babemenot
Member Since: February 28, 2018Reviews
Lush Avocado Co-Wash Solid Shampoo
This product doesn’t rank in my top five all time favourites just yet but it’s pretty close. I do all sorts of things to my hair and as a result, it’s grown pretty dry. So the thing I love the most about this shampoo is that is doesn’t... +
This product doesn’t rank in my top five all time favourites just yet but it’s pretty close. I do all sorts of things to my hair and as a result, it’s grown pretty dry. So the thing I love the most about this shampoo is that is doesn’t leather too much but leaves your hair feeling clean without exacerbating the dryness.
I also like the fact that this product is 100% vegan and doesn’t come in a bottle and comes as a solid instead, which makes it great for the environment and great for travelling, as you can take a big chunk with you and not have to worry about liquid regulations at customs. Plus, the fact that it doesn’t strip my hair of it’s moisture makes it a great travel ally, as I don’t have to worry about bringing copious amounts of conditionner with me so my hair doesn't turn to hay whilst I'm away. And yeah, like most Lush products, it smells great.
Also Lush don't test on animals, offer alternatives to plastic packaging and try to use as many natural ingredients as they can. So bonus points for Lush!!
Possible downside: The product does contain alcohol and sulfates (which according to Lush, have been tested and approved as safe synthetic ingredients), but still, they are both potentially drying agents for the hair - which is making me aprehencious about including this product in my regular haircare routine. Also, the red wax-y layer surrounding the product somtimes breaks off and gets stuck in my hair - so you do have to rince rather well or inspect your hair for red bits when coming out of the shower, but it's really not that big a deal as it doesn't happen that often.
All this being said, for short periods of time i.e. travels - it’s slowly becoming my new go-to product.
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My Magic Mud Whitening Toothpaste - Activated Charcoal, Bentonite Clay - Wintergreen Flavour
I purchased this toothpaste at a health food shop for about $13. I decided to give it a try because it ticked all the boxes: plant-based, didn’t have any parabens, fluoride or foaming agents inside, etc. Plus, I wanted to try the effects of the... +
I purchased this toothpaste at a health food shop for about $13. I decided to give it a try because it ticked all the boxes: plant-based, didn’t have any parabens, fluoride or foaming agents inside, etc.
Plus, I wanted to try the effects of the whitening and detoxifying benefits of activated charcoal and the packaging said ‘brush like a boss on it’ (I know - I’m a sucker for words)
I’ve been using this product for the last month and so far so good. My favourite thing about it is the flavour. I love anything that has wintergreen in it - it’s a nice change from the generic spearmint you find in most toothpaste.
I have no complaints about this products, it does what a toothpaste should do : leaves by teeth feeling clean and with a nice taste in my mouth to boot. As for the whitening effects, I’m not sure I can vouch for that… my teeth certainly haven’t become yellower but I didn’t notice any dramatic whitening effect either. I guess, because the ingredients are gentle, it probably takes longer use to start seeing results.
Possible downside: you might have to clean the sink more often because of the charcoal.
Ingredients
Distilled Water, Diatomaceous Earth, Xylitol, Bentonite Clay, Organic Coconut Oil, Activated Charcoal, Organic Wintergreen Oil, Citric Acid, Grapefruit Seed, Organic Sweet Orange Oil, Potassium Sorbate, Rosemary Oil, Organic Stevia, Organic Tea Tree Oil, Organic Vanilla Extract, Xanthan Gum
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Aesop Camellia Nut Facial Hydrating Cream
I can’t stress enough how much I love this product. I have been using it regularly for 5 months, I’m halfway through the pot now and I would most definitely repurchase this product when I run out. I have combination skin and I usually find it... +
I can’t stress enough how much I love this product. I have been using it regularly for 5 months, I’m halfway through the pot now and I would most definitely repurchase this product when I run out.
I have combination skin and I usually find it really difficult to find a moisturiser that my skin will react to positively throughout it’s cycle of overall dryness to patchy dry spots to normal to patchy oily spots, etc. I was starting to flirt with the idea of using 4 different moisturisers throughout each month until I found this product.
First of all, I want to give a big shout out to Aesop as a brand. I love the fact that all their products are plant-based and that they do not test on animals - plus their products, like the packaging just exude and are of stunningly fantastic quality! Most products are packaged in glass containers which is a big yay for the environment. Plus, they give you fabric bags that you can reuse when you make a purchase, as opposed to those throw away paper or plastic bags that you normally get in shops. Thank you Aesop for giving a fuck about the planet!
So now, onto the face cream: It retails at about $65 for 60ml. What I like about it the most is that it’s very hydrating but it doesn’t leave your face feeling like you’re wearing a mask of grease, like some other moisturisers would. So on days when my skin feels dryer, I simply use more product and on days when my skin feels oily I use a little less; each time it just absorbs into the skin seamlessly and leaves my skin looking matte but hydrated. Overtime, I have also noticed it made my skin more even and brighter and it even helped reduce my breakouts.
Possible downsides: It might seem like a lot to pay for under 100ml sizes - which as a traveller I absolutely love… but I can get how it might seem like a very small pot for a big price. This being said, I have to vouch for the fact that a little bit of the product goes a very long way and that the purchase is well worth the investment!
Also, I’m always a bit wary about pots for moisturisers. This, because every time you put your fingers or a tiny cosmetics spatula in the pot, you risk introducing bacteria and contaminating the whole product. This, paired with oxygen exposure running the risk of damaging the chemical balance of the product and as a result and it’s losing some of it’s effectiveness overtime. This made me on the fence about purchasing the product in the first place but so far so good. But it would be awesome if Aesop through about some-type of pump system fo their moisturisers - just an idea.
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St. Ives® Even & Bright Pink Lemon & Mandarin Orange Facial Scrub
I don’t usually purchase St.Ives products mainly because of their animal testing policies. I used to be a religious user of the Blemish Control Apricot Scrub when I was younger and more naïve with regards to animal cruelty issues. This being... +
I don’t usually purchase St.Ives products mainly because of their animal testing policies. I used to be a religious user of the Blemish Control Apricot Scrub when I was younger and more naïve with regards to animal cruelty issues. This being said, with winter drying up my skin and my financial situation urging me to go easy on spending I found myself looking in the ‘cheap drugstore skincare’ aisle thinking I would repurchase the Apricot scrub just this once (I know, this was hard for my morals)
But like a mosquito to a flame, I got intrigued by this new product St.Ives had just launched called ‘RADIANT SKIN PINK LEMON & MANDARIN ORANGE FACE SCRUB’ so I thought I would give it a try for two reasons. a) I’m a sucker for new things and b) the exfoliation factor was ‘moderate’ as opposed to ‘heavy’, like it is the case with the Apricot Scrub, so I thought this scrub would be gentler on my skin.
On this topic, St. Ives is allegedly is under lawsuit because the crushed walnut powder, used in the Apricot Scrub, allegedly creates microscopic tears in the skin, exposing it to infections and irritation - and people are not happy about the damage they think it may have caused to their skin. I personally cannot attest to that - but it’s a good thing to know.
So I was excited to try this new product thinking I had found a bargain 100% natural, parabens-free (so it says on the proverbial tin) holy grail item to get me through winter. The scrub itself is very gentle, more like a creamy cleanser with micro-beads, which is nice.
But the smell…oh my god, the smell is absolutely horrendous. Nothing to do with a nice, relaxing skincare experience and more to do with the fumes you might inhale after mopping your floors with a citrusy Mr.Clean product - it’s bearable but needless to say it was a big lesson from the Universe telling me NEVER TO PURCHASE ST. IVES PRODUCTS AGAIN.
After 3 weeks of regular use, on the positive, my skin does feel clean and fresh after using the product, this being said, I don’t really notice my skin being more radiant or even - honestly, I’ve noticed better result with potatoes, lemon and baking soda ( hard to preserve and not the most luxurious smelling either - but works miles better).
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Vitamix Blender
I have used the Vitamix Professional Series 750, which retails at around $760 CAD, for about 6 months. And still to this day, I absolutely love this product! You can tell that they are built to last and that they're absolutely worth the investment... +
I have used the Vitamix Professional Series 750, which retails at around $760 CAD, for about 6 months. And still to this day, I absolutely love this product! You can tell that they are built to last and that they're absolutely worth the investment.
With different speed settings and a wash setting, you can make anything from pesto to banana [n]ice-cream and super smooth smoothies i.e. no more bits in your smoothies in minutes. It also works extremely well for making houmous, batters, creamy salad dressings or nut butters.
This is the blender I use to make my homemade nut mylks and it works like magic. Another big plus is that the containers are heat resistant and so you can put hot broth and vegetables directly in to make soups.
Now for the downsides: First, the blender is quite noisy... but you can't really get away from that with any other blender this performant. And second, it you're a traveller and daily smoothie drinker like me, the Vitamix Pro 750 probably isn't the best option to take with you on your travels (because, yes, I do travel with a blender haha). Other options, such as the Magic/Nutri Bullet, or any type of arm blenders, are a lot more travel-friendly but even if those products do the job quite well; the difference in quality of the finished product is noticeable and so is the ease of the process i.e. time taken, cleaning process, etc.
If you want to try the Vitamix and see if it’s the right fit for your lifestyle, you can purchase the product at a risk guarantee and use it at home for 30-days, if you’re happy with the way it works (and trust me, you will) then the product is guaranteed for an extra 5 years. The company even offers trade-in programmes for when your blender gets old and you want to upgrade it. Vitamix really seems like a company who is proud and cares for the products they sell and it really shows. Even after 6 months, I can say I’m still really pleased using their product everyday and I can say it's well worth the investment!
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