Arbonne Review Part 1 - RE9

Let me start off by saying, my skin and I are not friends. Much like my relationship with my hair, my skin and I have had a long battle of who is in control, and I must say that my skin puts up a hell of a fight.

My skin is dry most of the time, and decides to break out whenever it feels like it - though mostly with hormonal changes and stress. I'm sorry to all the teens who thought zits would be a thing of the past; they sadly don't ever really stop being a thing.

A friend of mine recently read a few of the blog reviews and wondered if I would be interested in reviewing some products from Arbonne ( a company she's recently become a rep for). She let me sample a few of their products (thank you!) so I could get a good idea about what the company, and products are like.

The Brand

For those of you who are not familiar with Arbonne, they are based in California and first started in 1980, with offices in Canada, the UK and Australia. Unlike most cosmetic brands you can't buy them in stores. Similar to Avon, Arbonne uses consultants to sell directly to the consumer.

Also unlike most cosmetic brands, Arbonne prides itself in being naturally based, vegan & PETA certified, allergy tested, pH correct, compliant with Canadian, European, Australian and American standards, and good for your body and the environment (phew...that's a lot of stuff). I've started a naughty list for my makeup and beauty products and luckily Arbonne doesn't have any of the bad stuff I like to stay away from.

According to Arbonne all of their products are formulated without:

• Animal products.by-products
• Parabens
• Formaldehyde
• PABA
• Synthetic dyes
• Triclosan
• Hydroquinone
• Gluten
• petroleum based products

They have a HUGE range of products in everything to do with health and beauty. Ok so, with all that information it's pretty clear that Arbonne has a huge leg up on most of their competitors for the all natural stuff, but how well do they work? 

The Products

I tested out the RE9 series of skin care products which comes with:

1. Cleanser
2. Toner
3. Serum
4. Eye Cream
5. Day Moisturizer
6. Night Moisturizer

The Cleanser

You only need a tiny bit, but it sure does foam up! Now, I'm not normally a foamy cleanser kind of person. Foamy cleansers have historically always left my skin feeling dry,red, and tight; it's never a pretty sight. Not to mention extra foam almost always means extra chemicals. I was somewhat surprised to find that despite the incredible foam, my skin felt clean, but also nourished.

The Toner

The best thing about the toner in this set is that it is a spray. I hate fussing with cotton pads and all that and wiping stuff all over my face. The spray toner is a winner in my books!

The Serum

It gets a bit tingly which I'm not entirely sure I like, but it seems to do the trick so I think I can overlook it. There is very little scent ( there is a hint of citrus, but nothing crazy) and it actually seems to penetrate your skin rather than sit on top which is nice.

The Eye Cream

I can't really speak to how good this eye cream is. Not because it isn't as good as the other products, but because I've never actually been an eye cream person. To me a good moisturizer should be able to do it all as far as I've always been concerned. I didn't test this out as long as I would like, but I would be willing to give this whole eye cream thing a shot.

The Day/Night Moisturizer

With an SPF of 20 in the day moisturizer I was sold as soon as I saw it. I'm on the pale side and as most people know sun exposure is the number one cause of skin damage. With the higher, SPF the day moisturizer is a bit heavy, but I wore thinned out with a bit of liquid foundation for some light coverage. The night moisturizer isn't too heavy which is unusual for a night cream and sets you up for a lovely night to regenerate and rejuvenate your skin!

With that whole whack of skincare products it seems like quite the chore to apply them all twice a day, but I have to say it was actually a pleasure. I found myself getting a bit excited to wash my face in the morning, and couldn't wait to spray on my toner at night too. The whole kit and kaboodle will set you back $395 for all of these products which is a serious commitment to skin care. This is however much less expensive than buying all of these products separately from a similar or comparable brand like Clarins, Estee Lauder, or Clinique.

Conclusion

 I have to say I am very impressed with the RE9 set of skincare products. I haven't felt this confident to go makeup free in a very long time and my skin really does feel firmer, and glowing. With all the good stuff in the products and knowing everything is botanically based it makes me feel good about putting this stuff all over my skin (and therefor in my body). I only have a single issue with Arbonne, and it certainly is not their amazing products.

When trying to live ethically, you try to buy natural products, and ensure that your environmental impact is low, sure. But there are other sides to this too. The human side is also important. Arbonne sadly refuses to work with fair-trade products, and will not release any of their ingredient sourcing information, or information on the working conditions on those who harvest their ingredients.

 It's great to see a company that is so committed to great ingredients and what seems like a more natural approach to the beauty industry. But paying people fair wages and encouraging safe working conditions shouldn't be "proprietary" information, if it is in fact something they support. They should be yelling it from the rooftops and encouraging other companies to do the same.

Exploring Bricklane Vintage

I fell off the blogo-sphere for the past couple weeks. After working over-time all of June to help out EfG on a grant and I was in serious need of balancing out my life away from a computer.

But during that time I've had a few adventures around London and I've saved it up to share with you all so we are back up and running ladies and gentlemen.

The first of my ventures was to Shoreditch and Bricklane Vintage:

When I mentioned to one of my London-savy friends that I loved vintage shopping (Kennsington Market, Toronto I miss you sooo much!), she immediately said I needed to go to Bricklane.

Defining what makes a shop vintage and not just used is always a bit tricky. According to the gosel which is Wikipedia, vintage is any clothing from the 1920's to about 20 years ago. But vintage stores like those in Kennsington or Bricklane are just as likely to carry:

a) More selective chosen second-hand clothing, or

b) Clothing that is iconically from the 90's, 80's or 70's... maybe 60's and if you are very lucky 50's

Oh how are standards have fallen! Well yes and no. You can still find those true to the name vintage stores but expect also to hand over more cash for that honest to god 40's or 30's pieces.

Just like charity shopping for many people is more about thrifty than ethical living, vintage shoping often about a conscious style desire. But that doesn't mean you don't get ethical points for shopping there because you are still recycling clothing.

When you compare charity shop vs vintage shop the general rule of thumb is that you do spend more money but you can end up getting a more unique look.  Which is either a plus or minus depending on your personal style. I wouldn't really describe my style as 'vintage' or 'vintage inspire' but I enjoy hunting for pieces that add something different while not going entirely overboard.

This trip I managed to pick up two jackets. I pick up a lot of jackets from vintage because:

1) Tailored items don't usually loose their shape so they are great to buy used
2) Jackets are often pretty classic as long as you avoid crazy shoulder pads, or extreme lengths
3) Pairing them with an otherwise modern wardrobe and you have a good blend of old and new style

I grabbed this camel coloured blazer. I like the menswear feel of it (with sleeves wide enough to fit a jumper under, very London necessary). It has a bit more shoulder padding than I would normally like, but I haven't decided yet whether I will take them out or not.

Somewhat ironically, it says it was made in Canada. How it founds its way to a thrift-shop in London, who knows? (mystery!)

I also grabbed a waxed jacket. Waxing is a way of waterproofing canvas material and I own a waxed bag which has held up to all sort of abuse. On the partical side, I have learned you can never have enough raincoats in London and I've been yearning after the Barbour waxed jackets. This waxed jacket could pass for theirs (and it may actually be, the label is gone) but at 10 pounds its way easier on my budget.

I know a lot of people get turned off of vintage because of the smell. And let me tell you, the waxed jacket was in need of airing out when I got it. Here are some tips on getting the musty smell out of your clothing finds:

Seven popular tricks
http://www.athriftymrs.com/2011/07/7-tips-for-removing-that-charity-shop-smell.html

But since the waxed jacket can't be washed, I'm going to try this trick that MadMen used to get the musty smell out of their pieces:

http://dashfieldvintage.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/how-to-get-musty-odors-out-of-vintage.html

Will keep you posted on its success!

Ethical Food Options - Mama Earth Organics

It's really hard to talk about ethical living, (or just living for that matter) without talking about food. Food is a serious part of my life. I mean that I LOVE cooking and fresh produce and meat and veg, and pretty much live for farmers markets and the best ingredients I can get my hands on.

With no shortage of produce available just across the street, I started to wonder about the environmental and social impact of that long journey most veggies make to our super markets. most fresh produce (fruit and veg) travels about 2000km (1242mi) from field to plate. This means that when most of your food is grown, it is actually picked before it is ripe, and travels in huge containers filled with ripening agents so it will continue to ripen on its journey. This results in food being..well...less than the delicious stuff it should be. 

This is where Mama Earth Organics comes in.

MamaEarth connects you with amazing local Ontario farmers, bakeries, and food providers. The even better part is that they deliver it all right to your door. You can also check out which farmers MamaEarth works with and see how close your food really is. 

The Baskets

When you sign up, you get to choose what type of basket you get. 

• Single - $27
• Regular - $35
• Family - $45
• Large - $55

With two of us in the house we decided on the regular basket which they suggest is a good size for two people. When weighing the pros and cons of getting MamaEarth, the only con we could think of was that it at first seems a bit expensive; until we went over our regular grocery bill that is. We discovered that we regularly spend at least $35 a week on produce, and it normally isn't locally grown or organic so we decided it was well worth it. 

How It Works

You can get a good understanding of how the actual process works by checking out the website, but the general idea is that you get a basket (reusable tupperware container) filled with your order. Every week you put the basket outside on your delivery day (which is different depending on where you live) and it will be magically replaced with a new basket filled with goodies!

You can also customize your basket for $2, and add extras to your basket like eggs, cheese, or baked goods (I highly recommend the St. Urbain bagels). 

My Goodies This Week

This week was a great haul with lettuce from Norman Zehr in the Kawarthas, snap peas from Ted Eng in Zephyr and Japanese cucumbers from The New Farm. Knowing the names of the people who are producing your food is actually pretty cool. We also got Ontario beets, broccolette, kale, mango, bosc pears, tomatoes and zucchinis.  

Since getting MamaEarth Organics delivered I have definitely noticed myself eating a ton more vegetables since we make sure everything is eaten up before the next delivery arrives. 

Check our MamaEarth Organics and reinvigorate your diet with some amazing produce and support local farmers and food producers.

Local Farmers
About Mama Earth
How it Works

World Map image sourced from www.dnatraceback.com/

Be Better by Rexall

The Brand

Be.Better is Rexall's house brand of more natural and "better-for-you" products ranging anywhere from snacks, to shampoo. Rexall's website states "[the] exclusive Be.better brand offers over 270 products designed to help Canadians live, feel and be better."

 I'll be looking specifically at their Coconut Oil Body Wash  (385 ml) and also the matching Coconut Oil Hand & Body Lotion. Each are about $6.00 CAD.

The Products

Let's start with the Coconut Oil Body Wash. Like with other "healthy" beauty products what you are looking for is what is NOT in the product as much as what is. This body wash is paraben and phthalate free, free of artificial colour and dye free, and also SLS and SLES free.

Since there is no SLS or SLES in this it does struggle a little bit with the foaming, but not enough to put me off at all.

This product smells wonderful and definitely has that sweet coconutty scent that you would expect. The down side is that  this body wash is thick. Like really goopy thick. With the pump dispenser it makes getting the product out of the container a real battle, especially when you are in the shower and everything is rather slippery. I'd highly suggest transferring this into another container, or just not using the pump.

Next up is the Coconut Oil Hand & Body Lotion. After jumping out of the shower applying moisturizer is normally the first thing I do. Unlike the shower gel, the pump dispenser for this works wonderfully and doesn't cause any problems.

The consistency isn't that thick and very similar to some other large brand moisturizers like Vaseline or Aveeno. This goes on smoothly and rubs in nicely. The scent is somewhat coconutty, but a bit floral as well? I don't hate it, but it isn't what I want when I buy a coconut oil moisturizer.

All in all, these products are both just ok. They are pretty good for the price, however they fail to wow. They are worth a try if you are on a budget, but I likely wouldn't buy them again.

Trilogy Product Review

The Company

Trilogy is a New Zealand brand. Originally founded by two sisters, it prides itself on creating natural skin products that delivers great skin care results. Amazing things about their company include:

• First carbon-neutral skin care company in New Zealand
• Cruelty free
• Certified as only using natural ingredients
• Only use the term 'organic' for certified organic ingredients (no false advertising!)
• Website contains a list of ALL ingredients in their lines, why its included and what products contain it

The Skin

So when you are reading anyone's skin care reviews, my first thought is what is their skin like. I find my skin a bit confusing. If I go to a beauty counter, I'm frequently told I have larger pores and out come the oil control products and deep cleansing product. I have learned the hard and acne-ridden way, that what keeps my skin looking good is actually lots and lots of hydration. So now, I keep deep cleansing to once or twice a week masks, and focus my daily skin care on getting moisture and brightening my skin tone after years of acne scaring. 

But can you really improve your skin tone with an all-natural product? I introduced these products one at a time, to really see what difference they could make.

The Products

Rosehip Oil Antioxidant+ Facial Oil

I started using just this product first. All I need is 2-3 drops a night, which when you have a 30 ml bottle means a lot of bang for your buck. I think its a total dupe for the Aesop facial oil and half the price. I think this is real source of clearing up my skin tone. Everything from the sun exposure last year to bad scaring from those annoying under the skin zits is fading. At first, I woke up feeling like my skin was a bit oily, but a gentle cleanser in the morning left me with all the results, without an oily finish. 

Hydrating Mist Toner

I was never really sold on all those hydrating mis, but I wanted something light to replace by Caudalie SOS Thirst Quenching Serum. Especially when I first started using the facial oil at night, I felt like all I needed in the morning was a little bit of moisture. Now, I layer it with a daily moisturizer for an extra dose hydration. I also like to sprintz my face when I come home from work as a pick-me up. I swear you spray this on your face and your skin gives a sigh of relief.

Rosapene Night Cream

After about two weeks of using the facial oils, I realized that my skin could also handle a night time moisturizer. In fact, it wanted even more moisture (greedy thing that it is). I just use a little bit of the thick cream at night over top of the oil. This is the other thing I credit with evening out my skin tone. I think its really increased the results over the last couple weeks.

Rosapene Lip-Gloss

There are a lot of moisturizing lip gloss/balm/stains out there these days and I have tried many of them. But I have never used anything like this one. It very much feels and looks like a red tinted lip gloss on, but you can feel it working as a moisturizer the way you would with a balm. I'm very sad to discover they don't make it as a separate product! Its sold with their Rosehip Oil. I would honestly go out an spend money on this. Need to lobby to get it added to the product line!

The Proof It Works

So the final test, isn't what I say but the results! Here is my skin, make-up free, unfiltered and in natural light. Kaila will back me up on this. This is amazingly clear for me! 

I've even switched to using a tinted moisturizer instead of foundation. But its not only look. When I run my fingers over my skin, I have very few little bumps of congestion. You wouldn't think that it would be facial oil and moisturizer that would reduce skin congestion, but just goes to show you, that hydration works wonders! 

If you have breakouts or you have scars from breakouts, get your hands on some naturally-based rosehip oil by Trilogy. My skin absolutely loves it!