Silk Naturals Kisser Slicker in "Mirabelle"

Envelope your lips in peachy goodness with Silk Naturals' "Mirabelle":

Above: Silk Naturals Kisser Slicker in "Mirabelle"

Silk Naturals is an indie makeup and cosmetics brand that is all the rage with natural beauty enthusiasts. The company produces amazing, all-natural, non-toxic beauty products at a fraction of the price that other natural brands charge. They have an abundance of wonderful lip products to choose from with a full spectrum of colors to dabble with. I personally have a good-sized collection of Silk Naturals’ lip products because they are effective, long lasting, smell great and, most importantly, nourish the lips. Check out the Silk Naturals website to discover the many products this company offers!

Silk Naturals Kisser Slicker in "Mirabelle" is a gorgeous, slightly shimmery peach color with enough pigment not to wash me out. Personally, I cannot usually wear peaches or nudes because they wash me out. So, this particular peachy-pink color that I found in “Mirabelle” is my go-to, and one-and-only peach lippie! The Kisser Slicker formula can really be defined as something between a natural lipstick and a tinted lip balm. It has great, buildable pigmentation, but feels so smooth and nourishing on the lips that I cannot stop rubbing my lips together (that slickness is addictive!). As can be seen in the photos, the shimmer in this lippie is subtle – and it does not feel gritty.

Have you tried Silk Naturals' lip products? What are your favorite colors and formulas? Share the love in the comments section below!

Be sure to follow this blog to keep up to date with various natural beauty and healthy lifestyle tips and reviews. This blog is meant to be a helpful tool for people who are looking to switch to natural cosmetics, but who don't know where to start. I post positive reviews and articles about products that have worked well for me personally. Hopefully these articles are helpful to my readers in helping them choose makeup and skincare that are non-toxic and all-natural!

Above: Silk Naturals Kisser Slicker in "Mirabelle"

Teadora "Rainforest at Dawn" nourishing body butter

A luscious body butter by Teadora without parabens or artificial fragrances:

Teadora "Rainforest at Dawn" Nourishing Body Butter - a great alternative to popular brand name body butters that may contain parabens, artificial fragrances and other toxic ingredients.

Teadora "Rainforest at Dawn" Nourishing Body Butter is a luscious, nourishing and super moisturizing body butter! I was once a big fan of The Body Shop body butters because of their thickness and moisturizing power, so I’ve been on the lookout for a natural alternative body butter that does not contain parabens or artificial fragrances (like The Body Shop butters do). Teadora products are free of toxic and synthetic ingredients, and the fragrance, which is wonderful, is entirely natural.

Teadora’s body butter is super thick, so it’s perfect for very dry skin, after shaving, and whenever we are on the lookout for a special extra-moisturizing treatment for our bodies. The scent, like all of Teadora’s products, is rainforest inspired, with notes of musk, earthiness and grassiness. The scent is really wonderful and invigorating, and it truly reminds me of the rainforest, which seems to be Teadora’s goal – so good for them for creating such a beautiful sensory experience! Teadora is definitely a company worth checking out (click to get to Teadora’s website). If you love rainforest-inspired scents like chocolate, açai berries, rainforest wood, musk, and jungle flowers and plants, Teadora's products are especially for you. Most importantly, the products are effective and nourishing!

Be sure to follow this blog to keep up to date with various natural beauty and healthy lifestyle tips and reviews. This blog is meant to be a helpful tool for people who are looking to switch to natural cosmetics, but who don't know where to start. I post positive reviews and articles about products that have worked well for me personally. Hopefully these articles are helpful to my readers in helping them choose makeup and skincare that are non-toxic and all-natural!

Back to soap basics! Kiss My Face Pure Olive Oil Soap

Kiss My Face Pure Olive Oil Soap - a great fragrance free, simple bar soap:

Kiss My Face Pure Olive Oil Soap (fragrance free) 

There is a plethora of all-natural bar soaps available on the market nowadays with the demand for more natural skincare options. Bar soaps are actually relatively easy to make at home, so naturally, many of these “soap cooks” have started small soap businesses. I love to try out soaps from all-natural brands, finding the most effective ones to place on my soap dishes. Kiss My Face Pure Olive Oil Soap is a wonderful option for those looking for a fragrance free, non-irritating bar soap. Some people are sensitive even to natural essential oils that are often used to scent soap, so the best option for those people is to get a bar soap with no added essential oils. Kiss My Face Olive Oil Soap is actually made from 86% olive oil, which is a moisturizing, soothing and anti-oxidant-rich oil for the skin. The olive oil used in this soap is sourced straight from one of the earth’s most fertile soils for the olive tree – Greece!

The other ingredients in this super pure and simple soap are just water and salt! So this is truly a very basic soap that anyone with skin sensitivities should give a try, both on their face and body. This soap lathers easily, comes in a big 8 oz. bar, and lasts a really long time. Another great aspect of this soap is that it dries hard and does not fall apart easily like many natural soap brands tend to do because they lack toxic chemicals that keep soap from melting on the soap dish. Personally, I prefer melting soap over chemical-ridden soap – but hey, it is nice to find these soap brands that produce all-natural soap that dries to a hard solid after use. Kiss My Face is a cruelty-free brand that produces a huge amount of effective, awesome all-natural products that are definitely worth a try! Check out the Kiss My Face website to see what else this company produces!

Follow this blog to keep up to date with various natural beauty and healthy lifestyle tips and reviews. This blog is meant to be a helpful tool for people who are looking to switch to natural cosmetics, but who don't know where to start. I post positive reviews and articles about products that have worked well for me personally. Hopefully these articles are helpful to my readers in helping them choose makeup and skincare that are non-toxic and all-natural!

Claybrite White Natural Toothpaste by Zion Health

Clean your teeth naturally with Claybrite Natural Toothpaste:

Natural toothpaste is not a cosmetic that I have written about before, but I have been trying different toothpaste brands that claim to be less toxic than most popular brand name toothpastes. I can honestly say that Claybrite Natural Toothpaste is one of my favorites so far, and would be a great option to try for those who are concerned about toxic chemicals being present in their toothpaste. We do, after all, end up ingesting small amounts of toothpaste, since so much toothpaste goes into our mouths while brushing. As vigorously as we might rinse, we will inevitably swallow some of it, so why not opt for a toothpaste with less or no synthetic chemicals in the ingredients?

Claybrite Natural Toothpaste is produced by Zion Health, an American, San Francisco-based company that also produces facial, body and hair care products, as well as health supplements. The company’s toothpaste is one of the highest rated natural toothpastes currently on the market. The toothpaste is non-fluoride, for those who are concerned about fluoride ingestion. The formula has an off-white color, with a smooth and soft texture that looks very much like clay (Kaolin clay is one of the ingredients). The formula spreads easily on the teeth and leaves teeth feeling very clean, perhaps because of the natural minerals present in the ingredients, which add an additional scrubbing action on the surface of the teeth while brushing. With natural mint oils present in the formula, this toothpaste also leaves a revitalizing and long-lasting minty feel in the mouth. Check out the Zion Health website for more information on this wonderful toothpaste and on the company’s other products.

Be sure to follow this blog to keep up to date with various natural beauty and healthy lifestyle tips and reviews. This blog is meant to be a helpful tool for people who are looking to switch to natural cosmetics, but who don't know where to start. I post positive reviews and articles about products that have worked well for me personally. Hopefully these articles are helpful to my readers in helping them choose makeup and skincare that are non-toxic and all-natural!

Beessential's Honey Lip Balm is a natural, honey-flavored treat for the lips!

Beessential's Honey Lip Balm - a perfect representation for Beessential's cosmetics line:

A lip balm made with pure bee ingredients - perfect representation for Beessential's cosmetic line!

Beessential's Honey Lip Balm is a perfect representation for Beessential's skincare line! Beessential is a family business that started as a simple bee-keeping experiment on the part of the owner, who then decided to start using honey and beeswax, made naturally by bees, to produce amazing skincare products!

The honey lip balm is a matte balm (not shiny) that tastes and smells exactly like you would expect honey to taste and smell! And that has to do with the amazingly natural list of ingredients:

Beeswax, Coconut Oil, Shea Butter, Cupuacu Butter, Olive Oil, Tocopherol (Natural Vitamin E), Propolis Extract, Honey, Natural Honey Flavor, and Monk Fruit Extract.

I love the fact that this balm contains propolis extract. Propolis, collected and processed by bees, is the “bee glue” that holds a bee hive together and protects it from the elements. It’s a thick, resinous material that has been used by people as a healing agent for thousands of years. Every experience I have had with using pure propolis to heal or soothe dermatological irritation has been incredibly positive. So it’s no wonder that this lip balm is so soothing for the lips! The other ingredients in this lip balm are known to protect (create a barrier against cold) and moisturize the skin.

Beessential products are free of synthetic preservatives, fragrances, parabens, and any other toxic chemicals that are commonly found in most popular brand name cosmetics. Beessential is an Ohio-based natural skincare company, which produces lip balms, body lotions, body washes, soap, foaming liquid hand wash, hair shampoo and hair conditioner.

Be sure to follow this blog to keep up to date with various natural beauty and healthy lifestyle tips and reviews. This blog is meant to be a helpful tool for people who are looking to switch to natural cosmetics, but who don't know where to start. I post positive reviews and articles about products that have worked well for me personally. Hopefully these articles are helpful to my readers in helping them choose makeup and skincare that are toxin-free and all-natural!

The perfect pink lip gloss - and it's all-natural too!

Perfect pink pout with ZuZu Luxe's Pitaya Lip Gloss:

Perfect Pink Lips with ZuZu Luxe Pitaya Lip Gloss

One of my favorite all-natural makeup and cosmetics brands is Gabriel Cosmetics, and I especially love the company's offerings through their "Zuzu Luxe" makeup line. I have thoroughly enjoyed Zuzu Luxe lipstick and mascara - check out the links below for other reviews of these products!

Click here to see a review of Zuzu Luxe lipstick

Click here to see an article featuring both a Zuzu Luxe mascara and a Gabriel Cosmetics mascara

Now, I am totally ecstatic about having finally found the perfect pink lip color. ZuZu Luxe's Pitaya Lip Gloss is absolutely fabulous – it’s moisturizing, super light-feeling, and has just enough of a neon pink punch to brighten anyone’s day! The formula is very long-lasting and pigmented. My favorite thing about this lip gloss is the unusual texture of the formula, which is always a fun characteristic to include in my library of natural cosmetics! The feel of this lip gloss is extremely light and velvety, but the formula offers loads of pigment – which is surprising considering the light-weight quality of the formula. This gloss is not too shiny; it definitely has a matter look than most lip glosses. In fact, I would even go as far as to call this lip gloss a “velvet” finish. Despite having a velvet finish, it’s a very moisturizing and nourishing lip gloss that will not dry out the lips. I adore this lip product and would highly recommend it to anyone who likes deep and bright pink lip shades. I think it’s the perfect pink lip color, especially for those who have darker skin tones, or for tanned Caucasians like myself, who will look washed out with lighter pink lip shades or nudes.

Check out the ingredients in this toxin-free, natural lip gloss:

Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil*, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax*, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil*, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Oil*, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Lecithin, Crithmum Maritimum (Sea Fennel) Extract*, Bisabolol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract*, Iron Oxides, Mica, Hypericum Perforatum (St. John’s Wort) Extract, Titanium Dioxide; * = organic.

Based in Seattle, Washington, Gabriel Cosmetics was founded by Gabriel De Santino in 1992 – a true venture of passion for natural alternatives and nature’s remedies. Influenced by his grandmother, who was a firm believer in natural alternatives, and by the sea, where he spent a lot of his childhood (on the coast of Mexico), Gabriel first began his company as a natural skincare line, producing products pumped full of natural ingredients derived from the sea (such as kelp and seaweed).

Check out the Gabriel Cosmetics Website for more information on this company's truly awesome products. 

Be sure to follow this blog to keep up to date with various natural beauty and healthy lifestyle tips and reviews. This blog is meant to be a helpful tool for people who are looking to switch to natural cosmetics, but who don't know where to start. I post reviews and articles about products that have worked well for me personally. Hopefully these articles are helpful to my readers, in helping them choose makeup and skincare that are toxin-free and all-natural!

Another awesome natural sun block option - Alba Botanica Very Emollient Sunscreen SPF 30

A very emollient natural sunscreen free of parabens and toxins by Alba Botanica:

Alba Botanica very emollient sunscreen SPF 30

Alba Botanica’s "Very Emollient Fragrance Free Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Sunscreen" is an excellent choice for those looking for a more natural, non-toxic sunscreen option. The formula of this sunscreen applies easily and smoothly, absorbs quickly, and spreads really easily (hence the truthful “very emollient” added to this brand’s name!). One of my favorite natural cosmetics products to try out in the last few months have been sunscreens. It’s often hard to find a good one when it’s made from natural ingredients. Unfortunately what makes it tempting to just go ahead and buy the “trusted” old brand names at the pharmacy is that those brands use chemicals in their formulas to make sunscreen emollient, easily absorbable and nice-smelling. But the cheapest chemicals to use in order to create a product with those properties can be pretty toxic and carcinogenic – and they’ll get absorbed right through your skin into your body. That’s no fun at all, so I went on a personal journey to find natural, non-toxic sunscreens that are effective. 

Alba Botanica’s sunscreen is not only effective (in preventing burns), but it’s also moisturizing and water-resistant for up to 80 minutes! This is a biodegradable formula that is also free of parabens, gluten and phthalates; it’s also made from 100% vegetarian ingredients and the producers of Alba Botanica products do not test on animals. That sounds like a pretty tempting natural sunscreen option to me!

Be sure to follow this blog to keep up to date with various natural beauty and healthy lifestyle tips and reviews. This blog is meant to be a helpful tool for people who are looking to switch to natural cosmetics, but who don't know where to start. I post positive reviews and articles about products that have worked well for me personally. Hopefully these articles are helpful to my readers in helping them choose makeup and skincare that are toxin-free and all-natural!

Long hair management tips!

Check out my tips below for managing long hair and keeping it healthy looking:

Managing really long hair can sometimes appear to be a daunting task. Plenty of women and men alike opt for shorter hair, not necessarily because they want short hair, but because maintaining long hair is “too much work”. Long hair doesn’t have to be a lot of work. It’s just a matter of knowing how to achieve healthy long hair in the first place.

The number one mistake people make when “growing out” their hair is not trimming it. A typical excuse for not trimming hair is: “My hair grows too slowly so I don’t want to trim it because I’ll lose everything I’ve gained.” It doesn’t matter how slowly your hair grows, but what you want is a nice, even-looking bottom of the hair, once it does grow out. People who do not trim their long hair end up having very stringy, uneven ends, which make the hair appear unhealthy and thin. Hair also tends to break just above its end, so by trimming off the broken end, the affected strand of hair can once again grow evenly alongside all the other trimmed strands. So, even if hair grows very slowly (which sometimes can be improved with eating certain proteins), it is better to be patient and to lose a little bit of growth by trimming your hair, than to end up with stringy, unhealthy ends.

When it comes to styling long hair, one must be wary of using too many synthetic styling products, curling irons, and blow dryers. These three things will fry hair, and should be avoided. People with short hair can get away with heat-styling and chemicals because they are constantly renewing their hairstyles and chopping off the used-up hair. Consider towel-drying over blow drying, and also consider the medieval method of creating curls and waves in the hair by simply braiding it for the day or several hours! The unbraided hair will have a beautiful curl, and you can even top it off with some natural hairspray to help keep those curls in.

There are so many natural cosmetics brands out there now, trying to change the course of cosmetic history, and presenting consumers with natural alternatives to some of the big brand-name hair styling and conditioning products that are filled with toxic chemicals. All-natural, toxin-free shampoo, conditioner, leave-in-conditioner, hair creams and hairspray are all available, and there are very effective brands out there, such as Acure, Honeybee Gardens, Jason, Aubrey, Peter Lamas and many others.

Eating healthy foods can also be linked to healthy-looking hair. Foods such as salmon, which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, will actually make hair naturally shiny. Foods rich in Vitamin C (orange, mango) can help protect against hair follicle breakage. Protein-rich foods, such as chicken, eggs and yogurt, can help hair grow faster. In general, healthy-looking hair and nails suggest a good diet. If someone’s hair is limp, falling out too much, and lacks in shine, there may be something missing from their diet. 

Be sure to follow this blog to keep up to date with various natural beauty and healthy lifestyle tips and reviews. This blog is meant to be a helpful tool for people who are looking to switch to natural cosmetics, but who don't know where to start. I post positive reviews and articles about products that have worked well for me personally. Hopefully these articles are helpful to my readers in helping them choose makeup and skincare that are toxin-free and all-natural!

Wonderful all-natural night cream option from Acure!

Natural nightly nourishment for your face with Acure's Night Cream!

Acure’s night cream with argan stem cells and chlorella growth factor is a wonderful natural, toxin-free skincare choice for your skin’s nightly nourishment. The cream absorbs quickly, but is thick enough to provide wonderful nourishment for dry or damaged skin. This cream has a lavender scent (because of the natural lavender essential oil in the ingredients), which can be very calming at night-time before going to bed. Skin is satiny in the morning after allowing the cream to work its magic overnight! Just check out the fabulous ingredients in this skin-nurturing night cream:

Organic Curoxidant™ Blend [(Organic Euterpe Oleracea (Acai) Berry, Organic Rubus Fruticosus (Blackberry), Organic Rosa Canina (Rosehips), Organic Punica Granatum (Pomegranate), Organic Calendula Officinalis (Calendula), Organic Matricaria Recutita (Chamomile), Fair Trade Organic Aspalanthus Linearis (Rooibos)], Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot Kernel) Oil, Persea Americana (Avocado) Oil, Vegetable Glycerine, Prunus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Glyceryl Stearate (Vegetable Derived), Cetyl Alcohol, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Oil, Glucose (Sugar), Glucose Oxidase & Lactoperoxidase (Milk & Sugar Enzymes), Organic Chlorella Pyrenoidosa (Chlorella Growth Factor), Organic Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Oil, Argania Spinosa (Argan) Oil, Hypericum Perforatum (St Johnswort) Oil, Marrubium Vulgare (White Horehound) Stem Cell Culture, Echinacea Stem Cell Culture, Fermented Resveratrol Extract (Probiotic), Organic Argan Oil, CoQ10, Olive Leaf Extract, Argania Spinosa (Argan) Stem Cell Culture, Lavandula Officinalis (Lavender) (Essential) Oil, Citrus Limonium (Lemon) Oil, Xanthan Gum.

Acure is a family owned skincare company dedicated to environmentally sustainable practices. Acure’s skincare and hair care formulas are produced using the most non-toxic and natural ingredients available. Be sure to check out Acure’s website for more information on this company's wonderful products!

Be sure to follow this blog to keep up to date with various natural beauty and healthy lifestyle tips and reviews. This blog is meant to be a helpful tool for people who are looking to switch to natural cosmetics, but who don't know where to start. I post positive reviews and articles about products that have worked well for me personally. Hopefully these articles are helpful to my readers in helping them choose makeup and skincare that are non-toxic and all-natural!

Moisturizing all-natural lip color - try a Slick Stick by Silk Naturals

Silk Naturals Slick Stick in "Sea Breeze" is a coral treat for the lips:

Silk Naturals Slick Stick in "Sea Breeze"

With spring in full bloom, there's no better lip color to represent this lovely, budding season than coral...well, at least in my opinion! The indie company Silk Naturals never fails to produce a large variety of fabulous, toxin-free and all-natural lip products. The color pictured above is Silk Naturals' 'Slick Stick' formula in the shade "Sea Breeze". The 'slick stick' formula is best described as a melding between a tinted lip balm and a lip gloss. This slick stick leaves a creamy, super moisturizing layer of vibrant color on the lips that lasts fairly long for a balm-like formula. Slick sticks are also very protective in cold weather - but let's forget the winter for now because this review is meant to honor springtime!

"Sea Breeze" is a gorgeous coral shade with blue undertones, so it does not make teeth appear yellow. This slick stick can be applied to the lips more thickly, to produce quite a pigmented effect, but it can also be applied lightly, for a more mellow pop of color. The picture above shows the slick stick on the lips, applied in 2 firm glides over each lip. I am always impressed with the feel of Silk Naturals' products, including their eye shadow. Everything always feels super silky and soft upon application. 

The slick stick formula feels wonderful on the lips, and leaves them hydrated and protected.

If you haven't given Silk Naturals a try yet, this company is well worth a look! They produce incredible all-natural products for incredibly reasonable prices. Check out the Silk Naturals website for more information on all of this company's splendid offerings.

Be sure to follow this blog to keep up to date with various natural beauty and healthy lifestyle tips and reviews. This blog is meant to be a helpful tool for people who are looking to switch to natural cosmetics, but who don't know where to start. I post positive reviews and articles about products that have worked well for me personally. Hopefully these articles are helpful to my readers in helping them choose makeup and skincare that are non-toxic and all-natural!