Acure Energizing Body Lotion Review

Wow... so yeah I 've been on a little bit of a hiatus. I apologize for the long absence, but my day job has been eating up all of my time! I am back now and my new goal is to have a new post at least once every two weeks while I'm working. Once I am free for the summer, I will be posting much more often!

Anyway, on with the review! Last fall I won a bottle of this wonderful lotion from Jasanna over at MunchTalk. It is called Acure Energizing Body Lotion in Mandarin Orange + Mango. It's just lovely! The lotion is more like a cream:  it is very thick and not greasy at all. It feels very nice on my dry, winter skin and seems to last for most of the day. It has a very light fresh orange smell; it reminds me of tea! 

My bottle of lotion.

It's the consistency of a body cream.

Bare Fruit Cinnamon Apple Chips Review

This has been a very long and stressful week back at my day job, and I am so glad that it's now a three-day weekend! All I want to do is sit around, eat some good food, and read or watch TV! And what is TV time without a good snack to go with it?

When I got the opportunity to try and review Bare Fruit Cinnamon Apple Chips, I jumped on it. I had never  tried these before, but I can honestly say they are now one of my favorite snacks. My husband loves them, too. As soon as we got the bag, we both tried them and couldn't stop eating them! How could these possibly be good for us?

My bag of Apple Chips!

But they are! Right out of Washington state, Bare Fruit Apple Chips are 100% Organic and gluten-free with only two ingredients: Apples and Cinnamon. Plus, a 20 gram serving only has 58 calories! 

These apples are specially bake-dried so that they have the consistency of potato chips, and they are just as satisfying without being bad for you! They are delicious as a snack or as a dessert because they are so naturally sweet and delicious. The Cinnamon Apple Chips have the perfect blend of sweet and tart crispness.

Bowl of snacks!

Close up!

You can buy Bare Fruit Apple Chips online at Bare Fruit's Website, or on Amazon.com or Alice.com. Locally, they can be found at Costco, Walmart, TJMaxx, Marshall's, and Whole Foods. 

At around $7.50 for a 14oz bag, they seem pricey, but when you consider that there are 30 apples in every bag, it's not bad at all! Apples in my city are currently around $1.49 or more a pound, and 30 apples would cost me approximately $20.00 or more!

You can also "Like" Bare Fruit's Facebook Page for coupons and giveaways! :)

I highly recommend you try these chips if you have a chance! I will definitely be buying some more!

What are your favorite TV time snacks? Would you try these Bare Fruit chips? I look forward to hearing your thoughts!! :)

Thanks for reading!
J

***Disclaimer: Product was provided in exchange for my honest review. 

Review: No Miss Cosmetics Liquid Eyeliner and Mineral Eye Shadow

It's time to review a couple of products that I absolutely love, since my last couple of product posts focused on the negative. Now for the positive!

I was extremely lucky to win the No-Miss giveaway that my friend Robin over at Toxic Beauty held last month. I received the Liquid Eyeliner in Brown Oxide, the All Natural Eye Shadow in Tallahassee Tan, the Mascara in Black, and the Lip Gloss in Lyons Lexi. This review is only for the Liquid Eyeliner and the Eye Shadow, as I haven't opened the other products yet! :)

No-Miss is an all natural cosmetics brand out of Boca Raton, Florida. They use only natural ingredients, no dyes or harsh chemicals, and are completely cruelty-free. 

I have to say that this eye shadow is the best I have ever used, and I'm not exaggerating. I've never used a mineral eye shadow before, and it was amazed at how smoothly I was able to apply it and how long it lasted. The color, Tallahassee Tan, is absolutely gorgeous.  It's a very shimmery tan color, and it is lovely for day or night. I wear it by itself without other colors and I have gotten compliments. 

So shiny, I couldn't get a good picture of it!

The liquid eye liner took some getting used to, since I was a strict pencil-user up until this point, but I am sold now! I'm so glad I got the brown because the black would have been too harsh. The liner dries very quickly and lasts all day. The only (very small!) complaint I have is that sometimes I have to twist the cap all the way closed and then open again to get the right amount on the brush. If I just stick it in the bottle to get more, it comes out with too much on it! 

Eye open and closed.

Hopefully you can see how pretty and shimmery this is! I didn't do too bad with the eyeliner this time, either!

If you are looking for a natural cosmetics brand, I highly recommend trying an eye shadow or other product from No-Miss. You won't be disappointed!

Have you tried and do you like mineral eye shadow? I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

Thanks for reading!
J

The First Five Products to Change When Making the Switch to Natural and Organic

When I first decided to start the process of moving to more natural products and foods, I was overwhelmed. So many brands and products that we see and use everyday in our lives are actually not all that good for us. I honestly didn't know where to start, especially since I couldn't afford to just throw away everything I had and buy all new products! 


I thought about it and did some research, and realized it's okay to start small. The most important thing is to begin. The following is a list of what I believe to be the first and most important items to change when you are thinking of moving to natural and organic products. 

My collection of natural products so far: J.R. Watkins lotion, Sunflower Market Brand shampoo and conditioner, Naturally Fresh deodorant, EOS lip balm.

1. Body Lotion - Most commercial and well known lotions (I'm looking at you B&BW, VS, and St.Ives) are filled with nasty carcinogens like formaldehyde, parabens, and petrol chemicals. Body lotion gets rubbed all over your skin and stays there to absorb into your body all day long. Who wants all those toxins on their skin? First and foremost, change your lotion. 

2. Deodorant - Like body lotion, deodorant gets rubbed into your skin to stay there all day, and it's some of your thinnest, most sensitive skin as well. Chemicals in deodorants and antiperspirants have been linked to cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and reproductive problems. 

3. Lipstick/Lipgloss - Lipsticks historically have contained some of the deadliest poisons, including lead, and you're putting that on your mouth where you will inevitably ingest it throughout the day. Also in many lipsticks are proplyene glycol and retinyl palmitate, two substances that have been linked to infertility. Did you know that the artificial colors in most commercial lipsticks are tested on animals? Just another reason to swap this product.

4. Fragrance - Did you know that perfumes are protected under a special "trade secret" law that allows them to avoid revealing all their ingredients? Like lotion and deodorant, fragrance is sprayed on your skin and stays there all day, not to mention we inadvertently breathe some of the particles into our lungs. Just a couple of the hazards include diethyl phthalate, a chemical linked to sperm damage, and linalool, which causes respiratory disturbances and attracts bees to boot! 

5. Shampoo and Conditioner - Like the products above, shampoos and conditioners are full of harmful chemicals, including harsh detergents that just aren't necessary unless you haven't washed your hair for quite some time! You rub these products into your scalp, which means they have the potential to seep into your head. Better to find a natural shampoo that works for you!

Is there a product that you think should be in this list? Let me know! Are you planning on, or have you already made, any product changes? What are they? I'm looking forward to hearing from you! 

Until next time,

J

References:

No More Dirty Looks

The Daily Green

EHow

Environmental Working Group

Other posts of mine you might enjoy:

The Quest for a Natural Deodorant

Body Lotion

My Favorite Toothpaste

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