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: Forest Essentials Deeply Nourishing Facial Cleansing Paste

More than a decade ago, when I had started working and slowly building a kitty to spend on my hobbies and interests--books, art and craft and more, I came across one of the first stores of Forest Essentials in Mumbai. I distinctly remember this brand capturing my attention with its beautiful interiors decked with paintings representing the Indian culture, the products arranged neatly on shelves (back then their packaging was simplistic with none of the jazzy gold and vibrant colours that define it now) and most of all, the aroma...oh lord! The scent of their gorgeous products wafted at least twenty metres away. I didn't think twice before saying 'please take my money'. Their Bengal Tuberose collection still remains my favourite even after all these years.

Back then, Forest Essentials was hardly into face care, if any at all. I had bought their date and tamarind (I think) face scrub which was good but I don't remember if they had anything else. At the time, their body care and hair care was all the rage--sugar-based soaps, luscious shower oils, sugar scrubs for the body, highly effective shampoos and hair conditioners. Naturally, this was my initiation into the brand and I promptly fell for its body and hair products.

Fast forward to now and the brand has established a firm foothold into the face care category as well. I'll be honest--I am not wowed by their face care. I have tried their face mists/toners, face washes, blemish treatment product and the like. But I never saw exceptional results. The brand, in my opinion, provides more of a sensorial experience than noticeable results. I had almost given up on it...when they came out this gem of a product.

The Deeply Nourishing Facial Cleansing Paste, like the name suggests, is a dense paste made of Almond, Pistachio, Shea Butter, Marigold, Aloe Vera Leaf Juice, Steam Distilled Rose Water, Honey, Buttermilk, Turmeric and more.


INGREDIENTS:
Now, I have a bone to pick with Forest Essentials. Why is it that they do not declare the full inci list of their products. They will mention only the key ingredients...why? In today's age, with smart consumers and a plethora of choices, brands ought to be transparent. Consumers demand (and they have every right to) to know each and every thing that goes onto their skin. If the brand is reading this review, I urge them to consider being transparent for the sake of their consumers and to keep up with evolving expectations. For this reason, I'm not mentioning their inci list here because it is quite pointless to mention a half-list.
 
But if you think the key ingredients mentioned here sound delightful wait till you smell the product. It smells like freshly baked cookies and reminds me of Christmas. Some even compare the scent to Badam Halva, a rich Indian dessert and I agree completely. It's so sinful that the scent alone made me buy the product, despite its high price. Okay, I'm lying; I was wowed by its results too, when I tried it in store. On a side note, the whole ritual of trying the lush products in their store, especially washing over their antique basin, with the attendants taking so much care is a lovely experience in itself.

So, performance-wise, this product met (even exceeded) my expectations. After trying one average product after another from this brand, I was pleasantly surprised by this little jar of goodness.


HOW IT WORKS:
So, I noticed that even though the product is named Cleansing Paste, it's more like a exfoliator cum nourishing mask. I take a small dollop which I dot onto the four quadrants of my face. Then I spread it around with my fingers. It's quite dense and oily at this point, which makes spreading it a bit difficult but I like to do this step nonetheless, especially on my nose and chin areas which are typically congested. Doing this begins the exfoliation process. Then, I add a few drops of water and start massaging. The thick paste turns into a milk on adding water and moving the product becomes much easier. At this point, the graininess of the product becomes less and less and it starts to feel like a cleansing milk. I then like to leave this on for a few minutes to allow my skin to soak in all those lush ingredients. The feeling as you leave it on is non-intrusive and you will only enjoy the subtle scent of it while it's on your skin. Thereafter, I rinse it off.

The results are the same each time. I'm left with super smooth, nourished skin. My skin looks and feels clean without feeling stripped off. That, in my books, is a winner of a cleanser. And I'm so glad this format of a 'dense cleansing paste' has worked well for the brand. It is truly a unique product and I'm glad I gave it a try despite the price tag. Also, I wish they would give us at least 50 mg in the pot instead of a measly 30 mg. On the brighter side, the 30 mg pot is perfect to carry around for travel purposes.

PRICE:
The cleansing paste is priced at INR 1850 for 30 gm, which I think is a bit much if you consider the price per gram. But I can tell you this, the product does not disappoint so at least it's money well spent.

WILL I REPURCHASE:
I'm in two minds, frankly. If I weren't exposed to several other beautiful brands such as Earthwise Beauty, Moss Skincare, Mahalo Skincare and the like, I would have repurchased this product in a heartbeat. But I already have a long wishlist of cleansers to try so I will wait a while before I decide to open my purse strings for this cleanser once again.

You can buy the Forest Essentials Deeply Nourishing Facial Cleansing Paste from their site here. Or you may purchase it from nykaa here.