November 2014 Favourites

This month has been a battle with my dry skin, and I’m still not quite winning, but I think I’m getting closer.  I have a few products under the body care category this month just to help show the extremes that my skin is requiring of me right now.

Body: I shower in cold water to help preserve my skin’s moisture barrier and then exfoliate every three days or so with 100% Pure’s sugar scrub (review) in the marvelous scent of White Peach.  The oils in this product are helping with my skin too.  Then, after patting my skin with a towel, I apply a thin layer of a body oil.  I’ve been alternating between Chagrin Valley’s body oil in the scent Tranquil Spirit – which I adore!- (review) and Weleda’s body oils (review) in an array of scents (I got the sample pack a while ago, so I’m working through those and using up my full-sized bottle of the rose scent).  I’ll immediately follow that with some shea butter from the African Fair Trade Society and let that all sink in before getting dressed.  It makes me a big greasy mess, but it will hold off the itching and dry skin for at least 10 hours.  Then my skin needs more help again, but what can ya do?  On the especially dry spots I also layer on SBT Seabuckthorn’s Eczema and Dermatitis Salve.  Repurchase? I haven’t found a body oil that has reached HG status, or even come close, so I’ll keep looking on that front.  As for the shea butter and the scrub ? Yes, I already am on my second/third tub of each.

Skin Care: The skin on my face is also feeling the drier weather, so using just my regular moisturizer isn’t enough.  Juice Beauty’s CC Cream (review) not only offers me SPF but gives tons of moisture that lasts all day long.  Now if something could just be done about that smell… Repurchase? Absolutely.  The strange scent isn’t enough of a deterrent for such a high performing product.

Makeup: 100% Pure’s Super Fruits Healthy Skin Foundation (review) pairs perfectly with Juice Beauty’s CC cream because this foundation is a bit on the dry side, and really offsets the moisture of the CC cream.  Both stay put all day long when applied one after the other, and keep my skin balanced and gives me adequate coverage. Repurchase? Probably.  I might try a few other liquid foundations first, just in case I can find something better before I settle.

Hair Care: In an effort to keep the fashion colours of pink, purple, and teal in my hair for as long as possible between hair appointments I am getting used to the idea of only washing my hair every five days or so.  Don’t worry, this diva doesn’t like the idea of greasy hair either, so I’ve been working with dry shampoo recipes.  I can now wear my hair down for three full days before wanting to pull it into a braid or up in a pony tail.  I could probably even push it for 6 days at this point.  Anyway, another part of this journey is to find products with a low pH to help keep the dye on my hair.  John Masters Organics Honey and Hibiscus Hair Reconstructor (review) not only has a low pH (2.5) but gives my hair a rich drink of moisture that lasts for several days.  Exactly what my high maintenance hair is craving right now! Repurchase? I have repurchased this product as a hair mask so many times I’ve lost count.

Do any of those products strike your fancy?  Do you have any body oils to recommend to me?

 

October 2014 Favourites

There’s just something about the autumn colours that stands out for me, and makes me want to be outside.  Plus, autumn is a great time for scarves!  Here’s what I’ve been liking a lot this month:

Makeup – My Strawberry Lips Red Apple Lipstick arrived just in time for fall.  It is a beautiful burnt ombre and berry shade that works so well with the season.  Plus, it is ultra hydrating which works well with the cooler temperature and drier air.  Repurchase? Probably, yes, when this tube eventually runs out!

Skin Care – Exfoliation is the name of the game as my skin adjusts to the drier air, so I have been reaching for Andalou Naturals Lemon Sugar Exfoliating Scrub (review) every three or four days or so.  You really can’t get much better in the ingredients department, and for the price this product really can’t be beat! <b>Repurchase?</b> Absolutely, I already have.

Hair Care – I have been learning a lot about hair care this month and last month as I am strugging to keep a new kind of hair dye in my hair.  A product that is supposed to last 6 – 8 weeks before it starts to fade has been rinsing out completely after three washes.  I have been mean to my hair, attempting a few times to get this dye to stick and by changing things up in my hair care routine – ah the vanity of having fashion colours in my hair!  Since I have been so mean to my hair lately, hair masks are a must!  I have been doing oil treatments of olive oil and or coconut oil as well as apple cider vinegar rinses in an attempt to rebalance the pH levels in my hair.  Hopefully after all these new steps the dye will finally take.  Fingers crossed, everyone!

<b>Body</b> – Nothing is saving my skin right now from drying out like Chagrin Valley’s Body and Massage candles (review).  They have a rich blend of butters and oils which seem to help maintain a decent balance of moisture in my skin which lasts almost the whole day. The only downside is that they have to be warmed before use, but I just plop the little tin on my candle warmer before jumping in the shower and it’s ready to go when I’m done.  Repurchase? I already have.

March 2014 Favourites

March was a crazy busy month for me.  I just completed a lot of classroom training which meant I was sitting down at a table being lectured for 8 hours a day 5 days a week.  Ya, I know, cry me a river right?  I don’t know how your 9-to-5-ers do it.  I would like my 12 hour shift work back, please!

Most of the products I picked this month were to help combat the drying air and the resulting dull, dry skin that comes from a sedentary lifestyle.  I am so happy to have that done and over with and get back to moving again for the majority of my time at work!

But enough about me, let’s get on to the products I was constantly reaching for this month:

December Favourites

Sorry that this is a little late.  Between work and the holidays time got away from me.  Here’s what I kept reaching for in December:

September Favourites

I haven’t done a monthly post like this yet, but I thought it’d be fun to start.  I’ve broken it down into categories and picked my favourite from each one.

Skin Care

I was completely blown away by Pai Organic’s Camellia and Rose creamy cleanser (review).  I didn’t know that a cleanser could completely clean my skin, remove all of my make up and not leave my skin feeling tight and dry.  It took only a week for my skin to adjust to this cleanser and the adjustment period only left me with one small zit.  Since that time things have been back to my normal, clear skin.  Will I repurchase? I already have.

Body

This month I kept reaching for my Hugo Naturals All Over Lotion (review) in Grapefruit and Shea Butter & Oatmeal.  The company has great standards, the lotion kept my skin moisturized and they smell so good!  These two are my favourite scents, but with such a wide range of scents to choose from there’s a scent to suit everyone.  And with an EWG rating of 1? Can’t get much better than that. Will I repurchase? Absolutely.

Hair Care

After a conversation with someone in the comments section on my blog I was intrigued enough to try the sample of the Extra Honey and Beer shampoo bar (review) by Chagrin Valley Soap and Salve and I am very happy that I did.  It has turned my hair around and has given me the silky soft hair I was used to while using conventional hair care products laden with sulphates and silicones.  The shine this bar has given my hair is incredible and it rinses so cleanly that I have been able to go for several days without shampooing without the slightest hint of greasy hair.  The scent is so subtle it’s virtually non-existent so that leaves tons of room for my conditioner and hair oils to take over.  Will I repurchase?  I already have repurchased it in the full size.

Makeup

Cheeky Cosmetics is a Canadian mineral makeup company that caught my eye with their vibrant on-trend eyeshadows that are highly pigmented and blend so well together.  This great pigmentation and long lasting staying power with minimal fall-out makes these shadows top the list of my favourite makeup for September.  This past month I was reaching for Frost, Hottie, Sugar Plum and Sultry to blend together a nice, feminine, summer look.  For a full review and swatches click here.  Will I repurchase?  Yes, and I already have purchased a few of my samples in the full size.  With so many shades to choose from it’s so much fun to mix and match and so hard to choose which ones I think I’d use the most!