Meet Kayla—she’s always been a product enthusiast, only now she’s gone clean. Lucky for us, because she has a TON of great recs here including some makeup application tips. Enjoy!

Name: Kayla

Age: 25

Hometown: San Luis Obispo, CA

Current Weather: Sunny and cool.

Hair: Long, wavy, thick — I was a chronic hair-dyer but its mostly my natural color now.

Skin: I started getting acne in my early 20s, which was extremely frustrating after being blemish-free in my teen years, when I was expecting it! Guess I’m a late bloomer… Now I’m mostly clear with the occasional blemish or two, thanks to my mostly-clean beauty routine and avoidance of sugar.

Favorite star: Gwen Stefani

In the Shower…

In regards to my face, I’ve tried a few different products — including Proactiv which was DISASTROUS as one use made my face puff up like a blow fish. That was that! Now I use Dr. Alkaitis’ line of products – the cleanser, toner, soothing gel, nourishing treatment oil, and universal mask. The products are fantastic and my skin is much happier, but since the line is quite pricey I sometimes sub in plain ol’ Trader Joe’s tea tree cleanser, which seems to be working for me. On my body, I simply use Dr. Bronner’s Castille Soap (especially the mint or rose scents, yum!) and a nice scrub brush to exfoliate. I love how soft my skin feels from the brush and how sudsy Dr. B’s gets.  For my hair, I try not to wash it too often, but I exercise and get sweaty almost every day, so every-other-day washing is the least I can do. It’s softest with the Acure argan shampoo and conditioner, but the waves form the best with Rahua’s volumizing shampoo and conditioner, so I go back and forth with those. I shave with Trader Joe’s shaving cream (again, it offsets the price of my Dr. Alkaitis loves, plus I it makes the razor glide smooth, but itsn’t too thick like some other shaving creams). Finally, I use a pumice stone to attack my feet. I’m a long-distance runner, so that skin can get extremely rough if not tended to!

Outside the Shower…

I moisturize my body with plain coconut oil, which has been affordable, great on my skin, and I LOVE the tropical scent (as does my boyfriend). Like I said, I Dr. Alkaitis’ toner, gel, and a TINY drop of the nourishing oil on my face. I use the Dr. Alkaitis eye cream as well (even though I’m only 25, I think about wrinkles a lot and am taking precautions). After the shower and throughout the day, I use Weleda’s pomegranite hand moisturizer – also delicious smelling. And finally, a spritz of Honoré de Pres perfume — either Love Coconut or Vamp à NY, if I’m feelin’ sexy.

Finishing Touches…

I LOVE makeup. Putting it on is one of my favorite parts of the day, and I never run out of products I want to try. I’ve always been a product whore, but now I try my best to be a natural product whore ;). I usually wear makeup every day, so I try to keep the products as clean as possible. One of my favorite beauty looks is strong eyebrows — unfortunately, I was gifted with naturally sparse eyebrows. So I fill them in with a medium-brown powder eyeshadow from Alima Pure. For some reason, my eyelids can get VERY oily. I never put oil around my eyes, and the rest of my face will be fine throughout the day, but my eyelids….ugh. I’ve tried applying powder before eyeshadow, I’ve tried a natural oil-fighting white tea gel, I’ve tried just about every primer out there… the ONLY thing that’s worked for me at all is Too Faced Shadow Insurance. So I use that, and then either the Blonde shade of eyeshadow from Alima Pure, which is my “no-makeup” looking eyeshadow, or Onyx from Kjaer Weiss, which applied gently is a nice light grey, applied more heavily creates a sulty, smokey eye. I have an array of other shadows as well from Alima, Kjaer, Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics, Urban Decay…but those are the ones I use most frequently. I like Elizabeth Arden’s powder eyeliner, which I apply with small slanted brush. It goes on extremely black, and the powder stays on my eyes. With the brush, I can make the perfect kitten eye (like a cat eye, but less dramatic). I still use a dirty mascara… Cover Girl Lash Blast. I’ve tried many a natural mascara, but my eyelashes are about as sparse as my eyebrows, and I love a thick row of femme fatale lashes. For my face, I adore RMS un-cover up. It melts into the skin, and covers up red areas around my nose, small blemishes around my chin, and dark shades under my eyes wonderfully. However, if I get a REALLY scary blemish, which unfortunately does happen now and again….like when I visit my family for the holidays, of course…I use a tiny dab of Makeup Forever’s full cover concealer. After spot-correcting with concealer, I lightly buff on Alima Pure’s loose powder foundation. It evens out skin really well, but doesn’t have that I’m-wearing-foundation look and lets my freckles show. On my cheeks, I use either a tiny bit of Revolution Organic’s bright pink freedom glow beauty balm or RMS lip-to-cheek in smile. Then, on top of that, I might do a light dusting of Alima’s shimmering pink blush — but that’s only if I’m having a big night out, or if I know I’m going to have pictures taken of me, since powder blush is better for pictures than cream. Finally, I usually just use some natural balm on my lips, but every once in a while I’ll be feeling a Old Hollywood-style red lip. For that, I love Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetic’s lip tar in NSFW. It’s a great, neutral red that really stands out and stays put — but you have to use a TINY dab with a lip brush, otherwise it will bleed. Trust me, a little goes a long way. And I might do one more final touch – RMS living luminizer on the top of my cheeks, under the brow bone, and on my ‘cupid’s bow.’

For my hair, I again use Dr. Alkaitis’ nourishing oil – one little pump is enough to smooth and soften my abundant, long hair. Then, after years of fighting them with a straightening iron, I’ve fallen in love with my natural waves, so I lightly spritz on Josie Maran’s Bohemian Waves Argan Hair Mist for the perfect beach-y texture. I dry my roots with the diffuser on the blow dryer to keep my waves in tact while giving my hair a little lift. The rest of my hair air dries. I think letting my hair air dry, along with the bit of natural oil I use, has been the biggest difference in transforming my formerly dyed, dry, overprocessed hair into the soft, healthy hair I have now. My hair dresser is very impressed! (Seriously, between the bleaching and the straight iron, sections of my hair were downright CRISPY a few years ago). I pretty much try to touch my hair as little as possible: no dying, minimal products, minimal drying, and then I don’t brush it or really try to touch it at all during the day — which helps keep the waves nice.

…I think that’s it!

Meet Heather, a working mom with two daughters (and sensitive skin), she still manages to make some DIY products. We love it! We’ve included her inception story below—thanks for sharing it, Heather!

This winter has had some bitter cold days, even in my beloved and typically mild Bay Area.  Sitting next to my portable heater while working/blogging on my laptop was really doing a number on my skin.  I started to incorporate some oils that are heavier than my usual argan, but still it wasn’t quite enough, even with plenty of hydrating on the inside.  Although I had previously rejected the oil cleansing method as not the right thing for me, I thought maybe it was time for a seasonal change in my regimen.  I took a short trip to the ultra-dry Lake Tahoe for my son’s hockey tournament, and between the outdoors and the cold/dry rink, the life was getting sucked right out of my face.  But I was prepared, and came home looking better than when I left.

So what’s making the difference?  Three things: coconut oil, a new balm, and a cream I’d forgotten about.

There’s been plenty of mention of the oil cleansing method (OCM) on this blog – where instead of using a regular cleanser, you rub in an oil and wipe it off using a warm washcloth*.  I started by trying coconut oil, and had some success.  It feels wonderfully soothing on my skin, and easily takes off the mineral makeup I wear on a typical day. But I still needed something more…

100% Pure Brightening Night Balm to the rescue.  It has some of the same brightening ingredients I use in my DIY (bearberry, licorice) plus kojic acid and vitamin C in a base of avocado and shea butters.  I use it as a cleansing balm (works great!) and also put on a little extra after cleansing.  Some days I put on a bit in the morning too, after a honey cleanse.  I’ve been able to skip my DIY brightener when I’m using it, with no noticeable return of my sun damaged brown patches.  It might even be making improvements – it’s hard to tell, I may need a few more weeks of use to know for sure.  It’s very thick as the balm designation suggests, and the scent is a light citrus, which is pleasant but does not stick around.

Zoe Organics Extreme Cream goes on over the balm when the weather is severely dry.  I’ve been able to ease up on this the past few days of warmer weather, but it makes a perfect extra layer of soothing protection for super dry times.  I tried it a while back, but kind of forgot about it with all my body butter experiments.  I remembered it recently when a reader was looking for an eczema solution – this is considered by some to be a skin miracle for the super dry and sensitive set.  It’s another shea-based product with jojoba, rosehip, and coconut oils, plus soothing calendula and marshmallow.  It has a light marshmallowy smell and a frosting consistency.

I know I’ll back off from these somewhat as the weather warms up, but they’ll still have their uses, and I’m ready for all the winters to come.  I highly recommend these products for hands too.  In spite of my devotion to hand care, my hands were like sandpaper as soon as I got to Tahoe.  Just one day of layering the products, plus wearing light wool liner gloves, got me back to smooth.  I haven’t had any pore clogging problems.  My standard monthly hormonal breakouts happen and heal, maybe a little faster than usual with the soothing ingredients.

Have you tried these products?  Are you an oil cleanser? What’s giving life back to your winter skin?

*I’ve actually been using mostly paper towels made from 100% recycled materials.  A washcloth is usually a little too rough on my sensitive skin, plus I’m using fewer laundry-related resources so I feel like it evens out.

Beautiful image via the University of Washington Library

Meet Alexis! She’s a big fan of Tata Harper, Jane Iredale, 100% Pure, Ilia and other things we love (like coconut oil, mmm). She’s also an esthetician, so she knows what she’s talking about. Read on for what she does on the daily!

Name: Alexis

Age : 28

Current weather : Mostly warm and sunny. Ohio had a fickle spring but seems to be settling into more normal 70ish temperatures.

Hair : Shoulder-length, fine and pin straight. When it’s humid though I have all these fun “baby hairs” that stick straight up.

Skin : Very fair, doesn’t burn but doesn’t tan either. Combination, with a tendency to be oilier in the summer months. I thank my good complexion due to great genes from mom and dad!

Favorite star or icon from the past : Maureen O’Hara

In the shower…

Most days I usually just rinse. No soap or shampoo just plenty of water and a good scrubbing mitt. About 3 times a week I wash my hair, as we head into the warmer months that will probably go up to 4 just because my hair is so fine. I always use my Jane Iredale Magic Mitt wash my face. I love it because you just use it with water; no soap needed! When I do want some exfoliation I either use Tata Harper’s Regenerating Cleanser or apply a mask like the one from Kahina Giving beauty.

Outside the shower…

I moisturize my body with just coconut oil. I love the way it smells and it sinks into my skin quickly enough so that I don’t feel greasy when getting dressed. I use the famed Soapwalla deodorant. It’s pretty much the only natural deodorant that combats bot smell and moisture. Which to me is pretty much worth it’s weight it gold.

Being an Esthetician I am pretty passionate about skincare.
I always start with a refreshing mist of something. It was rose water but lately it’s my Tata Harper hydrating floral essence. I swear I’d wear this as perfume. Then I follow with some type of moisturizer. Since we’re heading into summer and I get oily I switched to using Tata Harper’s Rejuvenating Serum. It’s lightweight but moisturizing. I always use a sunscreen, right now it’s the 100% Pure Pomegranate Antioxidant SPF20. Last but not least-  eye cream! This is also from 100% Pure – the Coffee Bean Caffeine Eye Cream (longest name ever). It’s so good at combating dark circles even my boyfriend has started using it.

Finishing touches…

I start off my makeup routine with Jane Iredale’s Amazing Base (loose) in Bisque. I use the Jane Eyeshadow in Cappuccino for my brows and the move to my eyes. Most days it’s just a little mascara. The one I am using right now is from Josie Maran. On days I use eyeliner I reach for my trusty Jane Iredale ones (the midnight blue is awesome!) or I just got a Zosimos Botanical one that I really like as well. Cheeks are usually a cream blush, RMS beauty in Smile and Vapour’s Aura Multi-use in Torch are my go-to blushes. I finish with a little tinted lip balm or one of my Ilia Lip conditioners (Shell Shock is my current obsession).

For smells I like light during the summer. Orange Blossoms are a favorite scent of mine and the Tsi-La Fiori D’Arcancio is the epitome of all I ever wanted in a perfume.

Oh, we love that Tsi-La too! Did Alexis mention any of your faves?

Good morning everyone! Meet Andreína and her Alaffia…she is a huge fan of this brand! She also has some great tips–check out her DIY mask recipe. She’s a recent transplant to California, and is certainly making the coast even more lovely with her presence. Read on!

Name: Andreína (but most people call me Andre)

Age: 29

Current weather: Port Hueneme, CA tends to have awesome breeze and chilly nights. It has not gotten too hot. Mostly fresh & easy (I’ve only been here for  2 1/2 months).

Hair: Dark brown, and a mix of 70% wavy, 15% kinky and 15% super-straight. Don’t ask me how I got there, I’m still trying to figure that out myself!

Skin: with a weird case of breakouts on my cheeks which I’m trying to control. It comes and goes. Used to be t-zone, all year round, and now I’m in a perfect medium.

Favorite star or icon from the past: Carolina Herrera, fashion designer with a super-simple style from my native country, Venezuela. She’s got everything I think of when it comes to elegance.

Also Diane Keaton. I just love her in every movie, I always like her jewelry (big rings!!!) and her style just comes across timeless. Image via.

In the shower…

Baking soda and apple cider vinegar are my go-to soaps. Even though I do not shower every day, I’m always able to clean my underarms with a mix of these two to really kill the smell and, believe it or not, help me with perspiration. I might use a bit of baking soda all over my body once a month, but when it comes to cleaning just the bare-essentials, I find that B.S. is all I need.

One thing I do not see here very often is people talking about their shaving abilities, and same as everything else, only 2 things have worked like a charm! 1. Dr. Bronner’s all-in-one baby mild and citrus liquid soap. I buy the 32 oz and dilute it 4 times, mix the two and keep it in the shower. I use this mix to shave my legs (warm or cold water) and the 2. preserve razor. I have always had such sensitive legs, with ingrown hairs and my hair gets really upset when it gets all shaved, so it grows really fast! which can be an issue. I also do not shave all the time, at times I let my hair grow real long and then try and shave up. My legs are happy.

My hair LOVES to be dirty, so I wash my hair only once x week. It is actually the third day that it starts to look amazing. With my textures and changes in product I’ve found that less is always more, and my hair has never looked better! My shampoo of choice is Alaffia’s Everyday Shea shampoo, unscented or in lavender (this is actually my 2nd bottle. They’re huge! one bottle went on for almost 2 years!). Right after I shampoo, I use Bragg’s apple cider vinegar, which really helps me de-tangle my hair. I never brush it because I want to keep my curls intact, so this is the, by far, less painful and most effective way for me to really soften all my hair and prevent the crazy nots. I also love to use Alaffia’s coconut & shea daily conditioner, and once a month I use Alaffia’s “beautiful curls” in Shea butter deep-conditioning treatment, super hydrating and gives my hair an extra shine that lasts long!

My face gets cleaned -almost- everyday. This might be the area I need improvement in, mostly because I hate keeping routines and I go as the day comes, so there are weeks that I’m really good at cleaning my face, and others not so much. I use a mix of almond, avocado, grapeseed, argan and tea tree oils and clean my face with a vegetable sponge. It is so easy! and I give my face a real nice massage with the oil, which tends to be an extremely awesome combo when there’s steam in the bathroom because it really cleanses my pores deeply. I do not rinse my face with water, as I find the sponge to be really helpful. I use the bronner’s liquid soap to clean the sponge.

Outside the shower…

No Skincare here. Whenever I feel I need a bit more of a dewey-texture, I apply more oil (mostly during winter). The choice are either the mix from above, or my ojio coconut oil. If there’s excess, I use the sponge to wipe it off. I also use these oils and sponge to wipe off any makeup too.

My hair gets more alaffia (I love this brand, can’t you tell? ;) with just a little bit of Beautiful Curls’ Curl activating cream and after their Curl Defining Gel. This is the perfect combo, and lasts me a whole week. My hair is also in love!

I don’t always use deodorant, but when I do I turn to Aubrey’s E plus High C, works like a charm!

I also apply a mask about once a month that I make with my mix of oils, bentonite clay and apple cider vinegar. It is rather painful and takes a while to dry, but really revives my skin every time! Clean pores, outstanding radiance, ultra-soft surface,

Finishing touches…

Makeup yes, everyday no.

My makeup is not really clean, mostly because I became obsessed with Bare Mineral’s eyeshadows shortly after I came to this country. I spent about 3 years collecting and I still use them, still love them. I have a mix of Josie Maran’s eyeshadows, which I really enjoy too, and are the ones I take with me when I’m out of town. I use Jane Iredale’s Petal or Lemon’s eyelid primers, and some eyeliners from Bare Minerals & Josie Maran. For my lips, when color comes, just get red. LOVE Josie Maran’s  stains (flamenco & fox trot).

Mascara, (which is often talked about here) is always a subject on is own. It is often a girl’s fav makeup item, and for some the only go-to to lighten up and refresh the face! I’ve had issues with natural mascaras, but I’ve also not tried a ton! My fav natural mascara is Josie Maran’s GOGO, and I still use Bare Mineral’s flawless mascara because I’m a sucker for their brush!

I love larenim’s blushes, cherub and innocence. I also use Bare Minerals’ highlighter & well-rested eyeshadow, which I mix and place in the inner corner of my eye to illuminate. Again, part of a collection I’ve had for years.

I try to be real clean with my brushes, and clean then well with my all-in-one soap.

Thanks, Andre! Happy to hear you are happy :) Anyone else using Alaffia for the hair? Siobhan reviewed one of their conditioners awhile back here.