My Holy Grail Lip Balms: Osmia Honey-Myrrh Lip Repair & Nuxe Rêve de Miel

In truth, I originally planned this post to be a strict comparison between two fantastic honey lip balms, with one clear winner emerging at the end. But I can't do it, you guys - I just love them both, and nobody wants to be forced to pick their favorite child lip treatment. Still, would you like to hear my thoughts on these bedtime staples and why you need them in your life? Yeah, I thought so.

Osmia Organics Honey-Myrrh Lip Repair* ($22 for 0.28 oz) contains beeswax, cocoa butter, Vitamin E oil, manuka honey, as well as myrrh and bergamot essential oils to heal dry and cracked lips within one to two days. The balm also contains lanolin to help it stay on your lips overnight. Nuxe Rêve de Miel Ultra-Nourishing Lip Balm ($19 for 0.52 oz/ 15 g) is a concentrated formula to nourish and repair chapped and dry lips, and contains beeswax, shea butter, sweet almond, rosehip and Vitamin E oils, honey as well as grapefruit and lemon essential oils.

As you can see, both of these lip treatments contain beeswax, Vitamin E oil and honey (which hydrates dry lips beautifully on its own - you need to try it!), plant oils and butters, as well as essential oils; essentialy, the ingredients for both are very similar. Osmia's Lip Repair contains 79% certified organic ingredients, while Nuxe Rêve de Miel contains 80.2% ingredients of natural origin.

In terms of texture, Osmia Honey-Myrrh Lip Repair is more solid (you need to break the hard surface with your fingernail - I actually use my nail to scoop out the right amount of both of these balms) but thinner and more oily once warmed up on the skin. Nuxe Rêve de Miel is softer in the jar, but thicker and more waxy on the lips. Osmia's balm feels very smooth and quite light on the lips and gives a slight sheen, while Nuxe has an almost grainy, heavier consistency and a matte finish. I like the feel of both of them equally for different reasons. Both lip treatments stay on the lips overnight (I can still feel some in the morning), but Nuxe is probably a touch more tenacious - it can even withstand drinking and a small breakfast. The smell of Osmia's Lip Repair is resinous with a touch of citrus, while Nuxe's scent reminds me the most of candied orange peel with a touch of honey.

In terms of effectivess, both Nuxe and Osmia are fantastic at nourishing and hydrating very dry, peeling lips - which I get on a daily basis, so an intense lip balm like these is an absolute must in my night skincare routine, and I always keep one on my bedside table. The similarity of end result is in fact the reason why I can't choose a favorite; while you might nit-pick over packaging, texture, scent, organic versus natural ingredients, in the end those factors are simply a matter of individual preference - but the effectiveness of product is what matters most to all of us.

Lastly, let me touch on the price point and availability of both products. In terms of price per ounce, Osmia's Lip Repair works out to be roughly twice as expensive as Nuxe's already pricey balm. Osmia Organics products are also only available online through their website, while Nuxe products are offered by a number of etailers, as well as in some drugstores (Duane Reade Look Boutiques in New York, for example). Osmia's product are handmade in Colorado with high quality natural and organic ingredients, while Nuxe's are made in France with a touch more lab-derived fillers. So yes, it's cheaper and easier to get the Nuxe Rêve de Miel... but I really like my Osmia (support small businesses!), so I'll probably just end up rotating purchases of both.

Have you tried Osmia Organics Lip Repair or Nuxe Rêve de Miel? Which lip treatment is your Holy Grail?

*Disclaimer: Osmia Honey-Myrrh Lip Repair is a press sample I received directly from the brand for review consideration, and I purchased Nuxe Rêve de Miel lip balm myself. All opinions are 100% honest and unbiased, no matter if the products featured were purchased with my own monies or provided as a free press sample. All links are non-affiliate and simply provided for your convenience. Thank you for reading!

Everything's Coming Up Roses...

... but no, I mean it - just about everything. You guessed it: it's all because of the dreaded Valentine's Day, or Cupid's Day of Doom as I like to call it; well, maybe not exactly, but you might have correctly inferred that I harbor a strong dislike for February 14. I DO like roses though, so I thought we could meet in the middle - you'll be conjuring images of glitter, pink hearts and romantic dinners, if that's your thang, and I'll just talk about one of my favorite flowers. Deal? Or does everyone hate me now?

Anyhow. I'm not sure exactly how it happened, but it turns out I have a good variety of rose-centric beauty products - I won't lie, I mostly enjoy using them due to the sweet but sophisticated, feminine floral aroma, although rose (or more specifically, rose essential oil and rosehip oil) has a number of skin loving properties too. Rather nifty coincidence, right?

Starting with skincare, I've waxed lyrical about the Jurlique Herbal Recovery Advanced Serum ($54 for 30ml/$150 for 100ml) before, but here's a quick recap: it's a beautifully-scented hydrating serum rich in natural ingredients including anti-aging rosa canina fruit oil (rosehip oil), which helps to diminish scars, lighten pigmentation and nourish dry skin. I've also recently picked up a bottle of organic Rose Hydrosol from Mountain Rose Herbs ($4.50 for 3 oz spray bottle); hydrosols or flower waters are by-products of essential oil steam distillation and offer all the beneficial components of a whole plant. Rose hydrosol/ rosewater has antibacterial properties, helps balance sebum production and tighten pores, calms and relieves anxiety. I like best using it as a toner or a natural pillow spray.

My rose-scented bath selection includes an old favorite, Lush's Rose Jam Bubbleroon ($6.25 for 3.5 oz), previously metioned here (thank you Kar Yi for reuniting me with it!), and a new find: Neom Organics Complete Bliss Bath Oil ($56 for 100ml) with Moroccan Blush Rose, a perfectly relaxing, moisturizing treat. In terms of scent difference, Lush's Turkish rose is a bit sweeter, jammier and more edible, while Neom's Moroccan rose smells greener, sharper, more rose geranium. To complete our rose world tour, I was gifted this Bulgarian rose soap by my mom; this hot pink bar smells like garden rose petals, fresh, clean, slightly musky. The soap came in a set with a little vial of rosewater, which I can't wait to use for scenting pot pourri sachets or in a diffuser.

While browsing The Body Shop's hand cream offerings, I couldn't resist a purse size tube of their Wild Rose Hand Cream ($20 for 3.3 fl oz/100 ml, I believe my smaller size was $10). This luscious cream contains rosehip and brazil nut oil (by the way, I love The Body Shop's Brazil Nut Body Butter, it pretty much smells like nutty donuts) and it's aimed at more mature skin types but I find that it works perfectly for my dry, eczema-prone hands; it's richly moisturizing yet soaks in without leaving a greasy layer, and the rose scent is not too overpowering - it has a sharp, soapy edge to it.

Last but not least, my beautiful vintage-inspired bottle of L'Occitane Rose Quatre Reines Eau de Toilette ($22 for 0.66 fl oz/20 ml). This rose soliflore is composed of four different varieties of rose: the Grasse rose, the Bulgarian rose, the Moroccan rose and the Turkish rose. This light, refreshing EDT becomes more powdery and musky as it dries down on the skin without turning too old lady - it still retains an effortless, sunny, summery quality. If you're after a feminine, but not overly complicated rose perfume, I do recommend you give it a sniff.

Now that I've been smelling all these rose-scented products for the past hour, I may actually use one or two this Friday night... but I'm not promising anything! What are your favorite rose-themed beauty products?

Christmas Bath Treats with Neom, Haus of Gloi and Hugo Naturals!

Just four sleeps till Christmas for me! For all my non-Polish readers out there, we Poles start celebrating one day early, on Christmas Eve, first with a fast until the first star shines bright in the sky, and then with a feast of 12 dishes. Christmas is not quite here yet but we're sure already preparing for it; my infallible mum is cooking (and baking!) up a storm in kitchen, my dad is braving the cold and the heights to decorate the house, and I'm wrapping all those presents and trying to be a good helper to everyone else.

But, after a good work's day, I like to relax with a cup of tea next to the fireplace, and then tiptoe upstairs for a warm, relaxing bath. This year I somehow managed to accumulate quite a few Christmassy bath treats, and I wanted to show you what I'm using in case you needed a last minute gift inspiration or just wanted to pick up something for yourself.

While I was purchasing a Christmas set of Neom Organics candles for a hostess gift, I spotted this mini set of three Neom's bath oils called Three Nights of Peace ($17 for 3 x 5ml on beautyhabit.com). I've actually never tried anything from the brand and also haven't tried very many bath oils (bubbles are usually my jazz), so I didn't hesitate long to plop it in my basket. The box is beautifully made with a thick, textured paper, and the mini bottles are frosted glass, which adds to the lovely presentation. 

The set comes with the scents Complete Bliss (Moroccan Blush Rose), Real Luxury (Lavender, Jasmine, Brazilian Rosewood) and Tranquility (English Lavender, Sweet Basil and Jasmine). So far I've tried Tranquility, which was calming, slightly herbaceous and very spa-like, and Real Luxury, which was warm, sensual and yes, luxurious. I only used about 1/4 of a bottle per bath (because I'm a cheapskate) but I find that even this small amount was enough to impart a beautiful scent and give the bath water some moisturizing properties. Big thumbs up from me; oh, and the little vials are also perfect for travel!

Speaking of travel-friendliness, these adorable Butter Bombs from Haus of Gloi ($2.50 for 1 oz each) would be great to take with you too; I sure packed one... or more in my suitcase! Doesn't the canvas baggie they came in look like a miniature Santa's sack? Anyway, these little scoops are meant to be both fragrant and moisturizing with cocoa and mango butter. They have a much softer, crumblier texture than regular bath fizzies (compared to LUSH, they remind me more of bubble bars than bath bombs) and turn the water slightly milky and foamy.

 

You can see here that Butter Bombs really do look like little scoops of ice cream! Gingerbread, which is the first scent I tried, is absolutely amazing: rich, spicy sweet, decadent. Again, because I'm cheap, I only crumbled about 1/3 into my bath, which gave off a lot scent, a bit of moisture but no slip in the tub. Next time you order your Pumpkin Butters from Haus, do give these a try as well!

Lastly, as if one marzipan scent from Haus of Gloi couldn't be enough for me, I also picked up this Fizzy Bath Cupcake from Hugo & Debra Naturals ($4.99 for 6 oz) at my local Whole Foods. I've only tried Hugo's bath salts previously and I heard these bath fizzies are really good, so I had a good look at their Christmas offerings (I believe there are two other scents available, Cranberry Pomegranate and Vanilla Peppermint) and came up with the Marzipan scent. Unfortunately, this cutesy cupcake is the black sheep of this post; I really was not impressed with the product. Once out of the protective plastic film, it immediately crumbled into loose chunks, and even when I just about put my nose in the product, I couldn't smell more than a faint, sugary scent with a trace of almond. It did turn my bath water a cheery pink though...

I do feel spoilt rotten with all these bath treats; but that's what the Holiday season is all about, isn't it? Do you take more baths in the winter? What are your favorite bath products?

Bar Soap for Your Face?! Osmia Black Clay Facial Soap Review

Uhm, yeah, I know. Even I, a seasoned and fearless skincare roadtester, audibly gulped at the sight of Osmia's top selling Black Clay Facial Soap bar ($22 for 2.25 oz), recommended for normal, problem and combination skin. But there are very little things I wouldn't do in the name of blogging (that, and good skin), so I focused on the redeeming qualities - it's adorably small, it's funky-colored, it has clay and it smells great - and I decided to go for it.

If you haven't heard about Osmia Organics (what kind of blogs do you read under that rock of yours?!), it's a small Colorado-based skincare line that blends luxury with simple, natural and deliciously-scented ingredients. They have a well-edited skincare line but also make great body and lip products; more on that in future posts. The basic principles of Osmia not only tick all of my boxes, but I'm also totally jelly of beautiful mountain scenery shots which Sarah, the brand's founder, posts on her Instagram profile every day as I slowly wither here in the concrete jungle that is Midtown Manhattan. I may or may not be a bit of an Insta stalker.

But, back to the soap: as you can hopefully see, it comes beautifully packaged and a delicious scent of citrusy essential oils wafts even through the paper, and manages to scent up my whole medicine cabinet. The size of Osmia's Facial Soap is more or less half of a regular soap bar but so far, I've found it to be extremely efficient - I've been using mine for a couple weeks now and can't notice it having gotten smaller at all. I also received a clear rubbery soap saving dish to help dry the soap properly between uses and thus preserve it for longer.

In terms of use, I slightly dampen my face and hands with warm water, do a couple of passes with the soap on my hand and then lather it up on the face. It gives quite a generous, creamy white lather that feels lush on the skin and doesn't make it feel stripped or tight after rinsing; quite the opposite in fact, I find that while I'm rinsing, there's almost a slightly slippery barrier left behind. The soap does not transfer any of its color on the skin, a disappointment I'm still coming to terms with - I totally wanted to scare my husband with a black clay face one evening.

Compared to some other clay cleansers, Osmia Black Clay Facial Soap is a lot less drying than the Claymedix French Red Clay soap (I only dare to wash my hands with this one and even for that, I find it rather unpleasant) but quite similar in result to a non-foaming REN ClearCalm 3 Clarifying Clay Cleanser, reviewed here. I would say it's a bit quicker to use because it lathers and rinses more easily than the REN, which has to be massaged into the skin and then rinsed/wiped rather thorougly.

In terms of overall results, I'm not quite convinced that this facial soap is more effective than my preferred method of cleansing with a non-foaming balm. I haven't found it to be particularly acne-reducing or shine-minimizing. I was however pleasantly surprised at how comfortable my skin feels after using it; not too tight, not too oily, calm and mostly without redness, which makes it a perfect choice for the mornings in my book. I will continue to use and enjoy my little black bar but I'm not sure if I'll repurchase; I guess I shall have to take more long-term results into account before adding it to my shopping cart in the future.

Have you tried any bar soaps for cleansing your face? What are your favorite Osmia products?

Disclaimer: The product featured is a press sample I received from Osmia Organics for review consideration  All opinions are 100% honest and unbiased, no matter if the products featured were purchased with my own monies or provided as a free press sample. All links are non-affiliate and simply provided for your convenience. Thank you for reading!

Falling Short: Kjaer Weis Mascara in Black

I rarely fall for a high-end mascara; and then, more rarely still, I deem it falling short of my expectations. But recently, I was pretty excited to spot the Kjaer Weis Mascara in Black ($38 for a whole tube/ 0.19 oz, $24 for refill) at a sample sale, and without too much deliberation, I snatched it up... only to find myself rather annoyed with it.

Some key points from the press release: the Kjaer Weis Mascara is certified organic, refillable (and thus, more hygienic and sustainable), and it's supposed to be longwearing and durable (not sure what they mean by durable... the insert/refill has a shelf life of 3 months). The ingredients featured include cupuacu butter, beeswax, castor oil to nourish and protect lashes, lavender water and rose oil; the product is formulated without synthetic polymers, propylene glycol, parabens and polyethylene.

First off... this tube is tiny. I don't have big hands by any means, and you can see how small it looks in my hand - or compared to a sample size Clinique mascara below (the Clinique sample tube is actually fatter than the full size Kjaer Weis). I actually really like this simple, small silver tube - very easy to fit in any size make-up bag, and very elegant to pull out for a quick application on the go. My only gripe is quite OCD in nature - the cap doesn't perfectly align with the tube when fully tightened, which you can see below; and you wouldn't want to leave your tube only half-closed, would you?

The mascara wand is made of plastic/rubber and is very small and slim, with short, dispersed bristles that resemble a comb rather than a brush. The product has a subtle rose scent and the tube stopper wipes off the excess product efficiently, but leaves a glob on the very tip of the brush that has to be wiped off manually, as with most mascaras.

 I usually much prefer plastic/rubber brushes because they tend to give a more separated, lengthened effect; with this mascara however, I feel like the bristles are too sparse to really define my rather full lashline (you can see my bare lashes in the top photo of this Jack Sparrow-inspired comparison). With one coat, the brush does a decent job of subtly enhancing the lashes, giving them mostly length but little volume (middle). So, to amp up the volume, I go for a second coat (bottom)... wrong! Second coat results in spidery, sparse, stiff, clumpy lashes - the wand fails to separate individual hairs while the formula makes them stick together and deposits clumps left, right and center. Combing through with a clean spoolie doesn't help much - it removes large globs of product randomly, leaving your lashes half-bare, half-covered in random clumps. Just... clumpy clumps!

But, you know, you could stop at one subtle coat if natural-looking lashes is what you're after (I'm not. Gimme volume!). I could live with the realization that it's just not a mascara for me personally. Where I begin to be rather annoyed, though, is the fact that this mascara absolutely does not last at all - a couple hours in and my husband zeroes in on my cheeks to ask what the black flakes are doing there. It doesn't smudge, it doesn't transfer; it just flakes, and when I remove it with my cleansing oil, it comes off in big clumps as well. It's rather unpleasant if one of those gets stuck in your eye... Not fun at all.

But again - it could be the one I scored at the sale is just old. Or it dried out right away, because of the faulty packaging. However, at this point, I don't really care - I'm just glad I didn't shell out $38 for it... otherwise I would be really, really annoyed. Have you bought any expensive make-up products recently that fell short of your expectations? Any mascara formulations I should cross out from my shopping list?

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New Skincare Additions

I'm slowly but surely going through my accumulated skincare backups and introducing some new(er) products to my routine, so I thought it'd be interesting to share my experiences with you.

As you've probably deduced from reading this blog, I absolutely love trying new skincare products, even though I think my face often does not appreciate the constant rotation - but I also think I've been finding some long-term favorites recently!

First off, a product I've been using the longest now: John Masters Organics Vitamin C Anti-Aging Face Serum ($30 for 1 fl oz), a certified organic product with Vitamin C, extracts of sea algae, nettle and rosebud to moisturize, stimulate collagen production and bring antioxidants to the skin. I'd purchased it on a recommendation from another beauty blogger who absolutely swore by the product, and I was hoping the serum would help to fade my post-acne hyperpigmentation. After a couple months of testing, I think it does help a little bit to get rid of unsightly dark marks, although the effect is by no means dramatic or particularly fast. I'm also not the biggest fan of the texture, as it remains slightly sticky on the skin after application, and it seems my moisturizer doesn't absorb quite as well on top of this serum. Overall, it's an ok product but I would not repurchase.

 At the same time I've started using the Murad Skin Perfecting Lotion, I also introduced one of their night creams to my routine: Murad Essential-C Night Moisture ($63 for 1.7 fl oz). The product features a patented technology to increase elasticity by stimulating collagen production, vitamin C to fight free radicals and shea butter to moisturize. I was getting a tiny bit bored of using my Clarins Blue Orchid Face Treatment Oil and thought this would be a lighter option for warmer weather. This definitely has a thicker consistency than the Skin Perfecting Lotion, which is expected from a night cream; what I didn't expect though is that it absorbs very nicely with no oily residue. It has a refreshing, orange & thyme scent and it does make my skin feel soft and hydrated by the morning. I have a lot of night creams to power through but I might repurchase at some point in the future!

Lastly, somewhat of a cult favorite: Thayers Rose Petal Witch Hazel Alcohol-Free Toner ($7.99 for 12 fl oz). This toner is a blend of aloe vera juice with witch hazel extract, rose water, glycerin and some vitamin E - can't really simplify those ingredients any further! At first I just couldn't get used to the strong rose geranium scent of this toner but it definitely grew on me and I look forward to its refreshing boost now. As far as the results, it does exactly what is says on the front: it's gentle, it's moisturizing, it helps to tighten the pores slightly and for me reduces some of the redness and the number of breakouts. I actually like this product a lot and I think it's a steal for the price; I recently got talked into a different toner by an aesthetician that was 3 times the price and half the size of Thayers and I can't see any benefits from it at all. Go check Thayers witch hazel out if you're in the market for a new toner!

As a side note, if any of these products piqued your interest, they're now available at beauty.com with a 20% off discount for their Friends & Family event, and although I haven't shopped with beauty.com yet (and I'm trying to be good and not buy anything now!), I'm obsessed with their partner site drugstore.com. Just thought I'd let you know!

Have you introduced any new products to your skincare routine recently? What is your favorite toner and night-time treatment?

Fall Tea Favorites

I'm pretty sure I've mentioned it somewhere before but I'm a rather avid tea drinker. I've been raised in a family where the tradition of a digestive hot black sweetened tea with lemon was celebrated every evening without fail and while nowadays I see how most tea lovers wouldn't even call such a concotion 'tea', it certainly made me appreciate the ritual of steeping and sipping a hot drink, especially on cold, rainy days.

I love discovering and trying new brands and varieties of tea, so I thought I'd share my favorites with you in the hopes that you might reciprocate with yours... Do we have a deal?

Let me start by saying that on a day-to-day basis, I don't have time nor patience to steep loose leaf teas - as much as I love the result, the process is just a bit too messy, same as with loose pigments in make-up. Instead, I bastardize the ritual by using tea bags so that's what I'll be describing in this post. I really want to go to Teavana some time soon and get some nice loose leaf teas but for now this is it!

The first two favorites are actually caffeine-free so they technically should be referred to as teasanes, not teas. I drink the Tazo Passion Herbal Infusion and Tazo Honeybush Herbal Infusion the most often as I'm not very big on caffeine in general, mostly because I tend to get dehydrated very easily. The Passion has a very distinct fruity flavor and a lovely deep garnet shade when steeped; it tastes light and refreshing and not very herbal at all, so tea haters rejoice! Honeybush is a name of a plant that can be infused much in the same way as tea but it has a much lighter aroma and no caffeine; the Tazo one is additionally flavored with fruit and floral notes. I always have some sort of herbal tea in rotation, mostly rooibos and occasionally honeybush or tulsi.

Next we have two white teas; the basic difference between the white and black teas is the level of oxidation they go through after the leaves are being picked from the bushes. If you've never had white tea, it is somewhat similar to green tea but more subtle and with less of the slightly bitter/nutty aftertaste, which is why I prefer them. The Tazo Berryblossom White has a beautiful blueberry aroma and a very slightly fruity taste whereas the Numi Orange Spice is a lot warmer and spicier with a distinct orange peel note. It's a bit like orange pomander in a tea form so it'd be perfect as we're getting closer to Christmas.

The last pair are black teas in a 'chai' variety, meaning that they have warming spices such as black pepper, cardamom and cloves added to them. These two adorable cans are from Zhena's Gypsy Tea; we have Hazelnut Chai and Coconut Chai here. I like drinking both with a little bit of tea to enhance their creamier taste; the Hazelnut almost tastes a bit like a Viennese coffee, and the Coconut has just a hint of buttery sweetness to it. I've probably repurchased the Coconut Chai at least three times now, it's one of my all-time favorites!

I usually get all of my teas at Whole Foods, they have a wonderful selection, especially of the Numi teas that me and Mr drink the most of overall. Other good places to look for yummy teas in the US would be the above-mentioned Teavana or Cost Plus World Market; and while you're there, I recommend you pick up some delicious Greek halva or Austrian marzipan.

Are you a tea lover? What are your favorite brands and varieties?

'I die of cuteness!' aka Luxury Lane Soap Haul

There's not going to be much to read in this post, but plenty to gawk, squeal or even flail; yes, Rae, I'm talking to you!

A couple weeks ago I found Luxury Lane Soap's online shop via Kylee Lane's, the owner's, blog, where she posted her response to the Ivory soap commercial - you all go watch that video, it's amazing! Anyway, back to the soap: I found the website, spent a blissful morning adding every single product to my basket, then I came to and subtracted most of it, and that's how I ended up with what you can see here. Hey, some of these are stocking stuffers, no pointing fingers at your poor soap hoarder!

I mean, really? REALLY?! Tiny smelly colorful dinosaurs?! These were a gift with purchase, by the way. Cami, are you dying of cuteness too?

Can we all please take a moment to ponder the perfection of *pink* Hello Kitty and Sugar Cupcake soaps WITH SPARKLES?! I'm so bummed that I don't get to keep these for myself; they're a Christmas gift for my sisters-in-law, aged 14 and 16. Sigh.

These in turn are for my mum and mum-in-law; they each came in a pack of two, so I get to keep one, of course... Both the scrubby snowflake and the Love Knot are part of the Holiday Collection, and on top of being beautiful they smell amazing too!

A little pile of cuteness all together...

I also decided to try two of the half-bar samplers from Kylee's Organic Artisan soap line (clearly, because I have a problem); I got half of Cafe Mocha regular-sized bar and half of Goldilocks mega-sized bar. I haven't tried either yet, but again, they smell amazing and seems to me that the scent on these is a bit stronger than the other soaps. Also, Goldilocks really reminds me of Lush's Snow Cake scent-wise!

So far, I've only opened one bar - the three-tiered Love Knot. I haven't had the occassion to use it a whole lot just yet, but from my initial impressions, I've never used a soap that lathered that well. A couple swipes through my loofa and I get a mountain of fluffy, incredibly creamy goodness, delicate enough to use on the entire body. I have a rather sensitive skin, and haven't had any problems; also, my skin seems less dry than usual. Also, the bar itself is very soft and creamy; it sorts of melts in your fingers just a little bit. The scent is rather subtle, but lingers a bit on the skin so that my husband comments on how good I smell after a bath. What more could you possibly need from a soap? :)

Overview: Natural Acne Remedies

Do not fret, my dears, I haven't switched to food blogging! This is part deux of my spot treatments overview (check out the first part here), this time focusing on natural acne remedies. Obviously, the list is not exhaustive, these are just some of the things I've tried over the years that did and did not work for me. I hope this helps, most of these ingredients are inexpensive and easily found in any kitchen, so they might be worth a try!


1. Clay (in the photo: Pink Kaolin and Green Bentonite). Clay is a skincare ingredient that has been used for centuries, and for a good reason! It comes in many varieties for different skin types and is mostly added to various commercial face masks, but you can also purchase 100% pure powdered clay and make your own masks, knee packs or spot treatments. The common effect of many kinds of clay is tightening of the pores and smoothing the skin, some also help to deep clean the pores by bringing impurities to the surface. It's definitely an effective product that supports the results of other acne treatments, but I honestly doubt it would get rid of anything more than occassional spot or two on its own. I'll be reviewing a natural clay face mask very soon, so keep your eyes out for that!

2. Essential Oils (in the photo: Simplers Organic Lavender Essential Oil): You've surely heard about the acne-fighting benefits of tea tree essential oil, but there are many more than can help diminish blemishes, e.g. lavender, lemon, clary sage, even patchouli. In my experience, applying undiluted essential oils to the skin is not only unpleasant, but can also end up in a pretty nasty irritation. My favorite way of using essential oils is adding them to other skincare products: my cleansing oil blend, toner or homemade masks. Again, I do think they help fight acne when used in conjunction with other products, but don't make a drastic difference on their own.

3. Neem Oil (in the photo: Allafia Basics Neem Oil): I've already reviewed this product in detail here, but let me sum it up for you: neem oil looks nasty, smells nastier, and doesn't seem to do much for me. I know neem also comes in the form of leaf powder, so if you're considering trying it, that might be a better bet.


4. Plain Yogurt (in the photo: FAGE Total 2% Greek Yogurt): Apart from being yummy and nutritious, yogurt can also be an effective acne treatment; if you want to know why, read Brilliant Farmgirl's post on yogurt face packs. What I like about putting yogurt on my face is that it's so cooling and soothing, and my face looks calmer and more hydrated afterwards (this is why it's also awesome on sunburns). I feel that yogurt helps more with redness than pimples, but I still like this method a lot and use it occassionally.

5. Lemon Juice (or other acidic liquids, like Apple Cider Vinegar): Careful, lovelies! Lemon juice has the pH level just above battery acid and can indeed feel like the latter on your skin (i.e., it BURNS). I completely do not recommend putting undiluted lemon juice on your breakouts, it's painful, makes the blemishes angry, and will probably result in peeling. The citric acid in lemons can help exfoliate your skin, but better use it in conjunction with other ingredients.

6. Honey (in the photo: Wedderspoon Organic 100% Raw Manuka Honey Active 16+): Well, I'll be the first to admit that I love honey in general, but it's also a fantastic skincare ingredient. Honey, especially Manuka honey, has hydrogen peroxide antibacterial properties, on top of being a humectant (moisture-binding ingredient). It does help calm cystic blemishes, as well as heals cracked and dry skin (for example, on the lips). If you haven't tried it already, what are you waiting for?


I hope you enjoyed this little overview of natural acne remedies and maybe found some new ideas to try out. Let me know in the comments below what is your favorite natural acne fighter!

My Experience with the Oil Cleansing Method

I've been thinking about posting about my experiences with the OCM (oil cleansing method) for a long time, ever since I started experimenting with it after reading Mariella's post back in April. For those of you who are not in the know, I'm not talking about cleansing with an oil-based cleanser which emulsifies in water like the MAC or Shu Uemura ones, but cleansing by massaging some kind of vegetable base oil on its own into the skin, such as olive oil, and removing it with a hot muslin cloth.


What I like about the method is that I can remove all of my make-up and any other impurities with just one natural simple product. With the added essential oils, it feels very smooth and luxurious, plus you don't need a moisturizer afterwards, at least if your skin is normal to oily. But what drew me in the most is that it really does remove blackheads and plugs. If you massage the oil in for a couple minutes, you start noticing little sandy granules on your fingers, and here are your nasty plugs! I got the most of them after exfoliating with some kind of chemical peel (AHA/BHA acids).

What I don't like about the whole process is that it takes a lot of time, and also I haven't really noticed my face becoming much clearer over time. I'm still experimenting with my perfect mix of oils, but with too much castor oil, which is the ingredient that draws the impurities out of your pores, my skin becomes too dry and flaky. It's very much trial and error and you're experimenting on your own skin, which is also very time-consuming until you arrive at your ideal blend.


In case anyone's interested, my current blend is 20% castor oil, 40% jojoba oil and 40% sweet almond oil. I've also added a couple drops of Vitamin E oil to prolong the shelf life of my cleansing oil, as well as ylang ylang, lemon and lavender essential oils. I put everything in the cobalt glass bottle with a pump for ease of use. Initially, I used the method every day, but currently I cleanse with my oil every 2 or 3 days.


In other news, I've been a little bit MIA because my parents came to visit and I'm busy showing them around Seattle... I'll try posting more often, promise! I've also been featured in Become's Best of the Web series, so you can check me out there! I'm also working on the first giveaway for you, lovely readers, so stay tuned :)

Have you ever tried cleansing with an oil?

The Battle of Natural Lip Balms

I know I may have a bit of a lip balm obsession, but my lips get really dry in the dead of winter, and I bet yours do too...

Today's contestants:


1. Badger Creamy Cocoa Lip Balm: a deliciously thick, certified organic and fair trade balm featuring cocoa butter, extra virgin olive oil and seabuckthorn berry extract among its ingredients.
2. Burt's Bees Replenishing Lip Balm: 100% natural (Natural Products Association certified) and cruelty-free balm with sunflower oil, beeswax and pomegranate oil.
3. Sweet Beauty Organic Chocolate Lip Confections in Mojito: all natural, preservative-free balm with sweet almond oil, lime oil and organic extra virgin coconut oil
4. ChapStick 100% Naturals Lip Butter with 5 natural butters, such as cocoa, mango and raspberry butter
5. EOS (Evolution of Smooth) Smooth Sphere Lip Balm in Summer Berry: innovatively-shaped, 100% natural, 95% organic balm containing olive oil, shea butter and blueberry extract.

My thoughts:
I have been using these 5 natural/organic lipbalms (click here to read about the difference between natural and organic skincare) for a good couple of months and have some definitive favorites. Despite the fact that the key ingredients in all five are quite similar, these do not perform in the same way. All natural lip balms I have tried so far have quite a hard, waxy texture which melts onto your lips thanks to your body temperature. They don't have much of a taste, but come in a variety of scents obtained by adding some natural extracts/essential oils to the product.
My criteria for choosing the best of these five were as follows:
- lasting hydration
- protection
- pleasant scent
- no flavor
- ease of use

While some of the balms featured tick some of these boxes, only one fulfills all criteria. And the winner is...


Badger Creamy Cocoa Lip Balm. This is the only one out of the bunch that I reach for most often and will definitely repurchase. If you have problems with dry, chapped lips I strongly recommend you check this guy out. It lasts all night on my lips, and can also be used on other parts of the body; it works a treat for soothing the eczema on my hands.

What is your Holy Grail lip balm?