Acorelle's Patchouli perfume is sensual, fulfilling, and free of synthetics!

Acorelle roll-on perfume in "Pure Patchouli" - a sensual, tantalizing and fulfilling natural fragrance:

 

Acorelle roll-on perfume in "Pure Patchouli"

I just love when green beauty brands create perfumes derived from natural sources, and free of synthetics! Why not utilize the aromatherapy benefits of naturally-derived essential oils? Well, the founders of Acorelle have been doing just that since 2005, and the French brand is fast becoming a favorite source for healthier, toxin-free fragrance options.

Featured today is Acorelle’s roll-on perfume in the ‘Pure Patchouli’ scent. Acorelle divides their scent categories into descriptions of known aromatherapy benefits. ‘Pure Patchouli’, an essential oil blend of patchouli, labdanum and hints of others, is categorized under the ‘fulfilling’ and ‘energizing’ group of scents. It’s such a sexy and tantalizing scent, that I am convinced this fragrance also promotes confidence and self-assurance too.

The lasting power of this perfume is good for the entire day, and you only need a couple of drops to revel in the sensual scent of patchouli. It’s also fair to mention that this perfume really balances the essential aroma of patchouli, by blending it with other essential oils. Patchouli is one of those essential oils that people seem to either love or hate. But I challenge those who generally do not like the smell of un-blended patchouli essential oil, to dislike this super sexy-smelling perfume. I think this perfume's patchouli base is just wonderful and so perfectly blended!

Acorelle is a pioneer brand in the natural and organic beauty market that respects the human body and the environment. Created in 2005 in Southwestern France, the brand has since launched internationally and is quickly gaining attention in the green beauty world, and mostly for the beautiful, naturally-derived fragrances they produce. Acorelle has never used synthetic chemicals in their fragrance production, but instead, always opted to enlist the help of Mother Nature!

The most awesome thing about Acorelle perfumes is that they contain no phthalates, artificial colors, artificial musk or synthetic chemicals. 100% of all the ingredients in this perfume are of natural origin, and 90% of those come from organic farming! A socially and environmentally honest brand, you can feel really good (and safe!) about spraying yourself with Acorelle perfume. 

Stay tuned for more profiles about other Acorelle products, upcoming in this blog, and be sure to check out the Acorelle website to read more about this amazing green beauty brand and to see what other products they offer. Acorelle perfumes are currently available in the United States at Whole Foods markets.

If you're going to paint your nails choose a healthier, less toxic brand like SpaRitual!

Check out ‘Hunk of Burnin’ Love’ 5 - free red nail polish by SpaRitual:

SpaRitual is a common nail lacquer brand found in holistic and green spas. Most popular brand name nail polishes contain DBP (Dibutyl phthalate), toluene, camphor, formaldehyde and formaldehyde resin – all chemicals that are known to be toxic and carcinogenic to the human body. SpaRitual is free of those nasty chemicals, but performs just as well as the popular drugstore brands that do contain them! So why not support both yourself (protect your body!) and companies that care more about the health of its consumers and the health of the planet than about making a ludicrous profit by using ingredients that are cheaper, more toxic, and simply unacceptable?

Check out SpaRitual’s ‘Hunk of Burnin’ Love’ red nail polish pictured above. This is a gorgeous glossy and bright brick-red shade that applies very easily and dries quickly. With two or three coats of polish, and no base coat, this polish won’t chip for at least two days, but with SpaRitual’s base coat applied before the polish, nails will stay chip free for days! SpaRitual offers an enormous variety of nail lacquers covering the entire color spectrum, from bold solid shades, to amazing sparkly or shimmery options!

A really fun thing about SpaRitual is that the brand offers its polishes in cute little mini bottles (as pictured above, for example) or regular sized bottles. The mini bottles are great for those who don’t wear nail polish often, but would like a few color options for the occasional nail painting session, or for those who simply want to try the brand and several shades and finishes of lacquer before committing to larger bottles. And, since these polishes are free of DBP, toluene, camphor, formaldehyde and formaldehyde resin, wearers of this nail polish don’t have to feel like they are sacrificing their health for a nice set of shiny colorful nails! Just something to consider, nail lovers!

Get the scoop on the just-released Gabriel Cosmetics Hydrating Mask!

Just released: Gabriel Cosmetics Hydrating Mask - Vegan, Cruelty Free, Compostable and Biodegradable - and, of course, natural! 

Gabriel Cosmetics Hydrating Mask - Vegan, Cruelty Free, Compostable & Biodegradable

Gabriel Cosmetics has long been a favorite brand of this blog and of green beauty lovers world-wide. The company formulates fantastic, effective natural skin care products, made with safe toxin-free skin-nourishing ingredients. Gabriel Cosmetics has just released three face masks from their 'Marine Elements' skincare line, and I am so excited to feature one of those masks today - the Hydrating Face Mask. Yes, that is the mask-covered face pictured above, not an alien!

Gabriel's Hydrating Mask, sold either individually or in packs of 3 or 5, is a one-time-use facial treatment that is applied to the face for 20 minutes. Judging by the wonderful effectiveness of the mask, I would say that at $7.50 a pop (or about $5.50 per mask if purchased in packs of 3 or 5), that's a much better deal than having a facial done at a spa. And this mask really works wonders for the skin! After applying the mask for 20 minutes before bedtime, skin appears visibly plumper, smoother and clearer the following morning. I have always been an advocate for the miraculous effectiveness of cucumbers on the skin - and this mask contains cucumber extract, which is known to visibly diminish redness, reduce scarring, and cure blemishes. The other miracle ingredient in this mask's formulation is Pyrus Malus (Apple) extract, which is a fantastic hydrator for our faces' delicate skin.

The Hydrating Face Mask applies super easily to the skin, thanks to the plant-based fiber material it is made from, and you can walk around for 20 minutes and it won't fall off. The formula has a really refreshing and sweet cucumber scent (natural of course - no synthetic fragrance here!), and the formula itself has a refreshing and subtle cooling effect on the skin, probably due to the aloe vera and cucumber extracts in the ingredients. The plant-based fiber material that each mask is made of is biodegradable and compostable after use, although I would strongly urge users to also dispose the plastic baggie in which the mask is held, into plastic bag recycling!

For more information on this face mask and other Gabriel products, visit the Gabriel Cosmetics website, and be sure to explore / follow this blog for more articles and reviews on other fantastic Gabriel Cosmetics' products that were featured here!

#gabrielcosmetics #facemask #parabenfree #naturalskincare

Check out a scrumptious-smelling and naturally-derived perfume by Acorelle!

Acorelle perfume in ‘Vanilla Blossom’: A scrumptious-smelling and naturally-derived perfume formulated without synthetic chemicals! Check out the review below:

Acorelle perfume in ‘Vanilla Blossom’

If you are at all like me, and you want to shake the person that enters the elevator with you wearing a ton of horribly strong synthetic perfume, because they just induced a headache for you, then keep reading – this article is for you! If you are one of those people who likes to baptize themselves in strong synthetic perfumes before leaving the house, well - wait right there – this article is also for you. There are healthier, natural perfume options out there for you (both of you!) and I am especially excited to introduce you to Acorelle!

As someone who is very sensitive to strong scents, I have taken a huge interest in natural essential oils and aromatherapy in the last few years, because I noticed that my sensitivity to strong smells was far more obvious when my nostrils came into contact with synthetic fragrance. Not so much the case with naturally-derived scents and pure essential oils. Of course, it is possible to over-do an application, even with natural fragrances. But the therapeutic benefits of using essential oils have been documented, and they are a much healthier option as opposed to inhaling the synthetic chemicals that more-often-than-not comprise the ingredients of the most popular brand name perfumes on the market.

Acorelle is a pioneer brand in the natural and organic beauty market that respects the human body and the environment. Created in 2005 in Southwestern France, the brand has since launched internationally and is quickly gaining attention in the green beauty world, and mostly for the beautiful, naturally-derived fragrances they produce. Acorelle has never used synthetic chemicals in their fragrance production, but instead, always opted to enlist the help of Mother Nature!

‘Vanilla Blossom’, the 50 ml spray bottle perfume pictured above, is just one of many scent options available from Acorelle. The company offers an extremely wide range of perfumes, from more traditional options, like jasmine and rose, to some super interesting ones like ‘intense cherry’ and ‘brilliant pepper’! There is really something for everyone and every taste!

‘Vanilla Blossom’ is – simply put – scrumptious! The scent is absolutely delicious, like an oven would smell if you were baking cookies with oh-so-much vanilla in them! The best thing about Acorelle perfumes is that they are build-able. One to two sprays will give you a nice gentle aroma that lasts for many hours, and it’s not irritating for those who are sensitive to fragrance. Those two sprays will give that lovely subtle hint of delicious fragrance, without being over-bearing, like most synthetic perfumes are. Now, that being said, you can absolutely spray yourself with this perfume several times, and really get that "I just bathed in this stuff" aroma surrounding you - which is not really my thing. But hey - I have to say that despite that kind of application being over-kill, I do not find this scent headache-inducing, even with many sprays.

The most awesome thing about Acorelle perfumes is that they contain no phthalates, artificial colors, artificial musk or synthetic chemicals. 100% of all the ingredients in this perfume are of natural origin, and 90% of those come from organic farming! A socially and environmentally honest brand, you can feel really good (and safe!) about spraying yourself with Acorelle perfume. Stay tuned for more profiles about other Acorelle products, upcoming on this blog, and be sure to check out the Acorelle website to read more about this amazing green beauty brand and to see what other products they offer. Acorelle perfumes are currently available in the United States at Whole Foods markets.

A fantastic, purifying and paraben free clay mask by Pixi Beauty!

One of the best face masks I have tried to date - Pixi Skintreats Glow Mud Mask:

Pixi Skintreats Glow Mud Mask, in the tube and applied on the face

Pixi’s ‘Skintreats’ skincare line is fast becoming a favorite among Pixi users and skincare fanatics. The brand’s recently-released skincare products that contain actual mud (Diatomaceous Earth, that is!) are already a hit! That’s probably because diatomaceous earth is known to help detoxify, cleanse and revitalize our skin. Pixi’s Glow Mud Mask, featured and pictured here today, is packed with diatomaceous earth, kaolin clay, sea silt, aloe vera, jojoba oil and hop extract, to name a few of the skin-revitalizing ingredients in this mask’s paraben-free formula.

But do these ingredients work together effectively to truly revitalize the skin? The answer is a definitive YES! This clay mask, applied for 15 minutes to the face, leaves skin’s texture visibly improved - immediately! Redness from blemishes or irritations is reduced, the skin feels smoother, and the complexion is clearer. The seemingly magical effectiveness of clay on the skin is certainly demonstrated in this facial mask, which is perhaps why Pixi calls this product their “signature 15-minute facial”! And, to add to the high rating of this face mask, this product also does not dry out the skin, as some purifying face masks can do.

Pixi's Glow Mud Mask comes in a one-ounce tube and is available on the Pixi website and at Target. Pixi, launched over 10 years ago by makeup artist Petra Strand, is a company that formulates its products using responsible, less toxic ingredients, and is always cruelty free and paraben free. 

#pixibeauty

Try a short cut to a mud mask treatment - Pixi's Skintreats Glow Mud Cleanser!

Pixi by Petra Skintreats Glow Mud Cleanser: an excellent facial cleanser that feels like you're getting an awesome 1-minute mud mask treatment:

Pixi by Petra Skintreats Glow Mud Cleanser: an excellent facial cleanser that feels like you're getting an awesome 1-minute mud mask treatment!

Craving a mud mask facial, but don’t really feel like spending the time? Pixi by Petra, a paraben free and cruelty free brand, has released a quick-fix mud mask facial via their newly released Skintreats Glow Mud Cleanser. This is a daily facial cleanser that draws out impurities and exfoliates the skin. The texture of this cleanser feels just like a mud or clay mask, and after cleansing with this product, the face really feels like it’s had a mud mask on for 20 minutes. In fact, the formula of this face wash includes diatomaceous earth (that most mud masks also have added into the ingredients), which is known to aid in detoxifying, cleansing, and revitalizing the skin.

Pixi’s purifying Glow Mud Cleanser also contains 5% glycolic acid, which exfoliates the skin and clears up blocked pores. Although this formula includes ingredients that would be effective for all skin types, it would particularly be an excellent cleanser to try for anyone with acne-prone skin.

Glow Mud Cleanser comes in a generous 4.57 ounce tube, so the tube will last for a while in your bathroom! This fantastic cleanser and all other Pixi products are available on the Pixi website and at Target. Pixi is a brand that uses responsible ingredients, and is cruelty free and paraben free. Stay tuned to this blog for more articles and reviews on green and less toxic beauty and household products!

If you can't get enough of apple pie try this A La Maison bar soap!

A La Maison de Provence 'Honey Crisp Apple' French milled soap - amazing natural soap that smells delicious!

A La Maison 'Honey Crisp Apple' soap: like washing your hands in apple pie - without the stickiness of course!!

A La Maison de Provence 'Honey Crisp Apple' French milled soap is like a delicious sweet-smelling apple pie in a soap bar! And the best part about the yummy smell is that it is derived from essential oils, without the use of artificial fragrance! The soap is made with the simple ingredients of plant oils, glycerin, clay and essential oils, prepared together in the traditional French milled style, resulting in an extremely long-lasting and easy-lathering bar. The incredibly moisturizing formula is free of sodium lauryl sulfates, parabens, and phthalates. This soap is also biodegradable and cruelty free.

A La Maison is a natural brand that prides itself on using traditional Marseillaise French milled techniques, dating back to 1828, in order to produce their bar soap. The company produces a nice selection of various soap products, including liquid soap, bar soap, and bath / shower gels. All of A La Maison’s products are featured in many delectable and interesting scents, making it difficult to choose just one! Check out the A La Maison website to see what else this natural brand offers.

If you love good quality personal care and beauty products, and are on the lookout for effective natural brands, follow this blog! Reviews and articles are posted about less toxic product options that are definitely worth checking out – all made by wonderful brands that make quality products, without nasty additives!

Perfect black eye liner for an awesome Halloween look: A smoldering, paraben-free, ultra smooth eyeliner by Tarte: skinny smolderEYES™ black liner

With Halloween around the corner, I am sharing a review on a wonderful black eye liner that went through the harrowing test of a full-day outdoor opera performance (photo below is a production still) - and the liner performed beautifully! Check out Tarte's skinny smolderEYES™ Amazonian clay waterproof liner in "Onyx": 

A smoldering, ultra smooth eyeliner by Tarte: skinny smolderEYES™ Amazonian clay waterproof liner in "Onyx"

A truly awesome test for a particular cosmetic’s effectiveness is to put it through a real-life performance test – literally. The photo above, features a raccoon-eye look obtained solely by using Tarte’s Amazonian clay eye liner in “Onyx”, worn outdoors in Los Angeles heat and sun for an outdoor opera performance, requiring consistent wear for 8 hours straight. Now, if that isn’t the best kind of test for a makeup product, I don’t know what is! Tarte’s Amazonian clay skinny smolderEYES™ black liner performed amazingly well; the liner’s waterproof formula allowed for incredibly smooth application and very easy smudging, to help achieve the graduated shading effect. And, after letting the liner settle for several minutes, the formula sets beautifully for a full day’s wear, maintaining the intensity of the onyx black shade for a full 8 hours.

Now, I am in no way suggesting an everyday look as pictured above – unless of course that’s your thing! This was stage makeup for me, but I absolutely loved the way this eye liner applied so smoothly – so effortlessly, without roughly pulling on the sensitive skin around the eyes. It’s definitely my go-to liner – hands down the best eye liner I have ever used - and also comes in several beautiful shades, from vibrant to neutral. Most importantly, this liner by Tarte is vegan, and free of parabens, mineral oil, phthalates, sodium lauryl sulfates, synthetic fragrances and gluten. Tarte is one of the few green beauty brands currently available at Sephora that formulates products made from mostly natural and safe ingredients. Check out Tarte’s website to see what other awesome and effective makeup products this brand offers.

#tartecosmetics #blackeyeliner #eyeliner #natural #parabenfree #tarte #greenbeauty

Make your lips glossy with a natural product - try Burt's Bees!

A wonderful winter shade of paraben-free lip gloss by Burt's Bees: 'Starry Night' - a deep plummy-brown with a gentle shimmer!

 Burt's Bees lip gloss in 'Starry Night'

When it comes to natural beauty brands, Burt's Bees holds a special place in my heart. It was the first natural brand I tried, and I have always liked all the Burt's Bees products I've used, from their lip balm, to their lip shimmers, to their body lotions - all effective, free of toxic ingredients, and very economically priced! Burt's Bees is a wonderful company to start with if you are new to paraben free and toxin free cosmetics. The company offers a wide array of products made from natural ingredients and they’ve been around for a long time, having maintained an amazing reputation throughout the company’s existence.

Pictured is Burt’s Bees lip gloss in the shade “Starry Night”. This shade is a perfect winter and fall color: a deep plummy brown with wine undertones, and a gentle shimmer. It’s actually quite vampy when applied in two solid strokes on each lip, but can also be used as a buildable color. When lightly blotted on the lips, the shade can also be used to appear like a berry stained look. This sultry shade would be especially nice on darker skin tones! So, not only is this lip gloss shade versatile, the formula also provides a thick barrier against cold and moisturizes your lips. Free of parabens and other nasty additives, Burt’s Bees lip gloss is definitely one to try out for your green beauty lip product collection!

#burtsbees #lipstick #lipgloss #parabenfree #naturalcosmetics #greenbeauty




Photo to the right: Burt's Bees lip gloss in 'Starry Night' in full daylight.

Healthier alternative cleaning solutions by Seventh Generation

Seventh Generation safe and toxin free cleaning products featured today are a surface cleaner and a dish washer detergent:

Ever wonder about the negative effects of your skin and lungs absorbing the harsh chemicals present in most household cleaning products? Sure, we can wear plastic gloves to protect our hands, but we've all done the quick spot check without gloves, allowing our hands to soak in the cleaning product; and, not to mention, that during the cleaning process, cleaning products get sprayed into the air and inevitably over our bodies and into our lungs in small quantities. One way to limit exposure to harsh chemicals whilst keeping our homes clean, is to use brands that are greener, easier on the environment, more natural and do not contain carcinogenic ingredients.

Today's spotlight is on Seventh Generation, a company that exemplifies everything this blog is about. Seventh Generation products are plant-based, toxin free, environmentally safe, and they are also extremely effective! Pictured above are two such wonderful products, a surface cleaner and a dishwasher detergent, both just as effective at cleaning our homes and dishes, as other popular cleaning brands that are toxic to touch and breathe. The scents of Seventh Generation products are also naturally-derived, so by using these cleaners, one has the added benefit of avoiding artificial fragrance ingredients!

Besides household cleaning products, Seventh Generation also produces a wide array of personal care products, toilet paper, and paper towels (made from recycled paper). Be sure to visit this wonderful brand’s website for more information about the company's products. Also, check out Seventh Generation next time you're in a store's cleaning product isle, and be sure to support companies like Seventh Generation, that put the environment and future generations first, over profit.