EMPTIES + MINI REVIEWS (Earthwise Beauty, Honua Skincare, Lepaar, Just Herbs)

Nothing like an Empties post to make you feel accomplished, right? After my last Empties post, which was in March this year, I have returned with a few more used-up products along with my mini reviews on them. Most of these products I have reviewed in depth previously on this blog so I'll link up wherever applicable. Nevertheless, if you have specific questions, please ask in the comments below. :)

Hawaiian Beauty Water by Honua Skincare:
My thoughts on this gentle, all-natural liquid exfoliant are mentioned here, but you'd see that my opinion on this exfoliant treatment toner hasn't changed much. I still think that my skin is too resilient to notice any exfoliating effect from this product. That said, it may be a good option for those with sensitive skin, who want to try exfoliation but are feeling unsure about it. After using up half of the bottle's contents, I used the remainder to spritz on my face to prevent certain clay-based masks from drying up too soon. It seemed to work well when combined with other skincare products such as the Earthwise Beauty Frightening Green Mask, Blackstrap Molasses Mask, etc. The Hawaiian Beauty Water has gorgeous ingredients such as hibiscus, coconut water, papaya enzymes, willow bark, witch hazel and more. I only wish it worked on my skin!


Earthwise Beauty Cistus and Moonlight Face Mist:
I love this mist to bits! Previously reviewed here on my blog, the scent of this mist is completely unique and unlike anything else on the market. The floral, honey-like scent laced with a touch of green makes up for a such a soothing ritual, be it in the mornings or at nighttime. In the morning rush hour, this slows me down for a brief few seconds and in the evening, it calms my frazzled, often overworked self. Performance-wise, this hydrates my skin without leaving behind a greasy after-feel, which so many other mists do because of the inclusion of oils. This is yet another product that is free of essential oils. I'm so glad to see Ava repackage this mist into a 100 ml bottle because the 60 ml runs out pretty soon.


Earthwise Beauty Ambrosia del Cerrado:
This was my first bottle of the Ambrosia del Cerrado from Earthwise Beauty and like every other product from the line, this doesn't disappoint. Although Ava describes this as a moisturiser, I think it also has slight treatment-like properties. What I mean is, it doesn't just hydrate the skin but also lightens spots when used consistently over a period of time. In a way, it's a grown-up moisturiser. The colour and the scent are so refreshing, but what I appreciate more are the ingredients and the performance. It's one of the few green beauty products out there that is free of essential oils and therefore safe for everyone to use. The Ambrosia also pairs very well with Earthwise's Ruby Facial Oil (also free of essential oils), sharing not only a few ingredients such as pequi and buriti oils but also the scent profile, obviously due to the same ingredients. I love to mix the Ruby oil with the Ambrosia into an emulsion, which is what I reach for when I'm short on time. My Ruby oil is long gone but this moisturiser is still good on its own. I'm currently on my second bottle of this. You can find my review on this here.


Just Herbs Gotukola Indian Ginseng Rejuvenating Beauty Elixir Facial Serum:
Previously reviewed here and here, this is my second-time purchase of this serum. I was blown away by it the first time around, and I'm still blown away by it. The serum is a potent combo of deep yet lightweight hydration (thanks to the Indian Senna seed extract) and brightening (mostly due to liquorice). The only thing one needs to keep in mind is, don't use this as a moisturiser. It is formulated as a serum for a specific reason. The botanical hyaluronic acid in it requires that you top it up with a regular moisturiser otherwise the hyaluronic acid in it will draw moisture out of your skin; the serum therefore needs to be 'sealed in' with something on top of it. Also, if you don't use a moisturiser on top of this, it leaves a slightly sticky feeling (similar to conventional hyaluronic acid) which is not pleasant.


Lepaar Skin Precious Face Oil:
Included in a Boxwalla beauty box last year, this face oil is lovely, with a lush scent and feel and a performance that matches its aesthetic value. When I used it alone for several days (as recommended by the brand) I noticed it gave a brightening effect similar to the Earthwise Beauty Ruby Face Oil (also included in one of the Boxwalla beauty boxes). While the Ruby has a spicy, tropical scent, this has a fruity and cookie-like vanilla-ish scent rounded off with a grown-up frankincense. I also like to mix this with the Ambrosia del Cerrado and sometimes even with the Farizad's Veil sunscreen powder. Although it doesn't have the tint of the Ruby oil, it doesnt't leave too much of a white cast despite that. While the Ruby is more easily available, I don't see the Lepaar products stocked at too many online retailers.


Earthwise Beauty Sungod Mask:
This powdered mask is quite unsual. Ava's intent behind this was to create a skincare product to address overexposure to sun and skin aging through the use of sun-reminiscent botanicals. While I loved the glow it gave me, I don't think I used it long enough to notice any remarkable effects, considering I had a sample jar, which lasted 2-3 uses. Ava does mention on her site though that this is not a short-term brightening mask but rather a long-term skin investment.


That's it, folks! I'm quite happy that I have cleared up some more space on my skincare shelf. These two empties posts have also been a good exercise in figuring out the overall patterns in my usage of skincare and my preferences. I am now more aware of what I tend to lean towards in terms of ingredients, scents and textures, and what my topmost priorities are from a skincare product. My ultimate goal is to reduce the amount of skincare that I buy; less is definitely more. This also means fewer Empties blog posts in future (hopefully). 😃

REVIEW: Boxwalla Beauty Box (June 2018) featuring Moss Skincare Illumina and Beurre Celeste

I'm pretty certain that the skincare Gods have descended upon earth in the form of Lavanya, the owner of the bi-monthly subscription box called The Boxwalla. This lovely woman is making waves in the green beauty industry with her excellent curation of the bi-monthly beauty boxes.

In the past one year that I have been receiving the #boxwallabeauty boxes, I have skipped only two boxes (yes, she gives you the freedom to subscribe/unsubscribe whenever you want) but the products from the rest of the boxes have become staples in my skincare routine, be it my favourite skincare brand, Earthwise Beauty or the H is for Love Rapha Harmonizing Oil Cleanser, Kinu Body Balm or Lepaar Skin's Precious Face Oil. Lavanya really has her finger on the pulse of the green beauty industry...which is why I was delighted when this skincare God answered my prayers!

For a while now, I had been keenly interested in trying out Moss Skincare, a brand reviewed in depth by the lovely Vivian of http://vsafaria.com/. After reading her reviews and that of countless others in the blogosphere, I desperately wanted to try some of their products, mainly Illumina Vitamin C serum, the Beurre Celeste cleansing balm and a couple of other products. So, when I spotted Lavanya 'liking' several Instagram posts of Moss Skincare (yeah, I can be sneaky), I crossed my fingers hoping that the next Boxwalla beauty box features Moss Skincare.

Of course, I did a happy dance when Lavanya announced that the June 2018 beauty box would be featuring Moss products, that too two products I wanted to try the most. Celestyna, the brains behind this brand, is highly respected for her experimentation with unique skincare ingredients and for the fact that her entire line is focused on helping acneic skin. Her line stands apart for actually delivering on its claims.

So, coming to the main topic of this review, the June box featured two full-sized Moss Skincare bestsellers, namely the Beurre Céleste Honey Antioxidant Infusion Recovery Mask in Cleansing Baume and the Illumina Vitamin C Perfecting Treatment Intensif, together priced at $215, but Boxwalla subscribers got it for $49 (plus $20 for getting it shipped to India). Even after spending $69 for this box, the value was so incredible that I purchased two boxes, with the intent of sharing with family and friends. My mom is already seeing results with Illumina but let's get into the review step by step.

Beurre Céleste Honey Antioxidant Infusion Recovery Mask in Cleansing Baume
Cleansing balms can vary so much from brand to brand, and oftentimes they can be a miss for several reasons (leftover residue, non-rinsable, etc) but this balm shot up straight to my top 3 favourite cleansing balms. The reason being, it is a brightening mask in the form of a cleansing balm. You'd think this would be obvious because the product name itself mentions that it is a "Mask in Cleansing Baume" but it wasn't obvious to me. I treated it like any other cleansing balm, scooping out a pea size and massaging all over my face and neck. As expected, it emulsified on adding water turning into a cleansing milk. But when rinsed off, I was left stunned. What I saw in the mirror was a visibly brightened complexion, the kind you'd see only after leaving a heavy-duty brightening mask such as the Mahalo Bean for 30 minutes. But the Moss Beurre Celeste did it in five minutes flat!

I remember reading on Celestyna's blog that a cleanser needs to have antioxidants in order to scavenge free radicals resulting out of exposure to dust and pollution, and living in Mumbai, I could not appreciate this more. The balm has amazing ingredients such as honey sourced from Nebraska, sunflower oil, macadamia oil, kokum butter and Sea Buckthorn CO2 extract. I imagine the Sea Buckthorn CO2 is what contributes majorly to the brightening effect, having used it previously in other skincare products with similar results.

Ingredients:
Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil*, Mel (Local Organic Honey)*, Garcinia Indica (Kokum) Butter*, Macadamia Ternifolia (Macadamia Nut) Seed Oil*, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Esters*, Di-PPG-2 Myreth-10 Adipate, Hydroxystearyl Alcohol, Hydroxystearyl Glucoside, Sorbitan Olivate, Sunflower Lecithin*, Hippophae Rhamnoides (Sea Buckthorn) Fruit CO2 Extract*, Citrus Bergamia (Bergamot) Oil FCF, Backhousia Citriodora (Lemon Myrtle) Oil*, Cymbopogon Martinii (Palmarosa) Oil*, Coriandrum Sativum CO2 Extract*, Pelargonium Graveolens (Geranium) Oil*, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Extract *Organic/Wildcrafted

* Organic/Wildcrafted (90%)

Scent-wise, I have read such different opinions, possibly because this balm has undergone several iterations over the years, but this latest iteration to me smells like the Thai herb galangal (a cousin of the ginger, with a sharp citrusy aroma) and the desert wind scent of Kokum Butter. I'll be honest, the resulting scent is not my favourite but like I always say, to me performance matters more than the sensory element.

Speaking of performance, I love this balm! It delivers what it claims, removing every bit of grime. I even did my 'Toner Test', which is basically swiping a toner-saturated cotton pad after cleansing to see how much residue is still remaining. I'm happy to report that this balm passed the test. I no longer use the toner after using this balm because I don't want to take away whatever antioxidants the balm is leaving on my skin post cleansing. Secondly, the balm leaves the skin so nourished, I feel confident skipping toner and going straight to serums.

Now, here's a handy tip for skincare DIY-ers. One evening, when I was feeling particularly DIY-ey, I added a 1/4th of a teaspoon of honey to this balm, mixed the two into a smooth paste and massaged it on my face and neck. The additional honey only made it more gooey and therefore more effective when massaged over my clogged pores. I left this 'mask' on for about ten to fifteen minutes. I'm not kidding you guys, when I washed it off, my skin seemed airbrushed, in addition to the brightening effect. Running my fingers over the clogged pores was a joy. I did not feel the grainy texture anymore. I'll be doing this again for sure and I highly recommend you try this out yourself. You will love the results.


Illumina Vitamin C Perfecting Treatment Intensif
This, ladies and gentleman, deserves a blog post on its own but let me try to put down my thoughts as best as possible in this post itself. As I'm typing this, I'm reminded of what Lavanya mentioned on the Boxwalla Instagram when describing this product. She said something on the lines of 'where do I even begin'. And now I know what she means.

This serum is a like five-in-one serum. It exfoliates, brightens, nourishes, protects, reduces hyperpigmentation, acne and wrinkles. I can't speak to the effects of the last claim of reducing wrinkles because I don't have any but I can attest to all other claims.

Ingredients:
Viola Odorata (Violet) Leaf Hydrosol*, Water/Aqua, Lactobacillus/Pumpkin Fruit Ferment Filtrate, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (Vitamin C), Vigna Aconitifolia (Moth Bean) Seed Extract, Salix Alba (White Willow) Bark Extract*, Serenoa Serrulata (Saw Palmetto) CO2 Extract*, Camellia Sinensis (White Tea) Leaf Extract, Glycerin, Glycosphingolipids, Gluconolactone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Methylpropanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenylpropanol, Dehydroxanthan Gum, Olea Europaea (Olive) Leaf Extract*, Magnolia Grandiflora (Magnolia) Bark Extract*, Andrographis Paniculata Extract*, Epilobium Parviflorum (Smallflower) Extract*, Moringa Oleifera Leaf Extract*, Arctium Lappa (Burdock) Root Extract*, Monarda Fistulosa (Bee Balm) Oil*, Palmarosa Oil, Coriander Oil* *Organic/Wildcrafted

*Organic/Wildcrafted Botanicals

The unique aspect about this serum is that it not only exfoliates and gives the benefits of Vitamin C, but the botanicals included in it ensure that the fresh skin cells that surface after the dead skin cells are exfoliated are much better in quality.

When I received this box, I put everything aside, even my precious Earthwise Beauty products, to try this serum because I wanted to test it exclusively and notice what it does performing solo. After cleaning with the Beurre Celeste, this was the only skincare product that went on my skin for five days in a row. And let me tell you this, my mind was blown! Okay, that doesn't say much so let me break it down on a day-by-day basis.

After the first nightly application with one full pump's amount, I hardly saw any effect. The same was the case after the second nightly application. But after the third application, my skin went bam! You know that I often complain about my clogged pores but this baby got rid of a majority of the congestion, along with the redness and acne-related pain that I had at the time. I saw further improvement in my pore situation after the fourth application along with visible brightening and improved hydration. Mind you, this was the only serum/moisturiser I was using post cleansing and toner. While I did feel like using a moisturiser on top of this on the first and second nights, the skin hydration levels were much more improved on the rest of the nights, and I did not feel like putting anything on top of this.

Here's why this serum puts every other exfoliating and Vitamin C serum behind: when I saw that the redness and the acne-related pain was gone completely after a couple of uses, it made me rethink exfoliating and Vitamin C serums in general. In all my previous uses of exfoliating and Vitamin C serums, I have noticed that they sting the skin and cause irritation. I have also seen plenty reviewers call this 'normal' when it shouldn't be. Illumina by Moss Skincare defies this conventional belief that exfoliation and Vitamin C causes redness and irritation. On the contrary, it got rid of these symptoms as it focuses on healing acne and giving nourishment at the same time.

If you are one of those who have been on the fence regarding exfoliation and Vitamin C, I urge you to give Illumina a try. It is a straightforward, no-frills product that takes care of every skincare need you might have. I especially call it no-frills because with conventional Vitamin C serums that use Ascorbic Acid, you need to give the skin time to let the Vitamin C work at an acidic ph level of 3 or so, before putting on any other skincare product on top of it, which might raise the ph level thereby negating any exfoliating effects. Moss Illumina only requires that you wait a minute or so before continuing with the rest of your skincare routine because it contains a derivative and stabilised form of Vitamin C; it uses Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate.

If I had to restrict myself to just one serum forever, it would be the Illumina, hands down. That's saying a lot considering the skincare junkie that I am. It not only reduces my clogged pores but also any breakouts I may have. It also brightens the skin and has improved skin hydration levels too. After the five-day trial that I had with Illumina, I'm now seeing that I don't need to use it every night. I will now use it twice or thrice a week, sometimes skipping it for days together.

If you missed out on this wonderful Boxwalla Beauty Box, make sure you keep an eye on their Instagram where they leave hints and subsequently announce their future boxes. I feel especially proud supporting a fellow Indian (Lavanya is of Indian origin) and I hope she becomes more popular with skincare lovers here in India. This review is my attempt to highlight her and the beautiful boxes she curates, and of course highlight these two amazing Moss Skincare products. Lavanya also interviews the brand owners and shares #skincarenerd facts and trivia relating to the products and the brand owner. It's all very exciting, I tell ya!

I'm eager to see what the next Boxwalla Beauty Box brings us. Hope to review it in time for you guys to go get yourself one. 😊

REVIEW: Earthwise Beauty Green Leaves and Co. Facial Oil

By now, my Instagram friends must be well aware of my love and devotion towards Earthwise Beauty, an organic, luxurious skincare brand based in the US. Ava, the brand's founder, is well-known for her vast knowledge, passion for herbs, flowers and gemstones, impeccable sourcing of ingredients, flawless formulations and the praiseworthy customer service. And all this is topped by truly unique, highly effective and sensuous products.

I was introduced to Earthwise Beauty through the Boxwalla June 2017 Beauty box which included three popular and truly unique products—Nap in the Meadow, Ruby Facial Oil and Farizad's Veil. Needless to say, I fell in love with these products as did almost every green beauty connoisseur out there. Which is why in this blog post, I want to focus on a different product from the Earthwise Beauty line-up, the Green Leaves and Co. Facial Oil, reviews of which are not so easy to find among the beauty blogging community. After using a sample of this, and while using a full-sized jar, I have come to some conclusions about this product and acne-prone skin in general.


My skin battles:
Before I tell you what this product did for me, I want to give you an idea of what my skin is like. I have acne-prone skin, but not in the conventional sense. I don't suffer from cystic or hormonal acne but I'm forever prone to clogged pores due to whiteheads and sebaceous filaments, and sometimes an odd pimple or two. Because of the clogged pore situation, I tend to have a gritty texture especially on my nose, sides of the nose and chin.

If you Google treatments for such skin type, you'd see salicylic acid as the number one solution, followed by glycolic acid. And trust me, I used both religiously for a couple of years. Bravura London was my brand of choice for these products. My skin, right after treatment with these products, would appear super smooth and almost poreless—a gratifying sight indeed. The salicylic acid seemed like a holy-grail product for me.


The side effects: 
Until I started noticing the side effects of using these chemical exfoliants. After the initial 'wonder' effect wore off in a day or two, I'd be left with a dull/gray complexion and even some form of hyperpigmentation, possibly because salicylic acid is known to increase the skin’s sun sensitivity by 50%, and if you're not careful/adequate about sun protection, you're inviting other harmful skin conditions. And I admit I wasn't adequate in the sun protection dept a couple of years ago because I hated using icky sunscreen creams living in a humid, tropical climate. Sunscreen gels, on the other hand, didn't feel adequate. Most of all, I was using chemicals to exfoliate my skin but not supplying enough hydration. A very well-known side effect of salicylic acid is skin dryness. Over-dry skin leads to overproduction of sebum, thus creating a vicious cycle.


The revelation:
After using the trio of Nap in the Meadow, Ruby Facial Oil and Farizad's Veil, my hydration, nourishment and sun protection issues were addressed immensely. But the acne situation was yet to be resolved. Until...I came across Green Leaves and Co. Facial Oil.

Green Leaves and Co. Facial Oil is an acne-healing facial oil described as "noncomedogenic, fully absorbent, refreshing, creamy-velvety, and antimicrobial in a virgin coconut–virgin jojoba oil base". Until this point, I had only heard about facial oils that targeted aging and wrinkles but this was the first time I heard about an oil blend targeted at acneic skin. Yes, we've all heard about tea tree oil spot treatments, but this promised so much more. I was immediately intrigued.

Consider this. What if your chemical exfoliant was replaced with herbs known for regulating  oil production so that you're not constantly oily and using blotting wipes all the time? What if you use a facial oil that not only purges acne but also nourishes the skin, thus eliminating the chance of excess oil production, a side effect of drying exfoliants? Green Leaves and Co. Facial Oil does all this and more.

The full list of ingredients is as follows:
Virgin cold-press unrefined Cocos nucifera (coconut) oil*†, virgin cold-press unrefined golden Simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil*, Rosmarinus officinalis ct. verbenone (rosemary) oil*, Thymus vulgaris ct. linalool (thyme) oil*, hexane-free Viola odorata (violet) leaf absolute*, wildcrafted Lavandula angustifolia (high-altitude French lavender, from Haute Provence) oil, Citrus clementine leaf oil* (from Corsica), Ocimum sanctum (holy basil) oil* (India,), Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract.
*Certified organic.  †Certified Fair Trade

Green Leaves and Co. contains coconut oil, which typically clogs pores for many, including me. But this oil doesn't! I'm sharing an excerpt from Ava's recent interview with The Boxwalla, wherein she says this about coconut oil:

"A skincare myth you'd like to debunk?

Some will disagree, but I came to believe that cold-press unheated unrefined coconut oil is not pore-clogging. It is a highly cooling oil that has a detoxifying property, which in some cases means a customer may with initial use get breakouts that are impurities, toxins coming up to the surface. This type of detox reaction is more likely to happen if a customer has an acne tendency and has long used suppressing, strongly astringent anti-acne products. With customers who are just beginning to test different topical acne solutions, this reaction is usually brief, nondramatic, or nonexistent. I leave it up to customers to decide whether to hang in there and support the body’s detox through skin-care products and herbs (I often encourage customers to look into light yet effective herbal detoxes, such as Dr. Schulze’s 5-Day Liver Detox or classic Chinese formulas prescribed by an acupuncturist), or to return to skin care products without coconut oil."

What it did for me:
I'm sure you are most interested in reading this part of the blog post. So here's what it did for me:

1) The first thing you notice about this green-tinted oil is its scent. OMG! It smells like fresh green leaves but combined with the most sophisticated violet/lavender and the earthy aroma of petrichor, the smell of earth right after a rain shower, after a long dry period! I have been hunting for products with this kind of scent so I was pleasantly surprised with this discovery. Several Earthwise Beauty customers have also praised the scent, but you can't really know until you smell it yourself. I use it as an aromatherapy perfume, rubbed into my palms and breathed in deeply. It helps me center myself and lift my mood, especially when I'm feeling tired or sulky.

2) I noticed its purging properties when I had a particularly large pimple starting to surface on my chin. It hadn't fully formed so I thought it would be a good time to test this oil. I applied it as a spot treatment one night; by next morning, the spot stayed the same. By day 2 morning and regular spot application, the spot came to a surface. I could see the pus brought up to the surface of the skin. Sorry, gross I know! And by day 3 morning, the spot vanished completely. I'm not kidding. It's like the pus and impurities were pulled out without me touching the spot at all. The only thing I'll say is that for me, even after the pimple goes away, the scar remains for a long time. And this oil is not enough for scar reduction. However, the Ferns and Moss serum has been phenomenal for repairing scars, whatever little I have used of it as a sample.

3) When used as a facial oil all over the face, I notice that it regulates/balances the oil production (my skin is less oily now), while giving my face a hydrated yet velvety-matte look and feel. You don't know what a boon that is for combination skin types. We either get doled out icky/drying gels just because we have oily skin; on the other hand, heavy creams are just too heavy for us.

4) This oil also works great when used with Farizad's Veil. In fact, when I asked Ava, she said that all of her oils can be used during the day as well as night. Combination skin types will appreciate the hydrated yet matte look this oil gives when combined with Farizad's Veil sunscreen powder. I certainly appreciated it in hot weather.


Conclusion:
Green Leaves and Co. is a keeper for me for its acne-purging, hydrating yet mattifying, and aromatherapy purposes. If any of these properties interest you and you have acne-prone skin, I urge you to look into it. Try a sample first as I did, especially if you're not confident about how it will benefit your skin.

I apologise for the very long review. I just had so many things to say about this product and I don't like writing just one paragraph about such a good product.

If you decide to get this, let me know how it goes, here or on my Instagram (@skinsleuth). Have a nice weekend! 😙