I apologize it’s been awhile since the last post. I’ve been insanely busy with a new job but I’m starting to come up for air. Rest assured that regardless of the publication cadence of this blog, I’m always sampling products while iving and breathing green beauty! I wanted to report out on my natural beauty favorites from Summer 2015 before we’re deep into Fall.

The interesting thing about posting favorites from a few month back is that I can add additional perspective now that some time has lapsed. Here are some of the products I loved during this past summer.

Josh Rosebrook Caco Antioxidant Mask  
As you may know, I adore Josh Rosebrook skin products. I was in the mood to get some more uses out of this mask before retiring it for Fall. This mask is ultra luxurious, effective and reminds me chocolate truffles I love to indulge in during the holidays. Product description: “A powerful skin brightening and rejuvenating product that detoxifies, tones, firms and exfoliates the skin. Users experience a clearer, firmer and brighter complexion after the first treatment. NO animal testing, parabens, sulfates, petro-chemicals, synthetic ingredients, preservatives, colors, fillers, fragrances or GMOs.”

Ingredients: STRUCTURED VITAMIN WATER, DISTILLED WATER, ORGANIC CACAO (COCOA) POWDER, ORGANIC WITCH HAZEL EXTRACT, VINEGAR, ORGANIC OILS OF: ALMOND AND GRAPE SEED, HERBAL INFUSIONS OF: LAVENDER FLOWERS, GINKGO LEAF, ALFALFA, BILBERRY, NEEM LEAF, COMFREY, MARSHMALLOW ROOT, SKULLCAP, ST. JOHN’S WORT, YERBA MATE, SAGE, BLADDERWRACK, PAPAYA LEAF, HAWTHORN BERRY AND CLARY SAGE. ORGANIC COQ10ORGANIC ESSENTIALOILS OF: ORANGE, LAVENDER, ROSEMARY, CALENDULA. $60 You can find it here:

Vapour Stratus Soft Focus Skin Perfector in 902  
I had this product for awhile and didn’t give it much of a try until I read a rave review. This is  a multi-purpose product; moisturizer, skin care and perfecting foundation base all in one. It’s very emollient and may be greasy for oily skin (it’s OK for me since I’m on the dry side. I’ve tried applying this product two ways: 1. Combine it with some Vapour Soft Focus foundation. 2. Follow it with a powder foundation. The product perfects pores, keeps your face moist and dewy all day long and has great staying power.

Ingredients: Organic Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Oil, Organic Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Silica, Organic Cera Alba (Beeswax), Lauroyl Lysine, Mica, Organic Sambucus Nigra (Elderberry) Fruit Extract, Organic Lecithin, Organic Cucurbita Pepo (Pumpkin) Seed Oil, Organic Papain (Papaya) Extract, Solanum Lycopersicon (Tomato) Fruit/Leaf/Stem Extract, Canarium Luzonicum (Elemi) Gum Nonvolatiles, Commiphora Myrrha (Myrrh) Gum Oil, Eriocephalus Punctulatus (Cape Camomile) Oil, Tocopherol (Natural Vitamin E), Wildcrafted Boswellia Carterii (Frankincense) Gum, Organic Ocimum Sanctum (Tulsi/Holy Basil) Leaf Extract, Organic Nelumbo Nucifera (Lotus) Leaf Extract, Pogostemon Cablin Oil [may contain +/- Titanium Dioxide (CI77891) Iron Oxide (CI77491), Carmine (CI75470)] $ 48 Find it here:

Pai Camilia & Rose Gentle Hydrating Cleanser   
This product has remained my #1 eye makeup remover for almost a year and it’s also a wonderfully gentle morning cleanser or end of day makeup remover. I had been using oil cleaners religiously and realized I had a large container of this cleanser to use up before it expired. When I started using this cleanser regularly again, I fell in love with it all over again.

Ingredients: Rose, camellia aqua, camellia sinensis seed oil*, ricinus communis (castor) seed oil*, prunus amygdalus dulcis (sweet almond) oil*, cetearyl alcohol, vegetable glycerine*, butyrospermum parkii (shea) butter* , cetearyl glucoside, rosa damascena (rose otto) oil*, pelargonium graveolens (geranium) oil*, lavandula officinalis (lavender) flower oil*, litsea cubeba fruit oil* – may chang oil, mixed tocopherols (natural vitamin e), sodium lauroyl lactylate, sodium anisate, sodium levulinate, lactic acid, glyceryl stearate citrate $ 50 Find it here:

Studio 28 Bronzer  
I had been dying to try Studio 28 for awhile and chose this product since I was in the “bronzing” mood for summer, This bronzer is lovely and was love at first try. This is a baked formula that is velvety smooth and picks up easily with a soft brush. A weird thing happened in June – this bronzer crumbled into pieces. When I received it from Amazon, I noticed the product wasn’t a perfectly smooth pressed compact and there were some irregularity in the smoothness of the compact. I believe the product was damaged and it was just a matter of time before it broke apart. The original product is usable, just a little tricky to get a small amount of product on your brush. I liked the product enough to give it another try and purchased it again – this time in the lighter shade White Sand which is better for my skin tone. Great stuff.

Ingredients: Mica, zea mays starch*, squalane, zinc stearate, cocos nucifera oil*, helianthus annuus seed oil*, prunus armeniaca kernel oil*, persea gratissima oil*, chamomilla recutita flower extract*, parfum, benzyl alcohol, dehydroacetic acid, limonene, linalool. May contain : ci 77891, ci 77491, ci 77492, ci 77499. $43. Find it here:

Spectrum Cosmetics Loose Eye Shadow in Driftwood   
I looked long and hard for an eyeshadow that would add natural looking definition to my brows and this product hits the mark.  This matte grey/brown powder is just perfect for adding natural looking definition. The cool toned product doesn’t contain any of the annoying warmness of many brow products. It’s a real winner and so affordable!

Ingredients: Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Magnesium Stearate, Iron Oxide, D&C Black #2, Polyester3  $3.50 Find it here:

Silk Naturals Eyeshadow in Exposed and Focus  
I bought several eye shadows in an attempt to mimic my favorite shades from the Urban Decay Naked Basics palate. These are nice shadows and are made without talc, binders, bismuth oxychloride, or preservatives. Walk of Shame is one of my favorite UD eye shadows and Exposed is working out great as an “better than bare” overall eye color. Exposed Ingredients: Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, Magnesium Myristate, Magnesium Stearate, Boron Nitride, Silica. Also contains: Iron Oxides.

Focus is a taupe tone with just the faintest hint of pearl. It’s great as a crease color and dupe for Naked 2. Focus Ingredients: Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Magnesium Myrsistate, Magnesium Stearate, Boron Nitride, Silica. Also contains: Iron Oxides $4.99  Find these shadows here:

What did you love most this past summer?

-Barbara