monthly favorites Archives

Hi There – If you celebrate Thanksgiving, I hope you had a lovely holiday. To everyone else, I hope your weekend was superb! Here are the products I enjoyed in Nov. 2014 that I want to tell the world about! I purchased all these products myself.

1. Josh Rosebrook Nutrient Day Cream with SPF 30 Non-Nano Zinc Oxide
I was in need of a combination moisturizer and sunscreen to save me time with my morning skincare routine. I bought this product in a Josh Rosebrook haul and this product was the immediate standout.This product is the perfect consistency; richly emollient yet greasy at all. It’s a bit pricey but I know it’s a high quality product that provides sun protection against UVA and UVB rays. Available at the joshrosebrook.com.

2. Lily Lolo BB Cream
I’m a big fan of Lily Lolo products so when they came out with a BB cream, I was an early adopter. I chose the light shade which is perfect for me. The product comes in a handy pump tube and provides a light to medium coverage but plenty for every day. Topped off with Lily Lolo Flawless Silk Mineral Powder, this BB Cream isn’t going anywhere throughout the day. A few of the ingredients in this BB cream are on my “prefer to avoid” list but it performs well and it was a favorite last month. Available at lilylolo.com.

3. Dahliana Naturals Refreshing Citrus Cleanser
I was in need of a gel based, thorough natural cleanser to use after a using a cleansing balm to remove the day’s makeup. This cleanser is a powerhouse yet doesn’t strip the skin of vital moisture. A little goes a long way and it has a pleasant citrus scent. The ingredients are rockin’ and include aloe, raw turbinado sugar, chamomile extract, rosemary extract, coconut oil and sweet orange oil. Available at dahliana.com.

4. Auromere Herbal Toothpaste in Licorice
I feel like a fickle pickle when it comes to natural toothpaste because I tend to like each new product I try better than the rest. This product is a real winner, though and I know I’ll repurchase it. I’ve been using the licorice flavor which doesn’t burn my mouth like mint toothpaste’s tend to. Free of fluoride, gluten, bleaches, artificial sweeteners, dyes, and animal ingredients. Available in 4 varieties: Licorice, Freshmint, Mint-Free and SLS-Free Cardamom-Fennel. This toothpaste provides you with clean teeth and fresh breath using all natural botanical extracts and essential oils. If you’d like to give this product a try, it’s available here.

5. Osmia Organics Deodorant
Deodorant is another area where I tend to like the next product I try better than the last. I’ve tried several cream deodorants that you apply with your hands but they were dry, crumbly and hard to get melted into the underarm area. The Osmia deodorant is the first truly creamy product that’s easy to scoop out of the tin and melts easily into the skin within seconds. Oh, and it keeps you smelling nice all day too! Available at osmiaorganics.com.

6. Dahliana Naturals Seabuckhorn Berry Cream
I received a sample of the Overnight Fruit Lift when I purchased the Dahliana Citrus Cleanser. I was impressed by the cream and after doing some research, decided to purchase Dahliana Naturals Seabuckhorn Berry Cream for my nighttime moisturizer. I use this cream as the last step in my nighttime routine. This cream is silky smooth, super concentrated and easy to apply. Grapefruit oil provides a light citrus fragrance. Made with Natural and Certified Organic ingredients including sunflower oil, soy, seabuckhorn berries (Vitamin C), fruit stem cells, marshmallow and rose hip. The container is pretty and contains enough product to last a long time (I’m thinking 6 – 9 months). This cream can be used day or night but I reserve this for nighttime since I’m partial to daytime products with sunscreen. Chemical and Paraben-Free, Vegan and GMO Free. Available at dahliana.com

7. Mun No. 1 Aknari Brightening Youth Serum
A lot of serums are heavy and almost greasy but not this one! This product is a blend of 3 oils:Prickly Pear, Argan and Rose. It’s super light yet luxuriously emollient with a subtle pleasant fragrance. I just received my No. 11 Anarose Rejuvenating Toner and I know it’s going to be a fav for Decemver! Available at munskin.com.

8. Amara Organics Vitamin C Serum for Face 20% with Vegan Hyaluronic Acid & Vitamin E
Sometimes I like a product that is a little on the medical side of things to keep my skin youthful and protected. Vitamin C and hyaluronic acid are known to be powerhouse ingredients and key to any anti-aging regime. This combination of 20% Vitamin C and other ingredients yet highly effective and proven to stimulate collagen, reduce fine lines and wrinkles, brighten and smooths skin for a more radiant and youthful complexion. Prevent and reverse sun damage and fade sun spots and discoloration. The serum is gentle and uses plant-based ingredients, contains no parabens, no alcohol, and is not tested on animals. Made in the USA. Available here.

9. Be Green Rose Hip Scar Oil Treatment
I had hand surgery 2-1/2 months ago and I’m nursing a 2 inch scar on my hand. Massage is important for healing scars and this oil makes massaging my hand a breeze and provides nourishment to speed up the healing process I found many powerful scar healing ingredients packed into this 1 oz bottle including organic rose hip oil, organic and calendula infused olive oil, organic jojoba oil, vitamin E, helichrysum, frankincense, lavender and myrrh. Available at begreenbathandbody.com.

What products did you enjoy using in November?

-Barbara aka Curious Babs

May 2014 Beauty Favorites

As I discover the world of green beauty, I am using up the products already in my stash. I’m trending green on new purchases but need to use up what’s already in my stash.Deodorant is the first product I went “green” with. I’ve tried many natural deodorants over the years. I was almost settled on Tom’s when I read a review about Zion Health Clay Dry Deodorant.There isn’t a natural deodorant will will keep your underarms bone dry but what’s most important to me is to smell fresh throughout the day. This product is reasonably priced, easy to roll on and isn’t wet so you don’t have to wait to get dressed. I’ve been using this same container of deodorant for about 6 months and I swear I still have 50% of the product left. I’m close to declaring this my Holy Grail deodorant.

I dusted off my The Balm’s Frat Boy Shadow/Blush to give it another go for summer. This is an easy blush to wear – it provides natural looking color and goes on easily. The packaging is lightweight which is good for traveling. I brought my Laura Mercier Cheek Contour Brush back into rotation recently and it’s been working great with the Frat Boy Blush. This brush is just the right size for my face and deposits just enough color right on my cheekbone. I think I’ll experiment using this brush for contoure our in June.

Speaking of brushes, I wanted to give a shout out for the Real Techniques Dual Fiber Face Brush. I’ve been using this brush to lightly apply powder to set my foundation. The bristles are super feathery so it doesn’t cake on the powder for more of a a natural finish. The Real Techniques brushes are fantastic for the money.

The one product I won’t leave home without is corrector. The Graftobian Corrector in Soft Orange is marketed as a Blue Neutralizer and it pretty much cancels out my under eye darkness. This product works so well, I can even get by without layering a concealer on top.

I had never heard of Malloy makeup until I saw Emily from The Beauty Broadcast rave about it in one of her favorites. The Malloy Volumizing Mascara beefs up my lashes in one coat with its fluffy brush. It’s a thick consistency and I don’t notice any smearing throughout the day.

So many You Tube makeup gurus are gushing about Makeup Geek Eye Shadows. They are only $5.99 each so I couldn’t resist picking up a few to try them for myself. These eye shadows are FANTASTIC for the money; creamy and very pigmented. I ordered 4 colors and keep them in a Mac quad palate. Purely Naked is matte with a slight sheen and is great all over the lid and into the crease for an easy one shadow look. Vanilla Bean has a slight sheen for a subtle brow or inner eye highlight. Crème Brûlée is a great matte crease color and an alternate to Mac’s Soft Brown. Cocoa Bear is a rich matte reddish brown that works great for eyeliner and the outer “V”.

I found out about Mac’s Lustre Lipstick in See Sheer from one of Essie Button’s Monthly Favorites videos. Orange is THE go-to shade for summer and it just so happens that I’ve been obsessed with this lipstick for months. I like lipsticks that aren’t in your face bright or dark and can be applied without looking in a mirror. This lipstick is has a soft orange hue, has a slightly shiny finish and is totally wearable for my corporate job.

I’ve been using argan oil for about 6 months now and it’s superb. I stumbled across the Josie Maran Argan Love Your Skin Cleanse and Nourish To Go set waiting in line at Sephora. The set includes a trial size of Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil and Argan Cleansing Oil. This argan oil is silky on the face without feeling too greasy and the dropper makes it easy to control the amount of product dispensed. I’ve seen reviews that state that Josie Maran’s argan oil is more expensive than others but I love its consistency, it’s working well for me and the small size is perfect for traveling.