Going Natural with Organic Hydrating Serum + Cleanser

I have a friend that is super green. She only eats organic food, her household products are all natural and recently she trashed hundreds of dollars with of skincare and makeup products because of all the chemicals in them. And yes, I almost cried when she did that. She's the reason I eat organic produce and try to be consistent with taking care of my body and even though I'm a huge believer in science, love hardcore skincare products, little by little I'm changing the way I do certain things because she is one to do her research and doesn't have her head in the clouds.

Having said all that, even though I have tons of skincare products that have unpronounceable words I am going to try to change things up so that eventually all of my products are as natural as can be and Purxury's Organic Hydrating Serum and Cleanser is the first item on my list. When I received the package I loved the way the bottle and label looked. Simple, looked like something that could be found in an apothecary shop and with all the ingredients listed on the back. And to my joy the word organic is on 10 of the 15 ingredients in it. With Vitamin E, A and Carrot seed oil, as well as steam-distilled rosewater not needed it.

I used this as a cleanser in the morning and then at night to wash away residue from makeup, sweat from the gym and just being outdoors in general. I followed their directions which is to rub 3 drops to the face and eye area in a circular motion and then using a sot washcloth with warm water and press it into your skin and then wipe off. Pretty simple. The second time I used it though I rubbed it into my skin and then used my Soniclear brush to let it penetrate a bit deeper into my skin and so far I'm loving it.

While I was only sent the serum and cleanser to review the company also let me try some of their handmade soaps which were also a hit! I'm obsessed with the scent of roses lately and to my surprise I was sent a sample of their rose, honey, and detox charcoal which I've been hearing nothing but good things about so that was pretty cool. Oh, and the serum has an expiration date and comes in a dark bottle. These are key because sometimes light can ruin the effects of a lot of vitamins and because they contain no preservatives they still last about a year but no longer than that. However, I'm sure the serum will be used up a lot quicker than that.

Now I know that most of my readers are avid Sephora shoppers and are pro chemicals but I urge you to give this product a try. I'll be writing a lot about natural skin care products and hopefully makeup once I find the right ones for me so this is a great way to start. And because my readers are super awesome, Purxury is letting you guys get 20% off using the discount code: Fascination20.

Try this and their their soaps out and let me know what you think!

All About The Scents!

Lavender and roses. Strawberries and pumpkin. These are a few of my (new) favorite things. Ever since experiencing the intensity of pheromones I started associating scents with happy things again. The smell of freshly cut grass never fails to take me back to the time I lived in Florida as a kid and curry always reminds me of an amazing restaurant I went to in Brighton, UK so the scent association thing isn't too far fetched for me.

I spent the summer obsessing over lavender and smelling like roses and now that a new season has begun I've added a couple of new ones. I've also been reading up on the benefits of certain scents and was surprised to know that lavender and roses are really great for mood elevation and are really soothing. I'm at a place where I've got some really great momentum so surrounding myself with feel good scents is what I want to do. 

And who doesn't want a body scrub that smells like strawberries? While I hardly eat the fruit, or any fruit for that matter, it's fun to sometimes switch out my coffee scrub with this. Or to have my face smell like pumpkins because isn't that what this season is all about?

This week, I'm going go over my favorite scented products and what it is that has me drawn to them. Trust me, you're gonna wanna pay close attention!

Quench That Thirst

I really do believe that our generation is aging so well because we have better products and skin care is touched on at an earlier age. One of those products that we see every time we open a magazine, opt for a skin consultation or feel the roughness of our skin during the winter is the need to moisturize. Aside from a perfect primer, moisturizer is key to any good face. I’ve tried so many over the years I’ve lost count of the ones that failed to make a difference but there is one that has me unable to stop touching my soft and perfectly moisturized face.

Lately I’ve been into Philosophy’s products and with reason. They are simply amazing for skin care. Philosophy’s hope in a jar is a moisturizer that I always received as samples but never purchased because I KNEW that somewhere out in the world I could find something that worked just as great for a few bucks cheaper. I was wrong.

The first thing I love about hope in a jar is the smell. It smells like heaven. It’s very subtle yet there. If Philosophy carried body moisturizers with this scent I would be in heaven. The texture of the product seems whipped so it’s very light and absorbs into the skin really well. After a few days of using it day and night (after washing my face with yet another one of their products) people have been noticing and commenting on how radiant my skin looks before I have a chance to apply my foundation. If that's not a plus then I don't know what is.

I suggest everyone give it a shot. I don’t use the one with SPF because my foundation already has some in it. I’ve heard from people that the hope in a jar SPF 25 moisturizer is thicker and harder to apply. I’ll check that one out and get back to you ladies. In the meantime let's get moisturizing!

It's Whats on the Inside That Counts...

What's rehab without the 12 Steps? A total waste. So Before we hit the reviews we need to briefly cover the 12 steps to a prettier you!

Step one: Admit That You Have A Problem

We've all heard the saying and I agree with it 100%. Except they forgot one tiny little detail. It's actually what's on the inside of your makeup bag that counts! If you don't have the proper tools run, don't walk, to your nearest Sephora (notice I didn't say drugstore...eeek) and you'll be on to Step 2 in no time.

So what do we need: eyeliner(s), sharpener, bronzer/blush, mascara, lip gloss(es), lip balm*, mini perfume (samples), tweezers*, foundation, primer, moisturizer and brushes*.

It seems like a lot but luckily most of the makeup essentials come small enough to fit in one small 6'x4' makeup case with room to spare for that travel toothbrush/paste we all need as well.

*Although I don't ever use drugstore makeup (EVER) I do find it wasteful to spend $25 on a brush or $10 on tweezers that can be purchased at Target for more than half the cost. And Burt's Bees and Blistex are my favorite lip balms. Especially in the winter.