Showing posts with label Bath and Body Products. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bath and Body Products. Show all posts

Product Review: Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion & A Giveaway!


Today I'll be reviewing an innovative skin care lotion that I recently received from 21st Century Formulations, the manufacturer of Skin MD Natural. For all intents and purposes, this product acts as a moisturizer, but it acts differently than a moisturizer. When I used it the first time, I noticed that the bottle said "shielding lotion", meaning that "it not only adds moisture to the skin, but it also binds to the skin such that the environment is not allowed to penetrate and desiccate the skin, essentially forming an invisible shield around and throughout the skin. Shielding lotions are lotions that form a protective shield with the outer layer of skin and help keep out irritants and chemicals. They also allow the natural oils and moisture to remain in the skin so it can heal better."
Essentially, this lotion not only moisturizes your skin, it also protects it. It is recommended for use on the face, body and hands and although I was a little afraid to try it on my face, I did. I've been using this for 4 days now and I have had no problems or reactions whatsoever. The lotion is fairly thin in consistency, it absorbs quickly and evenly into the skin, and it has very little scent, which disappears completely after it's been applied. The first thing I noticed after using Skin MD is how silky soft my skin feels. That feeling lasts throughout the day, which I appreciate. I wash my hands quite a few time throughout the day, and I'm finding that my hands still feel hydrated after each time I wash them. I'm not applying lotion to my hands 3-4 times a day, because they simply don't look or feel like they need it. I don't have problems with my skin, but this product is recommended by many dermatologists as a way to treat certain skin conditions, including eczema and psoriasis. I've been putting a little extra product on my elbows, knees and feet before I go to bed, and I am noticing a slight change in the feeling and appearance of the skin in these areas. They're softer, most definitely, and they appear to be less dry when I get out of the shower, before I've applied the product for the day. I don't know if I'm imagining it, but the skin on my face looks better to me...better as in younger, a more even skin tone, just overall healthy looking... dare I say dewy or glowing, especially when I'm not wearing makeup. I have an arsenal of facial products that I use, so obviously, if one product could replace those, as well as replace my hand and body lotions, that would certainly save me time and money! I'm not quite ready to call this a miracle product and replace all of my other products with it, but I do like the results I'm seeing so far.
Here are some details about the product itself:
-No animal products or testing
-Dermatology tested
-Fragrance and colorant free
-Hypoallergenic
-Paraben free
-Non-comedogenic
Their website is filled with information about the company, the products and testimonials. I spent quite a bit of time reading it and the skeptic in me was pretty impressed. Personally, I found this statement on their website to be very interesting, because I actually add glycerin to many of my lotions because of it's moisture retention properties. "Glycerin has been the standard against which all humectants are measured. Until now no other humectant drew in as much moisture from the air as glycerin. But the proprietary formulation in Skin MD Natural has a moisturizing factor of at least 6 times greater than glycerin. Combined with its protective properties and natural ingredients, this makes Skin MD Natural a truly unique product." This product is available in a regular formula as well as an SPF 15 formula. They retail for $18.00 (regular formula) and $25.00 (SPF formula) for a 4 oz. bottle, and there are several other options on their website for larger orders, such as case lots (great for gift giving!), gallon bottles, and so on. You can order samples and simply pay for the postage, if you're interested in trying out this lotion. They have a 100% unconditional money-back guarantee on their products, so if you're not happy with it, just return it for a full refund. They do offer International shipping at a very reasonable rate ($9.95), and they also have a store locator and International websites located on their main page.
If you'd like to win 2 full-sized bottles of Skin MD Natural, leave your e-mail in a comment below. I'll select one name as the winner, and you'll receive a bottle of their regular and their SPF 15 formula (a $43.00 value). All entries must be received by midnight, November 20. The winner will be announced on November 21. Followers only, please.
*Sponsored review, products furnished by Skin MD Natural/21st Century Formulations.


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Product Review: One Bath & Body-Hand & Body Lotion & Shea Body Butter


One Bath & Body offers many body care products with a philosophy that natural beauty products offered in recyclable eco-friendly packaging "rejuvenate the planet and save the spirit". They believe that going green does not require a compromise in quality or luxury, and they are committed reducing packaging waste in our environment. Their wide product range includes natural soaps, solid shampoos, lotion massage bars, bath salts and fizzers, lip balms, after-shower skin conditioner bars, a variety of bath & shower sponges, and the products I'll be reviewing today. Their pricing is extremely reasonable and their ingredients are a minimum of 95% natural.

One Bath & Body products can be purchased on line and in store at Target, and also at Walgreens on line. It looks like they have an on line store coming soon to their web site as well. You can join them on Facebook and Twitter for additional news and updates.

One Cloud 9 Hand & Body Lotion: This product comes in an 8 oz. recyclable tin tube and is also available in three additional scents, including one that sounds heavenly to me, Vanilla Almond Custard. Cloud 9 has a light clean fragrance that has a subtle lavender fragrance to me. This is a fairly rich and thick formula that seems to melt right into my skin. It absorbs quickly and isn't sticky or greasy. The scent is noticeable, but not overbearing at all. With ingredients like Sweet Almond Oil, Coconut Oil, Beeswax and Glycerin to name a few, my hands are left feeling soft, nourished and protected. I've been using this product on my hands in the morning and at night for about a month now, and find it to be quite effective. A little product goes a long way and my tube is still about 80% full. This product retails for about $9.00.

One Citrus Peel Shea Body Butter: The Shea Body Butter is packaged in a 7 oz. tin canister and also is available in three additional scents. The Citrus Peel scent is fairly strong during the application, but dries down nicely. This is probably the thickest body butter I've ever used, but like the Hand & Body Lotion, it seems to melt into my skin on contact. The Body Butter takes a little longer to absorb than the Hand & Body Lotion, but not enough to be bothersome. I've been using this product as my daily body moisturizer, as well as applying a little extra on dryer areas (elbows, knees) at night with very good results. My skin still feels soft and looks moisturized 14-16 hours after I've applied it. The main ingredients include Mango Fruit Extract, Sweet Almond Oil, Beeswax, and Glycerin. This product retails for about $10.00.

*Products featured were furnished by the manufacturer or PR firm for review.


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Product Review: Shikai Hand & Body Lotion/WIN a 5 Piece Shikai Giveaway!

Above: Win all of these Shikai products! One winner will be chosen to receive everything pictured! Includes a full sized Pomegranate Hand & Body Lotion and Shower Gel, Borage Dry Skin Therapy Lotion, and a set of Everyday Shampoo & Conditioner.

I'm going to give my nails a little break after posting all 12 of the Barielle/All Lacquered Up shades over the weekend...that's not to say I won't be back on later today with painted nails though! In getting back to our Natural & Organic Beauty theme this month, today I want to talk about Shikai and some of their products. I've been introduced to a lot of new brands this month, but Shikai was one of the first companies that came to mind when I was planning this month's posts. Here's a little information about the company and their philosophy:

SHIKAI began 35 years ago with a vision. With research, incredible determination and a touch of magic, it has grown into the company it is today. Dr. Dennis T. Sepp, an organic chemist with an interest in natural products and Dr. Vasant Telang, a pharmaceutical chemist with knowledge of auyervedic medicines, were interested in exploring the exceptional properties of several natural plants which are utilized in the care of skin and hair. They quickly honed in on the lathering and low pH cleansing properties of shikakai and its effectiveness as a truly natural shampoo. They developed an extract based on this plant and called it "SHIKAI". This soap and detergent-free extract became the basis for the first line of shampoos and the name of a new company. Today, SHIKAI is one of the most respected companies in the natural products industry with over 50 products - all formulated and produced at the company's facilities in California.

Our mission at ShiKai is to provide you with the safest and most effective body care products possible. It isn’t just that we use the highest quality natural ingredients; we have the knowledge and expertise to create unique and truly effective formulations. QUALITY. INTEGRITY. INNOVATION. YOU CAN TRUST SHIKAI. We believe that natural botanicals can be more effective than synthetic ingredients We believe in the integrity and intelligence of our customers We believe that building a superior product means zero compromise on quality. We believe in keeping a promise. We believe that knowledge and understanding are the keys to innovation. We believe in the honor and pride taken in a job well done.

Today I'll be reviewing their All Natural Hand & Body Lotion in Coconut. I picked this up at a local Health Food store in their health and beauty department. It can be purchased at various independent health stores, as well as Ulta, Whole Foods, and many other locations, including Shikai's website. They have a store locator on their website you can check out. The lotions come in an 8 oz. tube and retail for $7.99. The scent is not overpowering at all, but still noticeable. The coconut one that I'm using smells delicious and I often find myself sniffing my arm throughout the day! My skin not only smells wonderful, but it is also soft and supple all day long. It's a fairly thick formula that absorbs quickly with no greasy feeling. These lotions are Paraben-free and contain many effective natural ingredients, including Shea butter, Borage Oil, Aloe Vera, Vitamin E and Cocoa butter. This is a long-lasting lotion that not only smells fantastic, but also work very well. You can check out their entire product line, ingredients and pricing on their website here.

A special thanks to Shikai for providing me with a wonderful selection of 5 full-sized products to offer as a giveaway during my Natural & Organic Beauty month! We'll be giving away the 5 products pictured above to one lucky winner. If you'd like to be entered in this giveaway, leave your e-mail below in the comments section. I'll hold a random drawing tomorrow afternoon using all of the entries received by Noon tomorrow, letting Random.org pick the winner. Good luck!


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Summer Gift Giveaway From Reviva Labs!

The folks at Reviva Skin-Care Labs are going to help protect and prettify your skin during summer with a 5-product package of fantastic natural skin-care products.

The 5-products included are (over a $54.00 value):

1.) Sun Protective Moisturizer w/SPF #25 (1.5 oz. jar). Use daily, alone or under makeup.

2.) Vitamin E Stick w/SPF #15 in a lipstick type tube. Award winning protector for lips and under eyes. You can read my review of this product here.

3.) Alpha Lipoic, Vitamin C Ester & DMAE Cream (2 oz. jar). Not only a terrific antioxidant cream for nighttime but used under sunscreen cream daytime, zaps free radicals that get through the sunscreen. An invaluable extra layer of defense against sun damage & skin cancer!

4.) Willard Water Gel (4 oz. bottle). Amazing sunburn relief, anti-irritant and healer.

5.) Tan-Without-Sun (2 oz. bottle). For those who don’t want to sunbathe, here’s how to get a rich, attractive, natural-looking tan.

THIS IS A TRULY VALUABLE SKIN-CARE OFFER!

To be eligible to enter the giveaway, you must visit the Reviva website (www.revivalabs.com) and list which other Reviva product(s) not included in this giveaway that interest you. Leave your eMail address and the Reviva product(s) that interest you in the comments section below as your entry. This is open to U.S. residents only and the winner will receive their prize package directly from Reviva Labs. Entries due by 7/31/10 and the winner will be announced on Monday, 8/2/10.

I'm on my second tube of Vitamin E Stick with a few more in my back-up stash, so I can tell you that this is my personal favorite for an everyday lip balm. I'm on my second bottle of Tan Without Sun, and I had yet to find a self-tanner that I was totally pleased with--until this one. The scent evaporates almost immediately, it absorbs quickly, and the results are fast and long-lasting. There is no streaking with this product and the color is a natural bronze without orange tones. I just recently began using the other 3 products included in this prize package, and am very pleased with everything about them. I'll be the first to admit that I'm a slacker when it comes to using sunscreen on a daily basis. The Sun Protective Moisturizer has taken the place of my normal face cream, and I actually prefer the way it feels. It seems to absorb much better and I know it's safer for my skin to be using something with an SPF. I've recently realized this would be a great product for my hands as well.

I was introduced to Reviva Labs and their products several months ago, and one of the things I like most about their products, is that the majority of them can be used for more than one purpose. My husband has been using the Willard Water Skin Smoother at my request so I could have a broader idea of how it works, and he claims that it's very soothing on his face after shaving. He is a man of few products (unlike myself!), and he asked me yesterday if I could get him more when it runs out, so I would say that he likes it! This is a gel-like product that can be used to soothe and moisturize after shaving or waxing, as well as an additional aid in moisturizing and healing dry skin. The DMAE Cream is also a multi-use product--used under a moisturizer as noted above to give your skin additional protection from the sun, or used as a firming night cream, which is how I've been using it. This cream contains antioxidants which work to repair damaged skin and prevent future damage.

Check out their web site for a library of information on skin care and how the ingredients interact and work in each product. Reviva Labs does not test on animals and their products contain no animal ingredients.

*Products featured were furnished by Reviva Labs for this giveaway and for review.


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Product Review: Bath & Body Works Kitchen Collection (and a Coffee Hand Treatment!)

I was recently sent some products to review from the Bath & Body Works Kitchen Collection of anti-bacterial hand soaps and sanitizers, and because I use these on a regular basis, I didn't have to prepare myself too much for the review! It also gives me the opportunity to share what some may consider a rather unusual hand treatment, using the hand soap and coffee grounds. First, let me tell you a little bit about this line.

Pictured above are the Deep Cleansing Hand Soap, the Hand Gel Sanitizer, and the Gentle Foaming Hand Soap. This line also carries a Moisturizing Hand Lotion. These products are all designed for use in the kitchen, and they not only kill germs, but also eliminate cooking smells that linger on hands. I used to scrub my hands with salt to eliminate the odor caused from chopping onions, but I no longer need to do that. The Fresh Source odor eliminating technology even eliminates the smell left on my hands from chopping garlic. Two pumps of the hand soap removes all traces of odors for me, and is less drying to my hands than the salt. I find the soaps to be less drying overall, because they contain ingredients such as honey, coconut milk, and olive fruit extracts. Their packaging comes in subtle colors, and the pump-type style is easy to use when my hands are covered in whatever I may be baking. I often use the Hand Gel Sanitizer throughout the day, because it contains Tahitian Palm Milk, which adds moisture to my hands and helps combat germs. These are available in a variety of fragrances, and they retail for $5.00 each. They're often on sale as I believe they are right now, for 4 for $10.00.

I have been using an easy and effective treatment on my hands every night for several months now, and reviewing these products gives me an opportunity to share this with you. After I clean the kitchen up and prepare the coffee maker each night, I scoop a small amount of coffee grounds from the filter before throwing them away. I'd guess that I use between 1/2 and 3/4 of a measuring teaspoon of the coffee. I'm not entirely crazy, because there are many benefits of coffee as a skin treatment.

Below: I then add 2 pumps of the Bath & Body Works Kitchen soap. I prefer the foam type in the kitchen, and the deep cleansing one in the bathroom for no particular reason, but either one works fine for this.
Below: I wash my hands just like I would if I were using plain soap, and massage the grounds around my cuticle area.
Below: After rinsing my hands, I use a small nail brush that I keep in the dish drainer to clean under my nails and around my cuticles, to insure that any stray coffee grounds don't remain.
If you didn't think I was crazy before you read this, you might now! But there is plenty of information available on the benefits of coffee as an ingredient to help exfoliate your skin and remove dead skin cells, not to mention the that coffee bean contains Vitamin E and Magnesium, both thought to be useful as antioxidants to help stimulate collagen. All of these properties combined, aid in keeping your skin smooth and healthy. The granules of coffee also help to remove small pieces of skin around the cuticle before they become hangnails, and work to give an overall look of smoothness to your hands. The odor eliminating ingredients in the Bath & Body Works Kitchen soaps remove any trace of the scent from the grounds, so you don't need to worry about your hands smelling like coffee!
*Bath & Body Works products furnished by the manufacturer or PR firm for review.


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Product Review: SEED Grape Seed Enriched Hair & Body Care Products

Above & Below: SEED brand grape seed enriched conditioning hair shampoo bar and moisturizing body soap. Both are lightly scented with citrus and thyme.

Below: SEED brand nourishing body lotions (restful lavender is shown on the left and citrus blend is on the right).

I recently had the opportunity to try out a fairly new line of natural body care products from Seed Power Body Care. These products are 100% natural and "powered" with nutrient-rich grape seeds, which are filled with antioxidants, including Vitamin E. You can read more about their ingredients and their philosophy on the website. You can find Seed Power products at Whole Foods stores, and they can also be ordered online at Amazon and The Seed Store. I found these products to be of very high quality, effective, and reasonably priced.
SEED Conditioning Hair Shampoo Bar~3.5 oz. bar~$4.49
This is available in Invigorating Citrus Thyme, which is what I have, and also unscented. I've never used a shampoo bar, so I was a little skeptical at first. My hair is very fine and just below my ears. I rubbed it across my hair in the shower just a couple of times, and was pleasantly surprised by how quickly it lathered up. The scent is refreshing, but not at all overpowering. It rinses out well, but I was concerned because I didn't get that silky feeling I have after using conditioner. I kept my fingers crossed that the conditioner in the bar would be enough, and didn't use any other products on my hair before blow drying it, because I wanted to see how this product worked by itself. Other than the fact that the comb didn't glide through my wet hair quite as easily as it normally does, it styled just fine. There is no static, and my hair is soft, shiny and manageable. I like the portability of this product, and the packaging is a typical soap box which can be recycled. This product is recommended for women and men, and is primarily for shorter styles. I believe they are developing a bar for longer styles. I am no longer skeptical of washing my hair with a shampoo bar!
This product is available in the Invigorating Citrus Thyme and the unscented also. Again, I have the scented one, and while it smells very refreshing and citrus-like, it is by no means too strong of a scent, nor does it linger on the skin. This soap lathers up nicely and you can feel the fine grains of Pomegranate, Strawberry and Apricot seeds gently exfoliating as you wash. It rinses clean and doesn't leave my skin feeling dry or tight. I especially like the feeling of exfoliation I get from this bar, because the grains are very condensed, but they're ground so fine that they don't scratch you.
I have the Restful Lavender and Citrus Blend scents, and it's also available in an unscented version. This lotion is enhanced with Green Tea Extract and Shea Butter, and leaves my skin soft and very silky feeling--I can't tell you enough about just how silky and amazing this makes my skin feel! It absorbs quickly with no trace of any type of residue. Both of these scents are quite strong when applying them, but they dry down quickly leaving just a light, fresh fragrance that doesn't interfere with any perfume I may be wearing.

Below is some information on a contest they are having which will not only give the winner (and one of their friends) the entire line of SEED products, but also allow a national charity to receive a $500.00 donation. Check it out and make sure to enter now, because it ends April 15th.

At SEED, we believe every day is Earth Day, and we are celebrating Earth Month by asking you to give us your SEEDS of green inspiration. Tell us how you are “greening up your routine” in 140 characters or less on TWITTER (http://twitter.com/seedpower) or Facebook (facebook.com/seedpowerbodycare). Our favorite 25 tweets from Twitter and 25 favorite wall posts on Facebook will win 1 grape seed enriched moisturizing body soap and 1 grape seed enriched lathering shampoo bar (made especially fine to normal and shorter hair)! All winning tips will also be posted on our blog, newsletter, and/or other SEED Sites!

Support a worthy National Charity! If you join our email/newsletter community between now and April 15th, you will be automatically entered for a chance to win $500 to a charity of your choice* plus the entire SEED collection for you and a friend!

Here’s one of the ways SEED supports Sustainable Beauty: Bar soaps have gotten a bad rap for way too long. But did you know SEED's grape seed enriched moisturizing body soap is just as exfoliating, cleansing, and moisturizing as a bottled body wash? And, did you know that most liquid shampoo have a lot of chemicals, including petro-chemicals which go down our drain into our water? SEED’s shampoo bar is rich in lather and easy to use! Our soap and shampoo bars have a smaller ecological footprint than their liquid counterparts. Not only do they skip the wasteful plastic packaging, use less water in manufacturing, AND they are lighter in weight, using less energy to ship. SEED’s moisturizing body soap and lathering shampoo bar are 100% natural, comes with bio-degradable packaging, and is made right here in the USA.

Contest Rules: Only one winner per household. All winners must live in the USA or Canada. If you post on Twitter remember to start your tweet with our hashtag: #seedpower so we can find your green-tastic tip! The $500 donation winner may select from the following charities: *American Cancer Society, Big Brother/Big Sisters of America, Sierra Club, or Autism Speaks.

~Products featured in this post were furnished by the manufacturer or PR firm for review.


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Product Review: Silky Cosmetics Whipped Sugar Polish & Buttery Body Creme

I've mentioned before that I don't post reviews on a product unless it's something I like or something so flawed, I feel the need to warn you about it. I just don't want to waste our time on a mediocre product. It would be an understatement to say I like these products. If it's possible to fall in love with an inanimate object, then I am definitely smitten!


Silky Cosmetics sent me these products last month to review, and I've been using them religiously for the past two weeks. I imagine most of you, like myself, have a fondness for bath and body products--probably not the obsession we have with nail polish, but I certainly enjoy these products and other cosmetic items as well. I have quite a collection of these types of products that take up an entire 3-drawer rolling cart, so it's safe to say that I have more than enough products to compare these to. What first attracted me to this company was the fact that their products (they also offer bath salts and body washes in addition to these two products I'm reviewing) are 100% vegan, and free of parabens, sodium laurel sulfate, petroleum, mineral oil and alcohols. They use quality natural ingredients and "we are huge animal lovers so we never, ever, ever test on animals". Their packaging is well-made and of good quality, and the products themselves, although natural, have a wonderful scent and great texture. You know how sometimes with natural products the scent is a little different and the texture can be as well? Not so with these, and I'll discuss that more below. Their motto is "You're never too old to be young and never too young to be sophisticated."
Now I've used plenty of scrubs over the years, but this one beats them all. The reason I say this is that first off, the scent (Bliss) is heavenly. It smells somewhat of peaches and some other notes that I can't quite place, but it lasts all day long. There is absolutely no need to use any moisturizer if I use this in my morning shower. The granules do a good job of exfoliating and polishing my skin, and even though my skin feels a little oily once it's rinsed off, that disappears after I dry off with a towel, and I'm left with smooth, soft, silky skin that I cannot stop sniffing! The first time I used it, I scooped out about a tablespoon, which was more than enough, so I'm using a bit less now. The texture is fairly thick and heavy, so as you massage onto wet skin, it melts, and a little goes a long way. I am utterly amazed at how moisturizing this is and how well that feeling, along with the scent, lasts into the night. The key ingredients are Coconut oil, Shea butter, and Soybean oil. This is available in three other scents, Charm, Sweet Mint, and Sorbet. All of the ingredients are listed with each product on their web site.
Initially, I used the sugar scrub in the shower, followed by the body creme as a moisturizer. I now use one or the other, because I don't need that much moisturization. The body creme has the same wonderful scent, and also lasts throughout the day and into the night. It's a lighter application of moisture, at least on my skin, but no less effective. My skin still feels soft and silky after an 18 hour day, and the scent is clearly evident. The texture of this is interesting--it reminds me of whipped creme--filled with air and very light. However, it's not filled with air, so you're still getting all of the product. It's not thick like a body butter, but much more solid than a lotion. It's smooth as can be, and dries quickly without any feeling of residue. This product comes in the same scents as the sugar polish, and has the same key ingredients.
I personally think these products are top quality and I'll definitely be purchasing some when these start to get low. As much as I love the scent of Bliss, I'm very curious what the others smell like, so I'll probably try something different. You can sign up for their newsletter on their web site, and also follow them on Twitter here. They offer free shipping over $50.00 and also include a sample with every order. I don't know if they ship Internationally, but if you eMail them, I'm sure they'll be happy to tell you.
*Products featured in this post were furnished by the manufacturer or PR firm for review.


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Friday Follower Freebie x Five!

Today's FFF includes a product review, and in staying with the St. Patrick's Day theme, we've tied everything together in a nice little green display! Because of the generosity of Reviva Labs, we're going to have 5 winners instead of the customary 1 or 2. Each winner will receive 2 bars of Reviva Lab's All Natural Seaweed Soap, 1 bottle of Studio M (formerly Massini) Jade or Energy nail lacquer, and a sprinkling of mint cup candies, all tucked into a festive green bucket!

Reviva Labs is as a company whose origins are in professional skin care salons, and they produce some of the finest skin care available. I know this for a fact because I've been reviewing some of their other products (which I'll post about later this month), and am nothing short of being very impressed with them. I don't post all of the product lines I review, because honestly, if I don't care for them, I don't want to spend the time to post a formal review. Now if something were to be completely unacceptable for whatever reason, I would certainly inform you of that, because I would want you to be aware. There are many mediocre beauty/skincare products out there, but the ones I'm interested in and the ones that I want to make you aware of, are the ones I choose to spend my time on. With that being said, on to the review!

The All Natural Seaweed Soap, is a vegetable based soap made from palm and coconut oils. The seaweed grains provide gentle exfoliation while also removing impurities from your skin. Seaweed has long been touted as a skin care product for it's diverse cleansing and anti-cellulite properties. This soap also contains glycerin to help your skin maintain the softness imparted from the coconut and palm oils. I've been using this soap for over a week now and have no negative issues with it. It lathers up nicely and rinses clean without any drying effect on my skin. It has a light fragrance and the seaweed grains seem to be just the right size to do the job right without any scratching on my skin. What I like the most about this soap is how moisturized my skin feels. Normally, especially in the still-cool weather we're having, my skin feels like I need to apply a moisturizer to it. After using this soap, I no longer have that feeling. I was even able to enlist my husband to help me out with this review, and if you knew my husband, that doesn't happen too often! He was just as pleased as I was with it and has been using his bar faithfully. If you are a regular reader of my blog, you know that I always enjoy using natural based products. Reviva Labs is known for their ability to provide many natural and effective products, and although I had heard of them, it wasn't until I read through some of their literature that I realized exactly what this company was all about. They have been in business for over 37 years, and their founder, Stephen Strassler, was one of the first Aestheticians in the U.S. They offer a wide range of basic and specialty skincare products, which can be found in many health food stores, and on their website. All of the ingredients for each product can be found on their site, and there are a number of navigational links at the top of the page filled with useful information on skin care.

THE RULES: You must be a follower to enter. You must leave your eMail address below in the comments section as your entry. You must submit your entry no later than midnight tomorrow, March 13. Remember, there will be 5 winners! Good luck!

*Reviva Lab products were furnished by the company for a review and prizes.


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Product Review: Bella Sugar Cosmetics

Above & Below: The Zebra eye shadow palette and the tub of shower jellies are the products I'll be reviewing from Bella Sugar Cosmetics. These are some of the prizes included in my Anniversary Contest giveaway.
Above & Below: The eye shadow palettes are hand-painted and come in several different design options. Each palette holds 4 shades and comes with an insert stating the color names.
Below: A macro shot of the colors in my palette. You've got to know that although I'm impressed with the quality and shades of all four colors, Chocolate Covered Blueberries won my heart straightaway! It's a duo chrome!
Below: The back of the palette box shows the ingredients of the shadows.
Below: In all my excitement over these products, I neglected to photograph my jellies, so I 'borrowed' this one from Patricia's site. Not only do they smell good, they look good too! They have tiny flecks of gold shimmer in them and I am holding myself back from getting mine out and just playing with them (think Jello Jigglers!).
Below: The shower jelly ingredient list is printed on the back on the container.
Below: A family portrait of the products and swatches. Click the photo to enlarge the detail. I couldn't capture the true beauty of Chocolate Covered Blueberries, but you can see how it changes from brown, to reddish brown, to a teal/aqua shade. All four of the shadows are highly pigmented and very blendable.
Last week I gave you a little preview of one of the prizes in my Anniversary Contest from a brand new independent cosmetics company, Bella Sugar Cosmetics. I have received my products from the lovely Patricia, who is the mastermind behind these products, so I can now share my thoughts on them with you. She also has a blog with additional swatches and photos that can be found here. Bella Sugar's generous contribution to my prize package includes a $25.00 gift certificate, a tub of Shower Jelly in your scent choice, a 4-pan palette in your design/color choice, and 4 hand-pressed mineral eye shadows in your color shade choice. Now for the review!

Shower Jelly in Basil Citrus: These come in a plastic container and contain between 21 and 24 jellies. Mine are heart shaped and are very jiggly! I used one whole jelly (I use those exfoliating gloves and just squished it into my palms), and I had a delightful shower experience! The scent is strong but not overpowering, and the jelly lathers up very nicely. It rinses clean, but the scent lingers ever so lightly. These left my skin silky soft and feeling very moisturized. I am certain than using just half of a jelly would be more than enough for one shower or bath.

4-Pan Shadow Palette (Zebra pattern): This is a well-built, sturdy palette that measures 3"x3". The designs are hand-painted (they are also available in a solid color), there is a mirror inside, and it has a push button type of opener/latch so it stays secure if your carry it in your bag. They are magnetic so the shadows can be interchanged. I think this is super cute!

Hand-Pressed Mineral Shadows: Oh my, where to start! These shadows are unbelievable. The texture is unlike any of my pressed shadows that I have (powder or mineral), and I probably have several dozen brands to compare them to. They seem softer, yet they are still dense like any pressed powder shadow. Because of their nature, they blend incredibly well. The four I have are all shimmery, but there isn't any fallout like what is normally associated with mineral shadows. I have issues with loose mineral shadows/pigments, so I stay away from them because of the mess I make. I also have some pressed shadows that are minerals, but they don't apply and blend the way these do. I've had mine on for over 14 hours now, and am just starting to see a very slight bit of creasing on my eyelid (I didn't use any shadow primer product). I tight lined with one of them as well, and my eyes are not irritated at all. Simply put, these are some of the best and most interesting shadows I've come across in a long time.
*Products were furnished by the manufacturer or PR firm for review.


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