Talk About Kari Gran - Bath Soak & Essential Balm

It’s November, which means the holidays are rapidly approaching. This is my favorite time of the year for a million and one reasons. I love the holiday season so much! And even though I’m more about the memory-making than the material things, one little fun part of this time of year, in my opinion, is all of the incredible beauty launches. There are so many awesome new products being released and wonderfully priced value sets and kits, and it gets me really excited!

And one of the most beautiful sets I’ve seen, maybe ever, comes from Kari Gran and features two brand new products. Bath Soak would be a perfect gift, for yourself or someone you love, because I don’t know anyone who doesn’t enjoy taking some time out of their day to pamper their skin and relax. I mean, I love baths and I love adding something special to the water to make my self-care session even better.

This lovely set comes in the signature Kari Gran jute makeup bag and is tied with a beautiful black satin bow. The products within the bag are gorgeous, as well, because both the Bath Soak Crystals and the Bath Soak Oil come in the classic Kari Gran dark violet MIRON glass that is recyclable but also repurpose-able.

The Bath Soak Crystals are made of Himalayan Pink Salts and Magnesium Flakes (from the Dead Sea), while the Bath Soak Oil is comprised of Organic Jojoba Oil, Organic Bulgarian Lavender Oil and Non-GMO Vitamin E from Sunflower. Like the rest of the Kari Gran line, these products are simply formulated but incredibly rich and luxurious.  I adore how they have separated the dry ingredients from the oils because this allows them to stay fresh for a much longer amount of time and allows room for customization.

The suggested ritual is to “add 2 capfuls of Bath Soak crystals followed by 5 dropperfuls (not drops) of Bath Oil under running bath water and enjoy. Customize your experience by varying the amounts of each or using them on their own.”

I’ve been following this suggestion and I am so impressed with this Bath Soak. It makes for an incredible bathing experience and ends up leaving my skin so unbelievably soft and silky when I get out. It does a great job of helping me relax and detox from the day and helps give me a nice, relaxing spa-like atmosphere. The scent is perfect, neither too heavy or too light, and the formula is dreamy.

This set is gorgeous and luxurious and thoughtful. With a lovely presentation, the soothing set of products (that also look gorgeous on any bathroom counter or vanity), and a price of $58, you really can’t go wrong. You can check out the product by clicking here.

I have another newly launched product to briefly mention, as well, and that is their Essential Balm. This thick, eco-luxe balm is their beloved Essential Serum in a much more velvety form. If you’re already a fan of the Essential Serum than this multi-tasking, luxurious, golden-hued balm is for you. You can use it on your face, neck, eye area, décolleté, hands, dry spots on your body and even your lips. The glass jar is impressive and comes with so much product that it will last you a long time since a little goes a long way. This will be perfect to combat any winter-weather skin woes!

If you’re interested in learning more about Kari Gran you can click here to visit their website. Kari Gran is also on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Oh! They also recently just commissioned their Third Annual Green Barometer Survey among American Women, which has some really interesting facts about the demand and growth of green beauty. You can check that out by clicking here.

(FTC: These products were sent to me for free for review consideration by the company. I am not being compensated for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.) 

Kari Gran Little Black Dress Annual Skin Care Sale

It's that time of year again when the days become shorter and the nights become colder thanks to the ever-dropping temperatures, it's time for football games and hot apple cider, time to bring the boots and cardigans out of storage, and make sure to take the time to appreciate the leaves and how breathtaking they are as they turn rust-colored and golden-hued. It's also that time of the year when Kari Gran has their Little Black Dress Annual Skin Care Sale when established lovers of the brand can stock up on their favorites or newbies who want to try the beloved line can test out some products for 20% off between September 15th and the 30th. Now is the time to add those products to your online cart and hit that checkout button!

I've done a lot of Kari Gran product reviews in the past and you can click here to be taken to a page that features every post that Kari Gran has ever been mentioned on Beautiful Basics if you want to know what I think about the products I've tried.

As for the products I think are absolute must-haves during the sale, you really can't go wrong with any Lip Whip or the Cleansing Oil. I adore both and think they are totally awesome and worth picking up.

The Cleansing Oil is one of the best I have ever tried. It's made with Organic Sunflower Oil, Organic Avocado Oil, Organic Castor Seed Oil, Organic Lavender Oil, and Non-GMO Vitamin E from Sunflower. It's simple but wonderfully luxurious. It leaves skin looking and feeling pampered, clean, hydrated and super soft. It's gentle but does its intended job really well.

Lip Whips are my hands-down favorite KG product, though. They are so good and come in an array of stunning shades. There are ten beautiful colors as well as non-tinted versions called Naked in either Peppermint or Cinnamon. There is also a really great Lip Scrub. The formula is excellent and provides soothes while providing shine, moisture, and a beautiful tint. I like each color I have tried and highly suggest you pick up whichever color strikes your fancy during the sale. Suji Red and Jeannie are my current go-to shades.

It's also worth mentioning that all Kari Gran products are packaged beautifully. They come in sleek and weighty dark violet glass that protects the product inside. Every package is also finished with a handwritten expiration date on the bottom, which I think is a really nice personal touch.

You can shop the Kari Gran Little Black Dress Annual Skin Care Sale to get your 20% off by visiting their website by clicking here. You can also find Kari Gran on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

(FTC: I often work with Kari Gran so I am sent free product in exchange for review consideration. I am not, however, being compensated for this post and none of the links above are affiliate links. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Talk About Cosmetics - Kari Gran Suji Red Lip Whip and Lip Buff Duo

Kari Gran is one of my absolute favorite eco-luxe beauty lines and I always get so excited when they release a new Lip Whip! In addition to launching a brand new gorgeously tinted Lip Whip, they also created and unveiled an exfoliating lip scrub called Lip Buff. Whether you’re already a fan of the supremely rich and dreamy formula, or if you have yet to try Kari Gran products, you’re going to love these two new violet-jar housed beauties!

Suji Red Lip Whip came to life with the help of Suji (pronounced Soo-jee), the youngest daughter of Lisa Strain (co-founder of the company). When Suji was 11 she fell hard for the drama of a beautiful red lip and now, at age 23, she helped create this lovely shade. This particular red is a perfect shade. It’s not too bright or too blue. It can be worn as a more sheer wash of color or built up to be quite dramatic. It’s a totally fun and flirty color while still be totally classic and glamorous. It’s minty, glossy, although not too shiny, and absolutely lovely. As with every Lip Whip in the range this pretty and pigmented potted balm packs a punch of color while soothing and hydrating even the driest of lips.

Like I said, it’s a gorgeous shade and I absolutely adore the way it looks once on but I do have to say that I don’t find it to be the easiest on-the-go lip color. Like most red lip colors, you have to be quite precise and it requires a bit more maintenance than other shades. However, it’s totally worth it!

I was quite surprised the first time I used it with how opaque it can be. I definitely recommend sitting in front a mirror and using a lip brush and keeping some cotton buds handy. Once it’s on it lasts really nicely.

Okay, now let’s talk about the Lip Buff. This little jar is thick, rich and does a nice job of gently polishing the lips. It’s not the most intense lip exfoliator I’ve ever used but it’s a perfect primer to keep your lips looking and feeling soft and lush before applying lip color. You can also use it to remove lip color at the end of the day. The formula feels just like a regular Naked Lip Whip but with added organic sugar and organic chamomile powder. It’s so gentle and doesn’t bother my highly irritable lips but still leaves them feeling fresh and soft. 

You can buy Suji Red and Lip Buff individually or as part of a duo that also comes with a lip brush (I didn’t receive the brush but it looks really nice!) for $37 ($47 value) through December 31st. You can visit the Kari Gran website by clicking here to learn more about the brand or their other products. You can also find them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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

Talk About Lip Care - Kari Gran WonderWhip

Kari Gran is one of the beauty brands of my life. I love this line and their lovely roster of pure skincare and cosmetics. I also love what the company stands for and especially what they’re doing with their later Lip Whip launch, WonderWhip.

WonderWhip is the classic Naked Lip Whip, but with a little something special added to the mix, a hint of sparkle. Not only is this rich, luxurious, and shiny lip balm absolutely beautiful and nourishing on the lips on a daily basis it’s also helping to change lives and make the world a little brighter. 50% of all proceeds from the sale of WonderWhip will be donated to WonderWork, a non-profit organization that provides free, life-changing surgeries for blindness, clubfoot, and burns to children and adults in more than 58 developing countries.

This kind-hearted organization takes local surgeons in the poorest countries in the world and provides them with free training, equipment and financial support to help children, and adults, who need a miracle.

Like all Kari Gran Lip Whips, WonderWhip is intensely hydrating, nourishing, and soothing without being sticky or heavy. It’s perfect alone for a bit of shiny moisture or layered with other lip products. It is housed in the standard beautiful glass pot that all Lip Whips come in and is made with only healthy, organic ingredients (*Castor Seed Oil, *Beeswax, *Avocado Oil, *Camellia Seed Oil, *Olive Oil, *Sunflower Oil, *Calendula Oil, Mica, Titanium Dioxide, non-GMO Vitamin E, and *Peppermint Oil. *Organic)

You can learn more about WonderWork by clicking here. If you want to know more about Kari Gran and their products you can click here. You can also find Kari Gran on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

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

Talk About Cosmetics - Kari Gran

I am completely in love with Kari Gran and from the comments and messages I’ve received from you Beauties asking for my thoughts on their line you’re also really interested in the brand! I don’t think it would be an overstatement for me to say that Kari Gran is one of my absolute favorite green beauty brands and I’m so excited to be able to share my review of their cosmetics line with you today.

If you’re new to Beautiful Basics or you want a refresher about Kari Gran all you need to know is that this company is comprised of simple but luxurious cruelty free skin care and cosmetics that are made from natural, wild harvested and non-GMO ingredients that are good for the body and the world. You'll never find any toxic ingredients inside any Kari Gran products. You won't find water either, only natural plant ingredients and essential oils. The line is designed to be gentle and safe for all ages and skin types. 

You can also check out my past reviews of the Kari Gran Starter Kit and the Marsala Lip Whip.

Let’s talk about the products in the order that I apply them starting with the Foundation that you can either use as a powder foundation or as a customizable liquid foundation. By mixing the Essential Serum with as much or as little as you desire of the powder foundation, which comes in 8 different shades, you can create the perfect base for your needs. The combination is a tinted, smoothing, hydrating base that evens out your skin tone while feeding the largest organ in your body essential nutrients. I typically don’t love wearing foundation, choosing to instead use concealer where needed, but this mixture feels lovely on the skin and wears evenly throughout the day.

Kari Gran’s Concealer is one of my absolute favorite products. I mentioned it briefly in my Concealer Menu post but wanted to go in to more detail in this review. I have the color Fair and it’s the perfect shade for me and the formula is divine! The coverage is impressively opaque but still lends a natural and luminous glow to the skin. Both the Mineral Concealer and Foundation have shimmer in them but neither gives the skin that teenaged disco ball look. Instead they go on to the skin and make it look effortless, healthy, and flawless. A little of this concealer goes a long way. I especially love to use it under my eyes and down the center of my face because it does a beautiful job of brightening my complexion.

Next up is the Mineral Setting Powder. This powder has a very short list of ingredients (Mica and Aloe Barbadensis Powder) and is feels absolutely heavenly on the skin. It’s like really silky air that feels so soft going on and keeps my base in place all day long. It sets the skin without building up and looking cakey or heavy. This is the best setting powder I have ever tried and that means a lot coming from someone with dry skin who tends to skip the setting powder step.

The Peony Mineral Blush is universally flattering and can be applied sheer or built up for more intensity. I have found that you can do no wrong when applying this blush because it always looks fresh and natural. The color is so stunning and absolutely beautiful on the cheeks for a pop of pink that I can’t get enough of. I’ve been reaching for it nonstop since it arrived. It’s a great “in from the cold” color but I think it will be a nice cheek topper for all 4 seasons.

I forgot to mention that the Foundation, Blush and Setting Powder each come in a huge 4.5 gram jar so you’re getting a ton of product for your money!  The Concealer comes in a 1.4 gram jar and the Eye Shadow is housed in a .85 gram jar. Each product is also very affordable.

The company describes their single Eye Shadow as Sandalwood, a perfect brown for everyone that can be applied sheer or opaque. You can use this shadow wet or dry depending on the look that you’re going for. It’s a beautiful color that makes my blue eyes pop, but it would be great on anyone. It has a very fine silver shimmer throughout but it never looks over the top or too heavily sparkly. I’m a matte kind of gal but still find that this particular eye shadow is very wearable. It blends beautifully and wears evenly throughout the day. It’s the perfect product for doing a one-shadow look because it can be applied in so many ways that it’s almost like having more than one eye shadow.

In the following look I am wearing only Kari Gran Cosmetics with the exception of my brow pencil and mascara, The color on my lips is a thin layer of the Tinted Lip Whip with another thin layer of Jolene Lip Whip on top.

I was originally going to talk about the Lip Whips in this post but I’m actually going to devote an entire review to the newest Limited Edition Lip Whip, Jolene, soon. However, the one in the photo above is the Naked Cinnamon Pimenta Berry and it’s one of my very favorite lip products… ever! We’ll talk about them more soon, though.

To learn more about Kari Gran and her lovely line up of products you can visit the website by clicking here. You can also find Kari Gran on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Leave a comment and let me know if you have tried any Kari Gran products or if you have your eye on any of them. Don’t forget to check back soon for my Lip Whip Overview. See you then!

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

Talk About Skin Care - Kari Gran

Kari Gran is a self admitted beauty junkie who started looking at exactly what ingredients she was putting on her skin when she was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder in her late twenties. She began searching for natural alternatives and was left wanting more. It wasn't until her forties when she started thinking about developing healthy, simple, and elegant products to meet basic skin needs and nourish a healthy complexion.

Kari, who creates the products, teamed up with her friend Lisa Strain, who runs the business side, to create Kari Gran. Kari Gran is a line of all-natural, cruelty free skin care and cosmetics that are made from natural, wild harvested and non-GMO ingredients that are good for the body and the world. You'll never find any toxic ingredients inside any Kari Gran products. You won't find water either, only natural plant ingredients and essential oils. The line is designed to be gentle and safe for all ages and skin types.

I've heard a lot about Kari Gran in the past and was so excited to be able to try some of their products. I was sent their Starter Kit and two of their popular Lip Whips.

I know that not everyone is a fan of oil based products, but I am and I am so in love with the Kari Gran Cleansing Oil. It's my favorite product of theirs that I have tried and I know a lot of you would like it as well. This cleansing oil is made from Organic Sunflower Oil, Organic Avocado Oil, Organic Castor Seed Oil, Organic Lavender Oil, and Non-GMO Vitamin E from Sunflower. This cleansing oil is simple but so luxurious. The formula is deliciously rich and leaves my skin feeling superbly hydrated and supple. My skin absolutely loves it!

The Hydrating Tonic in Rose (which also comes in Lavender) is also really lovely. It adds the perfect touch of extra moisture to my skin and smells divine. I use it as toner but also as a hydration spray over my makeup to get red of any dry patches and make my skin looks fresh and dewy. The texture is perfect and beautifully fine. It does not leave any stickiness or tackiness behind. The bottle is also perfect!

The Essential Serum feels really great on my skin but I really don't like the smell. The scent is so strong but the actual serum leaves my skin looking and feeling so smooth and luminous. I use it at night and love the results when I can get past the smell.

Their Lip Whips, which comes in 4 colored versions and 1 clear, are extremely popular. I've heard so much about these products from other green beauty bloggers so I was excited to get to try them. I received Naked, their original clean lip balm, and Tinted, a perfectly wearable and adorable sheer pink. Their Lip Whips come in two scents, Peppermint and Cinnamon-Pimenta Berry. I really like both scents and both the tinted and untinted balms. I don't really love potted lip balm because I don't like taking them out into the world with me (I'm a germaphobe) but I don't mind using them at home. They work great alone of layered under other lip products.

Have you tried Kari Gran or do you have any of their products on your beauty wish list? I think their line is definitely worth a look because simple and luxurious products are always worth a try in my book. To learn more about the company or their products you can visit their website by clicking here. You can also find Kari Gran on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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