Reviva Labs HypoAllergenic Mascara

I have mentioned Reviva Labs in several past posts, but I figured it was about time to give this product a proper review. I find it to be one of the best natural-ish (see ingredients notes) mascaras available for the price. Anyone who has tried natural mascara probably has hit a few duds; for whatever reason, this is a product that green companies really struggle to get right. I personally think that this product gets the closest to the performance of a mainstream mascara out of any that I've tried.

The formula is on the wet side, and when it's brand new I find it is really too loose to be volumizing. But if after about two to three weeks, it gets a bit drier, and that's when this formula really is able to build volume. The brush is nothing particularly exciting, it has natural fibers and is regular sized. That's why I love to layer this mascara with Jumbo Lash from Organic Wear. The Organic Wear mascara has the better brush — large and synthetic — while Reviva Labs has the better volumizing formula. Not to mention, unlike Organic Wear, this mascara doesn't make your eyes water like crazy.

I think the price point of a mascara is particularly important, because it is something that should be tossed every few months. This mascara is available in the five dollar range most of the time, so it can't get much better than that. Particularly because of the price, this has been my go-to for over a year. Overall, I recommend it if you need something cheap and effective, though I have a couple reservations about the ingredients.

Ingredients: Water, Beeswax, Copolymer, Isododecane, PEG-20 Sorbitan Beeswax, Glyceryl stearate S.E., Wheat Germ Oil, Magnesium Silicate, Kaolin, Cetyl Phosphate, Carnauba, Stearyl Alcohol, Panthenol, Cetyl Alcohol, Xantham Gum, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Dehydroacstate. May Contain: Iron Oxides, Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Ultramarine Blue.

Ingredients notes: This mascara doesn't contain the most ideal ingredients list. It has an unspecific copolymer, as well as PEG-20 Sorbitan Beeswax, a substance that carries contamination concerns for 1 4-dioxane and ethylene oxide. I would prefer a cleaner ingredients list, but it is still safer than many drugstore and department store options.

Where to buy: $5.18 at iHerb.com, and $5.99 at Vitacost, $6.74 and up at Amazon.

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Disclosure: Product purchased by me — many times! Contains affiliate links. Using these links helps support this blog. I always link to the best deals I can find.

Blissoma Smooth A+ Perfecting Serum

Facial oils have rightfully gotten a lot of love lately from the green beauty world, but don't underestimate the benefits natural water-based products. Today I am excited to share this non-oil serum by Blissoma Solutions, a unique skincare company out of St. Louis, MO. This line stands out not only because of an intense dedication to natural formulations, but also because of the functionality of ingredients used. Formulated by the chemistry savvy Julie Longyear, the company's products are a fusion of science, herbalism and creativity.

The brand's Smooth A+ Perfecting Serum is an easy choice for anyone with acne prone, troubled skin. Packed with anti-inflammatory herbal infusions and extracts, this multitasking serum contains 20 active ingredients that heal acne, calm inflamed, dry skin, and reduce hyperpigmentation. This product comes in the form of a uniquely textured serum. It isn't a oil, as many natural companies make, but more of a loosely textured emulsion. The consistency is thinner than a lotion, but thicker than say, water.

So what is the reason for this water-base product? Traditionally, herbs are infused in oils, but some of the active compounds within these plant are only soluble in water or other solvents such as alcohol. The reason for this is the polarity of some molecules, which should ring a bell for anyone who survived chemistry 101! We also know that most water based products must be preserved, and Blissoma uses the very unique combination of fermented radish root and aspen bark extract as preservatives. I really can't overstate how impressed I am by this, because this is one of the only companies I have come across that uses totally natural preservatives.

And the super-natural ingredients don't stop with the preservatives. Some of the stars here are coriander, rose, yarrow, goldenrod, and fennel infusions that cleanse and soothe, while licorice and heather flower extracts reduce redness from acne and inflamed skin. Cold-extracted Olive Leaf is also used for its Oleuropein, a powerful antioxidant that has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects. And Niacinamide, a type of vitamin B, helps skin maintain moisture and treats acne-related dryness, hyperpigmentation, and irritation. It also contains jojoba oil and witch hazel, two staples I already rotate in my skincare routine.

The combination of ingredients creates a potent yet gentle serum that can be used all over, or as a spot treatment.  My skin broke out pretty badly right before I started using this, and it has been the main moisturizer I have been using since. In combination with clay masks and honey washes, it has really helped calm my skin, reduce redness from breakouts, and prevent future ones. It spreads out easily on the skin and does not leave any sticky film, like some serums I have tried. It also layers nicely with other oils or lotions if you want extra moisture. When I get breakouts, this all-in-one product has been my go to for quite literally turning a mountain into a molehill.

Ingredients: Infusion of Coriandrum sativum* (coriander), Achillea millefolium* (yarrow), Solidago virgaurea* (goldenrod), Foeniculum vulgare* (fennel), Rosa damascena* (roses), and Taraxacum officinale* (dandelion), Aloe barbadensis (aloe) Juice*, Cetearyl Alcohol and Cetearyl Glucoside, Hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel), Niacinamide, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Daucus carota (carrot) Juice*, Simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) Oil*, Extracts of Olea Europaea* (olive leaf), Gluconolactone, Lonicera japonica* (honeysuckle), Glycyrrhiza glabra* (licorice), and Calluna vulgaris* (heather flowers), Essential Oils of Citrus bergamia (bergamot) FCF, Boswellia carterii (frankincense), and Rosa damascena (rose otto), CO2 Extracts of Daucus carota (helio-carrot) and Matricaria chamomilla (german chamomile), Populus Tremuloides (aspen) Bark Extract, Xanthan Gum, Grain Alcohol*, citronellol**, geraniol**, linalool**, limonene**

*from Certified Organic Agriculture

**natural components of essential oils

Ingredients note: This product contains Japanese honeysuckle extract, and if this is something you're worried about, please don't skip over this paragraph! Japanese honeysuckle extract has come under fire because many say that it is a natural paraben. Frequently, the Japanese honeysuckle extract you will see in ingredients list is actually a commercial ingredient called Plantservative. Plantservative is highly concentrated and more refined than a traditional honeysuckle extract. The honeysuckle that is in this serum is actually extracted and filtered from the plant by Blissoma. This extract wouldn't even stay fresh on its own if it weren't for the alcohol used in the extraction. So, this tells you that the honeysuckle Blissoma uses would contain little to none of this natural paraben compound, because if it had a significant amount, then in wouldn't need to be preserved. Not to mention, one of the critics of Plantservative even noted that she was not against the use of simple honeysuckle extractions. So, it is important to distinguish that the extract in Blissoma's formula is something quite different. The mild cleansing and antibacterial properties of honeysuckle make it a great herb for acne treatment.

Where to buy: $21.99 at iriestar.com. Samples and full-sized products are available at naturaljoybeauty.com.

**Cool deal: If you purchase Blissoma's handy Ingredients Booklet for $10, you get $10 off your next purchase, so it's free! 

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Disclosure: This product was sent to me for review purposes. Opinions are my own, and I am not affiliated with this company.

Nubian Heritage Mango Butter

 

If you can't tell from my Current Suds posts, really been enjoying the brand Nubian Heritage lately. I really love their unabashedly strong, rich scents, and since I liked the sweet dreamsicle smell of the Mango Butter Soap, I decided to try the matching Mango Butter. I've been wanting to try a mango butter product anyway, and I liked that this one was mixed with shea butter and vitamin C.

I gotta say, this was not at all what I expected. The texture of this stuff is pretty strange. It has small little waxy beads, almost like an exfoliator. The biggest pain is that it doesn't melt into your skin. When you try to rub it in, the little beads just sit on top on your skin. What is one to do? Melt them manually of course! So after I apply this body butter, I literally take a hair dryer and melt it into my skin. It is one of the most ridiculous things, but it works. The other thing you could do is take some of it out of the container and melt it in either in a double boiler or the microwave. Just please don't put the plastic container itself in!

I think the smell is delicious, and it is very moisturizing for my skin, but having to melt the product is a so inconvenient. It is possible that if you are in a very hot climate it would work better. But it's springtime here, and not even that cold anymore. If you like the smell of a sweet scented, dreamsicle-like butter, you might like this. But be ready to go out of your way to get it melted.

Ingredients note: This product contains Vitamin A, also known as Retinyl Palmitate. This has a high hazard rating on the Skin Deep database, because it may accelerate the growth of skin tumors when in the presence of sunlight. I almost always avoid this ingredient, especially in makeup that sits on my skin. However, from what I have read, using a product at indoors at night does not pose a risk. I use this only as a nighttime body moisturizer. To be extra safe, I only use this on areas of skin that I know will not be exposed to sunlight at all the next day. For more information on Vitamin A, check out this article from the Environmental Working Group.

Ingredients: Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter)*, Natural Essence, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), Retinol Palmitate (Vitamin A), Essential Oil Blend (*Denotes certified organic ingredient).

Where to buy: $8.91 and up at Amazon.com.

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Disclosure: Product purchased by me. Contains affiliate links. I link to the best deals I can find. 

Weleda Rosemary Hair Oil

Weleda, a European-based natural skincare company, has gotten a lot of well-deserved love from natural beauty writers all over the internet. I especially admire this company because they were green long before it was it was "in" to be natural. I remember seeing their products in YM Magazine as a tween back in the early 2000s, when the likes of Ashanti and Ashley Simpson were gracing the covers. But that actually doesn't do any justice to the length of Weleda's traditions. They were on it long before I was born, since 1921, to be exact.

So it's no surprise that their products are full of traditional herbal remedies, and well-established skin loving ingredients. Their Rosemary Hair Oil is no exception. Peanut oil makes up the base of this potent hair moisturizer. Though this might sound like a strange thing to put right on your head, nourishing peanut oil helps hair retain moisture, and is also known to bond particularly well to keratin, the key structural protein of hair. Rosemary Leaf Oil, the star here, stimulates circulation and hair growth, and also helps treat hair loss. Clover flower extract is another hair loss fighting ingredient that is known to boost hair strength and elasticity. Burdock root extract treats dry scalp, while lavender oil calms your skin and your mind, and can even help treat eczema and other stress-triggered conditions.

From my experience, this stuff makes your hair feel silky smooth. For those who like need some extra TLC, it can be warmed and used as a deep conditioning treatment. I like to apply a very small amount to towel-dried hair to prevent frizz, and create lasting nourishment.  I love the cooling, almost mint like scent that lingers in my hair. Overall, I think it's a beautiful product that comes at a great value.

Ingredients: Arachis Hypogaea (Peanut) Oil, Trifolium Pratense (Clover) Flower Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Arctium Lappa (Burdock Root) Root Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Oil, Limonene*, Linalool*, Geraniol*, Coumarin*.
* from natural essential oils

Where to buy: $10.69 at vitacost.com, $11.99 at abesmarket.com, $12.33 at amazon.com and $12.69 at iherb.com.

Coupons:
· Use code JOB127 at iherb.com for $5 off your first order or $10 off your first order of $40 or more.
· Click here to get $10 off your first order of $30 or more at Vitacost

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Disclosure: Product purchased by me, and opinions are 100% my own. Contains afiiliate links. I always link to the best deals I can find, and using these links helps support this blog. 

Lucy Minerals Original Formula Foundation and Finishing Powder

 

Lucy Minerals is a small handmade brand out of known for their creamy, full coverage mineral foundations. I was convinced to try some of their products after seeing several rave reviews from Naturalla Beauty and Oxana124. I decided to try out their foundation and finishing powder, and here are my thoughts on each.

Foundation

Lucy Minerals makes three different types of foundation: the original version, which contains vitamin C and antioxidants, the oil control version, which has the same additives plus calcium carbonate, and a light formula, which doesn't contain any extra additives. All three have full coverage. I opted for the original version because I haven't had any issues with topical vitamin c or antioxidants, and I don't have oily skin.

In addition the special additives, this foundation has become well known for being very full coverage, but having a natural finish. I found that is absolutely lived up to the claims. One very thin layer gives medium coverage, and additional layers very quickly build up to full coverage. Many describe how the texture is "creamy" compared to other mineral foundations. I'm not sure if "creamy" is the word I'd use to describe this product, but it definitely has a noticeably denser texture, and as you can tell from the picture, it sticks together more than regular powder. 

This foundation works so well for me. I usually have a tad of unevenness in my skin, and a few pimples here and there. I apply it by first buffing in a light layer all over. Only a small amount is needed because the product is so concentrated. I then go in with a concealer brush and apply it on pimples. Often times, this is sufficient coverage for me, and I just buff one more time with a clean brush to blend everything in. If I want some more coverage, I apply one more light layer. And that's it! It's so easy and fast. Less is more for sure; if it's over-applied it will look cakey and unnatural. 

One of the greatest things about the foundation is how well it also works as a concealer. As you can tell from my application, this is the only thing I need to conceal breakouts, and it works for dark circles too. It really can adhere to pimples and cover them completely. I often will just use it as a concealer alone, with no foundation. If you just want a mineral concealer, you could even buy the "Try it" size for $2.50, which is the size of an eyeshadow container. 

I'll talk about my experience finding a color, which may be helpful for those of you with fair skin. I've had trouble identifying my undertone for a while, but I think I've finally figured out I have a neutral-ish undertone that leans slightly on the warm side. I have fair skin, but am not porcelain. I found that "Light" and "Fair" were both too light for me, and the wrong undertone. Even the color "Light," which is supposed to be neutral, seemed a bit pink on me. "Cream" is very slightly darker than my skintone, but by far the best match. This color looks very even and natural on me, and after applying only on my face, it matches my neck perfectly. 

Lucy Minerals will custom mix any combination of the shades that you want, which is great if you can figure it out. The fairest of fair will be able to create a shade, because they even make a pure white color called "Snow White," to lighten any other color. The darkest color is probably not going to suit women with very dark skin, and I think it would be a good idea to make a dark color that has the reverse effect as Snow White. The color pictures on the website are also not the most accurate, but the descriptions are helpful. There are also some good swatches here. I think ordering samples first is really the way to go. 

Finishing powder

Lucy Minerals recommends using a finishing powder with the foundation. I'd heard good things about their finishing powder as well, so I decided to pick it up when I bought my foundation. The finishing powder comes in one translucent shade, which works well with my fair skin. It comes in four varieties: original, which has the same additives mentioned above, an oil control formula with the additives plus silica, an oil control formula with the additives plus calcium carbonate, and a light formula with nothing extra added. Again, I opted for the original formula. The finishing powder has a much lighter texture than the foundation, and only a tiny bit is needed for an application.

The truth is, when using the foundation, I find it pretty unnecessary to use a finishing powder. I don't have oily skin, so I never have an issue with it coming through my foundation anyway. I can't see any discernible difference with the finishing powder on my skin either, no filling of fine lines or anything. If you find it necessary to use a finishing power over your mineral foundation, you might like this. However, I've used this as a setting powder with cream and liquid foundations, and I love it for this use. I find that it sets cream and liquid products, without adding an extra cakey layer. The finish is very natural, and feels very smooth. I'm not sure if I would go out of my way to just order this finishing powder, but if you are already going to make an order from Lucy Minerals, it is worth checking out.

Original Formula Foundation Ingredients: zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, mica, magnesium stearate, iron oxides, allantoin, Apple Poly® polyphenols, trans-resveratrol, green coffee bean extract, magnesium ascorbyl phosphate.

Original Formula Finishing Powder Ingredients: mica, rice powder, titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, magnesium stearate, iron oxides,allantoin, Apple Poly® polyphenols, trans-resveratrol, green coffee bean extract, magnesium ascorbyl phosphate.

**I wrote to the owner, and Lucy Minerals does not use nanoparticles in their products.

Where to buy: $15 each at lucyminerals.com. If you are also interested in their blushes or eyeshadows, there are some good deals on kits.

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Desert Essence Organic Lavender Tea Tree Oil

Several weeks ago I posted about tea tree oil, one of my skincare staples. Though I love the benefits of this potent oil,  I do not think it smells good. Its tingly and cooling, but it's just got that funk. I happened upon this little tea tree lavender fusion from Desert Essence in my cabinet, and after one use, I can't believe that I've been neglecting it all this time.

I use this in the exact same way I use tea tree oil. I just dilute it way down with water in a fine misting spray bottle, and use it as an astringent, toner and spot treatment. This gives you all the same anti-inflammatory and antiseptic benefits as regular tea tree oil, but it smells so much better. The lavender somehow manages to compliment or cover that medicinal, acrid smell. Not to mention, lavender essential oil is anti-inflammatory and has many of the same benefits as tea tree. It deserves its own post, really.

Of course if you already own lavender and tea tree oil, you can simply mix the two. I am guessing this formula has more lavender than tea tree, because of the order they are listed on the bottle. But if you don't have both on hand, this is just so convenient, not to mention USDA Certified Organic.

Ingredients: Organic Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Organic Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Oil.

Where to buy: $7.89 at vitacost.com, $8.74 at iherb.com, prices + shipping vary at amazon.com.

Coupons
· Use code JOB127 at iherb.com for $5 off your first order or $10 off your first order of $40 or more. 
· Click here to get $10 off your first order of $30 or more at Vitacost.

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Disclosure: Product purchased by me. Contains affiliate links.  I always link to the best deals I can find, and using these links helps support this blog.

Acure Pure Mint + Echinacea Stem Cell Shampoo & Conditioner

I haven't talked much about shampoo and conditioner on this blog, for good reason. I found it one of the more difficult items to switch over when I started using natural products. Why? There are three things that I expect of a shampoo and conditioner.

1. Clean ingredients. This goes without saying — this is a green beauty blog!

2. Reasonable price. Hair care is something you have to purchase relatively frequently, so I don't want it to be something to "invest" in. 

3. High performance. What good are the other two requirements if the products don't make your hair feel clean and soft? 

The thing is, it is so hard to find something that is a combination of the three. Some hair products with the cleanest ingredients can be upwards of $30, which I just can't justify spending every couple of months. Some of the more affordable, clean shampoos are not true shampoos at all, and don't work in hard water. And then the true shampoos in the affordable range often aren't that clean at all. Just when I was starting to feel like there was no happy medium, enter Acure's line of shampoo and conditioner.

First off, these hair products work so, so well. If you have a hard time weaning off of the regular drugstore stuff, you will love these. I had gone no-poo before using this shampoo and conditioner, and as soon as I switched back to these, I noticed such a huge difference in the texture and of my hair. It finally felt healthy again! The shampoo lathers nicely, despite the fact that has no sulfates, and it makes my hair and scalp feel very clean. The conditioner feels and works just as well as a mainstream one. It is thick, has lots of slip, and detangles and my hair feel soooo soft after using it. 

As for price, this line can usually be found for less than $10. The last time I bought a couple bottles, they were on sale for about $8 each on Vitacost. That's not exactly budget, but in my opinion, it is a reasonable amount to be paying for haircare. 

The ingredients are really great too. Among the ingredients are Acure's usual cocktail of antioxidants, including Acai Berry, Blackberry, Rosehips, Pomegranate and Rooibos, and Coenzyme Q10, an antioxidant that helps prevent UV damage. I was especially impressed with this last ingredient, because our scalps can get sun exposure too! It's such a thoughtful addition. The shampoo does contain Cocamidopropyl Betaine, an surfactant that is a bit controversial, because can sometimes be contaminated with nitrosamines. It ranks as a 4 in the skin deep database, for those wondering. However, I checked with Acure, and the cocamidopropyl betaine they use is derived from non-GMO sugar beets, and no amines are present during production that would result in any nitrosamine contamination. With this information, I feel totally comfortable recommending this shampoo's safety. 

This particular variety, Pure Mint + Echinacea Stem Cell, is the "volumizing" one. I'm not sure if I've ever had a shampoo that volumized my hair, so I can't really speak to that. My hair usually has a bit of volume to it, so I'm really not sure. I do love this scent the most out of the three available. It smells pretty much exactly like fresh peppermint, and is a tad cooling. I use it year round, but some might especially like the cooling peppermint effect in the summer. 

In summation, this is my #1 recommendation for natural shampoo. In my opinion, no other company on the market comes close to Acure's combination of safe ingredients, high performance, and reasonable price. I highly recommend this line.