Limegreen vegan home and body products

I was wandering around Chelsea Market the other day, and found a great new brand in the Artists and Fleas space over on the 10th ave side of the Market!

Limegreen offers "completely natural vegan products" that smell amazing and are made in Brooklyn! You know I'm not into perfumey stuff, but I do enjoy natural fragrances from essential oils and the like, and these are made from "unrefined, certified organic, raw, wild harvested and steam distilled ingredients, such as Coconut, Olive, Castor, Sweet Almond oils, Soy Wax and Alcohol Free Witch Hazel Distillate. We seek the ‘Best’ ingredients and look to support local business."

I also like that a lot of their products are double or triple duty- for example the BAR you can use for washing face and body and hair, which makes traveling so much simpler, as well as the shower ledge. The OIL moisturizes hair and skin, and also removes makeup! The MASSAGE CANDLE smells amazing and as they melt they turn into massage oil! I've really been into candles lately, I think because it's winter and dark and candles make the space seem cozy and also smell nice.  I was thinking this is a great gift on so many levels, don't be surprised if you know me and you get one!

Face to Face: YesTo vs First Aid Beauty face moisturizers +PROMO CODES!

   VS

This is a comparison of two cruelty-free moisturizers for the face: Yes to Blueberries Deep Wrinkle Night Cream and First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Face Moisturizer.

Yes to Blueberries Pros: I've been using this for a while, and it is indeed deeply moisturizing which is exactly why I got it (my Trader Joe's oil-free moisturizer wasn't enough once winter set in with the super dry air).  First of all, "Yes To does not test on animals and is against animal testing," and "Most of our products are great for vegans!" (They're wannabegan, some of their products contain bee products.)  In terms of ingredients, they are petroleum, SLS, & paraben free. 

First Aid Beauty Pros: I bought this as part of a set (I'll review the whole thing at some point!) because I really like the things that First Aid Beauty doesn't include in their products: "FAB products are free of harsh chemicals and known allergens, including parabens, phthalates, alcohol, fragrances and artificial dyes."  And of course, "FAB has never tested on animals and never will, period," and "The majority of FAB products contain no animal ingredients" (duh, or else I wouldn't be featuring their products on this blog anyway). They have one product that contains beeswax, so they're also wannabegan!

Yes to Blueberries Deep Wrinkle Night Cream Pros: This is indeed deeply hydrating - after applying I feel like there is a protective layer on my skin that I can still feel in the morning.  I do think that did help reduce my wrinkles a little bit- I don't have deep creases on my face, just little crinkles due to dryness, and this helped plump those up a bit.

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Face Moisturizer Pros: For this product in particular, I really liked how easily it applies on my face - this spreads on super smooth without pulling at the delicate skin around my eyes. I also love that it's fragrance-free because fragrance makes me uncomfortable from a potential health hazard standpoint, and also because when my face smells, I can smell it all the time!

Yes to Blueberries Cons: There is fragrance in this product, which is actually pleasant (and doesn't give me a headache like some other fragrances do) but still, I'd prefer if it was fragrance free. They just started a separate fragrance free line, they must have heard me!   Also, I'm left with a ever-so-slightly sticky feel to my face after application, which is good when I'm using it as intended (at night) but want something I can use all the time.  At night it was fine because it felt like a really moisturizing protective barrier, but for day I'd prefer something lighter.  Also, I occasionally felt like the texture was a bit tacky, so when I applied it it would pull my face around a little bit.

First Aid Beauty Cons:  I haven't found any cons to this, the closest I can get to a con is comparing it the the Blueberries moisturizer, I would say I wish it were a little heavier for night time, but then I would't like it as much for the day.

Winner: Originally I thought this post would declare on product superior over the other, but I'm now realizing as I am reading the manufacturers description of these two moisturizers that even though both are for face and are packaged in almost identical pump bottles, they are for two totally different skin types and needs!  The FAB moisturizer is meant to be light where the YtB moisturizer is thick and heavy.

My Conclusion: use the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Face Moisturizer in the morning so you look fresh throughout the day and have a nice surface to layer makeup on (if you're wearing makeup), and then use the Yes to Blueberries Deep Wrinkle Night Cream at night (duh) to lock in moisture and undo wrinkles while you sleep.

I found TWO promo codes for you! "YESTO35" = 35% off at yestocarrots.com and "FABULOUS" = 30% off at firstaidbeauty.com, plus free full size Lip Repair Therapy with $75+ purchase.  Git it!  That fragrance free line from Y2 I mentioned earlier is also on sale, I think I'm going to try Yes to Carrots Fragrance Free Intense Hydration Night Cream as my replacement for the blueberry one.  From FAB, I want to try another kit: their FAB Daily Dose kit. PS I've been using that Lip Repair Therapy (and putting it on my husband too), my lips are in great shape now!

Free Shipping code for Alba Botanica!

So on Black Friday (seems soooo long ago!), I was super nerdy and went looking for deals on all my fave stuff.  I love Alba Botanica and I've been using their products for years!  This sounds so odd, but lately I've been buying products/brands based on what ingredients they DON'T have in them.  Here's what I like about them:

"Our products contain no meat or by-products of animal killing. We also reject all cruelly obtained animal ingredients, even if an animal is not killed. We limit our use of animal products to ingredients that are naturally created by and have no future use to the animal such as beeswax.

Alba Botanica® products are formulated without: parabens, phthalates, artificial colors, propylene glycol, aluminum, mineral oil, petrolatum, oxybenzone, PABA, nano-particles, DEA, MEA or TEA, PEGs and PEG derivatives, ethoxylated ingredients associated with 1,4 dioxane and formaldehyde donors."

So I totally stocked up and got:

• NATURAL VERY EMOLLIENT BODY LOTION Unscented Original - 32 oz - I've been using this for a really long time and I love it in all seasons (love it in both summer and winter) and all over (face, body, hands, feet, etc).  Sometimes I'll even take a dab and run it through my hair as a detangling/smoothing product (sometimes I mix it with a little coconut oil to make it a heavy-duty leave-in conditioner).  I love the pump too, it makes life so much easier, although once you get to the very end the pump stops working even there's a half-inch of lotion left in the bottle and I have to come up with all kinds of creative ways to get out every last drop!
• NATURAL HAWAIIAN FACIAL MASK 
• pore-fecting papaya enzyme
 - This is a clear-ish gel that you leave on your face for just 5 minutes (of course I always leave it on longer) and it dissolves all the gunk in your pores.  I love it!  Masks are so nice for forcing yourself to relax for a few minutes. 
• ACNEDOTE face & body scrub - This is a really invigorating scrub that smells great - kind of a minty orange.  I use it on my face and body to help keep large/clogged pores, flakes, and acne away.  On body use it all over just to feel energized, super clean and tingly!
• VERY EMOLLIENT SUNSCREEN fragrance free mineral broad spectrum spf 30 - I was hoping this would arrive in time for my trip to Jamaica, but it didn't so now I have to wait until summer to use this!  Oh well, I've used it in the past and it's great, the active ingredients are minerals (zinc and titanium dioxide) instead of those horrible hormone disrupting chemicals. Plus it is fragrance free, so even better! 

Between now and January 31st, 2014, you can get free shipping on orders $35+!  See promo code above.

Made in Jamaica! Naniki Naturals

My first night here in Jamaica, I was bitten by mosquitos 20+ times (yes, I counted) on my legs and ankles!  And those bites were ITCHY, so I scratched them, so they became red and swollen welts that drove me crazy almost whole trip.

On Tuesday my husband and I were checking out the spa (we ended up getting a great couples massage!) at our third hotel, the Jamiaca Inn.  As the receptionist was giving us a tour of the facilities, she noticed my bites because I had been scratching at them like crazy that morning and she recommended an ointment that they sell.  I was so desperate, I said, "Yes! I'll take one of those ointments!" before I even knew what it was or how much it cost.  (Earlier in the day, the hotel's General Manager introduced himself and said, "Let me know if there is anything I can do for you." and I thought about asking him for something for my bug bites but instead I just smiled and said, "Thank you.")  Anyway, I bought the ointment that they had, Naniki Naturals Hemp Herbal Healing Ointment, and it REALLY WORKED!  My bites went from large, inflamed bites into small pinpoints right away! (The soothing effect of the massage may have helped as well.)  Anyway, I really love the ointment so I ended up dabbing it on my scrapes, my cuticles, and some mild sunburn, and it's been great everywhere I put it.  I considered buying a second jar to hoard in the fridge at home, but the receptionist mentioned that a jar lasts a really long time (it's true, a little goes a long way, I barely made a dent in it and I was putting it all over my body).

So I was in love with this ointment, even carrying it in my purse so I could dab it on any new bites as they appeared.  Later on, I noticed that the hotel amenities are also made by Naniki Naturals!  I love that they call out that there are no animal ingredients and it is not animal testing right on the label, even on the tiny 2 oz hotel size bottles!  I love the Natural Hand and Body Lotion, It has a wonderful light feel which was perfect for the Jamaican climate, and it has a faint ginger aroma that makes me think of Jamaica every time I use it.

I haven't used the Conditioning Shampoo yet because I really wasn't washing my hair that often (I love the way my hair looks air-dried with saltwater on it!) but now that I'm home I will give it a try.  Actually, let's be honest, I don't wash my hair that often even when I'm home.  I probably wash it ~2X a week, maybe 3X a week in the summer.  So it might be a while before you get a review on that, especially since I have a ton of shampoos at home already.