.:: CybeleSays ::.

You know me, I love discovering a new line! The latest is ANGEL MINARO and because the creator has a pharmaceutical background, she understands the science of putting together the formulas in each product. Each is handmade and she also makes them in small batches to maintain their freshness.

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I’ve always been a big fan of the LALICIOUS line. They just put out great quality body products where I never have to be afraid of the ingredients. They just added a new scent called Sugar Reef this month and I tried two of them. So did they live up to my expectations?

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It’s not often that a line has multiple positives going for it. That’s why I’m excited to introduce you to a new line making its US debut from Germany. The 25 year-old line is called PRIMAVERA and if you’re looking for a line with quality natural and organic ingredients, this is one you will want to check out. Choose from four different product lines: face care, body care, wellness therapies and home fragrance. Primavera is the first brand to have all their products certified as natural and organic by NATRUE (I was unfamiliar with them so here is more info on them) and they also package them in recyclable glass bottles and jars.

They have fair-trade partnerships with 18 growers around the world who provide over 125 of their ingredients. And if that’s not enough, their new state-of-the-art headquarters in Germany boasts a carbon neutral footprint. If these facts alone don’t make you want to try this line, then maybe info about the below product will.

The products I tried were their Restoring Rose Sallow Thorn Bath Oil ($37/3.4oz @ primaveralife.com). For me, October opens the door for bath season, officially, so the timing   was perfect. As I was running a bath, it was hard not to poor the whole bottle of bath oil into the water, it smelled so good! And I’m a fan of bath oils because it takes that extra step of moisturizing the skin afterward. I mean, who wants to stand in a cold room rubbing cream into your skin? I’d rather jump into some flannel pjs instead!

Anyway, this one is made with 70% organic ingredients, like rose hip, rose, sallow thorn and wheat germ, as well as jojoba and sweet almond oil. Not only did this oil soften the water but the delicate scent really made my first bath of the season quite enjoyable.

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided for review purposes.

Here are three traits that make finding products fun: one I’ve never heard of, quality ingredients and totally affordable. And this LEVEL NATURALS encompasses all three of these. They live by the motto -  “we don’t put anything on you that we wouldn’t roll around in ourselves,” and what you would roll around in are some pretty fantastic ingredients. All the products are vegan, cruelty-free and use recycled paper when possible. This man and woman team started the line in Los Angeles two years ago with a Cranberry Seed Calendula Soap and has since expanded to include bath bombs, shower bombs, body butters, candles and body polishes.

My favorite right now has to be the Lemon Sage Ginger Body Polish. It’s very thick and the ingredients are super simple: raw sugar, coconut and jojoba oil, Shea Butter, sunflower and rose hip oils, aloe oil, lemon sage essential oil, vitamin e and rosemary extract. That’s it! And with its healthy balance of oils, there’s really no need for a lotion or body cream afterward. $18/16oz @ levelnaturals.com.

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided for review purposes.

Do you prefer a liquid body soap or bar soap? I oscillate between the two throughout the week with no real favorite rearing its head. Here are four new ones that just came out that are in full rotation in my shower.

BODYCOLOGY Shower Gel & Bubble Bath in Enchanted Forest ($4.99/16oz @ bodycology.com for locations) – using real honey and aloe vera, this one smells of jasmine (my favorite) and nutmeg on a base of musk and just really clean smelling.

THYMES Triple-Milled Soap in Bergamot Vert ($13/7oz @ thymes.com) – this one is a dash of floral, a dash of woody and two dashes of citrus. Yes, it’s officially fall but this one seems to delight all year round.

SOAP & PAPER FACTORY Handmade Shea Butter Soap in Close ($8/4oz only @ Anthropologie stores nationwide) – now you and your man can enjoy the same soap as this one is a tad masculine – sandalwood, cedar and a hint of citrus.

BATH & BODY WORKS Shower Gel in Paris Amour ($10.50/10oz @ bathandbodyworks.com) - this scent collection just came out and it’s surprisingly nice this time of year – French tulips, apple blossoms and sparkling pink champagne.

Disclosure: Samples of these items were provided for review purposes.

 
As many species of fish there are in the ocean, there are probably twice as many more plants many of which haven’t even been discovered yet. And that’s where the H2O+ line comes in. If it’s in the sea, they’re trying it out in their products. They just came out with a new collection called the Sea Moss Collection and the three products contain micro-fine volcanic black sand that’s obtained from real cooled lava found in Polynesia lagoons and island, mineral-rich red and brown algae and Irish moss

My pick of the litter has to be the Sea Moss Black Sand Body Scrub ($18.50/8oz). This body cleaning double-dutier  contains the above ingredients as well as sea salt, aloe vera, provitamin B and smells lightly of water lily and other marine accords. And did I mention is scrubs like the dickens? Love it.  

Also available in Sea Moss Replenishing Body Wash ($16/12.5oz), Sea Moss Replenishing Body Lotion ($19.50/8.5oz) and they also have 2oz travel sizes of each. All @ h2oplus.com. 

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided for review purposes.

 
Leave it to LUSH to continue to come up with super clever names for their products (how does one apply for this job?). Rub, Rub, Rub is the latest one and it falls into my favorite category of body exfoliators. Made for me by Vic (I’m going to start recognizing the person on each product in reviews!), this one uses fine sea salt, fresh organic lemon juice, jasmine flower infusion, mimosa absolute and orange flower absolute, to name a few ingredients; smells great, works great! And it can do double duty and be used as a shampoo.

One thing I can’t quite figure out is why it’s blue? There’s nothing in the ingredient list I can see that would make that color except the last one listed on the label, the Blue No. 1 dye inside. So Lush, why the blue? $19.95/11.6oz @ lush.com.

The product contains Sodium Laureth Sulfate, which is seen by some as an ingredient of concern. Read more about it here.

Read my ingredient disclaimer here.

How have I missed out on the SHEA TERRA ORGANICS line for this long? I think this scrub marks the closest I have ever gotten to an edible scrub! Seriously! And yes, I did taste it and I could have eaten it as a dessert, it tasted that good overall. But ok, I’ll use it as it’s supposed to be used.

The product is their Premium Dark Chocolate Sugar-Stone Exfoliating Cream ($22/9oz @ sheaterraorganics.com) and is 99.7% natural. What does that mean? Here are the ingredients: pure spring water, chocolate liquor, organic Shea Butter, natural emulsifying wax, organic sugar, pumice, all natural vanilla extract and a naturally-based preservative called glucono delta-lactone and sodium benzoate. That’s it! And you won’t find any sulfates, parabens or artificial fragrances or colors in this one any of their other products.

As you have probably heard, chocolate is full of antioxidants and can be good for the skin. And this stuff is thick with not much run off (not watery) so know that a little goes a long way.

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided for review purposes.

These are really helping me enjoy summer this year! Have you made any adjustments due to the heat and humidity? Give these ones some consideration.

ELIZABETH ARDEN Pure Finish Mineral Cheekcolor in Sunkissed Coral ($28 @ elizabetharden.com) – If this one could talk, it would say, "I am the color of the decade!" Coral again is a big summer color and it's so gorg on the skin and really enhances a nice tan.

ORLANE Super-Moisturizing Tinted Cream ($75/1.7oz @ neimanmarcus.com) – it’s way too hot to put on a full mask of foundation so why not use a two-fer like this? It combines a deeply moisturizing face cream with a slight tint. Available in 3 shades.

NYX COSMETICS Studio Liquid Liner in Extreme Sky Blue and Extreme Green ($4.50 @ nyxcosmetics.com) – colored liquid liners are hot these days and these do like the Michael Jackson/Paul McCartney duo and “Stay, Stay, Stay.” (I know it’s Say, Say, Say but Stay works better for this piece!).

LUSH 'Dirty' Springwash Shower Gel ($9.95/3.3oz, $17.95/8.8oz, $26.95/16.9oz @ lushusa.com) – I really wasn’t feeling their Dirty collection of products but this shower gel seems like a lighter version of the rest, according to my nose and it has a hint of spearmint oil in it.

SMASHBOX Photo Finish Luminizing Foundation Primer ($17 @ smashbox.com) – who wants their makeup to slide after applying? Summertime is great for this one as it gives a nice sheen, whilst helping makeup stay, stay, stay! And this one has some good-for-skin ingredients like grape seed extract and vitamins A, C and E.

VICTORIA’S SECRET Sheer Love Ultra-Moisturizing Hand and Body Cream from the VS Fantasies Collection ($12/6.7oz @ victoriassecret.com) – a scented cream is the perfect way to kiss the skin with fragrance without overdoing it. This one is a mix of fresh white cotton and luminous pink lily and contains avocado, zsweet almond oil and my favorite ingredient, honey.

The Victoria's Secret item contains mineral oil, which is seen by some as an ingredient of concern. The Lush product contains Sodium Laureth Sulfate, which is seen by some as an ingredient of concern. Read more about these and other ingredients here.

Read my ingredient disclaimer here.

Disclosure: Some of these items were provided to Cybelesays.com for review purposes.

You’ve got to admit, bureau space or bathroom sink space is very precious and you really have think out what products you are going to display on it. BATH & BODY WORKS feels your pain so they came out with these Scent Stackers. These are 3oz versions of their lotions, shower gel and fragrance mists that stack on top of one another.

There are only a few scents available right now – Country Chic, Moonlight Path, Sweet Pea, Japanese Cherry, Twilight Woods and my favorite White Citrus. $5 each @ bathandbodyworks.com.

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided for review purposes.