December 2014 & January 2015 Empties!

Since I somehow forgot to do my December empties, I'm combining December and January (as the title suggests). I do have quite a bit, although definitely not as much as I expected. Trash talk time!

*Acure Balancing Rose+ Red Tea Toner - review here - I stand by my initial review, it was a bit too drying for my skin and would be ideal in the summer months or for oily skin types. Will likely not repurchase.

Andalou Naturals Illuminating Toner - review here - Best toner of life, seriously. I can't seem to find any other toner (high end or not) that works as well as this one does for my skin. It's hydrating, gives an instant boost of radiance, smells lovely, and is affordable. Already working through another bottle and have a backup.

Heritage Store Rose Water - I really enjoyed using this when my skin was super irritated and to set my makeup. I currently have a small bottle in my purse to mist when I'm feeling dry.

*Weleda Almond Soothing Cleansing Lotion - review here - This cleansing lotion was as lovely as I remember. It didn't remove makeup very well, but was gentle enough to use as a second and/or morning cleanse. Only issue is that I go through it extremely quickly. Would likely repurchase again.

*Wild Honey Apothecary Moringa Honey Mud - I won this little bottle from a contest that Anise Apothecary was having on Facebook, and wasn't all that impressed. I just find that regular honey doesn't work as well for my skin as manuka. It did leave my skin soft, but I wouldn't repurchase.

Andalou Naturals Lemon Sugar Facial Scrub - review here - This scrub smelled so weird. I couldn't stand using it on my face, so I used it on my body. Wouldn't repurchase.

*Mont Echo Sea Buckthorn Facial Mask - I have mixed feelings about this mask. It has incredible ingredients, like oats and calendula, but never left me wowed. Wouldn't repurchase.

Pangea Organics Japanese Matcha Tea Facial Mask - review here - I loved this mask, although I think I prefer it in the warmer months as it can be drying. It evened out my skin tone, brightened, and helped with any acne. Would totally repurchase.

*Gemstone Organic Ruby Creme - review here - This creme was amazing! When I first received a sample from the company, I couldn't stop raving about it. When I finished the sample jar, the company was kind enough to send me a full one. Not sure what happened but half was through the new jar, it started to smell funny and separate. I tried using it up on my body but the smell just kept getting worse. Not sure if I would repurchase.

The Body Del Radiance Enzyme Peel (sample) - I picked up this (one time use) sample from Husk and really enjoyed it! It contains manuka honey, probiotics, and a bunch of other raw delicious ingredients. It left my skin glowing and radiant! I'm considering splurging on the full size.

*Tres Pure Mini Face Cleanse (sample) - This came in the Petit Vour Limited Luxury FW14 box, from September, and was sooo nice. I mixed it with my cleanser, daily, as a gentle exfoliant and found my skin less congested and much softer. As we got into the colder months, it was a bit much for my sensitive skin. Since it's not easily available in Canada, I wouldn't purchase the full size.

Pelle Beauty Stellar Multitasking Face Oil (sample) - A blog reader came into the spa that I worked at and was kind enough to bring me a bunch of goodies, this was one of them. While it is a nice oil, it's too light for my skin and I don't enjoy the scent of neroli. Wouldn't purchase the full size.

*Province Apothecary Regenerating+Hydrating Face Serum (sample) - review here -  Still not sold on this face serum. It worked so well some days, and other days I felt as though it just sat on my skin. Wouldn't purchase the full size.

*Me & The Girls Moon Serum (sample) - review here - Great oil serum! Absorbed well and left my skin nourished and moisturized. I don't love it more than my Corpa Flora though, so I won't be purchasing the full size.

Myra Aso 100% Marula Oil - review here - Love, love, love! This oil worked so well in my hair and on my face. Already have another bottle on the go and a backup.

Tamanu Oil (in the Corpa bottle) - I had to transfer the oil into the Corpa Flora bottle because the original bottle kept leaking. How annoying! I don't find tamanu is working as well for my skin as it used to. I still highly recommend and will likely repurchase at some point.

*Odylique Lemon Butter Hand Smoothie - review here - This hand cream was a pleasure to use, despite not being fond of the lemongrass scent. It moisturized, without feeling greasy, and helped soothe eczema patches. Since the Andalou Sea Buckthorn hand cream works just as well, is less expensive, and easier to find in stores, I won't be repurchasing this one.

*Me & The Girls Moon Night Moisturizer (sample) - review here - I have to admit, I didn't use this on my face because it contains coconut oil, however, I did use it on my feet! It worked great to keep my feet supa dupa soft. Wouldn't repurchase though.

*Me & The Girls Moon Body Scrub & Foot Scrub (sample) - review here - Both of these scrubs were lovely. I enjoyed the fresh peppermint scent of the foot scrub over the lemony scent of the body scrub, but they had the exact same texture. Scrubs are one thing I never commit to, since I only ever end up using them on my hands, so I wouldn't purchase the full size of either. They are really nice though.

John Masters Blood Orange & Vanilla Body Wash - review here - oh-my-gosh, this body wash smelled so friggen good. I literally wanted to eat it! It lathered well and never left my skin feeling dry. Deep Steep is much more affordable, however, I certainly would repurchase this one just to switch it up.

Clean Well Antibacterial Soap in Spearmint Lime - Love that this hand soap contained no triclosan or other nasty bacteria killing crap. It also never dried out my hands, which is a bonus when you have eczema or are prone to it on your hands. Sadly, Clean Well is no longer available in Canada. Luckily, I still have 2 more bottles in my bathroom (lavender and orange vanilla).

Dr. Bronners Castile Soap in Peppermint - review here - This gigantic bottle took forever to use up. I use Dr. Bronners to clean my bathroom and alternate between peppermint and eucalyptus. Will be repurchasing soon.

*Zuzu Luxe Mascara in Onyx - review here - This was a fantastic mascara, but I found it got super clumpy too quickly. It's really expensive in Canada, so I won't be repurchasing right now.
*Pure Anada Pressed Foundation in Very Fair - review here - Great pressed foundation. Covered well and didn't really cling to dry patches, but it did smell a bit off (that's just the ingredients), the shade range is limited, and it constantly formed a crust on the top. While I love Pure Anada and their pressed shadows are my absolute favourites, the Zuzu Powder is much better and offers a wider shade selection (it's also more expensive though). Wouldn't repurchase.
What did you finish up this month?

*PR SAMPLE

Brand Focus: Gemstone Organic

Gemstone Organic is a very special and unique line created and founded by Debra Haugen. Whether you believe in the beneficial properties of gemstones and crystals or not, you can easily enjoy the other amazing ingredients and reap their benefits. I don't have a crystal or gemstone collection nor do I really have a concrete opinion on them, but the concept of the brand and limited number of ingredients is what really encouraged me to try out the products.

These unique essences are created from select crystals and powerful gemstones.
The energy of the earth, fire, water and air are all carried in the gemstones as they are being weathered and formed. Infused into purified and ionized water they create a highly vibrational, pH balanced H2O. Gemstone Essences offer your skin a revitalizing energy similar to mineral springs, which have been used for centuries as a regenerating modality for both internal and external healing.

Read more about the Gemstone Organic by reading this letter from the Founder, Debra Haugen.

They were kind enough to send me samples of the *Organic Calendula Gem Hydrosol and *Ruby Creme. Ruby was the only one that didn't contain coconut oil and my skin gets very irritated during the colder months, so it seemed like the perfect fit for me.

*Organic Calendula Gem Hydrosol (with Quartz Crystals): Healing and gentle for all skin types, use on abrasions, sun burns and skin disorders, fresh herbal and slightly floral scent, and infused with Quartz Crystals to renew and refresh body and spirit. Along with containing Quartz Crystals, this Hydrosol is Gem Essenced using color coded stones to work in conjunction with the plant, bringing its full healing potential to you. Keep these Quartz Crystal points long after you Hydrosol is gone!

Retails for $22.95 USD/4 oz, $14.95 USD/2 oz, or $10.95 USD/1 oz. Available in Calendula, Rose, Lavender, Wild Sage, Ylang Ylang, and Helichrysum.

I love calendula and I love hydrosols, seems like a match made in heaven no? It is! The mist that comes out of this little blue bottle is super fine and lovely. I hate when a toner/hydrosol basically spits in your face instead of evenly distributing the mist. The refreshing scent is both calming and uplifting, and I feel as though it instantly calms my skin when it's a bit red. The quartz crystal is actually at the bottom, you can hear it when you shake the bottle. Since I didn't receive a full sample (the tiny bottle pictured above only came about 1/4 full, if that), it was used up within a week of receiving it. Based on the short amount of time that I had to use it, I really enjoyed it and will be purchasing a full size once I use up some of the toners and floral waters that I currently have.

Ingredients: Calendula floral water/hydrosol and Quartz Crystal.

*Ruby Creme:  Organic Ruby is a face and body créme perfect for extra dry skin and skin conditions. Made with Gemstone Essence from Ruby and other select Crystals this créme raises skin temperature promoting circulation and the elimination of toxins, improving skin disorders. It is our only créme with Shea Butter and it's high Vitamin A content soothes dermatitis. Essential oils from Lavender and Sandalwood enhance blood circulation and are anti-inflammatory to the skin. Lemongrass and Neroli essential oils give this créme a fun and bright citrus scent.

Ruby is our Fire & Passion Créme. It connects your Root and Heart Chakras and brings wisdom in teaching you how precious you are. The oldest healing uses for Ruby gemstones have been found to be cleansing the blood of toxins. Ruby ignites your creativity with vivid strength, vitality and confidence. 

Retails for $24.95 USD. Available in Ruby, Rose Quartz, Moonstone, Jade, and Gold.

I. Love. This. Creme. Face creams are really hard for me to try, I'm always worried that they're going to break me out or mess up my skin, but this one blew me away. The scent of lemongrass is mild but uplifting as I inhale while massage it onto my skin every morning. The creme quickly melts between my fingers and applies beautifully to the skin, leaving a demi matte finish. Not quite matte, not quite luminous. Just perfection and a great base for makeup. It also immediately calms down my skin and takes down any redness, seriously! This little jar is jam packed with amazing ingredients to help nourish, heal, calm, and moisturize the skin. Oh, and don't be fooled by how small the jar is because a little goes a very long way. This jar also wasn't full, however, I still have some left after using it for a couple of months.

Ingredients: Hemp Oil*, Rose Water*, Gemstone Essence, Shea Butter*, Beeswax*, Capuacu Butter*, Babassu Oil*, Borage Oil*, Black Seed Oil*, Aloe Vera Powder*, Lavender*, Lemongrass*, Neroli* and Sandalwood* Essential Oils

*100% USDA Certified Organic

I am incredibly impressed by this brand and their products, and would 100% recommend to anyone. The cremes don't necessarily need to be used on the face, they can also be used on the body to help alleviate or keep skin ailments at bay, as well as soften super dry skin. One thing that I will note is that international shipping is a bit steep. If you live in the USA, shipping is free (I believe) so you're golden.

All products mentioned, and more, can be purchased through Gemstone Organic.

Have you ever tried this brand? Is there a particular product that you'd love to try of theirs?

                                                         

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