Brand Focus: ZAYA Oils (+Giveaway: CLOSED)

If I haven't said the following enough, I'll say it again, I love finding local brands! Canadians make some incredible products and many of my favourite skin care and makeup items are made right here, eh. I was thrilled with Anna, one of the beauties behind the brand, reached out asking if I wanted to try out some products. They are based out of Toronto and handcraft each of their beautiful oils using only wild-harvested and organic ingredients. I had the pleasure of meeting Anna at the Green Living Show earlier this year and wow, what a friggen beauty! Her skin was flawless, along with the other two ladies (whose names I forgot because I'm a horrible person).

Anna offered to send whichever oils appealed to me, and based on the ingredients and scents, I picked the *Eye Oil ($69.90 CAD/30 ml), *Face Oil ($59.90 CAD/50 ml), *Belly Oil ($49.90 CAD/100 ml), and *Body Oil ($43.90 CAD/100 ml). All of them came housed in dark glass bottles with pumps, for freshness and easy dispensing, and gorgeously packaged inside of a chic cardboard box with their corresponding characters. While I don't leave the boxes on my dresser, because I like to keep it minimal, these boxes have worked well to store larger pieces of jewelry that are kept in my dresser. I absolutely adore the packaging and appreciate the effort to create an artistic piece that can be re-purposed.

Our strong belief in natural skin care is blended with our passion for elegant beauty. We create them in desire to remind women that their beauty has countless number of faces. To inspire them to bring out their natural beauty, to be different, but irresistibly charming and elegant every day! 

All our products are created in Canada (Toronto) in our own facility using only natural, wild-harvested and organic ingredients. The product compositions are thoroughly developed by the team of PhD chemists who have 15 years of experience on the natural skincare market. No synthetic ingredients ever cross the doorway of our manufacturing site. Our manufacturing is cruelty free and not harmful for the environment.

Like many responsible businesses nowadays we are trying our best to use only recyclable and environmentally friendly materials to package our products. The carton boxes we use are made of 100% recycled paper [and can be used as a jewelry box]. Our bottles are made from beautiful high quality dark violet glass that offers optimal protection against the ageing processes that are released by visible light. So, you can make sure that the potency of our blends will not decrease over a long time period.

Read more about ZAYA Oils here.

*Eye Oil Rosewood "The Magestic One": This oil blend was specially created to nurture and restore the delicate areas around your eyes. When applied in the morning, it hydrates the skin, helping your eyes look fresh throughout the day. When used in the evening, it gently removes makeup, while revitalizing and nourishing the skin. 

Since I've started incorporating more oils into my skin care regime, I've found that my eyes don't get nearly as dry as they used to. That means that I no longer use creams or oils specifically designed for the eye area. Still, I decided to try out this oil for its intended purpose. By day 2, I had already forgotten to apply it. Now, I use one to two pumps to breakdown and remove eye makeup at night. The combination of sweet almond, rice bran, and macadamia nut oil leave my lashes and eyes well moisturized, even after removing with a cloth, but never feels greasy or heavy. The sweet and floral scent of rosewood is gorgeous and subtle. If you're into eye products, this is definitely one to try.

 

*Face Oil Rosewood "The Stunning One": This oil blend was specially created to delicately moisturize the skin without leaving the greasy feeling on your face. Carefully selected combination of oils deeply moisturizes your skin giving you a radiant glow

Ohhh how I love this face oil. It is loaded with sesame, evening primrose, grapeseed, and sweet almond oil, yet never feels greasy or heavy on my skin and absorbs quickly. The scent of rosewood is beautiful and I rarely get whiffs of geranium, which is a scent that normally bothers me. I apply one pump, in the P.M., to love my skin while I sleep. When I wake up, my skin is plump and well nourished. In the morning, I mix half a pump with a dime sized amount of moisturizer to create the perfect base for makeup. It hasn't irritated or broken out my sensitive, hormonal skin. Instead, it's helped calm redness, reduce dry patches, and even out my skin tone. Gorgeous, gorgeous oil and definitely my favourite of the four.

*Belly Oil Vanilla & Petitgrain "The Loving One": Specially created for Mothers-to-Be this oil blend nourishes your skin and maintains its natural elasticity. So comforting to the skin, it relaxes your body and soothes your mind. Pamper yourself and your little bean!

Before anyone asks, I'm not nor was I pregnant. I selected this belly oil based on the scent alone and I'm glad so that I did! The warm, smokey, and slightly spicy blend of vanilla and petitgrain make this oil a delight in the colder months and before bed. A little goes a long way, it absorbs into the skin with ease, and leaves the skin well moisturized. It contains sweet almond, rice bran, apricot, and macadamia nut oils, plus a few others, which I find to be rich enough to moisturize but light enough to properly absorb. Apricot kernal oil is actually one of my favourites!

*Body Oil "The Alluring One": Specially selected combination of oils keeps your skin hydrated and balanced. Giving your body a boost of nutritive energy this blend promotes the firm and smooth appearance of your skin.

This body oil is slightly thicker, due to the avocado and castor oils, but still absorbs really well. I absolutely love the combination of rosemary and grapefruit, it's fruity but still fresh and herbal. I have only been using it for about a week, but think it'll definitely be a love of mine through the warmer months, mainly because of the uplifting scent.

Get them here: ZAYA Oils, and these retailers.


GIVEAWAY TIME! - CONGRATS SHELBY!

• Follow ZAYA Oils on at least two of the following: Twitter, Instagram, and/or Facebook.
• Follow Live It, Love It, Green it on Twitter and/or Instagram.
• Comment below telling us how your incorporate oils into your daily skin care routine, as well the names associated with the social media outlets in which you followed us on.
• Open to residents of the the USA and Canada only.
• Must be legal age of majority or have permission from your parent(s)/guardian(s).
• Winner will get to choose any two products of their choice, which can be view here.
• Winner will be chosen by ZAYA Oils and announced on social media.
• Contest will start on Tuesday, May 12th and end at 11:59 P.M. EST on Wednesday, May 27th, 2015.

Good luck!

P.S. If you like patchouli, the hair oil smells delicious. I was worried it would smell too much like ylang ylang, but was pleasantly surprised when I sniffed it at the Green Living Show.

*Products provided for review consideration. ZAYA Oils was kind enough to offer one of my readers the opportunity to try out two of their products. All opinions are entirely my own.

Eye Oil Ingredients: Prunus Dulcis (sweet almond) oil*, Oryza Sativa (rice) bran oil, Macadamia Ternifolia (macadamia nut) seed oil*, Punicagranatum (pomegranate) seed oil, Triticum Vulgare (wheat) germ oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (jojoba) seed oil*, Aniba Rosaeodora wood (rosewood) essential oil. 

Face Oil Ingredients: Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) seed oil*, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) oil*, Vitis vinifera (Grape) seed oil, Prunus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) oil*, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) germ oil, Camellia oleifera (Camellia) Seed Oil*, Aniba Rosaeodora wood (Rosewood) essential oil, Pelargonium graveolens (Geranium) essential oil*.

Belly Oil Ingredients: Prunus Dulcis (sweet almond) oil*, Oryza Sativa (rice) bran oil, Prunus Armeniaca (apricot) kernel oil*, Macadamia Ternifolia (macadamia nut) seed oil, Sesamum Indicum (sesame) seed oil*, Triticum Vulgare (wheat) germ oil, Vanilla Planifolia (vanilla) CO2extract*, Citrus Aurantium (petitgrain) essential oil*

Body Oil Ingredients: Prunus Dulcis (sweet almond) oil*, Oryza Sativa (rice) bran oil, Macadamia Ternifolia (macadamia nut) seed oil, Triticum Vulgare (wheat) germ oil, Persea Gratissima (avocado) oil, Ricinus Communis (castor) seed oil*, Citrus Paradisi peel (pink grapefruit) essential oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis (rosemary) essential oil*

*Organic

Brand Focus: Meow Meow Tweet

Meow Meow Tweet. Meeeooow Meeeeooow Tweet. I just love saying that name, anyone else? It's fun, sassy, and creative, much like the packaging and Founders/Creators (Tara and Jeff). This small batch, American, company has been blowing up, and with good reason. Their products are well thought out and made with nothing but pure love. I've actually already reviewed their Lavender Deodorant Cream. Since then, MMT has kindly sent me a bunch of a samples to try out and one in particular has blown my mind.

MMT sent me a sample of their *Rosemary Lime Soap, *Face + Body Toning Mist, *Cocoa Lip Balm (full size), *Face Oil, *Cocoa Cream, and *Tea Tree Lavender Baking Soda Free Deodorant Cream. Ingredients for each of these products will be listed at the very end of this post.

*Rosemary Lime Soap: This soap is a real treat. I've been using it to wash my hands and absolutely adore the bits of cornmeal that gently exfoliate. The scent is light and fresh, and I love how well it melts makeup off of my hands. Also, I love that they don't use palm oil in their soaps. I got my eye on their Cinnamon Coffee bar and Grapefruit Mint bar.

*Cocoa Cream: This chocolate smelling goodness is super rich and nourishing. It melts on contact with the skin and soaks right in. I love that this contains absolutely no waxes, it's just rich oils and butters. I'm saving it for the polar vortex weather (*cries*)!
Retails for $18 usd/$22 cdn for 2 oz.

*Tea Tree Lavender Baking Soda Free Deodorant Cream: This deodorant doesn't work well for me. I hate the strong tea tree scent and find that I get stinky within a couple of hours. This is not available, it was kindly custom blended for me. However, they do have a baking soda free deodorant that actually does work and IS available. Keep scrolling to read about it :).

*Face + Body Toning Mist in Geranium Basil: Tara had mentioned that this could work well to soothe and deodorize my irritated pits, it did. I also tried it on my face and enjoyed how refreshing it was. Given that the sample is so small, I think it's great to determine scent preference. I'm not a fan of geranium, although it's great for the skin, and wasn't keen on the overall scent of this mist.
Retails for $22 usd/$27 cdn for 112 ml.

*Face Oil: This facial oil is packed with exceptional oils, however, I found the essential oil blend a bit strong. I think it's the vetiver that just takes over and lingers. In the warmer months, it worked amazingly well as a base for my makeup. It provided enough moisture, but was light enough to keep me from feeling or getting greasy during the day. It balanced my skin perfectly. Now that it's colder, this doesn't cut it for my dry skin. I will definitely consider purchasing a full size next summer and recommend giving it a go if you live somewhere warm or have oily skin.
Retails for $25 usd/$30 cdn for 27 ml.

*Cocoa Lip Balm: Cocoa butter based lip balms are some of my absolutely faves, they tend to work so well for my lips and this is no exception. It's rich, moisturizing, delicious, and amazing. My only issue is that cocoa butter tends to melt and solidify with temperature changes (obviously), making the texture a bit rough. Luckily, it hasn't happened with this one yet. This is probably one of my favourite lip balms to date.

Retails for $5 usd/$6.50 cdn for .16 oz.

*Baking Soda Free Deodorant Cream in Grapefruit (mind blown!): I saved the best for last! Spoiler alert, the full size (pictured on the left) was purchased with my own money from Glam Goes Green. Tara sent me a surprise package containing a sample (pictured on the right) of this deodorant. The fresh grapefruit scent is uplifting and instantly intoxicated my nasal passage. For all of you baking soda sensitive people out there, this is the only deodorant you will ever need! It keeps me stink free all damn day, without irritating my pits, AND I can safely perform spa services without worrying about stinking. I'm in love and highly, highly recommend giving it a try! Full size retails for $13 USD/$15 CDN for 2.4 oz.
All products mentioned, and more, can be purchased through Meow Meow Tweet (including minis), Well.ca, and Glam Goes Green (only carries the deodorant). What are some of your favourite MMT products?
*Products provided with no mention of review consideration. All opinions are entirely my own.

Rosemary Lime Soap Ingredients: *olive oil, *coconut oil, *sunflower oil, *castor oil, *shea butter, +sodium hydroxide, *cornmeal, and essential oils of rosemary and lime
*certified organic,
+none remains after saponifying oils

Cocoa Cream Ingredients: *hempseed oil, *virgin coconut oil, *cocoa butter, and *shea butter
*organic ingredient

Tea Tree Lavender Baking Soda Free Deodorant Cream: *virgin coconut oil, *jojoba oil, *shea butter, *arrowroot powder, kaolin clay, tea tree and lavender essential oil
*organic ingredient

Face + Body Toning Mist in Geranium Basil Ingredients: Wild Harvested Witch Hazel, *Rose Water, *Lavender Water, Vegetable Glycerin, Essential Oils
*organic ingredient

Face Oil Ingredients: *hempseed oil, *jojoba oil, *sesame oil, essential oils of *carrot seed, *juniper, *patchouli & *vetiver
*organic ingredient

Cocoa Lip Balm Ingredients: *hempseed oil, *virgin coconut oil, candelilla wax, *cocoa butter 

*organic ingredient Baking Soda Free Deodorant Cream in Grapefruit: *arrowroot powder, *shea butter, magnesium hydroxide, *virgin coconut oil, *jojoba oil, *grapefruit, *bergamot, *lemon and *sweet orange essential oils
*organic ingredient

Brand Focus: Shamanuti

As a beauty blogger, I would say it's pretty clear that I love trying new products even if my skin doesn't always agree. When Shamanuti contacted me to try out a few items from their line, I couldn't resist! Aside from the fantastic ingredients list, it was their Pumpkin Enzyme Masque that sold me.

Picture courtesy of Shamanuti

Shamanuti was started and created by Beth Hopkins in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It's "simple skincare for complicated creatures", love that! There's actually a fantastic interview with Beth, over on the Martha Stewart blog, about the brand. It's a good read, check it out.   They were kind enough to send me the Activated Charcoal Cleanser, Pumpkin Enzyme Masque, Face Oil, and a sample packet of Creme No. 1 (haven't tried yet). All products come in beautiful glass bottles, very eco friendly, and black chic labels.  

Activated Charcoal Cleanser Description: This unique cleanser utilizes the properties of activated charcoal to neutralize acidity and absorb impurities as well as to gently exfoliate the skin with maple extract. This versatile product is beneficial for all skin types including sensitive or problem skin and is very effective as a treatment for reducing acne, rosacea and eczema. It works as an excellent shaving cream and deodorizing body wash. Retails for $28 USD for 4 oz/120 ml or $10 USD for 1 oz/30 ml.

I've tried this cleanser a couple of times and it's left my face red and irritated. Before you write it off completely, it should be noted that Winter brings out the worst in my skin and I can only really use oil and cream cleansers. So why am I even mentioning this cleanser? It's been reducing the breakouts on my chest, shoulders and back without irritating those areas. My goal is to continue using it, as such, until there's only about half left, then save it until the weather warms up and try it on my face again. It smells like tea tree, but different. It's hard to explain. Considering it's a gel-like texture, is doesn't suds up. Instead it just creates a creamy lather. I find the list of soothing, calming, brightening, and bacteria fighting ingredients impressive and hope that it works on my facial skin come Spring/Summer. Final verdict will be on an empties post.

Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Lavendula angustifolia (Organic Lavender) Distillate, Anthemis nobilis (Roman Chamomile) Distillate, Sodium Cocoamphaecetate, Decyl Glucoside, Aspalathus lineans (Organic Rooibos Tea) Tincture, Vaccinium myrtillus (Organic Bilberry) Extract, Saccharum officinarum (Organic Sugar Cane) Extract, Acer saccharinum (Organic Sugar Maple) Extract, Citrus auranium dulcis (Organic Orange) Extract, Citrus medica limonum (Organic Lemon) Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Glucolactone, Vaccinium macrocarpon (Organic Cranberry) Extract, Vegetable Glycerin, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Activated Charcoal, Melaleuca alternifolia (Tea Tree) Essential Oil, dl-Panthenol (Pro-Vitamin B5), Dimethylaminoethanol (DMAE), Hydrogen Peroxide, Citric Acid

Face Oil Description: Nourishes, moisturizes and protects skin with Evening Primrose, Jojoba, Meadowfoam, Carrot, Cranberry seed, and Vitamin E oils. A penetrating blend of antioxidants that seal in moisture. Use on face and neck and as a nourishing treatment for cuticles and nails. 
Retails for $34 USD for .5 oz/15 ml.

The excitement that I felt when I opened up this oil cannot even be put into words. Actually, it can. I WAS SO EXCITED!! Oils are amazing all year round, but they are especially wonderful for my dry, sensitive skin right now. All of the oils used in this are high in omegas and antioxidants, making them super nourishing and free radical fighting; Evening primrose is high in omega 6, cranberry seed oil is high in omega 3 and 6 as well as antioxidants like vitamin E, meadowfoam seed oil is slightly waxy and helps to create a barrier that locks in moisture, and carrot seed oil is fantastic for dry and mature skin, as well as wrinkles and fine lines. I have been using this oil in the morning and find it absorbs well, so well that it doesn't even leave a dewy sheen behind, yet still moisturizes my skin. I've also been using it around my eyes and have noticed my concealer applies a lot smoother. It smells earthy, but isn't overpowering and doesn't linger. It hasn't broken out my skin or irritated it at all. It's a beautiful oil with beautiful ingredients, glad to have it in my collection.

Ingredients: Oenotherera Biennis(Evening Primrose) Oil, Vaccinium Macrocarpon (Cranberry seed) oil, Simmondsia chinensis (Jojoba) Oil, Limnanthes alba (Meadowfoam) Oil, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Daucus carota (Carrot) Oil

Pumpkin Enzyme Masque Description: Shamanuti Pumpkin Masque is rich in natural antioxidants and enzymes. These, and over 100 beneficial nutrients, increase the rate of cell renewal transforming dull complexions to bright and healthy skin. Comparable to the effects of alpha hydroxyl acids, this organic face masque rejuvenates skin while protecting its natural protective mantle.

Retails for $32 USD for 1 oz/30 ml.

Ahh, the mask that peaked my interest. When I first saw this on their website, I immediately thought of the Andalou Naturals Pumpkin Honey Glycolic Mask. I also thought, "$32 for 20 ml!? Can't be THAT good". For starters, it smells friggen delicious (like pumpkin pie) and I want to eat it. The jar is 20 ml less than Andalou's and 2x the price, is it worth it? It depends.

No if you have a hyper-sensitive or sensitive skin type, can't get your hands on it, allergic to any of the ingredients, or can't afford it. Yes because you only need a very small amount of product and only need to leave it on for a few minutes (10 or less) to get beautiful, radiant, and soft skin. With Andalou's, I'd leave it on for up to 20 minutes. I'm a rebel. They both perform and deliver great results, however, I think there are many people who would benefit from or enjoy a more intense enzymatic exfoliation such as this one.  I have sensitive skin all year round, more so in the Winter as previously mentioned many times, and find this mask can be a little aggressive on my cheek area sometimes. That being said, a scrub would be even more irritating. I'm a complicated creature, what can I say!? So for me, this makes the perfect once a week exfoliating treatment. It preps my skin for better absorption of oils and creams, helps clear up acne without spreading bacteria around my face, and brightens any acne scars. If you can get your hands on a sample of this stuff, it's very much worth trying first.

Ingredients: Cucurbita pepo (Pumpkin), Vaccinium myrtillus (Bilberry) Fruit extract, Saccharum officinarum (Sugar Cane) Extract, Acer saccharinum (Sugar Maple) Extract, Citrus aurantium dulcis (Orange) Fruit Extract, Citrus medica limonum (Lemon) Extract, Aqua (Water), Vegetable Glycerin, Glycolic Acid, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Sodium Benzoate, Glucolactone, Limnanthes alba (Meadowfoam) Oil, Xanthan Gum (Polysaccharide Gum), Cinnamomum cassia (Cinnamon) Bark, Zingiber officinale (Ginger) Root Powder,, Myristica fragrans (Nutmeg) Powder, Pimenta officinalis (Allspice) Powder, Rosmarinus officnalis (Rosemary Oleoresin), Azadirachta indica (Neem) Oil
Overall, I've been incredibly impressed with Shamanuti. Given the state of my skin and crazy weather, the  Face Oil is the stand out product because of it's nourishing and skin loving ingredients.   Want to try out Shamanuti? Head over to their online shop and use **coupon code 'ecodiva1' to get a free 1 oz  Seaweed Toner with the purchase of $50 or more.    Which of their products tickle your fancy most? *All products mentioned were provided for review consideration. All opinions are my own.  **Coupon code was created for Eco Chic Beauty Diva readers, however, I make nothing from it. Absolutely nada.