Burt's Bees Soap Bark and Chammomile Deep Cleansing Cream

I tried this Cleanser for the first time about an hour ago and had to review it right away! I have never really been a Burt's Bees girl but decided to give this a shot because my mom raved about it. Wow am I glad I did. First impression: as soon as it touched my skin I noticed its lotion like consistency and smooth whipped feel, no granules here! I also could pick out the refreshingly sweet chammomile scent right off the bat. I massagged onto my face with just my hands and some warm water for about a minute and noticed that it didn't lather all that much. I also noticed that despite the lack of abrasive granules I still felt like the rich formula absorbed deeply. As soon as I rinsed it off I noticed the most amazing thing; my skin felt tingly! and cool! and as I sit here writing this my skin still feels just as cool and tingly as when I rinsed! Obvioulsy there are some ingredients working magic in that squeezy bottle. 97% natural ones too according to the bottle, the cleanser is "Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate and Paraben Free" My guess is that the Aloe, Rosemary, and Echinacea were what left the fresh cool feel. I also loved this product because due to the Aloe and Coca Butter it moisturized way better than my daily cleanser, which has me smearing on moisturizer as soon as my face is dry. And yet I noticed that some acne on my forehead started healing as soon as I finished massagging. I am such a fan of this product that I may have to replace my daily cleanser with it. Anyway give it a try and leave a review, I'd love to know what you think!

c.Booth Green Apple Microdermabrasion Scrub

I found this scrub in Ulta for $9.99 while looking for an exfoliating scrub that was a little rougher than my usual Aveeno Skin Brightening Daily Scrub. Boy did I find what I was looking for! The combination of lactic acid to brighten skin and coarse micro-granules to resurface makes the scrub extremely abrasive.

 People with sensitive skin might find that the scrub irritating. So if you just can't handle such a coarse scrub this product is not for you. In it's place I recommend Aveeno Skin Brightening Daily Scrub made specially for sensitive skin. It also exfoliates and brightens but a lot more gently also with natural ingredients, and for only $7 at Target. 

However anyone looking for a deep reaching exfoliating scrub will be satisfied, as long as they read the instructions and remember to leave two days between uses. That is a testimony to how powerful the ingredients are. I found that the scrub was not at all drying, smelled pleasantly -if faintly- of green apple, and left my skin about 40% brighter after 2 weeks of use. Also, unlike some scrubs, the feel of clean, bright skin lasts all day. This scrub is another example of why c.Booth is another one of my favorite all natural but still effective brands. 

Origins "Out of Trouble Face Mask

Origins is one of my favorite skin care lines not only because of the natural earth friendly ingredients but because they cater equally well to every type of skin with a variety of great smelling and effective products. The Out of Trouble mask is something I have been using since my teen years when my skin would break out. I started taking care of my skin very young (about 12) and this was one of my favorite products back then too. Basically this mask only has to be left on for ten minutes and is proven to "rapidly respond to problem skin’s plight with a three-part plan - sop up oily-shine, slough off sticky, dead cells, and sweep away irksome debris." The texture is a little grainy but smoothes well onto the skin. 
Personally I like to use it as a spot treatment but am also able to use it as a mask for my combination skin. It doesn't leave your skin feeling parched and dry like some other masks, just refreshed and squeaky clean. The ingredients include Camphor to help heal acne you may already have and Zinc-Oxide to absorb oil and prevent more acne. Somedays if I wake up with a pimple I just smear a little on and after ten minutes it's almost entirely disappeared! It should be noted that while this product does seem aimed at acne treatment, it is also just a great pore cleansing mask that exfoliates deeply. The Out of Trouble Mask is priced at $21, a little pricey for some, but it lasts forever and is absolutely worth it. I think that the ingredients are naturally effective enough that it makes a great alternative to harsh products like Clean and Clear or Proactive. All in all a perfect and reliable "favorite face mask" 

"The Beauty of Color"

"The Beauty of Color" by supermodel Iman is a fabulous beauty guide that celebrates the beauty and differences of ethnic skin, and by ethnic Iman means everything from Hispanic, to Asian, to Caucasian. It starts with the basics, beginning with skin color and type specific cleansers (combination skin troubles anyone?), then moves on to everything from the perfect color foundation to keep from looking like your face is painted on, to my personal favorite; tips and tricks for taming unruly eyebrows. Which before this book were the absolute bane of my existence.


 The book is easy to read, empowering, and humorous. Some highlights are a fabulous section on gorgeous ethnic beauty role models featuring everyone from Salma Hayek to Eva Mendes. It also features fun makeup tutorials with step by step instructions to recreate specific looks. These have full page glossy pictures in case your not a directions type of gal. Overall a great go to guide for everyone, but especially for racial minorities that feel unrepresented when it comes to dealing with specific beauty battles that pertain to their skin color or hair type. I know that if you try it you'll love it as much as I did. So give it a chance-you won't regret it- and leave your own review.