Spring is finally here so perk up your parts with some new products. Are you ready? I am  and here’s how I'm doing it. 

1. Hands – TOUCH GermBlock ($5.99/1oz @ walgreens.com) – this one claims to protect hands from germs for up to 6 hours! How do you know it’s working? Well, I can’t think of a way to test it so just have to take their word for it or better yet, test it out. Available in Unscented, OceanMist, Tropical Breeze, and Mint Green Tea Aloe.

2. Refresh - PIXI BEAUTY Vitamin Wakeup Mist ($15/2.70oz @ pixibeauty.com) – when temps rise I make sure I always have a face mist at the ready and Pixi just came out with a few news ones. This one sure wakes my skin up!

3. Skin – ACURE Purifying Fruit Peel ($22.99/1.4oz @ acureorganics.com) – this one uses acids found naturally inside mangos, bitter cherry and raspberry, among others to exfoliate. A thin layer on the face and neck for 5 to 8 minutes 1 or 2 times a week is all it takes.

4. Hair – CUVÉE BEAUTY Champagne Spray ($45/5oz @ revolve.com) – I find that when I spray this one and this one both on towel dried hair, I get the perfect blowout that lasts for a few days. A perfect tousled/piecey look!

5. Lips – HIGHLIGHT Liquid Lipstick in Sahara Rendezvous ($25 @ highlightcosmetics.com) – lipstick is good but metallic lipstick is better this season! And this coppery/bronze shade will go with any tan. And this one dries down all the way but not dry like a desert.

6. Cheeks – BENEFIT GALifonia Powder Blush ($29 @ benefitcosmetics.com, macys.com) – a pinky blush with a touch of sunkissed gold and smells like grapefruit and vanilla. Yum!

7. Complexion – COLORESCIENCE Tint Du Soleil Whipped Foundation ($54/1oz @ colorescience.com, ulta.com) – this is one of those all-in-one foundations that includes SPF30, nourishing vitamins for the skin, and it wear beautifully. Available in 4 shades.

8. Clean - LE COUVENT DES MINIMES 3-in-1 Micellar Water ($19/13.5oz @ ulta.com) – time to lighten things up now that the temps are going up! So gently remove makeup and clean the skin with this one.

In looking at my arsenal of shampoos recently, I grabbed about 3 that were clarifying shampoos. Now I’ve never been sure of clarifying shampoos and what I mean by that is, I’m not sure they are safe for use on color-treated hair. I have used them on-and-off for years but most have SLS’s in them, which are not recommended if you color-treat your hair.

Well I came across this shampoo that contains some amazing ingredients and my worry may be over. It’s ACURE ORGANICS Lemongrass + Argan Stem Cell Shampoo Clarifying Keratin Boosting and it contains organic argan oil, argan stem cells and CoQ10, which helps support hair keratin, and adds moisture with avocado oil and vitamin B12. So what does the clarifying? Lemongrass! I had no idea this ingredient was capable of not only cleaning strands but removing product build-up $9.99/8oz @ acureorganics.com and walgreens.com.

Note that I think they just changed their packaging for this as the bottle I have is different from the container I’m seeing online. 

I’m starting a new on-going feature here on the site called Get Acquainted With … where I spotlight a brand, ingredient or trend I think you should be aware of. First up is Argania Spinosa Kernal Oil, also known as Argan Oil. Argan Oil is a plant oil produced from the kernals of the argan tree that is andemic to Morocco. It can be used to help heal burns, in foods like to dip breads and on salads. In beauty it is known for its super moisturizing properties, to help with juvenile acne and of course in hair and body products. Source: Wikipedia.org.

Here are some that use it in beauty products:

1. YES TO BLUEBERRIES Face & Neck Oil $15.99/1oz @ walgreens.com.

2. BOTANIC ORGANIC Pomegranate & Argan Antioxidant Serum $30/1oz @ botanicorganic.com.

3. DERMORGANIC Leave-In Spray Therapy $19.99/3.4oz @ target.com. 

4. NAIR 'Shower Power' Max with Moroccan Argan Oil $8.99/13oz @ walgreens.com. 

5. HERBAL ESSENCES Moroccan My Shine Nourishing Shampoo and Nourishing Conditioner $4.49/10.1oz each @ walgreens.com.

Now if you just want to cut out all the other ingredients like silicones and others that can be found in the above products and just get to the nitty-gritty, there are quite a few companies that make 100% Pure Argan Oil:

1. JOSIE MARAN 100 Percent Pure Argan Oil $16/.5oz, $48/1.7oz, $96/5oz @ sephora.com.

2. ACURE ORGANICS 100% Certified Organic Argan Oil $14.99/1oz @ walgreens.com.

3. SHEA TERRA ORGANICS 100% Organic Moroccan Argan Oil $24/2oz @ walgreens.com. 

Disclosure: Some of these items were provided for review purposes. Some I bought.

Marula Oil is extracted from the kernals of the Marula tree found in Southern Africa and West Africa and is commonly used in beauty products, cooking, to treat leather and as a meat preservative.

In beauty, it’s great for chapped skin, scars, reduces redness in the skin and is Vegan.

ACURE ORGANICS produces one in their line called, what else, Marula Oil. It’s paraben-free, Vegan, gluten free, fragrance free and silicone free and is harvested by South African women. It’s just straight up pure Marula Oil ($15.99/1oz @ target.com) and I’ve been using it for pretty much everything – a hair smoother,  my cuticles, my legs after shaving and as a light face oil.

Have you heard of this oil yet?