DIY intensive & super cheap exfoliator.

 I sure wish I'd have remembered to get a photo of my finished product, it was lovely, but I forgot! I used a pretty glass jar (with a lid of course) and printed out my own label for the front that said "made by your sister with tons of love and natural ingredients". Hee-hee.

As you may have guessed, this was a body/face scrub I made as a gift for my sister's birthday. I've used this scrub myself for many years and have even told you over a year ago how to do it yourself. I thought I'd update you though. 

This is absolutely the best exfoliator I've ever used! You read me saying "cornmeal is the best thing for exfoliation" all the time. Now you know that I do practice what I preach! I'll give you a brief little DIY and if you have questions, simply message me. I like to try and keep these simple & short.

INGREDIENTS YOU'LL NEED:
 *add as much as you like, mixture ratio depends on the amount you desire to make*


-Cornmeal
-Coffee
-8 Tablespoons lemon juice

-Aloe vera gel, preferrably straight from the plant, but if you have the ol' sunburn gel, it will suffice.

-Vitamin E (capsule form will work, simply punch a hole with a tack or needle and squeeze into jar)

- Brown sugar. I filled my large jar with one part cornmeal, one part brown sugar and one part regular sugar.

-Tea tree oil & a crushed multi-vitamin (both optional)

-Fragrance (optional)

-And any healing essential oil you already prefer using. I added a teaspoon of pure antioxidants.

-Green or Black tea (you can use the grains straight from a small tea bag.)

-3 tablespoons honey. 

As you see, I used a mixing cup to mix things. The goal is not to blend, but to mix. After filling the large jar with my entire mixture, I added about an inch of water since the mixture is already so thick. 

Dump contents into the jar of your choice and then tightly put the cap on and shake. If things are left uneven, stick a straw into the jar and mix. 

Print out a label of your choice and punch a hole in the paper to thread some hemp or ribbon through, then tie it around the jar's neck in a bow. It looks beautiful once finished and is a gift everybody in my family loves! My sister has thoroughly enjoyed hers. 

This is a pretty intense exfoliator. If it's too harsh, limit the cornmeal and sugar and add more water. I like it harsh though as it works wonders on dry, cracked feet & elbows. It'll definitely leave your skin pink and clean! 

Oh how I wish I'd have gotten a photo of the finished product. It looked so nice guys! :( I hope you'll try this. If you do, tell me how it goes. Or do you already make your own scrubs? I'd love to hear about them!

Questions can be sent to my email. I'll answer quickly for you, my loves.



Much love,
Kendra

My Pearl Of The Day Blue Flame Purifying Gel

 Astara Bio-genic Skincare has been the absolute best skin care products I have ever used. I'll start with the Blue Flame Purifying Gel Cleanser.

The Blue Flame Purifying Gel Cleanser is designed for blemish prone, oily and combination skin.  My skin has a mind of its own.  I have the combination thing happening most days where my skin is dry, but I'll have the oily T-zone thing going on and there's no mistaking the large pores I have on my cheeks and forhead. I've used about every single skin care product available and have seen bad and decent results and even amazing results, but they rarely lasted longer than a month. 

While the Blue Flame Purifying Gel is great for my kind of skin, I'm pretty certain it would be helpful on most skin types whether it's oily, dry or both. 

My experience:

The Blue Flame Purifying Cleanser helped my skin with the very first use. It evened out my oily and dry problem and left my skin equally moisturized without being oily or giving an overly shiny look, which is a very common result when using products for dry skin. You only end up with oily skin! Talk about frustrating. 

I didn't even need my regular moisturizer after using the Blue Flame Purifying Cleanser! I've even been skipping my fine lines and wrinkle prevention/diminishing cream! 

We just went to Panama on vacation and that alone was harsh on my skin. The sun, the salt, chlorine and exhaustion from the trip home had me looking like an awful mess. I wasn't happy with the way my skin was looking. I had dryness, some peeling, blemishes and awful dark circles which were caused from lack of sleep, exhaustion from the trip home and from being sick the day we travelled home! What a nightmare. 

My point is, I was really relieved to have Astara when I got home. I was looking like hell to be honest and I knew I'd look somewhat less hobo-esque after using the Blue Flame Purifying Cleanser. 

After the first use my skin took a dramatically new appearance and looked healthy, glow-y, dewy and energetic. I didn't have the pale, dark circles and it's heavy duty for cleaning dirt from pores! It was the first time I'd seen clean pores on my face in 2 weeks. 

I felt like a new person after looking in the mirror. It's an awesome product! It gave my skin an immediate boost (not to mention my self-esteem!)

The Blue Flame Cleanser isn't labelled as a treatment for aging or dark circles and fine lines, but the lines and circles under my eyes were completely gone! They look great. 

I also found it to be amazing for getting stubborn make-up off the face. 

About the Blue Flame Cleanser

When applying the cleanser to my face I notice a unique scent. It smells very clean and I'm able to smell some of the awesome ingredients. I really like the smell of this stuff.

It works wonders on oily and dry skin by balancing sebum production.

It's super gentle on the skin and leaves my face extremely smooth and soft.  

  

Ingredients:
Water, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium Lauroamphoacetate, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Sugar Cane Extract And Citrus Extract And Apple Extract And Green Tea Extract, Salix Nigra (Willowbark) Extract, Water (And) Phoenix Dactylifera (Date) Extract (And) Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Extract (And) Fragaria Chiloensis (Strawberry) Fruit Extract, Peg-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, Yeast Extract, Citrus Sinensis (Orange) Oil, Cymbopogon Flexuosus (Lemongrass) Oil, Citrus Paradisi (Pink Grapefruit) Oil, Citrus Bergamia (Bergamot) Oil, Citrus Aurantifolia (Petitgrain) Oil, Backhousia Citriodora (Lemon Myrtle) Oil, Citrus Reticulata (Tangerine) Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavander) Oil, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Oil, Melaleuca Quinquenervia (Niaouli) Oil, Artemisia Ludoviciana (Owyhee) Oil Caprylyl/ Capryl Glucoside, Totarol

Montagne Jeunesse - Passion Fruit and Pomegranate

                     PASSION PEEL OFF FACIAL MASK
                                   Deep cleansing facial mask by Montagne Juenesse

What a great sounding and looking mask, huh? I love the color and the ease of the peel off masks. While the muds and cream masks aren't exactly messy, the peel-offs are even more a breeze, especially if you're in a real hurry!

There's nothing to clean up, you simply apply and peel off. Some tiny pieces can get stuck, but if you're careful to lift all the edges first and then start peeling, you'll get the majority off in one quick step. If something does get left behind, you just pluck it right off!

TIP: Applying a thick layer of the Passion Peel off mask will make peeling off much easier and leave less bits behind.

With pomegranate and passion flower (sounds beautiful!) this mask peels off dead skin revealing fresh, new and bright skin. No moisturizers or thick make-ups needed after one of these!

This isn't like the creamy, thick masks. The peel-off is lighter and thin, but just as effective. It's really entertaining to peel it off and see what it pulls away. We actually enjoy this more than we probably should. Lol. The Passion Flower Mask cleanses and purifies and protects the skin. Awesome!

This mask is suitable for T-zone, normal and dry skin, but I think it would be great for all skin types. Some of the amazing ingredients are Pulped pomegranate, Passion flower, Raspberry, Grape, Cranberry and Vitamin E and anti oxidants. Those sound so delicious to me! Sounds like it'd make a wonderful drink.

Unlike the muds, you only need to apply a thin layer of this mask to a clean face. Applying a tad bit extra will make peeling off easier. The mask dries in 15-26 minutes, in my experience and my skin feels and looks so glowingly lovely afterward. I'll usually save the muds and creams for night time (wouldn't want to do it during the day and have the kids come home terrified that I'm bright blue! Lol) But this subtle purple peel off is something I like to use while getting the house cleaned and before leaving. Then I leave with a fresh glow, not one that's been slept on! The results are great and my few scars have appeared less noticeable lately.

This mask contains some awesome ingredients including the healing Aloe! As the product page states, Passion Flower and Pomegranate are rich in potassium and Vitamin C. Very nice!

Like all the masks, this one too is Nut derivative and paraben free.

Don't forget Montagne Jeunesse offers more than just facial masks. In earlier posts, I've listed many of their other wonderful products. Keep in mind they have both male and female products! & You know I ain't gonna let you forget the outstanding prices!

My Pearl Of The Day

My Pearl Of The Day is the lovely Better Botanicals products.

         BETTER BOTANICALS APRICOT EYE THERAPY
  I’ll start off by saying this: BETTER BOTANICALS IS JUST SUPER! I’ve been “experimenting” with many of their different body and face products and I’ve been happy with every one of them.

  First, there’s the Apricot Eye Therapy which is a rich cream that you gently pat under/around eyes for an uplifting, eye popping look. It brightened my entire eye area. I love this stuff. It has a light fragrance to it, but it’s really not noticeable. It smooths out the fine lines and wrinkles. I’m telling you, this is perfect for any eyes. It kind of lifts and firms slightly too. It doesn’t leave the skin looking or feeling greasy or sticky and most eye creams do. I can’t stand that. The Apricot Eye Therapy is PH balanced.

                                             ROSE TULSI MIST
   Then there’s the Rose Tulsi Hydrating Mist to soothe and replenish your skin. Also, you can dab a little on mid-day and give your skin a brighter, more alive look. The Rose Tulsi Mist also detoxifies your skin. It is highly hydrating and leaves your skin smooth with no left behind greasy-ness.

One thing I really love about Better Botanicals Is that none of their products EVER leave your skin looking or feeling greasy and leaves no residue. I am so grateful for that! It does give your face a nice fresh glow.



                        AYURVEDIC HYDRATING BODY OIL
   The Ayurvedic Hydrating oil smells and feels so nice! The pack says to massage the oil on your body using upward stroking motions and circular motions around your joints. I’m not too sure why, but it works well! It has a really pretty scent. It smells a bit on the exotic side. Coconut tanning oil is what it reminds me of. It sounds like it would feel like sun tan oil on your skin too, but surprisingly it doesn’t. It leaves a shiny look to your skin, but is not greasy in any way. Most oils cause lint and hair to stick to your body because it’s oil. The Ayurvedic Oil really rubs in well and doesn’t cause yucky residue. It is very hydrating and leaves your skin silky. I thought it worked well after shaving. It smooths your skin and it kind of seemed to enhance the look of my tan and much better than a lotion does!

  It contains carrot, sesame, sunflower and sweet almond. I like the unique ingredients in Better Botanicals products. They seem to all be highly effective.


                          CHAMOMILE HYDRATING CLEANSER

   The Chamomile Hydrating Cleanser is a thick, rich and creamy cleasner with a light scent of lemon. It very refreshing and feels wonderful after massaging all over then rinsing with warm water. My face looked so clean and soft. I had peeling all over from tanning & the Chamomile Hydrating Cleanser worked wonders for that. It takes off even the thickest make-up.

  When I first used the cleanser I wondered how well it would do with my crazy purple glitter all over my eye lids. I could not believe that it wiped every last speck of glitter and mascara right away. I lightly used a wash cloth and the cleanser to get the make-up and glitter off and it only took one swipe across the eyes (a little extra on the thick mascara) and a quick rinse. Thank God for this cleanser! I have the hardest time getting my glitter to come off at the end of the day. Usually, I end up scrubbing my face & still have flecks of glitter all over my cheeks 3 days later. I then end up sticking tape to my face over and over to try and remove the glitter. I didn't have any problems like that after using the cleanser! Now that my lovies, is a good cleanser! If you can take all of my glitter, powder and mascara off then you'll be a long term friend of mine.

  Well done Better Botanicals! I would definitely rate this a 10. It deserves it!

                                      JOJOBA CLARIFYING SCRUB
  Now, this one is pretty much my #1 fav! The Jojoba Clarifying Scrub
  This Jojoba Clarifying Scrub is a never-fail. It's so super! I love that even when my skin looks it's absolute worst (and believe me, IT DOES!) I can slap some of this scrub on, massage or even just let it sit while I wash my hair and rinse it with warm water and have a clean, flawless face. This has to be my new favorite facial scrub.

  It even looks neat. It's a dark green like color with all kinds of good botanical-y chunks to pamper your face. Although you may look monster-ish while it's on your face, you can be sure you'll look your best when it's rinsed!

  It clears al make-up and yucky clogged pores. No face scrub has ever gotten so deep down and dirty like this one when it comes to cleaning out the pores. They looked so small and my face was soft and even immediately after the first use.

  This is one heck of a scrub and you can be sure I'll be raving about it for the rest of my life. I have to admit, it's the only effective scrub I've used that didn't leave my face terribly dry and tight. I hate when products leave my skin tight and dry. The main reason I use scrubs is to help the dryness & all from tanning and just normally dry skin and nothing is worse than trying to fix it only to have it turn out worse.

  You can also use the Jojoba Clarifying Scrub on your body & I'm sure it'd make a nice foot scrub too. My face was so plump and scrubbed clean from make-up and clogged pores, and sweat. It just looked great for days.

  Incase you are wondering about the good chunky stuff in the scrub, it contains papaya, fenugreek, Jojoba beads,  and hawthorn berry. This too is Ph balanced. I think the scrub deserves a 10. A real pearl and a must-have for every skin type! I will most definitely recommend it to anyone.

 

Brightening Facial Serum

                                - Vitamin C Brightening Facial Serum -

  This is certainly an Exuberance Beauty Pearl! I loved how radiant it made my skin! I had a beautiful complexion after using this one. I was really surprised at what a difference it made.

  The Vitamin C Brightening Facial Serum is definitely a beautiful glow-enhancing serum. It really brings out your skin and features. It's light and doesn't leave much of a residue behind, it did on my fingers, but nothing noticeable or uncomfortable on the face.

  The serum is white and a little thicker than most serums which I liked because it keeps it from spilling out everywhere or dripping. It's not quite as thick as a lotion or cream, but just enough to keep from making a mess.

  It left my face with a velvet-y kind of feel. I also used it over my make-up and it did very well! It didn't cause any smears or splotches. It did seem to add extra coverage on spots. 

  I'm definitely a huge fan of Vitamin C facial products. It always makes my face look nice, a very hydrating serum too! It kept me from needing a thick, yucky moiturizer.

  PROS:

1. Soft, gentle. Leave no residue behind on the face.

2. It fights the damage of free raidcals.

3. Very hydrating and healthy for your skin.

4. Kept my face from looking oily after sweating.

5. It left my skin with a slight velvet-y feel.

6. It's not thick, but still rich enough to do it's job and well!

7. It keeps skin looking radiant and bright. No chance of dullness with this serum!


I love it!

 

TROPICANA BODY MILK

                   MIESSENCE TROPICANA BODY MILK 

  The more Miessence I try, I seem to be loving them more & more! The Tropicana Body Milk even sounds delicious. It certainly is! With organic body milk, this Body Milk soothes and deeply moisturizes skin. It contains raw organic coconut oil that keeps your skin moisturized. It also contains organic aloe vera inner leaf gel, organic fruit butter, organic sugar cane ethanol, etc. That mixture sounds so good!

  The container also mentions that the Body Milk will become of a more solid consistency with cooler temperatures and will liquefy at warmer. That’s pretty cool!

 The packaging also recommends shaking well before use and applying all over body while still damp after a shower. I however, could not wait to use it so I used a little before it was shower time.


  With the Tropicana Body Milk, I felt like I was on the beach with a bright blue colored coconut flavored drink! I usually don’t get this excited over body and hand creams, but Miessence is really making me wild!

  I can’t get over how much it smells like the Panama City beach (I visit there every year) I just love the tropical scents and all. I love the beach too, so I’m really wishing I could be there when I get a whiff of the Body milk.

  It’s so soft and slick. Its light, unlike a cream or lotion, but surprisingly it moisturizers unbelievably well. It feels and smells almost like having sun tan oil on just without the greasy-ness!

  I will leave the pros and cons list out for this one too, because there are absolutely no cons at all. I couldn’t find a single thing negative about it if I tried.

  So, my overall opinion is: I am in love with Miessence! Like I said, I never get excited over these kind of things. I love body milks, creams and such, but that’s mostly for the scent. I’ve never came across any that delivers so much.

  Check them out at: http://www.liveorganicskincare.com








 Disclaimer: I am not a specialist, expert, professional or doctor of any kind. Content on this blog is not intended to be taken as medical advice, diagnosis, treatment or advice of any sort. I'm simply sharing information about my own experiences and results from use of a product or activity in hopes of providing useful information to readers, not to be taken as a patient/medical adviser relationship. I am not responsible for what readers choose to do after viewing the content here. Furthermore, I do not hold an "exceptional" or other special relationship with any company mentioned on this site. I'm simply a consumer who worked with the company on a review that is in compliance with FTC's guidelines. That means, everything you read here is my own words, not anything of the company's. I was not provided with monetary compensation for my review. All information posted has been done so with complete honesty. No action should be taken based solely on the content of this publication ( I'm not responsible.) Readers who rely on the information in this blog to replace the advise of an appropriate health care provider assume all risks of such behavior.

Hawaiian Body

                          ~  A beautiful Pearl of the day ~

                              Hawaiian Body Products


  Packed with fruit extracts and some of the most wonderful, tropical scents, Hawaiian Body Products has some excellent products.

This is a photo of some of the Hawaiian Body products, I will be posting a review for the rest soon so keep an eye out!

  Over the last couple of days, I've been so eager to try the entire contents of my sample kit from Hawaiian Body Products. So far I've gotten to several, but not all. The first Hawaiian Body product that won my heart is the Coconut Lemongrass Cane Sugar Scrub.

  I'm a fan of sugar scrubs, if the product is very well made. I have to admit, in my searching, I've only found 3 sugar scrubs that met my over the top standards. If I'm going to scrub myself with it, it might as well be the best, right?

  Now that the Coconut Lemongrass Cane Sugar Scrub is my #1 top favorite, there will be room for no other. This one totally blew the rest out of the water by a long shot!

  With it's tropical, clean scent, the scrub made me feel just like I was on the beach! It has the most beautiful scent and feels oh so good on my skin.

  This body scrub contains tropical butters, coconut milk, organic local honey, hawaiian cane sugar. It all smells so beautiful!

  It's the perfect texture, rough enough, but not so rough that it irritates or makes your skin raw. I have a slight redness, bumpy texture on my upper arms after going so long with no sun and it's nearly impossible to clear that up without tanning, but with a gentle rubbing of the Coconut Lemongrass Cane Sugar Scrub, it was completely gone! It has stayed gone too, which does matter.

  Unlike most scrubs, I didn't have to apply a whole lot of pressure just to get scrubbed and exfoliated. I really love this scrub! It's so nice.

  Like the Coconut Lemongrass bath soak, it leaves your skin so smooth. The lemograss and coconut scent really complimented each other well. With the coconut giving the tropical feel and lemongrass giving an energetic feel.

  I felt so soft after using the Scrub and Bath Soak.

PROS:
1. Smells so amazing. Really made such a wonderful bath!
2. Ingredients are vegan.
3. Not tested on animals.
4. Contains natural ingredients such as fruit extracts, etc.
5. Doesn't dry out skin.
6. Hydrating.
7. Leaves a slight glow to skin.
8. Isn't greasy/won't clog razor.
9. It doesn't irritate or scratch skin.
10. Soothed and took away redness.
11. Rejuvenates skin (awesomely!)
12. Exfoliates very well!


No CONS! When, I can't find any CONS, then it must be a pretty goood one!

Check them out! http://www.hawaiianbodyproducts.com/

Dna Renewal Foaming Cleanser

Hay there my lovies,

I've heard a lot about the Dna Renewal Foaming Cleaner, but just now was able to try it. (Very excited, I am)


                                        WHAT IT DOES

  The very gentle, exfolliating Dna renewal cleanser gives your skin everything it needs without having to use a hundred different products. If you're like me, you're used to spending a lot of time each day exfoliating, cleansing, polishing, toning, etc. This is the only product I've ever used that provides your skin with everything in one bottle!

  I was more than shocked with the entire results. As of right now, I've used it once & it was only several hours ago. The foam was really soft, almost velvet-y on your skin. It's not harsh at all. I love that I got such beautiful results without having to use a rough exfoliator and a fishy-mixed-with-amonia-scented seaweed cleanser. I'm not lying when I describe the seaweed cleanser. It's almost stomach turning to use something like that on your face.

  With the oh so soft Dna Renewal Cleanser, I didn't experience any stomach turning sensations due to the scent. In fact, it barely smelled at all. It didn't feel as if my skin was raw.

  I honestly, have never had such soft skin before. I really am just ecstatic over this stuff. I don't get too excited over most skincare products. My skin is so demanding that I often have problems with any skin care product. It either leaves my face extremely dry, or so oily that it's almost wet!

   It actually cleans away all dirt, makeup, etc. I used a wet muslin cloth to wip my face after cleaning with the renewal cleanser because the muslin will catch even the slightest little lefover dirt or makeup. There was nothing at all showing up on the muslin, so the cleanser does do an amazing job at cleaning very well!

  It certainly lives up to it's claims, I'd even go so far to say that it exceeded my expectations greatly. My skin is vibrant & that's only with one use!

                           ~Let's get down to the specifics~

- It's the perfect cleanser for any skin type. I'd definitely recommend it for any type, including sensitive skin as it contains no artificial frangrances, parabens, or sulfates and isn't harsh.

- Contains amino acid glycolic complex which promotes cell turnover.

- Cleans all impurities, dirt, oil, make-up. With this cleanser, you won't need any extra make-up removers at all. It cleans it away easily and quickly.

- Didn't leave my skin dry at all, but very glowy and vibrant!

- I have not used any other products since I used the cleanser because it left my skin with no dryness so no need for moisturizer & my skin is extremely dry at all times. I didn't feel the need for any toner or extras that I normally use to enhance my skin's glow, tighten pores, etc. The Dna Renewal Cleanser did everything.

- Makes my pores much less visable.

Over all I would give this product a 10. It delivers results & goes above and beyond. I couldn't be happier. I haven't ever had these kind of results before with other products. I absolutely love it.

* So tell me, have any of you lovelies tried this stuff? Please do check this one as well as the others such as the SPF cream out at: http://www.dnaegfrenewal.com/


UPDATE:
This post was written about a week ago when I first used the Dna Cleanser. I've now been using it for a week & I'm still very happy with it! The results have become better and better over the week. I find that a lot of facial cleansers will seem to lose their touch & not work as well with time. I was so happy that the Dna Cleanser holds up with every use delivering more & more results each time.  I just thought I'd add the update on how it's went for me after using it a while.



Don't forget to let me know your thoughts and results!

Much love,
Kendra