Casual Red: ILIA Tinted Lip Conditioner in Bang Bang*

Oh, hai - I'm that beauty blogger you used to follow who all of a sudden kinda disappeared off the face of the Internet. But seriously, I know I said I'd like to start posting more a few posts back, and then couldn't get my sh*t together for the entire month of March, but hey - life's not easy with very little sleep. Anyway, I'm not here to talk about THAT; instead, I've wanted to show you my favorite red as of late.

You may remember I was quite a fan of ILIA Beauty Lipsticks that I first tried last year, and after that discovery, my interest was piqued and I couldn't wait to get my hands on one of the brand's cult products, the Tinted Lip Conditioner* ($26 for 0.14 oz/ 4g, available on Ilia's website here, as well as at Sephora). I asked my lovely PR person for the shade Bang Bang, hoping for a brightening red suitable for everyday wear, and I wasn't disappointed.

In terms of formula of the ILIA's Tinted Lip Conditioner, I would actually refer you to my review of their Lipsticks (here). That's right - I don't find that there's major difference in texture between the two. The Lip Conditioner is a rather firm lip product, very unlike my other favorite sheer lip formula, the Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment (here's my review of the shade Tulip in case you're curious). Ilia's tinted balm is waxier and feels a lot thinner on the lips than the Fresh, so if you find that the latter is too slippery for your liking, you'd be much happier with Ilia's Lip Conditioner.

I was also quite surprised at the level of pigmentation in Ilia's 'sheer' formula - maybe it's down to the shade, but I found Bang Bang to be nearly as opaque as Ilia's Lipstick range. You will get a more translucent look with one of two layers of both the Tinted Lip Conditioner AND the Lipstick; I've built up several layers of both products in my arm swatch, and you can see that the Lipstick is more pigmented, but you could also keep on going with the Tinted Lip Conditioner for near full opacity. That's exactly what the brand intended though so no complaints here - just know that if you're picking one of the brighter shades in the Tinted Lip Conditioner range, you won't get a 'barely there' tint but rather a nice pop of color.

L-R: Ilia Tinted Lip Conditioner in Bang Bang, Aveda Nourish-Mint Lip Gloss in Chuparosa, Ilia Lipstick in Lucy's Party

Bang Bang is a neutral classic red - on my cool-toned skin it reads rather warm, but I think it still suits my coloring, and would be a great choice for nearly all skintones. I actually love experimenting with mixing and layering Bang Bang with other lip products; I loved doing a gradient lip with the above-mentioned Fresh Sugar balm in Tulip, and I also think it looks great mixed in with my other favorite from Ilia, the Multi-Stick in Fine Romance (reviewed here).

There you go - I hope you enjoyed this little review of another product from Ilia's range. In case you were not aware, Sephora US now carries a few more Ilia products, including my beloved Multi-Sticks, as well as most of their lip range: regular Lipsticks, the Tinted Lip Conditioners, AND Lipstick Crayons. All of these products can be found here (non-affiliate link). I'm myself very tempted to purchase At Last, a dusty rose in the Multi-Stick formula, during the spring sale event :) What have you got on your wishlists at the moment? I'd love to know!

Disclaimer: Product featured in this post is a press sample I received from the brand's PR for review consideration. All links are non-affiliate. All opinions are 100% honest and unbiased, no matter if the product featured was purchased with my own money or provided free of charge. Thank you for reading!

Neal's Yard Organic x Deliciously Ella: Rose, Lime & Cucumber Facial Wash* and Moisturizer* Reviews

Remember that White Tea Facial Spray from NYR Organic that I liked so much (here)? I'd never tried any other skincare from the brand but that my experience definitely piqued my interest, so when I was sent Neal's Yard's newest collaboration with Deliciously Ella, I was eager to give it a try. I'll be the first to admit here that I had no idea who Deliciously Ella was - turns out she's a UK plant-based food blogger, entrepreneur and healthy lifestyle advocate, and since her values align so much with what NYR is all about, it makes a lot of sense why they would come together for this project.

Two products suitable for all skin types were born out of this collaboration: the Rose, Lime & Cucumber Facial Wash* ($25 for 3.38 fl oz/ 100ml) and the Rose, Lime & Cucumber Facial Moisturizer* ($40 for 3.38 fl oz/100 ml). Both are packaged in beautiful limited edition boxes adorned with drawings of roses, cucumber and lime slices, while the product is housed in NYR's signature blue glass bottles with a pump mechanism. I was a bit surprised to see that both products are the same volume; I feel like most people would use more of the face wash than the moisturizer and brands usually cater to that, but I guess it doesn't really make a huge difference in the long run.

As you would expect, a big selling point for these Deliciously Ella face products is their refreshing rose, lime and cucumber scent. Unfortunately, I have to say that for me, the combination of these three notes isn't the most pleasant, and I've actually had a similar experience before with the Fresh Soy and Lotus ranges, which I believe are rose & cucumber scented. There's something about cucumber and rose together - maybe the leafy aspect of rose geranium essential oil, which both products contain - that makes me smell dill pickles, and it's a bit hard to ignore that connotation once it sinks in. My husband, who's roadtesting the Facial Wash with me, said the fragrance reminded him of weeds. Either way and regardless of the pickles, I do believe you're going to smell a very earthy, herbal type of rose cucumber scent and not a zesty and floral rose, so bear that in mind if fragrance is your priority.

Let's start with the Facial Wash, shall we? It's a clear foaming gel containing Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate and Coco-Glucoside as the main cleansing agents, but there are also some nice nourishing ingredients like glycerin, cucumber water and some plant oils like pumpkin, coconut and avocado. The brand claims this cleanser will remove dirt, daily grime and make-up, and that it is formulated with anti-oxidant blueberries and acai.

As you may know, I'm not a big fan of foaming face cleansers, and the Rose, Lime & Cucumber Facial Wash hasn't really changed my perspective. While I do find it quite gentle on the skin but effective at removing last traces of make-up (after using a separate remover first) or to cleanse the face first thing in the morning, I also find it makes my face feel just a little too tight and dry after use. I still prefer to reach for my milk or balm cleansers, but if you like a foaming wash, I think this works very well - there's a nice soft lather with very little product and it rinses off very easily. I would recommend it more for oily, combination and normal skin types as I think it may leave dry skin types feeling a bit parched after use.

I've had better luck though with NYR's Rose, Lime & Cucumber Facial Moisturizer. It's absolutely chock-full of lovely plant oils such as coconut, baobab, avocado, sunflower and pumpkin oils, as well as moisturizing cocoa butter and glycerin. Similarly to the Facial Wash, it also contains cucumber water and the anti-oxidant blueberry and acai oils. The brand describes it as a light and gentle moisturizer to leave your skin feeling soft, supple and glowing.

The texture of this Moisturizer isn't very thick - definitely more of a lotion than a cream. I find that it spreads easily on the face but I wouldn't call it lightweight; at least on my combination skin and in the humid summer weather, I can definitely still feel a thin layer of the moisturizer on my face once it's fully blended in. For that reason, I currently prefer to use it at night, but I can see myself switching it to daytime use once cooler weather sets in. I don't actually mind that slight 'product feel' on my face in the least; my skin doesn't feel heavy or sticky, just nicely moisturized and nourished, similar to the result I achieve from using facial oils. I've been trialling the Rose, Lime & Cucumber Moisturizer for about 4 weeks now and it's been keeping my face feeling soft, comfortable and yes, I would say quite glowy. I find it to be a straightforward, effective moisturizer and I would recommend it most to combination and normal skin types; may be too much for those who are truly oily but not rich enough for the dry-skinned.

All in all, while I'm not completely head over heels over these two Rose, Lime and Cucumber products from Neal's Yard, I think they're very decent products and I can see how they'd be great building blocks for someone looking for a simple but effective skincare routine. As a skincare fanatic, my routine is anything but simple, but there are times when I wish I could do it all with just cleansing and moisturizing my face (uhm, like maybe when taking care of a newborn? I'll get back to you on this ;).

Disclaimer: Products featured in this post are press samples I received from the brand's PR for review consideration. All links are non-affiliate. All opinions are 100% honest and unbiased, no matter if the product featured was purchased with my own money or provided free of charge. Thank you for reading!

ILIA Fall 2016 Lipsticks* Review: The Brides, Madam Mina and Lucy's Party

I posted an Instagram sneak peak of these gorgeous lipsticks from Ilia Beauty's Fall 2016 Collection a while back and I know some of you have been impatiently waiting for the full review; I just wanted to, you know, have some alone time with them before sharing with the world wide web ;) But now that we're all more into the autumnal frame of mind, allow me to introduce the three beautiful sisters: The Brides*, Madam Mina* and Lucy's Party* ($26 for 0.14 oz/ 4g each, currently available at iliabeauty.com).

Ilia's Lipsticks come packaged in their signature eggplant-colored carboard packaging, with the shade name indicated both on the outer box and the bottom label of the lipstick. I'm not a 100% sure on this, but I believe lipsticks from the same collection all share the same color of the bottom label - or at least these Fall 2016 ones have different color labels than the two other Ilia lipsticks I own from the permanent line. The bullet themselves are housed in simple but elegant aluminum cases with a lid that clicks on securely. These lipsticks are not scented, but to my nose smell similar to the brand's Multi-Sticks (here's my review of the shade A Fine Romance) or Illuminators (Polka Dots & Moonbeams reviewed here); meaning there's a subtle nutty rose fragrance there that doesn't linger or overpower.

Ilia Beauty describes their Lipsticks as having a 'creamy semi-matte finish' and feature a blend of organic ingredients such as castor, sesame and sunflower oils, beeswax, cocoa butter, rosehip oil and Vitamin E. Since I haven't talked about Ilia's Lipstick formula previously on the blog, let me touch on that first and then I'll show you the three shades in more detail.

L-R: Ilia Fall 2016 Lipsticks in The Brides, Madam Mina and Lucy's Party

Ilia Lipsticks have a thin, smooth consistency that reminds me the most of another natural lipstick I've reviewed recently, the Pacifica Devocean (here) - or something like the old elf Mineral Lipsticks. They're less creamy/ soft than most lipstick ranges on the market; to give you an idea, they are very different from buttery, high slip lipsticks such as Revlon Superlustrous range, NARS Audacious, YSL Rouge Pur Coutures or BITE High Pigment Lip Pencils. Ilia's Lipsticks are a lot more firm in the bullet and have a bit more tug on the lips when applied; nothing unpleasant but if you love a ton of pigment at the lightest swipe, these may not be for you. Personally, I find this type of thinner, more lightweight and somewhat less opaque lipstick formula a lot easier to wear and touch up throughout the day, and these Ilia lipsticks are also longer wearing and kinder on my vertical lip lines than those super creamy textures.

I also haven't noticed them drying out my lips, although the slight moisture they add right after application will absorb within a couple hours - so if you like the feel of a some kind of product on your lips at all times, top up with a lip balm or add another layer of the lipstick. I would describe all three of these lipsticks as having medium pigmentation and a natural satin finish, no shimmer whatsoever. Overall, I really enjoy this lipstick formula, and it's made its way to the front of my make-up drawer.

The three shades in the Fall 2016 line-up were all inspired by the various characters in the Francis Ford Coppola's movie 'Dracula'. To be completely honest, the first time I saw the name 'Madam Mina', I immediately thought of the Leslie Nielsen spoof movie 'Dracula: Dead and Loving It' and the hilarious hypnosis scene. Oh well - me and my pedestrian references ;) The lightest of the three shades, The Brides, is described as a 'pink tan', but I also saw on the brand's Instagram that it was being called a 'warm peachy nude'. What is it then - a pink, a peach, a pinky peach?

I guess that would depend mostly on your skintone; to my eye in the bullet, it's more of a warm peach, and on my lips it looks like a tan nude with a hint of peach. In case you're curious how it looks like on a completely different skintone than mine, check out Larie's review with swatches here. In terms of depth, this is somewhere between a wearable, darker nude and a My Lip But Better shade on my fair skintone.

Madam Mina, described as a blush mauve, is a little darker and more cool-toned than The Brides. It definitely veers more into the My Lips But Better territory, but again, on my cool undertone complexion, it doesn't really look very mauve or blush and instead pulls more of a warm browny rose.

It's lighter and less pink than something like BITE Rhubarb or the YSL Rose Stiletto, reviewed here.  I don't think it's too warm on me, but be aware that if you have a light skintone with cool undertones, it probably won't be a mauve shade on you - which for me is actually the case with very many 'mauve' lipsticks.

Lastly, the vampy gloriousness of Lucy's Party, described as 'a deep, oxblood red' or 'bold pinot noir' shade. Now in her review, Larie said this was a neutral red shade on her; on me, as you can hopefully see in the face shot, it's a darker red that pulls just a bit cool, especially when blottted down or worn in a thinner layer. I think oxblood is a pretty good description; and would you know that my husband actually called this shade 'vampiric' when I put it on (uhm, excuse me, like that's a bad thing?). I think this just proves Ilia knew what they were doing when they formulated this shade :) Despite the boldness of Lucy's Party, I actually found this shade quite easy to wear - there was no bleeding or feathering and the lipstick faded evenly after eating, leaving behind a pretty red stain.

Here are all the three shades swatched next to each other so that you can see the shade difference between The Brides and Madam Mina more clearly. To be honest, if I were deliberating which shades to get from the Ilia Fall 2016 collection, I would pick up either The Brides or Madam Mina but not both - for whatever reason, on my lips they end up looking not too dissimilar. Also, in case you were wondering, there's no discernible difference in the performance or formula of these lipsticks across the three shades, which is sometimes the case with other brands. All three are the same level of lovely.

L-R: Ilia Lipsticks in The Brides, Madam Mina and Lucy's Party

In their Fall 2016 collection, Ilia also released a few new vegan make-up brushes, out of which I have the Defining Lip Brush* ($28 each, available here) to show you. It's a synthetic Taklon pencil shape brush with a cap that can be attached to the bottom of the brush to prolong the handle for ease of application on the go.

To be perfectly honest, I rarely reach for lip brushes and I certainly don't think you need one for Ilia's Lipstick formula (even for the face shot wearing the vampy Lucy's Party I just applied straight from the bullet). I was a little surprised by the shape of Ilia's brush - the ferrule is round and not pinched/ flat like for other lip brushes I've seen, but the pointy tip allows for a lot of precision in application and the bristles are soft and comfortable even on my dry and sensitive lips. I also really like this brush for highlighting the inner corners of my eyes with powder or cream shadow - obviously not right after I used it to apply my lipstick ;)

Whew, now that was a bit of a lengthy read, wasn't it? Hopefully this post satisfies your curiosity about Ilia's Fall 2016 shade line-up and their Lipstick formula in general. I have also received one of the brand's cult Tinted Lip Conditioners to review, so keep your eyes peeled for that in a couple weeks. Which shade speaks to you the most out of Ilia's Fall Collection?

Disclaimer:  Products featured in this post are press samples I received from the brand's PR for review consideration. All links are non-affiliate. All opinions are 100% honest and unbiased, no matter if the product featured was purchased with my own money or provided free of charge. Thank you for reading!

Inexpensive Finds: Andalou Naturals Pumpkin Honey Glycolic Mask Review

Exfoliating masks are a staple in my skincare routine; I may skip the purifying clay ones, I may even go without a moisturizing one... but I just have to treat my face to some deeper chemical exfoliation at least once a week, and I see the biggest difference in my skin out of all mask varieties when I do. I've been trialing a lot of more expensive masks of this kind last year (here's my round-up post) but didn't love any one of those enough to shell out the big bucks, and when it came to purchasing a replacement for my regime, I opted for something a lot less expensive: the Andalou Naturals Pumpkin Honey Glycolic Mask ($14.99 for 50g; I purchased mine on Vitacost for $11.99).

You may remember that in general, I've had great luck with Andalou Naturals products so far: some of my favorites from the brand include the Apricot Probiotic Cleansing Milk (reviewed here), the 1000 Roses Floral Toner (here) and the Probiotic + C Renewal Cream (here). I would happily repurchase all of these products in the future, and they've set the bar pretty high in terms of my expectations of the brand.

The Brightening Pumpkin Honey Glycolic Mask claims to 'gently dissolve and lift away dull surface cells, exfoliating and resurfacing for even tone and smooth texture', and includes a whole host of delicious natural ingredients. The key chemical/enzymatic exfoliants in the formula are pumpkin puree, pineapple juice and glycolic acid, supported by nourishing antioxidants and humectants such as sunflower and meadowfoam oils, aloe vera, glycerin and hyaluronic acid (Sodium Hyaluronate), manuka honey, rooibos extract and Vitamins C & E. Ingredients lists like this one are why I get so excited about Andalou products - there are no fillers, no mysterious chemicals, no questionable bullshit (well, I do have a gripe with their stem cell claims - but I just ignore that, I don't think they're harmful to the skin or anything), just beautiful, yummy naturals I want on my face ASAP.

The mask comes in a sturdy plastic jar (there's a clear lid inside to prevent spills in shipment); nothing fancy but practical enough, and for once I don't think a tube would be a great improvement for this product. As you can see in my close-up photos, the Pumpkin Honey Glycolic Mask looks, feels and smells exactly like pumpkin puree; it's quite dense but creamy and easily spreadable on the skin, with tiny brown specks here and there - I'm not sure, but those may be from the cinnamon, nutmeg and clove powders included in the formula. Are you thinking pumpkin pie yet? You betcha.

The instructions state to apply evenly avoiding eye and lip areas, leave on for 10 minutes and rinse with cool water; quite standard for any mask of this type I've used in the past. But let me tell you guys: this shiz is INTENSE. I have never used an exfoliating mask that had as much tingle - or, you know, burn - as the Andalou Pumpkin Mask. As soon as the orange puree touches my face, my face starts feeling really hot and quite uncomfortable, and continues to do so for another 3 minutes or so, after which the tingling subsides and eventually goes away completely.

The first time I experienced it I was convinced my face was going to melt off, and that I must have an allergic reaction to the product or something. However, once I rinsed the mask off, my face wasn't red or irritated in the least - actually less so than from other exfoliating treatments. Huh. The experience also reminded me of getting a professional facial once; I remember the aesthetician used an exfoliating pumpkin mask from another line and it felt exactly the same on my face as the Andalou one - so I'm thinking that maybe pumpkin enzyme masks are meant to be this intense, and as long as my skin doesn't seem angry afterwards, it's all good. You just need a decent 'tingle tolerance' to use them :)

But most importantly, is the uncomfortable tingle really worth it? Yes, I believe so. I've been using this mask once a week for the past month or so, and after application, my skin looks exactly like Andalou claimed it would: smooth, even, more plump and luminous. Any blackheads or large pores on my T-zone seem cleaned out and slightly diminished, and my face feels baby soft to the touch. I follow up with a good hydrating serum and a moisturizer, and the next morning I admire my refreshed complexion in the mirror (no, really).

All in all, the Pumpkin Honey Glycolic Mask is another hit from Andalou Naturals in my book. In the future, I would like to see if their Berry Fruit Enzyme Mask for Dry & Sensitive Skin is just as effective but maybe without the intense tingle, but for now I'm happy with my pumpkin pie mask. Have you found any inexpensive skincare treasures recently? What is your favorite exfoliating treatment? I'd love to know!

The 5 Ingredient Skincare Routine

We're talking the bare bones of skincare today, my dears. You know how sometimes we get so wrapped up in the newest and most innovative skincare products on the market that we completely forget about the simplest solution? This minimalist 5 element routine is just a rough guide to remind us all of the natural goodness of basic ingredients - because sometimes we don't have to shell out the big bucks for a product to work effectively, and we don't need the extra bells and whistles to get things done.

A little disclaimer before we proceed: obviously not every ingredient works the same for every skin type, without even getting into allergies. More importantly, this skincare routine will not be the most effective in treating specific skin concerns/ conditions, like pigmentation, fine lines & wrinkles, acne, eczema - but it may still help if you include some targeted treatments containing active ingredients. Please view it as something akin to a scaffolding you can then build upon. As an example, for my skin concerns (acne-prone + hyperpigmentation marks) I'd supplement this routine with a pigmentation-fighting serum, an AHA/BHA exfoliant, and sunscreen for daytime. Hope that clears the confusion - I am not abandoning my regular skincare, just showing another option!

1. Cleansing & Make-up Removal: Pure Virgin Coconut Oil (I'm using Dr. Bronner's Magic Fresh Pressed Unrefined Coconut Oil, $11.33 for 14 fl oz)
You know the cleansing balms I've been raving about for some time now? Truth is, coconut oil is just as effective in removing my make-up and cleansing the skin, at a fraction of the price. The texture is very similar to most natural oil-based cleansing balms: it's a soft balm at room temperature, which then melts into a deliciously sweet-scented oil when massaged onto the skin. Coconut oil is slightly heavy and some sources classify it as comedogenic (pore clogging), so make sure to really remove the last traces of oil residue from your skin with a warm washcloth. This is also the reason why I'm not recommending it as a facial oil, but it's amazing for moisturizing your body and hair. For convenience reasons, I scoop out some of the oil from my big jar and store in a smaller, more shallow repurposed jar in my bathroom. I keep the big jar in the kitchen to make awesome homemade granola with!
Other options: You could absolutely use other natural oils for this step, or even a blend of oils with castor oil, as recommended in the Oil Cleansing Method (OCM). I just find coconut oil easier to handle, and I love the smell :)

2. Toning: Hydrosols/ Flower Waters (I'm using Mountain Rose Herbs Rose Hydrosol, $7.25 for 3 oz)
I've spoken about the benefits of rose hydrosol before (here), but this by-product of essential oil production works great to refresh and hydrate the skin, with the added bonus of beautiful floral fragrance. Other hydrosols are fantastic as well, and you can tailor them to your own needs: calendula soothes irritated skin, cucumber cools down rashes, lemon verbena acts as an astringent - so many different ones to try!
Other options: If your skin is very sensitive/ you're allergic to essential oils, you could just use a thermal spring water spray, like the ones offered by French pharmacy brands (Avene, Vichy, La Roche Posay). Or you could attempt a DIY herbal infusion with green tea or comfrey - just make sure to store it in the fridge and replace every couple weeks.

3. Moisturizing: Skin type-specific natural carrier oil (I'm using Mountain Rose Herbs 100% Pure Organic Hazelnut Oil, $5.25 for 8 oz)
In the moisturizer step, I like to use a light, easily absorbed oil: I'm currently experimenting with hazelnut oil, which is supposed to have astringent & skin-refining properties, but in the past I've also liked jojoba, tamanu and argan oils. For better absorption, I recommend pressing the oil into damp skin, meaning shortly after you spray it with your toner of choice - this also helps the oil to seal in the moisture from the spray.
Other options: As I mentioned above, any natural oil that you like will work for this step. If you're curious about which carrier oils work best for specific skin types, there's lots of information available online - but I found this guide from Christine very helpful to start with.

4 & 5. Masks/Spot Treatments/Cleanser Alternatives: Powder Clay & Raw Honey (I'm using Wedderspoon Organic 100% Raw Manuka Honey Active 16+ , $40.86 for 17.6 oz,  and Aztec Secret Indian Healing 100% Bentonite Clay, previously reviewed here, $4.99 for 1lb).
Clay and honey are two extras that work wonders incorporated into any skincare routine, be it natural or not. Manuka honey (or any raw honey) can be used straight as a cleanser, facial mask, spot treatment or intensive lip balm, because it soothes and moisturizes the skin (honey is a natural humectant) while also providing some antibacterial action. As a cleanser, I find that it works best in the morning, or as a second cleanse in the evening to follow up the coconut oil.

Powder clay obviously has to be mixed with something before usage: water is the easiest, but you could also use the hydrosol from the toning step, or the carrier oil from the moisturizer step, or honey, or the combination of all of them - for whatever you're trying to achieve. When blended with a little bit of water, clay can either work as an oil-reducing facial cleanser, or a pore-tightening mask (also great for just dabbing on active breakouts); adding oils or honey will make it less drying while still providing some detoxifying action. The mixing possibilities are endless!
Other options: Manuka honey is unfortunately very expensive, but any natural raw honey will work - I like the Y.S. Eco Bee Farms US Grade A Raw Honey ($6.29 for 22 oz) that I also use for cooking. There's also a variety of different clay powders available on the market, with different properties for different skintypes: NOW Foods Solutions offers jars of Moroccan Red Clay Powder and European (Green) Clay Powder ($4.49 for 6 oz each).

I hope you found this very basic guide to natural skincare ingredients helpful - I've tried to list things which are quite easily accessible and should work for a variety of skin types. In terms of reliable websites to shop for natural products, Vitacost (click for referral link and $10 off) is my favorite: the prices are much lower than local health stores like Whole Foods, and the selection is much wider as well. For more difficult to find natural ingredients, Mountain Rose Herbs is pretty unbeatable, but the shipping tends to be on the expensive side.

Do you use any natural ingredients in your skincare routine? What are your favorites?

Bedside Beauty Edit

It's a sign of a true beauty junkie to have a specific collection of products just for the bedside pampering, always within reach when you're all snuggled up in bed and ready to doze off. I'm pretty nosey and love to know what beauty products people keep at their nighstands, so I thought you lovely people may also be interested in what I use every day before bed.

First off - gotta take care of that dry and scaly bod'. I know it's probably more effective to moisturize your body right after you get out of the shower, while your skin is still damp; but truth is, I already spend way too much time in the bathroom on different ablutions, so I've moved that part of the routine to my bedside. I've been using The Body Shop Brazil Nut Body Butter ($20 for 6.9 oz) for the past couple months and I really, really like it - smells like fresh nutty donuts. I also find it very moisturizing, but it absorbs quite easily, and doesn't get all over my sheets.

I don't slather my whole body in The Body Shop butter every night, so when I'm feeling lazy (most days), I just do my hands, knees and elbows using The Body Shop Almond Hand & Nail Cream ($20 for 100ml/ 3.3 fl oz). It's a pretty lightweight lotion that sinks in quickly, so when eczema strikes, I bring out the big guns - Neosalus Cream. It's a prescription moisturizer/ barrier cream that feels very tacky at first, but then absorbs fully into the skin, forming an invisible layer to seal in all the moisture. I realize that talking of Rx creams may not be super helpful to everyone, but I also know many of you struggle with extremely dry, itchy skin conditions, so maybe ask your dermatologist about it next time you're in for a visit - if you'd rather go the OTC route, I also recommend the CeraVe lotion.

For my dry, peeling cuticles, I like reaching for the Badger Organic Cuticle Care ($5.99 for 0.75 oz). It's a solid balm in the tin (by the way, how cute is that packaging?!) that melts into an oil on your skin, and smells absolutely amazing: like mandarin oranges, lemongrass & ginger. It does feel quite oily on the skin and doesn't sink in immediately, so I try to use it as the very last step before going to sleep. On my lips, I always use Osmia Organics Honey-Myrrh Lip Repair ($22 for 0.28 oz); you can read my detailed review and comparison to Nuxe Reve de Miel over here.

Lastly, two sleep potions: a pillow spray and an oil rollerball. When I feel a bit anxious and have some trouble winding down from the day, I like to spray the Bath & Body Works Aromatherapy Sleep Lavender Vanilla Pillow Mist ($10 for 5.3 oz) on our bedsheets. It's a sweet, comforting, almost creamy lavender, not too overbearing but the scent does linger on the linens for about an hour to two hours; I'd say it's a good alternative to more expensive pillow sprays, especially when you're not quite decided yet if it's a product you'll get a lot of use out of. For a more natural, essential oil option, I use the 21 Drops in 18 - Sleep ($29 for 8 ml/ 0.27 fl oz). It's a blend of sandalwood, ylang ylang, palmarosa and vetiver essential oils that you can roll onto your wrists, temples and sides of your neck to help with a racing mind and restlessness. I do think aromatherapy and scents in general can help evoke different emotional states, and breathing in this slightly spicy, sensual woodsy concoction aids in letting go of stressful, worried thoughts before hitting the hay.

Do you have your own little stash of products you like to use before drifting off? What are your favorites for a bedside pamper session?

Current Favorite Teas and Dark Chocolate

While the Anti Make-up Phase is still going strong (and by the way, thank you for all the amazing comments - you guys are obviously my tribe!), I thought I'd entertain you with a little non-beauty favorites post, focusing on my favorite teas and dark chocolate bars of the moment. Because let's face it: if I don't blog about them now, there soon will be nothing left to blog about in the first place :)

You may know from my '30 Random Facts About Me' post that I'm a discerning coffee drinker, but I actually drink more tea than coffee, and my tea consumption reaches about 4 mugs a day in the depths of winter - I just like hot drinks in my cold, cold belleh! I do try to moderate my caffeine intake, so some of the teas you'll see here are of the herbal variety. Recently, my husband also got me really into dark chocolate (I used to be a milk chocolate kind of girl, and Lindt's bars are still among my favorites) and now a nice hot cup of tea with some dark chocolate is my all-round favorite treat.

Let's start with the ever-so-popular David's Tea. One of the benefits of moving to New York is that we now have access to a physical David's Tea store and are able to smell all the goodies in person. My general impression of David's is that while they do have some wonderfully tasty teas, unfortunately some of the varieties they carry smell better than they taste (looking at you, chamomile-laden Mango Lassi!), but you know, there's always a bit of trial and error with previously untested teas.

David's Tea Organic Cream of Earl Grey (black tea with vanilla and bergamot flavor) is my ultimate favorite for the mornings. I think Earl Grey is a bit like Marmite in that some people love it and some people hate it, but if you enjoy this classic variety, try to hunt down something with a touch of vanilla as well. I also like Adagio Tea's Earl Grey Moonlight, which has the same taste profile.

Next up, a little night time treat: David's Tea Jessie's Tea, which is a rooibos blend with coconut and lavender. Jessie's Tea is a case of something that sounds pretty weird on paper, but tastes really good in reality - you get the slightly sweet, grassy notes of rooibos, creaminess of coconut and a bit medicinal, relaxing lavender finish.

Lastly from David's Tea, the unassumingly-named Citron Oolong. We bought it to replace sadly discontinued seasonal Tangerine green tea, and I love it just as much. Oolong ('black dragon' in Chinese) is a variety that sits somewhere in between green and black tea, and this blend is scented with jasmine (those are actual jasmine flowers you can see in the photo!), lemon myrtle and citrus essences. I'd also like a matchng perfume, please.

Now for an old favorite: Adagio Tea's Thai Chai. It's a comforting, warming black chai tea blended with coconut, lemongrass, cinnamon, ginger and cardamom. This particular blend differs from most chai teas in that it has the light freshness of coconut and lemongrass. I don't usually take my tea with milk, but I find that this benefits from a little splash to mellow out the spice and bring out the Thai flavors.

Now for the newest favorite: Mountain Rose Herbs Hibiscus High Tea. This is obviously an herbal tea (or what the French like to call 'tisane') - a blend of hibiscus flowers, lemongrass, mint, rose petals and orange peel. It tastes sweet, fresh, fruity, slightly cooling with lemongrass and mint; I actually need to try it as iced tea, I bet it would be pretty fantastic. It's a good substitute for fruit juice in the winter months, but quite difficult to get hold of (only available online from Mountain Rose Herbs store, and I found the shipping to be pretty extortionate), so I might move on to a diffrent hibiscus infusion after I finish this box.

Time for dark chocolate noms! Gourmet dark chocolate can get very expensive very quickly, so here's a little online shopping tip: I get my dark chocolate bars from Vitacost (this is my referral link, if you care for it*) - I find their prices a lot lower than any grocery store around me, Whole Foods included, and they have a very nice selection of fair trade, single origin, oftentimes organic dark chocolate. Their customer service is pretty outstanding and they have lightning fast shipping!

Madécasse is a Madagascar chocolate brand we've been buying for a long time now.  My older favorite is Citrus & Pink Pepper (63% pure cocoa) for it's bright, subtle spiciness, but now I've been cheating on it with Sea Salt & Nibs (63% cocoa) - it's a bit bolder, less sweet, with the delightful saltiness and crunchy texture from cacao nibs. Yum! Husband also really likes hot Cinnamon & Chili Pepper variety.

Our favorite inexpensive discovery: Equal Exchange Chocolates in Organic Very Dark Chocolate (71% cacao content) and Organic Panama Extra Dark (80% cacao). I used to dislike very dark chocolate because I often found a strange bitter/sour taste to it; these two have none of that, just super intense, concentrated cocoa flavor with a hint of vanilla bean. You really have to let a piece melt in your mouth a bit to savour all the amazing chocolate-ness of these... no rushing! Between the two of us, we go through a couple bars a week.

Let's wrap this up with a little bonus treat - my current favorite pastry. This is Tarte Framboise Meringuée from Maison Eric Kayser bakery here in New York. So far, I've found this international bakery chain to be the only one to properly execute a French tarte pastry; the crust has to be buttery and uhm, crusty, and this version (not to be confused with the regular Tarte Framboise, which comes with vanilla cream filling and no meringue) has a sweet and sour lemon cream, meringue AND fresh raspberries on top. Simply indulgent. Get their Torte de Meule, a large sourdough bread, and some Mini Cereales bread rolls while you're there.

Let me know in the comments your favorite teas and dark chocolate of the moment, or any other treat for that matter! I love discovering new things through your suggestions, and I need to replete my stocks pretty soon :) Also, if you're craving more tea reviews, especially of the bagged variety, check out my older tea favorites right here.

*Disclaimer: If you use my referral link to make a purchase at Vitacost.com, we will both receive a $10 coupon off of a minimum $30 purchase. You don't have to use my link - but it IS a nice deal. I'm not affiliated with or sponsored by Vitacost, I just genuinely like their service.