9th Birthday-to-Birthday Giveaway

Beautiful Basics was born on March 15, 2011. 9 years ago. 9 years! That's nearly a decade of blogging and sharing my thoughts with you all. I can't even believe it.

My 8th year of blogging might not count, though, since I had to take the entire year and then some off to heal from a concussion and chronic neck pain from a car accident. I've seen doctors, gone to physical therapy (twice), and started practicing yoga. I'm not back to me yet but I'm getting there and coming back to Beautiful Basics is a huge step in the right direction and it's time to celebrate.

It's time for the annual Birthday-to-Birthday Giveaway and one of you can win a really fun sample bag full of beauty goodies, both samples and full-sized products. I'll be showing you looks at what is inside on social media.

The giveaway will run from March 15 (my blogiversary) to April 10th (my 33rd birthday). You can live anywhere in the world for this one but I do reserve the right to hold off on shipping until the coronavirus pandemic slows down a bit. I, like I'm sure many of you, am self-quarantining to stay safe.

To enter simply use the Rafflecopter form below. You can do as many or as few of the options as you would like. All entries will be verified, though. Good luck and stay safe out there!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Talk About Skincare - Prāz

Masks are sort of my thing. Some people are obsessed with facial oils while others might adore body lotions or even eye creams but masks are my favorite beauty product. I love them and I've been lucky enough to love a lot of different masks in my lifetime, many of which I have shared with you here on Beautiful Basics in the past 9 years and today let's add another one to that list.

The Vitamin C Vitality Mask from Prāz is my latest addiction. I'm going to throw the word favorite out there because this Bentonite Clay and Vitamin C mask does incredible things to my skin. I've actually never had great luck with Vitamin C containing products before. I don't know why but my skin just usually hates it but for some reason I can use this mask and my skin doesn't react poorly. In fact, when I mix up this powdered mask, apply it to my face, let it sit until it's almost dry, and remove it I end up with an unbelievable glow. I'm left seriously glowy, plumped, smooth, clean and clear. When I use it before bed I also wake up and notice how amazing my skin looks. I love this stuff!

Besides the Bentonite Clay and Vitamin C Powder, this mask is also made of Organic Echinacea Powder, Organic Rosehip Fruit Powder, and Organic Avocado Oil. All organic and perfectly safe and natural.

The husband and wife duo behind Prāz "promise to treat animals and the planet with the same kindness and care we show your skin." This Leaping Bunny certified company uses only healthy, safe, and organic ingredients to create their line of naturally luxurious skincare products. From the formulas to the gorgeous packaging they have really thought of everything to give the users a special product and an experience well worth your time and money. They also give a percentage of every purchase to humanitarian efforts and organizations who work to help others and protect our planet.

They have several other products besides the Vitamin C Vitality Mask including another facial mask called Cranberry Detox. I didn't try it but it sounds awesome. The brand's roster also includes their Muscle Conditioner soak, serum, and 2 oils.

I got to try the Face Revive Oil as well as the All in One Oil and I enjoyed both of them a lot but I did prefer the Face Revive Oil. Made with (all organic) Sweet Almond Oil, Argan Oil, Rosehip Seed Oil, Jojoba Oil, Tamanu Oil, Rice Bran Oil and Sea Buckthorn Oil it is beyond nourishing for dry skin like mine. My skin drank this golden oil right up and never broke up or became irritated which can sometimes happen to me with oils. I like to use it as the last step in my skincare routine and lock in my serum and moisturizer with it. The only thing that I've noticed that I don't really care for is that it can tint white towels and robes because of the orange tint of the Sea Buckthorn Oil but that's an easy thing to work around if you're aware of it. Besides that, this oil leaves my thirty-something skin looking younger, healthier, and much more hydrated. It's meant to be anti-aging and I fully believe those claims. You need a tiny bit of product so I imagine this bottle will last quite some time.

The other oil, the All in One oil is also really nice but not my preferred oil. It's made with (again, all organic) Pure Rice Bran Oil, Sunflower Oil, Avocado Oil, Black Cumin Oil, Jojoba Oil, Rosehip Oil, Vitamin E Oil, Lemon Extract, Eucalyptus Extract, and Purple Coneflower Extract. This one feels a lot lighter so if you have skin that leans towards the oily side this one would be perfect for you! This product is meant to help with scarring, restore dry and thinning hair, and control oil production. Between the 2 oils Prāz has you're bound to find one that works for you and your needs.

As you can tell, I have really been loving this brand, their mission, their beliefs, and what they have to offer. If you're interested in learning more about Prāz you can check out their website by clicking here. You can also visit them on Instagram and Twitter.

(FTC: I was sent these products for free for review consideration. I am not being compensated for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.) 

Talk About Skincare - PAYARU

It's been a long time since a product has wowed me as much as the Mung Bean Scrubs from PAYARU, a brand on a mission to make skincare simple, affordable, and 100% biodegradable. As a vegan I eat mung beans but didn't know they could be turned into a facial scrub that has saved my skin this winter.

I, like the pair behind the brand, truly believe that simple is best when it comes to skincare and can't stand the thought of an ingredients list that goes on and on so the Original and Cedarwood scrubs are impressive with their 3 and 4 ingredients, respectively.

Mung beans combined with Kaolin Clay and Vegetable Glycerin make this scrub super simple but incredibly gentle, nurturing, and cleansing. It has proven itself a master in getting rid of dry, flaky skin and keeping skin clear and bright. I've had some really great skin days since I started using this product as my morning cleanser.

The original smells slightly earthy, it is made of clay and mung beans after all, but it's not at all an unpleasant scent while the Cedarwood version is not my personal taste but is understandably likable for others, with a deep, rich, and woodsy scent. The texture of the product is interesting and hard to describe because I've never felt anything like it. The beans are scrubby but gentle and never scratchy like some other scrubs can be. It rinses cleanly and leaves only soft skin behind.

It's a little thick, a bit hard to squeeze out of the tube, and I end up having to use a lot of product but for only $12 it's an affordable investment in your skin's health. I can't recommend it enough. Plus, the brand gives back by donating a portion of their profits to the Billion Oyster Project and Project AWARE (click each to learn more).

You can click here to learn more about PAYARU and their mission and products. They also have an Instagram you can check out or their YouTube channel.

(FTC: PAYARU sent their scrubs to me for free for review consideration. I am not being compensated for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.) 

Back to (Beautiful) Basics

It's a little over a month shy of being one full year since I have been able to blog and I have missed you all so much. I didn't intend to be gone for more than a year. Wait, no. Let's be real - I didn't intend to be gone for any length of time because I didn't intend to get into a car accident. But, I'm finally ready (mostly) to come back and take control once again. 2019 was a really interesting year full of ups and downs but I'm ready for 2020 to be a big, amazing, wonderful year and a huge part of that means building Beautiful Basics up again and turning it in to so much more than it was before.

I want to combine both of my blogs, the beauty and the sick life. I want to be more real and open and honest with you all. Not that I haven't been those things in the past but I just want to let who I really am shine through that much more. Oh. and don't worry, I'll be sure I mark posts with appropriate tags so if you're interested in beauty or my sick blog and not the other you can easily avoid what you want to.

My "new" brain still struggles thanks to the concussion but hopefully I've learned enough strategies to help me get through it and allow me to write, edit, take photos, and do all of the good stuff that blogging entails. My brain is doing better but I'm not where I was before the accident so if things are ever written strangely please bear with me.

New posts coming soon!