- Face SPF 30 Unscented Matte Tint Mineral Sunscreen by COOLA.
- Green Tea Tropical, Chamomile Citrus, & Organic Earl Grey teas by Mighty Leaf Tea.
- Protect & Detangle by Beauty Protector.
- Body Repair Balm by Skinfix.
- Retails $36 for 1.7oz.
- About the product: This lightly tinted, mineral matte sunscreen with a SPF 30 is made with 70% certified organic ingredients, ideal for normal to oily skin, gluten free, and water resistant up to 40 minutes. Best for light to medium complexions, after applied you should notice an immediate line smoothing, matte finish. It's antioxidant infused and contains ingredients such as Vitamin C, organic rose hip oil, shea butter, and evening primrose to help calm, smooth and hydrate your skin. Apply evenly over face in upward strokes.
- What I thought: Its silky texture reminded me of a face primer though its consistency was more whipped and mousse like so I was surprised at how lightweight this felt being SPF 30. A little goes a long way and it was very hydrating without having my skin feeling weighed down! It applied very smoothly, blended well into my skin, and I didn't notice any scent to it. Though there was something about it where it didn't want to blend well with my concealer or foundation. When used together, my concealer and foundation didn't settle well so it left my skin looking streaky. I was also a bit disappointed as I received so little of it. I don't think even 1/3 of the sample bottle was full so I didn't even have enough to last me 1 week, let alone a few days.
- I'd be open to buying this.
- Retails for $9.95 for 15 pouches.
- About the product: Mighty Leaf Tea was founded in 1996 by husband and wife team Gary Shinner and Jill Portman in San Fransisco. They blend whole leaf teas with high quality herbs, fruits, blossoms, and spices to produce their signature tastes. Their tea pouches are stitched with unbleached cotton, contain no glue or staples, and are crafted of 100% polyactic, corn based, compostable material. They have won awards not only for their teas but also their packaging.
- What I thought: I love how you can see the ingredients so well through the silken pouches and I was able to get 2 cups of great tasting tea from each. My favorite of the 3 was the chamomile citrus, pictured above. I'm not a big fan of chamomile tea but the blend with a light citrus hint to it was great! Of the 3, the Green Tea Tropical was my least favorite as I felt the tea was a bit too heavy and dark for my tastes. Regardless, they were all full of great flavor and I'd love to try some more! They have a lot to offer on their website including a rewards program and 2 free tea pouch samples with every order.
- I would buy this.
- Retails $21.95 for 8oz.
- About the product: This product is vegan, 100% paraben and sulfate free. This leave in mist says it will seals your hair's cuticles, smooth, moisturize, and minimize frizz. It will provide protection from UV rays and heat, safeguard your colored hair, and add shine. Apply this weightless, non-greasy product after shampooing and conditioning your hair. After towel drying your hair, hold the bottle 4-6 inches away from your hair, spray a few times, then comb through.
- What I thought: I really wish Birchbox would have included this sample when I got their shampoo & conditioner samples to see how they all worked together. It also had that same, great scent their other products have. The spray came out very wet over a small area so I found it hard to control where it was being applied. I ended up spraying 3 spritzes into my hand and then worked that through my short hair. Like their other products, this one left just a faint scent to my hair, a nice shine, and no frizz. I felt it did do a good job protecting my hair from my flat iron as after use, my hair didn't seem so brittle and even looked healthier. Unfortunately, I use another product that just seems to moisturize and protect my hair much better. So if that one ever became discontinued, I'd seek out this one.
- I'd be open to buying this.
- Retails $12.00 for 0.9oz.
- About the product: 100% natural without parabens, petroleum, or mineral oil, this product is made to be used anywhere you have trouble spots, including your cuticles, lips, and face, to help heal and soothe your skin. This product is packed with ingredients you can identify such as beeswax, vitamin E, and oils of sweet almond, lavender, sunflower, shea, geranium, and castor. Perfect for both warm and cold climates, its ingredients help relieve environmental stresses by locking in moisture.
- What I thought: I tried this before looking at the ingredients and the first things I noticed were how it smelled strongly of lavender and the texture of it seemed like petroleum, so I was surprised to see there was no petroleum in it at all! Using it on my lips & cuticles I didn't get the long lasting moisturizing I was hoping for and so I felt like I was applying it way too much throughout the day on those areas. I had a better experience applying it to rough, winter skin patches! It helped soften and heal these areas. My most favorite place to apply it? You'd never guess but it was my nipples! I did e-mail the company to ask if they knew if it was safe to use on them if you were a breastfeeding mother. All they really advised was it was all natural but to consult with your doctor 1st before using it on them if you are.
- I'd be open to buying this.
Body Repair Balm by Skinfix.
- Retails $30.00 for 4oz.
- About the product: Skinfix believes in "Nature's Pharmacy" by keeping their products 100% steroid, paraben, phthalates, fragrance, and hydro-cortisone free. This balm helps treats eczema, dermatitis, dry and itchy skin by providing immediate relief from redness and irritation with its medicinal, all-natural formula. Packed with ingredients your skin will love such as aloe, beeswax, shea butter, and paraffin, it also contains key active ingredients such as zinc oxide, 2% colloidal oatmeal, allantoin, sweet almond & jojoba oils to help heal, calm, soothe, and relieve your skin. Apply directly to affected areas, especially after bathing, or throughout the day for stubborn flare ups.
- What I thought: Not only do I battle with dry skin because of my hypothyroidism, but the winters here can be harsh on it. Also, thanks to genetics and allergies, I've been dealing with eczema, adult acne, and keratosis pilaris. I like to read through the other reviews and I noticed a lot of people didn't like the scent of this. I actually did. To me it wasn't medicinal at all and had a lightly sweet smell because of the oats, almond, and jojoba oils. Since there was only a little of it I decided to only use it on my trouble spots. My shins, heels, elbows, and the tops of my lower arms. I also used a teeny tiny bit on my face. It seeps in right away but it will feel like you have a light, powdery film on you. If you use too much you will actually notice a white or cream colored film on your skin so take the time to rub it in enough and that will go away. After a few days of use my skin was softer and less irritated. After a few weeks of use my keratosis pilaris seemed to diminish. The only thing it didn't do was heal the really rough spots like my elbows & heels. This is still by far one of the best products I have used to help calm my dry & irritated skin! A MUST for those with eczema!
- I'd buy this.
I also got a small piece of Ghiradelli chocolate in my box this month in Intense Dark Cherry Tango. I'm not going to do a whole write up about it though. You can find their chocolate everywhere! Though I will say their dark chocolate with cherry and almonds was pretty tasty and made me immediately wish I had more. :)
Since I have been very happy with my Birchboxes I finally decided to sign up for the annual subscription. Soon I'll have enough points to take a good chunk of change off of a bottle of Arielle BERRIMATRIX™ Intense Repair Complex. That stuff was fantastic!
~
I swear I finished this a few weeks ago but I have just been so exhausted & didn't post it. Thought I had something specific I wanted to write about, but with my brain fog lately, I'll never remember. I seriously have to write things down as soon as I think of them these days or they will be lost, possibly, forever. Plus I got my Ipsy bag yesterday & my April Birchbox today so that kind of reminded me to finish this up.
Last Thursday was the 1st time I had to take time off of work since my return because of my autoimmune disease. Since I had awoke in the morning I felt awful. Sometimes I can't even describe it. It was almost like it just felt like my body was shutting down. My head hurt, my body ached, I was exhausted, nauseous, too hot then too cold, couldn't concentrate. After 1/2 of day of being in the bathroom 3 times already, barely able to scarf down lunch and I couldn't even finish it, then realizing I was probably going to have to go to the bathroom again another 3 times during the remainder of the day because I just felt so ill, I decided to go home. I wasn't going to be productive or be able to concentrate on anything at that point anyway. My cat, Milton, was happy I came home early and got all up in my face for a bit then curled up next to me.
I am happy to say I felt better on Friday, though not perfect, I made it through the day at work. This week I've made it through every day fine but I have been insanely exhausted. I'm really curious where my levels are at currently though my next blood tests are not scheduled for another month.
Well I better post this before I fall asleep, or my mind gets sidetracked again.
Today's bath consisted of:
- The Phoenix bath & body wash by Not Soap, Radio
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