Current Favorites & Product Obsessions

I can't believe it's December already. Where did the year go? This week was all about a couple new things, a few rediscoveries and just a few staples. Allies of Skin repackaged its Fresh Slate Clay & Manuka Honey Purifying Cleanser + Masque with a large hole squeeze tube. If you remember my review earlier this year I talked about how adore this cleanser but I hated the narrow pump it came with. The product was too thick and sticky to be in that kind of pump so I'm ecstatic it's been done with a large squeeze tube. Now I can start using it a lot more. This is a cocoa, honey, clay cleanser/mask that's great for an antioxidant detox boost. Review HERE.

I'm about halfway through my tube of the Beauty Pie Plantastic Nourishing Shea Butter Hand Cream. I love it. I shouldn't talked about it sooner. It's thin yet really hydrating and it's not greasy. It sinks in in a few minutes. I'm totally smitten. Every now and then I just need to post about my love for Fresh Beauty Sugar Face Polish. This has been such a long time staple of mine I've lost count how many jars I've purchased over the last 15 years. I keep it in my shower and apply when I first get in. During the shower the steam melts the sugar into my skin making it so soft. The strawberries help gentle exfoliate while the brown sugar hydrates & softens. It will forever be in my shower as a holy grail. It also is nice at preventing TEWL (Trans Epidermal Water Loss) in the shower locking all the hydration in your skin. Review HERE.

Ormonde Jayne Ambre Royal is a warm amber perfect for fall. Top-Green Notes, Orange Absolute and Bergamot. Heart-Jasmine Absolute, Osmanthus, Rose Oil, Amber, Orris Butter and Orchid Oil. Base-Cedar Wood, Ambroxan, Tonka, Patchouli and Musk. I love Ormonde Jayne it's such a great niche perfumery. Their scents are all intoxicating, unique and not common. Earthwise Beauty is a fabulous green beauty brand. I totally forgot about my Yasuni Face Balm until the December Boxwalla box. I only forgot about it because it was summer not any other reason. So now that we have rekindled our relationship I see this being used quite a bit in the coming winter. The balm has an amazing light texture suitable for everyone, it’s unique, packed full of antioxidants, uses cold pressed butters and oils (higher quality of nutrients) and it has an enzymatic action. Yasuni also has green coffee seed oil which is my ingredient obsession of the year.

Herbivore Botanicals just launched a new facial oil called Emerald. She is a beauty. Hemp seed oil and essential oil, adaptogens Indian ginseng & shiitake mushroom, anti-inflammatory turmeric & immortelle, squalane, borage & meadowfoam oils. It's light and has a great texture. Hemp has easily become a favorite oil of mine this year. It balances & calms the skin. In combination with adaptogenic (stress soothing) ingredients it should be a great oil. It's the best combination of oils I've seen Herbivore put out to date. More to come. I grabbed an OY-L Lip Balm in Manuka Latte during A Night for Green Beauty and I'm still in love. It's got a buttery soft texture and smells divine like coffee from the coffee butter. It's also got goodies like manuka honey and hemp seed butter.

African Botanics is one of my favorite lines. They just launched a new Fleur de Rose Cream Cleanser and it's quite divine (as expected it's African Botanics and they never disappoint). This creamy cleanser combines aloe, Dragon's Blood, salicylic and lactic acids, grape seed oil, mango seed butter, marula, rosehip, avocado, arnica and green roobois tea for an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant cleanser with antimicrobial/astringent benefits. It has a light real rose scent, nothing fake. If you like creamy cleansers it's definitely worth checking out. More to come.

Top to Bottom-Allies of Skin, African Botanics, OY-L, Earthwise Beauty, Beauty Pie:

*African Botanics, Fresh and Allies of Skin were gifted by brand (Though I bought countless Fresh pots and my first Allies of Skin mask). All thoughts are my own.