Talk About Skin Care - Primavera

In my search for the best natural health and beauty products I've discovered that those coming out of Germany are the real deal and Primavera is no exception. For the past 25 years the company, now based in a state of the art and carbon-neutral facility in the Alps of Southern Germany, has been perfecting their natural and organic face, body, home and wellness products.

The company has a fair-trade relationship with farms across the globe and the ingredients in all of their products are truly pure and certified organic by NATRUE. Here's a fun fact, Primavera is the very first company to receive NATRUE certification for our entire range of personal care products. If you're curious about NATRUE you can click here to learn more.

Primavera does not test on animals nor do they use any ingredients that have been tested on our furry friends, in fact they take a very firm stance against the practice of using animals as test subjects (which makes me love the company that much more!). Their products are also packaged in an eco-friendly and environmentally conscious manner.

I was lucky enough to get to try out a few of their facial care products, which I'll be reviewing today. I picked out a facial cleanser, facial cream, and an eye product. Both of the facial care products I chose are from the Chamomile Borage Calming Line for sensitive skin. The entire range features Organic Chamomile Essential Oil from partner farms in Italy and Borage Seed Oil.



The Calming Cream Cleanser is a really simple cream cleanser. It is extraordinarily gentle with a thin lotion like consistency. It spreads easily across damp skin and creates no lather and instead feels more like a moisturizing treatment. It cleanses the skin and rinses off easily leaving a light layer of hydration behind. It has a very light scent that is inoffensive.



Next up is the Calming Moisture Cream, a luxuriously thick facial cream that hydrates and protects. I've found that it does not with all cleansers and instead works best when preceded by the Calming Cream Cleanser. It can be a little bit hard to massage into the face because it's so thick but it's not that big of an issue. It leaves the skin a little bit sticky, which I know not many people enjoy but I personally love, and dries down to a silky smooth finish. It leaves a protective barrier behind that protects the skin from the elements. It smells just like the cleanser, very light and clean.



The final product I've been using from Primavera is the Cooling Eye Roll-On. With ingredients like Organic Neroli, Cassis Water, Eyebright, and Licorice Extract this formula was created to brighten, sooth, and depuff the under eye area. I can't say that this product works miracles but it is really nice for daytime use. It works alone or under makeup. It provides a light amount of moisture and also leaves my tired eyes feeling cooler and more refreshed. As far as puffiness goes, I have mountains under my eyes; I'm not so sure it does very much for me. It doesn't seem to help my chronic dark circles much either but I do notice a slight difference and it feels so good going on that I find this eye product to be totally worth the $44 it retails for.

Overall, Primavera is an intriguing and thoughtful company with a wide array of natural products to suit every skin type. They might cost a little more than the average product but with that cost you can be sure you're getting pure, cruelty-free, healthy, and wholesome products. You can find Primavera online by clicking here. You can also visit them on Facebook.

Travel Friendly Vegan Lip Scrub

Super soft and healthy lips are a must for me and I love making my own lip scrub but my favorite recipe is olive oil based so it's a little hard to travel with. This summer if you're on the go and want flake free lips you can make a jar of this lip scrub to toss in your bag, and since it's made of coconut oil it will fare a little better in your luggage. Just be warned that coconut oil does melt when it gets hot. Also, this recipe is vegan!


Put the coconut oil in a bowl and place the bowl in hot water until the oil is liquefied. Stir in the sugar and agave and pour the mixture into a small lip balm or skin care pot. Apply to your lips and massage gently. Obviously this scrub is edible so you can lick it off if you would like but I prefer using a warm, damp washcloth. I like using this scrub at night before I go to bed and I always follow up with a heavy-duty lip balm to lock in the hydration the oil provides.

Start of Summer Sampler Giveaway

It's my favorite time of the year again which means it's time for yet another sampler bag giveaway! This time I'll be giving away a bag full of samples and full sized items perfect for taking with you on any trip you may be taking. Don't fret though, it will also be a fun prize for someone who isn't going on any trips.



The grand prize winner will receive a reusable mesh bag with:
A full size unscented soap, a vanilla lip balm with SPF 15, 2 oz bottles of shampoo and conditioner, a brightening facial cleanser, a tinted lip shimmer, a packet of natural and unscented laundry soap, a sample of facial scrub, and a couple of bug repellent wipes.




Unlike other giveaways I've had in the past I'll be giving away a small sample bag away to a second place winner! This bag features an Acure Organics Dark Chocolate + Mint Lip Balm and several foil packet samples.




All you have to do to enter to win is use the Rafflecopter form below. It may take a moment or two to load. Good luck Beautiful!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Oats to the Rescue

I have been absolutely and completely obsessed with oatmeal lately but not in the way you might think. While I do enjoy a warm, hearty bowl of oatmeal for breakfast on occasion I'm not talking about mealtime today. Oatmeal works wonders on the skin and I cannot get enough!

My skin has been looking a little sad lately, thanks to my whacko hormones. I've had dry patches, oil slicks, blemishes, and even some flakes. My skin has also been really dehydrated, which makes no sense to me since I drink a gallon of water every single day, so I needed a little something extra to pamper my skin.

Oatmeal is really calming, soothing, moisturizing, and it acts as an anti-inflammatory, which makes it a powerful skin care ally. I've been using oatmeal in several forms for the past couple of weeks and I wanted to share my 3 favorite ways with you. All 3 oatmeal recipes require ground up oats. I use my coffee bean grinder to turn my uncooked oatmeal into a fine powder.



As a gentle, daily cleanser – This one is super simple. Mix your oatmeal powder with water until your mixture turns into a paste. Start with a little water and slowly add more until you get a consistency you like. I personally like mine a little thick. Massage your paste gently onto your face like you would a normal cleanser and rinse off. I use it daily and my skin really loves it!

As a scrub – If you need a deeper clean try adding a little baking soda into your cleansing paste.

As a mask – Mix dry oatmeal powder with raw, organic honey until you have a thick paste like consistency. This needs to be a pretty thick consistency so it sticks to your skin and doesn't make a huge mess. I use more oat powder than honey in my mixture. I wash my face first and then massage the oat and honey mask into my face and neck. I like to leave this on for 20-30 minutes before rinsing off with warm water. Be careful with this since it's messy and can still drip a little regardless of how thick you make it. This mask makes my skin look fantastic, healthy, and luminous. It also helps get rid of blemishes!



Do you know of any other ways to use oatmeal powder?