Getting clean with Fur

Every time I have gone on the search for clean body products the brand fur has come up. It is a brand I have always meant to look into but somehow always had a product on hand I needed to use up first. However this fur All Body Wash Cleansing and Balancing cleansing oil came in my February Dermstore Beauty Fix and I was thrilled to give it a try.

According to the product page…

Fur’s All Body Wash is a daily, pH-balanced oil wash formulated to provide a luxurious cleansing experience to the entire body. The rich formula when lathered, turns into a velvety soft, milky wash while sweet almond oil and vitamin E help cleanse, hydrate, soften and restore the skin’s barrier.

At first, because it was a body oil, I was concerned about the lid. I saw the round cap and knew that once my hands were wet it would become problematic. I envisioned dropping it into the shower and going on a hunt while the body oil spilled. As such has happened before (many times in fact), it is an understandable fear. However the lid is not a twist off lid. You have to remove it to take off the safety seal underneath, but then you put it back on and it is just a pull up to dispense and push down to close mechanism.

Quite honestly it is a fabulous choice. The round knob is easy to grasp and pull up and push down. i was quite impressed.

With almond oil being mentioned, I thought there would be an almond sort of scent. There isn’t. It is a scentless body wash. I will admit I found that slightly disappointing as I do like the scent of almond oil. Thee is also vitamin E in the mix and both elements combine to make this a fantastic skin softening blend. My skin did feel soft and cleansed. It wasn’t especially hydrating so I did need to follow with a body wash after my shower. I don’t find that to be a problem though. For me a lot of the moisturizing body washes tend to leave me feeling less than clean.

I am sure I am just as clean, but I feel more clean if the body wash doesn’t try to overly hydrate. I like going for the products that clean without stripping the skin. Which this does really well. It is not an overly hydrating formula but it is not a skin stripping one either.

The biggest problem I had with this fur All Body wash was that because it is an oil it has a thin consistency coming out of the bottle. Because of the dispensing mechanism it is very easy to squeeze a little too hard and dispensed far more product than is needed. It took a little adjustment but I got there. The all Body cleanser is supposed to be usable for your hair as well.. It worked okay as a shampoo but to be honest it wasn’t that great. It is a formula I would use it I was traveling and found out I left my shampoo behind but not one I would use on a regular basis. In all fairness I should point out that my babydoll loves it. In fact he tried it out once while I was testing and has now asked me twice when i will be finished testing it. He will occasionally try the things I put in the shower but he tries not to use them more than once if he knows I need to test them out. When he asks me about them, I know he likes the product. Since he is very scent sensitive, I know he will appreciate the scentless formula far more than I will and so with this post I will pass the remaining product on to him. It will be used and probably will be purchased again. It is a good body wash, even if I prefer something with a little more lather and a little more scent. But I think fur’s All Body wash is a good product and it has earned its place on a repeat purchase bathing products list. And I am glad I finally got to try something from the brand.

Makeup Review: The K Voss Bronzing Potion Glow Cream

Do you know, one of the things I really like about subscription boxes is that occasionally things arrive on my doorstep that I have never heard of. And of course some of the items I would look out and not purchase. However once they are here I generally go ahead and try them out. Sometimes it is an epic fail, other times it is a new favorite.

This week, if you have been following my Daily Posts, in the products used for the day you have probably noticed the K Voss Bronzing Potion. It is in use in everyone of my pictures this week in conjunction with other products even though here it is shone working alone. This came to me in a Petit Vour box and to be honest, I would not have picked this up on my own. Mostly because I have no idea what a bronzing potion is supposed to be. Is it a bronzer? A highlight, a primer? Let’s find out.

According to the K Voss website…

What it is: Bring a healthy sun-kissed glow to your skin with this universally flattering bronzer
Why we love it: Instant luminosity, no filter needed, this sheer illuminating cream imparts a natural, no makeup glow to all skin tones while moisturizing for a soft, radiant complexion. Ultra-hydrating and deeply restorative, this cream creates a subtle luster with a formula that flatters all skin types. Worn alone, or as a highlighter over makeup, this lightweight bronzer delivers an instant glow to every complexion.
How to use: Apply a thin, even veil to the face or targeted areas
K Voss

It is also listed as organic, brightening and buildable in case you are wondering.

To be honest, I don’t like the description. It’s like they just created a cream and sent it down to marketing and said,’ see how many ues you can find for this without actually putting it into a specific category. I don’t know why that bugs me, but it kind of does. I’ll have to think about it a bit more.

So beyond knowing that it was brightening, possibly bronzing and maybe highlighting, I opened the tube to begin to play with it. The first thing I noticed was that it has almost no scent to it. It smells like absolutely nothing. And yes I sniffed it in the tube right off the bat. Nothing.

So I dispensed it onto the back of my hand. It is a lovely coppery shimmery color. If it were an eyeshadow i would have snapped it up. To get a feel for it, I blended a little on my hand to see what would happen. The bronze sunk in and really just gave the skin a nice lift of life, as though I spent some time in the sun instead of holed up at my computer for large chunks of the day.

I tried it as a bronzer on top of foundation, but it disappeared. I tried it as a bronzer with just a tinted moisturizer. It disappeared. I tried it as a highlighter with both foundation and tinted moisturizer and again, it disappeared. So I decided to try it as a primer.

I put it all over my face and massaged it in. On the bare skin it gave a soft subtle glow that I could wear with or without foundation. In addition it is thick enough that it is slightly pore filling. It isn’t a massively pore filling primer, but it does make the larger pores on my cheeks less noticeable. It worked well under foundations. The products I layered over it had no trouble with interactions. I did like it better under matte foundation products rather than luminous ones. I am not a glowy sort of person.

Bare face on the left and just the bronzing potion on the left

To be honest when i see the glowy look my brain immediately thinks the person looks a little on the greasy side. I have seen stunning looks people have created on line where they deliberately stated they were going for the dewy or glowy look and no matter how fabulous the look I want to hand them some blotting paper. I know other people love the look and we each have our own preferences, but that is not for me. This K Voss Bronzing Potion under an illuminating foundation was not for me. I did notice though that the Bronzing potion is not wet feeling. It doesn’t feel greasy or heavy, it just has the glow and the glow is magnified under illuminating foundation. I know it isn’t greasy, so if you like the dewy look, that might be an option for you.

For me, I liked it under matte foundation products as it gave it a little depth without making the product illuminating.

The best way I found to use this product actually is to use a pore filling primer, something like the e.l.f putty primer and then mix a drop of the bronzing potion into a matte foundation. The Bronzing potion may be a little thick, but it does blend well and feels light on the skin so it won’t make the foundation too heavy. Just a touch will brighten a matte foundation. You can always add more if you want more of a glowing kind of look.

I think this is a good winter product for when you have spent way too much time indoors away from the sun and are starting to get that washed out look, at least I get that look in the winter.It can bring a little bit of life to the skin. You just need to watch what you pair it with so that you get the effect you are actually after.

It is a good product. I’m not entirely certain I would buy a full tube of this bronzing potion though. The sample size is 10 ml and it is going to last me a really long time. In fact, I suspect that as I am starting to spend time outside I won’t need it again until the fall, or if I end up trying an intensely matte foundation before then.The full size is 30 ml. As it is a good product that I have no problem using when I need it, I suspect my willingness to purchase a full size is going to depend on how often I reach for it and how quickly I use it up. It is something I like having on hand, but don’t feel I have to have on hand. If I find myself reaching for it consistently, then I could see myself repurchasing it. If it languishes until autumn and then is used up next winter, it may make my list of seasonal products to repurchase.

Either way I am glad that I got a chance to try this out. It came in a Petit Vour Box. They are really good about adding some makeup items to their products and I am happy they included this one. Incidentally this item is currently a gift with purchase on the Petit Vour site. If you spend $35 or more it is your GWP. I’m not sure how long that will last, but it is active now. You can find the details here.

With a name like Bronzing potion on the label, even if I had found this on my own, I wouldn’t have picked it up because it wasn’t clear what it did. While I still don’t think the product description was very clear, at least now I know how I would use it.

Petit Vour February 2021 Unboxing

I believe the final February subscription box has now arrived. It’s actually not surprising it is Petit Vour as they don’t ship until about the 20th and as February was a short month, it is not unusual for there to be a little overlap. I just find it kind of fun that I’m already getting e-mail shipping notices for some of the March boxes. Honestly with February this happens every year regardless. the short month just plays havoc with everyone and if feels like February’s boxes barely arrive before march is on the doorstep. Since January always feels like it takes forever it sort of feels like February tries to accelerate to make up for it. But speaking of moving on…

It is time for the February Petit Vour unboxing. For those that don’t know, Petit Vour is a cruelty Free subscription box that costs $18 per month. They do have a Petit Vour Plus that costs $25 per month. I have not tried that one so I can’t vouch for it. The regular Petit Vour box contains four items that are generally deluxe sized samples with the occasional full sized item thrown in. While I really do enjoy this subscription, this will be my last Petit Vour box for a while. I will continue to shop on their site as they offer really good deals on lots of clean products that I really enjoy. I am certain I will be back at some point for the box as well, but I needed to take a little break from it.

So what is in the February Petit Vour Box?

Well the first item up is from a brand that pops up routinely in the Petit Vour Box and that is K Voss. This time it is the K Voss Perfecting primer. It claims to be a multi use illuminating primer that naturally adjusts to your skin tone. As I have an ongoing love affair with the primer category, I am very much looking forward to trying this out. I think it may end up in next week’s make up bag.

The second item in this month’s box is also from a brand we see quite often. Personally I have an unsteady relationship with the brand Goldfaden, MD. Everything about it says I should like ti and I always approach with high hopes. Only occasionally are those hopes realized.

This month I received the Goldfaden, MD Doctor’s Scrub which is an exfoliate. I love exfoliants as much as I love primers. I actually tried a full size of this a while back and if I remember correctly it was a good exfoliate but it was also the kind of exfoliate you only use once a month at most. I could be wrong, I will have to check my notes, but I believe that is the case. It is a small enough sample that I can easily test it again to confirm. I’ll keep you updated on that once I take it out to try.

There was actually a second makeup item in the box this month ant it is the lip color pencil from the brand Slate Cosmetics. The name sounds vaguely familiar but I don’t think I have ever actually tried them. I tried looking up the lip pencil but only found skincare on their site. i will do my best to find out more information before I use it and report back to you. I am always up for trying a new lip product and when I swatched it the color seemed nice. So I will add it to the products to put in the makeup bag for testing. I find the fact that I can’t find much about it on line rather intriguing.

And finally we have the fourth item in the box and that is Davids Premium Natural Toothpaste. I’ve seen the toothpaste around, but never tried it before. In general, I am a Crest girl at least as far as Toothpaste and whitening strops go. I tend to go with Listerine for my mouthwash. I am however almost out of my Crest toothpaste so perhaps I will give this a trial instead of repurchasing my standard tube.

One think I like about this subscription box is that they so often send items I would never think of picking up on my own. Often times I find brands that I’ve never heard of or only heard of and never tried. A few of my new favorites have come out of this subscription box like the Akar Balancing Toning Mist and the Bkind exfoliating scrub of course Bkind also now has a Papaya Enzyme Scrub and as I am really liking the Elemis Papaya Mask so I may have to give that a try as well soon, but that is another story.

I really like both and would not have found either on my own. While I am taking a break from this box for a little while, it is only so that I can try out other subscription boxes, not because I don’t like it. This is a box I will definitely be circling back to in the future. But for now, I must bid a fond adieu until we meet again.

Petit Vour November 2020 Unboxing

Welcome to the Petit Vour Beauty box unboxing for November 2020. Petit Vour is an $18 subscription box featuring four to five items per month. Some items are full sized, most are not and all are cruelty free. The Petit Vour box always gets shipped out by the 20^th of the month which usually puts its arrival towards the end of the month. This month we sort of ran out of month due to the holidays, but the box did arrive on time, which was sort of a minor miracle this month. So what was inside?

First up is the L’oeil Definite The Eye Define eyeliner from Josephine Cosmetics.(retail $26).

This month I also received a Josephine Cosmetics liquid eyeshadow in my Allure box and quite frankly until November, I never heard of the brand. I am looking forward to trying both the liner and shadow out. I have to say the liner did swatch well and didn’t seep into fine lines which is very promising.

My second item was The Green Fairy Hand and lip balm (retail $18). Clearly it is an absinthe reference and there is some anise scent to the balm. The scent does lean more towards peppermint than Anise though. I tried it on my lips and hands and I really liked it.

I also like the packaging. However my baby doll is a huge fan of anise and licorice scented/flavored anything. And getting him to remember to use a lip balm before his lips crack and bleed is always the winter trick.

He liked the scent enough that he was willing to carry around the metal tin, despite the fairy on the cover so I have passed it into his care. Hopefully he will use it. If he does, it will be worth way more than the $18 price tag.

The third item is the Coconut Probiotic Water Rehab Cream (retail $10) from Pacifica. I really like Pacifica. I like the fact that it is an affordable clean brand and I am a big fan of some of their products.

Their Alight Foundation is fantastic. I have enjoyed several of their skin care items as well and look forwards to testing this one out. With luck it won’t be too coconutty for me.

The fourth item listed is the Lavido Mandarin Aromatic Body Lotion (retail $5). I tried a couple of Lavido products (one from Boxycharm and one from Ipsy) a while back and really enjoyed them both.

My only concern is that this has bergamot as one of the scent notes. While I love mandarin scented lotions and really think there ought to be more of them, I’m not such a fan of bergamot.I may have to open it and give it a sniff. If the orange comes up trumps I will be happy. If bergamot rules, it will be passed along.

Oddly enough even though there were only four items listed on the insert card, there was a fifth item in my box this month, it was the Juice Beauty Green Apple cleansing bar (soap).

I’ve had the item before and it wasn’t my favorite. The green apple smelled nice until water hit it, then the scent faded to nothing. (If I’m going to use a bar soap in the shower, I’m probably going to steal my Babydoll’s Cedar Citrus from Dr. Squatch.)

There was no note with the soap as to why it was included so I’m guessing it was just some sort of mistake. As I was looking up the value of the soap I did find that the cleansing bar has been discontinued so that too might have something to do with why it was tossed so unceremoniously in my beauty box this month. As I am making up several little kits for family with beauty and self care products, I’ll probably pop it into one of those. Actually, those will be mailed out this week so I can get them to their locations on time.

But my trips to the post office aside, this was a pretty good box this month. I have my fingers crossed about the Body Lotion and the lip balm has been appropriated by my babydoll (which actually makes it extra fab) but I have high hopes for the eyeliner and the Pacifica moisturizer.

For my $18 I received $59 worth of listed products and an extra bar of soap. I suspect the bar of soap is because the box is usually listed as being worth over $60. If I remember correctly the sample bar of soap was $3 in the month I received it as a listed item. Is it the most exciting box this month? No. I’ve had much more exciting items from Petit Vour in the past. I will however get some decent use out of the items. Although to be honest it is the fact of my babydoll getting a lip balm he might actually use that saves this box. But November was a difficult month for a lot of subscription boxes. Hopefully December will be more exciting.

Washing up with the Pa’akai Cleansing Cream

I have seen the Pa’akai Cleansing cream advertised often on vegan and cruelty free skin care websites and always thought it looks pretty. Somehow I never got around to trying it even though everyone always raves about it. So when it appeared in my Petit Vour Box, I was very pleased to have a chance to give it a try. According to the product page…

Cleansing Hawaiian salt and antioxidant rich hibiscus combine to create a gentle daily cleanser that will leave your skin feeling soft, smooth and hydrated. Seaweed extract works to strengthen and renew the skin, while accelerating the natural skin repair process. The Pa’akai Cleansing Cream is great for all skin types.

Ingredients: 100% Cruelty-Free and Vegan | Pure Vitalized & Coconut Water (Aqua), Organic Rose (Rosa damascena) Hydrosol, Organic Witch Hazel Water (Hamamelis virginiana), Wild Harvested Seaweed Extract (Fucus vesiculosis), Hibiscus( Hibiscus sabdariffa) Co2,Honua Pa’akai (Hawaiian Salt) Organic Herbal Oil Infusions of Rose Petals (Rosa damascena), Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), Chamomile Flowers(Matricaria recutita), Calendula Blossoms (Calendula officinalis), Comfrey Leaf & Root (Symphytum officinale) & Rosehips Seeds (Rosa mosqueta) in Organic High Oleic Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) & Sesame (Sesame indicum), Sorbitan Olivate, Organic Aloe Vera Gel (Aloe barbadensis), Organic Vegetable Glycerin, Organic Lecithin, Organic Gromwell Root CO2 (Lithospermum erythrorhizon), Sage (Salvia officinalis) & Organic Rosemary Antioxidants (Rosmarinus officinalis), *Lactobacillus Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Fruit Extract and *Sodium Anisate *denotes New Green Beauty Approved Preservative System, Made in USA
Pa’akai site

Now I have grown hibiscus before and know how good it is for the body internally. The tea is not only fantastic but it tastes far more citrus-y than the flowers would lead you to believe. I made hibiscus tea and jam and loved both. I have not used it in skincare though, at least to my knowledge. As working with it turned my skin pink, I was not surprised that the cleansing cream is a pretty shade of pink.

The cleanser comes in a glass bottle with a pump dispenser at the top. I like that the pump has a wide flat top actually as it makes operating it with wet hands quite easy. While packaging isn’t everything, some considerations are necessary. This packaging was well thought out in terms of the pump.

The cleansing cream foams well on the face, cleans the skin well and rinses off clean. The product itself I had no issues with. It worked well. Two pumps was all that was necessary to get my entire face clean.

My issue is with the scent.

I know, when does scent not come into play with me?

The hibiscus scent is strong. Really strong. It is a very perfume-y flowery scent that I just don’t care for. Oddly, it is more perfume-y smelling than the actual flowers. My hibiscus had more of a tart scent to it than this does. If this actually just smelled of hibiscus than there would be less of an issue. The scent actually prompted me to go back to the ingredients list. While I initially noticed only that everything was a not bad for my skin ingredient I didn’t pay too much attention. With cleansers the product stays on the skin for so little time that I am not as focused as I probably should be on the ingredients list. The culprit here, scent wise, I believe might be the rose. It seems to take the tart of the hibiscus right out and brings the whole thing into perfume land.

As good as this product is, I just can’t get past the scent. The longer I used it the less I liked the scent. It is pretty. The container is well thought out. I love the ingredients list and I love the way the cleanser performs on my skin. But because of the scent, I was incredibly happy when the container was empty and I could move on to another cleanser. Because of the scent, using it up was a chore for me. If you like the scent of rose, then I would highly recommend this cleanser as it is a really good product. While I like the light scent of rose in many French skincare products, this was just too much of a perfume bomb for me, especially in a cleanser. So I will not be purchasing a full size of this in the future. I am however very glad I finally got to try it.

Cleaning up with the OSEA Ocean Cleanser

The OSEA Ocean Cleanser is one of those cleaners that I have tried several times before, but always in the trial size. I’ll go ahead and tell you, I absolutely love this cleanser. I do however have a little amusement where it is concerned. But before we get to that, let me cover what it is that this cleanser is according to the product page.

Look like a morning person with this seaweed cleansing gel. Vegan Lactic Acid gently resurfaces complexion for clear, radiant skin. Removes impurities while protecting skin’s natural moisture barrier. Formulated with a plant-based probiotic and pH balanced.

Ingredients: Aqua, Algae Extract*, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium Lauroyl Oat Amino Acids, Sorbitan Olivate, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil*, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil*, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate (Natural Smectite Clay), Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Citrus Aurantifolia (Lime) Oil*, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Oil*, Juniperus Communis (Juniper) Fruit Oil*, Cupressus Sempervirens (Cypress) Seed Oil*, Jasminum Officinale (Jasmine) Oil*, Lactic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Glycine, Potassium Sorbate, Chlorophyll – * denotes organic ingredients
OSEA

Okay when you read through this, the cleanser looks like a serious and seriously healthy cleanser. It comes in a lovely glass bottle (even in the travel size.) It looks expensive and spa like. When you pick it up you read through every thing and you feel good about the product. No animals were injured, plants are all organic. It is a cleaner that makes you feel like a grown up, eco conscious ‘good person’ just for having in your bathroom.

Then you use it.

You know what it smells like?

Limeade.

Seriously, it smells exactly like the syrup they use in the Sonic Limeades. I don’t know why that tickles me so much. It does though. I think because it looks so serious and everything on the site is so serious. It is clearly marked as a good for you product (which it is). And the bottle is really pretty frosted glass. Don’t get me wrong I really like looking at it on my bathroom sink. I love using it and at some point I am going to spend the $48 for the full sized bottle.

It is a seriously good cleanser. I love the way it makes my skin feel. Again, I am not certain how beneficial the ingredients are as they aren’t really on the skin a long time, but there are no ingredients that are potentially damaging, to either me or the rest of the world, it cleans the skin without stripping it and after washing my face I want to walk around without anything else on my skin for a little while. I have never had a problem with clogged pores while using it and my toner pads tend to be a bit less gunky with left behind makeup residue after using it.

When I get this cleanser I tend to use it at night for just that reason. I wash my face and then just sort of hang out with a book and bare skin before later applying my night time serums and moisturizers because I really like the way my skin feels when I use this cleanser. It isn’t super foaming, but it does foam up somewhat and it gets the skin clean.

But as serious a product as it is, it smells like limeade. The scent doesn’t linger, but it does make me smile every time I use this cleanser. I think it is because a Sonic Limeade is not what I consider a healthy, all natural product, where as this is. I would recommend this <a href="http://<a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=hHyMhrojQEw&offerid=838904.50&subid=0&type=4"><IMG border="0" alt="Target advanced signs of aging on the neck with SkinCeuticals Tripeptide-R Neck Repair. Now available at LovelySkin!" src="https://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=hHyMhrojQEw&bids=838904.50&subid=0&type=4&gridnum=16">OSEA Ocean Cleanser at any size you pick it up. The travel size is good if you want to give it a go (and it is significantly less expensive than the full size) and see how your skin works with it. Like I said, I have picked this up repeatedly in the travel size. It is one of those products that consistently makes my hits list. If you are looking for a spurge sort of cleanser, this is the one I would go for.

Kosas Tinted Face Oil

I’ll admit, the Kosas Tinted Face Oil is one of those foundations that I have been eyeing for a while. I was actually on the verge of ordering it when it came in my BoxyCharm Premium. It made me very happy to see. I think I was so attracted to this product because it was a face oil which is a type of foundation formula I haven’t played around with, and it is one of those clean beauty brands that people rave over.

So of course I wanted to give it a try.

According to the product page it is…

Comfy makeup, active skincare.
A clean, light-coverage skin tint and nourishing skin elixir with a velvety finish that still looks like your skin — just way more even, healthy and balanced.

In case you are wondering, the shade I am using is the 3.5 described as fair-light with neutral undertones. There are three shades lighter than me on the scale and 12 darker. The tone suits my skin color now, which means I could probably use it both in the summer and most of the winter and then just adjust powders and bronzer to fit the shade to my skin. The fact that I could probably get away with keeping only one shade of this foundation in my dressing table is something I find really appealing.

So the first thing you have to do with this foundation is give it a shake. While there are many foundations that suggest you shake them before using this is the first I’ve ever used that sounded like a can of spray paint when I shook it. It was suprizing, but at least I know that it was in fact mixed. I’m guessing it has something to do with the fact that it is n oil based product.

As you can tell from the picture of the product on my hand, it is a thinner product (hello, oil) so it does tend to drip when put on the hand. For me I always put the product on my hand and then put it on my face. If I go straight to my face then there is the tendency to apply too much, at least or me. I’d rather wipe the excess product off of my hand than deal with it on my face. Normally I then dot the product on and use my favorite foundation brush (the 999 master blender) to blend it in. then I go back with a make up sponge to reach the corners the brush might have missed.

This time because of the consistency, I added stripes to my face and then blended with my brush. It blended in like a dream. Or like oil I suppose. Which shouldn’t really surprise me. I used my brush but there were no streaks of product or missing bits that required the use of the makeup sponge. It was really quick and easy to apply and blend.

Bare face on the Left and just the foundation on the right

The first time I used it, I used it without a primer. As it is an oil, it did nothing in the way of pore filling. It melded with my skin like an oil would. While it covered blemishes and dark spots, it did nothing for my pores. When I added a primer this issue was immediately corrected and there were no issues with the way the product looked over a primer. I really liked the way it looked actually.

My big issue is that it is a slight bit on the shiny side. There is after all only so much mattifying an oil can do. I know there are those out there that love the dewy look. I am not one of them. I have watched a number of videos where people go for that look and my final thoughts are always, ‘Yeah, you need to powder that down.’

I know it is a look, just like adding a stripe of highlighter down the center of the nose and on the tip is a look. But the highlighter thing just makes my brain sing Christmas carols about Rudolph despite there being no red and the dewy look makes me want to hand you powder.

So having said that, even without powder, the slight shine isn’t a dewy look. It is just a slight shine. If you are matte inclined, use powder (although not a lot, very little will work) and keep your compact handy for the afternoon. If you are anything like me, you will need to touch up the t-zone a bit. Again, this foundation needs very little powder to knock off the slight shine. Despite the shine, it oddly enough isn’t greasy looking. There were a couple of days where I didn’t touch up mid-day and it was fine. A little shiny in the t-zone but not unbearably so, even for me.

And the Kosas Tinted Face Oil wore beautifully. There were no spots where the foundation wore off, crinkled, wrinkled or settled into lines. It stayed exactly where it was applied and it stayed all day. And it did live up to its very simple description. It had a very natural finish to it. I really enjoyed wearing this foundation this week. I will definitely be keeping it around and more than likely picking a fresh bottle up once this one is empty. If anything else it makes me want to pick up the Alyaka Sampler Kit for the brand even more. Just remember to shake well before opening, and check your t-zone around noon.

Trying out the Codex Beauty Bia Exfoliating Wash

I am a big fan of exfoliants. I tend to use them about once a week, occasionally twice, depending on my skincare needs. While there are several that claim they can be used daily, it is rare to find one that actually can be used daily without causing too much exfoliation to the skin. The Codex Beauty Bia Exfoliating Wash claims to be a…

Gentle everyday cleanser that lightly exfoliates and tones skin. Bia Exfoliating Wash lightly exfoliates and tones skin, making it gentle enough for everyday use. Jojoba grains provide exfoliation without irritating the skin and castor oil helps clear pores and impurities and evens the appearance of skin tone. This wash never leaves skin feeling tight or dry and is clinically proven to improve the appearance of skin flakiness. Scent: Uplifting Grapefruit and Elderflower

I received this in a subscription box (Glossy Box actually) and I have to say the daily cleanser/exfoliate was a combo that I found interesting. The deluxe sample was enough for me to use twice a day for two weeks. It is a cream consistency with the particulates (the jojoba grains) suspended in the product.

I have to say that it was gentle enough that I could use it twice daily without feeling like my skin was being scrubbed raw. It actually did no damage and did exfoliate well. It is an extremely gentle exfoliate. You can feel the jojoba grains in the product but they tend to break down a bit as you wash rather than break your skin down and stay solid hard particles. I had no fears that I was doing any damage to my skin while using it.

The cleanser aspect of the product foamed well when rubbed into the skin, but not extravagantly. this is not a suds galore product. It is more of an exfoliating product that also cleanses. The cleansing part is very much secondary to the exfoliation, but at the same time I didn’t feel as though I needed to go back and wash my face after rinsing off the Codex exfoliating wash which is a big plus. Typically with exfoliates I use an oil or cleansing balm to remove makeup, then exfoliate if I am going to and then use a cleanser. This did eliminate the need for an additional cleanser.

So it cleansed nicely and exfoliated well, achieving both of it’s stated goals. I appreciate that. The only drawback I had with this product was the scent. While it claims to be a grapefruit and elderflower blend, what I got was mostly castor oil with a slight citrusy back note.

It isn’t a bad scent, but I don’t think it is for me. I can always tell when a product is really good but the scent isn’t for me (other than the scent) because I will reach for it and sigh. I know it’s just me in the bathroom so there is no one I need to be dramatic for, but it is something I always do. Good products with scents I don’t care for get the sigh, because I want to use them, I just can’t get past the scent.

In case you are wondering products that don’t work well but smell nice, don’t get the sigh. Those just get moved along. I think the sigh is a sign of disappointment, either for the product of for my inability to get past the scent to use the product that works well. Because let’s face it, I know me. I am very scent oriented. I may know this (or any other) product works well, but if I don’t like the scent I am just not going to reach for it. I can power through a sample, but not a full sized bottle.

While I think the Codex Beauty Bia Exfoliating Wash itself is nice and it does an excellent job of cleansing and exfoliating the skin, I don’t think I could take the scent of the product every day.

I kept hoping I would get used to it, but somehow, I never did. Which is a shame. It really is a great product and I love that it is a gentle enough exfoliating wash to be used daily. It is one of the few products I’ve tried that have made that claim and been able to live up to it. I love that it uses natural ingredients and plant based preservatives. I love their sustainability ambitions.

But for me, the scent is the killer. I tried very hard, but I just can’t get past it. So sadly, while an excellent product, a full sized purchase will not be in my near future. If I purchased it, the tube would just sit there because I would find excuses not to use it. I will however, keep the efficacy of the product in mind and look at other products from the brand in the hopes that they work just as well but have a different scent to them.

Using the Milk Kush Lip Scrub

Is there a category of lip product that I do not like? I’m not sure. From lip balms to lip masks, I am a big fan. However, when it comes to lip scrubs, not all of them are equal. I have tried several that were too harsh, left too much oil and residue on my lips, or left none and felt that I was just running sandpaper over my lips.

While I like exfoliating my lips, I draw the line at sandpaper.

Lips are one of the few body parts that needs a little assistance when shedding the excess skin, hence the need for lip scrubs in case you were wondering. And who doesn’t need a little papmpering for their lips now and again?

Most lip scrubs come in little jars. While I willingly use several of this variety, I am more partial to the ones that look like lip products. And no it isn’t the shiny lipstick like exterior I am drawn to, Although it does make storing them with the lipsticks easier. I like this style because it means I don’t have to dip my finger into the pot of product and potentially contaminate the jar. With the stick like scrubs the product just needs to be rolled up and applied. The trick is that many of the stick ones tend to be drier because of the form they take. I am pleased to see more of them appearing on the market and hope this trend continues.

The left side has the lip scrub on the lips and the right simply has the exfoliate wiped off with one swipe of the washcloth.

The Kush Lip Scrub from Milk Makeup manages to strike a really good balance between nurturing oil and exfoliation. It is neither too wet or too dry. The exfoliate it rather fine as well so there isn’t a lot of harsh scrubbing. And when you have finished you can just pat away the excess particles without having to rinse them off.

I had one lip scrub that was really heavy on the product left behind. So many sugar particles were left behind that I had to actually rinse it off my lips and then the rinsing took the moisturizing oil so the product felt a bit pointless. While I did have to brush off the excess particles one swipe did it and then it was all good. The nurturing oils stayed behind.

This lip balm smells of peppermint, does an excellent job and personally I like that it has a magnetic cap. I don’t know why that amuses me, but it does. I like feeling the lid pull back into place with a click.

Is it my favorite lip scrub? No. That title still belongs to my Hanalei lip scrub, but this does come in a close second. And to be honest even though it is a close second, I have been reaching for it more often as the Hanalei is in a jar rather than in a stick format. The difference between the two products isn’t that wide a gap and the format of the Milk Makeup product makes me want to use it more. It is one of those times where packaging actually is a benefit to the product. Do I need the magnetic cap? No but it is fun. More importantly is the ease of use that the tube provides along with the good product inside. I enjoy having it around and will continue to use it. Would I pick it up again? Yes. I tend to use lip scrubs once a week and replace them once they have been used up. I like the peppermint scent, and the way the product itself. It is an excellent product that I really enjoy keeping around. While this product will last me a while I have one cousin who is a vegan and fond of peppermint who might be getting one of these in her christmas stocking this year as well.

Petit Vour September Unboxing

Petit Vour is a clean and Vegan Beauty Box subscription with a monthly price of $18. They also have a Petit Vour Plus Subscription for $25 a month. The regular Petit Vour Box (which I subscribe to) offers four to five products per month with the products worth over $50 each month. You can get the subscription price lowered to $15 per month with an yearlong subscription. (the Petit Vour Plus box has five to seven travel and full size products with a value of $100 or more each month.)

Oddly, I think the Petit Vour Plus subscription might end up being an almost direct comparison to the new version of the Allure Beauty box that is coming out in October. Allure isn’t guaranteed clean and vegan of course but the products and price might end up being comparable. I’ll have to check into that as Allure gets going. But that is for future debate – and would require I have a Petit Vour Box to compare it to.

And I am subscribed to the regular Petit Vour Box. Thus far I have really enjoyed each box I’ve received so let’s see what I received this month to try out.

The first item in the September box is the Shine on Stick from KVOSS (retail $28). It looks like it is full sized. If it isn’t then the full sized one must be enormous because this looks full size to me. It is a creamy highlighting stick in a golden shade. I’ve had cream highlighters before but they weren’t in a stick. This should be fun to play around with. While the highlight is just streaked across my hand for the photo, I blended it out with my finger and it melted beautifully into the skin showing a more subtle glow instead of the gold streak.

I also like that there is a makeup item in this one. While I am testing out more and more clean and vegan skincare, trying out clean makeup is a bit of a more daunting task. I’ve picked up several products that were just not good for me and I have also found a couple fabulous ones. Because I don’t know how I will react to some of the changed formulas I like getting them in beauty boxes so I can try them out before committing to a full size. It is far less wasteful that way of both product and money.

Moving on there are two products from Goldfaden, MD in this month’s box. The first is the Needleless Smoothing Face Serum (retail $14). It is supposed to plump skin and prevent fine line depth in a non-invasive way. The second is the Detox Hydrating Gel (retail $10) which is described as a moisturizer that detoxes congested skin.

I have to say both products sound intriguing. I tried the Goldfaden, MD exfoliating scrub and found it a little too harsh for me to use more than once a month. If I did use it once a month it worked really well. More than that was overkill for the product.

I also have a serum that came in this month’s IPSY bag from Goldfadden, MD that I need to try. At the moment I am testing out several Timeless Skincare Products. Perhaps when I am done I will give the a brand trial. I certainly seem to be collecting enough products to at least try it.

The next item is the Pa’akai Cleansing Cream (retail $12). I have to admit, I have seen this around and been curious about it. I have never tried the brand but I see them tucked into various places all the time. And a cream cleanser with Hawaiian salt, hibiscus and seaweed does sound quite unique.

Speaking of seaweed, the final item is from the Seaweed Bath Co and it is the Firming Detox Body Cream (retail $4). It is skin plumping so maybe it will help with my stretch marks. Either way it looks interesting and I am willing to give it a go.

While there is no set theme for these boxes this month seemed to have an underlying theme of detoxification. With the exception of the highlighter pretty much every item in the box had the words repair, renew or detox in the description. Apparently someone at Petit Vour Central realized that after the brutal summer we all suffered though we could all use a little self restoration. I can get behind that. It feels like this summer took a lot more out of me than I expected.

I have to say, this, for me was a really good box. The value ended up being $68 which is more than they promised which I like. Plus they are all products I am going to enjoy trying out. If you are just starting to dip your toe into the clean beauty scene as I am you might want to take a look at the Petit Vour Box. Through them I have managed to find several products I would never have tried on my own but now will actively seek out. Almost as important I have tried things that I thought would be absolutely fabulous, but turned out, weren’t for me (although occasionally I find they are for someone else and I end up adding to my gift idea list). To me that has equal value.

At the moment in addition to their regular subscription Boxes, Petit Vour has several curated boxes available. Not only can you get some fun and fabulous products but 10% of box sales go to Austin Pets Alive. Just use code DONATE10 when you check out.