holiday

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.

Acure Organics Cell Stimulating Facial Mask, $15.99, available at Whole Foods
Nourish Organic Coconut & Argan Body Wash, $9.99, available at Target
J.R. Watkins Coconut Scrub, $12.99, available at Target
eos Smooth Sphere Lip Balm, $3.29, available at most drugstores/Target
Elemis Skin Brush, $48, available at Nordstrom

You know those boxes in buildings that read, “IN CASE OF EMERGENCY, BREAK GLASS” – ? This is the blog entry equivalent of that.

We’re three days out from Christmas and there’s a good chance that some of you still haven’t picked up last-minute gifts for coworkers or stocking stuffers for family members. SHAME ON YOU! (Just kidding, this is the story of my life.) Unfortunately, for many of us, our favorite all-natural and organic beauty finds require an online shipment. Ain’t nobody got time for that. And if you’re marooned in the suburbs or country this holiday, chances are you’re more than a few miles out from a specialty skincare boutique (but please support small biz if there is one in your vicinity!).

If you’re out of options (and hair), instead of grabbing the first thing you see at the drugstore and giving your mother a lumpy bag of mixed nuts or a stale chocolate bar from the CVS checkout counter (which I have done in desperation every year…sorry, Mom…), make the most of the drug/grocery/department store nearest you and snag a natural beauty gift that’s available at mainstream shops.

Time to get your holiday bake on!

So, this is easily my favorite baking recipe of all time. It’s a soft, chewy, DELICIOUS cookie. I can only make these when I know I am bringing them somewhere…otherwise I can’t be trusted with them. The good news is that this recipe is vegan, and utilizes my good ol’ favorite: agave, so no refined white sugar here! Follow the recipe and you’ll have the best dessert at the par-tay! (or on your couch, alone, watching the PBS special on Liza Minnelli. No judgement here, people!)

Me Plus You screen printed organic cotton flour sack towel by Earth Cadets, $16
Beeswax Aromatherapy Beehive Glass in Enlightenment by Big Dipper Wax Works, $14.50
Scotch Naturals Holiday Black Tie Collection, $60
Lulu Organics Hair Powder in Lavender & Clary Sage, $30
bkr Bottle in Crush, $28

I’m just going to come out and say it: I dropped the ball on Thanksgiving this year. I have bookmarked zero recipes and I have no idea what I’m going to contribute to our family feast this Thursday. So, in the spirit of being prepared for at least some of the impending winter holidays, I’m refusing to acknowledge this Thursday’s festivities and instead sharing a few of my picks for holiday gifts – or birthday gifts, for those of you who have Sagittarius friends (I’ve got three in the immediate family). Speaking of, today is KATHRYNE’S birthday! Happy, happy birthday, big sis. One of your gifts is included in the collage above. Betcha can’t guess which one…!

And now, for some rationale:

Are you a skin care herbivore?

Last Minute Drug Store Gift Ideas That Don’t Suck

Holiday Baking: Coconut Macaroons

Holiday Gift Ideas, Naturally…