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

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.

Naked Organix Tamanu Cleansing Bar Review

I'm a soap and body wash lover, but lately I've been really into using soap. Probably because I have so much to use up. However, that didn't stop me from adding this this gem into my shopping cart to get free shipping from Well.ca. What really pushed me to get this, was the fact that it has tamanu in it and I LOOVEEEE tamanu. It has great antibacterial properties which is great for acne prone skin (whether you're oily or just get hormonal breakouts).

Description: Naked Organix Tamanu Cleansing Bar offers a concentrated plant-based formula to protect, repair and moisturize face and body. Hand crafted in small batches and contains only the finest quality organic, wild-crafted ingredients. NO Parabens • NO SLS • NO Gluten • NO Petrochemicals • NO Pthalates • NO Synthetic Ingredients • NO Fragrance

I originally bought this to use on my face because of the tamanu, but it dried out my face with the very first wash. Since my skin is dehydrated enough, I decided to use it on my body and it works like a freakin dream! I tend to get breakouts on my chest, shoulders, and back, and they have significantly reduced since using this soap. I mean, I'm sure the sun and lack of stress has helped a bit too. It provides a nice creamy lather, cleanses your skin well and washes away with ease. There's no strong scent, just smells a tad of tamanu, which is ideal for those who don't like scents or are sensitive to them. I will say that it's not super hydrating, so you may need to apply a moisturizer or body oil depending on your skin. I can definitely see myself repurchasing once I use up the million other bars of soap I have.

Retails for $5.99 CAN for a 4oz bar on Well.ca. Can also be purchased through Organix South.

The bars come in 5 types: Neem, Tamanu, Kukui, Sea Buckthorn, & Argan. Which would you like to try most?

Ingredients: Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil*, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil*, Elaeis Guineensis (Palm) Oil*, Sodium Hydroxide, Aqua/Water/Eau, Calophyllum Inophyllum (Tamanu) Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) +, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil*, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract.
*Certified Organic

December 2012 Faves!

I've decided not to do a 2012 favourites list because I have tried and fallen in (and out) of love with so many products and while some have been consistent, many have not.

Here is what I have loved this month...

Thayers Cucumber Witch Hazel Toner - review here - I have fallen in love with product again! It's so gentle and does a great job of cleansing/removing excess oil, makeup and cleanser.  I have added some lavender and clary sage essential oils to help with acne, balancing and soothing and really love the mix.

Evanhealy Lavender Facial Tonic Hydrosol (sample size) - review to come - Enjoyed this toner while it lasted and used it for the whole month of December.  It was a favourite of mine but not something I will be purchasing the full size of.

Eminence Apricot Whip Moisturizer (sample size) - revew here - I love this moisturizer and am still considering purchasing the full size once this sample is used up.  It smells nice, hydrates beautifully and doesn't irritate or break out my skin. Been loving it!

Tamanu Oil - review here - My original review was for Shea Terra's Tamanu oil but there was a little problem with it.  The oil was reacting with the rubber of the dropper and black rubber was getting into my oil.  They were nice enough to get me in contact with the manager of Healthy Planet (where I purchased it) to get it exchanged.  I didn't end up getting the Shea Terra one for fear of the same thing happening so I picked up Aura Cacia, it works exactly the same.  It's hydrating and great for healing any cuts, acne, burns, etc.  I love this oil!

Apricot Kernel Oil - no review -  I picked this up to make my own serums but have been loving it to remove makeup and as a facial moisturizer.  It absorbs and hydrates the skin beautifully without any negative reactions.  One of my new fave oils!

Hugo Naturals Vanilla & Sweet Orange Shower Gel - review here - I have been alternating this with my Hugo Soap all month long and really enjoy it.  Smells wonderful and cleanses without drying out my skin.

Kiss My Face Whenever Shampoo - review to come - This was a complete impulse buy which I'm glad happened because it's fantastic.  If I use it on it's own, it can be a drying to my scalp.  I find it works best when I alternate or even mix it with my JM because it cleans my hair and scalp without being drying. 

Zuzu Luxe Mascara - review here - Okay, I LOVE this mascara.  I have already purchased another one for when this one runs out or dries up.  I originally didn't enjoy it but since purchasing a new eye lash curler, I can't live without it! It makes my lashes so long and thick, doesn't flake or smudge and lasts all day. It's fantastic and I will continue repurchasing.

Everything in December has been a new love except my Tamanu Oil and Apricot Moisturizer.

What have you loved this month?  Any new or old loves?