Since I've started doing reviews on here, I've mostly gotten the chance to try out products from many different companies that sell organic, natural, hand made skin care. Because of the opportunities I've gotten to review these products I've been introduced to the world of chemical- free skin and hair care and have never looked back since. I've encountered awesome products from great companies that sincerely want to make and sell only 100% natural products, but I have also encountered several companies that claim to sell products that are organic and chemical free when they are in fact actually not. All it takes is a glance at a product's ingredients list to see what it's truly made from.
But I'm happy to say a company I recently found out about called Foreue is seriously the real deal. Foreue wants their customers to know that they can take comfort in knowing that only the best ingredients from nature, that bring no harm to animals yet bring high quality to humans, are included in their formulas.
Foreue also wants their products to WORK and strives to educate and offer the best natural products possible while doing their part to make the world a greener place.
Now when I say these products are 100% natural I am not even slightly kidding. All their beauty and personal care products are formulated with hand picked quality ingredients, featuring herbs, flowers, seeds, nuts, spices, clay, essential oils, vegetable base oils, and or oatmeal. Their soap is made from scratch, the old fashioned way. Using the cold processed method, it takes 5 weeks to complete a batch.
And as I've mentioned before, chemicals, synthetics and parabens in skin care products should be avoided. These additives can get into your bloodstream as toxins or clog your pores preventing good skin health (a little as a time). The detergent bars (some call soap) in the supermarket may seem harmless but in fact they may strip away our skin's natural sebum.
I was lucky enough to get a chance to try out several of these fantasic skin care products. First was their Rosewater Toner. Normally, I make my own toners because when I do I know exactly what I'm putting into them and can be sure that no toxic chemicals are being included. I was thrilled to read that the only ingredients in this toner was literally just Rosewater and Vegitable Gylcerin. That's it! It smells incredible and works great as part of my skin care routine before moisterizing. Next, I got to try the Replenish, Facial Moisterizing Serum. I've always wanted to try facial serums but was always afraid that since they have an oily texture to them (and I have oily skin) that they would some how clog my pores or make my oily skin even worse. But I've been pleasantly surprised that this serum hasn't done either of these things. Going on your skin it's pretty slick and greasy but after about 10-15 minutes my skin simply soaked it right in, leaving no oily residue behind. It's a great night time moisturizer and I've been looking for a good organic moisturizer for a long time now. The Replenish, Facial Moisterizing Serum is also made from some very comforting ingredients. It's made out of Jojoba Rose Hip (organic), Avocado, Wheat Germ, Borage (organic), primrose oil, carrot oil, Vitamin E and proprietary floral essential oils. Can't get anymore natural then that and most serums I've looked into had tons of weird ingredients in them. I can't wait to see, in the long run, the effect of using this serum will have on my skin. Especially since moisturizing is one of the most important things you can do to combat future signs of aging.
Foreue Natural Skin Care Review
Now I've mentioned endless times how I'm an avid user of facial masks. I'm always on the look out for the best skin mask and lately I seem to keep coming upon some really terrific ones. As much as I love using face masks that I make in my own kitchen out of fresh, natural ingredients, I'll still buy face masks that are the type I cannot exactly make myself, like Foreue's Le Mudd Clay Mask. I've always loved using both Mud masks and Clay masks but haven't tried one that was combined. Clay is terrific for detoxifying your skin and drawing out all impurities. The Le Mudd Clay Mask is known as an acne mask. You can use it to clean and condition the skin daily or as a weekly mask to detox. It has high levels of trace minerals which remove toxins, smooth dermatitis, and soften the skin. I think it's interesting that it's gentle enough to be used as a daily cleanser but still strong enough to draw out deep problematic impurities. After using it as a weekly face mask I loved how soft and smooth it left my skin and how clean my face felt overall. I will definitely alternate between this and my usual face masks!
So I'm really glad I got a chance to review products from a company that is completely 100% honest about their products and that can proudly state that they are genuine in providing completely natural and vegan skin care products.
If you are interested in trying out natural products such as these, or want to try a more organic approach to your skin care regiment, then Foreue's product line is definitely something I recommend!
Couture Nerd $100 Sephora Giftcard Giveaway
Now here is a giveaway everyone is going to love and want to enter. As I've mentioned in previous posts Couture Nerd is having a giveaway everyday in July. And I'm talking MAJOR giveaways. This one in particular is for a $100 giftcard to Sephora. Now if Lush is my candy store for bath/body/hair products, then Sephora is the make-up candy store of my sweet sweet dreams! I went there one time with my sister and I literally didn't want to leave. I wanted to sleep on their floor and play with their make-up samples all night long. But then I remembered I had a kid in a stroller with me and snapped myself out of the fantasy of hiding behind the MAC make-up section until the lights went out. So if you also have fantasies of living inside a make-up store and want to enter this fabulous giveaway then head over to the mother of all giveaway blogs, Couture Nerd and enter this giveaway, along with all the other's they've got running!
Couture Nerd $100 Visa Giveaway
Well, get used to these Couture Nerd posts because their giveaways keep getting better and better, and I'm going to make sure and enter all of them! lol Well for this wonderful edition of awesome giveaways, Couture Nerd is giving away a $100 Visa Giftcard! This way if I don't win the Lush Cosmetics Giftcard giveaway I still got a shot at this one and I can blow all of it on Lush! haha. So make sure to head on down to Couture Nerd and enter this giveaway along with all the other great ones they've got going. And keep a look out for future giveaways since they are having one every day in July!
Couture Nerd $100 Giftcard Giveaway to any store you choose!
I honestly think that Couture Nerd is officially my favorite blog. They have been having some incredible giveaways lately and every day in July they will be hosting a new giveaway. And these aren't your ordinary giveaways these are MAJOR ones. Recently I made a post about their $200 Giftcard giveaway to Lush which I'm dying to win and now they are having a $100 Giftcard Giveaway to any store you want! I've never seen a blog do a giveaway for literally any store that you choose. Of course if I win I'm going to choose Lush because I could totally get my money's worth at that store and Couture Nerd has already gotten my hopes up with their Lush GC giveaway! So make sure to stop by Couture Nerd's blog for this giveaway, along with all the other great ones they have going and are going to have in the future! There are tons of ways to enter and many extra entry possibilities!
Lush Products That Transformed My Skin and Hair!
Now I've raved on my blog about my love for all things Lush before, did a big review on them last year when I was first introduced to the company, and have official declared myself a Lushie when it came to their bath products, but now I am literally smitten with Lush whole-heartedly after trying out some different types of products I hadn't used before. When it comes to Lush's bath bombs, bubble bars, and soaps not much needs to be said simply because they have the most delicious and unique scents that you will not find anywhere else, but as for their hair/skin care I think everyone needs to be aware of their effectiveness.
I had always been curious about Lush's solid shampoos, mostly because I liked the idea of no packaging and that these little hockey puck sized bars could last though at least 80 washes, but I was wearing that they wouldn't hold up with my super thick, long hair and sensitive scalp. Boy was I wrong! These solid shampoos are the best things I've ever used on my hair and there is no going back now. I have both the Godiva and Ultimate Shine Solid Shampoos and my hair looks like I stepped right out of a Pantene Pro-V photo shopped ad! No Joke. The Godiva is a shampoo & conditioner in one and it moisturizes my hair so well I barely have to straighten it after washing it. It just makes my hair so soft and smooth I can just air dry it and it looks great. After using Ultimate shine I decided to flat iron it just a tad, and I didn't even have to blow dry it straight first. The name Ultimate Shine says it all, my hair is literally glistening with shine as you will see in the pictures. I get compliments on how much people like my hair more then ever now. So basically all you gotta do is give one of these bars a try and you won't need anymore convincing. $9.95 for a bar seems a little steep but when you think about how much longer it lasts compared to bottled shampoo, how much better for the environment it is, and how effing great your hair looks it's a solid deal!
I had always been curious about Lush's solid shampoos, mostly because I liked the idea of no packaging and that these little hockey puck sized bars could last though at least 80 washes, but I was wearing that they wouldn't hold up with my super thick, long hair and sensitive scalp. Boy was I wrong! These solid shampoos are the best things I've ever used on my hair and there is no going back now. I have both the Godiva and Ultimate Shine Solid Shampoos and my hair looks like I stepped right out of a Pantene Pro-V photo shopped ad! No Joke. The Godiva is a shampoo & conditioner in one and it moisturizes my hair so well I barely have to straighten it after washing it. It just makes my hair so soft and smooth I can just air dry it and it looks great. After using Ultimate shine I decided to flat iron it just a tad, and I didn't even have to blow dry it straight first. The name Ultimate Shine says it all, my hair is literally glistening with shine as you will see in the pictures. I get compliments on how much people like my hair more then ever now. So basically all you gotta do is give one of these bars a try and you won't need anymore convincing. $9.95 for a bar seems a little steep but when you think about how much longer it lasts compared to bottled shampoo, how much better for the environment it is, and how effing great your hair looks it's a solid deal!
Now on to the miracle workers......the skin care. I did a lot of research before deciding on which exact products I was going to get. I narrowed down my search by reading other people's reviews and experiences with particular products as well as what my own skin type is. I've struggled with my skin since puberty and most of my skin problems are hormonal. I had moderate acne as a teenager but when I was pregnant my face literally blew up with cist like pimples. I didn't even want to leave the house! As much as I took care of my skin, nature was taking it's course and I just had to wait it out till I had my daughter and could get on birth control again (which seemed like the only way to control my acne), but even as the flare ups went away my skin was still left to recover from it's damage. I had some acne scars, red spotting, and just an overall dull look. I've also had dark circles under my eyes because of my ethnicity and sleepless nights from having a newborn didn't help with the matter. After I started using more natural and organic skin care products, along with making my own home made face masks and toners, my skin started to improve but nothing like what Lush has done for it.
So after my extensive little research project I decided on several products for my new skin care regimen. First I bought two Lush cleansers, Angels on Bare Skin and Fresh Farmacy. I had read the Angels on Bare Skin was a miracle worker for every skin type. Whatever your flaw was it would basically fix it and it contained a natural exfoliant in the almonds it contained. This cleanser is so fresh it doesn't even look like something you could wash your face with. It's squishy and moist, and when it gets wet it turns into a paste like texture, but somehow it still cleanses perfectly and leaves no filmy layer behind.
Since a lot of my skin problems are hormonal, as I mentioned before, I bought the Fresh Farmacy for that time in my cycle that I don't take birth control for a week and get PMS which causes my skin to break out for a few days. I've read that Fresh Farmacy has helped a lot of people with various degrees of severity in acne.
I was also dying to try one of Lush's fresh face masks because I strongly believe in the power of face masks (lol) and since I'm lucky enough to have a Lush store nearby I was able to buy one since you can't order them online because of their freshness and shelf life of three days. They also have be kept cool and refrigerated the entire time. The one I bought was the Brazened Honey which was hard to decide on, but after getting an in-store demo on my hand I decided on it because it left my skin so soft, even up until the next morning. Lastly I bought a few Tea Tree Toner tabs that you drop in hot water to steam your face. If I hadn't already gone over my budget with these products and some melts, bombs, and soaps, I would have bought a moisturizer as well to complete my skin care routine.
So for the first two weeks of getting these products I would wash with Angels on Bare Skin in the morning, tone with my own grapefruit & rosemary homemade toner, then apply some moisturizer with SPF to get me through the day. Then at night I'd cleanse with Fresh Farmacy, use a toner with witch hazel in it, and moisturize with a heavier night cream. Along with this everyday routine, twice a week I'd give myself a special facial at night. I'd cleanse with Angels on Bare skin, then give my skin a good 5 minute steam with the Tea Tree Tablet (you can save the water when it cools and use it as a toner for a couple days afterwards...AWESOME).
Then once my pores were nice and detoxified I'd apply the Brazened Honey Mask. What's great about this mask is that when your are ready to remove it after 15 minutes you just add a little water and rub it in before completely removing it which adds for some extra exfoliation. Also when I rinsed I used some of the left over Tea Tree toner water to rinse the mask off, then toned it with a spritz of it as well. Once the toner dried I applied my moisturizer and Voila! I would literally be glowing.
It's been a couple weeks and I swear my skin has changed completely. Even my acne scars, which I seemed to never be able to get rid of, have seemed to smooth out a bit and the color of my skin is brighter and more glowy. I've barely had any pimples or bumps and my pores are definitely smaller! My husband, who notices nothing and could live the rest of his life without ever hearing about another cosmetic again, noticed that my skin and hair have been looking great! For the first time I like my skin so much I'm willing to show the world my picture with NO MAKE-UP!
I am so absolutely impressed with this skin care routine I am never turning back. I don't care if I have to set aside a little secret stash of money to get my Lush fix every few months lol! There are so many different combinations of products that you can choose from to fit your needs and the one I discovered is just one of them. Oh I also recently tried their Coal Face because I got it as a sample and that is another cleanser that I'd definitely continue to use. Great for oily skin! I can't wait to try out their moisturizers (which is next) along with even more of their yummy flavored soaps and bath bombs/bubble bars, etc. If you haven't given Lush a try yet you definitely have to try one of these products and you will be an official Lushie just like me!
Aromatic Health Review
Although a lot of companies use the word Aromatherapy as a marketing tool it doesn't necessarily mean that they are actually using pure and natural ecessential oils in their products. I'm grateful that I got the chance to do a review for a company called Aromatic Health which stands behind being completely true to what Aromatherapy is really supposed to be about.
Aromatic Health carries products that are hand made, using only pure and organic essential oils and raw ingredients. Their products are cruelty free and do not contain synthetic fragrances, parabens, petrochemicals or preservatives. Another thing I love, and that is important to me, is that they use a minimal amount of packaging and promote the recycling or the re-use of their jars and bottles. Their Aromatherapist, who has been practicing for 10 years, uses her knowledge and experience to create essential oil products, and provide consultation services to aid in the healing of the body, mind and spirit.
I was lucky enough to get the chance to try out two of their awesome products to review. First was the Citrus Facial Toner. I absolutely loved this product and used it to the very last drop. Facial toners are very important after cleansing the skin because it allows the skin to absorb moisturizer more effectively. I have sensitive, combination skin that can break out or become oily very easily. This 100% natural, cruelty free, non-toxic, and Vegan toner is gentle enough to use everyday and still effective enough to cleanse your skin thoroughly. After using it my skin always felt so clean and fresh, and the smell was absolutely wonderful. Citrus is an awesome ingredient to use for skin and hair and I make it a point to always add it in any of my own home made skin care that I make for myself.
The other product I got to review was their Stress Relief Oil that comes as a roll on. It's made with a blend of essential oils that are known for their relaxing and anxiolytic properties. You simply roll it on your temples, the back of your hands, and the nape of your neck. I use this product often whenever I'm feeling stressed out, especially when I'm having PMS. And this little roll on bottle will last forever.
Both of these products are great and affordable. I highly recommend what I personally got to try and I can't wait to try more of the many products they have available. If you are interested in learning more about the healthy benefits of Aromatherapy and would like to give it a try then Aromatic Health is the place for you!
Giveaway for a $200 Gift Card to Lush Cosmetics!
I'm an avid fan of using all different kinds of natural, organic, chemical free, and cruelty free products whenever I can, but most importantly cosmetics ones such as products for skin and hair care. Because more and more women are becoming aware of the dangers of certain ingredients in the beauty products they use, they popularity of using natural cosmetics is sky rocketing. All you have to do is a quick google search and you will see tons of companies promoting and selling organic or handmade beauty products. Lush has seemed to surpass them all in their popularity and for good reason.
Along with being my favorite bath/skin/hair product company Lush prides themselves on making products from fresh, organic fruits and vegetables, as well as the finest essential oils and safe synthetics. One of the things I really love about Lush is that they invent their own products and fragrances and make them fresh and by hand with little to no preservatives or packaging. They use only vegetarian ingredients and let the customers know when each product was made. Lush is cruelty free and does not test on animals or buy ingredients from companies that test on animals.
And I'm super glad that a really great Blog called Couture Nerd is having an amazing giveaway for a $200 Gift Card to Lush that I’m so excited about. There are a ton of ways to get extra entries so your chances of winning are major! Stop on by to this site and enter!
$100 Borders Books Gift Card Giveaway!
The Borders Double-Dog Dare Summer Reading Program encourages children 12 and under to read 10 books this summer and receive a free book! Just download the form from the website and bring it in by August 26th!In honor of the Borders Double-Dog Dare Summer Reading Program, two lucky Go Graham Go readers will win a $100 Gift Card to Borders Books!
My Baby Rocks Review
It's been a while since I've done a review but since I absolutely love My Baby Rocks, I'm super excited to do my first one in a while for them! Here in Vegas there is literally like one store that carries Punk Rock clothes for kids and babies and their selection is very limited. As much as I want my daughter to be an individual and figure out her own style when she is older, I've got to admit it's fun right now to be able to dress her however I want. And I especially love having her wear something unique that sets her apart from the rest of her preschool class (even if it brings funny looks from other parents! haha). So I absolutely adore the items My Baby Rocks sent me to review. Their website is the best place to go to shop for punk baby clothes or punk toddler clothes, items, and accessories. The kitty dress is my daughter's absolute favorite and she gets a ton of compliments whenever she wears it.
So if you are looking for something unique for your rock n roll little one My Baby Rocks is the place to go!
R.I.P you beautiful dark Adonis.
This is a post that I wrote a long time ago, but after hearing this morning's incredibly horrible, fucked up news I felt I'd post it again. I'm still in complete shock and trying to shake off this feeling of sadness. This man and his music had a huge spot in my soul. I can only hope that that one of a kind, hypnotizing voice of his will live on forever and more and more people will now become familiar with his music......отдых в мире Peter
I always love telling this story, although I never get a chance to because I hate bragging of any sort and I always think people don't want to hear me talk about myself simply because I don't want to hear them do it. But it was such a special, cool, and memorial night in my adolescence that I feel I should share it with the two people who actually read my blog...lol
So when I was about 16 years old I went to see Type O Negative with my two friends Meghan and Christina. They were both die hard Type O fans as well, especially Christina. So we arrive at the House of Blues super early so we can get right in the front row, which we did. This was the first time I'd ever seen Type O in concert so I had no idea what I was in for. And when Peter Steel came out in all his 6'6 glory I was floored. He was the hugest man I'd ever seen with long black hair, chiseled features, and a voice that could literally blow the bass of your speakers out. We had a blast being so close to the stage, and we sang every word to every song as loud as we possibly could. When the concert was over we headed toward the door and my beautiful friend Christina was stopped by the band's roadie/bouncer dude. He then hands her 3 passes, tells her to give the other two to her friends, and come upstairs. I don't think anybody could or will ever scream as loud as we did right then.
So gripping onto our passes (which I still have) as if they were our first born children, we entered the elevator going upstairs to the "V.I.P" room. Just the feeling of being let through into the elevators by security alone was enough to satisfy our teenage hearts for the rest of our adolescence. As we entered into this new world we saw all the other opening bands, beautiful groupies that we had only seen the likes of before in magazines and rock videos, as well as various roadies, managers, and other band members from Type O Negative. Mind you, we are the youngest ones there, and we are no where near dressed like these other chicks. They were clad in leather and corsets from head to toe, topped off with "fuck me boots" like I've never seen. The three of us were in baggy pants, bandannas, and wife beaters. We stood out like a sore thumb and had no idea how to act or what to do with ourselves. So we sat on a couch being completely silent watching the craziness around us. Then suddenly we heard a commotion and saw that Peter Steel was walking into the room. All the hip people started to mob him, the chicks were all over him, and people were asking him questions left and right. He looked super annoyed and tired and as quickly as he came he started to leave. Before we could even compute that he had walked into the same room as us, he turned around as he had one foot in the elevator to go, looked right at me and my friends and said, "well.....are you coming or not?". I swear it's like something had to take over our little bodies for us at that moment or else we wouldn't have moved. We felt like Robots, getting up in sync with each other and following him into the elevator.
He didn't say a word the entire way up, and I literally felt like a little person being 5 foot 2 and standing next to this beautiful Polish giant. We then follow him into his dressing room, which was so hip and cool to us. I mean it was the House of Blues. Who knows how many awesome musicians had been in that room? For some reason there were already 3 stripper whore chicks waiting in there. I have no idea what or who they were there for because Peter acted as if they were ghosts and didn't even acknowledge their presence. So he sits down on one couch and offers us a seat on the other one. It's completely silent except for the giggles and hiccups of the drunk strippers sitting next to him. Without saying a word he begins to take his shoes off, then his socks, and starts picking at his feet. My friends and I have absolutely no idea what the holy fuck to say to this guy. It was so surreal and amazing. So we literally just sat and watched him pick at his massive feet. So the stripper whores decide to take it upon themselves to actually speak to Peter and start asking him stupid questions like how many pets he had or some shit. And all he responds with is "I just want quiet....I just want quiet", and rubs his aching head. To this day, I believe he chose us to sit with him in his dressing room simply because we were three young, silent girls. He never made any type of passes at us, and he only offered us vodka (his favorite drink) once and then realized how old we were and never asked again. Which is all very weird, because he is known for his overt sexuality (even posing nude in playgirl), so now that I think about it, maybe he was willing to take advantage of us all along.......SWEET! So we sat there and watched this mysterious, amazing, and talented man pick his feet, and mutter once or twice how much he desired silence, for about 2 hours or so. If it weren't for the fact that we were 16, it being a school night, and my friend's mom waiting to pick us up, we probably would have stayed in that magical place forever. When it was time to go he was so incredibly sweet to us, giving us autographs hugs. I swear that hug felt as if I was being cradled in the arms of the Dark Lord or something. Like if he were to never have let go I would have been lost in some mystical world of leather, black hair dye, and vodka.
The next day at school we, of course, wouldn't shut the fuck up about it, and we didn't care. To this day every time I hear Type O, or hear their named mentioned a little twinge of happiness fills me up. I will always remember our little adventure on that wonderful night. Life is meant to be full of various moments just like that, and I am so grateful that I at least got one for my books!
By the way, if you ever decide to Google "Peter Steele in Play Girl Magazine Picture" you are in for a HUGE treat....lol
Flirty Aprons discount for readers!
In order to thank all the blog readers Flirty Aprons would like to offer a 30% OFF COUPON!!!! To thank you for your support all you have to do is type in the code 30Coupon when checking out and you will get your 30% off. This coupon will end Sunday February 28th 2010 at midnight. You know how much I love cute aprons so this is a great deal! Head on over to Flirty Aprons now!
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