Organic Peppermint Lip Balm by ABCD Vitamins!

Hello, hello, hello, everyone!

As it's getting warmer and we're gravitating more towards outdoors activities, it's important to remember the effect that the sun has on your skin. Nothing is more inconvenient than having sunburn or peeling on your lips. Maybe your lips haven't fully recovered from the winter! Either way, I've got the product review for you, so listen up! :)

I was recently selected to review a free product sample of ABCD Vitamins' Organic Beeswax Lip Balm. There are a couple of reasons that I really like this balm. The main one is very minty scent. I've used an organic peppermint lip balm in the past, and it wasn't as strong as this one. The flavor and scent are equivalent of having an actual piece of candy in your mouth. This can be good or bad...depending on your personal likes.

Another thing that I noticed was the formula. I LOVE beeswax. It glides on smoothly and evenly and absorbs quickly. It doesn't feel greasy or heavy. I think that the strong mint quality reddens my lips slightly, which I'm not a fan of...but if I'm in need of serious healing, adding a tiny bit of redness isn't the most of my problems! This balm has an SPF of 15 so you're protected from sun damage as well!

As far as the packaging goes, I think that it's great that it's very simplistic. The four balms come in a plastic sleeve with a simple ingredient, logo, and product name label. The tubes of balm have the same design as the package and are all safety sealed. I LOVE that fact, because I can tell that they've never been opened. The tubes are the size of a typical ChapStik, so they're easy to carry or throw in your purse.

In all, I really like these balms and I love that they're all natural! Beeswax is my favorite lip product and ABCD Vitamins has done a great job of making it enjoyable with the minty, fresh scent.

Wanna Win? Bella Naturals Organic Deodorant Giveaway!

Hello, hello, hello, guys!

I'm so excited to announce that I'm giving away a jar of Bella Naturals' Organic Vanilla Mint Deodorant! You know you wanna give it a try! :) See my review below, and if you're interested, enter the contest!

 

Something TOTALLY New: Organic Deodorant Creme by Bella Naturals

Normally, I'm open to trying a lot of new things, so long as they're within the range of products that I've used before. Facial serums, hair growth vitamins, and conditioners are examples of products that I review pretty regularly. When the opportunity arose to review an organic deodorant creme, I hesitated to apply just because I had never tried a creme deodorant. However, I was really interested in the idea of using an organic deodorant, so I gladly accepted my free product.

When it arrived, the first thing that I noticed was how strong the scent was. If I would change anything about the product, I would have much preferred to have it in a floral or fruity scent. The vanilla mint scent is wonderful, but it's not a common deodorant scent. It's very strong, but I didn't find it any more overwhelming than someone chewing a minty gum.

The deodorant came in a small jar that reminded me of a Carmex jar. It has a screw on lid and easily opens and closes. The product inside is a thick, white creme and has the consistency of melted deodorant (I hope I'm not the only one who's left it in a hot car...), but a little firmer.

The only other thing I would change about this product is to have it easier to get out. Now, it isn't an issue, because my container is full (a little goes a LONG way!). When I've used it more, the level will go down, and I'll have to reach further into the container to get to the product. This will be messy, as I'll have to stick more of my fingers in. I think a push-up bottom in a tube would be a fantastic idea for this product. That would eliminate the mess and getting the deodorant all over consumer's hands.

Once I applied the deodorant, I noticed that it had a cooling sensation. I liked it! :) It went on smoothly and evenly.

At this point I have to add: organic deodorant won't work immediately. Non-organic deodorants clog the pores of your skin, so it takes about a week to detox. For me, personally, I decided to detox over spring break because I knew it could get ugly. After detoxing and exfoliating a few times, I tried the deodorant.

My results: as long as I'm not doing anything extremely strenuous, it works perfectly. On days that I'm not active, I noticed that it did a decent job of keeping me from stinking. However, once I ran, I believe it sweated off, and I became a nasty, stinking, mess.

Typical deodorants keep you from sweating or they use tons of chemicals to mask the scent. The concept of organic deodorant is that it fights the bacteria that is sweated out.

The ingredients listed are: Organic Shea Butter, Organic Arrowroot Powder, (Vegan), Organic Sunflower Oil,  Organic Virgin Coconut Oil, Aluminum-Free Baking Soda, Organic Peppermint Essential Oil, Organic Vanilla Extract, Organic Tea Tree Essential Oil

So...as a healthier alternative, I will wear this deodorant anytime I'm not running or at the gym. I know that, ideally, I would go straight organic, but mostly organic with few exceptions is much better than having deodorant on 24/7 that contains aluminum! For those days that I have to get active, I'll look for an aluminum-free alternative with a little more punch. Although I know that this deodorant will have chemicals and unnatural additives, I just can't stand sweating the deodorant off and smelling bad. 

Lalune Naturals Organic Lip Balm Review!

Fun fact: I have issues with dry skin. In the winter, it's AWFUL. Usually, lotions will take care of it for at least a couple of hours. I have found that body butter is the very best thing to stay relieved for long periods of time (12 hours or so). Even when I've taken care of my skin, there's still the problem of my lips. I'm very picky when it comes to my lip balms, and my countertop is to show for it. I've got at least ten lip balms/ChapStiks that I've used once and left because they were too greasy, too medicated, the scent was awful, or worst: they left a terrible taste in my mouth. Another issue I have is balms making my lips look maroon instead of pink. I'm not sure if it's the ingredients or an allergic reaction, but even clear ChapStik makes my lips look darker. I've used all natural lip balms before, but I don't have them anymore. In my world, that means that they were good. That being said, I decided to review a free package of Lalune Naturals' Organic Lip Balm.

When they arrived, I noticed first that the box that they were in was a rough brown cardboard box printed with a simple black label. I LOVE it, from a graphic design standpoint! The flavors, ingredients, brand, and USDA Organic Certification are all clearly marked on the box. When I opened the package, I was pleased to see that each balm scent was marked with a different color. This makes them easy to tell apart. Next, I smelled them. The scents are light and airy without being overwhelming. The undertone of the scent is very earthy and natural. It doesn't smell like chemicals and I LOVE that.

The final, and most difficult test was use. Remember, I'm picky. I decided to use Vanilla Bean first (other scents include Asian Pear, Peppermint, and Raspberry). The balm went on smoothly and easily without any pressure. At first, I felt like the balm was greasy but it VERY quickly began to absorb. As it absorbed, the dry, cracked skin on my lips softened up and now they feel AMAZING! There isn't really a taste to these balms, but the scent is great. It's noticeable, but barely.

 I think the best part is: my lips LOOK healthy! And that problem with having maroon lips that I mentioned before? Not a problem! My lips look plump, pink, and slightly shiny. It's FANTASTIC for use with dramatic eye makeup. I'm VERY satisfied with these balms! They're the BALM (bomb...get it?)!

Foxbrim 100% Pure Argan Oil Review!

Hey, hey everyone!!

As some of you may know, from reading my previous posts, I used to be VERY mean to my hair! I would straighten it obsessively (multiple times a day) and I would straighten it while it was WET if I hadn't already spent literally 30 minutes under the "hi" setting of my blow-dryer! Over the years and years of damage, my hair had become brittle, dry, split, and in just all-around terrible condition! Pair that with the fact that I like dying my hair and pulling it up into a tight ponytail and you have a recipe for disaster!

What can you do once so much damage has been done?

Well...to begin with: STOP THE HARMFUL TREATMENT! Blow your hair dry on "low", allow it to air dry, wear it down, deep condition after you've dyed, limit straightening to a couple of times per week. Furthermore, treat your hair NICELY! Stopping the damage is a BIG step...but to reverse it, you're going to have to ADD to it!

Enter Foxbrim's Argan Oil products.

Normally, I'm opposed to anything OIL going near me. I'm a naturally oily person. SOMETIMES I can go 24 full hours without feeling disgusting. Most of the time, though, my hair is oily enough that I need to wash it daily. My skin: WORSE. So ADDING oil to the equation was not something that I wanted to do. HOWEVER...having dry, broken, and straw-like hair fell even higher up on my list of "don't like"s.

Reluctantly, I decided to work the oil into my shampoo and wash clean. I blow-dryed my hair, and, to my total surprise, my hair was VERY soft and manageable! I didn't have split ends sticking out everywhere because, additionally, I used the oil to smooth down my flyaways! A TINY TINY drop went a long way in smoothing my hair.

I will say that...if I use this product, I CANNOT skip a day of washing my hair. While it does a LOT of good, it doesn't keep the oil at bay (of course...because it is...you know...oil).

An added benefit that I noticed is that it makes my nails look hydrated, smooth, and clean. It softens cuticles as well.

Sometimes I review products and decide that they aren't to be a permanent part of my regimen. However, Foxbrim's Argan Oil Products are totally welcome because I can see the good that they've done for my hair. I don't want to make lofty claims, but my hair seems to be growing faster (BECAUSE it isn't breaking off...not because it is a hair growth stimulant).

You can buy this product here. 

Overall, I'm very impressed! What do you think? Have you used an Argan oil product before? 

Azure Naturals Rosehip Oil - Professional Strength - For Skin and Hair!

Hey, guys! I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving! As for me, I took some time to just NOT THINK about ANYTHING! It's really nice to have QUIET after having to match-wits with middle school students daily! (Disclaimer: I love my job and the kids...but they are SMART! :) I'm proud...but it can be exhausting keeping up! Haha! So over the break I took time to really get to know some products. One of those was Azure Naturals Ultimate Rosehip Oil. Now, if you know me...you know I'm somewhat impressionable. If someone has tried something and liked it, I WANT TO TRY IT! I had heard about the benefits of Rosehip oil, but I wanted to experience first hand what it would do for me. So for a week...I used solely the Rosehip oil to see what it would do for my complexion.

Here are my observations: