LPN’s January Faves – Natural Beauty and Wellness

What better way to start off the new year than with some new faves? Ok, It’s not my first post of the month, but I needed some weeks to try some amazing new products and get my results before I could bare down and write you about all this goodness.

Today’s post spans from the Ultra luxe (and effective) to the everyday lovelies. It’s a good mix of “a little bit of everything”, hope you enjoy.

Vintner’s Daughter Active Botanical Serum

Processed with VSCOcam with f2 presetTwo words: game changer. Powerful and pretty, Vintner’s Daughter packs a phytonutrient punch  with its formulation of 22 of the world’s most active anti-inflammatory phytonutrients, nourishing fatty-acids and powerful antioxidants. Vintner’s Daughter Active Botanical Serum was created with the purpose of helping to fight the signs of aging; stimulate cellular turnover; maintain skin elasticity; strengthen capillaries; inhibit melanin production; prevent wrinkles; deliver oxygen to cells and protect against free-radical damage. Whoa mama!

Vintner’s Daughter was the result of two years of research and formulation to come to this final product.  Indeed here you will see luxury meeting efficacy and while the price tag is a little steep, it is beautifully effective and lasts a long time (you only need 3 drops per application – and if you spray your face with a toner or hydrosol, the oils are taken even further into the skin).  The skin finish is satiny (not oil), the scent is beautiful, and the ingredients are wholly pure. A combo of Hazelnut Oil; Bergamot Peel Oil; Avocado Oil; Marigold Extract and Rose Absolute are wonderful combination (one that I have not seen before all together), plus some other additions including: Carrot Seed Oil, Evening Primrose Oil; Rosehip Seed Oil; Lemon Peel; Lavender Flower; Alfalfa Leaf; Nettle Leaf; Dandelion Leaf; Frankincense Oil; Neroil Flower Oil; Rosemary Leaf Extract; Sea Buckthorn Fruit; Tumeric Root Oil; Cypress Leaf Oil; Jasmine Flower and Tamanu Oil.

Treat yo’ self!

Where to Buy

Internationally on Eco Diva Beauty for $185 USD 

Hynt BeautySkin Prep Serum

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My new favourite face primer for a pre-makeup foundation. Hynt does a beautiful job combining potent organic algae extracts (amazing skin brighteners) and organic plant and flower extracts known to resurface, firm and rewind the skin in its Skin Prep. Skin Prep is perfect for the sensitive skinned beauty, and those with problem prone skin (there are extracts of tea tree and clary sage – antibacterial and microbial).

So what does Skin Prep do? It brightens, smoothes and firms skin leaving you with a youthful and healthy looking complexion – with or without makeup. Skin feels like satin after application and its scent is light and lemony (it has PH balancing grapefruit seed extract). I’m loving this stuff.

Where to Buy: 

Online at Eco Diva Beauty for $44 USD

Mountain Rose Herbs Bergamot Essential Oil

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 For those that have been to LPN before, you’ve probably seen me talk a bit about Essential Oils. I’m a lover of the therapeutic properties of pure, organic and therapeutic grade essential oils. My oil of the month right now? Bergamot.

Here’s why:

Bergamot is known for its properties as a deodorant (dilute it with a carrier oil – such as almond oil or coconut oil), fever reducer (add some drops to your bath), wound healer, antibiotic, antifungal (great for candida related fungus) antiseptic (great for healing up any sores like cold sores and acne), pain killer, sedative, antidepressant (diffuse the essential oil in a diffuser), disinfectant, scar tissue and digestive substance. It is a seriously all around essential oil useful for a host of reasons, but you might also find it in your skincare these days. It is also great for helping to stimulate and regenerate skin cells as well as distribute pigments evenly throughout the skin, leaving an even, toned complexion. It’s citrusy scent is quite lovely, but it still has a dark spicy undertone. Making it really nice to use as an insect repellent too (for all of you lovelies taking off somewhere tropical this winter).

Today I’m diffusing it in my Aroma Geni diffuser and I put some in my bathtrub over the Christmas holidays when I wasn’t feeling so great (just a few drops will do).

 *A note for pregnant and nursing mothers, please avoid. Essential oils are natural, but powerful. It’s important to err on the side of caution here.

Where to Buy: 

Online at Mountain Rose Herbs for $16.50 USD for 0.5 Oz

Bottega Organica Eye Illuminate Eye Cream

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Dipping back into the luxe and lovely comes Bottega Organica. Another brand that is quickly making it into my list of favourite natural beauty brands. Why? Well, New York based Bottega Organica takes scientific research (combining anti-aging studies) and pulls in 100% natural and organic ingredients that focus on maintaining the skin’s youth. Further still? Products are formulated from their own farms in the coastal regions of Liguria, Italy, and the Spencertown Hills of Columbia County, New York.

Here’s why I’m loving their Eye Illuminate Horse chestnut & Cucumber eye cream:

Cucumber and horse chestnut revitalize the eye contour, generating a radiant glow while rosemary enhances skin elasticity. Arnica and coneflower stimulate healthy skin renewal while prawn sage exerts its powerful anti-aging activity. Wild carrots are high in antioxidants and vitamins, which are essential for skin repair (think natural retinol kick).

The cream has a nutty scent and literally melts into the eye (but leaves no grease, meaning your makeup will go on just fine). I’ve been using it day and night for the past few weeks and think the immediate results are brilliant. The skin around my eyes is looking brighter, healthy and fresh.

Where to Buy: 

Online at Eco Diva Beauty for $145 USD  

Votary Cleansing Oil

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UK based Votary comes to the stage with some awesome products – prepare for the newest member of the natural beauty “cult fave”. First off, I’m in love with the packaging (and let’s face it, when it comes to beauty products, we want our packaging to be beautiful too). This is the kind of bottle I love to have placed on my bathroom vanity cabinet.

As for the product — it’s the perfect winter skin cleanser. Never again will you have that tight skin post cleansing with this beautiful product. Simply massaging this natural oil into your skin, and follow it with a hot facecloth (they package one with the product as well).  It is also great for removing debris and makeup – gently and without tugging at the skin. Apricot, rose and grape seed oils blend together to create a gentle and skin nourishing deep clean.

How do you cleanse with oil? Here’s the ritual: Put 4 to 5 pumps of oil into the palm of your hand and rub in the hands lightly, then blend the oil onto your face. Start with your cheeks, then around your nose, mouth and jawline, and finally the area around your eyes. Splash your face with warm water and then continue to massage the oil into your face and eyelashes. Last, take a face cloth, soak it in hand-hot water, then wring it out and apply it to your whole face. Breathe in, and allow the steam to penetrate your pores. Then begin to gently rub your oil and make-up away. Repeat this once or twice as necessary. Finally, splash your face with warm water and pat it dry.

Where to Buy: 

Online at Votary.com for 45 GBP 

Darshana Indian Hair Oil

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Darshana Natural Indian Hair Oil is an Ayurvedic treat that was inspired by the company’s travels to India where women use ancient Ayurvedic treatments for their beautiful, healthy, hair. Darshana uses India’s natural hair care secret to help smooth, moisturize, and condition the hair — perfect for dry hair this time of year. In fact this morning I sat with a Darshana hair oil mask on my hair for 3 hours (before washing it out with Stop the Water while Using me). If you have dry, damaged, or curly hair, Darshana’s blend of organic and natural oils, antioxidants, omega 3-6-9, and vitamins A, B, C, and E, will help make your hair appear healthier, smoother, and more manageable.

DIRECTIONS

  1. Before you shower apply Darshana Natural Indian Hair Oil to dry hair
  2. Massage oil into scalp
  3. Apply oil from roots to the ends of your hair to help lightly coat the entire length
  4. Leave on for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight
  5. Shampoo, condition, and style your hair as usual

Where to Buy:

Online at Darshana.com from $18 USD

And there you have it, beauties. January’s faves – and it’s only midway through!

X

K