S.W. Basics Cream $32.00 formerly Sprout
I had a lingering love for S.W. Basics of Brooklyn formerly Sprout Skincare for a long time. I wanted to try all of their skincare stuff, but was hesitant because I was using products (and still am) that are working. Then I had a coupon, and there was a package of all three basic skincare products for sale on Abes, so then I knew I had to go for it. I had already tried the creme at work and was totally in love. Continue reading
Lush moisture bomb aka Lush King of Skin
$13.95
The thing about some things is that they fill a niche that you didn’t even know was inadequate or simply not working. I use oil, sesame, jojoba or grapeseed to moisturize post shower, but it can be costly, and just plain boring. Enter the Lush moisture bomb, or Lush’s King of Skin. It’s about the size of a halved apple and contains the most amazing ingredients for moisturizing which include “supremely moisturizing fresh bananas and avocados,” which are “whipped into a luxurious, skin soothing base of oat milk and lavender.” Continue reading
$14.99
More info HERE
Oh, Argan Oil. I just googled it and got about 6,280,000 results. Insane. Continue reading
Lush Turkish Delight Shower Smoothie
$34.95
More info HERE
Free samples are a blessing and a curse. In this case a curse, because this stuff is amazing, smells like magic, leaves you soft and scents your entire bathroom like the most luxurious spa you have never been to. This stuff turns your shower into a bath- for real. Continue reading
RMS Living Luminizer
$38.00
More info HERE
The theme this week unintentionally seems to be ‘things you did not know you needed until you have them, and then you realize you can’t live without them.’
This is one of those things. Continue reading
Waxelene the Petroleum Jelly Alternative
$6.99
More Info HERE
I was on the quest for my cousin Ben, to find him something to soothe his hands (he works outside and inside and just generally puts them through the ringer).
I came across this little jem one late night at Whole Foods.
Its pretty balm. Continue reading
Alaffia Shea Butter Hand & Body Balm
$7.95
More info HERE
No stranger, is my late night love of beauty product shopping.
Last, Friday after some drinks with friends JennyG and Sophia at Silver Lining, my friend JennyG suggested that we take a detour before heading back to Brooklyn to explore the Whole Foods Beauty Section in their Tribeca Store.
I was looking for something stripped down, super natural, no water based hand/body balm, for use as a hand creme. My hands because of the dips in temperatures were getting a beating and even my old standby by Weleda was not cutting it. So, I tired a bunch of the body balms and hand slaves they had. I settled on this one because the scent was spot on (Roses), the texture was great and it hit all the right points with ingredients. The balm sank in super quick, did not leave a greasy residue and left my hands super soft for hours.
This morning when I showered I decided I was going to use this post shower, my skin had been a bit dry, and starting to feel the effects of the cooler weather too. At 2 oz, this little jar might be kind of expensive for everyday body cream, but that was nixed when I used it because a little does go a long way.
The staying power, the hydrating power and the ‘this sinks in faster than super toxic cream power’, is AMAZING. It sinks in so quick so I can get dressed super fast without freezing my bottom off, and it hydrates like whoas. I could see myself trading in my longstanding Jojoba Oil post shower ritual for this, because its super quick and dries almost instantly. And the scent, the scent is the most perfect not too overpowering rose scent that I can’t get enough of.
Overall, this was a great late night impulse purchase that I don’t regret. I can’t want to decant some of this into a little jar for on the go hydration.
Mustela Hydra Stick
$9.50
More info HERE
I have mentioned before that I love French beauty products, not because I am obsessed with France, even though it is a lovely country that I had a great time visiting (Hey Rosey!) but because the EU regulates personal care products differently than the US, by regulating what chemicals are allowed to go into personal care products to protect consumers. The EU does not allow chemicals known to cause things including cancer, reproductive and neurological harm, into personal care products. The US, not so much. The EU has banned over 1,000 chemicals from being put into personal care products while the US has banned only nine. I like products made in the EU because they make me feel extra safe.
The first time I used the Mustela Hydra Stick was in high school. I saw it in a magazine and hunted it down to a fancy pharmacy in NYC. I toted it around like I was the coolest person ever because I had this coveted little piece of magic from France.
Nevertheless, as I have mentioned in other posts, I like to, late night on the weekends, on the way home from being out, I like to go to drugstores. Conveniently, there is a great drug store that carries super hard to find brands and is open 24 hours a day down the street and on the way home to my house. So the other night after dinner with my friend Rosey, I stopped in and was inevitably greeted by the night staff that know me well.
I found myself in the baby aisle staring down this little pint-sized deodorant shaped stick of moisture goodness. Because I know Mustela is made in France I knew it would be made without parabens, sulfates, synthetic dyes, phthalates or triclosan, which it is, so I didn’t even have to do my compulsive label checking. I walked that little stick to the register and skipped home.
The Hydra Stick is a great shape to haphazardly slap it on your lips and it lasts a super long time without being sticky. Its not shiny shiny, but rather it leaves a healthy moistness to your lips and because it is creamy, it tones your lips into this nice supple color, that’s not obvious and is totally unisex. It has a mild baby scent that’s odd for a lip product, but since that’s not its only use, as you can use it on your face too, that makes sense and besides the scent is nice. Its super cute in your purse and it makes me smile every time I pull it out because this little stick is so adult for a baby product and its funny to think of little French kids using it on the playground. Well I don’t know if that’s what all French kids do on the playground, but using my own childhood as a source, that’s what I would do.
*Above image used without permission from HERE
Love & Toast Daily Shampoo with White Tea & Mint
$9.99
More Info HERE
I was really in need of new shampoo after I dyed my hair that was safe to use daily but would not weigh my hair down. I have about three in rotation right now, but none seemed to be getting the job done, blame it on the switch in the weather, but my hair has been anything but awesome recently.
Enter Love & Toast Shampoo. Packaged in a cute square container with a pump and the most adorable label I was instantly in love. I love the scent of mint, and I feel like I get a lot of the gunk out of my hair with this stuff. It’s nothing particularly special but its a great standby basic daily shampoo, that agrees with my colored hair, and looks adorable in your shower. I like it the most because it’s a daily shampoo that’s formulated without parabens, phthalates, petrolatum, mineral oil, propylene glycol, retinol, sulfates, or synthetic color, which is hard to find.
Basically, we all need a daily shampoo thats no frills and gets the job done. This daily shampoo fits the bill, but honestly, that bottle design is perfection and I really love the pump dispenser.
*Above image used without permission from HERE
One Product at a Time 