April empties

I called this post "April empties", but it's not 100% true as I finished a few more items since the time I took these pictures. However, I'm traveling currently and don't have the photos of the rest of the products that I've used up. At least I am sure I will not have any more empty items for the month, so here I go.

Natural Dentist "peppermint twist" mouth wash - it's hands down the best mouth wash of them all! This brand comes in different flavors, but this one is my favorite. It's refreshing, but not too strong, doesn't sting the mouth, and lasts a decent time.
Kiss My Face whitening toothpaste - I usually don't stick to one toothpaste for too long (with exception to Weleda salt toothpaste), so I like switching them. I didn't notice whitening effect, but keep in mind that I don't use such toothpastes regularly, and I usually have 2-3 open ones at the same time.
Radius "mint" and "cranberry" dental floss - these come in separate sachets, so it's a great option for travel, or just keeping in one's bag. It's really good, but not perfect, and when it comes to flosses, I prefer Dr. Tung's.

Pristine Beauty "take a whiff" deodorant - I didn't finish using this and had to throw away quite a lot as it changed the smell :( Not sure I'm really sorry about that as it didn't work as well as I expected. I had this deodorant in the past and loved it, so I got another one. When I was using it for the first time, it lasted forever and was very effective, but this time I wasn't so happy with the product, and I wouldn't recommend it to others to try (unless you don't mind spending a bit more money on a deodorant).
Burt's Bees foot lotion - this product deserves a big NO from me. It's greasy, hard to absorb, too liquid-y  and messy in every other way. I don't really enjoy any of BB hand or foot products as they can't be used in normal conditions, and by that I mean "rub the cream and go" way. The only way I could use this foot lotion was to cover my feet in huge amount of it before bedtime and put some socks on. That way my feet felt incredibly soft and smooth in the morning. Too bad the effect didn't last too long and once I took a shower, my feet were back to normal.
Giovanni "avocado & olive oil" body lotion - the smell was ok, but it wasn't natural enough for what I prefer, and this is the biggest con for me. Otherwise, the lotion was nice: light, moisturizing and easy to absorb. I have one more in different scent that I'm about to finish during the coming month, but I don't think I'll buy any more in the future, and that's entirely due to the way they smell.
Jason Natural "citrus" body wash - I'm not picky when it comes to shower gels, so this worked fine for me. It's a huge bottle and might get you bored while using it, but as I have 1-2 other opened products, I can always switch.

Andalou Naturals exfoliating peel - I had a mini size that came from this set. I'm not big on face masks and extra treatments, so I wasn't thrilled with this item. In fact, I didn't even give it a decent use. I used it as a face wash/scrub.
100% Pure "coffee bean" eye cream - it's not expensive, and the tube lasted me since November. What a good deal! It's the second time I've used this cream, and it didn't disappoint me. It's rich and moisturiing enough, but doesn't leave your undereyes greasy, and doesn't give any issues with applying makeup. I think it might be too rich for me for the warm weather, but I would buy it again in colder months.
100% Pure "vitamin C" serum - I cannot be objective about the effect it gives as I didn't use it constantly. I would use it, and then make a break, and then use again. I didn't notice any changes if I used it or not.
Aubrey Organics "white camellia & jasmine" conditioner spray - it also comes in bigger size, but it's cheaper to buy two smaller ones (besides, you get additional 10% discount on 2), and it's a great size for traveling. It's a light conditioner, but it refreshes hair and makes them shiny. I already have a new bottle in my bathroom.
Veria ID "big ambition" shampoo - it's just your basic shampoo. I didn't feel like it does anything great to my hair. Also, I noticed that it lasted for a very short time as you can literally see how the amount goes down after each use. This is a no no buy.
Mineral Fusion purifying gel cleanser - I only had a sample, but I quite liked it. I would like to get the full size and get a more decent test. It didn't irritate my eyes, it washed off my makeup well, it didn't dry my skin, and those are the most important criteria for me.

Review: Caribbean Solutions self tanner

I have pale skin, I don't tan, I don't like sunbathing, and I have no problem with my light skin. In fact, I get many compliments on my complexion. Yet I couldn't resist trying out Caribbean Solutions "beach colours" natural self-tanner. Don't ask me for a reason behind my decision as there's none. Yup, none...

Anyway, it is recommended to apply the cream for 2 days in a row, then wait 2 days, and then apply again. I was unsure how it will all go, but since the warm weather isn't here yet, I can always cover up with pants and long sleeves, so I gave it a try. I applied the cream after the bedtime shower, and was a little worried that it would stain my sheets/nightshirt. However, once I touched the cream, I was confident that I will have no issues. As you can see from a picture above, the cream is white. The texture is light and quickly absorbent, and it has a neutral smell.

The next morning I woke up with a shade of a tan on my skin, and I wasn't sure if it is really that nice color, or if it is just an illusion as the result was very soft. I did apply the cream that day again, and then I could clearly tell that I have a tan. It was very natural looking, even throughout the body, and had no yellow/orange tint to it. It looked amazing!

Instead of being happy with the results, I applied the self tanner today again (3rd day in a row). Now that was a little too much... Not that there's anything wrong, but it's a bit too dark for what my eyes are used to - I ended up looking like I've just got from vacation. Actually, I think I'm used to my white skin, and getting a tan so quickly isn't normal to me, especially when that's the maximum darkness I get throughout the summer. The good thing is that the color is still even and natural looking. Also, I quite liked it today as I was wearing a skirt to work, and I think tan looks better with shorter skirts/dresses.    

I used an Instagram filter for this picture, so it might not represent the true color, but it is very close to it. Well, at least you can see that my legs are not white anymore, which is something new and exciting.

Another Iherb haul

I'm back with yet another package. I might want a few items, but I don't need anything until I see some great weekly special on Iherb.com, and then it starts... Once I'm done with my shopping cart and ready to order, I start feeling guilty for getting items that I really really don't need, so I start taking things out of the shopping cart. I comfort myself hoping that those items will be on special next week, and I will get them then. Anyway, that's the usual story of my Iherb shopping.
While the things in my wishlist are waiting for their turn, I'm showing one more package here. I order these myself, and I know what's arriving, but I'm still excited to get mail.

I get compliments on my teeth (yes, I know it sounds kinda weird), and cannot really complain about anything, but I decided I want to take more care of my mouth and teeth. I started a different routine for dental hygiene, which I will share about probably in my next blog post. Today I got some items from Nature's Answer to care for my gums: PerioRub and PerioCleanse. I had PerioCleanse in the past, and the only thing I remember about it is that the taste wasn't that great... I've never used it regularly, so now I want to do that on a regular basis. It's a concentrate, which some people use with different mouth cleaning systems, but I will be using as a rinse/brushing liquid. As for PerioRub gel, I've never tried it, but I hope it helps me avoid gum problems.

Another two products are from Dr. Tung's. I'm currently using the floss, and I love it so much that I got another one to keep at work and use during traveling. I love the packaging, and while it comes in few different colors, they are all cardamom flavored. The floss is soft and air-y, but doesn't separate into single strands. It feels really nice, and so far it's my absolute favorite! The second item is toothbrush sanitizer. I've been using these a lot in the past, but at that time they were disposable, and now you can prolong the usage by replacing the sanitizing part (refills included with the item).

I'm very excited to try Herban Cowboy "maximum protection for her" deodorant. You can never have enough natural deodorants that don't fail, right? I hope this one will be THE ONE. I did try the men's option, and I love it. I even love the manly smell, which remind me of being cosily wrapped up in a man's shirt... The problem is that I don't want that smell around me all the time, so I decided to get the women's option. Fingers crossed.

I don't sunbath, and I'm not crazy about getting a tan. I have no problem being snow white all year round, but Caribbean Solutions self tanner got me tempted. I'm very eager to try it and see what the results will be.

I drink an unbelievable amount of water during the day, so I like to put something extra in it. I've been hooked on NUUN "all day" drink tablets (I usually put half of the tablet into 16 oz. water bottle), and was super excited to see the new ones come out. I got "cherry limeade" and "wild berry". Haven't tried them yet, but i'm sure I won't be disappointed.      

Iherb package... and a little bit of pleasure

Today was a good day. A very good one actually. Not only the weather was finally as it should be around this time of the year, but I also got my tickets for the trip to Lithuania. It gets into business/pleasure category, so I am looking forward to checking out various local brands for natural cosmetics and skincare. Yet, the trip wasn't planned as it came into my mind through a tiny idea over the weekend, and 3 days later everything is all set!


Anyway, let's move to the shopping part. Last weekend Iherb had a great sale on beauty items (20% discount), so I just couldn't resist, and here's what I ordered. Not gonna repeat myself, but here's a link to a post about shopping on Iherb and getting a discount code for your first order. I did want to place a second order, but I had family in the house over the weekend, so too much distraction made me forget my shopping plans (which means I still need some items, and I'm gonna place an order any day now).

Alba Botanica "acne dote" body & face scrub - magic in a tube! I already mentioned in the previous post how I love this product. I constantly have a back-up of it in my bathroom cabinet.
Hugo Naturals "creamy coconut" sugar scrub and Hugo Naturals "grapefruit" salt scrub - Hugo Naturals scrubs have been favorites of mine for a long long time, but the last time I used any of them was few years go. So, I decided it's time to get back to this goodie.
pumice stone - haven't tried it yet, but I'm preparing for the sandal season!

MyChelle tropical skin smoother - one more of the old time favourites. I've used a couple of jars (yes, before the time they changed the packaging - that's how long ago it was) of this wonderful scrub. I wanna see if I still love it the way I used to.
Andalou Naturals "DIY booster" facial serum with spf30 - while I love my Andalou Naturals untinted bb cream with spf30, I wanted to have something just as good, but in a lighter version so I could use under other creams or by itself on warmer days.
Sierra Bees organic lip balm variety pack - you can't beat the price of this lip balm set, which includes 8 USDA green label balms. These guys might have plain packaging, but they truly do their job. Oh, and did you know that lip balm can double as cuticle moisturizer, hand cream or even frizzy hair tamer?
Real Techniques sculpting brush - haven't tried it out, but very excited to use it for contouring and maybe blush.
http://www.iherb.com/Everyday-Minerals-Eye-Kabuki-Brush/42299#p=1&oos=1&disc=0&lc=en-US&w=everyday%20minerals%20eye%20kabuki&rc=70&sr=null&ic=1 (just don't mix it with eye kabuki junior, which doesn't even come close to this one) - it's the best of the best concealer brushes. Yes, it's meant to be an eye brush, yet I've never liked for that purpose, but ever since I tried it out for concealer, I've never ever dreamt about another brush for the job. So as you can guess, I already have this brush in my collection, but I ordered a second one to use while the first one is drying after brush cleaning. By the way, while the bristles are exactly the same, the new one has a different handle - it's matter and has "Everyday Minerals" pressed into it (the old one has shiny surface and no branding on).
  

March empties

If today was April 1^st, I would take all the craziness happening to me as a joke, but, unfortunately, it’s too serious. My printer broke in between the important printing job making me run (literally!!!) to the post office minutes before they closed. The rest of the evening I spent searching for ways to solve my printer problem and talking to the manufacturer’s customer service, which wasn’t helpful as the lady admitted it’s the hardware problem on their end, but the only options are to take the printer to repair or buy a new one (guess which is the cheaper one). Seems like some kind of shopping for me in the near future…    

Technical problems apart, let’s move to the essence of this post. It’s April, spring-like weather, and throwing away a bunch of products that I went through in March.  As usual, I’ll leave links to all products under the pictures, and since these are all used up, I’ll leave my comments as well. 

Yes to Cucumber facial wipes - my skin is pretty sensitive, and these wipes didn't work for me. Not that they irritate the skin, but while using the wipes my skin felt a bit itchy and uncomfortable. I didn't even try to use them more than few times and used up to refresh my body, hands, clean makeup table, etc.

Thayers rose petal witch hazel toner - I already have a replacement in my bathroom as I've been using Thayers toners for years. I keep switching among varieties not to get bored with one scent (didn't notice different effect from different scents). It's a great toner (price/quantity/quality) since I only use such a product to additionally clean my face after washing.

Juice Beauty antioxidant serum - I only had a sample of this, so I didn't really notice any differend on my skin. Yet, I like Juice Beauty products in general, so I'd think it does what it promises.

Juice Beauty hydrating mist - just another toner that I am neutral about.When it comes to toners, I don't see much difference if I use one or the other, so I'm usually not crazy when shopping for them and stick to my good old Thayers. The Juice Beauty one came in travel size, which was helpful while traveling. 

Andalou Naturals "citrus kombucha" cleansing gel - love love love Andalou products! Some things I love more than the others, but in general, this is a brand I trust and would recommend to anyone. It has great products with good ingredients and the prices are really affordable. My skin is dry-normal, so I was careful not to overuse this cleansing gel and not to dry my skin out. I would use it when I wanted more thorough cleaning or to clear out the skin after getting a pimple from testing some product. This little tube came from this set, which is an amazing way to try different products and find the ones you like most.

Andalou Naturals "1000 roses" pearl exfoliator - again, this product does come in a set with a bunch of other products to try. It does last quite a long time, so you can get good opinion if you like it or not. As for me, I both like it and not. I like it in general, but I don't think it's a great exfoliator as the beads are very gentle and there's not too many of them in the product. When I hear a word "exfoliator" I instantly think about harsher type of product that could be used only few types a week, but this one is more like an everyday cleanser. I did love the smell of the "1000 roses" set a lot!

The All Natural Face "face food" fruit facial cleansers - I'm not even bothering to put a link to every single one I tried as I tried most of them and didn't enjoy using any (plus they all gave me the same effect). These are the dry powder type product that you mix with water (or other liquid) and use as a face wash or a mask. I'm not too into the mixing thing, so I didn't use the product too often. The other drawback is that the powder got into one unbreakable piece even though I kept the lid tightly screwed on and I didn't dip wet fingers into the product. The good part is that the skin feel soft and full of moisture when using these washes (the effect is not lasting though). I used these up in the shower just so I wouldn't have to throw them away. In fact, I've tried many other products from the brand, and nothing seems to really work for me, so I guess it's just not my kind of the brand....

Weleda "calendula" weather protection cream - this cream is very thick and oily, yet, it was amazing for my dry hands. I would use it as a hand cream before bedtime, or as an overnight hand treatment with these moisture gloves. I have one more tube of this miracle product, but since the weather got warmer, my hand skin isn't so dry anymore, and I might not use the cream for a while.

Caudalie "premier cru" elixir - while it smells wonderful, I'm not a fan of oils for my face or body anymore. The funny thing happened with this sample as somehow I didn't realize it was a facial oil and I thought it's a perfume sample, so after putting it on my wrists I wondered why the texture is so weird. I did test it on my face, but it felt just like any other oil, and I cannot really comment on the effect.

    

J.R.Watkins anti-aging cream body wash - when it comes to anti-aging, I'm pretty sceptical about body washes doing anything. As for the body wash itself, I really liked the texture as it was creamy and felt nice, the smell was pleasant and pretty faint. I would buy it again, but just as with toners, I don't care too much about what shower gel I use.

Alba Botanica face & body scrub  - this is a miracle in a tube! Well, for me and for my body at least. I've never tried this scrub on my face, but I constantly use it on my tights to avoid ingrown hair or any other pimples/skin bumps. I'd say the tube lasts me for about a month, so I'm quite happy with price/quantity as the product is on the thinner side and I need a good amount for one use. This is one of my must-have products of all times.

Weleda "sea buckthorn" body lotion - this lotion is very lightweight and quick absorbing, but it gives enough moisture for my skin. I love Weleda's body products for what they do, for the texture, and for the scents. I've used this and other Weleda's lotions in the past and will continue using in the future too. 

Jason "sea kelp" shampoo - I have my favorite shampoos, and this is not one of them. It's your basic everyday shampoo that doesn't do much, but it doesn't do anything bad either. Not something I would repurchase.

Earth Science hair mask - another one of my must-haves. I cannot say enough about this product. While the ingredients list is not 100% flawless, I haven't found any other product that would work on my hair like this one. By the way, I use it only as a conditioner, can't remember if I ever tried as a mask. It leave my hair smooth and silky. 

Bulgari "omnia coral" fragrance - I had a beautiful miniature that sat on my vanity table for a long long time just because I hate non-spray perfume bottles. Finally I decided to pour it into a spray one and to use it up. I do like most of omnia's, but they are too general, too "about nothing" fragrances for me. However, I got a lot of compliments at work that I smell great when I was using this perfume.

Everyday Minerals "semi-matte" foundation - I'm cheating with this product as I didn't really finish it yet. I've mixed it with another EM foundation from "jojoba" line. A long while ago I tried this foundation and wasn't hooked, but as I tried it few years ago (the company changed packaging and formulation), I fell in love. I've been using "semi-matte" in 2N ever since, but recently I've tried "jojoba" line and I think I prefer it more. Both finishes are great, but "jojoba" seems more moist while "semi-matte" a bit dryer. By moist & dry I only mean how the texture looks/feels in the package as on the face both of them look great. You can get this at Iherb.com too, but if you decide to get more than one product (I love EM's brushes too), you should take advantage of the manufacturer's 3 item custome kit where you place 3 full-size items in a kit and get 25% discount. The greatest part is that you can mix&match meaning that you can choose any products, including brushes!

AnneMarie Borlind concealer - I'm leaving a link even though the product is discontinued. I couldn't find another place that would still sell it, and it makes me sad. This concealer was great (this was my second one) - it didn't crease, it covered up things nicely, it lasted all day, it wasn't too thin or too thick. I got plenty of use from such a small amount, so I was really happy with my purchase. Too bad if they are discontinued as I would love to get one more. I use it under my eyes to brighten that area and give freshness to the whole face. 

Physician's Formula "organic wear jumbo lash" mascara - great product for a great price! Id does the job well, and the only minus is that it is sensitive to water (or tears), so one has to keep checking the makeup while in rainy/snowy weather. Other than that, it's a nice mascara that gives lots of volume to the lashes.

365 "argan oil and shea butter peony, mint & blackberry" hand cream from a trio set - this stuff is incredible! I don't think you can get it anymore as this showed up at Whole Foods around the holiday time, By now I've used up all the creams from this set and each one was amazing. You only need a tiny amount to moisture your hands and while it seems oily, it leaves no greasy residue on the skin. It's a holy grail product when working in the office as I could touch paper right after putting the cream on. I hope they are for sale this year too as I'm definitely buying more.

Tom's of Maine flat floss - as much as I like Tom's toothpastes, I didn't like using this floss. It's not smooth enough for me as is is on the thicker side, and I had lots of trouble, because the pieces wouldn't break off nicely and the ends of the floss would be ruined (maybe that's a metal part's problem of not being sharp enough to cut the floss evenly). Anyway, this is not something I would buy again.

Navitas Naturals lip balm - did somebody say chocolate? This stuff is pure goodness! It smells and tastes like chocolate and it is a great lip balm too. I've used two of them, and have another one in my back-up drawer.

Mineral Fusion top coat - I can't even count how many bottle of this I've used. It dries well, gives beautiful shine to the nails, and it lasts forever. I love this top coat just as much as I love Mineral Fusion nail polishes.  

Zoya "anchor" base coat - I liked it, I would buy it again, but I can't tell what was so good about it. It's a nice base coat that does it's job.    

Lastly, there's a whole bunch of samples that I've tested in March:

Desert Essence "island mango" hand and body lotion  - I like my DE "island mango" shampoo and conditioner, but the lotion smells too differently from haircare. The lotion itself is more on a basic side, but nice, however, the smell is too perfume-y, unnatural and too sweet for what I prefer.   

Trilogy "hydra-tone" softening lotion - I really enjoyed this product and would like to get the full-size bottle. It leaves skin full of moisture, but clean, and the smell is very gentle and nice. 

Trilogy replenishing night cream- this cream is a bit heavier for what I like, but it was good and made my skin feel nice. Yet, there was nothing special about the product that would make me buy full-size jar. 

Caudalie spf20 anti-wrinkle protect fluid- very lightweight and great smelling product. I think it would be a nice moisturizer for warmer months.

Dr. Hauschka rose day cream - I'm not a fan of Dr. Hauschka products, and this cream I even hated. It's rich and on the thicker side. After two uses I got a huge painful bump on my forehead - the one that's not a real pimple, but makes half of your head hurt. Not happy, and wouldn't recommend to anyone (just a reminder that I have dry skin, and it was way way too rich for me).

Trilogy lightening treatment and very gentle moisturizing cream - both products were nice and light, but gave enough moisture for my skin. I really loved how they smelled. I might not have too many fans on that as the smell reminds me of dust in the rain (you know the kind of smell when it's super dry for a while and then rain starts and all the dust gets in the air). It is faint, but it is there. I don't know why, but I love that kind of smell, so I really enjoyed these products. I can't comment on the lightening treatment any more as it's a product that should show its effect over time, not in an instant.