Talk About It - Dr.'s Remedy Enriched Nail Polish

I love anything that shimmers and shines as well as anything glitzy and glamorous – I have a feeling that I'm not alone so today is all about Dr.'s Remedy Enriched Nail Polish!

Let me start off by saying that there is no such thing as 100% natural nail polish, only smarter and safer formulations. Dr.'s Remedy is a safe and enriched nail polish that was created by two doctors who are both board certified podiatrists who care about their patients and the products they use. Both Dr. Adam Cirlincione and Dr. William Spielfogel are skilled surgeons who realized the top concern with their patients is brittle and discolored nails that is often associated with the harsh chemicals that can be found in commercial nail polish.

Dr. Cirlincione's wife was pregnant and was advised against using hair dye, eating certain foods, and being exposed to harsh chemicals. This warning led the doctor to do some research on chemicals and toxins. Along with Dr. Spielfogel they created Dr.'s Remedy, which is 3 Free (formaldehyde, toluene, and DBP – which can cause some serious damage to ones health) and enriched with good for you ingredients like tea tree oil, garlic bulb extract, and wheat protein.

These enrichments help promote healthier and stronger nails and also provide anti-fungal properties so it won't cause any damage. Their nail polish come in a wide variety of gorgeous shades and is safe enough for anyone and everyone; including those who are extremely sensitive to traditional nail polish or chemicals in general.

I got so lucky because I got to try out their new seasonal collection Jolly and Joy. The collection is made up of 5 amazingly lovely and flattering festive shades perfect for the holiday season, and beyond.



ESSENTIAL Emerald is one of my favorite nail polishes, ever! I don't have anything like this shade and I just love the way it looks on my nails. It compliments my skin tone and applies like a dream. It wears well and I had no problem with chipping, although I only wore it for 2 days. This is such a gorgeous color that I can't get enough of! They describe it as "a take on the classic tree-and-plant-inspired gem of a shade, with delicate glimmer and unparalleled amounts of glamour".



RESOLUTION Red Glitter is my other favorite from the collection. This polish applies so well and looks great on the nails! The only drawback to this polish is the fact that glitter polishes are really difficult to remove, but everything else about this is perfect! It adds the perfect amount of glitter to the fingers without being too over the top. I feel like this polish would be appropriate for any situation because it's almost a nude pinkish-red color. They describe it as "a red meets copper spin that's sequin-look-alike laden with high shine and sparkle.

 

REVIVE Ruby Red is the most perfect red color that I've ever seen. It's absolutely perfect for fall and winter, and I think it would make a wonderful statement on the toes. It's deep yet feminine and pretty. It is described as "a shimmer-infused Wizard of Oz-inspired shade of crimson.



SERENE Silver Glitter is so special and unique. It changes color in different lights and makes the nails look fancy, sort of like a perfectly pretty disco ball. It wasn't the best with my skin tone but that won't keep me from rocking it because it's so interesting! It's described as "a seasonal sizzler like no other: shine, chic, totally unique in the metallic scene."



PASSION Purple is last, but not least. It's "a bombshell-boysenberry with subtle silver meshed throughout". It's not my favorite for fingernails but I have high hopes for how amazing it will look on my toes. This is my Mom's favorite of the collection though and it looks amazing on her. For whatever reason I had the hardest time applying this one. Don't get me wrong – it was still easy, just not as smooth as the others.



These nail polishes are fabulous, right? They're a little expensive at $17 each but I think they are totally worth it. I've never seen such lovely shades before. If you were only going to get one I would highly recommend either Resolution Red or Essential Emerald.

You should check them out on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Remedynails or on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/remedynails. If you're interested in owning these for yourself Dr.s' Remedy is sold exclusively at www.remedynails.com or by calling 877-323-NAIL.

(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 thought and opinions, as always, are my own and honest.)

What a Sweet Potato!

I absolutely love Sweet Potatoes! They're one of my favorite foods – mashed, baked, steamed, any way at all! They also happen to be really, really healthy! They are an excellent source of Vitamin A, Beta-Carotene, and antioxidants. They are considered a super food and are definitely a must have in my kitchen. Since I love the way the taste and that fact that they are really great at nourishing the skin I thought today would be the perfect time to share this sweet potato facial mask recipe.


What you need: 2 ounces of mashed sweet potatoes (just steam them, take off their skin, and mash them)
1 tablespoons of oatmeal
1 tablespoon of honey
A dash of nutmeg


Once you've got the ingredients all together all you need to do is mix them together to form a thick paste. Apply the mixture onto your face, neck, and chest after washing with a gentle cleanser. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes before rinsing off with warm water. Make sure to moisturize afterwards (as you should with all treatments). This mask will leave your skin looking and feeling soft and smooth. It will also help new skin cells form. Sweet potatoes aren't just for Thanksgiving anymore!

Talk About It - Mad Gab's

Stockings are one of my favorite parts of the Christmas Season! Today I'm sharing with you a few products from an awesome company called Mad Gab's that would make excellent stocking stuffers, or even gifts.

Gabrielle Melchionda starting making lip balm in 1991, while still in college, after she came across a recipe that she thought sounded easy to make. She gathered the necessary supplies and began mixing up batches in her mother's kitchen. The lip balms were such a hit with her friends that they encouraged her to market them and sell them in a store. By her senior year of college, Mad Gab's was in 10 stores and Gabrielle embarked on a journey to learn how to make a business work.

Fast forward 20 years and the business has grown into a huge success. People all over the world love Mad Gab's products. They moved from their original 200 square foot office to a 4500 square feet space where the Mad Gab's team makes, ships, and sells their products. They strive to create unique, high quality, and effective all natural beauty products while creating minimal waste. They also wish to "inspire others that anything can be done with good ideas, hard work and a strong team."

Mad Gab's formulates their products with ingredients like beeswax, shea butter, organic extra virgin oil, vitamin e, natural flavors, essential oils, mica and other healthy and beneficial ingredients. All of their products are great and they come in the most adorable packaging with fun little facts on them. Oh, and by now my loyal readers know how crazy sensitive my lips are, right? Well, none of these lip products irritate them in the least! I absolutely love and adore all of the products I got to try, so let's get to the reviews!

I'm going to start with the newly launched (October 1st, 2011) Wildly Natural line of lip products. These lippies are inspired by patterns in nature like peacock feathers, giraffe spots, and the wings of a butterfly. This line offers Lip Butters, Shimmers, and Glosses each with 3 flavors. The glosses come in pink, plum, and bronze while the shimmers come in the same colors with added glitter. The lip butters come in Coconut Lime, Juicy Mango, and Lavender Vanilla.

The pink lip gloss is the most perfect pale pink that provides the lips with a very sheer dusting of pretty color. It's not sticky at all and it feels super lush and hydrating. It's shiny without being over the top. The Juicy Mango Lip Butter is so smooth and applies easily. It makes my lips feel moisturized and silky. It smells great and tastes good without making me lick my lips 24/7. The Plum Lip Shimmer is probably my favorite of the 3 because it's so gorgeous and flattering on my lips. It has the perfect amount of shimmer and color.

Moving on to the other Mad Gab's products I was lucky enough to try - lets talk about the Turtle Shimmer which is a glistening pink color perfect for any pretty pout. The Shimmers have a lovely peppermint scent and flavor to them which I just adore. The minty tingle adds a cool feel to the lips. I love the turtle on the packaging too!

I also got to try a couple of the smooch products; one is from the Zoo Smooch line and the other is from Dino Smooch. My zoo balm is the Giraffe Smooch in vanilla with SPF 15. I find giraffes irresistible, so I think this one is really adorable. It's got a really warm vanilla scent that is just delicious. My favorite balm of the bunch is the Stego Smooch lip balm in berry, which comes in a recyclable tin. This smells fantastic and I'm mad about the formulation. It's wonderful! It applies like butter and lasts for an irresistibly kissable mouth. I normally don't like balms in tins because I'm a bit of a germ freak but this one is incredible.



Last but certainly not least is the Hi-Bear-Nating Balm which is a calming lavender body balm. I can't remember if I've told you how obsessed with lavender I am before but just take my word for it – I can't get enough! This is perfectly divine smelling lavender (not all are) and it works so well to calm and relax me for bed. I just massage a little bit of this onto my neck and temples (as per instructions on the package) right before bed and I'm ready to doze off and get a peaceful night's sleep.

I love Mad Gab's so much that I'm planning on checking out their Holiday Smooch Lip Balms very soon. Their prices are affordable and their products are worth a try so check them out for yourself at http://www.madgabs.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 thought and opinions, as always, and my own and honest.)

Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins

Happy Monday beautiful! I hope you had a fantastic week. I know Beautiful Basics is a beauty blog but today is going to be a little different because I'm going to be sharing a recipe for muffins. They're not just any muffins though, they're truly delicious, and healthier than other options. I made them last weekend and they were gone by the next morning, because everyone loved them so much. I figure since Thanksgiving in the U.S. is on Thursday now would be the perfect time to share my treats!

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 cups sugar (I used 1 ½ cups of white and ½ brown but you can use whatever you want – including raw or a sugar substitute)
1 cup pumpkin puree
¼ cup of vegetable oil
¼ cup of applesauce
1 cup of fresh, frozen, or dried cranberries (I used Craisins, but if you use fresh or frozen you'll want to chop them up)

In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients. In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs and sugar together and then add the pumpkin and oil – make sure to mix very well. Next you'll combine the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and mix until moistened. Now it's cranberry time! You need to gently fold in the cranberries so they don't get broken down and mushy. Fill your lined muffin cups ¾ of the way full and stick your muffin pan in the oven. Bake at 400 degrees F for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. I then dusted the muffins lightly with powdered sugar, but you can skip this part if you'd like!




I hope you enjoy!

Talk About It - Rand Hill Naturals

It is no secret that I love honey. I also love natural skin care and cosmetics as well as my home state – Oregon. What do you get when you combine all three things I just mentioned? You get an Oregon based natural skin care company who makes honey facial care products (in addition to other products) called Rand Hill Naturals.

Randie Hill started to develop sensitivities to traditional products in the mid 90's but couldn't afford the hefty price tags of natural products so she decided to create her own. Her goal now is "to create a line of unique and effective products that incorporate plant based ingredients in their simplest, most unrefined form." All Rand Hill Natural products are pure and safe, free from any artificial ingredients like color, fragrance and preservatives. They are also very affordable!

I was lucky enough to get to try the Complexion Essentials, which includes a cleanser, a cleansing mask and a serum. All 3 products feature raw and unfiltered honey, essential oils (including Lavender, Rose Geranium, Orange, Neroli & Grapefruit), and other natural skin beneficial ingredients.



First up is the Daily Facial Honey Wash, which is a really great cleanser for any skin types (except those allergic to honey, of course) because it's so gentle. It smells amazing; like honey with a touch of citrus mixed in. It has the exact consistency of honey so it doesn't produce foam or anything that other facial cleansers may do but it's just as efficient if not more so. It's non-sticky and spreads easily across the skin. I massage it onto my damp skin and rub gently in small circles until I'm ready to rinse. It rinses off so effortlessly and leaves skin feeling comfortable and healthy. I feel like it really keeps my skin looking clear and it also brightens. It makes my face feel fresh and fit.



Once a week I use the Honey Oatmeal Cleansing Mask, but I use it as a facial scrub instead of a mask. You all know how much of an obsession I have with scrubs and this particular one has made it onto the favorites list. It smells like floral-y citrus and makes my skin look radiant. I'm obsessed with this scrub! I particularly like to use this when I've had a long day or worn a lot of makeup because it gets deep down into each and every little pore leaving them shiny and new thanks to the exfoliating oatmeal powder. I do occasionally use it as a mask, but I prefer it as a cleansing scrub. It's very hydrating and improves the condition of my skin.



The last product were going to talk about is the Ultimate Face Quenching Serum which is made up of Jojoba Oil, Vitamin E, Tea Tree and Rose Geranium essential oils. A lot of people are afraid of using oil to moisturize their skin but this serum is incredibly lightweight yet conditioning. It absorbs almost instantly and leaves skin feeling softer than you could even imagine without being the least bit greasy. The smell of this is a bit strong, but it's tolerable and dissipates within about an hour. Its great for morning and evening use and really plumps up and smoothes skin.

If you're interested in checking these products (or other Rand Hill Naturals products) out for yourself you can visit their website by clicking here. You can purchase online or use the Find a Store tab to see if there are any stores near you that sell these products.

(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.)

Superstar Face and Body Mask

Hi there, beauty! In the past I've shared a lot of things that I love (and shared why I love them so much) and today's DIY Beauty Recipe is made up of 3 of those things on my love list. Yogurt, Honey, and Pumpkin have all had entire weeks dedicated to their uses and why they are beneficial for skin but today I'm combining all 3 to make a super face and body mask.

What you need:

3 tablespoons of puréed pumpkin
3 tablespoons of honey
1/4 cup of yogurt
Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl until smooth and combined. Steaming your face before applying the mask is a good idea but not necessary. Apply the mask evenly to your face, and even your body if you want (it's great for chests and backs). Let the mask sit for anywhere between 10 to 20 minutes before rinsing with warm water. Don't forget to moisturize afterwards! Your skin should look luminous and rejuvenated.

Seasonal Cinnamon Lip Balm

I'm a lip balm addict, and in the colder months I love anything cinnamon scented and/or flavored so I decided to mix the two together to create a fabulous fall lip balm.

What You Need:
2 tsp. jojoba oil (you could also use sweet almond or olive oil, but I personally prefer jojoba)
1/2 tsp. beeswax
1/2 tsp. cocoa butter or coconut oil
1/2 tsp. honey
3 drops cinnamon essential oil
1 vitamin E capsule

Heat the oil, butter and beeswax in a water bath over medium heat until beeswax is completely melted with stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and add honey and cinnamon oil. Open the vitamin E capsule and add it to the mixture. Stir well to make sure all of the ingredients have combined.

When it's finished just pour the mixture into containers. I use little screw-top pots that I buy at Wal-Mart. Let it cool until solid and you're ready to moisturize and treat your lips to a soothing treat. Enjoy!

Talk About It - Waxelene

Beauties, I'm madly and passionately in love with a superb product called Waxelene. Never in my life have I been more impressed with a beauty product, and that is saying a lot. Waxelene is a petroleum jelly substitute (cute play on the name, right?) that I'm literally obsessed with.

In the past I always had to have a jar of Vaseline handy, but upon reading the label and embarking upon my green journey I have retired the petroleum jelly from being a staple. This is where Waxelene comes in handy – it works for everything you would use the other stuff for but it's 100% natural with only organic soybean oil, beeswax, vitamin e oil, and organic rosemary oil.


Waxelene was born out of experience in resource conservation and organic foods, as well as a life-long commitment to health and the environment in addition to a desire to be more sustainable every day. The company uses only recyclable glass jars, natural and organic ingredients, and energy efficient practices. They believe in simple, natural and organic ingredients that are beneficial. Waxelene is completely eco-friendly, biodegradable, and cruelty free.

My addiction to this stuff is completely justified by how amazing it is. You can use this product for so many different reasons – I can't even begin to cover the entire list. I especially love this on my lips, and I cover them each and every night with it before bed. I wake up with the most supple and smooth looking lips that feel soft and healthy. You can also use this for moisturizing feet, body, hands, cuticles, face, eye lashes, and anywhere else you need a little moisturize. It's not at all greasy and it's even water and sweat resistant.

Anyone and everyone can benefit from this product in some way; if you are a Mommy, this would make an excellent baby balm for diaper rash or irritation and if you're an outdoorsy type of person you can use this to protect your skin from wind and sun burn. Beauty junkies can even use this on cheekbones to add a dewy highlighted look and on lids for a glow, which is something I have been doing often. It even functions as a makeup remover!

Here is a neat little beauty trick - If you want to turn a mineral shadow or old crumbled cosmetic into a cream makeup, all you need to do is mix the powder with a little Waxelene. When you combine the two you'll have a brand new cream eye shadow, blush, or gloss.

I highly suggest you check Waxelene out for yourself. You won't be sorry! The Beauty Editor of Lucky Magazine even loves this stuff as well as celebrity makeup artists. The 2 oz jar only costs $6.99 so it's a worthwhile and affordable investment. You can purchase Waxelene online here  or you can find a retail location near you by clicking here.

Talk About It - Honeybee Gardens Truly Natural Mascara

If you ask women who wear cosmetics to pick their one absolute makeup must have chances are at least half of them would answer mascara. Would you?

Mascara dates all the way back to approximately 4000 BC when Ancient Egyptians lined their eyes, covered their lashes, and coated their eyebrows with a mixture of kohl, water, dung and honey. They used bone and ivory to apply the kohl mixture. The eyes were considered to be the windows to the soul so they used it to ward off evil spirits and bad energy. Men and women alike wore mascara.

Mascara was used throughout the centuries (women experimented with their own mascara concoctions at home) but it wasn't until 1917 that the first mascara was born.

The founder of Maybelline, Eugene Rimmel, created and marketed a formula that was made of petroleum and black coal dust. Luckily for us, mascara and cosmetics as a whole have come a very long way in the past 94 years.

These days there are tons of options, and the world of green and natural mascara is constantly expanding. One of the best natural mascaras I have found and used is from a company called Honeybee Gardens. Their Truly Natural Mascara is truly amazing.



Honeybee Gardens was started in 2005 and they never test on animals, package their products in recyclable materials, and use the highest quality natural and organic ingredients they can. They strive to, "Create pure, all-natural bath and body care products made from only the finest organic ingredients, offer them at a reasonable price, and treat every customer like a friend."

I love their mascara. It doesn't clump, flake, or irritate my eyes. It's extremely lightweight which is a must have for me. I've noticed that some natural mascaras feel heavy, thick and uncomfortable on my lashes but this one keeps them looking and feeling soft and weightless.

This mascara makes my eyelashes look longer, more voluminous and separated. I don't ever have a problem with my curl not holding so I can't attest to curl hold-ability. It is not waterproof, but that makes me happy because I'm not a fan of waterproof mascara formulations. It is water-resistant and safe for contact wearers. I find that it doesn't smudge throughout the day or travel. The brush is a pretty standard brush with regular bristles, but the formula is incredible.

The price could not get any better. It's only $10.99, which is comparable to drugstore mascara prices. It comes in 3 different shades – black magic, espresso (black/brown), and chocolate truffle (brown). This 100% natural mascara is fantastic and you can find it online by clicking here.

(FTC: The company so generously provided this mascara to me for review consideration. I am not being compensated to write this review. All thoughts and opinions, as always, are my own and honest.)

Pumpkin Body Moisturizer

Since we've talked about how skin can get dry and flaky when the seasons change from warm to frigid, I figured we should talk DIY Pumpkin Moisturizing Body Treatment. In addition to being delicious when baked in a pie, pumpkin is really beneficial for your skin! It's got tons of enzymes and antioxidants that nourish skin and help get rid of dead skin cells.

What you need:
½ cup of pumpkin puree
½ cup of coconut oil (for moisturizing)
½ teaspoon of cinnamon (this acts as an anti-bacterial)

Take all of the ingredients and mix together until smooth in a jar or an old body butter or lotion container. I always keep old packaging so I can make and store new beauty products in them. Apply the mixture to clean skin and massage to work in. Let the treatment sit for at least 10 minutes then rinse with warm water and pat dry.

If you have any mixture left it should last for about 3-5 days before you need to toss it.

This will leave your skin feeling smooth, soft and hydrated with the added benefit of smelling like a delicious pumpkin treat.

Enjoy!

Talk About It - Painted Earth (Part 2: Cosmetics)

Happy Thursday, Beautiful! I'm excited to be here to bring you part 2 of my Painted Earth special. Today were talking about their cosmetics, so lets get started. If you missed part one you can click here.

My new daily foundation is their Perfect Every Thyme Baked Mineral Foundation. This product is a baked mineral foundation that provides just enough coverage to look naturally flawless. I've been using it every day and I couldn't be happier with it. I have the color Dover Beige and it blends perfectly into my skin. It doesn't settle into lines or just sit on top of my face. It looks like it melts into my skin to help minimize the appearance of pores and even out my skin tone. I prefer lighter foundation, so this is perfect for me. It is build-able but I feel like those of you who prefer heavier coverage won't enjoy this as much as I do.



It makes my skin feel so soft and it applies like a dream! It's so easy to use and it's got a lot of great ingredients including mica, jojoba and safflower oils, lavender, thyme, green tea, vitamin e, rosemary and magnolia bark. This would be perfect for any skin type from oily to dry and even sensitive. It doesn't clog my pores or make me look "made up". This product lets my skin breathe and lets it look like my skin, only better. The compact comes with quite a bit of domed product too, so it will last a while, even with daily use.

The Ultimate Volume Mascara is a fantastically awesome mascara. It is a fiber-based mascara, which means that the formula has fibers that attach to the ends of your lashes to make them longer. My lashes aren't particularly short and stubby but they aren't super long and luxurious either, however, when I wear this mascara you would never know that. This stuff makes my lashes look like falsies and I love it! It's great for adding length and drama.



To finish up Part 2 of Painted Earth we are going to talk about the Loose Mineral Eye Shimmer that I have in Tan-Talizing, a color that I would call a gold/copper hybrid. I really like this color, for the simple fact that it makes my blue-gray eyes look very intense and vibrant. It's a gorgeous, highly pigmented shade and the shadow is really soft and blendable. It wears well and lasts all day. If you pat the color on there is hardly any fall out and it's milled so finely that it's got a subtle shimmer as opposed to chunky glitter. This is a very nice mineral eye shadow.

If you have any questions feel free to ask in the comments section and if you're curious about any Painted Earth products check them out online.
(FTC: These products were so generously provided to me for free by the company. I am not being compensated to write this review. All thoughts and opinions, as always, are my own and honest.)

Pumpkin Mask for Dry Skin

If your skin is looking a little dry and dull today's beauty recipe will be perfect for you. Like I mentioned on Monday, pumpkin is a perfect complexion enhancer because of it's ability to nourish and exfoliate. We all want a gorgeous, glowing look and pumpkin will help us get what we want. It's got tons of vitamins like A and C, zinc, and alpha-hydroxy acids.

What you need:
½ cup of pumpkin puree
¼ cup of oil (you can use jojoba, olive, or softened coconut oil)
2 tbs honey
2 tbs heavy cream (optional)

Mix all of the ingredients together until blended and spread the mixture over your clean face. Leave it on for about 20 minutes before removing with warm water and a soft wash cloth.

Your skin will look refreshed, brightened, and renewed!