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.

Bath time is probably my favorite time of all, so I needed very little convincing when Justin from Simply Bath Salts contacted me about reviewing one of their products. After checking out their various scents and consistently impressive ingredients, I decided to go with the Clary Sage. I think it’s safe to say that I made a solid choice. : )

Ingredients (provided at simplybathsalts.com)- “Atlantic Sea salt, Dead Sea salt, Epsom Salt, organic Jojoba oil, organic Clary Sage (Salvia sclarea) essential oil.”

Some great things about this product:

1. It’s made from just 5 ingredients, all of which are familiar and safe.

2. It contains organic ingredients.

Product Description(provided at simplybathsalts.com)- “Clary Sage bath salt infuses your bath with over a dozen pure essential minerals through a rich combination of Atlantic Sea salt, Epsom salt, and Dead Sea salt. Aromatic Clary Sage oil is said to be a sedative and balancing* while organic Jojoba oil offers an all natural source of vitamin E. Both of these oils are Oregon Tilth certified organic to ensure no pesticides or chemicals make it into your bath. Clary Sage bath salt carries a musky scent, almost nutty, and heavy. It blends well with cedarwood, geranium, and lavender. Our bath salts work to restore vital nutrients and rehydrate the skin in a 100% natural way that won’t leave you feeling sticky or greasy.”

Price- $12.99 for one 24 oz heat sealed package

Performance- As the directions suggested, I added one cup of bath salts to the tub while the water was still running. The results? Soft skin and an especially relaxing bath. Oh, bath salts. You are a girl’s best friend.

Scent- These bath salts really do smell like a dream. The scent is rich (but not overpowering), relaxing and it’s neither too feminine nor too masculine. Kirby and I both love it!

Rating- 10/10. I have no complaints.

Wanna see what I got?

I haven’t shampooed my hair in months, and it’s definitely healthier for it. Still, I can always get on board with something that will make my hair smell like something other than…hair. That’s my one complaint with using only baking soda: it smells like nothing at all.

Either none of my friends or family can take a hint, or a neti pot isn’t an appropriate gift. Either way, I finally bought myself one that isn’t raggedy and plastic.  As long I stick to distilled water, I won’t have to worry about the elusive brain amoeba.

I have a feeling this book is gonna rock my world.

I guess I can finally stop stealing Danielle’s. Also my hair will thank me for this.

A few drops of this + argan oil = the perfect moisturizer. Danielle taught me this.

Learning is fun, y’all!

Dry Shampoo, Neti Pot, Book 1, Argan Oil, Essential Oil, Book 2.

I’ll be reviewing and/or discussing my experiences with all of the above very soon.

Hello Mellow’s luxurious body oils aren’t the only way to achieve softer than soft skin. Their body butters are pretty dreamy as well! Today I’ll be reviewing Uplift and Unwind.

Ingredients (provided at hellomellow.com)-

Uplift: avocado butter, mango butter, and essential oils of grapefruit and vanilla and love.

Unwind: avocado butter, mango butter, and essential oils of benzoin, cedarwood and vanilla and love..

The preliminary reports I created in the Cosmetics Database give these products both low hazard scores of 0!

Some great things about these products:

1. They’re free of artificial fragrances/colors, parabens, sulfates, and petrochemicals.

2. They’re cruelty-free.

Product Description (provided at hellomellow.com)-

Uplift: your skin will happily devour these nutrients while your senses luxuriate in our simply sweet, subtly soothing, UPLIFT blend. this feel-good scent of pink and white grapefruit with a hint of warming vanilla will shift you into your happy place in a single application

Unwind: ready to unwind? UNWIND soothes your soul with a calming breath of tranquility.
our blend of cedarwood, benzoin, and vanilla seduces you into a mellow state of being.

Price- $6 for a mini container, $22 for a 2 oz container, or $30 for an 4 oz container.

Performance-  You know those pesky little dry skin bumps that sometimes appear on your forearms/just above your elbows in the coldest months? Well, these body butters made mine disappear completely within the first two days of using them. In keeping with the themes of the names, I used the uplift in the morning and the unwind before bed. The scents suited each time of day perfectly (see below), and the consistency was rich but not annoyingly thick. They both immediately melted into my skin and made it so soft without leaving the greasy residue that often accompanies body butters. Now that’s impressive!

Scent-  The website describes the scent of uplift as subtly sweet citrus of pink and white grapefruit with a hint of vanilla, and it describes the scent of unwind as lightly earthy with a hint of sweetness. That seems about right to me!

Rating- 10/10 for each of these lovely little guys

Along with the dreamy Rusalka Bath Salt, Jana also sent me five vials of her hand mixed perfumes to try. My nose can be pretty finicky (fickle, too, at times), but I was surprised to discover three whole scents I’d be happy to own in the future.

Ingredients (provided at captainblankenship.com)-  All scents are made from a blend of essential oils in biodynamic grape alcohol from California, with the exception of Phosphorescent, which is made from a blend of essential oils and absolutes in biodynamic grape alcohol from California.

Some great things about this product:

1. It’s free of artificial fragrances and colors, parabens, sulfates, and petrochemicals.

Product Description (provided at captainblankenship.com)-

Mantra-”A meditation aid and a grounding green floral perfume. Mantra is composed purely of scents that help focus and stimulate the mind – jasmine, vetiver, sandalwood, blood orange, grapefruit and spearmint. These tones create a lilting floral scent sharpened by citrus and mint and grounded by the smell of fresh earth.”

Phosphorescent-”Glowing lights in the ocean. Neon green meets the depths. Inspired by memories of sitting on a dock in the summer on a warm night, swirling feet in the sea as fireflies radiate in the water. Part ocean and part creamsicle. Briny seaweed melts in green lemon and yellow mandarin. Honeysuckle and ylang ylang rise from the depths and meet the resinous smells of cypress and fir on nearby shores. Vetiver and vanilla create a luscious base. A salty, warm invigorating scent.”

Vrt-”Garden. A scent concocted with the color green at heart. The forest floor is covered in leaves of sage and mint. Vines of jasmine climb up ylang ylang trees wafting their tones over a verdant landscape. In the grove, grapefruit and sweet oranges grow. This scent is fresh like shades of green after the rain.”

Mani-”Jewel. Kadamb is a green spiky fruit whose essence is used as love oil. The sweet fleshy scent is accented by the warm tones of sandalwood and myrrh, and heightened by patchouli and ambrette seed. Spicy cardamom is met by vanilla and finished with sweet orange and grapefruit. A warm, intoxicating musk.”

Jaune-”Yellow. A true rose. Warm notes of vanilla, cedarwood and ginger waft over fragrant climbing roses. Watery waves of palmarosa create ripples. White flowers (camelia and ylang ylang) change their hue with strokes of sweet orange, grapefruit and bergamot. A subtle, simple, fresh and intoxicating scent.”

Price- $30 each for a 1/6 oz glass roll-on bottle.

Performance- Each scent has pretty remarkable staying power, but Mantra, Mani, and Jaune all seemed to linger the longest.

Scent- The order in which I listed the scents under the product description is based on how much I liked that particular scent. For example, Mantra is my absolute favorite so I listed it first. I even put it on my Christmas list! It’s girly and floral and I received at least 4 compliments while wearing it (at which point I stopped counting). Phosphorescent is my second pick. The description from the website is spot on; wearing it is the next best thing to being at the beach! Vrt reminds me of a toned down, greener phosphorescent. It’s lovely. While Mani and Jaune both have a long-lasting scent, they are both a bit too sweet for my tastes.

Rating-Mantra, Phosphorescent, and Vrt all earn 10/10 from me, but I’ll give Mani and Jaune each 8/10 since I probably won’t wear them again in the future (despite their impressive ingredients).

Would I purchase this item again?  I would definitely purchase Mantra, Phosphorescent, and Vrt again for myself. Mani and Jaune might not be my cup of tea, but I can easily think of several people who would probably love them.

I get a milkshake newsletter every so often, and in one of the most recent ones I discovered a lovely little company called Captain Blankenship. After heading over to the very well-designed website to read about the products and their ingredients, I promptly emailed Jana and asked if she’d be willing to send me any samples to try. She said yes, and lucky little me waited patiently for their arrival. Today I’ll be reviewing the Rusalka Bath Salt I received.

Ingredients (provided at captainblankenship.com and on product packaging)- “Pacific sea salt, California organic almond oil and essential oils.”

Because  of the three familiar ingredients (always a good thing), I didn’t bother creating a preliminary report in the Cosmetics Database.

Some great things about this product:

1. It’s free of artificial fragrances and colors, parabens, sulfates, and petrochemicals.

2. It’s made with organic ingredients.

3. It comes in a cobalt blue glass bottle, which is both fancy and reusable (and therefore environmentally friendly).

4. The ingredients are kind of awesome.

Product Description (provided at captainblankenship.com)- “Forest Sprite (spruce, ocean pine, palmarosa, cedarwood, eucalyptus, vetiver)”

Price- $20 for a 16 oz cobalt blue glass bottle.

Performance- What sets this product apart from countless other bath milks, salts, powders and fizzes I’ve owned is its unobtrusive scent. It’s relaxing and not at all overwhelming, and I feel immersed in rather than bombarded with the scent. I’ve owned bath salts in the past that seemed to hang in the air, which usually resulted in either a headache or forced shallow breathing or both. That’s no way to relax!

Have I mentioned the soft skin that resulted from using this bath salt? That’s definitely another noteworthy perk.

Scent- It’s soothing, green, and not too feminine. Perfect for bath time!

Rating- I couldn’t think of a valid complaint if I tried. 10/10.

When I contacted Laurie from Eucalypto Organics about possibly reviewing an item from her shop, she was sure to send me a product that both my skin and my nose would adore. The Rosehip Balancing Facial Serum is positively dreamy!

Ingredients (provided in the Eucalypto Organics Shop)-” Rosehip Seed Oil*, Meadowfoam Seed Oil*, Macadamia Nut Oil*, Pumpkin Seed Oil*, Rosehip CO2*, Calendula CO2*, Lavender*, Citrus Bergamia*, Rosewood*, Frankinsence*, Geranium*, Patchouli*, Grapefruit*, Myrhh*, Magnolia*, Ylang Ylang*, Sandlewood*, Rock Rose*, St Johns Wort*, Vanilla*

( * Certified Organic or Wild Harvested )”

The preliminary report I created in the Cosmetics Database gives this product a low hazard score of 1. There are no ingredients with hazard scores above two, and the only ingredient I left out was rock rose (since I couldn’t locate it in the database).

Some great things about this product:

1. It’s free of parabens, phthalates, sodium lauryl sulfate, petroleums and artificial colors/fragrances.

2. It’s made with organic ingredients.

3. It’s vegan and gluten free.

Product Description(provided in the Eucalypto Organics Shop)- “From Eucalypto Organics Skin Essentials line this restorative and healing serum contains a powerhouse of amazing organic oils that your skin will literally drink. Serums work by depositing nutrients far deeper into your skin than a regular moisturizer may be able to reach and if used consistently will aid in prolonging the youthful qualities of your skin. This elixer nourishes on a cellular level which will result in restored, balanced, softened, repaired, and hydrated skin.

Think of this serum as an alternative moisturizing treatment. Instead of applying a cream or lotion first moisten your skin with your favorite toner or a bit of water then massage as much as you need into your face or body. This serum will sink in quickly and leave no oily residue although its best to wait a few minutes before applying makeup.

To be used in conjunction with Skin Essentials Balancing Cleanser and Skin Essentials Balancing Toner to nuture your skin.

I created this Serum for myself after years of suffering from dry sensitive skin that commerical products left either dry or broken out. I can honestly say that my skin hasnt looked this good since high school! I am a big fan of using straight oils as moisturizers and I find that they do a way better job than any cream or lotion that I’ve used.I am happy to be able to offer this product to others looking for help with their skin.”

Price- $20 for a 1 oz bottle with dropper.

Performance- A few years ago, moisturizing with oil would’ve seemed ludicrous to me.  I thought depriving my skin of moisture was the best way to deal with my constant breakouts, and I washed my face far more often than I moisturized it. With the help of Danielle and a little trial and error, however, I came to realize that minimal gentle cleansing and frequent moisturizing  were the best things I could do for my skin. Now, using oil as a moisturizer seems perfectly reasonable. For the past two weeks, after cleansing my face with a mixture of oils (post to come) and toning my face with apple cider vinegar and green tea toner, I’ve been massaging 4 or 5 drops of this serum into my skin morning and night. Believe it or not, my skin is soft, clear, and not the least bit oily! As Laurie suggests, it’s best to wait a few minutes after applying this serum before putting on any makeup.

Scent- The scent of this serum reminds me of one of the Persephenie products I recently reviewed. Think rich, calming, and slightly floral. It’s great!

Rating- 10 all the way!

I recently read an article that put 5 Homemade Toothpaste Recipes to the test, and the author seemed to hate each and every concoction for one reason or another. I’m not sure I even gained any valuable information from the article, but it did leave me with the following questions: Does anyone like homemade toothpaste? Are there any recipes that aren’t too salty, harsh, and/or nasty? Should we, as adults, sacrifice taste for performance? All the homemade toothpastes I’ve tried in the past don’t freshen my breath as much as I’d like, and (as far as I’m concerned) that’s kind of a necessary feature for toothpaste.

How about you guys? Any awesome or awful homemade toothpaste recipes to share? I hate fluoride and sulfates just as much as the next conscious consumer, and sometimes it’s hard to find even natural brands without those pesky ingredients.

• Do you own any of the Three Essential Oils to Keep in Your Medicine Cabinet? Tea tree oil works like a charm on mosquito bites. I promise!
• A friend of mine sent me an article that lists Seven Surprising Uses for Baking Soda, and there were a few that were new to me. I can’t wait to put baking soda to the test with blemishes, baths, and tummy aches!
• I am dying (an exaggeration) to try several of the Top Natural Beauty Picks from No More Dirty Looks. In a perfect world, I’d own one of each.
• This article on Eight Natural Beauty Savers includes tips for getting the most out of products in your pantry like oatmeal, honey, oranges, and lemons. There’s also a Zinn Beauty Collection Giveaway at the bottom of the article, so be sure to enter!

A long hot bath is one of my absolute favorite indulgences, and my new tub of Abra Therapeutics Cellular Detox Body Scrub is a great product to have for such an occasion.

Ingredients (provided with product packaging)- “A natural mineral blend of 20% volcanic ash, sodium borate, sodium carbonate and trace minerals, organic oils of almond (prunus amygdalus), olive (olea europaea), sunflower (helianthus annuus), and jojoba (simmondsia chinensis) infused with organic dandelion root (taraxicum officinal), and burdock root (arctium lappa), essential oils of grapefruit (citrus paradisi), juniper (juniperus communis), lavender (lavendula officinalis), lemongrass (cymbopogon citratus), cedarleaf (thuja occidentalis), and fir (abies sibirica), and natural vitamin E (mixed tocopherols).”

Since I couldn’t locate this product in the Cosmetics Database, I’ve linked to each ingredient individually above.  The only ingredients with hazard scores above a 3 are as follows: Sodium Borate (5-6, depending on usage) & Trace Minerals (4).

Some great things about this product:

1.It’s cruelty, paraben, sulfate, preservative and artificial fragrance/color free.

2. It contains organic ingredients.

3. The container is made from #1 plastic and can easily be recycled.

Product Description(provided at abratherapeutics.com)- “Our lives are full of exposure to daily pollutants that cling to the surface of our skin.  Cellular Detox Body Scrub is made to neutralize these free radical pollutants and shed them from your body.  Organic Dandelion and burdock combine with essences of Grapefruit and Juniper for an uplifting aromatic pleasure.”

Price- from around $7 to $16 for a 10 oz. tub.

Performance- I’ve taken three baths with this product thus far, and each was lovelier than the last. I tend to concentrate on my arms, legs, and feet, which are the least delicate and most neglected areas. Scrubbing my legs with this product before shaving results in some seriously soft legs, and my elbows feel just dreamy. Breathing in this scrub as I use it is also a real treat (see below).

Scent- It smells a lot like citrus fruit and also like a forest. I love it.

Rating- I’m subtracting 2 points for the 2 questionable ingredients, so this product receives an 8/10.

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