What's in my Travel Bag!?

Some of you may already know, I went to Jamaica for a week. It was the first time in a couple of years that I went away and it was much needed. Most people have a hard time deciding what clothes to take, I had a hard time deciding what products to take! Thought I'd share what I decided on :)

Let's start with the most important, sun care!

If I were to do this post a few years back, you'd probably see a chemical filled SPF followed by a tanning oil. Having learned and finally realized how damaging UVA/UVB rays are, I took my sun care a little seriously this trip. I reapplied my sunscreen several times a day, especially after swimming.

DeVita SPF 30 Solar Body Block, *Graydon SPF 30 Sun Cream, Badger SPF 15 Aloe Sunscreen, *SBT Seabuckthorn Sunburn Salve (sample), and George's Aloe with peppermint essential oil

For skin care I took Andalou Naturals Apricot Probiotic Cleansing Milk,*Corpa Flora Beaute Divine, Grenadine and Eclat Citrouille, George's Aloe with chamomile and lavender essential oil, *Odacite Eye Cream (sample), and *SBT Seabuckthorn Tea Cream (depotted).

Since I was going to be spending countless hours in the sun, I knew my face would need a few extra treatments. Took Pangea Organics Matcha Mask and *Odacite Hydrating Mask to help bring my skin back to life after a day baking in the Caribbean sun.

For hair and body care, I really wanted to keep it simple. I used Weleda's Calendula Shampoo and Body Wash as just that and must say that it's awesome as a shampoo. I also took *Delizioso Passion Fruit Body oil, *Lina Hanson Global Body Serum (which I use/used in my hair), Weleda Pomegranate Body Oil, Bee 23 Hotty Body Balm (depotted), and Aubrey Men's Deodorant Spray.

Finished several of the products that I took, which you'll be seeing in my empties post :P. I'm debating on doing a makeup version of this post, let me know if you'd like to see that!

*PR samples

Badger Seabuckthorn Apricot & Pomegranate Antioxidant Hair Oil Review

I love hair oils and I usually make my own. They're fantastic for scalp and hair health, in my opinion. Marcella has a sick obsession with Badger and kindly sent this to me to try out. This is another winning product from Badger! They can do no wrong!

Description: Daily life takes a toll on the hair: sun, wind, earth, water, pollutants, and styling can impact hair health. Badger’s here to help restore the balance – let us pay the toll for you! Treat your hair to vitamin and antioxidant-rich oils and extracts, and watch the shine and luster return to overworked hair. We’ve selected our most powerful oils to deliver naturally occurring vitamins A, B, C, E, and K to nourish and replenish hair. Seabuckthorn and Pomegranate promote hair strength and elasticity, and Apricot is a potent emollient, imparting moisture and shine. Rosehip possesses regenerative properties, helping hair to return to its healthiest state.

This oil is beautiful! First off, I love the packaging. The oil comes in a sturdy, leak proof (so it seems), clear glass bottle with a pump. The pump is convenient because you can dispense as little or as much as you want/need and it's not messy. It smells like seabuckthorn oil but sweeter. If you haven't smelled seabuckthorn before, it smells very similar to rosehip but not as intense. The smell doesn't linger at all once washed out. It applies really nicely to the hair and scalp, leaves them both nourished, smells nice, washes out great and doesn't weigh down my fine hair.

I like using this treatment twice a week because my scalp hates me and my ends are damaged. I put a few pumps in my hand and fully saturate my scalp and hair, massage my scalp for a few minutes, and then tie my hair in a bun. If I'm leaving it on overnight, which I usually do, I put a towel on my pillows and rinse out the morning. I do wash my hair twice, to remove it all, only because my hair is so fine.

I highly recommend this oil and would definitely repurchase!

Retails for approx. $22.99 CAN for 2 fl oz.  You can purchase directly through Badger or your local health food store.

Have you ever tried any of Badger's wonderful hair oils?

Badger Highland Mint & Sleep Balm Review

Marcella from Naturally Marcy sent me these lovely Badger balms in our swap. She has introduced and gotten me addicted to Badger and now I must try everything of theirs! Ugh, thanks Marcella...

Description Highland Mint:  Delightfully portable & refreshing hydration for lips and body. These little tins are like your best friends - you can take them anywhere, and they'll never let you down! Perfect in a pinch for cuticles or elbows, or anywhere dry skin patches may appear. And of course, they keep your healthy lips smiling!  

Description Sleep Balm: A dreamy night balm rich with precious oils to calm, encourage, cheer and relax poetic Badgers and other restless wanderers. Badger Sleep Balm doesn't make you sleepy: the sophisticated blend of essential oils helps quiet your thoughts and clear your mind, then you fall asleep naturally. Rosemary is the traditional herb for clear thinking, confidence, and memory. Bergamot is mentally uplifting, and Ginger is strengthening and confidence-inducing. Balsam Fir is refreshing, like a walk in the woods, while Lavender is the traditional sleep herb: fresh and relaxing. This balm is perfect for those nights when you can't seem to stop the mind chatter!

The Good:

• portable tin, take it anywhere!
• both smell delicious
• affordable
• clean & simple ingredients
• hydrating
• soaks into the skin
• not greasy

The Bad:

• nothing

Verdict: These balms are absolutely fantastic and I have no idea why I never tried them before. I keep the mint one in my bathroom and the sleepy one by my bed to apply on elbows, knees, hands and lips. Both are incredibly hydrating and my skin just drinks them right up. I'm not sure if the Sleep Balm actually aids in falling asleep because I've been sleeping like a champ since starting school but it smells SOOOO good. The scent is light, beautiful and soothing that I sometimes open the tin just to smell it. Funny enough, Marcella told me she does that and I laughed at her....now I'm doing it! Their Cocoa Butter Lip Balms are definitely preferred for use on my lips but these tinned balms are great for the body. I highly recommend trying them out, if you haven't already, and I will be purchasing them once I use these up...or if I happen to be at a store that has them lol.

Highland Mint retails for $3.99 USD for 0.75oz and Sleep Balm retails for $5.99 USD for 0.75oz or $9.99 USD for 2oz.

What's your favourite Badger product?

Badger Cocoa Butter Lip Balm in Mocha Cocoa Review

The wonderful Marcella, from Naturally Marcy, sent me this lip balm in our swap and I cannot put it down! I see badger products in most health food stores, and in blogs, but never really thought to try anything from them. I am so happy that she sent me this to try because I think it's going to be a must have from now on.

Description: A Little Magic for your Lips! Our dreamy Cocoa Butter Lip Balms come in a larger .25oz stick with a magical Badger on the label! These creamy lip balms feature rich, Certified Organic and Fair Trade Certified^TM Cocoa Butter, which has the sultry fragrance of dark chocolate. Our Cocoa Butter is traditionally processed at low temperatures, allowing the butter to retain its natural, health-giving properties. Flavored with all natural steam distilled essential oils - no artificial sweeteners or fragrances. We may be a little biased, but these are some of the best lip balms we've ever tried! (We think you'll probably agree.)

The Good:

• larger than most lip balms
• incredibly hydrating
• smooth application
• amazing ingredients
• great value for price

The Bad:

• scent/flavour

Verdict: I  LOVE this lip balm! It's larger than a traditional balm both in weight and width (see below) which makes application smooth and easy. It's incredibly hydrating, beats out the Antipodes Lime Leaf and Cocoa Butter lip balm hands down. The weather has been darn cold in Canada and it's the only balm that I've been reaching for. The only down side, is the scent. While I'm starting to like it more than when I originally smelled it, I can see myself getting sick of it eventually. Chocolate and coffee scented anything,especially lip balms, don't tend to tickle my fancy as much as mint and peppermint do. Luckily, Marcella sent me the Mint one too! It smells a little like chocolate as well, thanks to the wonderful cocoa butter, but the mint is prominent. I will definitely purchase when I use these up. Go pick one up!

Retails for approx. $6 or 7 CAN for .25oz. Can be purchased at most health food stores or from Badger directly.

What are your favourite Badger products?

Base Ingredients: *Theobroma Cacao (Organic & Fair Trade CertifiedTM Cocoa) Butter, *Olea Europaea (Organic Extra Virgin Olive) Oil, *Cera Alba (Organic Beeswax), *Ricinus Communis (Organic Castor) Oil, *Aloe Barbadensis (Organic Aloe) Extract, and CO2 Extracts of *Rosmarinus Officinalis (Organic Rosemary), *Rosa Canina (Organic Rosehip), & *Hippophae Rhamnoides (Organic Seabuckthorn).
Mocha Cocoa: CO2 Extract of *Coffea Arabica (Organic Coffee).
* = Certified Organic

Swap with Naturally Marcy - Additions

Marcella received some, unwelcome, messages about how I had spent more than she did on our swap. That is extremely rude and also the reason why I put up a little disclaimer on my original swap post.

Without going into too much detail and dragging this on for too long, we both had sent each other one item that had been used that didn't work for us. We asked if the other wanted, said yes, and that's that. I sent her the Andalou Avo Cocoa Skin Food Mask which was practically full because I had only used it a couple of times. They were additions (not included in our budget) and I guess that's why it may have appeared as though I spent more.  We both discussed the swap, products and hurtful messages and she wanted to send me an additional item.

Turns out, she sent me a whole bunch of stuff. Gosh, swaps are stressful lol. I loved everything I originally received and didn't expect to receive FOUR additional items.  It was completely unnecessary but I am very much thankful. You should all write on my post how she spent too much now! Seriously!

Here are the additional items that she sent, that I received a couple of hours ago (literally):

Badger Seabuckthorn Hair Oil: Smells awesome and I will be using it tonight.

Badger Sleep Balm: This smells like lavender, but sweeter. She knows me too well because I sometimes have trouble sleeping, so hopefully this will help.

Badger Highland Mint Balm: I love mint lip balms!! Can't wait to try this.

Badger Cocoa Butter Cool Mint Lip Balm: I have a review of the mocha cocoa coming soon and I am obsessed with these lip balms. I put this one on already and love it!

Thank you so much Marcella for the additional items and for introducing me to Badger! I have a feeling that I'm going to have a new addiction lol :)

xo