The Facial that Saved My Skin (!): Green Revolution Skin Studio

JenniferApr 8, 2015 2 Comments

When Laura Dobi, founder of Green Revolution Skin Studio in Bethesda, Maryland (locals, take note!), reached out to me about swinging by her studio for an organic facial, I was turnt up about it. I’d never had a facial of any kind before (real talk), and Laura has serious green skin credentials and expertise, so I knew it wouldn’t disappoint.

What I didn’t expect was for my appointment with Laura to catalyze a whole new chapter in my skin’s history (!). Truly, no product or experience I’ve had since starting this blog has been as impactful on me or the state of my skin than my facial at Green Revolution Skin Studio. Seriously. Her studio is so aptly named! My skin is clearer than it has been in well over a year. After months and months of tirelessly swapping in an endless assortment of products, diet adjustments and supplements (to no avail), Laura gave my skin the reset and supplemental regimen it needed. Thank you, Laura!

If you’re stuck in a skincare rut, or haven’t been able to self-solve your skin issues, consider investing in a green/organic facial or consulting with a pro. With Laura, if you can! I was so stubborn and resolute in trying to clear my skin for over a year. I would have visited Laura much sooner if I’d known I’d have such amazing results.

SO: what can you expect from a treatment with this miracle worker?

First off, Laura’s studio is beautiful, calming and quaint. It’s built to accommodate a single client at a time, so you get her full attention and don’t feel like you’re in a skincare factory with bathrobe-clad strangers milling around everywhere. Laura’s energy matches that of her studio: she is so kind, positive and genuine. An appointment with her is not just a facial. It’s a complete mind-body experience. And it. Is. Awesome.

Laura’s facials are customized to your skin type and she’ll select products and procedures according to your specific skin challenges and concerns. She’s drawing on a seriously well-versed education in skincare: she knows her way around a facial and is extremely knowledgable on products, ingredients and WHY they work (as well as what doesn’t). She uses a wide variety of organic/green-leaning products including Suki, SIRCUIT, the Body Deli, and more.

New Beauty Box on the Block: Modere

JenniferMar 18, 2015 4 Comments

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Are your beauty box subscriptions starting to pile up (literally)? Welp. Make room in your mailbox. There’s a new kid on da block.

Modere contacted us about giving their Beauty Box a test run. Don’t mind if I do!

Who is Modere? When Rachel from Modere first reached out to us, she wrote that the brand offers “lifestyle essentials, personal care, health & wellness and household products that are equal parts safe, high performing and beautifully designed.” Amen to the beautifully designed piece. The two products that I’ve used repeatedly from the box are definitely high-performing. And on the safety front: I’ve noted some ingredients, like phenoxyethanol, that aren’t ideal, but for the most part, these are pretty clean. Impressed.

The concept of their beauty box is pretty clever. Unlike other boxes that send you a variety of samples, Modere includes four full-size products with four corresponding sample sizes, plus a full-size gift that you get to keep fo’ free. You try the samples over a seven-day trial period, decide what you like, keep the full-size products you love and send back the full-size products that you don’t love with a pre-paid shipping label. For any of you who have received a beauty box, fell in love with a sample, used it down to the sad, last drop and then bemoaned the fact that it was gone…this is an *instant gratification* solution. So, props to Modere on that biz model.

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BUT: this box is not cheap. Your card isn’t charged until the end of your seven-day trial period, so it’s technically a risk-free investment…assuming you don’t pull a Rip Van Winkle and sleep through the week. But you won’t, because this is a $79.99 box (though, contents are valued at $139.99, according to Modere, and you are receiving five full-size products). You’ll get the most bang for your buck if you keep all of the products: if you only select one or a few of them to keep, you’ll have to pay retail price for each.

The box I received included the following products:

I’ve written about my two faves below. I immediately gravitated toward these two because they’re products I’d use in my daily routine – I’m always looking to up my exfoliation and hair game. WHO ISN’T?

Toss This in Your Gym Bag: All-Natural Spray Deodorant

JenniferJan 31, 2015 1 Comment

In case I didn’t say it before…HAPPY NEW YEAR, you guys.

The New Year means RESOLUTIONS. The New Year means forcing myself to go “yogging” in the bitter cold. It means occasionally lifting a 7.5 lb dumbbell above my head in a very flimsy fashion. But, self-disparagement aside, it also means I’m feeling motivated, y’all.

And: thanks to some new spray deodorants that make perfect gym bag companions, it means I am feeling fresh. And fly. And definitely not smelly.

You read right: spray deos. The first I’ve ever tried, as a matter of fact: Blissoma’s Juniper Natural Deodorant Aromatic Spray and FreshBod.

Prior to this little test run, I’d been beholden to my solid deodorants of choice: Soapwalla and Schmidt’s. Both of these have a paste-like consistency and contain natural, safe, sweat-absorbing powders. Soapwalla contains corn starch, baking soda and kaolin clay; Schmidt’s has baking soda as well, plus arrowroot powder. So, it was hard for me to imagine how a spray could ward off sweat. There’s no powder in a spray!

Welp. The answer is that spray deodorants do not tackle your sweat. Spray deos are pro-sweat, anti-odor. Sweating is a normal, healthy function that removes toxins from the body. Sweat becomes *smelly* when it interacts with bacteria on your skin. These sprays combat bacteria to prevent odors. With a spray deodorant, thou shalt sweat. Thou shalt not smell. For that reason, I prefer to use these sprays as a companion to my regular deodorant: post-workout spritzes or a quick spray before starting the evening/night shift.

Five Products from Kahina

JenniferJan 9, 2015 10 Comments

…between the two of us, we can really work our way through (nearly) a whole product line. Some may call it addiction or obsession, but we call it…research.

Kahina Giving Beauty is a brand that we as a green beauty blogging duo (read: seestars) have coveted since we launched Unsullied back in November 2013. Has it been that long? Oh my.

Jennifer dove right into it shortly after we launched and bought/reviewed Kahina’s eye cream, and gave a great primer on the brand in general. Check it out. The basics: Kahina = a high quality argan oil-based line that’s also mission-based, empowering and giving back to the Berber women who harvest and produce the argan oil. Pretty freaking awesome. Cue the music: These are a few of our favorite things…

Fast forward to a few months ago, when we worked with Kahina’s team to identify some products from across their line that would work with our individual skin types and needs (and wants…). We each sampled a handful of products, *including* their liquid gold argan oil – the lynchpin of the entire line – and are sharing with you the best of what we think Kahina has to offer! These are not budget products, so beware – but Kahina is doing some great things by offering fair wages to the women who extract their argan oil. That’s worth paying for.

Jennifer’s Picks

Oh, Kahina.

In addition to testing out the two products that I review below, I also tried the Fez Body Serum, which didn’t totally delight me in the scent department. But these two products delighted me in the…”everything” department. All the departments. They’ve both been indispensable for dealing with winter weather and subsequent skin dryness. THE BOMB.

2014 Faves…and Happy New Year!

JenniferDec 31, 2014 12 Comments

This year was special for us in so many ways. It was our first full year as green beauty bloggers, and we learned so much from this awesome community – the warmth and kindness that met us this year is something we will never forget. We became closer as sisters who live 3,000 miles apart, and Unsullied has been a great way for us to keep in touch and share knowledge and ideas with each other. THAT said…drumroll, please…here are our favorite products of 2014, out of the plethora we slathered all over our sometimes confused and disconcerted skin/bodies (all for the sake of the blog and furthering our green beauty education, y’all). If you read our blog regularly, you probably won’t be surprised at ALL at our picks! (Hey, when we like something, we LIKE something!) We included some tidbits from our original reviews. Onward!

Kathryne’s Faves

Acure Organics: Line Eraser
May 21 – Best of Acure Organics: The Line Eraser is my absolute, hands down, FAVORITE Acure product. The Line Eraser is not only a product I have ALREADY bought for myself, (and will again, and again…) but this little pot of heaven is your answer to most skin care problems. I started with putting it on my “lines” – forehead, laugh lines, etc. Then I started putting it on old acne scars, new acne scars, my eyebrows…you name it! (I started deliberately putting this on my eyebrows at night because I realized that it has helped them grow in thicker. Who doesn’t want THAT?) It’s like a healing salve, and so much more. You can put it on burns, cuts, scrapes, eczema, psoriasis, etc. It’s 100% organic. The Line Eraser’s rich, almost Vaseline-like texture lend itself to really, really working wonders on your skin. It lightens and brightens scars, and has worked literal miracles on my brow/frown lines, the things I am most self-conscious about. Even if you COVER yourself in it, as I have everyday, it will last you a solid 6-8 weeks.

Get Your (Last Minute) Gift On…

JenniferDec 16, 2014 6 Comments

Beautycounter Lip Sheer in Plum, $28
S’well Bottle, $25-$45
Eat Pretty by Jolene Hart, $15.26
May Lindstrom The Jasmine Garden Botanical Mist, $60
RMS Living Luminizer, $38
Vapour Replenish Organic Nail & Cuticle Oil, $18

Jennifer’s Picks

I’ve been wanting to try Beautycounter’s Lip Sheers (1) for ages now. They’ve got a really gorgeously branded line of healthy products – the Lip Sheer in Plum seems like a universally flattering holiday shade for all yo’ peeps.

Give the gift of PERPETUAL HYDRATION. I saw Tara from healthy beauty boutique Follain toting one of these (2) during their DC pop-up shop days. I love the look of this pattern: they’re hand-painted, keep drinks cold for 24 hours or hot for 12, are BPA-free and do not condensate. There’s nothing to dislike about this bottle. And as an added holiday-appropriate perk, S’well’s partner American Forests will plant a tree with every purchase. Good karma. Baby trees! I’ll take it.

Did I buy this book (3) for someone on my list? I sure did. SPOILER ALERT. Hope she’s not reading. (Actually, I hope she is, a hit’s a hit. Know what I’m sayin’?) Jolene Hart’s book is all about healing your skin and making yourself glow from the inside out by eating seasonal, healthy, whole foods. She drops lots of knowledge. Hopefully I get to borrow it when my gift recipient is done reading! (But that’s not why I bought it, I swear…)

Kathryne’s Picks

I tried this mist (4) at A Night for Green Beauty this year and was ready to buy 50 and bathe in it because it’s so refreshing, so hydrating, and smells INSANELY delish. It’s just a gorgeous, romantic, subtle product suitable for all skin types & every special person on your list.

Dry winter hands can lead to cracked cuticles. Ouchy! Pick up this practical yet indulgent little gift and help your friends out (5).

Who doesn’t need a little extra glow in the winter time? I have read nothing been stellar reviews about Living Luminizer (6)! Can’t go wrong with this one.

Happy holidays, you guys! What are you giving/making this year?

One for the Dudes: Province Apothecary’s Beard Oil

JenniferDec 8, 2014 14 Comments

Y’know what we’ve never done on this here blog? Featured products for dudes.

UNTIL TODAY. One small step for Unsullied, one giant leap for…OK, maybe not mankind, but we’re feeling pretty good about it.

Natural skincare, soap and personal care products are not gender-specific. Everyone benefits from using products that are cleaner, healthier and holistic…and free of irritating chemicals and ingredients that do not serve our health. But since Kathryne and I are both, y’know, females, our product reviews naturally have a perpetually womanly perspective. Shucks.

We’ve been talking about getting a male viewpoint on the blog for a while now. With the recent close of No Shave November, the rustic autumn season and the recent popularity of the term “lumbersexual“…we knew we had to start with (drumroll, please) beard oil.

Beard oil also makes a choice selection for the blog because, unlike the vast majority of personal care products out there, it’s a traditionally natural product. Most beard oils are chock full of nourishing oils like jojoba, argan, grape seed, etc., and natural scents. Yeahhh! Plus, it just so happens we liaise with a very beardly dude who has been on the prowl for a solid beard oil for some time now, and he kindly agreed to share his POV for this very blog entry. The fates aligned for this post, my friends.

Today we’re featuring our guy JW. He’s been sporting a beard for the better part of this year, but wasn’t regularly using beard oil…until now. The elixir at hand? Province Apothecary’s Beard Oil ($36 for 30 ml) from Canada, Land of Beards.

We’d been chatting about beard oil on Twitter (y’know, as people do, totally normal…) in October, and Province Apothecary very kindly offered to send us a bottle for JW to test drive. Lucky for us, we had been coveting this brand’s snazzy blue bottle (it’s dual purpose: looks cool and protects the integrity of the oils) and equally laudable natural ingredients. It came highly recommended by our gal Sonja (beard aficionada, fellow Jon Snow disciple) from Life in Blush. Beard oil is pretty much leave-in conditioner for beards. Province Apothecary’s packs in sunflower oil, jojoba seed oil, grape seed oil, evening primrose oil and GMO-free vitamin E. Combined, they hydrate, reduce itchiness and blemishes, and give beards a healthy shine. On top of that, black spruce is supposed to stimulate hair growth and strengthen the beard, while lavender calms the skin. Therapeutic oils of bergamot, cedar wood and vetiver also make this beard oil smell pretty dreamy.

Are you a skin care herbivore?

JenniferNov 17, 2014 14 Comments

Herbivore Botanicals. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

All of Herbivore Botanicals’ skin care products are 100% natural. Their ingredient lists are short and simple. Their products are beautifully branded and packaged in glass, so you can repurpose the bottles or recycle them. Did I mention how attractive their labels are?! (I did. I did.) It’s products like these that will win over even more natural skin care users, because whether or not you have an appreciation for…say…witch hazel, who doesn’t covet a beautiful glass bottle for their bathroom countertop?!

I seriously cannot get enough of this brand, if my past posts weren’t indication…(this one, and this one, and this one…) GUILTY.

Here are my latest Herbivore acquisitions from earlier this year. Thank you to Herbviore’s creators, Julia and Alex, for letting me go nuts and pick out a batch of products for review!

Balance Facial Toner

Toner has become my favorite skin care product. For years, I skipped the toning step. But now, I find it’s a critical way to prime my face for application of moisturizer (better absorption and slippery skin surface) and a refreshing/nourishing way to pack in extra natural ingredients that serve my skin’s needs.

Balance ($24 for 4 oz.) has been my go-to toner for the past several months, and I’m not planning on switching any time soon. If you have oily/combination skin like me (aren’t you lucky?), ch-check this one out.

Let me walk you through the ingredients. #1 = witch hazel (yes, there’s more witch hazel than water in this bad boy). Witch hazel is a natural astringent and helps with acne-prone, oily skin. Who needs an irritating chemical ingredient when you can get the same benefits from nature? Next: Aloe vera and vegetable glycerine are both super gentle and smooth moisturizers. And lastly, essential oils for an added punch: neroli and hyssop decumbens. All I knew about neroli oil before bringing Balance into my life (#hallelujah) was that it has a pleasant citrus-y scent. Turns out, it does more than that: Herbivore included it in their toner for its nourishing and regenerative properties. The hyssop decumbens oil is detoxifying.

Despite the high witch hazel content, I’ve found this toner to be gentle enough to apply both morning and night, and super refreshing.

Fall Lips and Cookie (!) Scented Soap: Latest Faves from Acure

JenniferNov 7, 2014 8 Comments

Acure is a brand we’ve written about boatloads. You’ll find their products in our purses, on our desks, in our bathrooms, in our showers. We even had the chance to interview (and fan girl over) Amy Halman, Acure’s president, for Unsullied!

…so, y’know, we’re kinda fans.

Much to our delight, Acure has had a bunch of product launches this year. We wanted to share our faves with you, because we’ve been using some of these products on the daily.

Kathryne’s Faves

Aromatherapeutic Argan Oils
Drum roll, please: Acure’s most recent release is also their most exciting of the year (I think). These aromatherapeutic argan oils ($12.99 for 1 oz) seriously transport me to a calming place. Coming in Rose, Citrus Ginger and Coconut, you can apply 3-4 drops after your moisturizer or AS your moisturizer on your face, neck and eye area. Or, if you’re like us, you’ll find uses for argan oil all over your body – your hands, cuticles, elbows, etc. These are nice little bottles to keep on your bedside table or at your desk when fall/winter dryness sets in. Plus, depending on your scent preference, you’ll get to bask in relaxation (rose), tropical vibes (coconut) or energizing citrus.

A Nourishing Bath and Body Line for Fall: Eu2Be

JenniferOct 5, 2014 0 Comments

What’s more fun than trying a new, seasonally suitable brand? Hello, Eu2Be!

Eu2Be, founded by Charla Jones, is named after her globetrotting aunt Eugenia, one of a number of strong women in Charla’s life who inspired her to create her own definition of beauty – which we can definitely get behind.

“We believe beauty is so much more than glamour: it’s a creative force for well-being, and there’s nothing superficial about it.”

Yes. Yes. Yes.

The Eu2Be line is rooted in nourishing oils – prime stuff as we move into autumn – and avoids a lot of common nasties. It’s worth nothing that they do contain preservative phenoxyethanol and fragrance. “Fragrance” on any product label sets off the alarm bells in our heads since a number of nasty chemicals can make up your run-of-the-mill synthetic scent, and manufacturers do not have to divulge their formulas, so it’s difficult to gauge what ingredients you’re spritzing or slathering all over your body. The good news is that the Eu2Be team set us at ease after we reached out about this:

“Eu2Be’s fragrance is unisex and never forward or overpowering. It was created for people who are sensitive to strong, allergy-triggering ingredients. And most importantly, it does not have any phthalates, formaldehydes, hormone-altering or cancer-causing components that are commonly associated with fragrance ingredients.”

As always, read your labels – and peep our review below for our thoughts!