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.

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.

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.

Gone in a flash: The 3 minute flash mask from Ursa Major

Normally I just post the Friday Face Mask, and try to just use masks I’ve already talked about during the week, but today I have something a little different. Instead of my fifteen minute Friday afternoon face mask break, I have a three minute Bright and Easy Flash Mask from Ursa Major. I received two small jars of this from my July Petit Vour box (one is pictured above) and I decided it would be nice to use it on a regular week day since it took so short a time.

Normally during the week I use masks at night because most days I can’t take a 15- 20 minute chunk out of my work day. It makes Friday special. Well one of the reasons anyway. I figured as this was only three minutes, I might be able to actually try it out during the day without a major calamity.

While there are no weight markers on my containers, the full sized jar is 1.57 fl oz and retails for $44. So what does this flash mask do?

Well…

This gentle but oh-so-effective “flash” enzyme face treatment enhances the appearance of skin’s tone, elasticity, luminosity and firmness – all without the irritation associated with harsh scrubs or chemical peels.

Brightens and clarifies, Boosts the appearance of firmness and elasticity, Balances the look of skin tone and texture, Easy-rinsing gel formula

The mask on the face just makes the skin look a little bit wet.

I’ve tried a 5 minute Pomegranate mask from Korres which I enjoyed, and have on my repeat purchase list and this flash mask also includes pomegranate so I had high hopes. Especially when I saw the rest of the ingredients. There are some pretty good things in there such as witch hazel and aloe that my skin tends to like.

Ingredients
Aloe barbadensis (aloe vera) leaf juice*, hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel) leaf juice*, alcohol*, glycerin, sodium levulinate, sodium anisate, lactobacillus/punica granatum ferment extract, populus tremuloides (aspen) bark extract, sclerotium gum, pectin, water/aqua/eau, sodium hyaluronate, medicago sativa (alfalfa) extract*, hibiscus sabdariffa flower extract*, salix alba (willow) bark extract, copper PCA, caprylic/capric triglyceride, rose extract, vanilla planifolia fruit extract, cucumis sativus (cucumber) fruit extract, santalum album (sandalwood) wood extract, passiflora incarnata fruit extract, prunus armeniaca (apricot) fruit extract, rubus idaeus (raspberry) fruit extract, cananga odorata flower extract, cucumis melo cantalupensis fruit extract, coffea arabica (coffee) seed extract, cocos nucifera (coconut) fruit extract, citrus aurantium dulcis (orange) peel extract, prunus amygdalus (sweet almond) fruit extract, citrus limon (lemon) peel extract, ananas sativus (pineapple) fruit extract, citrus grandis (grapefruit) peel extract, aniba rosaeodora (rosewood) wood extract, lavandula angustifolia (lavender) extract * Denotes organic
Ursa Major Product page

So onto the face it went. I will say that I only needed half of the jar to cover my face completely so my two little jars have enough product for four face masks. And I didn’t look like a bank robber. The mask just made my face look wet.

I really like that Petit Vour gave me enough product to try this mask repeatedly. The mask went on well and smells slightly tart but mostly sort of grassy. I’m guessing that’s the alfalfa. It smoothed over my skin and I’m not going to lie it felt like I was sort of putting jelly on my face. Some sort of weird colorless jelly, but still, jelly.

It applied well and it didn’t warm up and drip or anything it stayed exactly where I put it. I think from the consistency when I applied it I was expecting it to drip as it warmed to my body temperature. It did not.

I know the images don’t line completely up and I apologize but it does show before and after, personally I think my skin looks better after. I’m still having breakouts, but that is not from the product.

There was a slight tingle, but it was really very slight. More like a wash of cool air over wet skin than a chemical tingle. I’ll admit I was worried as I thought anything with that short a wait time might have a super chemical burn. This did not.

It was light and pleasant and after three minutes rinsed off cleanly. I don’t know if my skin felt firmer after using it, but my skin felt soft and hydrated and to my eyes looked refreshed as though I took a nap when no one was looking. I wouldn’t call it luminous, but I will say it is somewhat brighter which I consider a definite benefit.

I think this is a mask I would like to keep on hand for days when I feel a bit draggy and have a little time before an important meeting. I think taking the three minutes, using the mask and then applying makeup for the meeting would do wonders for my ability to look awake and vibrant. (clearly in the photos I applied no makeup.) I am really happy this product came in my Petit Vour box, because I had never even heard of this company. Now, it is on my watch list. It also makes me wonder what sort of goodies will come in my August Petit Vour Box.

Petit Vour July 2020 Unboxing

And a happy national Lipstick day to each and every one of you. I hope you are flaunting your favorite shades today. While my lips are clad in my favorite Kristopher Buckle Cashmere lip in Bardot (it wasn’t in my make up bag again this week, but I couldn’t resist bringing it out in celebration today) let me tell you about this month’s Petit Vour Box.

Oh yes my darlings, it too finally came in the mail. There are two levels to this subscription, the Petit Vour beauty Box and the Beauty Box plus (Plus has 5-7 travel and full sized items for $25 per month). My subscription is for the regular Petit Vour beauty box and features four cruelty free items each month. You get the occasional full sized item, but most are deluxe samples.

The box is $16 per month and this is actually my second month receiving the box and thus far I am really liking it. Last month I found an exfoliating scrub I never would have come across on my own and that I have now placed on my to be ordered again list. It was from B kind and I really like how gentle, yet effective it was. The link is to my full review. The product can be purchased both at the company site or on the Petit Vour site. I know they have a points system for rewards based on purchases but I haven’t had the subscription long enough to play around with it.

But on to this month’s box. The first Item is from Province Apothecary and it is a deluxe sized cleanser and makeup remover (retail $20). As I am almost finished with my Elemis Cleansing Balm, it is pretty good timing to have this arrive now.

The big decision is whether I want to squirrel away the remaining Elemis and start testing the Province Apothecary or just bite the bullet, finish the Elemis and let it go. Either way, this will soon take its place in my bathroom next to my Make up Eraser and we will see how well it removes make up. With luck I’ll like it just as much as the Elemis.

Makeup Eraser: 20% OFF YOUR ENTIRE PURCHASE! Use code: ECOFRIENDLY20

The second item in my box this month is the Antonym Cosmetics Natural Waterproof Eye Pencil.(retail $19)It is a brown eye pencil, which I have to admit I don’t have a lot of. It is a standard pencil format, which isn’t my favorite, but the product did feel nice on my hand and not too sharp feeling so it should be fine.

In addition it has its own rather substantial pencil sharpener on the end. So when it gets dull I won’t have to go looking for a sharpener. It’s always nice to avoid a panicked search for a missing tool when you are half made up. It arrived too late to be in this week’s make up bag, but perhaps I’ll put it into the bag for a trial next week.

The third Item actually came in two little potted containers. It is the Ursa major flash mask. (retail $12). I’m not entirely certain if that means each pot is one use or what so I will have to investigate before I use them.

I like the idea of a three minute mask, especially if it matches the claims of increasing firmness and restoring luminosity. I’m not going to give up my fifteen minute relaxation time each Friday with my face masks, but perhaps a mid-week pick me up for my skin wouldn’t be a bad thing. Perhaps I’ll make it a self care reward for making it through a particularly grueling work out.

Finally there is a Sea Clay Body mask (retail $8) from Formulary. I have to say I am intrigued by the thought of slathering myself in sea clay, spa style, but the package suggests it is most effective on the neck, back and décolletage, so perhaps I will reign myself in. As my décolletage has taken a beating due to my propensity for v-necked shirts while working in the garden, it wouldn’t be a bad thing to treat that particular section of my body to an extra special treat.

All in all, I am really pleased with my subscription this month. It is my second month and just like the first, I received items I will definitely use and want to try. My plan was originally to test out this subscription for three months to see if I like it. I suspect I will not only keep this subscription past the three month mark, but if it continues to be such an excellent selection, around month six I may be considering upgrading to the Plus level of the beauty box, especially if I decide to let other beauty boxes go. For now however I am just going to use my products and report back. Who knows, I might find another new favorite.

Does the Lauren B Beauty Nail Growth Serum really Work?

The Lauren B Nail growth Serum came in my June Petit Vour box and I have to say I was very eager to try it out. My nails have taken a beating this year. I fought an ongoing battle in the garden with both bunnies and bindweed this year. While the bunnies could be scared off with a squirt from the hose and threats regarding my grandmother’s mustard based marinade, the bind weed was immune to insults.

And empty culinary threats.

I’m pretty sure the rabbits even know that non-lethal hose is my only weapon.

But at least they still run.

The bindweed just sort of digs in deeper and holds on tight. Even with gloves on, my nails needed some help. So again, I was happy to give the Nail Growth Serum from Lauren B a try. But what is it? Well according to the website…

Salvation for fragile, brittle nails that refuse to grow. This sheer blend of amino acids, antioxidants, Vitamins E and C, peptides and biotin sinks in instantly to boost natural nail growth and strength. Brush it directly onto your nails before applying polish, or on bare nails once or twice a day.

Directions: Use thin applicator brush to apply directly onto the base of nails where your nail and cuticle meet (the half moon portion) allow formula to sink in for 5 min before rinsing off, applying polish, cremes etc. Best to use on clean bare nails, or over polish that is completely dried. Use once or twice a day. Pro tip: keep this product on your bed side table and apply each night before bed so you do not forget. This will also allow the formula to sink into your matrix of nail and to work. Keep container closed tight when not in use and stored in neutral environment.

I feel the need to point out that I did not read the full directions before I started applying. I only read the first paragraph (the part before the word directions – yeah I know, I amaze myself sometimes too).

Thumb at the start (with polish remnants)

The first thing I did was trim off the ratty bits on the ends of my nails. The parts that got dinged up in the ongoing battle with Bindweed. Without the damage, my nails tend to be rather healthy.

So I applied it onto my nails and waited for it to dry a little, then applied polish.

I do not recommend doing that. The formula never really dries down and while the polish goes over the formula covered nail well with seemingly no problem, when you go you wash your hands (which I have been doing a LOT recently, as I’m sure we all have) at a later point in time, the nail polish sort of slides right off. Seriously, in one clean sheet. It was most disconcerting, yet oddly intriguing at the same time.

Figuring out that I might have done something wrong, I returned to the site and this time read ALL of the directions.

Yeah, either wash your hands after giving it time to sink in and then polish your nails or just apply it along the cuticles overnight. I tried it over polish, but the formula just felt greasy and I think the polish kept it from soaking in. Just go bare nails for this one is my suggestion.

So once I figured out how to use the product how did it perform?

Well my nails did not grow out by a mile in the past few weeks. They do however feel stronger and less inclined to break and chip. I ended up trimming several of them down because the tips of the nails were damaged from my gardening activities.

I think the trimming eradicated the weakest part of the nails and the serum helped ensure that what grew back was healthier and stronger. I would call it more of a nail strengthening serum rather than a nail growth serum as I think adding the word growth creates different expectations.

Yes, stronger nails are less likely to break and therefore grow longer, so it isn’t a misnomer, I just think it is really about strength not length.

I also think that having to pay nightly attention to my nails helped as well. I found myself filing small dings and trimming away ragged bits nightly instead of when I sat down to do my nails (once a week).

The nightly attention helped them out a lot as well. I don’t think this will be a continuous use product for me, but I could see keeping it on hand for the times when my nails do take a beating.

As I know that occurs two times a year, once when I deal with the garden in the spring and once in the fall when I prepare the garden for winter, it would get use then. Since I trimmed and filed the dings and chips out of my nails before applying it each night, it also kept small divots from being large breaks. It forced me to take care of problems when they were small rather than leave them for the week and possible additional damage the following day.

I think if I knew I was going to an event I wanted my nails to look nice for, I might use it the two weeks prior to the event so that I could ensure I paid attention to the nails. Do I consider this an essential item to keep around, no. Nor do I consider it some sort of miracle growth formula, but it is kind of fun to add to my at home manicure while it lasts. It was also a nice product to get in a subscription box as I don’t know if I would have ever picked this up on my own. As the subscription box was Petit Vour, I also know that this product is clean, vegan and cruelty free. While I tend to think of those elements in my skin care items, I don’t always think of them when dealing with my nails. Perhaps in the future, I will.

Reviewing The Celery Green Cream from Volition

A while back Volition sent me three products to use and review. One by one I feathered them into my skin care regime and have given them each a month long trial to see how I liked them and how my skin reacted to the products.

Volition is a crowdsourced skincare brand that produces clean, cruelty free, vegan products. The crowdsourced is something I find very interesting. (although the clean and cruelty free are also very important too). According to their site anyone who has an idea for a product that they’d like to see created can send in their ideas. Volition then floats the idea to their community of voting participants (I believe you can sign up to be a member of that quite easily on their website) If the idea gets enough votes, then it is passed on to a team of professionals who turn the idea into an actual product.

Each of the three products sent to me came with a little card telling me about the innovator who came up with the idea for the product. Aja came up with the idea for the Prizmatic Luminizing Shield. Keidy came up with the concept for the Snow Mushroom Water Serum and Nastia Liukin was the innovator behind the Celery Green Cream that I am reviewing today. So what is the Celery Green Cream from Volution?

According to the website…

Celery. A classic staple turned modern juicing powerhouse. It’s the superstar ingredient in this oil-free face moisturizer that purifies and minimizes the appearance of pores for healthier-looking skin. This moisturizer hydrates and visibly plumps, helps minimize the appearance of pores and uneven skin texture, and purifies. It is good for enlarged, clogged pores, fine lines and wrinkles, uneven skin texture and tone.

Full Ingredients list: Water/Aqua/Eau, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Cetearyl Olivate, Apium Graveolens (Celery) Seed Extract, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf, Cucumis Melo Cantalupensis Fruit Extract, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Extract, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Fruit Extract, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Lactic Acid, Polysorbate 20, Calcium Stearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Carbomer, Sorbitan Olivate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Hydroxide, Decyl Glucoside, Lauryl Glucoside, Bismuth Oxychloride, Chromium Oxide Greens, Citric Acid, Mica, Potassium Sorbate.
Volitionbeauty.com

So those are the claims. Now let’s talk about the product. As I said, it comes with an innovator card that lets you know a little bit about the person who created the product. The product itself comes in a nice glass jar with a screw top lid. The label is sleek and clean and I have to say I like that the label can be peeled off easily so that the jar can be reused. Because quite frankly, this is the kind of jar that can be easily reused and that I probably will reuse.

But packaging is one thing, product is another. When you open the jar there is a thin inner plastic lid covering the product. I like the inner lids keeping the product and the outer lid separated. Keeping as much air away from the product as possible is always a good thing.

When this inner lid is pried up, the cream is revealed. It is a light green, almost celadon color and it smells fresh and clean.

It actually reminds me of the celery soda we used to get at the deli when I was a kid. Without the bubbles of course. I suppose it is to be expected since it too was made with celery seed. There is a very light vegetal quality to the clean scent, but it isn’t an added scent, just a natural one and it isn’t overpowering in the slightest.

My baby doll is much more sensitive to scents then I am and when he sniffed it, his reaction was to say it smelled clean not scented. I don’t think it would bother anyone who is scent sensitive. It is mostly only noticeable when you first open the jar and dissipates quickly.

The consistency is of a thin gel or water cream and I found my skin drank it up quickly. There was no sticky feeling left behind, which I have on occasion had with these types of formulas before. It sat under my makeup beautifully and kept me hydrated throughout the day.

Prior to transitioning into using this moisturizer, I had several stress related breakouts and have been treating them. Sometimes the treatment dries out the skin around the problem and sometimes instead of hydrating the skin around the treated area, moisturizers just make things greasy and irritated.

I did not have that problem with the Celery Green Cream. It moisturized the dry patches and didn’t irritate the inflamed area. I don’t normally have overly sensitive skin, but those were my sensitive areas and it handled them beautifully while they were healing.

I used this moisturizer as my main moisturizer for a month. I applied it twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. While it was beautiful during the day, I found I needed a little something extra at night. Not every night though. Instead of using a night cream every night, I found that I could use my night cream once or twice a week as an added boost to my night time moisturizing. Generally, I found that the boost was needed after I spent large portions of the day outside in the heat.

I suppose it shouldn’t be terribly surprising as on those days I was also drinking a lot more water. I think that while working outside in the garden or walking on the walking trail, I just sweated out enough moisture that my entire body simply craved more hydration in every form. And as I love masks in all forms, especially night masks I can wear while sleeping, I had no problem adding an extra product a couple of times a week.

While I really liked using this moisturizer, for me, I think the consistency of it lends itself to warm weather months. Once the weather starts to turn cooler, I tend to switch to a transition moisturizer which has a thicker consistency than the gel like moisturizers of summer and then as fall fades to winter I tend to want a thicker, more full bodied cream. This is, however a fantastic summer cream.

Using it my skin felt hydrated and used in conjunction with the Snow Mushroom Water Serum I actually saw a plumping of the skin and a reduction of the fine lines around the corners of my eyes. While I doubt anything natural will get rid of the line running across my forehead, I noticed it didn’t get any more pronounced while I used this cream. I’m calling that a win.

There is about two to three weeks of moisturizer left in my jar of product as I write this. I will be finishing this jar of moisturizer and slowly weaving additional products into my routine in order to give them a fair trial.

While this Celery Green Cream was sent to me by Volition, in the spring, my summer skin care preparation is going to include ordering a new jar of this moisturizer along with the Snow Mushroom Water Serum. As for the Prismatic Illuminating Shield, the sunscreen designed for those who hate sunscreen, I will be reordering that as soon as the bottle starts to feel too light for comfort. It is not something I want to run out of anytime soon.

Speaking of ordering, the links located throughout this site are for volitionbeauty.com. Volitionbeauty.com only ships to US and Canada, so if you are located in other countries, you and want to give Volition a try you can go through @cultbeauty, which ships Volition Beauty worldwide, and @meccamaxima / @meccacosmetica which ship to Australia and New Zealand.

I personally really enjoyed my trial of Volition and will feel very sad when my jar of Celery Green Cream comes to an end. At least I know, I can always recycle the jar. And as Volition has a skin care test to ask questions regarding all your skin’s needs, I will be going back through and looking at the other products listed. The three I tried, were all recommended on that list and my skin really enjoyed them. It gives my high hopes for the other recommended products.

Testing out B Kind’s Sensitive Skin Facial Scrub

The tube of B Kind’s Sensitive Skin Face Scrub (travel size)

In June’s Petit Vour Box, I received the cutest little tube of exfoliating facial scrub from B Kind. I don’t know why I find the little tube so cute. I think because it is not only small but chubby. But packaging and its cuteness is beside the point, it is the product that counts. There turned out to be a surprising amount of product in the little tube. I wasn’t certain there would be enough to do a fair trial to be honest, but I thought I’d get an an initial reaction out of it. Given the amount of product actually in the tube, it turned out there was enough for me to get a good handle on it after all. So to the review…

Officially, this is the Sensitive Skin Face Scrub with Cranberry and Hibiscus from the company B Kind.

On the site it claims:

Our cranberry seeds and hibiscus face scrub has been created for your skin to be softly exfoliated and hugely moisturized at the same time.

Perfect for sensitive or dry skin: this face scrub will leave your skin smooth, glowing and moisturized.

Now I have to say that I shouldn’t be surprised that it is a pinkish, dare I say, cranberry color. To be honest, I’m certain the hibiscus is the color culprit there. I have grown hibiscus before and it stains everything that color. There are currently several jars of hibiscus jam in my cupboard that are only a few shades lighter.

For some reason I was expecting it to be white though. I’m not entirely sure why. There is no real reason it should be. And it isn’t, it is pinky-mauve.

It is also a very good gentle exfoliate. It is a physical exfoliate rather than a chemical one, but I didn’t find it too abrasive on my skin. It is either extremely finely milled or the cranberry seeds used for exfoliation purposes are exceedingly tiny. To be fair it could be a combination of the two. I’ve never actually seen cranberry seeds. I lack the garden bog to give growing them at home a go. I will say that because the exfoliate is a seed that is mixed in with the cream, it is rather soft. It still exfoliates but I can see why it is geared towards sensitive skin. My skin had no problems with it during my use of the product.

I also only used it once a week for the duration of my use. Sensitive skin oriented or not, this isn’t something I would feel comfortable using every day. Once a week was perfect for me though. And as it had four uses in the tiny tube, I managed to get a month’s worth if use out of it. The reason I got so much use out of it is because it really doesn’t take much to cover your entire face. The little squirt pictured in my hand in the photo was all I really needed. It comes out thick, but spreads far over the skin as the heat from your skin warms it up. A little dab is all that is necessary.

The color remained with the product instead of transferring, although on the face it made me look a bit like I face planted in the garden and then rolled around a bit for good measure. The skin just looks slightly dirty for a moment, and then you wash and all is well. Plus your skin feels amazing. Or at least mine did. I felt glowy and refreshed.

This is a natural, vegan, cruelty free product and the packaging is recyclable. All things I really like and very much appreciate. It was made in Montreal, as was a large chunk of my family.

Although, I don’t really think any skin care company should be thought of in the same context as my Great Uncle Rene. He had skin like leather, smoked like a chimney, drank like a fish and was killed by a bus. He was surprisingly healthy until the bus. He always claimed it was because he was made in Montreal. Well, before the bus anyway. Because of his claims, he is the first thing that pops into my head when I see Made in Montreal on something.

I offer my deepest apologies to the city.

If it helps, the bus wasn’t even in Montreal.

But clearly I digress.

I really liked the facial scrub and enjoyed using it enough to purchase a full size and poke around on the website to see what other products they have in their skin care line as it was a quality product. My one criticism, is that it did leave the feeling of a slightly waxy residue on my skin. It wasn’t a lot of residue, just a little, but it was noticeable.

The website claims that it is part of the skin enhancing benefits and recommends that you only wash it off with plain water so that the ingredients remain on the skin to do their work. I tried, I really did, but it just felt waxy on my skin. I think part of the reason is that the skin care benefits, beyond the exfoliation, look like they are geared towards dry skin. While my skin falls into the normal category, it tends to skew towards oily in the warmer months and towards dry in the winter. Perhaps if I tried this again in the winter I would not have an issue with simply using water and leaving it to sit. As it was, I had to wash with more than water.

As this was a part of my skin care regime, sandwiched between my makeup removing balm and my face wash on the nights I used it, the residue was not really an issue. It would only be an issue if I were using I alone. As I always wash my face after a physical exfoliant, just to make certain it is all gone, this is a non-issue for me, but it is something you might want to be aware of if adding this to your routine. Perhaps with dryer skin, you will find this more helpful.

While I’m at it, I have to add one more thumbs up on pricing. The full size of the B Kind Sensitive Skin Face Scrub is $28 (it is 48 g as opposed to the 15 g travel size pictured in this post). This is a good price for a really good product. Given how little is needed for each use, I think it is a very good value.

I’ve noticed that some companies start raising prices on skin care once it gets to be clean, natural and vegan. Not all of them, but enough that I naturally think that clean and natural products are going to be more expensive. Perhaps that is just me and not a larger reflection. Or perhaps it was, but things are now changing. Either way, I am happy to see this quality of a product offered at this sort of price.

It also makes me really glad I’m going to be getting another Petit Vour box this month, because I honestly would not have found this on my own and I am really glad that I have now found it. At the moment it is tied with my favorite Skin and Co Face Gommage for my favorite physical exfoliator. I will be looking into their other products and possibly seeing if they have an exfoliant not geared towards dry skin for the summer months. Even without dry skin, this is a product I can easily see myself ordering.