Talk About Lip Care - Portland Bee Balm

I'm a big fan of no frills lip balm. My lips are way too sensitive to deal with unnecessary ingredients so I'm always looking for simple and natural lip balms that nourish and promote health with no extra bells or whistles. When I was contacted by Portland Bee Balm, I hopped on the net and checked out their website and got super excited to try out their product.

The masterminds behind Portland Bee Balm, Brad (a man with a beekeeping hobby and a love for honey bees) and Anika, decided to create a high quality product and a business that supports the health and well-being of the environment, community, and bees and their keepers. Their all natural three and four ingredient lip balms are hand made from local and sustainable sources in Southeast Portland and their labels are made of non-pulped wood and printed with soy based ink, so the product is good for the planet as well as the people who use it.



Portland Bee Balm comes in Unscented and Oregon Mint. Both are made of Local NW Oregon Beeswax, Organic Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, and Organic California Extra Virgin Olive Oil. The Oregon Mint lip balm has one extra ingredient – Organic Oregon Peppermint Essential Oil. That's it!

The first time I used Portland Bee Balm I was a little unsure because it seemed quite dry and it was a little difficult to apply but the product warmed up within seconds and won me over. It leaves lips feeling intensely hydrated and healthy. It also lasts an amazingly long time. It's not a very wet or slippery formula, nor does it leave lips looking shiny, which is a plus in my book. It works well alone but I love to wear it under lipstick as well.

My favorite is the Unscented, of course, but the Oregon Mint is also quite nice. It has a lovely fresh mint scent and feels slightly cool on the lips. My sensitive lips are loving Portland Bee Balm and I know you will too!

Talk About Skin Care - SeabuckWonders

You have probably heard a lot about Sea Buckthorn as an ingredient in personal care products, and with good reason. Sea Buckthorn is a superfruit that is packed full of antioxidants, vitamins, essential fatty acids and Omegas 3, 6, 7, and 9. This means it's good for you, really good, inside and out. SeabuckWonders has been making products from sea buckthorn oils from the Tibetan Plateau since 1994. Their line of products is USDA Certified Organic and Non-GMO Project Verified as well as vegan, dairy and gluten free and Leaping Bunny Certified, meaning they are cruelty free.



I think the Sea Buckthorn Body Lotion is absolutely fantastic. The lotion comes in a tube and the lotion is the perfect consistency to easily squeeze out the desired amount. I keep it on the nightstand next to my bed and I really love the simple design and functionality of the packaging. The lotion itself has a very slight and gentle citrus scent and goes on smoothly and effortlessly to leave skin feeling ridiculously soft and silky. It is very rich but not even a little bit greasy. I especially love applying to my skin at night because I wake up with hydrated and healthy skin in the morning.



The Sea Buckthorn Exfoliating Facial Cleanser is a gentle cleanser with jojoba beads that cleanses and refreshes the complexion. It seems like a fairly basic facial cleanser with the added benefit of exfoliating beads. I don't use it every single time I wash because I don't like to over exfoliate but I do tend to use it most mornings so the citrus scent is refreshing and invigorating. It leaves my skin looking visibly brighter and more radiant, which is awesome!



I always follow the Exfoliating Facial Cleanser with a healthy dose of the Sea Buckthorn Facial Cream. It is a fairly thick facial cream that is easily absorbed and leaves my face feeling soft, supple, and healthy. It calms my sometimes unfriendly skin and I really, really love this stuff! I also really love the airless packaging. It dispenses the perfect amount of moisturizer every single time! It feels quite nice once it dries and doesn't leave my face feeling sticky or overloaded at all. It leaves my skin feeling comfortable for a really long time. It also doesn't look at all shiny and instead leaves my skin feeling semi-matte but still glowing. I'm not really sure how I can look both matte and glowing at the same time but I'm really digging the results! Did I just say digging? I wish I had a bigger bottle!



Please remember that I might love things that you don't and you might fall head over heels for something that I didn't like very much. With that being said, I love serums but I'm just not a fan of the Sea Buckthorn Deep Hydrating Serum. I've tried it on its own after cleansing and before applying moisturizer and I even mixed it in with the cream but I really don't like the texture, and I can't move past it. It's sticky, and I mean it's REALLY sticky. Beyond sticky. Besides being sticky it doesn't do much for my skin at all and leaves me feeling sort of itchy and dry.



So, all in all, SeabuckWonders and their line of products are great with 3 out of 4 being a hit at Beautiful Basics. You can learn more about the company and their product line by visiting their website. You can also check them out on Facebook and Twitter.