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.

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.   

Nourished Life Haul Featuring Kora Organics, Jar, Edible Beauty, 100% Pure and More

In my last Nourished Life haul, I mentioned having quite a long wish list of things I wanted to get from the site. Well, I managed to make a small dent in the list with a new haul and everything is fantastic! I have become quite obsessed with Nourished Life, I get excited when they send their newsletter (always with nice promotions and gifts with purchase) and I have a look on the site every week to see what new things they got in. I actually ordered these products a while ago and even though I received my order within a week, I hadn’t managed to get everything together for a nice picture until now. So without further ado here is my most recent Nourished Life haul!

First I have the Ecobud Pete Evans Little Penguin Glass Bottle in Aqua, a glass water bottle with a filter to turn regular tap water into filtered alkaline water. I was so happy to find a bottle that could turn tap water into alkaline water (quite a rare find) and it looks really nice. The bottle isn’t too heavy and I love the color of the silicone sleeve.       *Edit: Nourished Life has stopped stocking this product.

Next I have the Jar Body Scrub in Africa, a mix of coffee, pink Himalayan sea salt and sugar. I love a good scrub and this one looked like a great option for deep exfoliation. It’s a great all natural option and it does not contain any microbeads.

I love all things Miranda Kerr so I couldn’t resist picking up another product from her Kora Organics range. This time I went for the Luxurious Rosehip Oil, a lovely blend of rosehip and other oils. I have been meaning to add a facial oil to my routine for a while and this organic one seemed like the perfect one

Up next is the Blisume Hand and Body Wash in Frangipani, a 100% natural and sulphate-free shower gel. I go through body washes really quickly and I am always looking for something new and natural to try. I really love the ingredients list of this one and the cute packaging doesn’t hurt either.

This time, I simply had to get one of the Edible Beauty teas and I opted for the No.2 Fountain of Youth. This is a lovely blend of organic teas and fruits full of antioxidants. It also comes in the prettiest glass jar and you can buy tea refill when you’ve finished it.. 

Now for a bit of makeup, you know my love of lip stains so I decided to dip my toe in the natural makeup pool with the 100% Pure Lip Butter in Pomegranate. This lovely balm is full of hydrating ingredients and super pigmented. It will give your lips and cheeks a lovely flush of color. I’m already thinking of getting another one!

The next thing is probably the least glamourous thing to haul, but hey a beautiful smile comes from healthy teeth so I bought the Dr. Tungs Natural Dental Floss. I am very picky when it comes to dental floss, but this toxin-free option really caught my eye and I love that the container is biodegradable.

Last but not least is the PearlBar Bamboo and Charcoal Toothbrush, the plastic from regular toothbrushes creates a lot of pollution so this is a great ecofriendly option. The bristles are super fine and tapered to give a deep clean and you don’t have to feel bad when you need to replace them.

I really can’t get enough of Nourished Life and their amazing selection of products. I have linked every product above and I highly recommend you have a look at the website. I’m sure you’ll find some great new finds to make your life a bit healthier!

The Honest Company Purely Simple Face + Body Lotion Review

I am a big fan of The Honest Company, I briefly mentioned their products before in this post and since then, my love for them has only grown. I mostly just use their cleaning products, but I also really enjoyed the personal care products I tried (more about their discovery kits here). One of the stand outs for me is their Purely Simple Face + Body Lotion.

Let me start this review by saying I have not used this lotion on my face, I strictly use it as a body lotion and it is fantastic! The Honest Company has recently relaunched their body lotion to include 3 new ones to the range (the Purely Simple is the classic one) and they have repackaged them in lovely colorful tubes. The formula contains great ingredients like organic olive, shea and jojoba oils as well as aloe, calendula and chamomile. The lotion is fragrance-free, but I find the chamomile gives it very mild and pleasant scent. It is also free of silicones and parabens (read more about the ingredients here) and the formula is biodegradable. On a side note, I love how clear and informative the Honest website is, ingredients lists are detailed and easy to find and they also offer great information about the different products. 

As far as body lotions go, this one has a very unique texture. The lotion is quite light but as you rub it in, it gets a gel like quality that reminds of applying fresh aloe straight from the leaf. It feels very refreshing and soothing! It is formulated for those with sensitive skin so it’s super gentle, but still leaves you with soft skin. I used up my entire bottle and it made my skin super smooth and hydrated. I also found it helped with the little bumps I sometimes get on my arms. Overall, I was really impressed by this body lotion, it delivers nice results and I love how it has a clean ingredients’ list but is still affordable. I plan on trying out the other versions soon (probably the apricot one) and I can’t wait to see how they compare.

The Honest Company Purely Simple Face + Body Lotion is available on the Honest Company website. I believe they do have authorized sellers in different countries (Indigo is one in Canada) so you might want to contact their lovely customer service to see if you can get it in your country. 

Nourished Life Haul Featuring Kora Organics, Hurraw! and more

I don’t spend a lot of time on social media and can easily go days without checking it simply because it is so easy to get lost in this world of perfect pictures and miss out on real things. That being said no one can deny that Instagram can help you discover new wonderful things and I couldn’t be happier to have been introduces to Nourished Life thanks to it. Nourished Life is an Australian website that sells an incredible selection of natural and organic products ranging from skincare to water bottles, teas and makeup. I have literally spent hours browsing the site before picking a few products for my first order (and made a HUGE wish list). Today I wanted to share with you a haul of what I picked up and let you know a bit more about the site.

The moment I saw they carried Kora Organics products I just had to get something. I chose the 3-Step System for Normal/Dry skin to help get my skin through the winter. This might seem an odd choice because I have combination skin and spring is coming, but honestly I need all the hydration I can get with the blizzard outside. The kit comes with the Cream Cleanser, Balancing Rose Mist and the Hydrating Day and Night Cream. This is my first foray into organic skincare and so far I really love the products.

Next I got the Hurraw! Black Cherry Tinted Lip Balm as an organic alternative to my tinted lip balms. It is packed with different oils to make your lips soft and I love the unusual oval shape of the tube. It also smells amazing! The brand has non-tinted lip balm if that’s what you prefer and they have loads of different flavours to choose from.

Lastly I bought the Olive Oil Skin Care Company Manuka Honey Soap, I love to alternate shower gels with soap bars and this seemed like a good natural option. I cannot resist soaps with honey in them and I like that this one is fragrance-free. I won’t go into more details here, but I have a review coming up on it really soon and it’s a good one.

Now about Nourished Life, what first drew me to the site (apart from the incredible selection of brands and products) is that everything is in Australian dollars. So depending on where you live, it can be a much more affordable option than paying in USD. They shipping internationally and the shipping is actually very fast (I got my package in a week). Obviously shipping rates for international deliveries are more expensive (they have just started offering it) but for me it was still more affordable than going through a site that uses USD. You can easily check the rates for your country by adding something to your basket and clicking on it to select your country. I think it is worth doing the math and you might be pleasantly surprised by how pricing compares.

Every order comes in a really pretty box (you can see the underside of it in the picture) with 2 samples and everything was securely packaged. They have great customer service if you have any questions so don’t hesitate to email them. 

I am so in love with this website I can’t even tell you. You can expect reviews on everything mentioned here as well as another haul very soon (I couldn’t resist). Every product in this post is available on Nourished Life. 

Saavy Naturals Jasmine Natural and Organic Body Wash and Natural and Organic Body Cream

I briefly mentioned Saavy Naturals back in December when I talked about Christmas giftideas. Today I wanted to go into more details of my two favorite products from the brand. Saavy Naturals offers natural body care products (with some organic ingredients), but what sets them apart from other brands on the market to me is their scent selection. You don’t have to settle for basic scent like coconut or lavender, they offer a wide range of scents in all their product like mango and green tea. Everything smells AMAZING and the variety is what keeps me from going back to synthetic products because you cannot get bored by using the same old scent. My favorite is their Jasmine scent, so let’s talk about their incredible Natural and Organic Body Wash and Natural and Organic Body Cream in the Jasmine Range.

The body wash has the best formula out of all the natural products I have come across. Usually sulfate-free body washes don’t lather up very well and you need to use a lot to get clean. Well this is one creates the most luxurious fluffy lather but it’s not drying at all! It’s amazing stuff really. A little goes a very long way and the jasmine scent is divine, it has a bit of sweetness that prevents it from being too heady. Really this scent is unbelievably good and I don’t think I’ll get tired of it. It’s that lovely.

As for the body cream, it is everything I want from a richer moisturizer. The texture is very creamy but not thick so it’s easy to apply and it won’t leave you feeling greasy. It feels like you are wrapping yourself up in a cashmere blanket. The shea butter makes this cream very hydrating and gives it serious skin softening properties. Best thing is though, the more you use it, the better your skin feels and look! The effects are long-lasting so it’s not just your typical quick-fix. Just like the body wash, it smells great and I love that it comes in a bottle with a pump instead of a pot, it makes it easier to apply and store.

I am seriously in love with the affordable Saavy Naturals and their Jasmine Naturaland Organic Body Wash and Natural and Organic Body Cream are the stuff dreams are made of. You can find them online here and I have seen the products in local health food shops. 

How to Keep Dry Hands at Bay this Winter

When the cold weather hits sometimes just using hand cream does not cut it. My hands have been super dry lately and even though I apply hand cream multiple times a day, I felt like I needed a boost. So I have put together the perfect combination for a super moisturizing night treatment that will keep cracked skin at bay!

First you need a good quality hand cream, not just something with loads of silicon that makes your hands feel soft, you need emollients and ingredients that can actually hydrate the skin, not just coat it. For this purpose I love the Innisfree Hand Creams, they contain loads of great ingredients like shea butter, olive and coconut oil as well as different antioxidants like orchid and green tea extracts. They are really good for daily maintenance but combined with the product below you get an even richer treatment. 

The trick to boost your hand cream is to add The Honest Company Organic Healing Balm and mix them together for extra moisture. This balm contains loads of great organic oils like sunflower, olive and tamanu as well as chamomile and beeswax for an all-around soothing and nourishing product. The reason why I do this treatment at night is because the balm is very rich. You could use it on its own, but it can make your hands quite oily which is why I love to combine it with a cream to get all the benefits without any drawbacks.

This treatment really helps keep my hands soft and I feel like they don’t get as dry during the day! You can get Innisfree Hand Creams from their website, the ones shown above are from the limited edition 2015 Green Christmas Perfumed Hand Cream Gift Set available here. As for the Honest Organic Healing Balm, you can find it on the Honest website.  

Last Minute Christmas Gifts with Saavy Naturals

I like getting all my Christmas shopping done early to avoid the crowds, but sometimes you have to do some last minute shopping. Whether it’s because you didn’t have time before or are simply looking to add to your existing gift, I found little things from Saavy Naturals that should please everyone.

I discovered the brand a few weeks ago and I love their natural and organic body care products. They have a wide range of scents to choose from and everything I have tried so far has been great. Everything is fragrance-free but they use essential oils to create rich and deep scents for their products that make the experience super luxurious. Also everything is beautifully packaged and looks expensive even though this is in fact an affordable natural brand.

The first thing I would recommend is their Jasmine Natural Coconut Oil Candle. This candle made with organic wax has the most amazing jasmine scent: floral with a hint of sweetness for lush combination. It comes in a chic glass jar and it burns really smoothly. I was also surprised by how powerful it is, you don’t need to burn it long for a room to smell lovely. Saavy Naturals also offers their candles in three other scents, you can see the whole selection here. 

Next is their Natural and Organic Bar Soap Tahitian Vanilla and Kukui, I have not tried mine yet but I think it looks so pretty. This would make a great stocking stuffer or a nice addition to a set you can put together. Based on the ingredients, I think it will be hydrating and you can’t go wrong with a delicious vanilla scent. 

I think the candle and soap make the perfect pair for a relaxing evening. The beautiful packaging is also something anyone could appreciate because it adds a little something special to the products. The body washes and body creams are also great if you want a more substantial gift. 

You can get Saavy Naturals products from their website, though with Christmas being so close I would recommend going to a store that carries the brand (locate one here). I found mine in Avril, but I have seen them in other health food stores in Canada. 

The Green Beaver Company Cranberry Body Lotion

Back in October, I mentioned in this haul a new body lotion that I fell in love with. Well I am super happy to finally introduce you all to it: The Green Beaver Company Cranberry Body Lotion. I could not be prouder to introduce a great Canadian brand to the blog.

The Green Beaver Company is an amazing brand I recently discovered, they create natural and Ecocert certified organic skincare products. They make everything in Canada and source their organic ingredients from Canadian farms, I think these are such a great and sustainable practices. Using organic body products is very important to me and I love how it has great effects on my skin and is also really good for the environment. The body lotion was actually just relaunched in a new super cute bottle with a pump and it now contains a whopping 86% organic ingredients. I think many people believe this kind of products are very expensive, so I love that The Green Beaver Company products are super affordable so the decision to change my routine was easy. 

Now for the lotion, it contains nourishing organic cranberry seed oil along with willow herb and sweet fern to make your skin super soft. I was surprised by how smooth and hydrated my skin felt after using it because it is quite a light lotion. There is no greasy feeling, it absorbs very quickly though (like most natural lotions) it can look a bit white when you first put it on, but it disappears as the lotion skins in.

The Cranberry Body Lotion is fragrance-free but the cranberry seed oil gives it a very light and pleasant cranberry scent that does not linger for too long. There is also a coconut and a lavender version if you prefer those scents.

I really cannot recommend this lotion enough! I am so impressed and in love with it because I can actually see a difference in my skin, it doesn’t just give you hydration it truly makes your skin smoother and it’s made with ingredients that are good for you.

The GreenBeaver Company Cranberry Body Lotion is available in many stores across Canada (locate the nearest one to you here) and you can also get it on their website, they ship to Canada and the USA.