2014 was a year of experimenting with a ton of products. I straddled the fence between making my own products and buying natural products. I must admit-with the skin issues I experience, I reached the end of what my DIY skin care could do. That being said, many people have fabulous luck and see long lasting results from simplifying there beauty routine and making their own skin care.
If you’ve followed me a while, you know I battle with several skin issues that change depending on the season. I am crazy dry and flaky in the winter but during every month of the year I deal with blackheads and bumpy texture. My combination skin isn’t particularly out of the ordinary but it is very hard to find the right products that will purge clogs and control bacteria while not stripping the skin or oils that keep the skin supple and soft.
My go-to product lines are Eminence and Juice Beauty. I love that they are organic and natural. They don’t contain parabens, sulfates, propylene glycol etc., and they utilize natural ingredients to get results rather then man-made ingredients. I’ve also discovered a few lines like Pacifica, Tarte Cosmetics and Yes to…..
My Favorites….
Tarte Amazonian Clay Gifted Mascara– It has been really hard making the switch to a natural mascara because I have used CoverGirl for literally decades. Discovering Tarte has totally changed my makeup routine. This mascara is amazing. I’ve tried all of Tarte’s mascaras and love all of them, but this one is my fave. I just love how easy it goes on. It’s smooth, not clumpy and the brush is comfortable. I can get a dramatic look by layering or just an everyday look with one coat. It doesn’t smudge and lasts all day. I emptied my first tube and ended up trying out other mascaras but now I’m ready to buy my next tube of Gifted and stick with it!
Juice Beauty Apple Peel– I have texture issues with my skin-blackheads and unidentified bumps all the time. When I was using this exfoliating treatment, the texture of my skin started smoothing out immediately. While it’s a peel, the stinging was not bad. I also felt like I saw a decrease in my fine lines and wrinkles, not to mention sun damage. It’s a go if you are looking for an anti aging treatment and/or needing to clear problem areas. Exfoliation is an absolute must for any skin type, but if you need results in the battle against aging, this product is for you. I definitely will be doing a whole post on this exfoliating treatment!
Juice Beauty Blemish Clearing Cleanser– This cleanser is awesome. I really felt like my skin gets a thorough cleanse. This is a great cleanser to use in the a.m. while oil cleansing in the p.m. It isn’t harsh, I didn’t feel super dry after and my skin just felt happy. With so many blemish clearing cleansers, you end up over dried, sensitive and inflamed. It was the exact opposite with this cleanser.
Eminence Stone Crop Serum– I wrote a whole post on this serum!! Go HERE for that. I have a few sun damage spots and really needed to fade them. I saw results almost overnight. I really should have continued to use this serum past my first bottle because my spots came back. Before summer gets here, I will buy this serum again-I also want to try it on the sun spots on my hands! The key is to use this serum in conjunction with an SPF and NEVER expose skin to the sun! Also, this serum is incredible for hydrating the skin. It’s a luxurious addition to a skin care routine.
Pacifica Coconut Water Cleansing Wipes– I love taking these wipes to the gym. If I can’t wash my face immediately afterwards, these really come in handy. I also tend to use these when I’ve had a day that I didn’t wear makeup and feel a bit lazy in the evening. Hey, it’s better then nothing!!
Yes to Cucumbers Makeup Remover Pads– I love the smell of these!! They thoroughly take off eye makeup quickly. They do slightly burn if you open your eyes amidst cleansing. Other than that, I love these pads!
Eminence Willow Bark Clear Skin Serum– During break out times i.e. P.M.S., I like to add this to my routine. It doesn’t dry your skin out at all. I think it calms down what’s going on. It smells great and is super light. You can wear it under a moisturizer and makeup!
Tarte BB Treatment 12 hour Primer with SPF 30– Oh my-I love this product so much. In fact, I love it so much, I use it as a foundation. It is so smooth, it has great coverage, it lasts and has an SPF! It leaves the skin looking really natural and even. It actually contains diamond dust to help give the skin a bright appearance. Not only does it camouflage skin imperfections, it helps minimize the appearance of wrinkles and pores with active skin care ingredients.
Humphrey’s Witch Hazel-Ok, in all honesty, I used the doo wop out of this and then realized it contained alcohol. Oops. I always suggest you all use Thayer’s Witch Hazel because it is alcohol free. Plus, Thayer’s has loads of options like rose, lemon and cucumber. With Humphrey’s I added lavender essential oil and used it under my moisturizer to help balance my pH and tighten pores. I really love witch hazel and I love that it’s so affordable!!
All of these products I used down to the very last drop!
Honorable Mentions…
Juice Beauty Oil Free Moisturizer w/ SPF 30– I really love how this moisturizer feels on my skin. For being oil free, it really makes your skin so soft. I love the SPF and it works really well under makeup. I probably will purchase it again in the summer months. The only reason it didn’t make my list is because it is thick and hard to spread on the skin. It goes on white and pasty. It does soak in very quickly and so the texture and whiteness is not a long term problem at all.
Eminence Probiotic Cleanser-Honestly, I think I loved this as much as the Juice Beauty Blemish Clearing Cleanser-I just didn’t have my empty bottle! Ha! They both worked very well and calmed angry/acneic skin.
Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 hour Blush-I absolutely love this blush. It is so pretty and looks flawless. I have nothing bad to say about it. I’ve tried several colors. All of them look so feminine and despite my heavy hand, I rarely go over-board. So yeah, it should probably be in the favorites list!!
Pacifica Body Butter-I love this moisturizer. It’s an absolute must during the colder months and this product really helps soothe dry skin. Plus, for a natural moisturizer, it is so affordable and you can usually find Pacifica at Target or Ulta! The only downside is that the smells are very strong and while the scents come from a natural source, I question how natural these lotions really are.
So there you have it, my favorites list for 2014! If you have any questions about the products listed above or have products you think I should try, leave your comments below!!
xx, Jenni
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OMG I love this post!!! Just one question, why did you switch from Coola Sunscreen to the Juicy Beauty? I am getting ready to invest in the Coola for an everyday sunscreen that I can wear winter-summer, but I thought I would get your opinion first…if possible!
Love these posts!!!!!!
Christine-I like Coola but it had a very artificial smell to it that bothered me. They do have an unscented one that I really wish I would have gotten. It goes on light and smooth which is wonderful. My skin liked the Juice Beauty moisturizer better, it seemed very calming. The whiteness and thickness of it was annoying but in the long run it just worked better for my skin. Thanks!
I highly recommend you try goats milk soap for face washing and a Konjac sponge for exfoliating/washing. Tallow balm for moisturizing in the wintertime. It amazes me how well theses simple ingredient items keep my skin looking so good. Summertime a serum with olive squalene makes my skin look pore less, even and so smooth. I always love seeing what products work well for others. Thanks for the post!
I use tallow as well and love it. If you can get your hands on grass fed tallow it is extremely easy to make your own balm.
Sarah-Thank you so much for sharing-this is very interesting! It’s a whole side of natural skin care that I haven’t experienced! I want to now thanks to you!
LOVED this post! I feel like we think alike in a lot of ways. We want the most natural products available, but they need to be effective. Nice packaging doesn’t hurt either. I DIY a lot of skin care, but LOVE makeup shopping. I bought the Tarte blush and love it. Like you, I’ve had a hard time giving up my drugstore mascara. Right now I am using one with fruit pigments from 100% Pure. So far I am happy with it, but I still go back to Maybelline when I need something truly waterproof.
Hi Jenni, I’ve been using the eminence coconut moisturizer and probiotic cleanser, which I purchased at a spa, but I’ve noticed they’re available on Amazon for much cheaper. Do you have any insight on whether the Amazon items are authentic? I’d much rather buy them at Amazon, not just for the lower price, but also for the convenience, but I’m a bit nervous that they may be fakes. Also, great post! I will be trying many of these items!
Hi Claudia! I’m using the coconut moisturizer too! I just started and love it! Yes, Amazon products are authentic. They are usually sold by Eminence or whatever company the product is coming from. You can tell that by looking at the fine print under the product title. I try to always link to Amazon since I’ve noticed their prices are much better, plus shipping is usually inexpensive too. Thanks!!
I love Stone Crop Serum as well. It did a great job on my acne scars.
Hey Jenni!
Do you think you could make recipes for DIY Serums similar to Eminence’s Stone Crop, Licorice Root, and Willow Bark Serums? I’ve been searching the internet but can’t find any, and I’m sure many people would be willing to put in an order of more specialized, not-so-common ingredients like the extracts. Please consider, that would be awesome if you get the time! I’ve been wanting to order some of the ingredients anyway.
Hi Jenni,
I know youI saw your post about Dusty Girls Earth Cream but I can’t find it now. I don’t see this product mentioned in your favorites. Do you still use it or have you found a product you like better?
Sue