Yumzezz: A Boutique Brand for Banishing Sad Winter Skin

Yumzezz

It’s no secret that winter is rough on the skin. It’s no secret that most of us, at some point or another, will suffer from dry patches, itchy patches, or just plain ol’ sad and tired-looking skin. It’s also no secret that there are so many natural options for you to save that skin and make it polished and glowing for springtime! I want to share two products that are really helping me this winter with exfoliating my sad skin.

Yumzezz is a new company that reached out to us last year, and I’ve been trying out/ enjoying their products for a few months now. Any wintertime gal knows that exfoliation is the key to surviving in sub zero temperatures. Well, I live in LA…but hey! It still gets cold here, and with the air so dry, my legs and arms are always beggin’ for moisture! (Plus, I’ve got east coast roots…you can trust my wintertime skincare advice.)

Yumzezz is a line of “inedible skin delectables.” They sent me their creamed body scrubs ($12.50 for 2 oz.) to sample. The basis of their body scrubs is organic sugar mixed with palm kernel oil, safflower oil, apricot oil, shea butter, and other sweets for your skin like honey and buttermilk. A simply divine experience in the shower, you just need a little bit to start working the mixture into your skin to melt your stress away. Their body scrubs come in three different scents: Mocha Crunch (my HANDS DOWN favorite – I’m a coffee addict), Coconut Lemongrass (like your favorite sweet Thai dish) and Fruiter (made with actual milled and sterilized fruit seeds). Just like in life, if I am given the option for fruit sorbet or a deep, decadent scoop of chocolate ice cream…uh, yeah, IMGONNACHOOSETHATICECREAM. Mocha Crunch for the win! Coffee plus body scrubs should always go hand in hand – they wake you up while making your skin luminous. The inclusion of “fragrance” in this product, which no doubt contributes to the delectable smell of this product, set off the alarm bells for us, though. Yumzezz confirmed with us that their fragrance formulation is free of parabens, phthalates and vanillin, which is comforting, though we’d rather it only contain all-natural scents.

Also, here’s a fun fact: you don’t need wet skin to use the body scrubs. You can use them on dry skin, as well! Although I have never tried that, (I love me some scrub at shower/bath time) it’s a useful piece of knowledge and a testament to the moisture content in this product!

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

Acure-Lip-Lushes

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

Acure-Aroma-Argan

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.

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Pink Hues by ILIA for Valentine’s Day

ILIA Karma Chameleon and I Put a Spell on You

For me, Valentine’s Day conjures images of chalky conversation hearts and drugstore greeting cards…but above all, THE COLOR PINK.

That’s why I thought it fitting to share two of my recent pink purchases with you: lip and cheek colors from ILIA.

These were my first purchases from ILIA, which is pretty much THE brand for highly pigmented, all-natural lipsticks. True to the brand’s mission and description, I’m pretty sure I could secretly swap out anybody’s lipstick or cream blush with the ILIA, all-natural alternative without them realizing. They may be natural, but they perform just like the high-end, more hazardous products you’d find at any department store beauty counter.

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Nearly Natural: Four Make-up Picks from Sephora

Nearly Natural Sephora Picks

I received several Sephora gift cards for my birthday and Christmas recently, and I put them toward making my make-up bag less…hazardous. Since so many people are gifted with Sephora cards around this time of year and may be poring over pages of glosses and mascara, I wanted to take a moment to list my four product picks.

As you probably know, Sephora is not the mecca of natural beauty products. And though the products I purchased are not 100% natural, they are free of some major nasties: parabens, sulfates, phthalates, and a whole lot more (check the individual Sephora product pages for full ingredient lists). It’s a start!…especially for those of us who are having some difficulty switching over to all-natural make-up. Pretty much every product we post on this blog is all-natural or as close to it as possible, so consider these “gateway” products.

  1. Tarte, LipSurgence Lip Tint and Lip Luster, $24
  2. Korres, Wild Rose Mineral Foundation, $28
  3. Josie Maran, Argan Tinted Moisturizer, $38
  4. Josie Maran, Argan Lip & Cheek Color Stick Set, $34

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Beauty and the Beets: Lip Colors from Fat and the Moon, Alima Pure

Fat and the Moon Alima Pure

“It’s made of beets!

Apologies to the dozen or so folks who heard me say this on Friday night whilst brandishing my newest natural beauty product acquisitions. I was talking about Fat and the Moon’s Lip & Cheek Stain, and technically, it’s made with beet root (but my heart was in the right place).

I found myself in a lip product desert recently, having used up all of my ol’ standbys, and ordered the stain as well as Alima Pure Lip Tint in Mango. I’ve been using these products in tandem, so figured I’d review them in a single post.

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