When we were on our honeymoon in Greece I grabbed a tube of the Korres Guava body butter at their store in the airport – since then I’ve been in love with it.  The smell is tropical and always brings me back to my after-beach ritual of spreading on this thick, indulgent, amazing scented lotion.  I popped into Sephora the other day to pick up a tube and was SO EXCITED to find the holiday gift set in stock!  For only $32 I got the same sized butter I was going to pay $29 for, along with a full sized shower gell, purse sized butter and a lip balm!   A $70 value!  So, if you’re in need of a special treat for yourself right now, this is the thing to run out and get before they’re gone!  Since I love it so much I might even run back to pick up one or two as Christmas gifts in hopes that some family members will love it as much as I do!

These make-up remover cloths from Norwex are AMAZING!  They remove make-up and cleanse without any harsh cleansers – that’s right – you don’t need to use a face soap at all!  They’re perfect for sensitive skin and the delicate eye area.  I use one every night to take off my make-up – after giving the cloth a good rinse, the mascara and everything else disappears from the cloth!  After wringing it out I hang it to dry and any bacteria that didn’t get rinsed away dies over the next 24 hours before I use it again.  Every couple of weeks I toss it in the laundry just like anything else – just without fabric softener as that will ruin it over time.  I do still love my Clarisonic so I use that in the morning and use these fab cloths at night!  I’m using 1/2 the amount of cleanser now, avoiding having to use an eye make-up remover and cotton balls.  Such less waste and so much better for my health.

**if you’re feeling like your cloth is extra dirty prior to wanting to put it in the washing machine, you can use a little soap on it or to really deep clean it, put it in boiling water

Clarisonic Mia Review:

I’m in LOVE with my Clarisonic Mia!  I don’t know what is up with my skin lately but it’s been terrible – bad breakouts – constantly.  I’ve tried several different cleansers, creams, serums, etc. and although they were all great products I still was covered in red acne bumps and zits.  So embarassing!!!  My skin was never like that as a teenager – why is it doing this to me at 30?!  I started reading reviews on the Clarisonic and decided to give it a go despite the hefty price tag of $119.  It has made a huge difference!  I still have a few spots here and there that come and go, but nothing compared to what it was.  Oh, and my nose is a million times better – my nose likes to harbor a lot of oil but this cleans so deeplt that I’ve seen a huge difference in the clarity of my nose.

There are a few different Clarisonics.  I chose the Mia, which is the cheapest and since I haven’t tried the others I can’t compare them but I can say the Mia is definitely sufficient.  LOVE it!  Definitely worth the investment.

It’s super super light but somehow still moisturizing and there isn’t even the slightest hint of greasiness in it.  I’m very curious to see what my opinion of it will be once the dryness of winter sets in.  I personally prefer a creamier, richer lotion but for those of you who enjoy something light, I would highly suggest this.  It is unscented which I like so I can pair it with any of my perfumes and don’t have to worry about competing scents.  It’s definitely on the pricey side at $22.50 for 8oz but it has lasted well.  It packs a powerful punch in a small amount and has already lasted longer than I expected it to.

My current favorite hand cream is the vegan Lavender Hand Cream from 100% Pure.  The scent is amazing!  Each time I apply it, the girl across from me at work comments on how lovely it smells.  Its creamy but on the lighter side so its perfect for this time of year.  It’s $8 for a 2 oz tube.

StormSister Spatique had some great easy, home beauty tips in their newsletter – check them out! 

I have been using this thick, yummy smelling cream every night on my feet and hands and it has made a huge difference in my skin!  Considering it’s winter, my feet are extremely soft – I think they’re softer right now than they are in the summer!  And where do I even begin with my hands?!  They get so extremely dry in the winter they turn red and crack.  My right hand is always far worse and I know this sounds weird but the worst spots are where my hand rests on the mouse pad all day at work.  I’ve been using the Desert Essence Pistachio Foot Repair Cream on my hands as well and each morning I see a significant difference – although by the end of the day when I’m crawling back into bed they’re rough again.  I’ve been pairing the cream with Earth Therapeutics aloe infused moisturizing socks and gloves that my aunt gave me for a wedding shower gift.  I think the combination of the two items really do the trick for severely dry skin.  They’re also super soft, cushy, warm and cozy during these cold winter nights!

It’s that time of year for insanely dry skin – hands in particular at the moment.  Like I said in an old post, my Weleda Pomegranate Hand Cream was great for summer but winter would require something more.  Lucky me I came across this Indian Coconut Nectar Body Butter at Sephora in the check out line.  I was using a coupon for $15 off a purchase of $40 or more but since I printed and clipped the coupon (it printed on a full sheet of paper so I clipped around the coupon to recycle the rest of the page) I didn’t see the small print saying it was with a minimum purchase of $40 so I needed to spend just another $5.  Anyway, I saw this 3oz tube of body butter for only $5, which is now working well as a hand cream.  It smells absolutely fabulous and gives a good amount of protection without being greasy.  I also loved the Tuscan Blood Orange – I think I’ll run back and get one of those too.

I’m sure I’ve mentioned it before, but I love the smell of coconut and coconut oil is so good for you!  I cook with it and slather it all over my body as a moisturizer.

This yummy body butter is vegan and Pacifica doesn’t test on animals

My Hurraw! lip balms have arrived from Kind Boutique – and as always, Erin packaged them ever so nicely along with her hand written note thanking me for my purchase – seriously, who does that?!?!  It’s SO NICE to purchase things from someone who actually CARES!  She’s amazing!

The balms are $5 each (and as always she does free shipping!) and come in Chai Spice and Vanilla Bean.

They smell and feel absolutely amazing and Chai Spice is a perfect fall balm!