Products galore

It's been a while since I've done a post on beauty... But the products landscape in the natural/organic range is very exciting, these days. It's really not so hard to find great stuff anymore - I even have choices (which feels like the greatest luxury ever). This is proof that demand can very much influence the offer. I've been far from alone in wanting more natural/less chemical and scary options... And in only a few years, here they are.

Here is a mishmash of products I've recently adopted. It's not a sponsored post or anything; just my own opinion.

Origins

I know this line is not new, but I've recently turned to it as a replacement for my previous Clinique addiction. Clinique is not a bad line -the fact that its products are unscented and dermatology-tested makes them better than most, actually. And previously, it was the only system that effectively tamed my acne (I have very oily skin, and localized breakouts that get worse, not better, with age). But their products contain parabens and other ingredients I don't want anymore. So I've tried a variety of things from different other brands (some cheap, some quite pricey), before coming to the conclusion that my skin seems to thrive on exactly that, "a system". By which I mean a consistent line of products that are designed to work together, within a certain order.

And I'm completely woved by everything I've tried from them so far. The Zero Oil Cleanser is great, the Full Story mascara is amazing (quality mascara is one of the most difficult things to find without parabens and other nasties), and the Brighter by Nature pressed powder is... simply the best I've ever tried. I apply it with a kabuki brush, instead of with the package sponge. It's velvety and light while providing great coverage, it controls oil well (altough I don't believe any product could ever completely prevent my face from becoming a shiny mess within a few hours if I didn't blot regularly), and the shade is absolutely perfect (no hint of orange, etc.). It even has SPF 30.  I'm never buying another brand again.


Alba Botanica Acnedote Astringent

As previously hinted, for the past few years up until very recently, my skin was not happy. The one ingredient that seems to work for my acne is salicylic acid. But it shouldn't be used by pregnant or nursing women, so I stopped two years ago, only to end up pizza-faced very quickly. When I stopped breastfeeding in the fall, my hormones got even crazier and the problem became worse, to the point where it was clearly a cruel joke played on my face.

Completely randomly, I happened to be shopping in a Boston supermarket with F this Christmas Eve, and found this product on the shelves. I knew the brand, but had never really used their products. I saw that it contained a potent dose of salicylic acid, naturally derived from tree bark. I decided to try it and ladies and gentlemen, within a few days my acne was gone. And it remains gone to this day. Not. One. Pimple. It's very rare that a product delivers exactly what it promises, but this is it.

I'll be out in a few days though, and I'm nervous. It just doesn't appear to be available in Canada! Argh!  I've purchased the Origins equivalent (the Zero Oil toner), which also contains salicylic acid, as a replacement. Fingers crossed hard that it works.

Desert Essences shampoo

Plainly put, I'm in love with this. I use the Italian red Grape kind, for color-treated hair, and it's fantastic. The smell is so rich and so luscious, it immediately brings me back to childhood memories (grape juice, candy, I don't know). Which makes me wonder: if it is possible to achieve such a wonderful, powerful, enticing fragrance naturally, why do manufacturers need to resort to artificial ones and then add tons of chemicals to prevent them from turning bad???

Eos lip balms

I find them simply irresistible. And judging from the Google search I made to find this image, the stars all seem to think so too.