Parabens, chemicals, there’s many things that are on people’s radar today when it comes to cosmetics. We live in a world where people want to know what is going in their products. We like leading healthy lives, and eating right, exercising, and using the right kind of products are things that are at the forefront of a lot of people’s minds when it comes to health and wellness.
I use a lot of different skincare products from many brands. Typically the things I buy are products you can find at drugstores and department stores or Sephora; brands everyone knows and loves. Often, since they are so mainstream and for the mass market, they contain ingredients and chemicals that aren’t necessarily bad for you, but things that are guaranteed to improve your skin. With that being said, who knows what the long-term effect could have on your skin or on your wellness.
I know a lot of people that swear by organic products. They like knowing what each ingredient does, and most of all, have that ease of mind that it won’t cause you any harm in the long run. The Detox Market, a store originally from Los Angeles with a shop in Toronto, got in touch a couple months back to introduce their products to me and show that organic products can rival even the most popular mainstream ones.
The store sent me a sample collection of their Odacite skincare line, which includes minis of their Rejuvenating Cleanser, Aloe & Immortelle Hydrating Toner Mist, Hydration Masque, Beautiful Day Moisturizer, and Ultra Effective Eye Cream. They also sent a full-size of their popular Ac+R Acai-Rose Serum Concentrate.
Odacite was created after the founder and CEO Valerie Grandury was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004. In order to heal, she felt that necessity to totally detoxify her environment and reinvent her life. Wanting to avoid toxicity and wrinkles, she wondered how creams that are left for years in a jar could maintain active properties. Emboldened by her “no toxicity” philosophy, she started making her own freshly made skin care, and after years of research and challenges, Odacite, the first freshly made, 100 per cent active, 100 per cent pure skincare line was born.
I’m basically all out of my samples, aside from the eye cream, but did like the effect it left on my skin. I have pretty good skin to begin with, so I didn’t see a noticeable difference, but that’s certainly not a bad thing. Taking a look at the ingredient list, there are tons of natural items listed. For example, in the Aloe & Immortelle Hydrating Toner Mist, the first ingredients are leaf juice and flower water. Usually with toner you will see alcohol listed near the top, so it’s refreshing to see something more natural.
If you are looking for a product to give you a youthful glow, try out the Acai Rose Facial Concentrate, which is a one-month serum that helps to restore the appearance of smooth, firm and ageless skin. Containing superfood Acai berry, which boasts the highest antioxidant power in the world, this berry addresses all aspects of skin aging, such as tone, texture, elasticity, wrinkles and firmness. Also included is rose oil, which further supports the anti-aging benefits of Acai, helping to repair broken capillaries and improve circulation, ensuring proper cell oxygenation.
I ran out of this product quite fast but did like the effect it left on my skin. You add a few drops to your moisturizer and then apply it to your face and neck. I used it morning and night, but did find that I didn’t necessarily need a foundation primer in the morning. Because it leaves your face slightly greasy, you don’t want to add too many products over top. I’m 26 years old, with a lot of people saying I look 22/23, so I can’t really say if it gave me a youthful glow, since I seem to have that going on already. It is a popular product on the site though, so I would definitely check it out.
In Odacite’s skincare range, each ingredient is carefully selected to provide ultimate antioxidant activity and purity. The liquid base of their products is fresh organic aloe vera juice, never water, and their ingredients are either certified organic or wild crated in remote areas far away from pollution. Their products are also tested on real people (in fact, their CEO first), never on animals.
The Detox Market also carries an abundance of different products and brands, not just Odacite. You can get BB teas and makeup, you name it, and best of all, organic. Check them out online for more info.
Is organic skincare a necessity for you?
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Have you heard? Demi Lovato has signed on as New York Color’s first-ever global brand ambassador.
I’m not a massive Demi Lovato fan, but I do enjoy her music and I like how she is more “real-looking” than other popstars her age (as in, she’s not stick skinny). This month’s New York Color challenge was to create look embodying the youthful, modern sensibility and edgy style of the star, and we were sent a whack of new products from their spring 2015 collection to do so.
Included in our box of goodies were five City Proof 24Hr Waterproof Eyeshadow pencils ($4.99 each), five Expert Last Satin Matte Lip Colors ($1.99 each), their Show Time Smokin’ Hot mascara ($3.49), the City Proof 24Hr Waterproof Eyeshadow Primer ($4.99), and the Big Bold Bronzer in MetropoliTan ($5.99). All of these products were new to me, and my favourites were actually the lipsticks. The colour payoff is great on these and, best of all, they are quite moisturizing. The City Proof 24Hr Waterproof Eyeshadow pencils had good colour payoff, however, I found that as a base for eyeshadow they weren’t that great as my shadow would crease throughout the day.
Anyways, for this look, I found a old spread from Cosmopolitan magazine where Demi was profiled and she was rocking this brown smoky eye with a nude lip. Although she is well-known for experimenting with colour, I chose to keep it neutral (yes, I know, this is my usually go-to look, but it’s more wearable than blue shadow).
1. I applied my foundation primer and foundation first since we aren’t dealing with too many shadows (AKA not a lot of fall out). Fill in your brows, then with the NYC City Proof 24Hr Eyeshadow pencil in Brooklyn Mocha, apply this on your lid area.
2. Grabbing the Tribeca Taupe pencil, apply this in your crease.
3. With a shimmery brown shadow (I used the middle colour from the HD Color Trio Eye Shadow in Oh SoHo Sweet), apply this over the Tribeca Taupe on the lids. I chose to just leave the crease with the cream shadow, but if you want, you can go over that lightly with a matte brown to blend it out.
4. Line your upper lash line with a liquid liner and apply a couple coats of mascara. I used NYC High Definition Liquid Liner and NYC Show Time Smokin’ Hot mascara and then L’Oreal Paris Miss Manga Black Angel mascara over top for more volume.
5. Line your lower lash line with the Brooklyn Mocha cream pencil, then in the waterline I put a nude liner to open up the eyes. I used New York Color Eyeliner Duet in Unforgettable. Coat your bottom lashes with mascara.
6. To contour, I used the Big Bold Bronzer in MetropoliTan to the hollows of my cheekbones and forehead. For blush I used a Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush (forgot the name, it was from last holiday’s Off The Cuff palette – the peach shade).
7. Finally, for the lips I used Expert Last Satin Matte Lip Color in Smooth Beige.
I had a lot of fun with this post because the products they sent this month were so wearable. Like I mentioned, the City Proof pencils aren’t the greatest bases, but they aren’t that bad for a cream shadow on their own. I loved the bronzer and the lipsticks (these are a steal at $1.99, so you can stock up on colours), and the mascara wasn’t the best, but it’s a great base mascara. Layer it up with some of your favourites for a full-fringed look.
Whether you are Demi Lovato fan or not, make sure you check out what New York Color has in store for spring!
Please note, I am part of New York Color’s #NYCBeautyPro program. All opinions are my own.
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In case you haven’t heard, there’s 59 days left ’til spring (!!!).
Pretty soon we will get to put away the toques and mittens, show some skin, and just feel happier in general. Sure, winter is great, but once January hits, I just want all this to be over. I need sunlight, flowers, and no snow (#Canadaproblems).
If you want to step into spring early, then you have to check out Loose Button Luxe Box’s upcoming spring box. I received one of their limited edition winter boxes and although I didn’t find it that stellar, the spring one looks amazing.
If you are new to the service, Luxe Box is the leading beauty membership service in Canada. Every three months (aka every season), members receive seven to eight beauty and lifestyle products with complimentary shipping. Each box is tailored to your personal style through a questionnaire, and it helps you discover new products and even old favourites. There are three membership plans offered, annual ($24 per season; semiannual ($25 per season); and quarterly ($26 per season).
Like I mentioned, I wasn’t that impressed with the winter box, but the brands in the spring box are on-pointe. For spring, Luxe Box is offering many exciting brands, including Too Faced, Eyeko, Soap & Glory, Vita Liberata, Buxom, and more. Each box will have a minimum value of $70. As for the limited edition boxes (you can upgrade your regular box to a limited edition for a small price), it looks like Benefit is one of the brands offered this season, which if you are a Benefit fan (and really, who isn’t), this is super exciting. The limited edition boxes usually have a higher value and you are guaranteed to receive all the products in that edition (therefore, no surprises like in the regular boxes). The limited editions for this season include Beauty in Bloom (not sure what’s in here) and Bene-Boutique (aka Benefit).
Keep an eye out on the Loose Button website to order your box. Usually I wouldn’t do a post about a preview for an item (especially since I haven’t received a box), but this season’s offerings looks too good to pass up. Get on it ladies and gents, this one looks like it won’t disappoint!
Will you be ordering a spring Luxe Box?
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