Name: Leigh

Age: 23

Hometown: Houston, TX

Current weather: Cool (50s and 60s) and sunny lately, but hot and humid every other season!

Hair: Slightly wavy and very thick; prone to dryness and frizziness.  Naturally a dark ash blonde, but in a moment of weakness I dyed it dark brown with regular (super dirty) box dye about a year ago.  I loved the color, so I maintained it for several months. BUT seeing as how I would like to have functioning respiratory and nervous systems, I stopped dyeing it about three months and am now “just seeing how it grows out!”  So I’ve got about two inches of roots, dark brown for most of my strands and some faded brassy ends.  Color-wise, it is not very attractive at the moment, but I keep telling myself that with regular trims and probably one big chop in a few months, the grow-out process will be worth it in the end!

Skin: Very fair and prone to sunburn.  The skin on my face is dry and sensitive, and because of some (super fun!) major hormonal breakouts over the past two years, I’ve got a few clusters of hyper-pigmentation.

Favorite star or icon from the past: Etta James

In the shower…

I wash my hair about twice a week and usually don’t get it wet in between washes.  About two months ago, I gave up liquid shampoo and haven’t looked back.  I ordered a bunch of sample-size shampoo bars from Chagrin Valley Soap & Salve, they are awesome! My favorites are the Mud & Clay bar and Honey Beer & Egg bar.  Then I do an ACV rinse, which I let sit on my hair while I wash my pits and bits with Dr. Bronners (rose is my favorite but I’m using the citrus one right now).

Outside the shower…

While my skin is still warm and damp, I rub a homemade cocoa butter/coconut oil/apricot oil body butter all over.  In the mornings, I wash my face with raw honey and then follow up with Thayer’s witch hazel and rose petal toner, the Desert Essence Daily Essential De-Puffing Eye Cream (affordable, scores a 1 on Skin Deep, and comes in a squeeze tube, yay!), and a big pump of Aura Cacia Rosehip Oil all over my face and neck.  For sunscreen, I have been trying out the new-ish Andalou Naturals Beauty Balm.  The ingredients are pretty clean (I think there’s one questionable one) and the sun protection comes from zinc oxide, and so far I like it.  At night, it’s jojoba oil to remove eye makeup, and the Shea Rose Clay complexion bar soap from Chagrin Valley to wash my face. Then the Thayer’s toner and Desert Essence eye cream again, this time followed by Acure Organics Radical Resurfacing Lotion and a pump or two of Tamanu Oil, both of which I’ve heard are good for hyper-pigmentation and seem to be working quite well.

Finishing touches…

I’ve been alternating between Soapwalla and Chagrin Valley’s Summer Rain cream deodorant for the past couple of months.  They have very similar ingredients, but I think Soapwalla has a slight edge because the texture is a bit softer.  Most days I run a few drops of Acure Organics Argan Oil through my hair to smooth it out.  For makeup, it’s Alima Pure for foundation, blush, bronzer, and brow powder; Physician’s Formula Organic Wear or Honeybee Gardens for mascara; for lips, I rotate between the three 100% Pure lip glazes I have (Daiquiri, Rose Petal, and Cabernet) or the Hurraw! Black Cherry tinted lip balm.   I have really wanting to try out the RMS Living Luminizer because everyone raves about it….however it’s not really in my budget at the moment! I’ve already decided it’s going to be a present from myself to myself for my birthday in June, but a few weeks ago I found a neglected tube of Alba’s Un-Petroleum Jelly in my bathroom and BAM! an idea came to me.  The first three ingredients of both products are castor oil, coconut oil, and beeswax.  I also have a few sample sizes of Alima’s Luminous Shimmer Powders, so I mixed the mineral powder (I really like the shade Lumina, which is a nice pale beige) with the Alba Un-Petroleum Jelly until I got a nice consistency, and I actually like the end result!  I put a dab on my cheekbones, bridge of my nose, and on my brownbone.  It is in no way as amazing as the frosted-glass piece of luxury that RMS is, but it will satisfy my craving for a nice dewy highlight for now!

Want your skin to feel great and look polished and flawless? You must give the RMS “Un”Powder a try.

A few months ago when I saw RMS was coming out with a new product, I was all over it.  I ordered the “Un”Powder immediately and awaited delivery with high hopes. My first application was too heavy-handed, and I thought the product wasn’t for me.

Upon reflection, though, I thought, “This is RMS. I must be applying it wrong.” True that. This is something that I only need the teensiest bit of to make a big difference in my skin.

I’ve discovered that a little on my forehead and nose, on top of my mineral makeup, is spectacular. It feels crazy silky, keeps excess shine away all day, and is the only product I’ve ever used that makes my gigantic pores practically unnoticable.

The “Un”Powder is pure silica (which is not the same as silicone) and does not have a color, so it’s for any skin tone. I far prefer applying with a brush than the puff it comes with. If you want a veil-like effect from a powder, definitely experiment with this. I’ve tried mixing it half and half with my mineral foundation for light coverage, but I think that would work better in warm weather, or on someone with oilier skin or wanting a super matte look. I’m convinced that this could mattify the oiliest of skin. Be sure to use an applicator appropriate to the effect you want—always an important thing with minerals and powders. It’s hard to control the amount used with the included puff, so invest in a thick brush if you are going for a matte look, or a light, soft brush if you want to use just a little.

Okay, who has tried this?

It’s been well over a year since we started the morning routine series. They began on a “really hot, muggy, humid, generally gross” August morning in 2011, because we thought it would be fun to share with all of you the products that we use every day before we leave the house. Now, you guys send us yours, and they’re consistently inspiring to this vibrant community of natural beauty lovers, am I right?

Since it’s December 2012, and my life, as well as my routine, has changed, I thought I’d give it another go. I’m a Scorpio, which, among other things, means I’m fiercely loyal and I like what I like. It’s fun, looking back, to see which products I’m still using. Still, some were traded out for products I like even better. (Warning: This post is long, because it’s doubling as a gang of new product reviews. You might want to skim—or grab a snack.)

Name: Siobhan

Age: 34

Current weather: It’s been a mild, climate-changey winter so far, with some rare chillier days.

Hair: Blonde, long, wavy when air dried.

Skin: Irish. Which is to say, reactive, sensitive, pale, a little freckly, and pale. Did I mention pale? Oh, and reactive.

In the shower…

Most days, I shower rather speedily. Since I don’t typically wash my face in the morning, my shower routine is pretty straightforward: I dry brush before I get in the shower, then I wash my hair. My new go-tos are Intelligent Nutrients PureLuxe shampoo and conditioner. I’ve run out and repurchased them several times because they leave my hair super shiny, manageable and smelling great. I don’t have overly dry hair but I live in fear of it, and these two products give just the right amount of moisture, without feeling greasy. A couple of times a week, I swap out IN for the Seaweed Bath Company’s argan oil conditioner. It has wax pretty high up on the ingredient list, and I find it reliable on days when I want my hair to hold a style.

If I wash my face, I use Kahina’s or Marie Veronique Organics’ (new obsession—I love the whole line), which is slippery and cleansing without being overly drying. If I’m too lazy to make my own body scrub, which is most days, I use a squeaky-clean new one by the Brooklyn-based Metropolis Soap Company in honeysuckle and violet. My new go-to bar cleanser is the Activated Charcoal Soap by Soapwalla. It’s technically a face wash but I’ve been using it on my body. It contains activated charcoal and tea tree oil, and it’s also made in Brooklyn, which is neither here nor there, but kind of neat.

If I’m feeling under the weather or if I’m showering before bed, I massage my chest with Hope Gillerman’s Travel Remedy. The essential oils support immunity, promote restful sleep and make my tiny apartment smell like a spa. Which is nice.

Outside the shower…

Very few things I hate more than applying moisturizer on my body, but I do it almost every day. These days I alternate between Weleda’s New Rose Pampering Body Lotion (I love this stuff) and Vered’s Muscle Soothing Massage and Body Oil, which has been especially helpful since I bit it on the subway stairs the other night, had to get stitches, and seriously bruised up both my calves. (Pro tip: Don’t fall in the subway. It hurts.)

Once this tiresome step is done, I apply Soapwalla Deodorant, spray my face with either Kahina’s Toning Mist or Marie-Veronique Organic’s Anti-Aging Mist, and rub in a touch of Kahina’s Brightening Serum. Sometimes, I apply a dab of Tammy Fender Intensive Repair Balm, which I still swear by for night. If I look tired, I apply a Rejuvenating Eye Cream by Amala. It’s cocoa bean-based, which helps constrict blood vessels to reduce puffiness, and works almost as if by miracle to eliminate undereye bags. (Before bed it’s still La Bella Figura.)

Next, I apply Suntegrity Sunscreen, which got the #1 rating from the EWG this year for lotions with SPF. Who wants to shoot me first? Because the stuff contains (mineral-based) dimethicone. I have decided I can deal with it in this product because the ingredient deck is otherwise very clean, and because it’s the most effective, versatile and cosmetically appealing sunscreen I have ever tried. And I have tried many. It works kind of like a BB cream. I’ve finally found one I want to use every day, and this is it. You’re welcome? I’m sorry? Whatever? I love this product.

Finishing touches…

If I have meetings, which I usually do, I will follow with Suki Tinted Active Face Moisturizer in Porcelain, for an overall evening-out effect. I’ll set that with Laura Mercier loose minerals in Sand, line my eyes with Bare Minerals’ (unfortunately very messy) loose eyeliner in black, applied with a stiff damp brush. I keep my face simple for day, so that means I might swipe some RMS Beauty lip2cheek in Smile on cheeks and lips or some W3LL People Universalist in the peachy color, and dab on some Living Luminizer. I also love Ilia in a bunch of different colors. If I feel like a very bold lip, I’m probably cheating with non-naturals from Bite or Chanel.

For mascara, it’s either 100% Pure or the new thick-as-hell “Fake Out” one from Organic Wear (the pink tube) or both. Some days, I fill in my super-pale eyebrows with NVey Eco Eye Shadow Palette in No. 3. It’s not meant for brows, but it works. If I’m really going for it, I apply a touch of color to my lids, too. Makeup tends to scream on my face, though, so I use a light touch.

Finally, my perfumes of choice are still Lotus Wei Infinite Love or Tata Harper Irritability Treatment (as a perfume), or both!

Couple things, before I go: First, I don’t always follow all these steps. Second, I now fear I sound way more high-maintenance than I actually am. Any products here that you love too? Anything new to you?

Image via

This is so awesome! The amazing makeup artist Katey Denno, who we’ve yet to meet but would love to (hi, Katey!) has done a video demonstrating the perfect summer face using all our favorites: Vapour Organics, RMS Beauty, Tata Harper, Kjaer Weis and Ilia.

I, for one, am in love with the finished look.

Do you guys use brushes, or your fingers, to apply your makeup? And what do you think of the finished product?

Video via

Hello everyone! Meet Lola and her lovely routine! She is a green juice, essential oil and Lotus Wei fan…aka a girl after our own hearts. Read on…

In the shower…

Outside the shower…

Finishing touches…

Thanks, Lola! Has anyone else been enjoying greens in the AM and feeling the results like Lola? How about the amazing herbal supplement success for decreased migraines?!