Ever since I started using Earth Mama Angel Baby shampoo/body wash a year ago on my daughter, I’ve been obsessed with all things orange-vanilla scented.  The following are the things I’ve loved, liked, and would not-so-much buy again:

Shampoo/Body Wash from Honest

 When I ran out of my Earth Mama Angel Baby body wash/shampoo, I decided to try Honest’s two-in-one version to see how it compared.  I love that it’s much cheaper (if you do the Family Bundle it comes to about $7 since it’s super sudsy a little bit goes a long way, so it will last forever).  I also love that it’s tear-free, whereas the Earth Mama Angel Baby is not.  I do miss the self-foaming dispenser of the Earth Mama Angel Baby body wash/shampoo, especially when using it on my daughter.  I even tried to put some of the Honest product into the EMAB dispenser but it was too thick and wouldn’t properly self-foam.  I also like how EMAB smells a little stronger of orange-vanilla.  But if you like a subtle scent, then the shampoo/body wash from Honest would be your best bet.

Body Oil from Honest

 Also from Honest is the orange-vanilla scented body oil.  I love how this moisturizing oil absorbs quickly and is an amazing, sweet-smelling moisturizer for both my daughter and myself.  Like the body wash, it’s also on the low end of the smell-o-meter.  That said, after showering with the body wash and moisturizing with the oil, I can still smell a soft, subtle orange-vanilla scent on my skin 8 hours later.

Blood Orange & Vanilla Body Wash by John Masters

 I received a sample of this body wash and from the sounds of it (plus the beautiful packaging), I was imagining this body wash would be the more sophisticated, grown-up version of my Dreamsicle love affair.  It’s bright and citrusy thanks to the dash of grapefruit with the blood orange; and the bourbon vanilla adds a sweet, seductive undertone.  However, there was something about the smell that reminded me of something and I couldn’t quite place until it suddenly hit me after using it several times: Sweet Tarts.  From that point on, I no longer felt like I was having my grown-up love affair with orange-vanilla.

Orange-Vanilla Soy Candle from Honest

 Clearly Honest likes this scent as much as I do!  However, this is a rare miss from Honest since this soy candle smells like nothing.  I even lit it in my small bathroom and I still couldn’t smell it.  I love that it’s made with clean burning non-GMO soy and has no synthetic fragrances (ever since switching to all-natural products, I have serious aversion to all artificial scents.  Instant headache.), I just wish it had a bit more punch to it.

Orange Vanilla Pit Putty Cream from Bubble & Bee

 I’ve saved my favorite dreamy(sicle) product for last…THIS DEODORANT IS MY NEW FAVORITE DEODORANT!  I’ve tried deodorants from Bubble & Bee before when I purchased the sampler pack, so I knew I loved the deodorant creams, but I hadn’t tried the orange-vanilla scent (I don’t think it was an option back when I was sampling them, otherwise I would have been all over that).  So what’s so amazing about this deodorant?  For starters, the scent is so Dreamsicley wonderful.  And applying it feels like a spa treatment because the cream’s consistency is super moisturizing, soft, and spreadable.  I honestly think my arm pits breathe a sigh of relaxation as I massage this silky cream into them.  But of course, this is deodorant we’re talking about, and the #1 criteria is that it makes you not smell like you live on a commune.  This stuff really works all day long.  And I put it to the test, hauling a toddler/diaper bag/stroller through the subway on the worst of the NY humid 90 degree days a few weeks ago.  I still smelled sweetly citrusy by the end of the day.  Of course, since it’s all natural it’s not an antiperspirant, so you will still sweat.  You’ll just smell like a Dreamsicle when you do!

If you enjoy this  summery scent as much as I do, let me know what all-natural Dreamsicle-scented products I should try next!

Here’s another quick roundup of things I’m using and wanting right now!

Have:  Jane Iredale Mystikol Eyeliner/Highlighter

I think this is a brilliant idea–a gorgeous jewel-toned powder eyeliner on one end, and a flattering champagne-colored highlighter on the other end.  I chose the dark emerald green color, Malachite.  However, the idea seems to be better than the execution, in this case.  I found it difficult to build intensity with the eyeliner.  It was pretty much always a VERY light wash of color.  I even tried wetting the sponge tip a bit before dipping it into the powder-filled cap, and still it just wasn’t working quite right.  I must have been trying to push too hard around the edges because the plastic cap split on the eyeliner end and now it won’t even stay attached to the pencil, leaving it free-floating around my makeup bag.  I think this could be a great product with just a little more help from the product development team.  As it stands now, not worth my $20.

Love:  John Masters Organics’ Face Serums

 I picked up a couple samples of these serums from my local natural foods store and I immediately fell in love with both the Vitamin C Anti-Aging serum, as well as the Green Tea & Rose Hydrating Serum.  Please don’t make me choose which one I like better!  They’re both incredible and I wish I had full-sized versions of these to report any long-term benefits I’ve noticed; unfortunately, I only got about a week’s worth of usage from each sample package, so I can only attest to the immediate benefits.  Both were surprisingly hydrating for how light-weight they are and smelled incredible.  I think I’d probably end up purchasing the Vitamin C serum to help reduce the appearance of premature aging due to the inevitable sun damage I end up getting despite all best efforts.  Having a toddler and being at the playground every day will do that!

Want: Affordable, All-Natural Foundation

This request comes from a reader who recently asked that we do a SmackDown style review of a few affordable natural foundations (Vapour, we love you, but sadly you don’t very well fit in the affordable category at $40+) which would be pigmented enough to cover mild rosacea but gentle enough for her super sensitive skin.  My first thought was the foundation from 100% Pure, which I haven’t tried but am guessing it’s a more pigmented version of the tinted moisturizer, which I love.  However, at $32 it’s not a ton cheaper.  Anyone have any other suggestions of foundations which might fit the bill?  Let us know and I’m going to see if I can round up a few samples to go head-to-head!

Here is a really interesting, scary study about lead and other metals in lipsticks.

http://m.motherjones.com/environment/2013/05/study-lead-metals-lipstick-top-20

People often ask me what the big deal is about chemicals and other “bad stuff” in cosmetics. This article is a great example of why what is in our makeup matters to our health. Please read and share.

In honor of this article and of making our makeup more healthy, we’re giving away a Vapour Organic Siren Lipstick to one lucky reader. Comment below to enter, and share on Facebook and twitter for extra chances to win. Contest ends Sunday, May 12 at 11:59 pm. Good Luck!

This edition of a MakeUP SmackDOWN is comparing two natural mascaras.  The contenders are:

 Benecos Natural Mascara

VS.

Physicians Formula Organic Wear Lash Boosting Mascara

Not long ago, I review Physicians Formula Jumbo Lash Mascara, but after getting a tip from a reader that the Lash Boosting formula seemed to smudge less, I decided to give that one a shot to compare.  So really this SmackDOWN is comparing all three of those mascaras, but you can read the detailed review of the Jumbo Lash version here.

On with the competition!

Ease of Application:  Physicians Formula is the clear winner here (both Jumbo Lash and Lash Boosting versions) due to the big, fat brush and smooth formula.  The Benecos brush is pretty standard but it requires a few coats.  

The Look:  I prefer the look of Physicians Formula to Benecos.  Between the two PF versions I slightly lean toward the Jumbo Lash version (in the metallic neon green tube) because it makes my lashes extra full.  The Lash Boosting version doesn’t have quite the same volumizing effect that the Jumbo Lash one does, but both lengthen and define my lashes nicely.  Benecos does a great job too, but just gives a more natural look.  Also, I find that Benecos clumps slightly, so I often have to run my eyelash comb through my lashes after the mascara dries.

Ingredients:

Benecos

 Water, Grain Grain Alcohol*, Beeswax*, Glycerin, Polyglyceryl-5 Laurate, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Acacia Senegal Gum, Polyglyceryl-3 Stearate, Carnauba Wax*, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Glyceryl Caprylate, Jojoba Seed Oil*, p-Anisic Acid, Rosemary Leaf Extract, Sunflower Seed Oil*, Sodium Hydroxide, Limonene, Vitamin E, Fragrance (Natural),Aloe Vera Leaf Juice Powder*, Citral, Linalool, Iron Oxides

* indicates Certified Organic Ingredients
** for natural essential oils

Physicians Formula Lash Boosting

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit Water*, Glycerin+, Iron Oxides, Water, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Beeswax*Oryza Sativa (Rice) Extract*, Tapioca Starch*, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnuba) Wax*, Oryza Sativa, (Rice) Powder*, Jojoba Esters, Stearic Acid, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Yogurt Extract*, Saccharomyces/Copper Ferment, Saccharomyces/Iron Ferment, Saccharomyces/Magnesium Ferment, Saccharomyces/Silicon Ferment, Saccharomyces/Zinc Ferment, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil*, Olea Europaea (Olive) Leaf Extract*, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract*, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract*, Glyceryl Caprylate, Glycerin, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Superoxide Dismutase, Soybean Peroxidase, Leuconostoc Ferment Filtrate, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, May Contain: Titanium Dioxide

I’ll leave that up to the reader to make an informed decision on which ingredient list they prefer, but I’m feeling good about both of these mascaras.  Both are free of phenoxyethanol, which is rare to find in mascaras–even natural ones.  So that makes me happy and I’m declaring this round a tie.

The Wear (or How Do These Mascaras Hold Up and Will I Look Like a Heroin Addict By The Time Happy Hour Rolls Around?):  To test this round out I wore Physicians Formula on one eye and Benecos on the other.  My rule was that I wasn’t allowed to wipe under my eyes at all the entire day so I’d be able to see which mascara smudged less after a full day of wear.  The winner here was Benecos!  There was hardly any smudging at all!!  This is clearly a great everyday, need-to-get-ready-quickly-and-get-out-the-door mascara.  Physicians Formula wasn’t horrible , but there was definitely some noticeable Raccoon Eyes (Also, in regards to the reader who found that the Lash Boosting formula smudged less for her than the Jumbo Lash one, I didn’t find one smudged less than the other for me, unfortunately).

Price: Benecos is $16. 49 on Amazon whereas Physicians Formula is $9.95 on drugstore.com.  You can also find Physicians Formula products at most local drugstores.

The Overall Winner:  I’m going to have to go with Physician’s Formula, but I think I like the Jumbo Lash (in the green tube) a little bit better than the Lash Boosting (in the black tube).

The Wild Card: Applying Jane Iredale’s PureLash Conditioner prior to any natural mascara makes it stay on all day, smudge-free, and gives my lashes an extra oomph.  So really, I’m declaring this as the all-time winner for my favorite natural mascara (even though it’s really a pre-mascara)!  It’s worth the extra time and expense to not worry that you look like a true Junkie by the end of the day.

This was our most entered giveaway, ever, between all the entries on Facebook, Twitter, this site, and via email. I wish we could give a lipgloss to everyone who entered, but that’s just not possible. So, here are a list of winners, and please stay tuned for more giveaways coming soon!

Gloria M.

Susan I.

Leo E. (who wrote a very sweet email about entering for his mom for Mother’s Day!)

Jenny L.

Mary Ann C.

Ginger G.

Kassie H.

Congrats, Winners! Please email us at productjunkiesrehab@gmail.com with your mailing address and we’ll send you your lip gloss!

Also, we want to introduce you to a fantastic program, coming from one of our favorite websites, Gloss48.com. The program is called Gloss Boss, and you should DEFINITELY apply. (I did!). Details below, and at Gloss48.c0m. Good Luck! 

If you haven’t entered our LipGloss: The Gateway Drug Giveaway yet, you have one more day to do so, and SEVEN chances to win!

Seven lucky readers will each win one of the following natural lip glosses:

Jane Iredale NEW PureGloss in Snow Berry (reviewed here by Emily)

Jane Iredale NEW PureGloss in Red Currant

Jane Iredale NEW PureGloss in Beach Plum

Vapour Organic Elixir Plumping Gloss in Coax (reviewed here by Jordan)

Vapour Organic Elixir Plumping Gloss in Bolt

Bare Minerals 100% Natural Lip Gloss in Bronze (reviewed here by Emily)

Revolution Organics Freedom Lip Gloss in Vibe (reviewed here and again hereby Emily)

A few “legal” details”:

- contest open to continental US residents only

- contest ends at 11:59pm Monday, April 29, winners will be announced during the following week

- 7 readers will each win ONE gloss. Winners will get to choose the gloss on a first-reply-first-served basis.

We are making it so easy to enter this giveaway. Here’s how:

All you have to do to enter is comment below and tell us you want to enter the giveaway. For bonus entries, share this link on Facebook, tweet it, or post about it on your own blog. You can also email us at productjunkiesrehab@gmail.com if you don’t want to post in public. FOR SPECIAL DOUBLE BONUS ENTRIES, refer a friend to our blog. If you get a friend to subscribe, you each get 2 chances to win a lip gloss. Email and tell us who you referred.

One last thing:

In case you’re thinking, “I don’t wear lip gloss,” just remember that Mother’s Day is coming up! And I can’t speak for all mothers out there, but this Mama LOVES lip gloss, so enter to win and give a gloss to your mom!

Happy Earth Day, everyone! Earth Day feels especially important for those who want to incorporate more natural products into their lives, as natural cosmetics don’t only benefit our health, they benefit our planet.

To celebrate Earth Day, we are doing a few things:

1. Giving away SEVEN, (7), yes, seven! LIPGLOSSES (details below)

2. Telling you about some great Earth Day deals (also below)

3. Announcing the winner of our Nourish Body Butter giveaway: Tonya! Congrats, Tonya! Please email us at productjunkiesrehab@gmail.com so we can mail you your prize! We are certain you will love it.

Back to the title of this post: Lipgloss is indeed the “gateway product” for many people trying to go green in their beauty routine. It’s the first thing that Jordan and I tried when we began this chemical-free, organic journey. It started  years and years ago, when I read something about how women eat an enormous amount of lipstick in a lifetime. So when I saw a new gloss containing “vitamins,” I bought it for Jordan. Soon we realized that it wasn’t just about an opportunity to consume an admittedly tiny amount of extra vitamins; here was a chance to eliminate toxins, parabens, and, especially lead, from the makeup product we “eat” the most of. Of course, we know now that all make up and beauty products are absorbed through your skin as if you were eating them, but we started small. And here we are, 4 Earth Days later, giving away 7 fantastic lip glosses FOR FREE!

Here’s what we’re giving:

Jane Iredale NEW PureGloss in Snow Berry (reviewed here by Emily)

Jane Iredale NEW PureGloss in Red Currant

Jane Iredale NEW PureGloss in Beach Plum

Vapour Organic Elixir Plumping Gloss in Coax (reviewed here by Jordan)

Vapour Organic Elixir Plumping Gloss in Bolt

Bare Minerals 100% Natural Lip Gloss in Bronze (reviewed here by Emily)

Revolution Organics Freedom Lip Gloss in Vibe (reviewed here and again here by Emily)

**All you have to do to enter is comment below and tell us you want to enter the giveaway. For bonus entries, share this link on Facebook, tweet it, or post about it on your own blog. You can also email us at productjunkiesrehab@gmail.com if you don’t want to post in public. FOR SPECIAL DOUBLE BONUS ENTRIES, refer a friend to our blog. If you get a friend to subscribe, you each get 2 chances to win a lip gloss. Email and tell us who you referred.

And, as promised, here are some great Earth Day deals from Brands We Love:

Vapour Organic Beauty

John Masters Organics

Vine.com

And, while they aren’t cosmetics, Organic clothes are always fun, too:

Posted by: Emily

This post, especially the way I’m using the quote in the title, feels a little frivolous and silly now in light of the terrible tragedy in Boston this afternoon. But I have learned, as I am sure you have, that the only way to go on in life, past these horrors and events, is to, well, go on. So, we go on.

A few days ago, I was trying to clean the top of my dresser, and knocked one of my 14 lip balms off of it into the deep, dark, unreachable corners behind it. This dresser belonged to my great grandparents, and to say it is heavy and unmovable is a tremendous understatement. I got down on the floor with a flashlight (okay, it was really just my iPhone) shining under the bureau to try and see where the lip balm had gone. I didn’t see it anywhere. 

So I did a little inventory of the remaining dresser-top balms to see who had been lost. There were the 2 Splurge Skincare Lip Buttahs I adore (Lemon and Peppermint), the Vapour Organic Beauty Lux Organic Lip Conditioner, a Revolution Organics All-Over Body Balm that I use exclusively for my lips, (because seriously, I can’t use one on my elbows and then on my mouth– ew!), a Weleda Everon Lip Balm, and… you get the idea. I have a lot of lip balms. 

I quickly realized which one was missing– my Honest Company Organic Lip Balm in Lavender Mint. (See– this is what I get for cleaning! A lost lip balm! Not fair!)

Given that I still had more than a dozen lip balms within arms’ reach of my bedside, I decided, seeing that the Lavender Mint was nowhere to be found, that I could, and would have to, just go on with my life. 

What was I thinking? Over the course of the next several days, I found myself reaching specifically for that Lavender Mint Honest Lip Balm over and over and over. I had never realized, till I dropped it in a dusty, cobwebby corner, how much I ADORED it. 

This weekend, determined and armed with an actual flashlight, I got down on my stomach and reached my fingertips into the corners behind the bureau. And, when I came up with nothing, I REACHED UNDER THERE AGAIN! I pulled out some dust bunnies, and, finally, my beloved Lavender Mint Lip Balm. 

All this to say that it is really terrific. I am a big fan of all things Honest Company, and of this scent combo. Luckily for me, Honest also just released the scent in a soy candle! (100% GMO-free, no synthetic fragrances, hand-poured in small batches, etc– basically, PERFECT. I bought the Gardenia Jasmine one– wow– but clearly I need the Lavender Mint! Also comes in Orange Vanilla!)

Another new favorite, Nourish Organics, has a Lavender Mint collection. My favorite product is the Organic Body Butter, but you really can’t go wrong with Nourish. Clearly, this Lavender Mint trend is catching on, and I’m really happy about it. 

In honor of Earth Day approaching, Nourish sent us a body butter to give away to one lucky reader! It’s not Lavender Mint, but as I said above, you can’t go wrong with anything from Nourish! The flavor is Wild Berries, and I promise you will adore the texture of this amazing, ultra-hydrating body butter. 

Comment below to win the body butter! In your comment, tell us if you’ve come across a Lavender Mint scented product, or, if not, what your favorite scent combos are these days.

Winner will be announced at the end of this week. More contests to come! And all our love goes out to the people of Boston today and always. (Especially to Boston-based Splurge Skincare and Gloss48.com).

Winner of Radiant Earth: Shell

Winner of Petal:  Jessi

One of our in-the-know readers, Serena, told us that we absolutely must try this deodorant, Poetic Pits, because she loves it so much.  Her review was so compelling (my favorite line:  ”Once I was in a restaurant only wearing the petal [scented deodorant] and someone at the table next to me kept raving about my perfume.  I did not want to tell her that she was mistaken–I was not wearing a perfume, it was just my deodorant!”) that we immediately reached out to Living Libations right away to see if we could sample a few of the scents to review.  They generously sent us four scents to try out: Palo Santo, Petal, Radiant Earth, and Rose.

The Rose scent is both my and Emily’s favorite of the ones they sent, but the Lavender and the GigerLily both sound beautiful too!  So, here’s the best part: they actually work as a deodorant!  And these tiny little bottles will last you forever because you only need a swipe or two per arm.  I often wear it to the gym and I smell lovely the entire workout.

The idea behind these deodorants is totally revolutionary; they use just very powerful essential oils to work with your body chemistry to act as an “odorant” instead of a “deodorant”.  I was a little skeptical that they would work after my numerous trials in natural deodorants, but they truly do keep odors away.

There are a couple things to note with this natural deodorant, though.  The first is that if you don’t like the scent of sandalwood, you probably won’t be a huge fan of the scents of these deodorants. All four of the scents we tried are extremely strong on the sandalwood oil and very potently scented–which is what makes them so effective–but it could be a turnoff to some.  The other thing that Emily and I found in testing these is that if you wear them all day and then don’t shower at night, you will stink to high heaven in the morning.  I’m not sure what it is, but we both agreed that we smelled HORRIBLE if we didn’t shower at night after wearing this deodorant the whole day.  So just be prepared to either shower before bed or right when you wake up the next morning!  Other than those two things, these powerful little “odorants” are pretty rockin’!

So who wants to test these amazingly effective deodorants out for yourself??  I have two to give away–Petal and Radiant Earth.  Both are the 10ml size, worth $70!!!!  Just leave a comment below to be entered.  For bonus points, share this post on Facebook or Twitter so your friends can enter to win too!  The giveaway will end at the end of the week on Friday, April 5th at midnight EST.  The two winners will be announced on Saturday (sorry, continental US mailing address entries only this time!)  Good luck and please continue to keep us informed of all your favorite natural products!