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.) 

Talk About Skin Care - Derma E Microdermabrasion Scrub

I’ve been experimenting with several different Derma E products and I want to talk to you today about my absolute favorite from the brand, which also happens to be one of my must have skin care products of all time. 

The Microdermabrasion Scrub is a genius little miracle in a nice glass jar and makes my skin look and feel totally renewed. Even my Mom, who has really sensitive skin and rosacea, loves this stuff!

Made with ingredients like an exclusive crystal blend including Dead Sea Salt and Volcanic Sand this perfectly formulated scrubs buffs away dead skin and leaves skin looking fresh, clear, and smooth. It also leaves my skin feeling unbelievably soft and supple. It’s a powerhouse that gets the job done, but is also gentle and easy to use.

I like to massage this pampering and perfecting scrub into my skin twice a week and it has made such a beautiful difference in the tone, texture and clarity of my skin. It helps clear up any congestion and cleans out my pores while getting rid of any dry patches I may have. My skin seems to glow, so much more than usual, afterwards and I love it when my skin is glowy!

It has deliciously bright citrus scent that is uplifting and invigorating, that is absolutely lovely.

This little gem is 100% vegan, cruelty-free, paraben-free, sulfate-free, mineral oil-free, lanolin-free, gluten free, and GMO-free so it’s totally safe and healthy to use. It provides you with instant and noticeable results so what’s not to love? If you’re interested in learning more about this scrub you can click here. To learn more about the brand and their other products you can click here.

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

Acure Organics Facial Scrubs

Acure Organics is an amazing brand that is perfect for green newbies and natural beauty experts alike. They have a wide selection of products for any and every skin and hair type and personal preference you can imagine. You would be really hard pressed to find a greenie who doesn’t like them, their stance on personal care, and/or their products. They’re kind of like the rock stars of affordable and healthy beauty. As a side note, you should also be following them on Instagram because they have a social media superstar who posts awesome and hilarious things on a daily basis.

Anyway, the point of this post is to talk about their scrubs. My all time, absolute favorite facial scrub is their Brightening Facial Scrub. It’s amazing. The scent reminds me so much of Tazo’s Zen Green Tea. It’s fresh and lively, and maybe just a bit earthy, with a hint of spearmint. It provides a powerful exfoliation, while still being gentle, that leaves my skin looking so fresh and radiant. I absolutely adore this green grit that is not too coarse, but still leaves you feeling like it’s getting the job done, and getting it done right. I use this scrub about 3 times a week and love the way it leaves my skin feeling. It truly is brightening and does an excellent job of making my skin look brand bright and new.

I ran out of my dearly beloved and ordered their newest facial scrub offering instead. Their Pore Minimizing Scrub is very gentle with a super fine texture and a sweet berry scent. I don’t see a noticeable difference in my skin after using this but I can definitely feel it because it leaves skin feeling silky soft and smooth. It doesn’t have much grit to it so I can see it becoming a favorite for someone with highly reactive, sensitive skin. I don’t really love the smell but it’s not awful, either. I don’t personally love the Pore Minimizing Scrub but I think it’s only because I love the Brightening version so much. I’m passing this one on to my Mom because I think it will really suit her skin.

Remember, something that works for me might not work for you and something that I didn’t care for might be your perfect product. Always keep that in mind when reading blog reviews.

I also want to mention that Acure has incredible customer service. I mentioned that I didn’t love the Pore Minimizing Scrub and they contacted me and offered to sned me a tube of the Brightening Scrub. How nice is that? I really appreciate and admire companies who have such wonderful customer service. In a world where there are so many different companies and places to shop I will always choose to spend my money at stores and on companies who are kind.

Which scrub is the one you think you would like most? Do you have a favorite product from Acure? Let me know!

(FTC: I purchased both of these with my own money. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I am not being compensated for this review.)

Talk About Skin Care - Rooted Beauty

I'm always willing to splash out a little extra cash for skincare because skin is important and we need to protect it for an entire lifetime but as more and more consumers start caring about what ingredients are in their personal care products and as green beauty becomes more mainstream we are starting to see highly effective and affordable products popping up all over the market.

Rooted Beauty has a line of high quality and healthy products as well as an awesome cause and platform. Through their Woman2Woman Project each Rooted Beauty product helps a specific woman escape extreme poverty and trafficking. This project helps women all over the world become self-sufficient and allows each woman to ensure long-term stability and freedom. Once a project has been fully funded they select a new woman to sponsor, as part of a continuous cycle. You can actually learn about the women and their personal goals by clicking here.

Rooted Beauty products are free from any toxic chemicals and are instead created using all natural ingredients that are beneficial and completely safe for the skin and the planet. In addition, their products are cruelty free and housed in an Eco-Squeeze Tube that is made from 35% PCR and is completely recyclable. Oh, and if you avoid Gluten you're in luck because their entire range is 100% Gluten Free!

I selected two of their facial care products, the Hydrating Mango Passion Facial Cleanser and the Calming Kiwi Melon Facial Scrub, to test out and I've fallen in love with the entire experience of Rooted Beauty. To begin with, the tubes are absolutely lovely with bold, fun coloring. They are also really generously sized and each has a price tag of under $10, making these products an incredible value.



The Hydrating Mango Passion Facial Cleanser smells lightly fruity and fresh. This cleanser is packed with powerhouse antioxidants like Thanaka Root, a powerful ingredient that comes from the root or bark of a Wood Apple Tree that helps protect and hydrate skin, Passionfruit, which helps firm and tighten the skin, and Mango, which is very moisturizing. This cleanser is extremely gentle but leaves the skin feeling hydrated, refreshed, and cleansed without stripping the skin or interrupting the natural balance of healthy moisture. It lathers nicely and leaves my skin feeling so clean and clear.



The Calming Kiwi Melon Facial Scrub is an extremely gentle scrub that can be used daily or as frequently as you would like. It keeps pores clean while calming skin that is easily irritated. This product packs a big time skin renewing punch thanks to Goji Berry while Kiwi and Melon calm and soothe. It leaves my skin looking and feeling fresh, instead of feeling itchy or irritated and never leaves my skin looking red like some scrubs can. Like the cleanser, this scrub also has a beautiful fresh and fruity scent.

Rooted Beauty is a company with a vision and a beautiful mission to inspire women around the world and keep our bodies and the planet healthy. You can learn more about Rooted Beauty by visiting their website. You can also check out their full range of products here. You can also connect with Rooted Beauty on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

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?

Sweet and Sour Scrub

I absolutely love to exfoliate my skin. It's my favorite step in taking care of my skin so I love playing around and experimenting with different scrubs. This one features pantry staples including my favorite DIY beauty ingredient, honey, as well as lemon and sugar. It's super simple and easy to make and use. This scrub comes in handy for people with discolored and uneven skin, dull skin, large pores, or acne.

Any of the aforementioned skin types will benefit from using this scrub, however it's important to test how your skin reacts to the ingredients, especially since many people have sensitivities to citrus. Lemon juice, as all citrus juice, will make skin sensitive to the sun so be sure to use SPF if you do this during the day; however, I recommend using facial scrubs like this before going to bed so your skin has time to regenerate.


Mix the ingredients together in a bowl and apply to your freshly cleansed face. Massage the mixture gently into your skin for several (2-3) minutes before rinsing off with warm water. Be sure to avoid the delicate eye area. Make sure to follow up with your favorite serum or moisturizer.

Talk About It - Painted Earth (Part 1: Skin Care)

The topic of Today's Talk About It is Painted Earth Skin Care and I'm so in love with this company and their products that I'm going to make this is a special with two parts. Today is going to feature Painted Earths skin care products and part 2 will be posted on Thursday with my thoughts on their cosmetics. I absolutely adore everything I was so fortunate to try from this company. I'm going to be broken hearted when I run out of them, and I look forward to trying more of their products in the future.

Painted Earth offers a very wide array of high quality and innovative skin care and cosmetics that are made with natural and organic ingredients. Their products are made in the United States in an FDA registered lab. They use only the best ingredients that are completely safe and they never tested on animals. That alone is great, but their products really speak for themselves.

Like I said, I love each and every product I tried but I would have to say my most favorite is Fresh New Eyes. This is a light, non-greasy, clear, fragrance-free gel that I have been using on my under-eye area twice a day. I have seen such a difference in my usually very dry under eyes. My dark circles have improved as well as the puffiness that usually accompanies them. I'm only 24 so I don't have wrinkles yet but I do have fine lines around my eyes and I feel like this plumps them up so they're not noticeable. It doesn't irritate my eyes or cause those small, irritating bumps (Milia) that some eye creams can do. It even works well under makeup and doesn't cause foundation or concealer to crease. This is one of my favorite beauty products ever and I would dare go as far to say that it's perfect, at least for me.



Fresh New Eyes is 99% natural and 72% organic. It comes in a .5 oz tube and a little goes a long way. I've been using it twice daily for nearly 2 months now and it is still half full. It has some really great ingredients like aloe and fruit extracts like kiwi, grape, strawberry, as well as a lot of other beneficial ingredients.



I also got to experience the joys of the Blueberry Cranberry scrub, which is one of the scrubs I use each and every week. This scrub is 98% natural and 72% organic. It makes my skin look incredible and it feels even better than it looks. It's deeply cleansing and exfoliating while still being gentle enough to not irritate my skin in the slightest bit. It's got an all-star ingredient list featuring blueberries, cranberries, rhubarb, pomegranate, dandelion, aloe, jojoba beads, hibiscus buds and olive. It decongests pores, softens, rejuvenates, and provides the skin with the nutrients it needs and desires. This scrub is more than amazing, and I couldn't be happier with it!



Next up is a product that I was initially a bit nervous to use because of its warning label stating not to use on sensitive skin but I finally broke down and tried it. The product I'm talking about is a facial mask that has been added to my weekly skin care routine because of its ability to keep my skin clear and bust breakouts in their tracks. Painted Earths Pumpkin Masque is a superstar. It's got a lot of great things in it like pumpkin, bilberry, sugar cane, sugar maple, orange and lemon extract, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, ginger rosemary and neem oil. It smells just like pumpkin puree. It tingles and is a bit uncomfortable upon first application but settles down. I do this mask once a week, or if I feel a breakout coming on. I apply a thin layer on clean skin and let it sit for 5 minutes before washing off. I owe this mask a lot because it keeps my skin looking clear and smooth as well as luminous and bright. People have been complimenting my skin and asking me what I am using.



Speaking of pimples, lets move on to Boo Boo Gel which is an ointment made with essential oils that helps ail many different things like blemishes, bug bites, cuts, sores, sunburns, razor burn, large pores, bruises and whatever else might be bothering you. This is a gel like product that my family and I have been using for everything since we got it. It's an inflammatory and antibacterial that really helps clear up everything that I mentioned. It's my go-to for bug bites (I'm allergic to mosquito bites, so this really saved me a few times) and pimples. It's great, cooling, and smells good!

I hope you can tell how passionate I am about Painted Earth and their wonderful products. On Thursday I'll be sharing my thoughts on the makeup items I got to try with you (I love all of them too!). If you're interested in checking out their website or their products you can find them online. To read my review of Painted Earth's Cosmetics please click here.

(FTC: These products were so generously provided to me for review consideration by the company. I am not being compensated to write this review. All thoughts and opinions, as always, and my own and honest.)

Talk About It - La Isha Orange-Coconut Skin Polish

You beauties know how much I enjoy a good facial scrub. Nothing means clear, clean skin more than a good exfoliation session to me. I have a very set skin care routine, meaning that I wash my face twice a day, do a scrub twice a week, and a facial mask once a week. Today I'm going to introduce you to one of the scrubs that I use– La Isha's Orange-Coconut Skin Polish.



La Isha is the type of company I love– a company with a touching and powerful story behind it. Sharon Gnatt Epel began the company after a very scary and potentially devastating experience in her teenage sons life occurred.

In June of 2005, her son got to travel to Costa Rica to take part in a summer Rainforest Program, unfortunately his trip was cut short when illegal, and toxic, chemicals from a nearby plantation made their way into the river after a heavy rainfall. Her son waded into the water and his hands and knees came into contact with these chemicals.

Within hours of exposure small blisters began to form on his skin, and continued to grow until he was taken to the hospital. Aaron was diagnosed with second-degree burns and sent back to America, where Sharons friend who also happened to be a doctor, told her that he suspected it was chemical burns. He suggested that they treat his burns with medical-grade essential oils as opposed to typical burn treatment, which would have left his hands scarred for life.

They only used essential oils on Aaron's hands and nothing else. His hands are now better and are totally clear of any scarring or discoloration. The improvement she saw in his hands led Sharon to learn more about essential oils, wondering what they could do for people with wrinkles, age spots or even sun damage which in turn led to the creation of La Isha, the only natural anti-aging skin care line developed exclusively for women "who refuse to be defined by their age".

I love their story and I love what their products stand for. La Isha products are formulated with only pure, essential oils of the highest quality and are 100% natural. All of their products are vegan and PETA certified as well as gluten free. The products they offer are highly effective and pure. They offer a holistic approach to beauty.

The Orange-Coconut Skin Polish is wonderful because it can be used on your face, body, lips, and even under your eyes. It smells like something I want to eat by the spoonful and it leaves my skin superbly smooth and supple. This scrub is a sugar-based exfoliant with medical grade essential oils as well as neem oil, rosemary, vitamin E, coconut oil, and pomegranate.

I think sugar based scrubs are my favorite because the sugar granules melt which helps me not over-exfoliate (which is highly probable). Using this is the perfect way to keep my healthy glow. It hydrates, de-flakes, and plumps up my skin for a smoother look. I love using it on my lips too because it leaves them looking great. It takes just a small scoop massaged over damp skin to get the effect that is desired.

It's a bit on the pricey side at $50 for 4 oz. but the smell is uplifting and the product works really hard to make your skin looks it's best. You can find more information about La Isha and browse their products at http://www.la-isha.com/

(FTC: These products were so generously provided to me for review consideration by the company. I am not being compensated to write this review. All thoughts and opinions, as always, and my own and honest.)

Talk About It - 100% Pure

How cool would it be if a cosmetic company used fruit pigments to provide color to their products? Well luckily for us, there is a company who actually does this called 100% Pure Cosmetics. They formulate their products to be not only beautiful and beneficial but also nourishing, as they are chocked full of vitamins and antioxidants. Their products are exactly what their name implies – completely pure and natural and I'm really liking them! I especially love their cosmetics, and I plan on getting more because they are THAT awesome!

This company is marvelous, so let me tell you just a few reasons why: Every single one of their products are made without parabens, sulfates, synthetic chemicals, chemical preservatives, artificial fragrances, artificial colors, detergents, or any toxic ingredients. They never test on animals and are vegan, with the exception of their products that contain cruelty free honey. They are also gluten free! All of this information I just threw at you means one thing – 100% pure products are safe for everyone!

I want to start off with my favorite product – the Fruit Pigmented Powdered Blush. I've never been more in love with a blush before now. It's absolutely amazing and I have used it every day since I got it because it's the most flattering blush I have ever worn. I have the color healthy which is described on their website as a coral bronze color but I don't think that does it justice. I think its kind of a pinkish-tawny-bronzey natural looking color. It's like my natural flush, only better! It has mica, which is a natural shimmer, but I don't notice any shimmer on my skin at all which I like. It goes on smoothly and easily, lasts all day, and comes in the cutest packaging ever. This is my new favorite blush and I think it will continue to hold that title for a very long time.



Woo… that was long winded, but it deserves an entire blog post dedicated to its amazing-ness but I'll leave it at that.

I also got to try a Fruit Pigmented Lip Glaze, and I have the shade Vixen. Vixen is described as a coral color but I would say its more on the pink side. Its one of the most flattering lip colors that I have, and it doesn't bother my lips (which we know happens a lot!). I really like the package, in fact, I like the companies packaging in general. The formula is so silky and really makes my lips feel great. You should check out the ingredient list, it's superb!



Next up is the Carrot Facial Scrub. I really love scrubs in general and I really look forward to biweekly scrubbing sessions. First of all, this scrub smells incredible! It's a very gentle scrub, so it can be used daily if desire and would even work for those with the most sensitive skin, and it's hydrating too. It leaves my skin feeling really, really, really soft.



Oh my goodness, I almost forgot about one of my favorite things ever – grape scented lotion! I was sent some foil packets of the Cabernet Grape and Green Apple Body Cream and the grape is absolutely divine. I need to purchase a full size tube of this ASAP. It smells exactly like Grapeheads, which sent me into another weird craving spell where I drank grape soda and ate Grapeheads nonstop for about a week.

Okay, now I'm done.

Have you ever tried 100% Pure Cosmetics? I want to know your experience if you have, or if you haven't just tell me which products you'd be interested in trying. You can find them online here. Check them out and let me know what you think. Have a great day, beauties!

(FTC: 100% Pure provided me with these products for review consideration. I am not being compensated to write this review and as always all thoughts and opinions are my own.)

Talk About It - Honey Girl Organics

Happy Talk About It Tuesday! I hope all of you beauties are doing well on this fine summer day!
I've been day dreaming a lot lately about a trip that I'm planning for next June. I'm really excited about this trip because it will be my first time on the lovely islands that make up Hawaii. I can't wait to sit on the beach and drink a virgin pina colada while digging my toes into the sand. Since it's still a year away I needed something to add into my daily routine that reminded me of what is to come on my Island getaway, which is where today's products come into the picture.

Honey Girl Organics (www.honeygirlorganics.com) is a company that is based in Haleiwa, Hawaii. They have a wide selection of natural and organic beauty products which are filled with the best ingredients they can find, with no chemicals or artificial preservatives. Each and every product they create and sell is made with only edible ingredients because they believe that you should only put on your body what you would be willing to put into your body and I couldn't agree with them more.

One of the founders of the company kept bees as a hobby which led him to create crèmes using honey and beeswax for his wife. Honey Girl Organics uses honey, beeswax, pollen and propolis in their products and combines the beehive ingredients with olive oil. Bee ingredients are great antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, collagen stimulators, as well natural humectants and emollients that provide the skin with the vitamins and minerals it needs. Olive oil is rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and fatty acids. Mix these two types of ingredients together and what you get is skincare gold.

First and foremost – the packaging is so gorgeous and of such high quality! I'm stunned by the beautiful jars they come in. Okay, let's start dishing about the actual products now.

I'm going to talk about the most interesting product I have ever tried first. I use the word interesting because I'm at an absolute loss of words when it comes to describing the facial scrub. I have never used anything that is even a little bit similar to this product. It's absolutely fantastic! It smells wonderful and it leaves my skin feeling unbelievably soft and smooth. I was actually giddy after the first time I used this scrub because it's so unique and incredible. It has only 8 ingredients including aloe, coconut butter, cane sugar, honey, diatomaceous earth, papaya and pineapple enzymes and essential oil – all of which are organic.



It has a thick, granular consistency that you massage onto a slightly damp face. You can add more water to adjust the level of exfoliation you desire. Massage in small circles all over face, but be sure to avoid the eye and mouth area since they are more delicate and sensitive. Rinse with lukewarm water, and use a washcloth to remove the extra scrub that may be remaining.

I can't even describe how much face feels when I'm done. It feels softer and more silky than ever, and that's not an over exaggeration. You have to try it for yourself because I wasn't kidding when I said I was at a loss for words. You'll just have to take my word when I say it's incredible. I use this 1-2 times a week depending on my exfoliation needs.

After I'm done exfoliating I apply the Extra Sensitive Face and Eye Crème. They have a regular version as well, but I always gravitate towards sensitive formulations. This crème is great because it allows you to combine two steps into one. I've never really understood why many companies sell separate face crèmes and an eye crème, so it's awesome that Honey Girl Organics has made a product that it both an eye and a face crème in one. This product has an all-star ingredient list including extra virgin olive oil, Hawaiian purified water, beeswax, raw pupukea wildflower honey, bee pollen, propolis, royal jelly and d-alpha vitamin E.



This product really makes my skin feel hydrated and healthy without feeling heavy or greasy. I also feel like it plumps up my skin and make it look more youthful. I am only 24 but I'm starting to see myself aging and developing some very fine lines around my eyes so I feel like this is really helping my skin look younger. It doesn't irritate my skin at all and I'm really enjoying it. I think it's so luxurious! Oh, and a little bit goes a very long way!

I forgot to mention above that all of their products are cruelty-free and noncomedogenic, and their customer service is top notch. These products would suit just about anyone and everyone. I love them, especially the facial scrub if you couldn't tell by my rambling! Go check them out today because I know you'll really enjoy them as well! See you tomorrow!

 FTC: Honey Girl Organics sent me these products free of charge to test and possibly review. I am not being compensated to write this review and all thoughts and opinions are my own.