Caudalie Beauty Elixir Review

Today I have for you a review on one of the most classic products on the market. It’s something that is always in magazines and it seems like all the makeup artists, skin experts and models love it. I’m talking about the Caudalie Beauty Elixir! You all know I’m a huge Caudalie fan so keep reading for my thoughts on it.

More than the actual product itself, the mist on a facial spray is super important to me. The product inside could be fantastic but if it sprays everywhere, drenches my face or actually sprays everywhere but my face I will not use it. Luckily, the Caudalie Beauty Elixir has a super fine mist that is very light, like a cloud of hydration. So before we even get to the benefits of the elixir, it’s actually a joy to use.

The elixir itself has a really strong herbal and slightly minty scent that is very refreshing and a perfect midday pick-me-up. It contains a mix of botanical extracts and essential oils, with the star ingredients being green grape extract, peppermint and rose essential oils. It provides a nice hydration boost and adds a lovely glow to the face without looking oily. It is also perfect to set your makeup or to bring it back to life if it’s looking a little powdery. Overall this is a product that deserves its stellar reputation and I think most people would enjoy it. It might not be for you if you don’t like heavily scented products, though this one does not smell like perfume (it’s quite natural and authentic). It also comes in a smaller travel size, perfect if you want to try it before committing to the full size.

The Caudalie Beauty Elixir is available from a variety of Caudalie retailers including Naturisimo and the Caudalie website.

Skin Juice Super Fruit Indulgently Rich Body Cream Review

While spring might have already arrived in some countries, it is definitely still winter in Canada. This means my skin needs a hydration boost because the weather has been harsh and really drying. This is therefore the perfect time to bring out the heavy duty body cream. If you are still enduring winter conditions or simply if you have quite dry skin, meet your new hero, the Skin Juice Super Fruit Indulgently Rich Body Cream.

First of all, I love the bright yellow tube, it’s perfect to combat winter blues and I just smile every time I look at it. Indulgently rich is the perfect description for this cream, it is super thick and rich, so it has a really comforting feel on dry skin. It is hydrating, but unlike many other lotions/creams it takes longer to absorb and deeply nourishes the skin.

I personally like the heavier texture because it gives you time to really massage it in. The formula is very natural with a few organic ingredients as well and includes things like shea butter, apricot kernel oil, turmeric, kakadu plum and sunflower seed oil. It has a citrusy scent (it goes well with the packaging) which I’m not a huge fan of, but the cream is so nice I don’t mind it. Skin Juice is an Australian brand and I can’t wait to try more of their products since they all look super cute and the formulas appear really nice.

I purchased the Skin Juice Super Fruit Indulgently Rich Body Cream from Nourished Life and it is also available on the Skin Juice website (both offer international shipping).

Jar Body Africa Body Scrub Review

The harsh winter conditions we are currently experiencing in Canada have both been great, with lots of beautiful snow but also frustrating as the cold as left my skin feeling dry. This pushed me to take a trip down memory lane to rediscover some of my favorite body scrubs, my number one product to tackle dry skin. The Jar Body Africa Body Scrub was one the first to come to mind when it comes to powerful exfoliators.

This body scrubs is made with ground coffee, pink Himalayan sea salt, coconut oil, sugar and other types of salt. First of the scent is important to address, it is described as being coffee and vanilla but it only smells like coffee to me which is a scent I don’t enjoy. That being said, the combination of ingredients offers such a thorough exfoliation I can overlook the coffee scent (tough you might really enjoy it).

Even though it contains coconut oil, you cannot feel any oiliness on your skin, it is in fact a very dry scrub and it will not leave a residue on your skin. This makes it perfect to use before self-tanners or if you are after a deep exfoliation, the gritty texture really removes dead skin. Personally I much prefer this kind of scrub to oilier ones and just follow it up with a good moisturizer, hydrating your skin afterwards is essential. One thing I noticed however is that frequent use can leave my skin feeling dry. This is common with all salt based scrubs for me, which is why I prefer sugar ones, so I try to only use it once a week and use something more gentle if I feel like I need more exfoliation throughout the week.

The Jar Body Africa Body Scrub is a really efficient product, it works really well (you don’t need to scrub for hours) and you need very little at a time so the bag should last you quite a long time. I bought mine from Nourished Life for 22.95$ (they offer international shipping) and it is also available from the Jar Body website (Australia only). 

Pai Camellia & Rose Gentle Hydrating Cleanser Review

Fall is a time when I love to test out new cleansers, I enjoy taking more time with my skincare routine and double cleansing every night. The Pai Camellia & Rose Gentle Hydrating Cleanser really left a big impression on me after I tried it out last year and now seemed like the perfect time to go back to it.

The Pai Camellia & Rose Gentle Hydrating Cleanser is a super gentle certified organic cream cleanser with a very pleasant light scent from the essential oils it contains. I think it is far too lovely to use as a makeup remover so I typically use it in the morning or as a second cleanse at night. The formula feels very comforting, after every use my skin feels soft, balanced and there is no oily residue left behind. To me, this is a simple, classic cleanser that helps make my routine effortless and my skin feel good.

For a certified organic skincare product, the formula feels really luxurious and sophisticated because it’s very easy to remove. The pump packaging is super practical and hygienic which is great for a natural product because it helps protect the ingredients. I honestly don’t have a bad thing to say about the Pai Camellia & Rose Gentle Hydrating Cleanser it’s a fantastic product.

The Pai Camellia & Rose Gentle Hydrating Cleanser is available on the Pai website and from online retailers like Lookfantastic and Naturisimo. The smaller size shown in the picture is part of a set available here.

Caudalie French Kiss Tinted Lip Balm in Séduction Review

My love for Caudalie is well documented and in my eyes Mathilde Thomas can do no wrong. Which is why I was over the moon when Caudalie announced they were releasing tinted lip balms, their lip conditioner is my most repurchased lip balm (try it it’s amazing). The only issue was choosing a color out of the three lovely shades they have released. I settled on Séduction a medium neutral pink that seemed great for every day, keep reading for my full review.

The French Kiss Tinted Lip Balms come in super cute little pots with wooden lids, they look adorable. Now I have seen various opinions on the tinted aspect of these balms, personally I enjoy the level of color they give, it’s a sheer wash but they definitely have pigment. In a way they remind me of the Dior Crème de Rose lip balm because the top layer of the balm is quite hard and you need to go through that layer to get to the more pigmented and creamier part of the balm (it only takes a few uses). Séduction is a medium neutral pink color which looks natural and helps bring color to the face, the berry toned Addiction is next on my list.

As for the formula, it is very different to the lip conditioner which is great to rehydrate the lips and helps deal with chapped lips. The French Kiss balm is quite different, it feels very cushiony on the lips and has a thicker formula which makes it great to seal moisture into your lips. The balm will prevent your lips from drying out and can diminish the appearance of chapped lips, but if your lips are already quite chapped the lip conditioner would be a better option.

I personally love the glossy plump look from the French Kiss Tinted Lip Balm and I think it’s perfect to put on in the morning before heading out. It looks great on its own but it can also be layered over lipstick and stains. At £10 I think it’s a lovely product and a nice little treat.

The Caudalie French Kiss Tinted Lip Balm is available from the Caudalie website and from many retailers including Feelunique and Naturisimo.  

Scent of Summer: Parfumerie Tiki Monoï Tiki Tahiti Tiare Review

Summer is technically on its way out, though the weather is still lovely, and I have the perfect product if you are trying to keep your summer vibe going. The Parfumerie Tiki Monoï Tiki Tahiti Tiare is the ultimate body oil to keep your skin soft and smelling like a holiday.

Monoï oil is basically coconut oil infused with tiare flowers (a kind of gardenia) to give it a fragrant scent. The Parfumerie Tiki is 100% made in Tahiti and each bottle comes with its own tiare flower for authenticity. The oil is multipurpose and I love the super short ingredients list. To me monoï is the quintessential summer scent, sweet and slightly floral, much more pleasant than plain coconut oil in my opinion. Honestly, I just bought it because of the scent and I smile every time I use it.

Unlike simple coconut oil, this is much silkier in texture and it absorbs a lot faster as well. It gently moisturises your skin, leaving it silky and lightly fragranced. The oil also leaves a nice sheen (great before going out), but don’t worry there is no oily feeling to the touch. Obviously this is a great summer product, but I think it’s perfect to use year-round especially when you need a little pick-me-up and a boost of hydration.

I found the Parfumerie Tiki Monoï Tiki Tahiti Tiare in my local health food store and you can also purchase it from the company’s website.

Herbivore Calm Bath Salts and Pink Clay Cleansing Bar Soap Review

I feel like Herbivore has been all over the internet for a while now and I couldn’t help being curious about this natural skincare brand. The packaging looks super pretty and the ingredients are appealing, what’s not to love! So, all in the name of research I tell you, I picked up two things from the brand to test out: the Calm Bath Salts and the Pink Clay Cleansing Bar Soap.

First let me start by saying I love the packaging for the bath salt, they come in a pretty simple glass jar and the quality is very nice. You could easily re-use it for something else when you’re done with the products. The Calm Bath Salts have a lovely ylang-ylang and vanilla scent, it’s both very unique and pleasant. In the jar, these smell really strong, but I actually can’t smell them much in the water. However, I still love using them because they really soften the water (my skin is less dry than after a regular bath) and I find the experience relaxing. I might try the Detox ones in the future but the Calm bath salts are a definite repurchase for me and I think they would make a great gift too!

I love the simplicity of a good bar soap and the Pink Clay Cleansing Bar Soap is stellar! It has a light floral-citrus scent (geranium and blood orange) and creates a creamy soft lather. It contains coconut and olive oil along with French pink clay to gently cleanse and soften the skin. Herbivore claims you can use it on your face too and while I used mine for my body I did try it on my face a few times and it left my skin clean without any tight feeling. So in a pinch this is a great multitasker. I was actually surprised by how long the bar lasted, especially for such a soft soap. Overall, the Pink Clay Cleansing Bar Soap is very pleasant to use and it leaves your skin feeling soft. You can’t ask for more from soap! Herbivore does have two other bar soaps in their range, the Bamboo Charcoal and the Blue Clay. I can’t wait to try them too.

I have to say, so far I have been super impressed with Herbivore products and I cannot wait to try more from the brand. Everything I mentioned is available on the Herbivore website and you can have a look at their stockists’ page to find local and online retailers.   

Weleda Pomegranate Creamy Body Wash and Regenerating Body Lotion Review

Weleda is a natural skincare brand that I always see in stores, but for some reason I never tried their body products (except for their body oils). I finally took the plunge a while back and gave the Pomegranate Creamy Body Wash and Pomegranate Regenerating Body Lotion a try. Keep on reading to know all my thoughts on the products!

First, let me start by saying these both smell amazing! They kind of smell sweet and slightly citrusy (they contain neroli), it’s actually quite hard to describe, but the smells is really great. The Pomegranate Creamy Body Wash has a nice lotion texture so it truly is creamy. It leaves the skin feeling nice and soft, it really nourishes the skin without leaving any oiliness behind. Also, I love that despite being SLS-free it lathers nicely. I really enjoyed using this, the formula is so lovely I am really tempted to try another scent!

The Pomegranate Regenerating Body Lotion is something I’ve had my eye on for a long time and it did not disappoint. It smells just as nice as the body wash and I love that the bottle has a pump so the ingredients really stay fresh. Plus the little cap it comes with is super travel-friendly. Onto the formula, the lotion has a very light texture, almost like a milk. It’s super easy to apply and the cool thing is, as you rub it in, it almost turns into an oil and feels super nourishing. However, don’t worry it won’t leave you feeling oily, it actually absorbs quickly into the skin. I was super impressed by the level of hydration it provides, making it a great product to use year-round. Even though it’s summertime my skin has been feeling a bit dry so I think I need to pick another bottle of this up. Just like the body wash the lotion also comes in loads of other scents so you can mix it up.

The Weleda Pomegranate Creamy Body Wash and Pomegranate Regenerating Body Lotion are available on the Weleda website, in many health food stores and from Nourished Life.

My Favorite Natural Hand Soaps: The Green Beaver Company and The Honest Company

Today I want to step away from skincare and makeup reviews to talk about something equally related to beauty but that doesn’t get as much attention as it should. Hand soap is so important to keep your hands soft, so I have rounded up my 2 favorite natural hand soaps to keep your hands healthy and clean.

I had to deal with eczema on my right hand all winter long and using harsh, drying soaps was not helping. This led me to trying out different natural soaps that are fragrance-free and not full of harsh chemicals. Finding good options was actually difficult but I love the two I picked below. 

First is The Green Beaver Company Cranberry Delight Foaming Hand Soap, this an amazing product! It is free of SLS, triclosan and phthalates (among others) and uses a mix of natural and certified organic ingredients. Unlike a lot of foaming soaps, it is not drying at all and rinses without leaving any residues. The light scent of cranberries is very pleasant and I love that you can buy big refills of it. This is probably my all-time favorite hand soap and it doesn’t hurt that it comes from an awesome Canadian company.

My second favorite is The Honest Company Hand Soap in Mandarin, a refreshing gel soap that smells lovely. The formula is super gentle, much like the Green Beaver one it is free of harsh chemicals, and it really gets your hands clean. In the picture you can see the lavender soap (the mandarin was out of stock), I really enjoyed this scent as well but I felt like it irritated my eczema a little (maybe it was the peppermint oil in it), though my other hand was just fine. I think the mandarin one is perfect for the kitchen, it smells lovely (not perfumy) but the scent does not linger or transfer onto food. It’s another great product from The Honest Company.

The GreenBeaver Company Cranberry Delight Foaming Hand Soap is available on their website and in select health food stores. The Honest Company Hand Soap inMandarin is available on their website.