Organic

Review: Jane Iredale Smell the Roses Hydration Spray

October 5, 2015

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Jane Iredale introduces this limited edition hydration spray Jane Iredale Smell the Roses Hydration Spray. This spray was developed exclusively for Living Beyond Breast Cancer, which receives 100% of profits from sales. <–Love that!

This facial spray contains organic Rose Damascena Flower Water which is an excellent skin tonic. The spray cleanses the skin without disturbing its natural protective shield. The advertised benefits are:

Rose Damascena Flower Oil and Extracts penetrate into deep layers of the skin. They nourish, tighten, cleanse, detoxify, increase blood circulation, calm and support the skin’s functions.
Recommended for any skin type, especially dry and sensitive skin. Calms and soothes skin while reducing redness.
Rose fragrance is refreshing and uplifting. It de-stresses and provides an overall feeling of well-being.

I received this press sample a few weeks ago and I’ve been using it ever since. The spray has a light, not overpowering rose fragrance. For me the spray is wonderful to use in the morning, it helps to wake me up. It’s so light when applied and it dried without leaving any sticky residue. In general I used it after washing me face without needing any additional moisturizer but if you have dry skin you may want to still use a moisturizer as this is lightly hydrating. I have oily skin so I found this spray quite balancing all by itself. Sometimes I sprayed it on throughout the day as a pick me up because the scent is uplifting, especially when you’re feeling exhausted. I can see myself traveling with this spray, especially when flying to feel more wake when I’m jetlagged.

I absolutely love that Jane Iredale is cruelty free, it make me feel better that using a product that is not tested on animals. And the fact that this company uses natural and organic ingredients in also a huge plus. Below you can see recognize every ingredient in this spray which makes me feel safer about using it.

Ingredients: Aqua/Water/Eau, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder*, Rosa Damascena Flower Water*, Raphanus Sativus (Radish) Root Extract, Rosa Centifolia Flower Extract*, Rosa Canina (Rosehips) Fruit Extract*, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil*, Glycerin**, Camellia Sinensis (White Tea) Leaf Extract*, Calendula, Officinalis (Calendula) Flower Extract*, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract*, Alcohol** *INGREDIENT FROM ORGANIC FARMING ** MADE USING ORGANIC INGREDIENTS

Have you tried Jane Iredale Smell the Roses Hydration Spray?

Beauty Food: Tea

January 25, 2014

Tea is a popular healthy food and has been so for many centuries. Personally I’m an avid tea drinker because a hot cup of team is very relaxing and soothing. I drink tea year-long not just because it tastes great but it’s also a wonderful beauty food. There are many types of teas that are healthful, here are a few of my favorites:

Chamomile – One of the most popular herbal teas today, Chamomile has been traditionally used for calming and relaxation.
Passionflower – Used for more than 200 years by Native Americans, Passionflower is traditionally used for easing occasional nervous tension and supporting restful sleep.
Green Tea – green tea has numerous beneficial properties and is often consumed to promote energy and general well-being.
Raspberry – Native to North America, Raspberry leaves are highly valued because of their unique astringent properties. The tea remains popular among midwives and herbalists today.

Green tea is full of antioxidants that have been used for many beauty treatments including soothing tired eyes and as an astringent. According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition green tea can help to speed up the metabolic rate and speed up fat oxidation to support weight loss. Green tea is also known to simulate hair growth and keep hair shiny and soft. Just steep three tea bags in a liter of water and rinse your hair with it after you’ve conditioned it. One of my favorite brands of tea is Alvita because their tea is fantastic – its organic and their tea boxes are 100% recycled paperboard.

What is your favorite kind of tea?

Getting Lippy: Avalon Organics Nourishing Cherry Aloe Organic Lip Balm

January 10, 2012

As I prepped my kiddies to go to school, I also remind them to have good grooming habits. Yes, I raise my boys to never have ashy hands and to always use lip balm. Taking care of yourself isn’t just for women, men need beauty TLC too! So when I saw that the low temperature in NYC today was 30 degrees, I had to prepare my boys properly. So I reached into my lippy bin and fished out two plain lip balms for my boys to have. This got me thinking about lip balms and how amazingly awesome they are.

One of my favorite lip balms is from Avalon Organics because it’s not waxy or sticky like chapstick; they feel great on your lips. Avalon Organics is also USDA certified organic – which makes me feel good about using it AND giving it to my kids. The Nourishing Cherry Aloe lip balm contains organic olive and coconut oil to moisturize, organic shea butter to protect against dry lips and Vitamin E to nourish and heal. So there are lots of beneficial ingredients to not only make your lips soft but to keep them that way. This lip balm is also available in Vanilla Rosemary and Peppermint Green Tea which both sound heavenly, mmm! I relish the company’s’ commitment to consciousness which really resonates with me, this is a statement is from the Avalon Organics website:

Our commitment to Consciousness in Cosmetics creates a larger vision that encompasses us all. Our goal is to honor the body with consciousness. This vision is alive and continually expanding and we are all a part of it. Five distinct elements comprise Consciousness in Cosmetics: Purity and Safety, Sustainability, Products that Work, Sensuality and Personal Choice.

PURITY & SAFETY – “Consciousness of Ingredient Purity”
We only use ingredients that we trust, knowing that they can be absorbed directly into the body through the skin. We relentlessly seek out and use ingredients that are purer, more natural or organic, creating products that are safer to use.

Unfortunately this lip balm doesn’t contain any SPF but it does have a subtle cherry scent that’s mildly intoxicating, if your into cherry scents that is. BUT you can now also sing “I kissed a girl and I liked it, the taste of her cherry chapstick..” without actually kissing a girl, unless you’re into that type of thing, then I totally support that! Plus is only $2.99 which makes lip balm one of the most awesome, useful and affordable beauty products out there. So go ahead and make your lips taste like cherry. 😉

Have you tried Avalon Organics lip balm?

Lavender Love, Hugo Naturals Hand Sanitizer!

November 6, 2011

If you’ve ever taken a New York City subway then you’ll certainly understand the urgent need to want to wash your hands. As much as I love New York, I’ll be the first to admit that our subways can be dirty, smelly and downright gross. I remember a time or two when I touched something on the pole that I didn’t even want to know what it was! So what’s a germaphobe to do? Well if you’re like me, you’ll want to carry some hand sanitizer in your purse so that your delicate digits remain germ free.

Well in my quest to find more organic and cruelty-free beauty products I came across Hugo Natural Hand Sanitizer. Hugo Naturals uses the best natural ingredients, natural colors, essential oils and botanical extracts to create luxurious all-natural personal care products. Their hand sanitizer is 95% organic, gluten-free and vegan. It’s made from certified organic lavender essential oil, organic alcohol and aloe vera.

I do have to say that washing your hands is the BEST way to keep your hands germ free, however if you cannot get to a washroom, hand sanitizer is a great alternative; this product has been shown to kill 99.9% of harmful bacteria. This hand sanitizer doesn’t dry out your hands the way conventional sanitizers do, in fact it’s pretty moisturizing. After a few sprays my hands smelled of aromatic lavender which lightly fades away after a few minutes. The hand sanitizer doesn’t leave sticky residue and leave hands satiny soft.

Do you use hand sanitizer or do you wait until you can reach a washroom?

Hugo Naturals French Lavender Organic Hand Sanitizer, $7.99

Pacific Shaving Company All Natural Shaving Cream

October 21, 2010

The Pacific Shaving Company created a small line of natural and eco-friendly infused with essential oils and certified organic ingredients. Their All Natural Shaving Cream is fast becoming one of my favorite products mainly for it’s ingredients. This all natural formula contains aloe, shea butter, and sweet almond oil to keep you skin hydrated and smooth. White and Green Tea extracts were added for their anti-oxidant properties to protect against free-radical damage. The company even added Lavender which helps to calm skin.

Pacific Shaving Company describes the formula as low-lather but I found that the formula was thick and lathered well. This shaving cream is a bit more dense than other brands so a little will go a long way.

The 3-oz. jar may seem quite small at first but you will get 40 shaves (or more) out of it, it’s nice and compact. The scent is extremely light and very “clean” smelling, you won’t notice it after application.

Overall the I would say that I loved the shaving cream. The texture, the scent and the all natural ingredients work harmoniously together. Shaving was smooth and nick free and most importantly my skin didn’t feel dry afterwards. This is my first experience with the Pacific Shaving Company and it was great, I can’t wait to try the rest of their line!

All Natural Shaving Cream 3-oz., $8.95

Disclosure: The product(s) featured in this review were provided for editorial consideration. Receipt of a product does not guarantee review and all opinions are my own. For further information, please see my disclosure policy.