Brand Focus: Sempirra

Whoa, has it really been two months since my last blog post? Summer/work/life/the usual has been crazy! I'm happy to be back and have several posts coming at you over the course of the next couple of weeks. Promise.
A long while back, on Instagram, I started following Sempiira. They posted a picture of their Patchouli Lime Deodorant. Right away I commented on how delicious it sounded. Being such a huge fan of patchouli (total hippie), and loving the refreshing scent of lime, how could one resist? One could not. They reached out and offered to send me a deodorant, but surprised me with a cleansing oil and serum as well. P.S. Does anyone else find the labels exotic, Moroccan almost? I love it.

Sempiira: A large fire deliberately set for a constructive purpose

We are longtime best friends dedicated to creating luxurious organic health and beauty products using only the highest quality ingredients. All of our products are free of pesticides and preservatives and we use only pure essential oils for scent. Everything is handmade in our studio in Williston, Vermont. We value and support local, fair trade, and sustainable practices.

Read more by about Sempiira here.

*Patchouli Lime Natural Deodorant ($16.50 usd/75ml): Coconut oil’s natural anti-bacterial properties prevent odour while arrowroot and baking soda absorb odour and wetness. Pure essential oils keep you smelling great all day.

This deodorant smells like a friggen hippie dream! The patchouli and lime combo is so delicious, you have to smell it. Sadly, it didn't work out for me. With ingredients like shea butter, coconut oil, arrowroot powder, baking soda, and the essential oils, I thought for sure it would keep me dry, stink free, and smelling..well, delicious. It made my underarms feel wet and sticky upon application, and I was stinky within an hour of application. After trying it for a week, I gave up.

*Cleansing Oil ($28.50 usd/100 ml): Our balancing facial treatment gently dissolves makeup and impurities without disrupting your skin's natural moisture balance. Castor oil cleanses and fights inflammation while safflower and jojoba nourish skin without clogging pores. The natural anti-bacterial properties of frankincense and lavender prevent blemishes as rosewood soothes redness and irritation for radiant, healthy skin.

Cleansing oils are amazing. They break down makeup and sunscreen beautifully, leaving your skin clean and refreshed. This cleansing oil is housed in a clear glass bottle, with a pump and plastic pump stopper (to prevent bag pumping while travelling). It's definitely thicker than most, probably because of the high castor oil content, and the frankincense essential oil dominates the lavender and rosewood. Because of the high castor oil content, which is known for its deep cleansing and detoxifying ability, this cleansing oil dries out my already dry skin. I tried it on and off for about a month before calling it quits. Would recommend to those with acne prone, oily, or normal skin.

*Matte Hydrating Serum ($26.50 usd/25ml): This silky green serum high in chlorophyll and omega fatty acids provides daily moisture without an oily feel. Great for all skin types. Our non-comedogenic serum helps to eliminate blackheads and reduce pore size with its high linoleic acid content. Hemp and rosewood are anti-inflammatory, reducing redness and evening skin tone. Argan oil’s high tocopherol and fatty acid content nourish and protect for soft, glowing skin.
I didn't have the opportunity to try this serum (housed in the same clear glass bottle with a pump) as my skin hates argan oil, but my mom absolutely loves it! She says that it leaves her skin hydrated, but not greasy, and it sinks in like a dream. She also mentioned that a little goes a long way and would totally repurchase (which is a big deal since she's an even bigger skin care junkie than me).
All in all, this brand didn't work out for my skin/pits but the beautiful minimal ingredients are sure to be a hit for many. Get it here: Sempirra

*Products provided for review consideration. All opinions are entirely my own

Patchouli Lime Natural Deodorant Ingredients: Organic Shea Butter, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Arrowroot Powder, Baking Soda, Beeswax, Organic Essential Oils

Cleansing Oil Ingredients: Organic Castor Oil, Organic Safflower Oil, Organic Jojoba, Organic Frankincense Essential Oil, Organic Lavender Essential Oil, Sustainably Wild-Harvested Rosewood Essential Oil

Matte Hydrating Serum Ingredients: Organic Hemp Oil, Organic Safflower Oil, Organic Argan Oil, Sustainably Wild-Crafted Rosewood Essential Oil, Non-GMO Vitamin E Oil

Brand Focus: Kari Gran

Kari Gran is considered the Little Black Dress of skin care because of its simplicity. The line consists of only three skin care products, a *Cleansing Oil ($30.00 USD/100 ml), *Hydrating Tonic ($35.00 USD/100 ml), and an *Essential Serum ($60.00 USD for 30 ml) that work in combination with each other and are suitable for all skin types. They also have *Lip Whips ($15.00 - $20.00 USD/7 ml), that come in various tints (including untinted) for soft, luscious lips, as well as mineral makeup for a flawless complexion. All of the skin care products and lip whips come in gorgeous, black, glass bottles that are certainly sturdy and elegant.

Kari Gran is an eco-luxe, all-natural skin care brand that provides a simple, elegant and clean solution for everyday skin care. Kari Gran products draw on plant and essential oils as the essence of a good skin care regime, combined with a holistic approach to skin care health.

 Read more about KG here.

Lip Whip in Tinted and Naked: A perfect everyday lip balm that complements the Kari Gran skin care system, the Lip Whip contains a soothing combination of ingredients. Handy in the purse, in the car or on the night stand, Lip Whip is beautiful alone or paired with lipstick and gives lips a sensual, glossy, moisturizing boost. Available in Peppermint and Cinnamon-Pimenta Berry. 

I'll start by saying that the Tinted contains carmine and is strongly cinnamon scented, both of which don't excite me. I haven't used it more than a couple of times. Naked, on the other hand, is divine. I keep the little glass pot on my nightstand and apply nightly. It leans minty but there's still a cinnamon kick to it, is super moisturizing, and feels lovely on the lips. A definite must try if you have dry lips or even if you don't!

Cleansing Oil: The Cleansing Oil contains a blend of natural ingredients formulated to deep clean while balancing the skins natural oil production. It is designed for use once daily, during the evening cleanse. Massage onto dry skin (wonderful and relaxing!), and then steam off with a hot (not scalding) washcloth, whisking away impurities.
I love cleansing oils and certainly enjoy trying new ones. KG makes a lovely smelling cleansing oil that consists of sunflower oil, castor oil, avocado oil, lavender oil, and vitamin e. This cleanser melts away the day (and makeup) with ease, all while the lavender calms the mind and soothes the soul.
Hydrating Tonic: Our hydrating tonics are a blend of soothing ingredients containing no alcohol. They will not strip or dry your skin like traditional toners. Available in Lavender or Rose, you can also mist it on any time for a pick-me-up if your skin is feeling parched. It also does a nice job of setting mineral makeup. A wonderful multi-tasker, use alone or with the serum to create your custom moisturizer.
As someone who has a toner/floral water/tonic obsession, it probably comes as no surprise that this is my favourite product of the range. It smells like lavender goodness and feels nice on the skin. My dilemma with this product is that it's expensive, especially since I can't control misting at every opportunity.
Essential Serum: The Essential Serum is a potent blend of 15 plant and essential oils known for their nourishing properties, plus a boost of natural Vitamin E, providing customizable levels of moisture to the skin. The Essential Serum is the quintessential multi-tasker; it can be used in the morning and evening. For your evening treatment, double the amount you use during the day. It can also be used on the neck, décolleté and eye areas. In addition, for those who use mineral powder foundation, the Essential Serum can be mixed in the hand with the powder to create a tinted moisturizer.
While this serum contains a variety of skin loving oils, like calendula, jojoba, sunflower, avocado, and arnica, it also contains rosehip. Rosehip oil in large or consistent doses, irritates my skin. That being said, I do use this oil a couple of times a week, at night, as a treat. In the morning, my skin is clear, soft, even, and glowing. The scent is floral, given that it contains essential oils of ylang ylang, jasmine, and rose, but isn't overwhelming and doesn't linger for too long.
I can't say that this line blew my mind (due to the samples being so small), but it did impress me and I would certainly consider picking up a full size of the Cleansing Oil and Hydrating Tonic. 
Get it here: Kari Gran
*Products provided for review consideration, all opinions are entirely my own.
Lip Whip Ingredients:  Organic Ricinus Communis (Castor Seed) Oil, Organic Beeswax, Organic Camellia Oleifera (Camellia Seed) Oil, Organic Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Organic Olea Europaea (Olive), Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) & Calendula Officinalis (Calendula) Oil, Tocopherol (Non GMO Vitamin E from Sunflower), Wildharvested Pimenta Racemosa (Pimenta Berry) Oil, Organic Cinnamomum Zeylanicum (Cinnamon Bark) Oil or Organic Mentha X Piperita (Peppermint) Oil.  Tinted lip whips may contain: Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Carmine.
Cleansing Oil Ingredients: Organic Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Oil, Organic Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Organic Ricinus Communis (Castor Seed) Oil, Organic Lavandula Hybrida (Lavender) Oil, and Tocopherol (Non-GMO Vitamin E from Sunflower)
Hydrating Tonic Ingredients: 100% fractionally distilled Aloe Barbadensis Miller (Aloe Vera Leaf), Organic glycerin (Vegetable Glycerin), Organic Lavandula Hybrida (Lavender) Oil  or Rosa Damascena (Rose) Oil

Essential Serum Ingredients: Organic Camellia Oleifera (Camellia Seed) Oil, Organic Rosa Canina Fruit (Rosehip Seed) Oil, Organic Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Oil, Organic Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Oil, Organic Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Organic Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Organic Olea Europaea (Olive), Organic Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) & Organic Calendula Officinalis (Calendula) Oil, Organic Olea Europaea (Olive) & Organic Arnica Montana (Arnica) Oil, Organic Lavandula Hybrida (Lavender) Oil, Wildharvested Boswellia Sacra (Frankincense) Oil, Rosa Damascena (Rose) Oil, Jasminum Sambac (Jasmine) Oil, Organic Hippophae Rhamnoides (Sea Buckthorn Seed) Oil, Organic Cananga Odorata (Ylang Ylang) Oil, and

Tocopherol (Non-GMO Vitamin E from Sunflower)

Rave Review: One Love Organics - Vitamin B Active Moisture Cleansing Oil and Makeup Remover

During my visit to Anise Apothecary, my (amazing) boyfriend bought me a couple of things as part of my Christmas gift. I'm super picky to shop for and always change my mind, so I'm more than happy to pick things out myself on occasion. One of the items he got for me was the One Love Organics Cleansing Oil. I had purchased a sample from Fresh Faced and fell in love with it. As written on Fresh Faced,Vitamin B Active Moisture Cleansing Oil & Makeup Remover is part the Elizabeth Dehn for One Love Organics collection. Dehn, the beauty enthusiast behind Beauty Bets, paired with One Love's Suzanne LeRoux to create the ultimate in natural, plant based moisture, focused on the idea that prevention through proper hydration is key for anti-aging. Pure plant oils are rich in vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids that are vital to well being, health, and beauty and offer the skin perfect moisture when used sparingly. These products are rich and luxurious and are meant to be savored drop by drop. 

Description: The ultimate in multitasking luxury, One Love Organics Vitamin B Active Moisture Cleansing Oil & Makeup Remover effortlessly lifts away impurities and makeup while restoring skin's natural moisture and pH balance. The unique creamy formula features papain, a fruit enzyme that helps to exfoliate and soften skin, and a natural vitamin B complex to detoxify and tone. Concentrated yet gentle enough for all skin types.

Man oh man, this cleanser is bomb.com. It removes all of my makeup without any effort, rinses off beautifully with water, and leaves my skin super soft. What more could you ask for? That it smell like a tropical paradise? No problem, it does! Whenever I cleanse my face, the scent of pineapple instantly transports me to paradise. I close my eyes and pretend I'm sipping a pina colada on the beach....

I love that this dispenses as an oil and you can massage it on your skin as such, but once water joins the party it turns into a milky fiesta. It literally melts the day off your face, all makeup and dirt is gone. I like to double cleanse with an oil first and cream cleanser after, but on lazy nights I can rest peacefully knowing that the OLO Cleansing Oil did it's job well with just one cleanse.

With all the singing praise that I'm giving this cleanser, there are a couple of negatives to mention. The biggest one is the pump. It needs to be pulled up before each and every use, such a pain in my behind. Luckily, I've been told that there are new pumps and we shouldn't be experiencing this problem going forward. Unless you happen to buy a bottle with the old one, then you'll just have to deal with the agonizing pain of lifting the pump before using it. Life is so cruel isn't it? I apologize for my dramatic moment. The second thing to note is the ingredients, specifically the "di-ppg-2myreth-10 adipate". Jade, the beauty behind Nephriticus, addressed this in her review as well and I've taken the below directly from her post:

Hi Jade,  

di-ppg-2myreth-10 adipate is an ingredient that helps the oils rinse clean with water. The ingredient does not have harmful PEGs and is rated a zero by the Cosmetic Safety Data Base: See http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredient/701913/DI-PPG-2_MYRETH-10_ADIPATE/
It is a hybrid between a skin emollient and a surfactant so it helps to clean and condition the skin simultaneously. We wanted our cleansing oil to rinse off completely with water so we chose this ingredient to help us with that function. 

Please do let us know if you have any other questions. 

Warmly,
Suzanne

While EWG gave it a rating of 0, it also states that there is no data available. Take that as you will people. I'm still on the fence about it but, at the end of the day, it's a fantastic cleanser and I see myself repurchasing it.

Retails for approx. $38 USD/$39 CAN for 120ml. Can be purchased through One Love Organics or any of their other retrailers.

Ingredients: helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil*, caprylic/capric triglyceride, di-ppg-2myreth-10 adipate, polyglycerol-3 beeswax, helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil* (and) lecithin* (and) cucurbita pepo (pumpkin) seed oil* (and) papain*, carica papaya (papaya) seed oil, tocopherol (natural non-gmo vitamin e), proprietary natural & organic fragrance

*indicates organic