September 2014 Empties

Another day, another bundle of trash to share with you all. My empties really need no introduction.

*Shamanuti Face Oil - review here - I've had this facial oil since January, probably even before that actually, and have loved it as an eye serum. It never gave me milia, wasn't strongly fragranced, and worked to moisturize the delicate eye area. Since I have so many other oils, I will not be repurchasing this one right now.

*Gemstone Organic Calendula Hydrosol - review here - I'm a huge fan of calendula and hydrosols, so you already know I like this one. There was only enough in the bottle to use a handful of times. May purchase a full size.

*evie Amazingly Soothing Makeup Remover - review here - Loved how well this cleanser removed makeup and how well it rinsed off. The smell was very faint but towards the end, it started to smell different...stale, if you will. Not sure I'd repurchase based on that alone.

Pretty Rose Petal & Oatmeal Cleansing Grains - review here - These were my favourite cleansing grains of the two that I've tried and I've had this since January! It worked well as a second and morning cleanse to gentle exfoliate and promote circulation. Will be repurchasing at some point.

*New Leaf Naturals Chamomile Lemongrass Foaming Hand Soap - review here - Lovely company, lovely soap, but too drying for my hands. Will not repurchase.

*Sigrid Simply Beautiful Unscented Body Butter - This body butter has three ingredients; water, beeswax, and olive oil. I questioned how long it could really last without a preservative, especially since there's water in it. I didn't enjoy the olive oil scent and had to add in some peppermint and lavender EO to make it tolerable. Loved it on my feet in the summer time but would not repurchase.

*Organic Bath Co. Zesty Morning Scrub - review here - I stand behind my review of this scrub, sooooo good! It smells like fresh oranges, works well to exfoliate without being too abrasive and I love that the company gives back. I'm hoping they'll be available in Canada soon so that I can repurchase!

*Huckleberry Limoncello Peel/Mask - review here - Incredible! There's not much else to say. Would purchase more if they were available in Canada or would just pick up a large size of the peel if that was available at all.

Living Libations Wild Child Healthy Gum Drops - review here - Love these drops! They're mild and I swear they've been helping my sensitive gums. I've already repurchased and mix it with a salt water mixture to use as a mouth rinse.

Living Libations Frankincense Tooth Paste - Hated the taste and texture of this toothpaste. It also ended up irritating my mouth and leaving me with canker sores, which I haven't had since going natural with my toothpaste. Will not repurchase this particular one.

*Meow Meow Tweet Face+Body Toning Mist in Geranium Basil - There wasn't much in this baby tube to determine whether I liked the formula, but I certainly decided that I didn't like the scent.

Boscia Blotting Papers - I've had these for years and years. They worked well and, as you can see, were well loved. Not sure if these are even still available but I'd repurchase. MarieNatie Lip Gloss in Love Struck - review here -  I love the formula and scent of MarieNatie lip glosses. This one had more pigmentation than the other 2 that I've tried, however, it was still pretty sheer. Would 100% repurchase. *Sappho Liquid Foundation in Rachel - review here - Sappho makes THE best (liquid) foundation that I have ever tried. There are certainly some downfalls, like how it oxidizes, but I still love how natural it looks on my skin and how well it wears. Rachel is a great shade match when I'm tanned, however, I have purchased Leisha (a shade lighter) and am using that now. I've had this bottle for well over a year and have had Leisha since December. The bottle is small but a little goes a long way and is totally worth the $52 price tag! *Red Apple Lipstick The Lash Project Mascara (not pictured) - review here - I've tossed out my RAL mascara after using it for a month because it dried out. I mean, it was already dry but I literally couldn't get any on my lashes anymore. Would not repurchase.
What have you finished up this month?  *PR SAMPLE

Brand Focus: Living Libations

I'd like to thank Sonja, from Life in Blush, for my new current obsession with Living Libations. Her rave reviews have really encouraged me to take the next step from website stalking to actually placing an order. Not sure that this beautiful Canadian line needs much of an introduction but, here's one anyways.

The beautiful Nadine

Living Libations Skin Care Created by Nadine Artemis, botanical muse shaping effable plant-light into palpable consecrations to blush senses and muse imaginations... 

The official biography of Nadine Artemis begins when she first pulls out flasks of essential oils to recreate Nina Ricci’s L’Air du Temps for a school science fair project. These botanical-inclinations led to took her on adventures creating organic healing balms, reviving elixirs and perfumed poetry for the natural yearnings of many, receiving glowing reviews in the Hollywood Reporter, New York Times and the National Post. Nadine has addressed gatherings at conferences, television and so on.

Read more about Living Libations here.

After much deliberation, I decided to pick up a travel sized Seabuckthorn Shampoo, Wild Child Healthy Gum Drops, and Neem Enamelizer Toothpaste.

                            

Neem Enamelizer Toothpaste: Our Neem*Enamelizer ToothPaste keeps your salvia levels balanced and alkaline, ensuring that tooth enamel stays healthily mineralized. This alkalinizing polish combines cinnamon, coconut oil, saponified olive oil, neem, and sodium bicarbonate. Squeeze a tiny pearl of Neem*Enamelizer ToothPaste onto a dry toothbrush for fortifying results. Avoid while pregnant.
Retails for $16 CDN/USD for 15 ml or $30 CDN/USD for 25 ml.

I'll just start by saying that this toothpaste tastes absolutely awful! If you've ever taken a whiff of neem then you'll know what I'm talking about. Also, the baking soda leaves behind a bitter taste and sometimes makes my skin red. I'm a messy brusher, sometimes it gets on the outside of my lips. Go ahead, pretend like that never happens to you.... Aside from that, it is hands down the best toothpaste that I have ever used. My teeth are noticeably whiter, cleaner, and my gums are less sensitive and hardly bleed at all whilst flossing. It is quite pricey, but totally worth it for a healthy mouth. I've had this little jar for a couple of months now and still have some left. You only need a tiny amount on a dry toothbrush for your entire mouth, morning and night. For fear of running out and having to use anything other than Living Libations, I recently picked up a jar of their Healthy Gums Clay Toothpaste. I've only used it once, but I can tell you that I much prefer the fresh peppermint taste of the Healthy Gums Toothpaste over the Neem Enamelizer.

Wild Child Healthy Gum Drops: Our Wild Child Healthy Gum Drops formula is a milder, gentler version of our Healthy Gum Drops for children. Organic ingredients of seabuckthorn berry, jojoba, peppermint, rose, clove cinnamon, oregano, tea tree and thyme linalool to deeply clean and get in between each tooth. Add a drop to toothbrush, mouth rinse, massage into gums, or glide a drop over dental floss to cleanse the tiny spaces in between the teeth. Created for Children under 9 years.
Milder version of our effective Healthy Gum Drops formula. Retails for $15 CDN/USD for 5 ml or $45 CDN/USD for 15 ml.

Okay, so I'm clearly not under the age of 9 but I was scared that I'd hate the taste of the adult gum drops and figured that I couldn't go wrong with a, "milder, gentler version". Logical thinking people, that's what I'm all about. This a step in my oral care routine that I've never had before and never thought I'd need. I mean really, gum drops? The more that I read about the benefits of each carefully blended essential oil, the more I needed them in my life. No regrets here! Years of brushing too hard has caused a few of my gums to recede a bit, so I have been massaging a drop (morning and night) on those specific areas. What a difference! Between these drops and the toothpaste, most of the sensitivity that I was experiencing is gone! These drops also leave my mouth feeling supa dupa fresh. 

Seabuckthorn Shampoo: Ordain your mane, consecrate your crew, and bless your hair in the botanical wisdom of our Seabuckthorn Shampoo. Undress your tresses from chemical duress withtried and true herbal infusions that benefit all hair types. This shampoo will glorify your luscious locks and is beautiful for babies, children, as a bubble bath, and body wash too. Retails for $7 CDN/USD for 1 oz, $25 CDN/USD for 120 ml, $40 CDN/USD for 250 ml

I was especially excited, and disappointed, by this shampoo. The ingredients are exceptional and it's intoxicating scent is hard to deny but, it didn't work for my hair at all. With fine, straight hair and dermatitis on my scalp, I was left feeling itchy and my hair looked greasy by the time it was done drying. It's a very runny consistency and doesn't lather all that much, which is normal for truly natural shampoos. I can't get over the minty, earthy, sweet, scent of this shampoo. It's gorgeous! While I couldn't use it as a shampoo, it made for a fantastic body wash. Given my hair situation, this is still a shampoo worth checking out.

Living Libations is a line that I look forward to exploring more of. Their beautifully hand-crafted products and high quality ingredients have already won my mouth over and I'm sure will win yours as well. I highly recommend checking out their website, as it is chock full of useful information including a break down of the benefits of each ingredient used and even videos.

Living Libations does ship internationally. You can also find their products at The Big Carrot and Healthy Hut Boutique.

What's your favourite Living Libations product?

Neem Enamelizer Toothpaste Ingredients: Cinnamon, coconut oil, saponified olive oil, neem, sodium bicarbonate, and spring water.
Wild Child Gum Drops Ingredients: Organic ingredients of seabuckthorn berry, jojoba, peppermint, rose, clove cinnamon, oregano, tea tree and thyme linalool
Seabuckthorn Shampoo Ingredients: Organic and/or wild crafted ingredients with pure spring water: herbal infusions of calendula, red clover, oats, coltsfoot, horsetail, comfrey, nettles, chamomile, and bladderwrack seaweed in golden jojoba oil; yucca and coco-protein to saponify; orange wax; supercritical extracts of seabuckthorn berry, sage, and rosemary; and essential oils of grapefruit, peppermint, vetiver, and lime.

Nature's Gate Toothpaste Review

I long to find the best natural toothpaste for me. I originally fell in love with Kiss My Face and have repurchased many tubes of it, however, it's price forced me to look elsewhere. I stumbled across Nature's Gate Gel toothpaste at the supermarket, on sale, and couldn't resist picking it up.

Description: Brushing with our great tasting fluoride-free Cool Mint Gel Toothpaste helps reduce dental plaque build-up and brightens teeth while freshening breath and promoting oral health. Our unique formula contains an exclusive blend of 7 oral health botanicals to leave your mouth feeling minty clean and refreshed.

The Good:

• gel texture - I hate cream/paste textured toothpastes, they're gross
• minty fresh
• fantastic price point
• great size
• light foaming action

The Bad:

• contains glycerin

Verdict: I can honestly say that I enjoyed this toothpaste and didn't have any actual complaints. I was ready to repurchase over, and over again until Caitie, from Naturalla Beauty, did a post about a glycerin free toothpaste and mentioned a little about why glycerin is bad for our teeth. Being easily paranoid, I started researching for myself and decided that I'd like to cut it out from my toothpaste. All that being said, people have brushed their teeth with all sorts of things for hundreds of years and never had any problems. We make decisions based on what we think is best for us and if you decide that glycerin is fine, then you'll really enjoy Nature's Gate. It left my teeth cleaner, brighter, and breath fresher.

Retails for approx. $4.99 CAN and can be purchased at most health food and/or grocery stores.

What are your thoughts on glycerin in toothpaste?