the sweet smell of summer

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I was bored with my standard body lotion…I was searching for something more exciting but it also needed to do its #1 job which is to moisturize my skin without leaving me feeling greasy.

During yet another trip to Sephora, I happened across a line of body butters by:Pacifica

Pacifica packaging is bright and tropical…reading closer the line is paraben and sulfate free (as well as being ‘free’ of a few other chemicals). I was impressed with the variety of fun & distinct body butter scents.

7 scents in all (from Mango Grapefruit to Tahitian Gardenia)…running the gamut from fruity to floral. I was pulled towards the Hawaiian Ruby Guava which is a sweet, fruity smell:

What I like:

  • It comes in a tube – easier to travel with, and it shrinks as the product gets used up – therefore, making it even more travel/gym bag-easy!
  • The Hawaiian Ruby Guava smell is tropical and fun (so yummy & summer-y!!) – when first applied the smell is noticeable, but fades subtley over time. Which I like, I wasn’t looking for an overpowering smell
  • It moisturized well! My skin stil lfeels nice, hours later
  • It sunk into my skin/wasn’t greasy – which is huge, especially with body butters
  • It comes in a 8 0z. tube @ $18  a pop – but it also comes in a small 2.5 oz. tube for $5. I went with this size because it’s purse friendly, and I wanted to try it out first before committing to the bigger size
  • Paraben free! wooooopp

According to Sephora: Intensely moisturizing, protective, and full of skin-loving naturals, this Body Butter melts beautifully into skin providing rich, long-lasting hydration. Each is infused with one of Pacifica’s signature fragrance blends, which contain natural and essential oils. Free of sulfates, mineral oils, parabens, phthalates, propylene glycol, and artificial colors and 100% vegan with no animal testing.

Sephora also carries the perfume for each of the scents. I thought I’d share this fun product line. If you like more subtle scents, this might not be the line for you. But, if you’re looking for something fun that evokes imagines at beautiful flowers and tropical fruits – give this line a try.

Howie has ‘beach hair’

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Howie was out on the boat all day yesterday – which included him swimming and running along the beach. He was in his element! He also attended a cook out in the evening. It’s 11:16am on Sunday and he’s still sleeping.

His fluff has a nice wind-blown beachy look now…he’s just sprawling between 2 pillows on the bed:

Face moisturizer for combo skin…paraben free!

/ BethonBeauty / 3 Comments

This morning I was digging through my ‘product drawer’ hoping to find a moisturizer with a bit more ummpphh for my face. I was out in the sun yesterday and my skin feels dry and icky from all the sunscreen. I re-discovered a WELEDA face moisturizer I bought awhile back at Whole Foods.

First, what is Weleda: Weleda is a company that makes natural beauty products. A big part of their mission is using Biodynamic farming methods and developing fair trade partnerships. I had to google ‘biodynamic farming’ – it means:  ‘a method of organic farming that treats farms as unified and individual organisms, emphasizing balancing the holistic development and interrelationship of the soil, plants and animals as a self-nourishing system without external inputs insofar as this is possible given the loss of nutrients due to the export of food.‘ Ok, so organic farming…it sounds good. 

I was drawn to try this line for a couple of reasons: it had been recommended to me as a good, natural product line, the price point wasn’t as high as some of the other options at Whole Foods – and this particular product seems to address the needs of my skin – I tried: Iris Hydrating Facial Lotion

my tube of Weleda Iris Hydrating face cream

Cost: $20 (at Whole Foods) for a 1.0 oz tube (link to product below)

A few selling points:

  • For oily to combination skin
  • Light, fast absorbing
  • Regulates natural moisture balance and provides long-lasting protection against drying out
  • Uses organic jojoba seed oil as a hydrating emollient that nourishes and softens
  • Organic calendula flower extract soothes skin and provides a protective antiseptic barrier
It was featured in Whole Living Magazine:

Weleda Iris hydrating cream featured in WL magazine (it's the white/purple tube up top)

What I love about Weleda –

  • besides it being a natural option…
  • it did a great job moisturizing my skin
  • I love the slight lavender smell
  • It comes in a tube so you don’t have to dip a finger into a pot and spread bacteria around
  • It spreads well, sinks into skin and doesn’t leave me feeling greasy
  • My skin stayed moisturized during the day

One thing I noticed is, the ingredients seem to seperate…so when you first squeeze it out there is a bit of oily liquid that comes out with the white cream. You have to mix it between your fingers before you apply to get the right consistency.

I thought I’d share this natural, paraben free option. A moisturizer for ‘combination’ skin is always good for me in the summer – my skin is dry year-round but tends to break out more in the summer…with the humidity and the sunscreen I apply to my face. Oh and…given all the chemicals in sunscreen it feels nice to apply something natural at the end of a beach day 😉

If you’re looking for a natural option – the Weleda line might be a good one to look into!

Have you tried Weleda or any natural skin care product lines? Please share 

free foot massages…today only!

/ BethonBeauty / 1 Comment

Today was the day we tried out some of the Pink Papaya goodies sent by Liz 🙂 It seemed like the perfect time to use the blackberry fig foot scrub and the foot creme with sweet almond oil…Nick underwent elbow surgery on Wednesday of this week and has been trying to relax and recover. I offered to test the scrub and creme on his feet because he’s in need of a little pampering. He gladly accepted the offer.

The supplies! A couple towels + a big mixing bowl (big enough for a foot haha) filled with warm water, and the sample size foot scrub and creme!

Side note…I’m not usually the gal who gives her guy foot rubs – but I feel like he really needs it…and he’s a great test subject!

First we used the foot scrub – Pink Papaya says: organic brown sugar and blackberry seeds remove tough and rough skin from your feet. Sesame seed oil and vitamin E soothe and heal feet while adding moisture. $22.50 for 6.5oz. (item # 00057) – PARABEN FREE!

Pink Papaya blackberry fig foot scrub - it's so pretty - you can see the crystals of brown sugar and blackberry seeds

The smell of the scrub is amazing – it has a warm, sweet brown sugar scent. I liked that the smell is not overpowering so Nick didn’t feel like I was rubbing his feet with ‘girl stuff.’ The pieces of brown sugar and real blackberry seeds make it easy to scrub rough areas of the feet. The scrub stayed in tact – I’ve used scrubs that dissolve once they hit water, which defeats the purpose! The scrub felt nice against the skin!

When we washed the scrub off and you could feel a smooth coating on the feet, but once we wiped with a towel it was all dry. And ready for the creme!

foot creme with sweet almond oil – Pink Papaya says: hydrate your feet with this wonderful foot creme enriched with jojoba and sweet almond oil. Banish callouses and rough feet forever! Your feet will feel silky and have an improved appearance instantly.  $17.00 for 6.0oz (item #00056) – PARABEN FREE!

Pink Papaya foot creme

The creme has a subtle smell – and is nice and emolient so you don’t need a lot – it’s just the right consistency – not too thick (like a body butter) and then also not too watery. It made massaging the feet easy (I can’t believe I was massaging someone else’s feet FOR FREE haha)

Nick had no complaints – shocking 😉 his feet felt so soft. And he said once he gave them a minute or so to dry, they didn’t feel greasy. After we were done he kept saying how good his feet felt…and how relaxing the treatment was 🙂

At the end of the day, this was definitely a treat. It made me realize that pampering like this is great for someone who is on their feet all day – like a teacher, nurse, or cop (etc.) If you have a job that keeps you on your feet a lot – this would be something to consider as a regular treatment to soothe tired feet. It’s also a nice bonding experience if you’re looking to spoil a significant other.

cool beauty accessory: the eye mask

/ BethonBeauty / 1 Comment

This one beauty accessory/tool came to mind today…as the temperatures soared towards 90 degrees and stresses were high across the city. Ever notice how much more agitated people get in the heat? Ugh.

Well, if you’re in need of relaxing and cooling off at the end of the day – this is a great accessory to have on hand.

It’s the hot or cold eye mask

Below is a pic of my sage green terry-cloth eye mask…purchased at Marshalls for less than $10. You can find it in the bath/beauty section.

Anti-Stress Eye Mask - hot or cold relief 'soft & soothing collection'

It’s always waiting patiently in my freezer to de-stress and de-puff. It can also be microwaved at 30 second intervals for a warming effect. The outside/terry cloth liner is machine washable. And, it keeps the pack insulated and keeps the pack from being too cold/warm against the skin.

he enjoys this mask, he's not a normal dog

Simply remove from freezer – sit or lay down, and rest across your eyes.

Easily found at Marshalls, and other discount stores. The eye mask is soothing after a hot day, or a stressful one. It also works to de-puff eyes and help relieve migraines/headaches.