Pardon my absence, but guess what I’ve been up to lately?!

Danielle, a couple of our friends, and myself planned a potions party for this past Tuesday night, and we ended up making beet blush, toning mist, and deodorant bars. I’ve only used each product a couple of times so far, but I’m already in love with the beet blush. I’ll be back with extensive reviews when I have time to form solid opinions of the other two.

For the curious, here are the recipes we used:

1. Toner

2. Blush

3. Deodorant

We used both lavender and tea tree essential oils in the toner, and we put the liquid in spray bottles to avoid having to use a cotton ball. Also, misting your face is probably one of the most refreshing things ever. Right?

I’m pretty sure the potion party was a hit, and we plan to have another one so soon!

Remember how disappointed I was in Weleda’s Calendula Toothpaste? Well, thankfully my experience with their Plant Gel Toothpaste was much more pleasant.

Ingredients (provided at usa.weleda.com)- “Glycerin, Water (Aqua), Hydrated Silica, Chamomilla Recutita Matricaria (Chamomile) Flower Extract,Krameria Triandra (Ratanhia) Root Extract,Commiphora Myrrha (Myrrh) Extract, Mentha Viridis (Spearmint) Leaf Oil, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil,Foeniculum Vulgare (Fennel) Oil, Algin, Alcohol,Esculin, Limonene*
* from natural essential oils”

This product receives a moderate hazard score of 3 in the Cosmetics Database. Limonene is the only ingredient with a hazard score above a 2.

Some great things about this product:

1. It’s free of parabens, sulfates, added fluoride, and artificial fragrance.

2. It’s cruelty-free.

Product Description(provided at usa.weleda.com)- “Clean teeth, care for sensitive gums and balance the normal functions of your mouth with this soothing tooth gel. It’s a gentle way to clean your mouth with natural silica and help reduce the buildup of plaque.

Your sensitive gums are soothed by the mild antiseptic properties of organic chamomile flower extract. The gently effective disinfectant in our soothing myrrh extracts and the astringent properties of organic ratanhia are proven oral healthcare secrets from ancient cultures that naturally clean and tone your modern mouth. With the invigorating taste of lively mint and citrus fruits, your mouth feels completely refreshed. You’ve finally found soothing oral care that effectively cleans your teeth, so tell those sensitive gums to relax.”

Price-  around $4.40 for a 3.3 oz tube. Mine came from a health food store, so it was (of course) slightly more expensive.

Performance- This product is both minty and refreshing without being too harsh. It leaves my teeth feeling clean and my breath smelling fresh, and it’s especially effective when paired with a drop of peppermint oil. I like that it’s a gel rather than a paste, and (for no real reason) I’m also a huge fan of the pinkish red tint of the gel.

Scent- It smells/tastes like spearmint, which I love.

Rating-  I’ll subtract 1 point for the single questionable ingredient, but this product earns a solid 9/10.

I’ve always heard that unrefined coconut oil is the way to go when it comes to cooking, and this makes plenty of sense.  Apparently the polyphenols in coconut oil, which can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, are damaged during the refining process. I’ve also read that the proteins/minerals are significantly diminished after being refined.

 But because it was the cheaper option at the health food store, I’ve been moisturizing my body with organic refined coconut oil for the past couple of weeks. Common sense tells me that since my skin is  my largest organ, I might be better off opting for unrefined coconut oil when it comes to moisturizing, but frugality tells me to get over it. After all, it is still organic, expeller pressed, and processed under the same guidelines as any USDA organic product. Like I said, I’ve found plenty of information that would be helpful if I were cooking with it (one & two)…but not so much related to putting it on my body.

Any helpful input is encouraged. : )

Image Source

Remember my less than glowing review of skinnyskinny’s jasmine organic dry shampoo? Well, I recently discovered that the dry shampoo works. Not only that, but it actually works quite well. My problem? I used it on hair that simply had too much product buildup (ie: hair that needed to actually be washed), and when I used it on other occasions I simply wasn’t using enough of it to see results. So, here I am to admit that I am sometimes the worst and completely wrong about things. I’ve edited the review accordingly. : )

Still, I thought you guys might wanna hit up the following:

• Use the code REPEAT2012 and get $15 off a full size bottle of perfume from A Perfume Organic. Green sounds like my kind of scent.
• Check out this post on caren’s  blog, which includes helpful tips concerning which ingredients to avoid in your sunscreen and which foods may protect your skin from the sun. Sup, dark chocolate?
• Take it from the queen of crusty elbows: this cornmeal scrub is worth trying.
• Who knew coffee filters could be so useful?

I’m off to study, nap, and then repeat. Wish me luck!

If you’ve checked out the sponsor section of Turby & John, then you might’ve noticed something pretty exciting.

Not only does the blog have its first paid advertiser, but it just so happens to be one of my favorite companies in the whole world: Karen’s Botanicals. And if you head on over to the Karen’s Botanicals site then you can get 15% off any order with the code TURBYANDJOHN!

Here are a few past reviews of some of my favorite Karen’s Botanicals products-

• Rehydrating Aloe Vera Lotion
• Perfect Lotion
• Gentle Cleansing Lotion
• Melissa Rose Toner

Be sure to check out the safe and natural sun and summer care as well. With plenty of outdoor fun just around the corner, protecting ourselves from harmful UVA & UVB rays should be a top priority!

What a great Tuesday, right?

When I shared my morning routine on No More Dirty Looks, I mentioned that I had been adding a few drops of peppermint essential oil to my less than impressive Weleda toothpaste. A few folks who commented on the post seemed to think that this was a really neat idea, so I thought I’d type up a little post about it just in case you didn’t catch it on Alexandra and Siobhan’s blog.

Whether out of frugality or dedication, if you’re powering through a tube of toothpaste that doesn’t freshen your breath adequately, then maybe you should give this a try. It’s so simple–just a few drops on your toothbrush after you squeeze the paste onto it!

Don’t you think this spring green eye shadow is a fun color?

Strawberry lips seem like the perfect springtime treat.

Here in the deep south, insect repellent is just as important as sunscreen.

I can’t get over this pretty upcycled floral skirt. I need to have it so I can wear it on a picnic.

Blue day lilies are some of my favorite flowers, so naturally I love this print.

What are you longing for this Spring?

Sources: One, Two, Three, Four, Five.

My morning skin and hair routine is posted over on the No More Dirty Looks blog!

If you know me even a little, then you probably realize how big of a deal this is to me. Alexandra and Siobhan are two of the coolest girls I’ve never met, and being able to share with their readers just makes my heart so happy.

Happy Friday, sweet friends of mine. : )

Today’s review is of Stark Skincare’s Cypress Purity+Defense Oil, the last of the Stark samples I received for review. Since all of the products have been such a treat, I won’t say I saved the best for last…but this oil sure is special!

Ingredients (provided by Jessica and soon to be up at starkskincare.com)- “Oryza sativa (Rice) Bran Oil, Prunus armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil, Prunus amygdalus dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Camellia oleifera (Camellia) Seed Oil, Argania spinosa (Argan) Nut Oil,Tocopherol (vitamin E), Cupressus sempervirens (Cypress) oil, Citrus bergamia (bergamot) oil, and pure essential oils/huiles essentielles pures.”

The preliminary report I created for this product in the Cosmetics Database gives it a low hazard score of 2.

Some great things about this product:

1. It’s free of synthetic dyes, fragrances, preservatives, and surfactants.

2. It’s vegan and cruelty-free.

3. This product comes in a reusable glass bottle with dropper.

Product Description(provided at starkskincare.com)- “This antioxidant-rich facial oil has been formulated with 5 powerful yet light plant oils that nourish and protect skin from environmental damage, with a refreshing blend of essential oils that decongest skin and regulate sebum production. We also use plant resins that give this oil a deep green woodsy scent, that finishes with a light, citrus and vanilla-like scent on the skin (or hair!), perfect for men and women!”

Price- $45 for a 1 fl. oz. bottle.

Performance- You guys, this oil is somethin’ else. From the way it made my skin feel (extraordinarily soft) and look (positively radiant), to the uplifting, invigorating scent (see below), it could easily become one of my favorite oils I’ve used. My only complaint regarding this product is that my sample ran out too soon. I’m almost certain that the tone and overall condition of my skin would’ve continued to improve with prolonged use.

Scent- Earthy yet bright, pleasant and gender neutral. I especially loved moisturizing with this oil in the morning; a deep breath after application is just the right way to start any day.

Rating- 9.5/10. I’m subtracting half a point simply because I wouldn’t ordinarily spend $45 on an oil.