Brand Focus: Mont Echo (Nature Divine)

This Canadian brand has been featured on my blog before. I've reviewed their Cleansing Cream, which I really enjoyed, so when Mont Echo contacted me and asked if I wanted to try their new Nature Divine range, I couldn't say no. Nature Divine is, what I'd consider, their more luxurious range that contains even more sea buckthorn oil than their other products. I opted to try the *Creme Divine ($42.95 CAD/50 ml) and *Eau Divine ($38.95 CAD/100 ml).

Sea Buckthorn Skin and Hair care products are formulated with our 100% Canadian-grown Sea Buckthorn seed oil, fruit oil and floral waters to ensure that our customers receive all the benefits of this extraordinary plant. Our Sea Buckthorn skin and hair products are handcrafted with high quality, certified organic, biodynamically grown and wildcrafted essential oils and floral waters that are never bleached or processed, conserving all of their nourishing vitamins, minerals, enzymes, proteins and brilliant natural colours.

Read more about Mont Echo here.

*Creme Divine: Mont Echo’s signature anti-aging combination of Rosehips and Sea Buckthorn form the base for this rich and luxurious enriched moisture complex with therapeutic, regenerative & hydrating herbs. Particularly high in Vitamin C, this cream is formulated to benefit dry, mature and sensitive skin types. 

The small plastic pump bottle is great because of the fact that it's dark (preserving the product) and contains a pump (clean and easy to use). This cream boasts an impressive and beautiful list of ingredients like rose otto, shea butter, comfrey, and calendula, just to name a few. The smell is gorgeous and light, can't quite explain it but I do know that it reminds me of something that my mom used on her face when I was a kid. It's definitely not strong and doesn't linger. Unfortunately, when the temperatures dropped to -20 (and colder), my skin soaked this stuff up and begged for more. It just wasn't enough, even with an oil applied underneath or mixed in. Now that it's warmed up, it works much better and I love that it dries to a semi matte finish. It never feels heavy or looks greasy and creates a great base for makeup. I also love using it on my hands before bed! Although it's targeted for dry/mature/sensitive skin types, I think it would be great for normal and combo skin types as well.

*Eau Divine: Unique in the world, our Eau Divine Pure Sea Buckthorn floral water soothes and balances the skin while preserving and strengthening the protective acid mantle. Eau Divine is particularly effective in preparing the skin for the application of oils, serums and creams. It is extremely gentle and well tolerated by even the most sensitive skin.

Floral water is my jam, I love them! Given that I love sea buckthorn oil and I love floral waters, this selection only made sense. Sadly, it smells awful! My boyfriend, who has gotten used to herbal/natural type scents, was completely put off as well. Meaning..he was like, "wtf is that smell?". I then responded with, "my face". True story. AND if the scent alone isn't bad enough, the fact that it lingers makes it even worse. Of course, the scent has nothing to do with Mont Echo and is a personal preference. Since I can't stand using this on a daily basis because of the scent, I actually use it to mix up my clay masks. That way my skin still reaps the anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, and other benefits of the floral water. If you have the opportunity to smell this first or don't care about scents (bad/good), then this would be a product to consider.

Get them here: Mont Echo and these retailers.

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

Creme Divine Ingredients: Rosa demascena (Rose Otto) Flower Distillate*, Fucus vesiculosis (Bladderwrack) Extract, Aqua / Water / Eau, Persea gratissima (Avocado) Oil*, Simmondsia chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil*, Borago officinalis (Borage) Seed Oil*, Aloe barbadensis*, Butyrospermum parkii (Shea,) Butter, Althaea officinalis (Marshmallow) Root Extract*, Symphytum Officinale (Com­frey) Extract*, Calendula officinalis Flower Extract, Sambucus nigra (Elder) Flower extract*, Equisetum arvense (Horsetail) Leaf Ex­tract*, Avena Sativa (Oatstraw) Kernel Ex­tract*, Stellaria Media (Chickweed) Extract*, Camelia sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract*, Sorbitan Olivate*, Glycerin (Vegetable)*, Rosa demascena (Rose de Damas) Flower Oil, San­dalwood spicatum (Sandalwood Australian) Wood Oil, Lavandula angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Oil, Citrus aurantium var.Amara (Bit­ter Orange) Leaf Oil, Hippophae rhamnoides (Sea Buckthorn) Seed Extract**, Hippophae rhamnoides (Sea Buckthorn) Fruit Extract**, Carthamus tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil*, Triticum vulgare (Wheat) Germ Oil, Lecithin (Soy)*, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Seed Extract, Daucus carota (Carrot) Seed Oil* **, Rosa canina (Rosehips) Fruit Extract* **, Boswellia carterii (Frankincense) Resin Oil* **, Salvia sclarea (Clary Sage) Flower Oil, Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary) CO2 Herb Extract* **
* Biologique / Organic ** Concentrated CO2 Extracts

Eau Divine Ingredients: Hippophae rhamnoides (Sea Buckthorn Floral Water)

La Bella Figura Modern Radiance Concentrate - Is It Worth The Hype?

La Bella Figura really needs no introduction. The beauties behind the brand, Victoria and Karen, have made quite the name for themselves. This luxurious, high end brand is known worldwide for it's quality, performance, and beautiful packaging. If you've been out of touch with the world and aren't too familiar with them, here's their story.

This is our love story. One of two friends who had the most fun while sharing secrets of our travels, adventures and the most luxurious beauty products from far away places we would discover. It awakened in us, a new-found desire to create our own rich creams, gorgeously scented oils, hand blended perfumes and an exquisite skin enhancing makeup line to share with the world. After all, beauty this pure was not made to be kept to ourselves. La Bella Figura became a beauty brand in 2011 and we've been passionately creating some of the most advanced and effectual products on the natural market ever since. 

From the very beginning we have been driven by our passion for sourcing wild, organic and pure ingredients to introduce into our natural beauty line. La Bella Figura itself signifies living a life in authenticity and beauty. We made a commitment to our brand to be just that; authentic in our research, development and with every single product we create. We take enormous pride in only using some of the best ingredients around. We have kept true to our word so that every hand-poured bottle or jars of nourishing balms and masks contain the active properties most beneficial to our skin and our vision. 

Our love for quality has us roaming farms, fields and apothecaries in search of healing and beneficial ingredients to incorporate into our virgin formulas. We speak with healers, scientists, producers and alchemists from every corner of the globe and we listen and learn from these forward thinking experts. We hear their struggles in sustainability, farming and their wisdom of using organic, biodynamic or heirloom seeds. We are students of nature and science and we happily soak all this information in to become better formulators and create the best products we can. We are creatively inspired by the amazing people we meet and connect with them on a high level of trust and appreciation for the purest quality of unrefined ingredients. We rely on our small producers for the perfection they supply to us so we can in turn develop the most effectual products for those seeking a world of difference in their beauty regimen.

Our development process from start to finish is authentic and every batch of every product from makeup to perfume is created in-house from our hands to ensure excellence in production as well as ingredient integrity. As La Bella Figura grows we continue to hire the most talented and dedicated team members to learn the art of our craft so that we may continue to produce in-house and guarantee product quality that you demand and expect from us.

You can read more about LBF by clicking here.

                          

I first met Victoria at a Clementine Fields event, last year. I had the opportunity to chat a bit with her, hear the story of La Bella Figura, and get filled in on all the exciting new products that her and Karen were working on. It was also the day that I got to try the Modern Radiance Concentrate on my hand. My hand felt instantly softer and looked brighter. I lusted over it from that day forward. My boyfriend, being the amazing guy that he is, surprised me one day with it! Excited and nervous (because my skin is sensitive), I tried it that night.

Description: Modern Radiance Concentrate is a multi-tasking and complete concentrated Vitamin C gel cream formulated with advanced technology from actives derived from cellular extraction of the world’s highest source of Vitamin C found only in Australia's wild harvested kakadu plums. Unlike most Vitamin C on the market today also known as ascorbic acid, the Vitamin C in kakadu plum is a whole and natural source containing flavonoids and phytochemicals such as ellagic and gallic acids making its holistic and efficacious value quite exceptional and non-comparable to any other form of Vitamin C found in other skincare products. Studies show the concentration of Vitamin C in kakadu plum to be as high as 3200-5000mg/100g (compared with 50mg/100g for oranges).

Modern Radiance Concentrate increases luminosity and refines skin texture for a more even skin tone and a visible reduction in discoloration in 4-6 weeks. Powerful antioxidants help to strengthen the lipid layer and stimulate new collagen growth while also protecting and repairing skin from oxidative damage. Live enzymes from coconut water, antioxidants and vitamins support skin’s natural defense system with ferulic acid delivering these active ingredients deeper into the skin for serious dermis repair. Our collective bioactive ingredients works to restore volume and increase skin elasticity while also toning and strengthening thinning skin. An overall radiant and glowing appearance is instantly visible with daily use of this concentrated blend of reparative botanical actives.

First off, I love the fact that this has a whole form of Vitamin C and a bunch of other amazing ingredients (see below). I've tried Vit. C (ascorbic acid) serums before and ended up with irritated and broken out skin. This one didn't do that. I adore the frosted glass bottle and pump that dispenses the perfect amount of product each time. The serum itself is a slightly tacky, gel texture that easily glides on the skin, for an even application. I can't quite put my finger on what it smells like but, it isn't strong or offensive and certainly doesn't linger for long. I started off applying it at night, just to see how my skin reacted. Then I applied it morning and night, to see if it made any significant difference. I finally settled on applying it in the morning, because of how it instantly tightens, brightens, and softens my skin providing the perfect base/canvas for makeup. While I do find that this serum provides an instant radiance, I honestly haven't seen any miraculous, long term differences in the texture of my skin or lightening of scars and hyper-pigmentation, which is what I wanted it for. That remains true even after 4 months of use and finishing up the bottle. With a steep price tag of $169 (usd/cdn), I had higher hopes and feel it was over hyped. Still, I loved the (temporary) instant face lift and glow that I got with each morning application, and am happy that my loving boyfriend gave me the opportunity to try it.

Retails for $169 USD/CDN and can be purchased through La Bella Figura and any one of these retailers.  

Have you tried this serum? How did it work for you? Is it one of those serums that requires several bottles to see long term results?

Ingredients: Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice*, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut Fruit) Juice*, Opuntia Ficus (Barbary Fig) Seed oil*, Theobroma Grandiflorum (Cupuacu) Butter, Terminalia Ferdinandiana (Kakadu Plum) Cell Extract, Centella Asiatica (Gotu Kola) Extract*, Aronia Melanocarpa (Aronia Berry) Extract*, Hippophae Rhamnoides (Seabuckthorn Fruit) Oil CO2*, Ferulic Acid (Acid Derived From Plants), Glycrrhiza Glabra (Licorice Root) Extract*, Cucurbita Pepo (Pumpkin Seed) Extract, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose Flower) Extract, Olea Europea (Olive) Leaf Extract*, Helichrysum Stoechas Extract*, Malva Sylvestris (Mallow) Extract*, Bambusa Vulgaris (Bamboo) Extract, Persea Gratissima (Avocado Fruit) Extract*, Coffea Arabica (Green Coffee) Bean Oil, Jasminum Officinale (Jasmine Flower) Oil, Leuconostoc Ferment Filtrate (Radish Root) Extract, Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Seed Oil CO2*, Daucus Carota Sativa (Cold Pressed Virgin Carrot) Seed Oil*, Zingiber Officinale (Fresh Ginger Root) Oil, Cymbopogan Martinii Motia (Palmarosa) Oil, Salix Alba (White Willow) Bark Extract*, Xanthan Gum (Non-GMO)*, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (Derived From Coconut), Vegetable Gylcerin (Non-GMO), Ethyl Alcohol (Derived From Non-GMO Corn)*

S.W. Basics Cream Review

S.W. Basics, your products haven't let me down yet! With 5 or less ingredients, how could you not fall in love with this line. In October, I reviewed their amazeballs exfoliant and just knew I had to try more. After ordering and loving the sample from Fresh Faced, I picked up the full size jar at Husk.

                           

Description: This is the mother of all S.W. Basics products. You know how lots of lotions and moisturizers leave you needing more, like ten minutes after you put them on? That's because they use water as a base. When it evaporates, you dry out all over again. Our Cream starts with wild-harvested shea butter we get from an incredible Fair Trade women's cooperative in Ghana. We add some organic extra-virgin coconut oil and organic extra-virgin olive oil. So it's extremely rich, sinking deep into the skin and staying there. But since all the ingredients are totally non-comedogenic, it won't clog your pores, meaning it's just as awesome on your face as it is on your body.

My skin went through a really rough breakup with the Jamaican climate, can ya blame it? From beautiful hot and humid days to dry cold ones, it was hard. Enter S.W. Basics Cream. Along with the use of oils, this cream brought my skin back to life or at least helped make it look less like snake skin. The glass jar is so cute but, not practical for travelling with as it's quite heavy. The cream is rich and wraps your skin in a beautiful moisturizing hug. Who doesn't love hugs?! It does take a few minutes to sink in though. It's fantastic that there are no essential oils added, it just smells of shea butter goodness. Something to keep in mind if you don't enjoy the scent of shea. I used this morning and night on any dry patches on my face, mostly nose, cheeks, eyes, and between the brows. Of course I also tried it out on my hands, elbows, knees and feet, amazing! On one random day, I got adventurous and decided to try this cream all over my face. Big mistake. I broke out on my chin and forehead pretty badly. They say that this cream is non-comedogenic, however, coconut oil is highly comedogenic. That's not to say that everyone will get clogged pores and breakout from using it, I'm sure there are people who can rub lard all over themselves and still have gorgeous skin. If you're prone to breakouts, simply be cautious. It's still an absolutely beautiful cream in my books! It has helped my skin so much and continues to do so. Highly recommend trying it out, even if it's just a sample.

Retails for approx. $34 CAN for 3.75 oz. Can be purchased through Husk, Clementine Fields, Fresh Faced, S.W. Basics, and any of their other retailers.

What's your favourite S.W. Basics product and why?

Summer Love: SBT Seabuckthorn Tea Cream Review

In case you haven't been reading my blog, I love Sea Buckthorn Oil of all kinds. It's dramatically helped improve my skin with continued use and is a staple in my skin care routine. I reached out to SBT Seabuckthorn, which is a Canadian company whos products revolve around sea buckthorn, and they were kind enough to send me a few products to try.

SBT Seabuckthorn Int. is from British Columbia, Peachland to be specific, Canada. Their products are created using the berry, seed, and leaf of the seabuckthorn plant to produce a pretty extensive and impressive lineup of products ranging from creams and soaps, to teas and beverages.

Of all of their products, this *Tea Cream stood out to me most.

Description: A light, refreshing facial cream for sensitive skin especially around the eyes. The SBT Seabuckthorn leaf extract adds protein, natural amino acids, calcium, magnesium, potassium as well as quercetin to this nourishing face cream. Regular usage of the SBT Tea Cream will hydrate and help return your skin to its former youthful elasticity. Specifically formulated for acne and normal to oily skin.

I won't lie, I'm always worried about trying new facial creams because my skin breaks out and reacts very easily. The soya bean oil in this one definitely put me off at first, until I tried it, and fell in love. The packaging is pretty basic, a white plastic lightweight container with a rather cute label. The texture is a cross between a lotion, cream, and gel which makes it suitable for normal, combination, and oily skin types. I've been using it as a day and eye cream for about a month now with no issues whatsoever. It blends beautifully onto the skin and soaks in within seconds. I find it leaves my skin hydrated all day long and works well under makeup. If I'm feeling a bit more dehydrated or dry than normal, I apply a couple of drops of tamanu and SBT Seabuckthorn Seed Oil under this and it's perfect. Does it keep acne at bay? Yah, I think it's helped, my skin has been pretty good since I've started using it. The smell is a little odd, as it is with most of their products, to be honest. It sorta smells like toned down olive oil and "unscented" scent, which luckily dissipates quickly. This is my new favourite Spring/Summer facial moisturizer and I think it would make a great year round moisturizer for those with oily skin due to the fact that it's not too heavy. I can totally see myself purchasing this next year, however, I don't think it will be rich enough for my skin come Fall/Winter. I highly recommend giving this cream a go!

Retails for approx. $30 CAN for 50ml. Can be purchased through SBT and most health food stores.

Have you ever tried any of the SBT Sea Buckthorn facial creams? Which is your fave?

Ingredients: Extract of Seabuckthorn Leaves in De-Ionized Water, Organic Hippophae Rhamnoides (SBT Seabuckthorn) Seed Oil, Organic Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Organic Soja Hispida (Soya Bean) Oil, Capric/Caprylic Triglycerides (Palm/Coconut Oil), Emulsifying Wax (Vegetable), Palm Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate (Vegetable), Cetyl Alcohol (fatty acid), Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Xanthan Gum, Allantoin, Glucose Oxidase & Lactoperoxidase (Natural Preservative)

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

Weleda Almond Soothing Facial Cream Review

I've mentioned the Weleda Almond Soothing line before and even swore by their facial lotion for months.  I had the opportunity to try the facial cream, which is thicker, and had high hopes that it would be as amazing as their lotion. I was pretty disappointed.

Description: Sensitive dry skin gets deep, calming nourishment with this hypoallergenic facial cream. It’s a moisture-intensive, fragrance-free treatment that restores your skin’s natural balance and strengthens its protective barrier without irritating your skin. Organic sweet almond oil contains a high amount of essential fatty acids that are extremely well tolerated by sensitive skin and protect your skin from drying out. Plum kernel oil absorbs quickly and easily, rushing in antioxidants and vitamins A and E to smooth and soothe your reactive skin. Your skin feels as calm and soft as a newborn baby’s. Indulge in intensive skin care and give your dry, sensitive skin the delicious drink of protective nourishment it deserves.

Review: This cream comes in the same apothecary tin as most of Weleda's other facial products, which is light and perfect to travel with.  The lotion itself smells faintly of almonds and is definitely a richer texture than the facial lotion.  I didn't find that this absorbed into my skin as well as the lotion, it left me feeling a bit greasy, still dehydrated in certain areas (nose & forehead) and gave me red bumps on my forehead.  I used it for about a week and then gave up on it. I have started using this on the back of my arms, hands and feet and love it for that purpose.  I will not be purchasing this nor do I recommend it but I love every other Weleda product that I have tried and do recommend trying out the Almond Facial Lotion instead.

Retails for approx. $27 CAN for 30ml and can be purchased at any health food store including Noah's, which is who I won this cream from.

What's your favourite Weleda product?

Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Hydrolyzed Beeswax, Prunus Domestica (Plum) Seed Oil, Glycerin, Xanthan Gum, Lactic Acid.

Dry Skin Cure - Weleda Skin Food Review

If there's one thing I hate about Fall/Winter, besides it being cold, is that my skin can get pretty dry.  That means that my normally extra dry bits (knees, elbows, etc) get even worse and it feels like I could exfoliate my whole body with those areas.  Hmm...maybe I should try exfoliating with my elbows...imagine?  It's a little funny! My extra dry bits are no longer extra dry thanks to Weleda's Skin Food.  I won this little gem from a Facebook contest (Noah's Natural Foods) and am so glad that I did. 

Description: Intensely hydrates and cares for the skin. Ultra-moisturizing, pure Lanolin and anti-blemish, organic Pansy nourishes and soothes dry and damaged skin. A precious essential oil blend of lavender, rosemary and sweet orange oil refresh the skin and the senses. Apply this whole body cream to your skin anytime, with special attention to extra dry areas, such as the feet, hands and elbows.

This cream comes in Weleda's usual apothecary type tin which makes it super light and easy to travel with.  The texture is thick and slightly sticky, but a little goes a long way and it leaves skin nicely hydrated and dewy. I would definitely say that it's more of a "spot treatment" type product for me, I'm sure you could use it all over your body though. So far, I have been using Skin Food for 3 weeks on my elbows and knees and have noticed a tremendous difference in the way that they look and feel. I might actually try applying some to the dry patches on my face and report back. It definitely smells like a citrusy, lavender, and rosemary cocktail of some sort.  The smell is a little strong and does linger but it's definitely tolerable.   My mom had purchased a large size of Skin Food last Winter and absolutely loves it.  She still has the tube which is a clear indication of how long it lasts and she loves the smell. If I keep getting great results, I will definitely be purchasing it when I run out!

Retails for approx. $12.00 CAN for 30ml (1 FL OZ).  It also comes in 2 other sizes, a mini (.34 FL OZ) and larger (2.5 FL OZ) size.  Can be purchased at most health food stores, check out Weleda for more info.

Where do you apply Skin Food?



Ingredients (INCI): Water (Aqua), Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower), Lanolin, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond), Alcohol, Beeswax (Cera Flava), Glyceryl Linoleate, Hydrolyzed Beeswax, Fragrance (Parfum)*, Viola Tricolor, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary), Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria), Calendula Officinalis, Cholesterol, Limonene*, Linalool*, Geraniol*, Citral*, Coumarin*.

* from natural essential oils