3 of the bottle left. 

UPDATE Dec/13: Pumps are now available!

Retails for approx. $52 CAN for 30ml. Can be purchased through Sappho Cosmetics, their retailers, and Amazon.

What are some of your favourite liquid foundations? Would you give this one a try?

I obviously applied wayy too much lol.

Ingredients: Aloe barbadensis (Organic Aloe) Juice, Simmondsia chinensis (Organic Jojoba) Oil, *Titanium Dioxide, Aspalathus linearis (Organic Rooibos) Extract, Calendula officinalis (Organic Calendula) Extract, Emulsifying Wax, Camellia sinensis (Organic Green Tea) Extract, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Iron Oxide, Mica, Zinc Oxide, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary Extract), Azadirachta indica (Neem), Stearic Acid, Limnanthes alba (Meadowfoam) Oil, Daucus carota sativa (Carrot) Oil, Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), Boswellia carterii (Frankincense) Essential Oil, Melaleuca alternifolia (Tea Tree) Essential Oil, Cistus ladaniferus (Rockrose) Essential Oil, Cedrus deodora (Cedarwood) Essential Oil, Lavendula officinalis (Lavender) Essential Oil, Anthemis nobilis (Roman Chamomile) Essential Oil, Konjac Glucomannan (Mannan), Citric Acid.

*Product provided for review consideration. All opinions are my own.