March & April 2015 Empties!

Well, hello there. It has been far too long since I've sat down at my computer to blog..or just sat down at my computer at all. Work and life events have kept me insanely busy, as is usually the case when I'm away for this long. In any event, May marks my 3 year blogging anniversary and I do have an exciting giveaway planned. Keep a close eye for that ;).
On to the trash!

Rahua Voluminous Shampoo (sample) - Lilly, from Genuine Glow, was kind enough to send me a care package around Christmas that included this sample. It lathered well and left my hair feeling clean, but I didn't find it miraculous.

Organic Matter Shampoo Level 1 - review here - This is one of my favourite shampoos out there. It's made in Canada, doesn't irritate my crazy scalp, cleans and conditions my hair, lathers well, lasts forever, and is reasonably priced. It has been my go-to for over a year now.

Deep Steep Body Butter in Passion Fruit Guava - This body butter was really nice during the colder months. I liked mixing it with an oil, for extra moisture, after a shower. The scent wasn't my favourite because of how sweet and fruity it was. While it did linger, I actually liked how it smelled after about an hour. The butter itself took a little working in and always left my skin super soft.

Deep Steep Body Wash in Honeydew Spearmint - review here - I love this body wash! This particular scent is my favourite of all the scents available. It lathers well, smells delicious, leaves my skin clean and soft, is affordable, and I find that a little goes a long way. Have already repurchased in a different scent.

*North Hill Soap Company Soap in Sex on the Beach & Blackbeard's Booty - review here - These soaps were absolutely lovely! Sex on the Beach was just the right amount of fruity and worked well for my skin. Blackbeard's Booty was my absolute favourite though. I loved the poppy seeds that gently exfoliated, and the bay rum and nutmeg essential oil gave this soap a delicious spicy kick that I just couldn't wait to be intoxicated by.

*Ella's Magic Balm in My Clementine Darling - review here - This balm came in handy during the polar vortex weather that we experienced a few months ago. My skin was crying for help and this lovely balm came to the rescue! It nourished, moisturized, protected, repaired, and loved my skin.

Meow Meow Tweet Deodorant Cream in Lavender - review here - I forgot how much I loved this deodorant. The texture was whipped, creamy, perfection that easily rubbed into my pits and kept me stink free almost all day. Oddly enough, it didn't irritate my pits this time around. Not sure if it was because the weather was colder and I wasn't shaving as much or what, but I'm glad I got to use up this jar as it wasn't cheap.

Andalou Naturals Apricot Probiotic Cleansing Milk - review here - As I've already raved about this cleanser many times before, I'll just say that I still love this cleanser. It works really well for my sensitive skin and I've already repurchased.

Josh Rosebrook Hydrating Accelerator - This toner is a cult favourite and for good reason. Josh blends gorgeous skin loving ingredients, like green tea, coconut oil, aloe water, neem, vitamins A, C, E and B2, and tops it off with the intoxicating scents of vanilla bean and ylang ylang. While the scent wasn't my favourite at first, I loved it within a week of using it. It was light and didn't linger. This worked to nourish and calm my skin before applying my oils/creams, and worked beautifully to set my makeup. My only complaint is the packaging. Sure it's travel friendly but it looks a bit cheap considering the price and packaging of the other products within Josh's skin care range.

*Mont Echo Nature Divine Creme Divine - review here - Loveeeeed the scent of this cream. As I mentioned in my review, the scent reminds me of something my mom put on her face when I was growing up. As a moisturizer, it was really nice, although using it morning and night for a few days did cause little red bumps on my skin. The pump also stopped working towards the end, making it difficult to get out the remainder of the cream. My favourite way to use this moisturizer was as a hand cream in the P.M. and under makeup in the A.M. 

*Odylique Repair Lotion - review here - Of the three Odylique products that I had the opportunity to try, this one was my favourite. It worked on my face, hands, and body to reduce dry skin, itching, and redness.

Lush's Angel on Bare Skin  - review here - Despite what some people within the green beauty community think about Lush, I love that they support and promote various causes. While they aren't the most natural, they do have a handful of clean products. Angels on Bare Skin is incredible and lives up to my green standards. This gem of a cleanser is gentle enough to use in the colder months on (my) dry and sensitive skin. I find that my skin is less flaky, I have fewer breakouts, and a more even tone and texture when I'm using this cleanser.

Corpa Flora Eclat Citrouille - review here - This incredible smelling oil has been a staple in my skin care routine for a long while. It's just an amazing, amazing oil and I'm sure you're all sick of hearing me talk about it.

*SBT Seabuckthorn Oil - review here - LOVE. That's all.

*DeVita Italian Tomato Leaf Mud Masque (sample) - Meh. This mask was less than impressive. It didn't burn but left my skin red as a tomato, as the name suggests. My skin didn't look or feel any different, besides the redness.

Living Libations Healthy Gums Clay Toothpaste - review here - Of the three toothpastes from Living Libations, that come in a jar, this is the best tasting one. It's fresh and worked really well to keep my teeth clean and gums happy. My hygienist even asked what I was using! The only downside is that it's expensive and not as easily available as I would like. For reference, a jar lasts about two months with only me using it.

Clean Well Hand Sanitizer - This stuff is soooo good! When I was doing aesthetics, I would get eczema on my hands and this sanitizer did not irritate it at all. It does smell like thyme but doesn't linger for too long. Sadly, Clean Well is no longer available in Canada.
*Zuzu Luxe Dual Powder Foundation in D-10 - review here - This was a fantastic foundation. It offered great coverage and never looked cakey on my dry skin. The shade range isn't too bad either, they offer shades for light to dark skins, of course there always room for more shades though. The thing that irritates me the most about this foundation is that refills are not available in Canada. Why!? Isn't that the point of offering a refillable compact? Because of that, I have not repurchased.
Sante Brown Pencil in No. 2. - I can't believe that I haven't reviewed this pencil yet. It is perfection. It is the perfect shade of brown for someone who doesn't lean red or warm, it's just brown. It lasts almost all day, but can wipe off if your face is oily or sweating. Already working through another one and have a backup.
Benecos Lip Gloss - This gloss is being tossed after discovering that one of the first ingredients is talc. Talc? Really?? Ridiculous. It also contains carmine and lanolin, if you're wondering. Since the ingredients are not on the packaging, I trusted the brand and picked up this gloss. After using it a handful of times, I decided to look up the ingredients. What a let down.
*Sappho Foundation Brush - This brush fell apart on me, the ferrell came loose and fell off. Despite that, this was a fantastic foundation brush. Sappho has since come out with new brushes.
*PR SAMPLES

February 2015 Empties!

February was a busy month, mostly because of the fact that I started a new job at the end of January AND there have been several social events happening on the weekends. Still, life goes on and I managed to use up a bunch of products. 

Andalou Naturals Illuminating Toner - review here - A definite favourite of mine. It's the best and so affordable. Already repurchased.

Corpa Flora Beaute Divine Cleansing Oil - review here - Another favourite. This stuff smelled nice, lasted months, removed makeup like a dream, and didn't break me out. Will eventually repurchase, once I use up some other oils.

Kiss My Face Creamy Face Cleanser - I picked this up because Brianna, Iluvjesse444, raved about it. It had a very creamy, yet tacky, texture and smelled nice, but did absolutely nothing for my skin. I much prefer the Andalou Probiotic Cleanser and have repurchased that one instead.

Meow Meow Tweet Baking Soda Free Deo - review here - Aaaaand another fave! This stuff smelled delicious and worked to keep my pits from stinking (and sweating) without irritating them. I do think there is a quality control issue with these though. Either way, it works and I've already repurchased.

*Joyous Health Minty Fresh Toothpaste - A review was supposed to happen on this gem, clearly it didn't. I enjoyed the simplistic ingredients, how big the jar was, and how fresh my mouth felt after using this but Living Libations seems to help with my teeth sensitivity better. I've repurchased Living Libations instead.

*North Hill Soap Company Earth Goddess Soap - review here - I enjoyed this soap because of how soft it left my skin feeling. Sadly, it didn't do much in the clarifying department. They have other bars that I prefer over this one, won't repurchase.

*Corpa Flora Corpa Nutritive Body Oil - review here - Fabulous body oil! The pump bottle was awesome, the oil was extremely moisturizing and glided on the skin with ease, it absorbed beautifully, and left my skin baby soft. Once I use up some other body oils, I'll likely repurchase this one.

*SBT After Sun Cream - Obviously I didn't use this for its intended purpose, as I haven't seen the sun in months, however it made a fantastic body cream. It was soothing and incredibly moisturizing. I actually enjoyed mixing it with a bit of the Corpa Flora body oil for that extra oomph that my skin desperately needed. The only downfall was the scent, it smelled like olive oil and sea buckthorn oil. which doesn't appeal to me. Although I enjoyed it, I wouldn't purchase the full size because of the scent alone.

Andalou Naturals Hand Cream in Clementine - My absolute favourite hand cream! It smelled incredible, really helped soothe and clear up the eczema on my hands, absorbed and moisturized well, and is fairly affordable. Already repurchased.

*Reese & Luke Baby Balm - review here - This stuff saved my incredibly dry winter skin. I applied it on dry patches (on my face) as well as all over my body as a moisturizer, to soothe severely dry skin and it worked like a charm! I enjoyed the tin that it came in and the lavender scent. Would repurchase in the future.

*SBT Salves for Sunburn and Eczema & Dermatitis - review here - Balms and salves aren't really my jam. I enjoy them in the winter months as an after shower and before bed body moisturizer, but otherwise I don't care for them. That being said, these were fantastic as a body moisturizer, foot balm, AND cleansing balm. Great multipurpose products and because they're so big, they're a great value. Took me months to use these up. The scents weren't my favourite though. Since it'll hopefully start warming up soon, and I don't use products like this in the warmer months, I won't be repurchasing until next winter.

*Pacifica Dreamlit Eye Brightener - I'm actually tossing this because it's way too pink, the texture sucks, and it doesn't even cover or brighten all that well.
*Alima Pure Natural Definition Mascara - review here - I ended up really enjoying this mascara. It definitely didn't thicken, but it was great for lengthening, as a bottom lash mascara, and for layering. Likely wouldn't repurchase.
100% Pure Lip Glaze in Seduce - review here - I've mentioned several times my love/hate relationship with this product. I used the rest of it up as a lip balm because it's such a neutral-ish shade and was super creamy. Since I'm more into lip pencils and matte lips now, this isn't something I'd repurchase but would totally recommend.
CV Skinlabs Skin Balm - This was wonderful as an intense overnight lip treatment and I love the concept behind the brand, however, I still had about half left before it started to smell incredibly funky. Pretty sure that it's gone bad, that's why I'm tossing it. For $20+ for a tiny tube, I'm super disappointed that I didn't get to use it up and that it went bad so quickly. Won't be repurchasing.
Alima Pure Bronzer in Mauna Loa & Maracaibo (samples) - Mauna Loa is a personal favourite of mine, it's such a perfect bronzer for my skin. I'm actually almost done going through the full size. Maracaibo is slightly warmer than my natural skin tone, so I used it as a setting powder/foundation when I went out at night.
Josh Rosebrook Nutrient Day Cream (sample) - For such a creamy product, I found it dried to a semi matte finish and didn't quite moistuize my skin as well as I had hoped. This would likely be a better product for my skin during the winter months and I plan on picking up another sample to test my theory (because it's pretty pricey).
May Lindstrom The Blue Cocoon (sample) - This super swanky product was a let down for me, thankfully a spa customer gave me this sample to try. I found the scent overpowering and instead of calming my facial skin, it ended up breaking me out.
See any favourites? Have any recommendations? Let me know in the comments! I'd also love to know what you finished :) *PR SAMPLES

Magical: Corpa Flora Corpa Nutritive Body Treatment

Corpa Flora is a fantastic Canadian brand that I've been raving about since discovering them in late 2013. If you've already read my Favourites of 2014, then you would have seen that their skin care products are staples in my routine. Having tried out their entire skin care range, it only made sense to give their *Corpa Nutritive Moisturizing Body Treatment (aka body oil) a go as well.

Magical. This body oil is absolutely magical! I love that it comes in the same dark glass bottle, as all of their other products. Since I like to apply oils/moisturizers right out of the shower, this baby hangs out in there and because the pump is similiar to conventional store bought body lotions, it's so easy to dispense product without worrying about dropping the bottle or having it leak all over the place. The pump also locks, which I always appreciate.

Some of the beautiful oils that make up this gem are sunflower, pumpkin, macadamia, and rosehip; each containing their own beneficial properties like essential fatty acids, zinc, and antioxidants (vitamin A, C, and E). This combination makes the oil rich, yet light. It's so easy to blend on the skin, one to two pumps per part is all that's needed, and you're left feeling incredibly moisturized and nourished. The scent of this oil is hard for me to explain, seeing as I've never sniffed each individual essential oil used in it, however, I will say that it's a unisex scent. Spicy and citrusy. Definitely one many would enjoy or at least wouldn't mind. It doesn't linger for too long nor is it too strong upon application. I was really, really hoping that it would smell like Eclat Citrouille. Dear Celine, please make a body oil that smells like Eclat Citrouille! If you love body oils, I highly recommend trying out this one. It's beautiful! and magical, did I already say magical?

Retails for $37 CDN for 120 ml/4 fl. oz.

Find it here: Glam Goes Green, Corpa Flora, and at some of these retailers.

Ingredients: Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil*, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Camellia Sinensis (Camelia) Seed Oil*, Cucurbita pepo (Pumpkin) Seed Oil*, Macadamia Ternifolia (Macadamia) Seed Oil*, Rosa Canina (Rosehip) Fruit Extract*, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract (and) Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil*, Pogostemon Cablin (Patchouli) Oil*, Pelargonium Graveolens (Geranium) Oil*, Citrus Sinensis Dulcis (Orange) Oil*, Citrus Aurantium Amara (Petitgrain) Oil*, Citrus Junos (Yuzu) Oil, Bachhousia Citriodora (Lemon Myrtle) Oil, Canaga Odorata (ylang-ylang) Oil. * Organic 78.3%

*Product provided by Glam Goes Green for review consideration. All opinions are entirely my own.

Favourites of 2014 - Part 1

In 2014, I really sucked with keeping up with favourites posts. Come to think of it, it was probably because I enjoyed all of these products throughout the year and hardly strayed. This post will be dedicated to my favourite skin, hair, and body care products of the year. There will be a part 2, dedicated to makeup, and a part 3, dedicated to random things like food, blogs, etc.

Cleansers: I've tried several cleansers over the year, and the clear standout is Corpa Flora Beaute Divine. It melts away my makeup, emulsifies with water, and leaves my skin super clean and soft. It doesn't hurt that it's also a Canadian brand.

Toners: Not sure what it is about the Andalou Illuminating Toner but for the price, it's unbeatable. It smells of fresh oranges, moisturizes, refreshes, and brightens my skin.

Masks: The Pretty Ginger & Cypress Soothing Mask (not pictured) has been a favourite since I transitioned to natural products. It smells lovely, helps draw out impurities, and calms any redness. Since my next fave works great alone and mixed with Pretty, I had to include it as well. Manuka Honey has helped my skin in so many ways. It brightens, moisturizes, calms redness, and helps clear acne and acne spots.

Facial Oils: There were three can't-live-without oils in 2014; *Sea buckthorn (I now use the SBT brand), tamanu (I now use some other brand), and Corpa Flora Eclate Citrouille. All three of these oils, alone and mixed together, work incredibly well to combat acne, dry skin, uneven skin tone, acne scars, and redness. Eclat Citrouille especially gives me a beautiful glow, Love, love, love!

Shampoo: It's no surprise here, Organic Matter Level 1 Shampoo. I love this stuff so much. It works as a shampoo/conditioner (for my hair anyway), never irritates the dermatitis on my scalp, leaves my hair and scalp clean, smooth, soft, and shiny. It's also Canadian!

Conditioner/Treatment/Styling Product: I only use *Myra Aso 100% Marula Oil . This is my everything oil. With one drop, it styles, smooths, and conditions my hair.

Body Wash & Soap: I love the Deep Steep range, and their body wash is the best that I've tried. It lathers well, smells nice, is affordable, and leaves my skin well nourished. Honeydew Spearmint is my favourite scent. For soap, local company On A Branch Soap has blown me away. With no palm oil or canola oil, their soaps feel, smell and leave my skin feeling incredible. Lavender Oatmeal and Winter Chai are my faves.
Body Scrub: I'm not a huge fan of body scrubs, even though I've experienced some amazing ones this year, like Organic Bath Co. and Nyl, and much prefer using them on my hands. For an all over body exfoliation, I like using my Merben Sisal (medium) hand held dry brush.   Hand Cream: I've loved many hand creams this year, but the standout due to its affordability and performance is definitely Andalou Sea Buckthorn Hand Cream. It moisturizes, smells nice, and soothes my ezcema prone, dry, and irritated hands.
First Aid(?): As you can see, I wasn't sure what to classify this product as but it definitely needed a mention. The NBW Healing Balm has been a major favourite this year. I use it on ezcema patches, dry skin, cuts, and irritations. It quickly heals and soothes whenever applied and I can't be without it.
Spot any of your faves?
*PR SAMPLES. All opinions are entirely my own.

Porsche Ella - The New Kid on the Block

A couple of months ago, I was contacted by Julie Michaud of Locale Beauty. We bonded over a love for Corpa Flora and supporting Canadian beauty companies. Porsche Ella carries a variety of products for skin, body, hair, mama and baby, and even offers e-classes. Since then, Julie has redesigned her website and changed the name to Porsche Ella. With all of these changes, the company has been nominated for a Best Concept by Small Business BC Awards! If you'd like to vote, you can do so here.

porsche-ella is an innovative online platform that welcomes customers to easily purchase makeup, skincare and beauty products to enhance their outer beauty while providing distinguished programs for life-impact guidance that addresses concepts of inner beauty. porsche-ella's dual intention is the concept of founder and operator, Julie Michaud who personally selects all products and is the designer of porsche-ella's educational programs that challenge conventional notions of what it means to be truly beautiful.

All porsche-ella's products are Canadian sourced from boutique and artisan producers, are ensured to be non-carcinogenic and are designed to promote healthy skin. This commitment to the local economy and responsibly produced cosmetics reflect Michaud's pledge to teach a deeper understanding of inner beauty with equal capacity. 

Her program Grace and BeautyTM aims to teach how emotions, self talk, habits, food and skin care affect the outer presentation we give to the world, while her program Peaceful AssertivenessTM aims for a thorough assessment of the impact of beauty, inner peace and assertiveness in the professional world.

Read more about the company and Julie, here.

A couple of the Viva Health sample packets briefly reviewed in this empties post

*Viva Health Aromatherapy Facial Toner Description: Combining the natural astringents of mandarin and rose with the stimulating and healing properties of arnica, silica, and witch hazel, this refreshing toner rehydrates the skin and works to shrink and tighten pores. The added benefit of geranium treats acne while balancing the skin’s pH for a brightening effect. The Aromatherapy Facial Toner’s light spray-on application means you can apply it throughout the day whenever your skin needs a boost – even over makeup. 
Retails for $24.99 cdn for 240 ml.

Not a fan of this product. I've tried it a couple of times and it just makes my face red and itchy. It also smells like a cleaning product, yuck. I was super disappointed to see that the ingredients on the website didn't match the bottle, since I chose it based on the simplicity of them. Still, the ingredients are pretty clean. Since I reacted to this toner, I can exactly vouch for any of the benefits. I've passed this over to my mom and she had no reaction but, hates the scent as well.

Soap samples briefly reviewed in empties post

*Ella's Botanicals Magic Balm in My Darling Clementine Description: Our Magic Balms really are magic-they are multi purpose balms that are great for face, body, hands, feet, cuticles, lips-you name it! They are great for healing fresh tattoos as well. That’s not all- dry skin, rashes, minor cuts and scrapes and anything else you can think of. It all begins with some beautiful olive oil and our special blend of Calendula Flowers, Comfrey Leaf, Plantain Leaf and Chickweed Flowers. We infuse the olive oil and herbs for quite some time so the oil can absorb their magical skin healing properties. We then strain the oil and blend it with local, delicious smelling beeswax and Organic, Fair Trade shea butter, add our essential oils blends and pour them into tins. Voila- a perfect, all purpose balm that you can take with you everywhere you go and it’s 100% from nature! 
Retails for $15.00 cdn for 2 oz.

This is one of the smoothest balms that I have had the pleasure of using! I also love the clementine/orange scent. I like to keep this on my night table and use it before bed on any dry spots (elbows, knees, heels, cuticles, etc). Plantain, calendula, comfrey, and chickweed are all ideal for soothing, healing, and calming inflamed and irritated skin; while shea butter and beeswax help to soften and protect. Works like a charm! Also, the tin is super light making it ideal for tossing in your purse, baby bag, or carry on. Still, I prefer the NBW balm but if it was no longer available, I would purchase this instead.

*Reese and Luke Shea Butter Baby Balm in Lavender Description: Our Shea butter organic lavender baby balm provides natural healing with healthy fatty acids and antioxidants that provides moisture to keep skin soft and supple. Effective for avoiding diaper rash treatment. Reese and Luke’s Shea butter organic lavender baby balm is made with pure unrefined African Shea nut butter, which retains all of the properties that makes Shea butter renowned as a skin remedy and has superior healing results compared with competing cosmetic oils or refined Shea butter. Our Shea butter lavender baby balm is safe for cloth diapers, and does not damage or stain cloth diapers allowing your cloth diapers to be fully absorbent.
Retails for $13.99 cdn for 2.1 oz.

I love the blend of shea butter with other calming ingredients, like calendula and lavender for face and body use. It absorbs well and leaves a nice barrier to protect from the cold weather that we've been hit with recently (and diaper rash, although I don't wear diapers so I'm just assuming). Shea butter is non-comedogenic, so you don't have to worry about it clogging your pores, and can help with wrinkles, stretch marks, scars, etc. You cannot go wrong with this shea butter balm!

Haven't tried the lip balm but, it's strongly coconut scented

*Saavani Acne Spot Treatment Description: An absolute must have! A concentrated and potent mix of essential oils to kill acne causing bacteria and help relieve swelling and redness…on the spot! This treatment is a necessity for many acne prone clients who swear by its results.

Retails for $32.00 cdn for 12ml.

This stuff does not smell very good, in my opinions, but it works like a dream!! It might even be better than Osmia's and it's much bigger. Like with any spot treatments, it takes a bit of reapplying to help get rid of big, stubborn under the skin zits. However, this worked overnight on smaller ones without leaving behind any scars. If you can get over the scent, you will love this spot treatment!

I absolutely adore the concept behind the company and think that if you're trying to support solely Canadian businesses and brands, Porsche Ella is the way to go. That being said, there are so many other amazing Canadian brands that Julie does not yet carry. As her business grows, hopefully so will the brands she carries. In the meantime, you can get 10% off with coupon code ECOCHICBEAUTY10 to use towards whatever products you'd like. Some of my favourites are Corpa Flora (obviously), SBT Seabuckthorn, Reese and Luke, and Saavani (spot treatment).

What do you want to try most or what have you already tried of the products mentioned?

*Products provided for review consideration. All opinions are entirely my own. I do not receive any compensation for you using the coupon code, it is solely for your benefit.
Viva Health Aromatherapy Facial Toner Ingredients: Aqua(Purified Water), Vegetable Glycerin, Citrus Defense™ (Malic Acid, Citrus Aurantium Extract, Yucca Shidegere Extract, Ascorbic Acid, Citric Acid), Citrus Grandits (Grapefruit Seed) Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel), Pro Vitamin B5 (Panthanol), Tinosan, Potassium Sorbate, Rosa Damascena (Rose) Oil, Pelangonium Graveoleus (Geranium) Essential Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Citrus Nobillis (Mandarin) Essential Oil.
Ella's Magic Balm Ingredients: Olea Europa Oil (Olive), *Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter/Beurre de Karité), Cera Alba (Beeswax/Cire d’Abeille), Calendula Officinalis Flower, Plantago Major Leaf, Stellaria Media Flowers, Symphytum Officinale Leaf, Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil (Orange), Citrus Reticulata Oil (Tangerine/Mandarine), Vanilla Planifolia Oil (Vanilla/Vanille), Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract (Rosemary/Romarin)
Reese and Luke Shea Butter Ingredients: Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Olea Europaea Fruit Oil (Olive), Euphorbia cerifera (Candelilla Wax), Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil (Jojoba), Hypericum perforatum Leaf (St John’s Wort), Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract (Org Calendula Extract),Lavandula Angustifolia Oil (Organic Lavendin Oil)
Saavani Spot Treatment Ingredients: Lavender Oil, Tea Tree Oil, Tamanu Oil, Turmeric Oil, Geranium Oil.

August 2014 Empties

Well ladies and gents, don't hate me buuttt Summer is kinda over and I'm beyond excited for Fall! Anyone else love Fall as much as I do? This month I ended up finishing quite a few items, mostly skin care and samples, which was exactly what I had predicted in my last empties post. Come Winter (I know, too soon), my skin gets extra sensitive and so I really wanted to focus on reducing my stash to the bare minimum since I know I won't be as adventurous with my skin care.  Here is what I finished this month...

Corpa Flora Beaute Divine Cleansing Oil - review here -  This is probably my favourite cleansing oil of all time. It's Canadian (major bonus in my books), gentle, effective at removing makeup and cleansing the skin, rinses off better than I remember, and leaves my skin so soft. I am currently working through one other cleansing oil and am hoping to try the Province Apothecary one, but will likely end up repurchasing this one in the near future.

Andalou Naturals Illuminating Toner - review here - Can't say enough good things about this affordable toner. Will be repurchasing.

*Pai Rice Plant & Rosemary BioAffinity Toner - review here - I really did enjoy using this toner. It worked well at reducing redness and refreshing my skin. It's a little too expensive for me though, especially since the spray apparatus doesn't work well. Will not repurchase.

Pretty Black Tea & Raw Cocoa Cleansing Grains - review here - This gentle exfoliating cleanser worked great as a second and morning cleanse, and was gentle enough to use daily. Not only did I end up using it on my face, I also enjoyed using it on my chest, shoulders, and back to combat acne. This container lasted me about 7 months, which goes to show that a little goes a long way. I much prefer the Rose & Oatmeal version, so I will not be repurchasing this one.

La Bella Figura Modern Radiance Concentrate - review here - I really liked the short term results that this serum produced; even and glowing skin, but it fell short in the long term results department (specifically with pigmentation). At a steep $170, it's a serum that I'm glad I had the opportunity to try but not one I plan on repurchasing.

Living Libations Frankincense Fresh Toothpaste - I did not like this toothpaste at all. It was really runny and left a weird aftertaste. Since the texture was off, LL sent me another jar of it and it was exactly the same. Usually it takes about 2 months to finish an LL toothpaste jar but, this one was gone in a month. I will repurchase the Clay version (mentioned here) but not this one.

*Pai Comfrey & Calendula Calming Body Cream - review here - This stuff was incredible and worked like a dream for my ezcema. I'm so sad that I used it up :(. Will definitely be repurchasing.

Himalaya Neem Tablets - Neem is a fantastic blood purifier and has many other health benefits. I purchased these tablets months ago, when my skin was freaking out, in hopes that it would help my skin. It didn't do anything except help my bowel movements, which is cool too. I won't be repurchasing. Has anyone else taken neem before?

Corpa Flora Eclat Citrouille (not pictured) - review here -  AHHHH I can't live without this serum! Seriously, I went without it for a couple of weeks and ended up repurchasing (today). It smells incredible, evens out my skin, helps with pigmentation, and makes my skin glow. A must try for all!

Dr. Bronner's Coconut Oil - This is my favourite coconut oil because it has a slight buttery flavour that makes it ideal for baking and tastes great when frying up pancakes. Will be repurchasing.

Clean Well Antibacterial Hand Soap in Lavender - This all natural hand soap uses thyme oil instead of harsh/nasty ingredients to disinfect and kill bacteria. The thyme smell is definitely obvious but the lavender works well to tone it done. It didn't dry out my hands or leave them feeling tight. I've already repurchased another lavender and am currently using a spearmint lime scent (which is also nice).

*Myra Aso Hair Oil (sample) - I love Myra's Marula Oil for my hair and at the Green Living Show, earlier this year, she was kind enough to give me a sample of a custom made hair oil. This one contained marula, broccoli seed oil, jojoba (I think), and sweet orange essential oil. It was only enough for 3 or 4 uses but it rinsed out well and left my ends feeling super soft. I don't often do oil treatments, so I will not be purchasing the full size.

One Love Organics Chia Oil - I purchased this from Eco Diva  and wasn't impressed. I felt like it just sat on my skin, never sinking in.

*May Lindstrom Honey Mud - My girl Lisa, from Glam Goes Green, gave me this sample to try. I wasn't fond of the scent but it did leave my skin feeling incredibly soft!

*Pure Anada Lavender Hand Cream - Another sample that Lisa gave me and I loved this one! It smelled like calming lavender and moisturized my hands without leaving a greasy finish or irritating my ezcema. I may pick up a full size.

*Haut Cosmetics Bio-Mineral Foundation in Burnt Almond - The beautiful Monique, from Anise Apothecary, just started carrying this line and I was stoked to get a sample. The colour matched me well but I'm not sure I'm sold on it. I felt like it caked up a bit but it could just be how I applied it. Might have to purchase or pick up another sample.

*Joyous Health Minty Fresh Toothpaste - Another lovely sample from Lisa! She hooked me up! Loved this toothpaste. It cleaned my teeth well and left my breath minty fresh. Will be picking up a full size.

*Pelle Beauty Luxe Beauty Oil - Received this sample in the Petit Vour box and was really impressed by it. I used it morning and night, and found my skin was well nourished and soft. I may pick up the full size.

Kjaer Weis Foundation in Just Sheer - I purchased this sample from Clementine Fields and chose the wrong shade. It was too dark which means I didn't take the time to play with it.

*Corpa Flora Grenadine - review here - Celine, Creator of Corpa Flora, was at my spa in August and gave me a sample of her day oil. She mentioned that she reduced the coconut oil in it, which I think is why it initially didn't work for me, and I have to say that I really liked it! It's light, soaked in beautifully, worked well as a primer for makeup, and didn't irritate my skin. Will definitely be picking up a bottle next year as it'll be too light for me in the Fall/Winter.

Physicians Formula Organic Wear CC Cream - I initially loved this CC cream but the colour has totally changed, it's so orange now. I purchased it when it was on sale and only have a bit left, so I'm tossing it. Will not be repurchasing. *Sappho Concealers in Undo and Neutrality - review here - I really liked these concealers in the beginning as well, but the texture has changed and they smell funky. Mind you, I've had these for well over a year and a half now. Chucking them and will not be repurchasing. Let me know if you've tried any of the products mentioned and what you've finished up this month :). *PR SAMPLES

March 2014 Empties

Here we are again, at the end of another month and about to peak through my trash. The most exciting part about this empties, is that it's now Spring. Hello Spring! We still have some snow on the ground but, that's okay because it's been warming up. So.excited.ashfioashigfsh. Anyone else as excited as me?

*The Mystic Masala Kapha Spicebodhi Soap - review here - Loved using this daily. It lathered nicely and left me feeling super clean.
May repurchase at some point.

Earthpaste in Wintergreen - review here - I've gone through several tubes of this stuff, always alternating between wintergreen and peppermint. It cleaned my teeth really well and left my breath fresh but, I've decided to try something new. Living Libations new, to be exact :).

Coconut Oil - Loveeee coconut oil. I mostly bake with it but sometimes I use it as a hair mask or cuticle oil. Already repurchased.

*Shamanuti Activated Charcoal Cleanser - review here - I really enjoyed the scent of this cleanser and how well it removed makeup/cleansed my face. It helped clear up my bacne (when I had a breakout), however, I didn't find it did much for my face. In fact, I think it was a little drying. Perhaps it would have worked better for me during summer.

Corpa Flora Eclat Citrouille - review here - This oil is amaze-balls! It makes my face glow and evens out my complexion over night. When this bottle ran out, I debated on trying something new until I realized that if it ain't broke, don't fix it! Am I right?
Already repurchased.

*SBT Seabuckthorn Seed Oil - review here  and here - Sea buckthorn is one of my favourite oils. I liked using this as an all over facial oil, spot treatment for pimples, or mixed with tamanu. It really helped control any breakouts and brighten the skin. I prefer the SBT brand over others because they're Canadian, the bottle is much easier to travel with, and it comes in 3 sizes.
Will be repurchasing at some point.

*Nyl Gentle Sugar Body Polish - review here - What a lovely scrub this was. I mainly used it on my lips and hands, and not only did it leave my skin incredibly soft, it also left it smelling (and tasting) delicious! The minimal ingredients and fact that it didn't leave me feeling greasy made it my favourite body scrub to date. Will likely repurchase.

Batch Naturals Abyssinian Body Whip - review here - I really liked how quickly this absorbed and how light it was, perhaps a little too light for me during the brutal Winter.
May repurchase in a different scent, at some point.

Dr. Haushka Lavender Sandalwood Body Moisturizer (sample) - I'm not usually a fan of this brand but, this lightly scented body lotion was a delight to use. It left me nicely moisturized without any heavy fragrance. *SBT Eczema Dermatitis Salve - review here - Despite how well this worked for my hands, it's being tossed because the texture, scent, and colour has changed. Pretty sure it's gone bad.
La Bella Figura Barbary Fig Seed Oil (sample) - Clementine Fields was kind enough to send me a sample with an order that I made in January. I've heard amazing things about it but, didn't see any improvements with my skin while using it.  Aurelia Cell Revitalise Night Moisturiser (sample kindly sent to me by Sabrina from Call It Vanity) - This stuff smelled so good and was one of the richest night creams I've ever tried. It was actually a little too heavy for me to use all over my face, so I would just apply a tiny, tiny amount on any dry patches. Pure Anada Mascara in Black - review here - My favourite natural mascara! It's affordable and lasts all day. My only issue, which I'm letting slide, is that it contains phenoxyethanol.  Already repurchased. Pretty Rose Facial Tonic (not pictured) - review here - I'm not a fan of rose scents but I find this rose facial tonic works amazingly well for my skin.  Will repurchase at some point. Weleda Calendula Face Cream (not pictured) - review here - I can't say enough good things about this cream. I mainly use it on my hands and face, but don't hesitate to use it on my body as well.  Already repurchased. Happy Spring lovelies! *PR SAMPLES.

Faves Friday!

Hellllooo!! I feel like I should call this series Faves Saturday or Sunday with the way it's been going. Better late than never though, right? ...yeaaaah...let's just get started.

I have been absolutely loving: Andalou Naturals Apricot Probiotic Cleansing Milk - review here - I didn't realize how deep my love for this product was, until I began using it again. It works so well at calming and reducing any redness on my face, smells delicious, and is super affordable. *Blissoma Clay Renewal Treatment -  review to come - What a bomb mask! It helps dry up and get rid of acne, reduces redness, exfoliates, and leaves my skin feeling soft and radiant. Corpa Flora Eclat Citrouille - review here - My original review holds true! Whenever I apply this oil at night, I wake up with radiant, even toned, and glowing skin. I'm also obsessed with the mild patchouli scent. Ilia Bang Bang - review here - I've been loving a wearable red lip lately, mainly because Spring is kinda here! Dr. Tung's Toothbrush Sanitizer - When I saw these little gems, I knew they had to be mine. They use natural essential oils like tea tree and thyme to keep the brush germ free. I ordered it from Well.ca and didn't get to choose to the scent, so I ended up with lemon (aka smells like thyme oil). Regardless of scent, it doesn't flavour my toothbrush at all. Overnight Oats (not pictured) - When it comes to sleeping in a few extra minutes or eating breakfast, I choose sleep. That's why I've been obsessed with overnight oats this whole month. You basically take oats, milk of choice, and whatever else you like, mix together and pop in the fridge. In the morning, you can top it off with fresh fruit and eat. SO simple, quick, and perfect for those lazy people...ahem..me. I'll likely have a recipe up at some point in April. Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites - recipe here - oh-my-goodness! I made a batch last night actually. This time I left out the baking powder and kept them raw, delicious. Banana Ice Cream - Frozen bananas in a high powered blender with peanut butter and chocolate chips. Drool. Anyone else see my addiction to peanut butter? It's a problem. *PR SAMPLE

January 2014 Empties!

This month has been a fun one for empties because I've managed to finish so much, as you can see below. #NoBuyJanuary really forced encouraged me to use up samples and minis, as well as finish off products that were just about done. Don't be fooled though, I still have a boat load of stuff to get through.

This picture made me feel like a garbage hoarder haha

Here's what I've finished this month...

Coconut Oil - I mostly cook or eat this delicious goodness, but I also used it in this body butter. I've already repurchased.

Deep Steep Body Wash - review here - This was such a great body wash. It was fragrant without being overwhelming, nourishing, lathered well on a loofa, and felt very luxurious. I really enjoyed this particular scent, but will be trying a different one. Will be repurchasing.

Alaffia Scalp Recovery Shampoo - This wasn't actually a full bottle, it only had a few uses in it. My friend wanted me to try it to see if it would help my scalp dermatitis and dandruff. It did! I already picked up a brand new bottle.

Pretty Skin Savior Oil - review here - Body oils are wonderful and this one was no exception. It smelled lovely and moisturized well. Once I get through some other body products, I may repurchase this or one of their other oils.

Earthpaste Toothpaste in Peppermint - review here - There's not much to say about this product, it's the only toothpaste I use. Already repurchased.

*Weleda Sea Buckthorn Hand Cream - review here - This month was exceptionally cold and my hands (and entire body) were craving more moisture. This hand cream smelled nice and absorbed well, but wasn't moisturizing enough for me. I found myself constantly reapplying, hence why I finished up a tube in less than a month. May repurchase in the warmer months.

Weleda Calendula Face Cream - review here - I love this stuff soooo much. It's great for hands, face, and body and moisturizes so well. I especially love that it's small and light enough to carry in a small purse. Will definitely be repurchasing because I can't be without it.

Badger Sleep Balm - review here - This was a skin savior this month. I applied it to super dry bits like knees, elbows, feet, face, and hands just before bed. Not only did it fill the room with the beautiful fragrance of lavender, it also left my skin super soft. Might repurchase at some point.

*Pure Anada African Gold - review here - This marula oil infused shea butter was perfect for this DIY body butter and by itself. I loved using it all over, including my face, to help with any dry patches. Will very likely repurchase next Winter.

Andalou Naturals Illuminating Toner (not pictured) - review here - Went through another bottle and still love it! Will be repurchasing.

Tamanu Oil - review here - Ahh, my love for tamanu oil runs deep. I was heart broken when I used up the last drop and may, or may not, have shed a tear. My goal with facial oils is to use them all up before repurchasing, that way I can decide what works best for my skin and what should be repurchased. I just made up that goal recently, but I see myself repurchasing very soon.

*Lina Hanson Global Body Serum - This body serum smells so amazing, it's the perfect scent. Vanilla with a hint of citrus, delicate and feminine. I didn't do a full review because the few times that I did use it on my body, I broke out badly. I actually received this months ago, before I discovered (100%) that argan doesn't agree with me. I have been using it on the ends of my hair and can't even describe how intoxicating the scent is. I hope Lina makes a perfume oil with this scent, minus the argan. Will not be purchasing the full size although you should for the scent alone, if you can use argan.

*Aroma M Camellia Hair Oil - review here - What a sexy scent this hair oil has. It made me feel so sexy when I used it. It worked just as well as Lina's body serum did on the ends of my hair. I've since started using marula oil instead and much prefer it to both of these. Will not be purchasing the full size.

Dr. Hauschka Facial Toner - This was sent to me by the lovely Cori, from Well Beauty Blog, and it was nice. I've tried it before and enjoyed it. I go through toner rather quickly though and don't love it enough to spend as much as it costs. Will not be purchasing the full size.

One Love Organics Vitamin D Active Moisture Time Release Mist - This was a two time use sample that didn't really give me a good idea of whether I liked the product or not. It's very unlikely that I'll be spending $40 CAN on the full size though.

*Corpa Flora Rock'n Rose Exfoliating Facial Powder - review here - I love Corpa Flora products and have purchased full sizes since that review to prove it. This was a very gentle, yet effective exfoliating powder. I much prefer chemical exfoliants though. Will not be purchasing the full size.

S.W. Basics Exfoliant - review here - Hands down my favourite physical exfoliant.ever. It just worked so well for my skin without irritating it and it smelled like oatmeal. If I ever purchase a scrub in the future, it'll be this one.

The All Natural Face Cream Blush in Cotton Candy - review here - My favourite and, obviously, most used ANF blush shade. The purple worked with my naturally red cheeks without enhancing the redness. Since discovering that I can't use these blushes anymore, because of the argan oil,  I'm glad that I finished at least one. Won't be repurchasing.

*Pure Anada Mascara in Black - review here - This mascara kinda sucked at first, it was too wet for my liking, but amazing once it dried up a bit. It was great wet as well, but I found it separated my lashes too much for my liking. This mascara held up in Jamaica (hot as hell) and in the cold. It didn't flake, smudge, run, or transfer unless I fell asleep in face plant position. I won't do a full review now, but I will say that I purchased another tube.

The Body Deli Blueberry Cleanser Sample - This cleanser surprised me. It's full of fruit acids, which is what I consider a chemical exfoliant. I used this sample every second or third day as an exfoliator, left it on for a minute or two and washed it off. My skin was left noticeably softer and even toned.  I purchased a mini bottle back in December, love it!

The Body Deli Almond Cleanser Sample - Really wanted to love this cleanser. It smelled delicious and cleansed well but I didn't find it anything spectacular. Perhaps the sample was too small or I just like other cleansers more. Won't be purchasing the full size.

Evanhealy French Rose Clay - I've had this sample in my collection for months and months. I decided to use it recently, since my skin freaked out and grew little people pimples all over. What a fantastic clay mask! It never dried out my skin, even though I used it three days in a row, and helped to calm the acne down. I may pick up the full size at some point, may.

Suki Intensive Nourishing Masque Sachet - Another item sent to me by the beautiful Cori. I didn't like this at all because of the nasty film it left on my skin. My face felt super greasy and uncomfortable. The Suki range hasn't been a hit with me. Will not be purchasing the full size.

*Rahua Conditioner Sachet - Monique, from Anise Apothecary, actually gave me this along with the shampoo sachet to try. I wasn't impressed by the conditioner, it didn't seem to do anything for my hair at all. Will not be purchasing the full size.

Red Flower Purifying Body Wash in Icelandic Moonflower and Italian Blood Orange - Both of these smelled lovely, one floral and one citrusy. They foamed up on my loofa beautifully and left me clean without drying out my skin. I prefer Deep Steep though and won't be purchasing full size.

Done, done, done!

*PR SAMPLE

Reveal My Stash #3 - Skin Care: Exfoliants, Masks, & Oils

Does the skin care stash reveal fun ever end?! It ends here my friends. This is the last of my skin care and the section that I'd like to shrink down, big time. I'd mainly like to shrink down the exfoliants that I have, it's more than I need or care to have. In this post, I'm not going to explain how or why I use each individual product.

*Sweet Leaf Bath Co. Adzuki Bean Rice Bran Face Polish, One Love Organics Brand New Day
& S.W. Basics Exfoliant

These are my physical exfoliants that I don't use that often. Physical exfoliants basically require an ingredient (ground almonds, oats, salt, etc) and your hands to gently massage the skin to remove any dead skin cells. I find this irritating to my skin, especially in the colder months. Out of all 3 of these though, the S.W. Basics seems to be my favourite.

*Shamanuti Pumpkin Enzyme Masque &
The Body Deli Blueberry Fusion Cleanser (which I use as a mask)

Chemical exfoliation is the use of enzymes or acids to eat away at the dead skin cells on your face and my favourite form of exfoliation. Yes, it can irritate the skin as well but I find these work best for me. Call me crazy!

Wedderspoon Manuka Honey, Pretty Ginger & Cypress Soothing Mud Mask, Evanhealy French Rose Clay,
& *Yula Organics Seaweed Facial Masque

Not much to say about these. Manuka honey, clay masks, perfection. That's all.

Hedd Wynn Tamanu Oil, Skin Essence Nourish Oil, Corpa Flora Eclat Citrouille, *Shamanuti Face Oil,
Myra Aso 100% Marula Oil, & *SBT Seabuckthorn Seed and Fruit Oil

I loveeeeee oils! I use em morning and night, switch em up, and mix em up! This is my favourite section in my skin care collection and I wouldn't change a thing, except add more oils haha.  I hope you enjoyed seeing my collection of body, hair and skin care products. Will definitely be revealing my makeup stash too, keep an eye out for that. *PR SAMPLES