Natural Skin Care and Make Up Products I would repurchase

Good Morning. This is a collab post.  Brianna asked if anyone would like to do a products I would repurchase collab. I thought it sounded like great fun. Although I'm not exactly a "green beauty" blogger, I am very conscience of the ingredients I use on my skin, and in my makeup, and I'm more green than not. Some of the collabs will be videos, some will be blog posts, and some will be both.  Be sure to check them all out by clicking HERE or at the end of this post there is another link

I have for you today several products that I would or have repurchased. I love these kind of posts because I think it really speaks of the products.You aren't going to buy over and over a product you don't like, doesn't do what it says, or doesn't work well. 

I'll start with skincare. I do the oil cleansing method because my skin is so very dry. I use almond and jojoba oil, with a drop of tea tree and/or lavender. I massage it onto my face using my finger tips. I heat a washcloth up with water as hot has I can take it, then lay that on my face. After the cloth has cooled, I wipe away any excess oil, and repeat the process three to four times. I'm left with soft moisturized  clean skin.

I also use either the almond or jojoba oil to remove eye makeup by placing it on a cotton pad, and holding it to my eye, then gently wiping away the eye makeup. I have repurchased all of these items many times. They can be purchased online at places like amazon.com or vitacost.com, or at a natural food store if you have one.

I know this says it is toothpaste, but I didn't love it as a toothpaste (I will use it as toothpaste tho, but I like my homemade toothpaste better), so I decided to see how else I could use it. The ingredients are great, so I use it as a face mask, and for a spot treatment for blemishes. Now there is menthol/wintergreen so you want to keep it away from your eyes, but it feels really nice. If you have ever used the Queen Helene face mask (which has horrible ingredients), it feels a lot like that on the skin. Apply to the face, leave for 5-10 minutes, then wet a washcloth with warm water, place it on your face, then wipe away the product. Repeat until all of the mask is removed.  I noticed a reduction in pore size immediately, as well as soft fresh feeling skin. I purchased this at a local natural food store, but it also is available online.

 Sunscreen is so very important to skin health. I love the Devita Solar protective moisturizer SPF 30+. I use it daily as my moisturizer, and will be carrying it with me this summer as we are out and about. It is more expensive than picking up something at walmart, but I picked it up on sale, and used a coupon code on Vitacost.com, making it about the same cost as one from walmart. There is no fragrance, and it blends away with no residue.

 This Rosewater is something I absolutely LOVE!  I use it after I have applied my foundation/powder to get rid of the powdery look, also to help blend my foundation if it is a little thick somewhere. I randomly spritz it on my face/skin to feel refreshed. It smells like a fresh picked bouquet of roses, which I worried would stir up my allergies, but it does not. My local natural food store carries it, as well as vitacost.com. You can also check it out at heritagestore.com

 My foundation is from The All Natural Face. I use the cream foundation daily, then set it with the mineral foundation.  I find it helps it last much longer. (and the rosewater helps me not look cakey) The cream is a bit thick, and coverage is medium, but buildable. I use a sponge for the best application, but use a brush for under the eyes, and any blemishes. (I wish the ink didn't bleed on the packaging)

 My eyeliner of choice is by Honey Bee Gardens in Belgian Chocolate. I use this not only for eyeliner, but to fill in my eyebrows too. I use a brush and swipe it over the end of the pencil, the apply to the brows. It is soft, and blendable, but sets and lasts all day. It can be purchased at Honey Bee Gardens, or at the other online places I have mentioned.

I love this blush (still wish the ink wouldn't bleed). I love the color, the texture, the lasting power. It is the perfect shade I think. Available at The All Natural Face. I believe it is also lip safe.

Last, but certainly not least is my Physicians Formula Organic Wear mascara. I have repurchased this more times than I can remember. It lasts, doesn't flake, is buildable, and is available at the drugstore, or Walmart. Mascara is the one item that I put on even if I am wearing no other makeup, unless we are going to Kings Island, or a water park, then why wear make up. I feel like mascara instantly wakes up my face.

Just for comparisons sake. Here is the All Natural Face mascara on one eye and the Physicians Formula on the other. Two coats on both eyes on the top.

Physcians Formula

The All Natural Face

And you should be able to see why I love that mascara so much. 

Be sure to check out all these other bloggers and see what  products they would repurchase.  I'm sure I'll find some new products to try! Thank you Brianna for getting this together. I had a lot of fun!

Go HERE to check out all the amazing girls participating in this collab!

Have a blessed day.

Happy First day of Spring

Yay it's spring. Boo it is freezing!! ha ha. Although I don't mind the cold temps as much when the sun is shining, and shining it is. Nice and bright!!

So someday (probably known as never) I'll post regularly. Just thought I'd let you know what has been going on here.

Last Friday I was sick as a dog! (who came up with that saying) So sick I had my children walk home from school ALONE!! WHAT?!?! They thought it was fabulous. We live close, but I'm a bit overprotective. However I was so sick I had no choice.  They survived.

When they got home, Rebecca made me the sweetest card.

We found some stuff called Wow butter. Non peanut tastes just like peanut butter spread. Kid LOVE it. I mean LOVE!!!  So I made them wow butter toast with brown sugar bunnies, and tulips for spring.  They thought they were cool.

For St. Paddy's day I attempted some green eye shadow. Mostly because it is the only color I have, in 3 shades. Yes, that is right I only have 3 shadows and they are all green. (you can see them in my all natural face box post a few posts back)  I wouldn't have any if I hadn't ordered the all natural face box.  All my old shadows had horrible ingredients.

I'm going to be making soap soon. Hot processed soap.  I'm excited.  You use a crock pot. I bought an old crock pot insert (the crock part) at goodwill, and will just use my current crockpot outside to make it.  Hot processing lets you use the soap right away, instead of waiting a couple weeks. You still pour it into a mold to let it set up and should let it dry for a week or so, but you can use your first bar as soon as it is set up.

Oh something I thought was fabulous was I bought water in a box. Most people thought I was weird, but I liked it. Not that people thought I was weird, but the water in a box.

 

Spring soccer season is here, so the kiddos are going to start having practices, and games start in April.

That's about it. On Monday I'll have a post on natural skincare/make up products I would or have repurchased. It's a collab with several natural/beauty bloggers. I so don't fit in that category, but I do blog and I will repurchase items. LOL

Have a blessed day!

The March All Natural Face Box

I love this subscription box. I've only received one, but I love it. You can check it out at The All Natural Face It is $15.00 monthly, or you can purchase a whole year for $130 (making it less than $11/monthly if you broke it down). You also can purchase just one box.

The March box was St. Patrick's Day themed box. Let's talk about what was in the box.

Isn't all that green pretty.  I might have squealed a little. =)

I dove into the pigments first. I figured they were green, but I couldn't wait to see them.

deep sea green, forest nypmh, and green ice storm

Here they are, darkest to lightest. I have used the deep sea green as a liner a few times and I loved it. I tried the forest nymph as an eyelid shade, which I liked, but it didn't last and it creased even with a primer. I think I need a cream base underneath it.

ingredients: Mica, Magnesium Myristate Boron Nitride Oxides.

I layered the deep sea green over a brown liner pencil from honey bee gardens. It stays all day. The green didn't show up very well in the picture, but it is really pretty in real life.
Also in the green pouch was a green coin lucky charm (which I put in my pocket the day I had to go to the dentist and that went well.)

Next I opened up a lip balm in chocolate mint. YUM is all I can say. It smells delicious, and is super moisturizing.

Ingredients: sweet almond oil, organic coconut oil, candelilla wax, natural flavors, and stevia.

I love this balm. I have been carrying it with me everywhere. It is in a round tube, which I prefer.

There was also a peppermint lotion. It smells so good. I love peppermint anything. =)

ingredients: Purified water, apricot kernel oil, vegetable glycerin, Ceteareth-6 Olivate (vegetable emulsifier), Sclerotium gum, poyaminopropyl biguanide(non formaldehyde, non pararben preservative), potassium sorbate (food grade preservative), organic peppermint oil

So I don't love all the ingredients, however, it is water based so it has to have some. I find this a little bit sticky which is weird. It is smooth and absorbs quickly, but leaves my skin sticky.  I do love the scent though.

All right this is the one that y'all are going to think is weird. It is an Ayurvedic Oral Rinse. It is all oil. Yes I said oil.  Used for oil pulling. What is that you say?!?  Well let me tell you.  Oil pulling is used to improve dental health. Teeth become whiter, gums pinker and healthier looking, and breath fresher. But some say the health benefits don't stop there. Many health problems, including those which medical science has yet to find cures for, are also improved or completely cured. Oil pulling has the potential to help with just about any illness or chronic condition. (info from oilpulling.com) 

Simple process of swishing 1 tsp of oil in your mouth for up to 20 minutes, preferably before eating. I cannot swish oil in my mouth that long. However, I did last for a good little bit. Dental care is related to heart disease, so I find that a natural method that is to help with good dental hygiene is worth it.  

It didn't taste bad, but anything in my mouth for very long makes me gaggy, even toothpaste. I didn't find my mouth to feel oily afterward. I will continue to use this. Will I buy some? No I can make my own, but I wouldn't have tried it if I hadn't received it in the box.

ingredients: Organic sesame oil, organic peppermint oil, organic lemon oil, organic myrhh oil, organic clove oil, organic neem oil. 

Last but not least is the Peaches and Cream Face Food. It contains dried peaches, and coconut milk. It is a cleanser or mask. It smells so good, and left my face feeling soft.  You only need a small amount so there is plenty in that little baggie. I love it. 


So here are all the products together

I really like the all natural face. I am excited to see what next month's box has in it. You can bet you'll be seeing other products from here as well. 

Hope you have a blessed day!

Natural Makeup

So there is such a thing. Isn't that exciting!?! I think so. I have been on my "natural" journey for a while now. I have used lots of less than stellar "natural products".
 We are so accustom to all the chemicals, solvents, silicons, etc in products that going natural can be tough. I'm still a work in progress on most of it.
 I have gone the all or nothing approach with some things, but that usually leads to failure on my part.
 Over a year agoI went on a hunt for more natural makeup, and ended up giving up due to lack of being able to find products that had been reviewed at all.
I have found some products that have good ingredients, and some with mostly good ingredients. I found a couple places where the products are reviewed as well, which also helps know how products work before spending money on them.

(as a side note, my mom called while I was typing this and she commented on my new body/hair products from a couple posts ago and how fickle I am...thanks mom ha ha! Oh and my response was I'm trying to find products with good ingredients that don't make me look/smell like a dirty hippie ha!)

So onto the products I am trying.
I have been using Physicians formula organics mascara for a long time, but it has some ingredients I don't love. So I am trying out this one by The all natural face

no mascara

With mascara (Ryan thought this picture was a bit creepy Ha Ha!!)

It provides a nice natural but defined look to the lashes. It is buildable too if you let it dry between coats. Mascara is that one product that makes me feel like I look alive if I put it on, even if I have on no other make up.

I have been using a foundation from Cow Girl Dirt. I got samples to try after seeing a review of them. Samples are a great way to test out products. I like the foundation, but it is a little bit thick, and has an ingredient I'm working to remove from the products I'm using. I tried their concealer, but it didn't really conceal at all.

The all natural face has liquid, mineral, and cream foundations. You can get a sample pack of the mineral foundations in light medium or medium dark for $5.75 with a brush, or $4.60 without the brush. I bought the light medium and I got 25 shades of foundation. I found my shade then ordered it in the cream formula.  I got a 10 gm pot for $6.50. That is less than drugstore price for a foundation. Plus I have all the shade samples still so as summer comes, and I get a bit of color, I can easily find the right shade for then as well.

I am working toward finding better products so that when my girl is ready for make up I have a good selection of places to find products that are safe for her skin.


Have a blessed day!