Talk About Skin Care - S.W. Basics of Brooklyn (+ closed GIVEAWAY!)

Adina Grigore originally created several products for herself and her sensitive skin but now her line of healthy and eco-friendly products are sold online and at retailers across the country. Each and every one of Adina's products are 100% pure, natural, and sustainable. S.W. Basics of Brooklyn is a "no-frills" line of skin care products made with 5 or less ingredients each that are either certified organic, Fair Trade, or sourced from small, family farms.

I've been testing out a few of their products, including all 4 of their lip balms, lately and have really been enjoying the simplicity of them. The first one being the Makeup Remover, which is made up of Organic Sweet Almond Oil, Organic Olive Oil, and Organic Jojoba Oil. I typically make my own eye makeup remover but it's really nice having a bottle of it all ready to go. The combination of oils is great! It doesn't leave behind a film or irritate my eyes. It works really well and gets every last bit of makeup.


I have also been trying out the Toner for the past month and a half. I tend to use this toner during the day because it really helps banish any case of oily skin and prevent pesky pimples. The ingredient list is comprised of Water, Organic Raw Apple Cider Vinegar, Witch Hazel, and Organic Essential Oils of Clary Sage and Sandalwood. I don't really like the scent of this toner, at all, but it goes away really quickly. It helps to cleanse my skin and help speed up the process of blemishes so it's totally worth it!


Now let's talk about their Organic Lip Balms, because they are fantastic! All four balms (Cocoa, Peppermint, Cinnamon, and Citrus) have the same base ingredients of Organic Beeswax, Organic Extra-Virgin Coconut Oil, and Organic Cocoa Butter. The Peppermint, Cinnamon, and Citrus all have added Organic Essential Oils. I've been totally obsessed with all 4 of these balms and reach for them more than any other lip product lately. The Cocoa Lip Balm is my favorite, but the others are lovely as well.

You can learn more about the company or purchase some products of your own by clicking here to be taken to their website. You can also visit them on Facebook or Twitter.



Adina was kind enough to offer a Complete Mini Kit as a giveaway prize for you, my lovely readers. All you have to do to enter is use the Rafflecopter form below. It may take a moment or two to load. Good luck! a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

Clean Sweep

Hi beautiful! I'm so excited about this idea – I know it's probably not original but it's still really awesome and I'm thrilled to share it with you. If you have been with me since the beginning of Beautiful Basics you know how much I love using oils to remove stubborn eye makeup. This DIY recipe puts a twist on natural eye makeup remover.

Pre-moistened makeup removing wipes are a big deal for a good reason – they're so simple and easy to use! This is a recipe for eye makeup removing wipes and they are incredibly uncomplicated to make and use.


What you need:

1 ounce of extra virgin olive oil

1 ounce of jojoba oil

1 vitamin E capsule (or a few drops of vitamin E oil)

You will also need cotton rounds or squares (not balls) and a container with a secure lid. You can use a glass or plastic jar, Tupperware, or anything else you have handy.

Mix all of the ingredients together and saturate your cotton in the mixture. You will then want to stack the rounds or squares in your container. If you have any liquid left over you can pour it into the container once the cotton is all in place.

That's it! Simple, easy, and cheap! One pad will work to get all the makeup off your eyes while conditioning the surrounding delicate skin. It won't leave you greasy or dry, just comfortably clean. These DIY eye makeup remover pads cost a fraction of the ones that the stores sell. How cool is that?

Clean slate

Okay, today let's talk makeup removers. I can't even begin to stress how important removing your makeup at the end of the day is. So much harm can be done to your skin if makeup is left on before you go to sleep. Our skin regenerates during the night when our bodies are at rest so having clean moisturized skin is vital.

So many women use the excuse of being too tired or too exhausted to remove their makeup some nights, but no matter how tired you may be there is no excuse for not removing your makeup. Cleaning my face before bed time is a routine I never miss, and I do mean never. Okay, enough with the nagging now.

For the easiest, quickest way to remove your makeup just head to the kitchen and grab your handy bottle of olive oil. You can also use jojoba oil for this. Just massage your dry, made up face with a very thin layer of olive or jojoba oil before washing your face with your regular cleanser. It will get off all traces of foundation, eye makeup, and whatever else you may use. You can also put a few drops on a cotton pad or ball and use just to remove your eye makeup. Just wipe gently over your eyes until the makeup is all gone. Just remember to never tug or pull as the eye area is very sensitive.

Olive oil and jojoba oil are super gentle and nonirritating. They work for all skin types. They are also very affordable and easy to find!

What do you use to remove your makeup?