When you visit the Origins website, don’t forget to enter their Wake Up & Win Sweepstakes.

The grand prize includes:

*A 3-month supply of Origins New GinZing™ Refreshing eye cream to brighten and depuff
(A $29.50 suggested retail value)

* A $250 Origins gift certificate

* The illy Francis Francis X7 espresso machine and case of illy espresso capsules
(A $500 suggested retail value)

Nine additional winners will get 3 months worth of Origins New GinZing™ Refreshing eye cream, a $250 gift certificate, and illy coffee.

If you live near an Origins store, stop by for one of their free mini facials. Personalized treatments cover Age Preventing, Firming, Redness Relieving, Brightening, and Hydrating. Call your local location to secure your appointment.

Image credit: Origins

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After much research, Alt found that the body absorbs 60% of what is placed upon the skin. She wanted to develop a healthier alternative to traditional skin care. RAW Essentials is the end result. The products are made with certified raw ingredients, they are vegan, and cruelty-free. They contain no petroleum, sulfates, detergents, parabens, synthetic preservatives, GMOs, artificial colors or fragrances.

RAW Essentials sent me a few of their items to sample for review. I tried the following products:

Raw-Juvenate Eye Recoup – Contains pure Aloe, Virgin Coconut Oil, Mushroom extract

Raw Vita Eye Serum- Contains pure Aloe, Tamanu Oil, Virgin Coconut Oil

Raw-Acivate Daily Revitaling Facial Moisturizer- Contains pure  Aloe, Tamanu Oil, Virgin Coconut Oil, Citrus Oil

Raw-Finish Rigorous Face Scrub- Contains pure Aloe, Eucalyptus Leaf Oil, Sucrose Cocoate

Raw-Scue Night Restore Cream- Contains pure Aloe, Squalene, Virgin Coconut Oil, Licorice Root Extract

I liked all the products. I feel that they work well – gentle, but thorough. My favorite items would be the Eye Recoup and the Night Cream. The Eye Recoup felt cool on my skin, soothing.  I like that it can be used both under the eye and on the eyelid itself.  The Night Cream felt thick and moisturizing, but it was not greasy and my skin absorbed it completely.  I like that the RAW Essentials products are affordable and that they smell good.

The only problem that I had with the products is the packaging. The Eye Recoup dispenses too much at once, which can lead to waste. The Eye Serum has a metal ball and once you get it flowing, it works great, but you have to roll it over and over before any comes out.

You can learn more about RAW Essentials here.

Image credit: Michelle Smith

Post from: Pretty by Nature

Golden Path Alchemy says…

We are the only company that synergistically combines gem and flower essences, therapeutic grade essential oils, Chinese and Western medicinals and botanicals uniting Eastern, Western, modern and ancient techniques to transform the skin.

Golden Path Alchemy sent me a variety of products to try for review. These included masks like the Bright Mask, Goji Glow Mask, Silk Herbal Mask, the Renew Toner, and the Renew Serum. I liked all the masks. They left my skin feeling smooth and the Goji Glow smelled like a Fig Newton cookie (yum).

My favorite product was the Renew Serum. I have some lines near my eyes and I noticed that after a week of using the serum, these lines were less noticeable. I was shocked (and excited). I would recommend this serum over all the other serums I have tried.

In addition to liking the products, I also respect what the ladies at Golden Path Alchemy stand for. They are committed to producing a quality, green product.

Image credit: Golden Path Alchemy

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The Nutmeg and Vanilla line includes Body Butter, Body Lotion, Soap, Bath & Shower Gel, Lip Balm, Body Scrub, and Hi-Glimmer Body Glaze.

I’d like to try the Hi-Glimmer Body Glaze. It’s made with Community Trade organic beeswax, antioxidant Vitamin E, and Lanolin. It moisturizes and leaves a golden shimmer on the skin. It’s $18 for a 4 ounce tube.

The Black Velvet Apricot includes Frosted Shimmer Lotion, Body Butter, Lip Balm, Soap, Body Smoother, and Shower Nectar.

 The Black Velvet Apricot Body Smoother combines Community Trade organic honey with lanolin, walnut and almond shells to make a gentle exfoliating scrub.  A 6.75 ounce tube is only $20.

Image credit: The Body Shop.com

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They contain a wide array of beneficial organic ingredients:

*Lavender Essential Oil is a common ingredient in aromatherapy products. It’s known for it’s soothing properties

*Cocoa contains both flavonoids and antioxidants for younger looking skin.

*EO’s Five Mushroom Complex, Calendula, Chamomile, White Tea, Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter, Jojoba Oil,  Aloe, Vegetable Glycerin, all hydrate, repair, and moisturize skin.

*Candelilla Wax creates a protective barrier to shield skin from the harsh elements.

*Quinoa softens skin and diminishes the appearance of lines for more youthful looking skin.

Both hand creams have a good aroma. They feel rich and creamy. When I applied it, the cream gave my skin a cool feeling. My hands both looked and felt smoother, softer. The cream soaks in most of the way, but it did leave a little film. I didn’t mind it. EO Hand Cream was good on my dry cuticles. It would make a good last step to your manicure. 

Image credit: Michelle Smith

Post from: Pretty by Nature

In order to properly celebrate this milestone birthday, the folks at Aveda are developing a Birthday Program. If you join program, you will receive a full-size customized aroma Personal Blends Pure-Fume Spirit or Body Care product on your next birthday. Invite your friends to join and if 5 of them do, you’ll get a free travel-size Aveda Foot Relief.

Aveda Foot Relief

Aveda’s Foot Relief softens, smooths, deodorizes, and invigorates feet and legs. Contains Fruit acids, Castor, Jojoba, Lavender, and Rosemary oils.

Also, use the savings code BIRTHDAYto receive a free Hand Relief and free shipping on orders over $30. Offer expires September 30, 2009.

Aveda Hand Relief

Uses plant emollients, humectants, fruit acids, and vitamins A and E to increase moisture levels and elasticity in the skin. Helps to diminish signs of aging and leaves hands softer and smoother. Contains Licorice extract and Meadowfoam seed oil.

Image credit: Aveda.com

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I like to keep a few items around the house for quick treatments or to whip up some bath salts.

Feel free to substitute your favorite essential oil for the hair treatment. I keep Eucalyptus and Lavendar around all the time.  I like treatments with honey or olive oil,  because they work well and you don’t have to spend a lot of money when you  have most of the ingredients sitting around your house.  

These recipes are great for Summer-ravaged hair and skin. This first treatment is great for hair that has spent a lot of time in the swimming pool this Summer. Like mine.  You know how it can get that crispy feel?  Yuck.

Honey/Olive Oil Treatment

*1/4 cup Honey
*1/8 cup Olive Oil
*2 drops Rosemary Essential Oil

Mix all ingredients together, then apply to damp hair and scalp. Work in well, then cover with a plastic cap, followed by a towel. Leave on for 30 minutes. Then, rinse, shampoo, and rinse again. (May require an additional shampoo).

Sugar Scrub

*1/2 cup Raw Sugar
*1/2 cup of your favorite body lotion

Stir raw sugar (more granular than regular sugar) into your favorite body lotion, then smooth it onto your body. Rinse the sugar off in the shower, then reapply with sugar-less lotion.

Coffee Scrub

*1/2 to 1 cup Coffee grounds
*1/4 cup olive oil
*1/8 cup honey

Mix all ingredients together, then apply while in the shower, to damp skin. It’s a good idea to turn the water off while using the scrub, so it doesn’t rinse off before you get it rubbed in well.

Image credit: Sxc.hu

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It’s made with natural ingredients like organic aloe juice,  jojoba bead, walnut shell powder, arpicot seed meal, rosemary, comfrey, lemon, apple, green tea leaf, pomegranate, olive oil, apricot oil, grape seed oil, and orange peel oil, and sugarcane.

The idea behind the scrub is that it gets your skin in the perfect condition for a big day. It smoothes by exfoliating dead, dry skin, and then it plumps your skin with with natural hydraters.

The instructions say to apply it the face for 3 minutes, so as to let the nutrients absorb into your skin, then you gently massage in a circular motion, followed by a rinse and Eköh Skin Retreat moisturizer. I wasn’t able to leave it on the full 3 minutes, because I felt a little sting, but I can say that my skin felt extremely smooth and soft when I was done. I have a problem with dry skin on the lower part of my face, on either side of my chin. I moisturize faithfully, but still see a little flakiness here. I saw none of that after using the Pre-Party Prep scrub.

The scrub is $35 for a 2 ounce jar and that will last a good long time – it only takes a small amount to give yourself a good scrub. This is a great natural product and I’m happy that I had the opportunity to give it a try.

Image credit: Eköh Cosmetics.com

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blabbermouth Lip Balm

blabbermouth comes in a cute little brown jar, like an apothecary container. It carries a quote by e.e. cummings, “kisses are a better fate than wisdom.”  Hard to argue with that – I love kisses!  blabbermouth is a “raw and organic” product made of extra virgin coconut butter and oil, beeswax, and shea butter. It smells like honey and it feels comfortable – not overly waxy or sticky. Smooth. I like it. A lot.

The blabbermouth jar is going right next to my sink. I’m a lip balm girl from way back and I apply it about 3 or 4 times a day, so this is wonderful find. Yay! Thanks blabbermouth girls!

Image credit: Michelle Smith

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For example, my Custom-Blended Skin Peel says, “Michelle Smith, BioActive: Jojoba Beads 7%, Alpha Hydroxy Acids 5%, Elder Flower Extract 4%, Bisabolol .1%, Fragrance: No. Prepared by 03/02/200. Use by 09?02/2009.” It’s all very clear, no looking at the bottle thinking, “Okay, so how old is this stuff anyway?” It also contains Apricot oil and Provitamin B5.

In addition to the peel, I’ve been using a custom blended moisturizer. I won’t write the entire label out again, but I’ll let you know that it contains BioActives Marrubium Vulgare Extract, Bisabolo, Vitamin C, and Spirulina Extract.

Here’s what I’ve noticed about the products:

*They are what is known as Cosmeceuticals. They mean business, no fluffy fragrance-y nonsense, just good solid skin care.

*I have aging skin and I have used a lot of different products over the years. Sometimes I get this bumpy sort of texture on my forehead. Not exactly pimples, just an uneven texture that I find annoying. It is completely gone. My forehead is smooth.

*The moisturizer is non-greasy, which is important to me. I dislike anything that gives me a mask-like feel. No mask here.

*My skin feels soft, in addition to smooth. No tightness.

You can find out more about the Shenui products here. I don’t know what you specific facial skin care needs are, but I’d happily reccomend both products that I have tried. The moisturizer in particular, because moist, soft skin is my thing. If something works, you can count on me to tell everybody about it.

Image credit: Shenui.com

Post from: Pretty by Nature