Haven't written since last christmas time and sephora is having their friends and family blog sale soon which I am getting ready for...
But here I am again on a ramble... My new thing is trying to get my skincare, haircare and all beauty items minus make-up almost all Natural and cruelty free...before I go to that next big step of hitting the make-up area. But the goal is natural/organic and cruelty free
I have always tried to have everything cruelty free but I have never actually been actively looking for what products test on animals... I would just read the packaging every now and then to see if it was or not... Now i am actually searching brand names to be sure I keep away. You would be amazed at what your limited too...No Loreal Products and No Neutrogena were the big ones that were hard for me...My reasoning is I wouldn't want products tested on humans let alone animals which to me is just the same as humans...
As for natural products I never really cared about it but I went info sephora one day asking for a foundation that would work with my sensitive skin and have spf in it she intoduced me to the Korres line more importantly their foundation - which I loved and the wonderful thing about it that notice the more i wore the foundation the better and better my skin would get...that is not suppose to happen the more you wear foundation depending how long you wear it the more pimples you get and this even before I discovered face primer...So lets just say I was impressed and tried other natural products and it did the same thing helped the skin.. It makes sense putting more natural oils from fruits and nuts would help the skin instead of putting anything synthetic that would just lay on the skin and possibly be absorbed to the skin (something that is synthetic) instead of having the skin absorb that is natural and would be good for it.
Another thing I forgot to meantion... you will notice something once you go from un-natural products to natural - you will feel that it not as strong as the previous products you have use. It's more gently or doesn't feel like it works as good as what you had before... it is just you are not using as strong of chemicals on your body compared to the natural which think about it would feel light but that doesn't mean it is not a strong...
So below are some of the alternatives that I have found for both that I have been loving as well as some of the brands that I am hoping to try soon. :)
Since No Herbal Essences - which is my love -- moving to a brand called Organix which is the same price as a big bottle of Herbal Essences which is good...I am currently loving their coconut milk products. 2 of the products I have tried have been their Shampoo and Conditioner.
Things I love:
It Smells Divine
It Makes My hair Soft, Smooth, and Shiny
My Hair also feels Healthly
I am hoping to try their Anti-Breakage Serum, Instant Repair Treatment, and the Styling Cream soon! :)
The Next is the Korres Wild Rose 24-Hour moisturizer. I honestly think this is the best moisturizer on the planet! I love this stuff...It has skin clearing properties, it evens out skintone and it gives a little help to wrinkles nothing like an anti aging serum but it does help some... I have notice have not had any discoloration since I have used this and its smells divine...their website says...
"Wild Rose 24-hour moisturizer that quickly and effectively heals and lightens hyper- pigmentation
• Wild Rose oil, a potent, natural source of vitamin C, significantly diminishes fine lines, hyper- pigmentation and resurfaces skin, revealing a soft and radiant complexion
• Imperata cylindrica a desert plant extract, ensures 24-hour long-lasting hydration by continually regulating the cellular water equilibrium
• Pure vitamin C inhibits free radical damage and brightens the skin
• Phytic Acid, a natural skin lightener, helps illuminating sun damage and acne scarring
-Grape seed extract, rich in Vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant, helps promote a healthy and youthful complexion
-Olive oil, almost identical in chemical structure to our skin lipids, provides ideal hydration, while allowing the skin to breathe"
Soo here is the downer..$35 dollars but if you look for the sales you can get it for a somewhat reasonable price... I bought twice this year(which is another thing you can account for you only need to buy it twice a year), once from korres website and now I am getting a refill from the sephora friends and family which will bring it the price to $28... grant it is still high but it is $60 dollars a year... I consider this one of HG products!
As a cheaper back up... I have been meaning to try...JASON Natural Cosmetics Red Elements Daily Moisturizing creme with SPF 15 - Its $20 on Amazon it is only $17 and has a higher SPF but does not have the evening skintone properties...
In the Nails and Feet Section of Beauty Products...
Burt's Bees takes the cake...Loving these stuff lately.. Most people know this brand for their lip products but their hand and feet section is pretty darn good!
1st is their Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream - This stuff smells like lemons not candy lemons but real lemons..your cuticles feels healthy and moisturized and I do believe it has helped a little with trying to grow out my natural nails .. it costs around $6 and it works. I no longer have peeling around my nails, I think it is absolutely marvelous...
Per their Website it has lemon oil which does the following:
"Lemon Oil: Obtained from the fresh peel of the fruit of the Citrus Lemon tree, this oil is known for its astringent and anti-irritant qualities. Lemon oil imparts shine to the hair when added to hair products, and is also valued for its characteristic sweet, fruity refreshingly clean, lemony fragrance. It balances overactive sebaceous glands that lead to oily, blemished skin, clears and enlivens the complexion and is effective in treating brittle fingernails and in general hand care."
2nd is their Coconut Foot Creme, which the way I have been using this is at night right before I go to bed, I will use the cuticle cream on my toes and then take this cream and rub it all around my toes and the back of my foot where any rough sections are and then put a cotton socks over my feet. Your hands will be sticky... but it helps with rough feet and I have seen a difference so it is a win for me.... It costs around $9.
The Coconut Oil in it per their website:
"Coconut Oil: Cocos nucifera. The flesh of the coconut is rich in emollient fat and, when pressed, yields a white, sweetly-scented, super-moisturizing oil, which is a solid at room temperature but easily melts on the skin. The consistency of coconut oil helps to bind and emulsify natural formulations where no chemical emulsifiers are desirable. Usually blended with other fats, the oil is the volatile, fragrant oil popularly used in suntan products. It protects skin from the elements by forming a thin film, which is not absorbed. Coconut oil is useful as an after sun skin oil and is also revitalizing to dry, damaged hair. Surfactants derived from coconut oil have good cleansing properties and are known for their mildness."
Soo.. That is what I have tried and what I am going to try as I run out of what I am using now... most are high end but there are some that are on the cheaper end of the spectrum...
Rosebud Salve - which this has been talked all over the internet as the best lip balm you can get and it only $6
Since I think I should start preventing the aging now so I can be the youngest looking grand'ma on the planet.... at least that is the hope ;)
Ole Hendriksen's Truth Serum® Collagen Booster (collegen serum)($48), Truth is in the Eyes (Eye Treatment)($65), and Sugar Glow™ Face Scrub ($38)
Pangea Organics which is a company based out of Boulder that Sephora is now selling... Japanese Matcha Tea with Acai & Goji Berry Facial Mask ($40) (this product has rave reviews on it being marvelous for the price)and Italian Green Mandarin with Sweet Lime Facial Toner ($26)(only natural toner I can find with a natural sort of alcohol in it and no parabens)
Origins Clean Energy™ Gentle cleansing oil for make-up removal ($18.50)
100% Pure 's Euclyptus Seafoam Facial Cleanser ($19.50), Organic Coffee Bean Caffeine Eye Cream ($19), Organic Virgin Coconut Shower Gel ($15) and Organic Virgin Coconute Nourishing Body Cream ($15)
Now that this post is long enough I am out for the night! ;)
